"Oh my god, my mother-in-law!"
Wang Wenhao came out from the backyard and saw Ding Sha standing on a stool holding a wooden board against the wall, seeming to be making measurements.
He rushed over in alarm, "You're going to scare me to death! If you need anything, just call me, call me and I'll come right away!"
"If my master sees this, I'll be done for!"
"It's not that serious," Ding Sha got down from the stool, "You happened to come by, so take a look too, see if it's appropriate to put this here."
"I should take a look? Look at what?" Wang Wenhao asked as he took over the wooden board and turned it over to see three big characters written.
Wang Family Dishes.
Wang Wenhao stopped moving and didn't say anything more.
"I discussed it with A-Jun yesterday," said Ding Sha, "He said it's time for you to get in touch with your grandfather's recipes. And coincidentally, Uncle Wei also made these name plaques and stuff, so it's suitable to take them out now."
"Mother-in-law..." Wang Wenhao didn't know what to say.
His father had given the recipes away. He had no reason to shamelessly ask for them back, let alone make people take him as a disciple and specially put up plaques for his family's Wang dishes in their shop.
Wang Wenhao wiped his face and said, "Uh, mother-in-law, I will definitely cook well."
Ding Sha hmm-ed and patted his shoulder, "We've seen that you have good talent, just wasted before. If you had followed Old Master Wang to learn cooking since you were little, you would definitely be better than what we can teach you."
"But the past can't be chased. Let bygones be bygones. Focus on learning well and cooking well now, you understand?"
Ding Sha said more to make sure he could get over that hurdle.
"I understand, mother-in-law. Don't worry, I will definitely not overthink it. I'll do whatever master tells me to do."
"You little rascal, how come I didn't see you being so obedient before? If you had listened this much earlier, I could have lived a hundred years longer!" Wang Zhengyang's voice came from the door.
Wang Wenhao was stunned. "Dad!"
Wang Zhengyang humphed. "Your mom was worried, so she asked me to come take a look."
"I'm fine, dad. Tell mom not to worry. I will definitely carry on grandpa's recipes gloriously." Wang Wenhao swore earnestly.
Wang Zhengyang's complexion softened somewhat. He looked at Ding Sha with a smile, "Boss lady, this stinky kid of our family just has thick skin. If he does wrong, go ahead and beat or scold him. He's not the sort to hold grudges."
"Oh oh, that's right, what my dad said," Wang Wenhao nodded his head rapidly, "If I don't do it right, just directly scold me."
Ding Sha didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Why is everyone standing?" Xiao Jun came back. He had just returned from the baby store to buy formula for Little Ping An who was going to be weaned off breastfeeding.
Xiao Jun carried back piles of milk powder. Ding Sha quickly went to take them from him, "You bought so much?"
"Ping An has a big appetite. Auntie Zhao said the last few days he would fuss to eat two feeds before sleeping at night. When I hugged him before I left, wow, he's gained quite a bit of weight." Xiao Jun didn't let her touch it and carried it to the back himself.
After putting down the milk powder and returning, he said, "Uncle Wang came? Staying for a bit? Let me pour you tea."
"No need, no need. I was just passing by to take a look. Still have to go back to keep an eye on the store!" Wang Zhengyang quickly waved his hands. "I'll get going, you all take care."
With that said, he briskly made his exit.
"Why did the old man come?" Xiao Jun was rather curious.
"To see Wenhao," Ding Sha wiped a hot towel on his face, "The more scathing his words, the more he cares inside. Old folks are just stubborn on the outside but soft inside."
"What's for dinner tonight?" Xiao Jun looked at the table full of menu plaques. "Eating out?"
"Why eat out?" Ding Sha wondered. "You own a restaurant yourself and still want to eat out?"
"Did you forget what day it is today?" Xiao Jun pinched her nose.
"What day is it?" Ding Sha was thoroughly confused.
As she passed by, she casually picked up Egg Yolk and hugged it. Egg Yolk calmly looked at her and quietly purred.
"It's your birthday." Xiao Jun found it funny that she had actually forgotten her own birthday.
"Ah..." Now Ding Sha remembered what she had felt was missing these past few days.
"Mother-in-law's birthday?" Wang Wenhao excitedly chimed in upon hearing this. "Then we have to have a good meal!"
Birthday????
Ding Sha instantly felt like she must already be seventy or eighty to warrant talk of a birthday celebration.
"Then I'll check out which restaurants that specialize in birthday banquets are most well-known and quickly book us seats!" Du Rourou happily said too.
Ding Sha smiled. "Alright, then I'll go change clothes to get ready."
"Yay!" Du Rourou cheered as she went to find her phone.
They eventually booked seats at a nearby restaurant that was said to have very tasty longevity noodles.
Ding Sha wore an embroidered ethnic style long dress and looked refreshed and elegant.
Their group made quite a bustling party as they headed to the restaurant.
There was Ding Sha, Xiao Jun, Du Rourou, Wang Wenhao, Sister-in-law Gong, Auntie Zhuang, Auntie Zhao, Little Ping An, Xiao Shitou.
Da Zhuang had gotten the message and was rushing over, while Si Le still had after-school self-study sessions and couldn't make it.
The banquet hall was very big. Xiao Jun ordered their signature birthday banquet set.
The speed at which the dishes came out was faster than Ding Sha expected. There was fish, shrimp, pork elbows. Stir-fries, deep fries, steams, an assortment of cooking methods.
They even gifted a small cake.
The longevity noodles were also served up quickly.
Ding Sha took a mouthful. The soup base was chicken broth, fresh and tasty. The noodles were handmade, with a nice, chewy texture. There were mushrooms and greens inside, along with a piece of chicken.
The portion was not big. Ding Sha finished it very quickly.
During the meal, they drank a little wine and had a merry time.
Ding Sha happily drank quite a lot since it was her family celebrating her birthday together. She felt very happy.
The consequence of being happy was drinking too much and getting tipsy.
On the way back she was quiet, but once they reached home, the mischief began.
It wasn't a full out drunken fit, just occasional little antics that left one feeling itchy.
Xiao Jun didn't have much trouble carrying Ding Sha back into the room to see her half-open, drunken eyes, her flushed cheeks, and the faint alcoholic scent in her breaths.
Xiao Jun couldn't resist kissing her again and again.
Ding Sha didn't resist either, gazing softly back at him. If pushed too far, she would give soft hmms and gently push at Xiao Jun.
Of course she still couldn't budge him.
Xiao Jun held himself above her, staring intently at every detail. He really enjoyed gazing fixedly at Ding Sha with a sense of possessiveness.
Ding Sha only felt her head spinning and couldn't see anything clearly.
She was half asleep and half awake, feeling like the light overhead kept shaking, then feeling it was herself shaking instead.
Later in the night she awoke again with a dry mouth and throat. She randomly pulled on a piece of clothing to cover herself and got out of bed to drink water. Xiao Jun was not there. Instead, there was the pitter-patter sound of the shower running.
Ding Sha felt a little soreness in her body and wanted to take a bath after Xiao Jun finished.
Xiao Jun came out wearing just shorts. Water droplets slid down his muscular chest and abs into the shadows of his shorts. Seeing that made Ding Sha feel slightly lustful.
Xiao Jun was well aware of her reaction and in two steps had taken her back into the depths of the bed.
The cry of surprise she wanted to let out was swallowed up by him instead. The moonlight slyly peeked past the window lattices to see a pair of fair, soft hands tightly clasped by another larger pair.
Even the moonlight was shy about it.
