Because the Feng family members treated her so well, Qiao Shu wanted to return the favor by using spiritual spring water to help condition their bodies. But unfortunately… she never found a good opportunity.
The Feng family members simply spoiled her like a little princess— even more outrageously than when she was at the Qiao Family. Back at the Qiao Family, she could at least pour water for them. But at the Feng Family, they wouldn’t even let her do that!
Not to mention helping Wu Ma with the cooking!
So when He Hong mentioned that Wu Ma was taking leave to go home tomorrow, Qiao Shu was thrilled. She felt her chance had finally come!!!
Her spiritual spring water could finally be used on the Feng family members!
But she hadn’t been happy for long when He Hong said the next moment,
“Ningning, even though your Grandma Wu is going home, there will still be someone else to cook for you.”
Wu Ma had asked for leave a few days in advance, so He Hong had already found a replacement.
“But I only love eating the meals Grandma Wu makes! Will the new one make food that’s tasty? Will she make those super delicious and cute little bunny pastries?”
He Anning pouted, clearly unhappy.
“It’s delicious, delicious. Don’t worry. Your Grandma Wu will come back to our house later.”
Seeing her great-granddaughter pouting so much that an oil bottle could hang from her lips, He Hong couldn’t help but chuckle as she comforted her.
Hearing that Wu Ma would return, He Anning immediately cheered up again.
“That’s good as long as Grandma Wu will come back~!”
But while He Anning was happy, Qiao Shu was not.
She had originally thought that once Wu Ma left on leave, she could take over the kitchen and handle three meals a day for the Feng family members, secretly conditioning their bodies with spiritual spring water until they were in tip-top shape without anyone the wiser.
But now, no sooner had Wu Ma left than a seamless replacement ‘cooking auntie’ arrived.
“Mom, since Wu Ma is coming back anyway, why not skip hiring a replacement? I know how to cook too, and I’ve learned some recipes from Wu Ma before. How about I handle the three meals a day from now on? I’m sure what I make will suit Ningning’s taste.”
Qiao Shu figured this was a golden opportunity she had to seize, so she directly proposed the idea of cooking three meals a day for the Feng family members.
Unfortunately, her suggestion was unanimously opposed by the Feng family members—even the two little ones who usually followed her around like ducklings and looked up to her refused.
“No, no, how could we let you do these things? Look at your little hands—they don’t look like hands that do chores at all.”
“The Qiao Family raised you as a delicate young lady whose hands never touch spring water. We certainly can’t treat you any worse than that here.”
“Shushu, just focus on writing your books at home. Leave trivial things like cooking to the professionals.”
“Fairy Little Aunt, you’ve been so good to me. I can’t be an ungrateful wolf! I can skip the tasty food! But I can’t let Little Aunt suffer for me!”
“Cooking is tiring. Kangkang doesn’t want Little Aunt to cook~”
“…”
Faced with the Feng family members’ unanimous protests, Qiao Shu felt both amused and exasperated.
She had only suggested handling three meals a day for them—just cooking some food.
Yet their reaction made it seem like she was about to do something incredibly dangerous!
As if cooking a meal could injure her or take her life.
In the end, Qiao Shu’s efforts were in vain. The Feng family members unanimously vetoed her proposal to cook.
“Alright, Shushu. Mom and Dad know you’re kind and filial, but the cooking arrangements are already set. It’s someone Wu Ma personally recommended—her distant niece. She’s only in her twenties, but her cooking skills are almost as good as Wu Ma’s.”
Hearing He Hong say this, Qiao Shu knew she was completely out of luck!
Who would have thought the new ‘cooking auntie’ was Wu Ma’s distant relative with family culinary skills? There was no way she could compete with that.
So Qiao Shu could only nod helplessly and say no more.
The next day, the new ‘cooking auntie’ Wu Qiulan arrived early at the Feng Family and prepared a lavish breakfast for them.
But while the breakfast was lavish, it was…
“Not tasty.”
Little foodie He Anning, unlike the others who wouldn’t say it outright even if it wasn’t good, was just a ten-year-old child—and previously an unruly ‘brat’ no one could handle. So she bluntly voiced what everyone was thinking.
“…”
Since the breakfast really wasn’t that good, He Hong couldn’t bring herself to scold her great-granddaughter.
That said, it wasn’t that Wu Qiulan’s cooking was terrible or inedible.
Her skills were just at the level of an ordinary person—nothing special, perfectly average.
But the Feng family members’ palates had long been spoiled by Wu Ma, the master chef.
So of course, eating Wu Qiulan’s average cooking made it taste bad to them.
Moreover, with the added expectations from her being Wu Ma’s distant relative and inheriting the family tradition, their disappointment was even greater, making it taste worse.
Seeing Qiao Shu, who usually loved to eat, poke at just a few bites of small wontons before stopping, the Feng family members—who had originally thought they could make do with hiring Wu Ma’s distant relative—suddenly wondered if they should find a new ‘cooking auntie’ with better skills.
But good cooks weren’t easy to find these days. The country was implementing economic reforms, encouraging capable people to start their own businesses.
Many master chefs had opened their own restaurants to make big money. Who would come work as a mere ‘cooking auntie’ in someone else’s home?
“Shushu, you ate so little today. Is the food not to your taste? How about Mom finds someone with better cooking skills?”
Seeing He Hong looking at her worriedly, Qiao Shu hadn’t even had a chance to respond when a sudden voice interrupted.
“Auntie He!”
Suddenly, a young woman with two braids and a floral dress ran into the dining room.
“Sorry, sorry! I-I was a bit too nervous today, so I didn’t perform well! I’ll definitely cook properly from now on!”
With that, Wu Qiulan looked tearfully at Qiao Shu. She paused for several seconds upon seeing Qiao Shu’s face but soon continued sniffling and pleading.
“Comrade Qiao, please don’t fire me. Besides here, I really don’t know where else I could go. Please be merciful and let me stay…”
“…”
Faced with this young woman, Qiao Shu inexplicably felt a whiff of green tea vibe???
Was it her imagination?
Having little contact with people in her previous life and only encountering green tea types online, Qiao Shu wondered if she was being too sensitive.
But while she was still hesitating if she was overthinking it, her mother-in-law was a true ‘tea expert’~!