The New Year’s performance on stage is still ongoing.

One program follows another, like a carousel.

Offstage, Xuanxuan and Qianqian are whispering to each other.

Qianqian wondered, "Xuanxuan, when do you think the program will end?"

"I don’t know either!"

Xuanxuan blinked, as if something occurred to her, and asked with concern, "Qianqian, do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"No..."

Qianqian shook her head, a bit embarrassed as she revealed her thoughts: "I... I just want to eat what your Dad made~"

Xuanxuan, enlightened, replied without thinking: "I want to too..."

Qianqian asked curiously, "Xuanxuan, do you know what your Dad is making today?"

Xuanxuan smiled with crescent eyes: "Soup dumplings and wontons!"

Qianqian immediately exclaimed in surprise: "Your Dad’s really making wontons and soup dumplings?"

"Yeah~"

Xuanxuan nodded like a little chicken pecking rice, speaking confidently: "My Dad told me himself!"

After speaking, she gave Qianqian a proud expression as if to say "like it could be any other way."

Qianqian, of course, believed Xuanxuan’s words one hundred percent.

No, no!

To be precise, she believed what Xuanxuan’s dad said!

She then recalled, "Xuanxuan, you don’t know, during summer this year, my Dad took mom and me to..."

For a moment, she couldn’t remember the place name.

Her little brain was spinning fast, thinking and imagining, until she got a vague idea.

She stammered on, "To... some Liang place, we even ate soup dumplings there, but my Dad said, that wasn’t the authentic place..."

Xuanxuan patted Qianqian’s shoulder lightly, comforting her: "Qianqian, don’t be sad if you didn’t get to eat it. After we finish watching the performance, we’ll go eat my Dad’s soup dumplings together."

"My Dad’s soup dumplings will definitely be authentic and delicious."

In her mind, her Dad’s cooking skills are the best in the world.

Why?

Because Dad is simply the best.

Qianqian nodded like a little chicken pecking rice, believing whatever Xuanxuan said.

In her heart, she also thought Xuanxuan’s Dad was really amazing!

He could make delicious meals, braid beautiful hair, carefully take care of children... 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

A superman who could do everything.

She happily said: "Yes, yes..."

"It must be delicious..."

Their childlike conversation made Xu Weiwei and the nearby parents smile and chuckle.

Suddenly, they were all looking forward to the moment Huang Tao finished making the food!

...

"Xuanxuan’s Dad, you must be tired, have some water first."

Ye Wen saw Huang Tao had just finished rolling the dough for the soup dumplings, and with a smile, picked up a cup of pre-poured hot water on the table. She tested the cup’s outer wall with her hand, and only when she felt it wasn’t too hot did she hand it to Huang Tao.

After working for so long, Huang Tao was indeed a bit thirsty.

Smiling, he accepted the cup and said, "Thank you~"

Then he picked it up and began drinking in big gulps.

Seeing this, some of the female parents nearby stared straight at Ye Wen and Huang Tao for a while. Then their eyes brightened, and they couldn’t help laughing at the "scandal" they imagined, while their inner maiden hearts were swelling with excitement.

Giving water to someone you like...

It was just too sweet to handle!

Of course.

They also felt a bit envious.

Being single is great, you can like whoever you want!

Qianqian’s Mother couldn’t help teasing: "Ye, only Boss Huang gets hot water, and we don’t?"

This comment made Ye Wen inexplicably flustered.

Faint red patches appeared on her fair cheeks, and she quickly brushed a strand of hair from her forehead to ease her embarrassment, softly saying: "There is! I was just about to pour some for you all!"

Saying this, she hurriedly grabbed some disposable cups and the hot water kettle to serve the female parents, silencing their playful teasing.

The female parents looked at their disposable cups, then at the exquisite ceramic cup Huang Tao held.

Uh...

Ye, your preferential treatment... is too obvious, isn’t it?!

Of course!

They understood.

After all, Boss Huang is the one Ye Wen likes!

For someone you like, you’d naturally treat them better!

It’s just... without comparison, there would be no hurt!

The other female parents’ disappointment was beyond Ye Wen’s attention; she had returned to Huang Tao’s side, taking back the cup he’d drunk from and, looking down, strands of her hair falling by her cheeks, gently spoke: "Xuanxuan’s Dad, should we start stuffing them now? Let us help you pack... "

Thinking that she had nothing else to do, Ye Wen couldn’t help wanting to give it a try.

Okay!

She admitted, she felt sorry for Huang Tao.

Seeing him busy mixing the filling and rolling out the dough without taking a break, she thought she’d help somehow.

"You all have been busy all morning and must be tired. Take a break; I can handle it myself."

For Huang Tao, this work was nothing, and he politely declined the offer of help.

Besides, wrapping soup dumplings was quite meticulous. After placing the filling on the dough, you had to pleat it along one edge.

Only if you could make over eighteen pleats would it be considered acceptable!

Some chefs from Myanmar could make more than thirty pleats, each one distinct and non-overlapping, making it look like a work of art.

Of course, if you’re making it for yourself, it’s alright to be less precise.

Just as long as it’s wrapped tightly and the skin doesn’t break!

Yet, the meticulous Huang Tao wasn’t willing to settle.

However, the more he politely declined, the more Ye Wen wanted to help.

Understanding this, she smiled brilliantly at Huang Tao: "You’re afraid I won’t pleat well, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I often help my mom make buns at home, and they turn out quite good."

"Plus, the New Year performance will end soon, so we should finish early so the kids can eat sooner, right?"

This reason finally convinced Huang Tao, and he nodded in agreement.

To Qianqian’s Mother, who had no clue about wrapping soup dumplings, it felt similar to making dumplings, and she believed it wouldn’t be a problem.

She also eagerly volunteered: "Boss Huang, I want to help pack too."

The result...

After wrapping two, Qianqian’s Mother admitted: "Xuanxuan’s Dad, is there another task? I feel like my hands aren’t listening to my brain..."

Huang Tao thought for a moment and assigned her a task: "How about you wash the steamer cloths and steamers, then line the steamers with the cloths."

Compared to the delicate task of wrapping soup dumplings, Qianqian’s Mother found these cleaning tasks more suitable for herself.

The other parents gathered to watch Huang Tao instruct Qianqian’s Mother on wrapping soup dumplings and quickly joined her in helping with her alternative task.

Making space for Huang Tao and Ye Wen to be alone!

Unaware of the parents’ intentions, Huang Tao began wrapping the soup dumplings.

He held the dough in one hand and filled it with the other.

Each scoop was just right,

filled into the dough.

His thumb and forefinger pinched pleats clockwise, turning the finished dumplings into kaleidoscopic creations.

At first, Huang Tao’s pleating wasn’t very fast, but starting from the second dumpling, his speed was almost too fast to see.

Each dumpling took less than three seconds to transform from open to closed.

This scene elicited "tut-tut" exclamations from the parents present.

Even Lin Weiliang, sitting diagonally across, internally exclaimed, "Such quick hands... they’re almost leaving afterimages!"

His desire grew even stronger!

Unable to hold back, he left his stall and headed toward the food stall of Class (4) to see for himself.