House Dad's Literary Life

Chapter 349: My Papa Is Delicious

After school in the afternoon, Xixi was picked up by her father and brought home, or to be more precise, she was brought to her little aunt’s apartment.

“Papa, why aren’t we going home?” Xixi was carried upstairs by her father. The winding corridor was a bit dark, but fortunately, she was in her father’s arms. Although the little girl was a bit scared, she still carefully looked around and then whispered in her father’s ear.

“Papa has some things to do tonight!” Yang Yi told a little white lie to his daughter because if he told her he was going out to play, the little girl would definitely not want to stay at home and would insist on going with him.

“So, you’ll be with your little aunt. She has already prepared dinner and will also help you take a bath. Then Papa will come back later and take you home to sleep, okay?”

“Papa won’t accompany Xixi?” Xixi timidly glanced at her surroundings. She felt it was different from the last time she came here. It seemed a bit scary.

Of course, it was different. The last time they moved was during the day. Although it was only dusk, it got dark quickly in winter. The light in the hallway was dim, and it always looked dark ahead, as if there were monsters hiding.

“I will accompany you, but didn’t Papa tell you that Papa has some things to do and will come back later to pick you up.” Yang Yi smiled and kissed his daughter’s cheek, “Is that okay?”

“Well, okay… But Papa, you have to come back early. I’m scared.” Xixi leaned her head against her father’s chest. Although she felt a little wronged in her heart, she was still very obedient.

When they arrived at Yang Huan’s place, the room was brightly lit and the furnishings were familiar to Xixi. She then saw her little aunt cooking in an apron, and the little girl relaxed a bit.

“Wait a minute, Xixi! Little aunt will have the food ready soon!” Yang Huan extended her fist and playfully bumped it against Xixi.

Xixi always found this way of greeting fun. After bumping fists, a bright smile appeared on her little face.

Yang Yi saw his daughter smile, and he finally felt relieved. He stood in the living room and said to Yang Huan in the open kitchen, “Then I’ll leave Xixi to you. Have you read the notes and tasks I wrote for you? Are the milk powder and clothes all ready?”

“It’s just taking care of a child, it’s easy! You don’t need to tell me, I know how!” Yang Huan said with a smile.

“Really?” Yang Yi expressed strong doubts about Yang Huan’s nonchalant attitude.

“Leave it to me, you can rest assured! Hurry up and go, everyone is waiting for you!” Yang Huan waved her hand, urging him to leave.

Yang Yi gave Xixi a final reminder and left. He had already led everyone to celebrate at the New International Hotel, but he only had a few bites from the buffet. Then, he went to pick up his daughter, leaving the majority of the group to continue their feast.

Yang Yi estimated that they were starting to move locations. Those who wanted to go to the bar followed Guo Zi and Ding Xiang. Qin Wen, Du Yuanlei, and another female crew member opted not to go, choosing instead to go shopping together.

So, Yang Yi had to hurry up and meet them at the bar.

After her father left, Xixi sat on the sofa, a little restrained. However, her little head was still looking around, looking for new and interesting things to see.

“Hey, Xixi, come on, it’s time to eat!” Yang Huan walked out with the clean dishes, saw Xixi sitting on the sofa, and called out with a smile.

“Yeah! Okay!” Xixi quickly got off the sofa. Even for a short distance, she has to trot a few steps.

“Are you going to eat while wearing so many clothes? Change quickly!” Yang Huan did these things very efficiently. She helped Xixi take off her scarf and thick down jacket. “Wait until after dinner to wear it again! Little aunt’s place doesn’t have heating like your dad’s house does, so it’s better to dress warmly.”

Xixi tugged at her sweater, which had rolled up and made her a bit uncomfortable, and curiously asked, “Little aunt, why don’t you have heating here? My Papa has it!”

“Well, because it hasn’t been installed yet and there are no plans to install it. Your Big Sister Ding Xiang and I are not afraid of the cold.” Yang Huan bent down and pinched Xixi’s little nose, and said with a smile.

“Where is Big Sister Ding Xiang?” Xixi was picked up by Yang Huan and sat on her high chair, which was obviously moved over by Yang Yi in advance.

“Your Big Sister Ding Xiang, well, she has something to do tonight and had to go to class.” Yang Huan lied without blinking an eye.

“Going to class? At night? Big Sister Ding Xiang so pitiful!” Xixi furrowed her little eyebrows, feeling sorry for Big Sister Ding Xiang’s “bitter experience”.

“Hehe, let’s not talk about her. Here, Xixi, try this crucian carp made by your little aunt. Is it delicious?” Yang Huan smiled and gave Xixi a piece of fish.

Crucian carp is actually tilapia. Yang Huan cooked it using the method of braising it in brown sauce, which smelled quite fragrant.

However, Xixi didn’t move her chopsticks. She pouted and said, “Little aunt, you didn’t pick out the fish bones! I’m afraid of fish bones. Papa always picks them out for me.”

“This piece of fish doesn’t have fish bones. Little aunt guarantees!” Yang Huan had picked a piece of fish from the back, about two inches below the fish head, where the flesh was firm, delicious, and certainly free of bones.

Xixi skeptically scooped up the piece of fish with a small spoon, chewed it with her mouth open and started eating.

“Is it delicious?” Yang Huan asked eagerly.

“Delicious!” Xixi nodded her head and said with her mouth full.

“Hehe, of course, your little aunt used to cook a lot at home. That’s why I have developed a good cooking skills!” Yang Huan laughed and, “Compared to the food your dad makes, which one is more delicious?”

The Yang family was considered a very traditional family. The so-called tradition, to put it bluntly, was male chauvinism! All the housework was entrusted to the women, while the men work in the fields and strive outside, waiting for food and drink when they come back.

These ideas might seem very feudal, but after all, it was a relatively poor rural area, and it was not uncommon for the older generation to have such ideas.

So, let alone the previous Yang Yi, neither Father Yang nor Yang Qing could cook. Although Yang Huan was spoiled by her two brothers, Mother Yang would still ask her to do housework for fear that she would be too naughty and wouldn’t be able to do housework and wouldn’t be able to get married.

Of course, the current Yang Yi was like a changed person. At first, Yang Huan was surprised that Yang Yi could cook. But later she saw that Mo Fei didn’t know how to do kitchen work at all, so she guessed that Yang Yi learned to cook for Mo Fei.

However, asking this question was simply self-deprecating. How could her level be compared with Yang Yi’s? Moreover, she was asking Yang Yi’s loyal little fan, Xixi!

“My Papa is delicious!”¹ Xixi immediately and confidently said.

Xixi didn’t notice her grammatical mistake², and Yang Huan didn’t mind either. She deliberately imitated Xixi’s pout and said, “I don’t believe it!”

“It’s true! Xixi was very straightforwardly and said anxiously, “Or, or when my Papa comes back, let him cook for you! My Papa can make a lot of delicious food. You’ve eaten it too!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Your dad’s cooking is indeed more delicious than your little aunt’s. However, today you still have to try your little aunt’s cooking skills for a change of taste, right?” Yang Huan laughed heartily.

After a while, after dinner, Yang Huan wasn’t in a rush to take Xixi for a bath. Instead, she accompanied the little girl in the living room to play. But what would they play?

“Xixi, what do you want to play?” Yang Huan asked directly.

Xixi was sitting on the sofa, with her feet tucked under her bottom.

“I want to watch TV. I want to watch Rem!” She pointed at the wall-mounted TV and said. This was left by the previous landlord and was also the TV that A’Guang and Xu Shishi watched together after they moved in “Fairy Tale”.

“Watch TV? But we haven’t subscribed to the TV service yet. We can’t watch it.” Yang Huan spread out her hands.

She and Ding Xiang were reluctant to subscribe to the TV service because they usually don’t watch TV much anyway, and subscribing would be a waste of money.

“Well, then what should we play?” Xixi boredly swayed from side to side, then flopped onto the sofa, rolled over, and sat back up. Her hair was a bit messy but she seemed to find it fun, and she smiled brightly.

“What do you usually play with your dad at home?” Yang Huan asked.

“Play with toys! Little aunt, do you have toys?” Xixi asked.

“I don’t have any. Your dad forgot to bring them over.” Yang Huan shook her head.

“Then… then I will play with Xiao Guai together. Little aunt, do you have Xiao Guai?”

“No…” Yang Huan shook her head again.

“Papa will tell me stories. Little aunt, can you tell stories?”

Yang Huan was stunned and a bit embarrassed: “No…”

“Oh, little aunt, how come you don’t know how to tell stories? My Papa can tell stories!” Xixi proudly puffed out her little chest and praised her father without reservation.

“Can’t you say something that your little aunt can do?” Yang Huan was somewhat overwhelmed.

“That… that…” Xixi was actually trying hard to think of something that her little aunt could do. Her big eyes suddenly lit up as if she had thought of something and said, “My Papa can turn into Sun Wukong. Little aunt, can you do that?”

“……”