The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 127. Washing Hands to Make Soup (Second Watch)

Chapter 127: 127. Washing Hands to Make Soup (Second Watch)

Aunt Zhao’s cooking skills were very good, and Shen Qinglan was not dull, she had just never taken it to heart before, but now that she had, her progress was rapid.

"Old Sir Fu, all these dishes were made by Qinglan, have a taste and tell me what you think?" Aunt Zhao brought the food to the table and said to Old Sir Fu.

Old Sir Fu’s eyes crinkled with a smile, eyeing the dishes on the table that looked very appetizing, and he was quite delighted, "Good, good, good, let me have a taste."

"Hmm, the flavor is not bad, for Qinglan’s first time making it to turn out like this is very good, really good," Old Sir Fu couldn’t stop praising.

Even with Shen Qinglan’s usual composure, her face heated up slightly from Old Sir Fu’s praise.

After that, Shen Qinglan would return to the big courtyard every midday to learn how to cook with Aunt Zhao, and Old Sir Fu was happy to see it. After eating her cooking for two days, he couldn’t resist calling Old Sir Shen to show off, which left Old Sir Shen at home feeling uncomfortable. The granddaughter he had raised for so many years had never made a meal for him, yet now she was cooking for Old Man Fu.

So, feeling unjust, Old Sir Shen made his way to the Fu Family on the third afternoon.

"Grandpa, why are you here?" Shen Qinglan was surprised to see her own grandfather.

Old Sir Shen huffed, "If I hadn’t come, who knows how long I would have been unaware that my precious granddaughter is slaving away at her in-laws’."

Shen Qinglan: ...

When had she ever slaved away for anyone?

"Old Man Shen, don’t talk nonsense, when have I ever made Qinglan girl work like a horse or an ox?" Old Sir Fu, hearing the commotion from inside, complained discontentedly.

"It’s not about her working like a horse or an ox for you, it’s about you having her cook for you every day. My granddaughter, I’ve never even had the heart to let her cook for me for long, and she’s not your child, yet you don’t feel any issue with it." Old Sir Shen became even more upset as he spoke. Initially, he was just looking for an excuse to argue, since Old Man Fu had no business showing off carelessly, but now that he was talking about it, he truly did feel heartache.

Shen Qinglan was at a loss for words, "...Grandpa, where are you going with this? I just wanted to learn a few dishes from Aunt Zhao, and then have you help me to test the taste."

Old Sir Fu felt vindicated and looked at Old Sir Shen, "Did you hear that? I was simply helping to taste the dishes."

"Even so, it’s no good for a girl to always be soaking in the kitchen, what if she turns into a yellow-faced woman?" Some of Old Sir Shen’s objections were nonsensical.

Shen Qinglan felt a headache coming on, her grandfather was always so steady and serious, but occasionally when his childish temper flared, he could be quite difficult to appease.

Shen Qinglan stepped forward, helped Old Sir Shen to sit on the sofa, and whispered in his ear, "I’ll make you steamed pork ribs with rice powder for lunch, your favorite, okay?"

Old Sir Shen’s eyes gleamed slightly, but being mindful of his senior status, he sat upright and said nothing.

Shen Qinglan smiled, knowing that her grandpa had tacitly agreed. She made a gesture to Old Sir Fu and then proceeded into the kitchen.

With only the two elders in the living room, Old Sir Fu glanced at him, "If you want to eat the food your granddaughter cooks, just say it. As if I wouldn’t let you eat, making such a fuss. If others heard you, they might really think I’m mistreating my precious granddaughter-in-law."

Old Sir Shen’s cheeks reddened slightly, he harrumphed and kept silent.

After a pause, he spoke up, "How have you considered the matter I discussed with you when Hengyi was injured last time?"

Old Sir Fu’s eyes narrowed, his expression grew solemn, and he slowly began to speak, "Hengyi will be back at the end of the month, and I will talk to him then."

Both families were aware of Fu Hengyi’s injury. Coming from military careers themselves, they did not know much about the specific unit Fu Hengyi belonged to, but they were aware that his job carried a high risk.

"Old Fu, I’m not insisting that Hengyi must transfer out of the military, but now that he is married to Lanlan, he’s a family man, and I don’t want Lanlan to face... I’m not against him being a soldier; we were soldiers ourselves, and we understand the affection for the military and the loyalty to the country. I just hope that Hengyi could step back from the front line or at least return to the Beijing Military Region," Old Man Shen said.

"Old Man Shen, I understand, and I will have a good talk with Hengyi about this," Old Sir Fu replied, a trace of sorrow flashing in the depths of his eyes. His son and daughter-in-law had both sacrificed their lives on a mission, and he understood the grief better than anyone.

Old Sir Shen did not bring up the topic again. He knew it was like touching a raw nerve for his old friend, but Lanlan was his granddaughter, and he had to consider her well-being.

After lunch, Shen Qinglan followed Old Sir Shen back to the Shen Family home.

"Your mother was abroad for a performance recently and doesn’t know about what happened at home, so don’t hold it against her," Old Sir Shen said on the way, aware that the relationship between Lanlan and her mother was already tense. He did not wish to deepen the rift between mother and daughter.

Shen Qinglan offered a slight smile, "Grandfather, it’s nothing serious. I never took it to heart, and besides, this incident may not be a bad thing for me. Now when I go to school, everyone wants to curry favor with me."

With a chuckle, Old Sir Shen replied, "You never tell us when anything happens. You’re my granddaughter, Shen Yuanyi’s granddaughter; if anyone dares to bully you, feel free to bully them back. If trouble arises, you have your grandfather."

Warmth filled Shen Qinglan’s heart—her grandfather was always infinitely tolerant towards her.

"Grandfather, I’m really fine, and later on, didn’t brother help me deal with it?" she said.

"That’s what he should do. If it wasn’t for his carelessness, things wouldn’t have escalated to this point," Old Sir Shen was somewhat displeased with his grandson Shen Junyu for not discovering and resolving the issue sooner. His view of his grandson had been clouded with dissatisfaction these past days.

Shen Qinglan felt a pang of pity for her brother, who had complained to her more than once. Now hearing her grandfather chide her brother, she couldn’t help but sympathize with him.

Upon returning home, they coincidentally ran into Chu Yunrong and Shen Xitong, who had just returned from an overseas performance.

"Qinglan," Chu Yunrong hurriedly approached her daughter upon seeing her. She had just come back today and was filled with regret after learning from Sister-in-law Song about the recent events that had befallen her daughter.

"Are you alright?"

The smile in Shen Qinglan’s eyes was faint, gradually growing indifferent, returning to her usual cool demeanor, "I’m fine."

"Mom..." Chu Yunrong wanted to explain that she had been away performing and unaware, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

"You must be tired after just getting back. You should rest early," Shen Qinglan suggested.

Chu Yunrong watched Shen Qinglan’s retreating figure, in the end, said nothing.

Shen Xitong merely greeted Shen Qinglan before heading upstairs to deal with jet lag. She had joined Chu Yunrong’s orchestra and often performed abroad with her. People in their circle knew that Chu Yunrong was grooming her as the successor, and they were full of admiration for her.

Shen Xitong reveled in the attention of being in the limelight, but it wasn’t enough; she wanted to capture all the attention that fell on Shen Qinglan, including that of the man.