"What are you all doing here?" Looking at the people sitting in the house, Fang Bingwen almost lost his composure and got angry on the spot.
"Your wife said she wanted to cook for you herself today, and we happened to find out, so we shalessly insisted on coming over. Bingwen, you won’t be angry, will you?" Fu Lei said with a smile.
"Of course not. It’s just that she’s never cooked before, so I’m afraid you might end up with nothing to eat." He shook his head with a smile, showing a doting expression, "I’ll go in and take a look. You all go ahead first."
"Co on, let your wife try. She said she’s been learning for several days, and we just took a look. Maybe she can actually do it." Fu Lei quickly held him back.
"But..."
"There’s no ’but.’ At worst, we can go back to campus and eat at the cafeteria. anwhile, while she’s cooking, you can help Xiao Xu with his howork. I heard your wife signed Xiao Xu up for quite a few classes recently?"
"Yeah, learning more never hurts."
"I’m really envious of you, lucky guy!" Fu Lei punched him lightly, "I heard from your wife that the calligraphy teachers she hired are from the provincial calligraphy association, the art teacher has won awards abroad, both foreign language courses have one-on-one foreign teachers, and she even hired a piano teacher with quite a reputation. This must have cost a lot!"
Fang Bingwen’s expression gradually turned stiff: "She told you all that?"
"It’s not like your wife said it on purpose. We asked her on the way over why you and Xiao Xu hadn’t arrived yet, and she casually ntioned that you went to tutoring classes. With a bit of questioning, we found out she signed Xiao Xu up for such good classes. She’s probably the best stepmom I’ve ever seen. Bingwen, you’re really lucky."
"Not really." Fang Bingwen gave a perfunctory smile.
Fu Lei, seemingly oblivious or unconcerned, then asked Fang Xu, "Xiao Xu, don’t you think your stepmother is good to you? She signed you up for tutoring classes and cooked for you. Do you like her?"
"I don’t like her at all!" Fang Xu bluntly replied, "And she’s not my mom."
Hearing this, both Fu Lei and another colleague, Wei Tonghui, imdiately looked awkward: "Bingwen, Xiao Xu is still rejecting her despite how good your wife has been to him. You’re not teaching him? If I may say, as a father, you have a significant responsibility."
"Xiao Xu is still young. I don’t want to push him too hard," Fang Bingwen explained with a light smile.
"That’s not right," Fu Lei’s smile faded, "Even when you give up your seat to a stranger, children should be taught to say thank you. Ye Qiu is so good to Xiao Xu, yet he’s so resentful. That’s not being grateful. Children are taught, and as his father, you should teach him well. The more lenient you are, the more I feel you’re harming Xiao Xu. What if others gossip?"
"He’ll understand when he grows up," Fang Bingwen said, his expression looking a bit off.
Fu Lei slightly curled his lip and patted his shoulder: "As long as you know."
"Xiao Xu, tell Uncle, what did you learn at school today? Your dad was the top of our departnt back then, so you must be smart too, right?" another colleague, Wei Tonghui, asked with a smile.
"I learned a lot. Today, I studied math, science, and English. I want to be number one in the future too," Fang Xu said boastfully.
"Such ambition. It’s no wonder your Aunt Ye signed you up for so many classes."
"What are you guys talking about? So happy?" Ye Qiu ca out with a dish she just cooked, smiling a bit embarrassedly, "I only learned to make four dishes and feared they wouldn’t be enough, so I ordered four takeouts. Hope you don’t mind!"
"We don’t mind, we don’t mind," Fu Lei and Wei Tonghui quickly said.
"Slls great! Are you sure you just learned this?"
Fang Bingwen also looked at her in surprised admiration. Feeling a bit shy, Ye Qiu said, "I’ve only been secretly learning this week, wanting to surprise Bingwen, hoping he wouldn’t be so tired."
"Thank you for your effort. You haven’t done these things before; you can leave it to in the future," said Fang Bingwen considerately.
"Oh... we’re still here, and you’re already showing off your love? Bingwen, your wife dotes on you, and you’re the lucky one here in our departnt."
"Ding dong!"
"That should be the takeout. You all sit, let’s start eating." Ye Qiu busied herself plating the food and serving everyone rice. Though she seed a bit clumsy, one could see she genuinely wanted to be good to Fang Bingwen.
Fu Lei and Wei Tonghui couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous, starting to think so things in life are unfair: not only on the job but also at ho.
"Xiao Xu, here’s the stir-fried shredded potato you love the most. Try it? I spent a long ti learning to slice the potato this finely," Ye Qiu smiled warmly as she picked so food for Fang Xu.
"I don’t need you to pick my food," Fang Xu said impatiently.
Quickly responding, Ye Qiu said, "Okay, okay, our Xiao Xu is a big boy now. You help yourself. Try and see how it tastes?"
"Xiao Xu, I’ve told you so many tis, don’t be so rude. Eat properly." After saying that, Fang Bingwen picked so shredded potato for him with chopsticks.
Unwillingly, Fang Xu put it in his mouth, and his chewing speed suddenly quickened, but he still said with a pout, "Tastes bad."
"Is it really that bad? I tried it, and it seed okay!" Ye Qiu, anxious, picked a chopstick of it herself. After tasting it, she looked a bit deflated, but then she brightened up and urged Bingwen’s colleagues, "Please eat, don’t be shy."
"This shredded potato, stir-fried at, pickled cucumber, and seaweed soup were made by you, right? Let try so." Fu Lei picked up a chopstick of the shredded potato, and his eyes imdiately widened.
"Hmm... this dish, this dish is too delicious!" he exclaid in surprise, then smiled at Fang Xu, "Xiao Xu, your tastes are too picky. If you think this isn’t good, then what is? Does your dad usually cook you abalone and shark fin? I think even those aren’t as good as this shredded potato."
"Fu Lei, you’re exaggerating. It’s just shredded potato, how can it be that good?" Wei Tonghui laughed.
Fu Lei, displeased, widened his eyes: "Don’t believe ? Try it yourself?"
"Try it? I will." After trying a bite, Wei Tonghui was also amazed and took a while to find words, "Sister-in-law, you really only learned this in a week?"
"Yes," Ye Qiu nodded, "Does it suit your tastes?"
"Absolutely, thoroughly!" The two eagerly picked up more food, speaking to Fang Xu while eating, "Xiao Xu, since you don’t like what Aunt Ye cooked, we’ll help you eat it!"
"This is mine, you’re not allowed to take it." After being in classes the whole day, Fang Xu was quite hungry, and since the shredded potato did suit his taste, as a child he couldn’t pretend, and when he saw it nearly gone, he got anxious.
Watching the three of them, Fang Bingwen slightly furrowed his brow. Was it really that delicious?
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