Chapter 4

The houses in the urban village not only have poor soundproofing, but the ventilation is also terrible. Yang Yi was busy in the kitchen, and a rich aroma wafted past the thin door and slipped into the bedroom.

The little one in bed looked like a serene sleeping beauty, her delicate face framed by a few playful strands of hair, making her appear pitifully endearing.

Perhaps enticed by the aroma, the little one's delicate nostrils twitched, and she greedily stuck out her little tongue to lick her lips.

In the kitchen, Yang Yi was busy with a small iron pot simmering over a low flame. The water and the instant noodles, which had broken apart, were bubbling with a rich aroma, a mix of the seasoning packet and sesame oil. Yang Yi had thrown away the oil packet from the instant noodles—he didn't trust those oils.

Now, Yang Yi added finely chopped sausages, stirring them evenly with long chopsticks. The aroma of the sausages, combined with the boiling broth, seemed even more fragrant!

At that moment, Yang Yi's ears perked up as he heard a rustling sound and the bedroom door opening. Peeking out, he saw the little one rubbing her sleepy eyes, barefoot, and drowsily walking out.

"Daddy, Daddy..." The just-awakened Xixi's voice was soft and carried a hint of anxious insecurity.

"Daddy's here!" Yang Yi quickly walked over and picked up the little one.

In her father's arms, Xixi felt relieved, and her drowsy spirit gradually became more alert. She wrapped her arms around her father's neck and pouted, saying, "Daddy, Xixi is hungry."

"It'll be ready soon, Daddy is making dinner for you!" Yang Yi smoothed Xixi's hair and smiled, comforting her.

Of course, the noodles weren't done yet! After helping Xixi put on her slippers, Yang Yi returned to the kitchen. Under Xixi's curious gaze, Yang Yi couldn't resist showing off a bit.

He tossed a washed egg high up, causing Xixi to let out a small exclamation. Then, with his right hand holding a knife, he made a subtle movement that was hard to see, and the egg landed steadily on the blade, uncracked!

Before Xixi could react, Yang Yi flicked his wrist, using the blade to toss the egg again. The movement was so quick that the knife tip rotated and cut into the eggshell, embedding it firmly.

"Wow!" Xixi exclaimed, her little mouth wide open, as if it could fit an egg. She instinctively covered it with her small hand, looking very ladylike.

Yang Yi smiled. He hadn't practiced these tricks before, but he had seen videos online. With his skillful knife handling, it wasn't too difficult to pull off!

However, seeing his daughter so delighted gave Yang Yi a great sense of accomplishment.

The egg white flowed down the blade and slowly spread over the instant noodles as Yang Yi shook it. With another gentle shake, the eggshell cracked, and the yolk fell, spreading evenly within the frame of the egg white.

The little one couldn't see, so she stood on tiptoe, curiously poking her head out.

The next steps were simpler. Yang Yi casually cracked three more eggs to garnish, then turned off the gas stove and covered the pot. Overcooked eggs wouldn't taste good, and the residual heat and steam were just right to cook them to a perfect seven-tenths done.

"Too bad we don't have scallions; otherwise, we could have made a nice presentation," Yang Yi thought to himself.

"Alright, let's wait for Daddy to cook some cabbage, and then we can have dinner!" Yang Yi smiled, carrying the pot of instant noodles to the coffee table in the living room and reminding the little one not to get burned.

Xixi was so hungry that she followed her father around, drooling.

There was Chinese cabbage in the fridge, and Yang Yi hadn't wasted time, having already picked and washed it. Now, he brought a pot of boiling water, quickly blanched the cabbage, and drained it, placing it on a plate.

Next, Yang Yi heated oil in the iron pot, added minced garlic and soy sauce, creating a mouth-watering sauce. He poured it over the blanched cabbage, which sizzled, and the rich aroma of the vegetables and oil filled the entire house.

"So fragrant, so fragrant, Xixi wants to eat!" The little one's stomach growled, and she started bouncing with impatience.

Xixi was quite considerate. She helped her father carry the washed bowls and chopsticks and then found her special little stool, sitting obediently and waiting for the meal to start!

Actually, Yang Yi was quite quick. He hadn't let the instant noodles sit for too long, and when he lifted the lid, they were perfectly cooked, soft yet still chewy.

However, Xixi's attention was drawn to the heart-shaped egg in the center. Yang Yi's showmanship had made the egg spread into a heart shape, with the golden yolk embedded in the white, like a work of art.

In terms of taste, Yang Yi thought the other three eggs he had cracked were better. The heart-shaped egg might not be as tender as the others, as it had spread out and cooked a bit longer.

When Xixi saw her father put an egg in her bowl, she immediately protested, pouting her pink lips, "I want that one, I want that one!"

It seems even children are in an era of judging by appearance!

Yang Yi smiled, having prepared in advance. With his left hand holding a spoon and his right hand holding chopsticks, he skillfully scooped up the egg along with some noodles and quickly transferred it to Xixi's bowl, maintaining its original shape.

"Be careful," Xixi was very nervous, worried that her father might ruin something when he scooped the noodles back into the bowl, "No, no!"

"Okay!" Yang Yi smiled, pushing Xixi's bowl closer to her and handing her the chopsticks, "Let's start eating!"

Xixi had already learned to eat by herself, mainly because in the past six months, Mo Fei had started preparing to return to work, spending less time taking care of the little one. Sometimes, Xixi had to eat and play by herself in Mo Fei's recording studio!

Now, Xixi picked up her chopsticks but hesitated a bit.

She lightly tapped the egg on the noodles, smelling the aroma and looking like she was drooling but reluctant to eat it.

The little one looked up, hesitating, "Daddy, can we not eat it? It's so cute..."

Yang Yi laughed and scooped up the egg from the bottom of the bowl, saying, "Try this one first!"

For the more ordinary-looking egg, the already hungry Xixi couldn't resist, struggling to pick it up and taking a gentle bite.

"Zzz..." The semi-solid, semi-liquid yolk oozed from Xixi's mouth, dripping onto her clothes. It was her first time eating it, and she was a bit startled.

Yang Yi took out a tissue to wipe the stain on Xixi's chest, a bit anxious, thinking Xixi might not like it!

However, Xixi's eyes soon lit up, and her little tongue greedily licked her lips.

It was so delicious!

This seven-tenths cooked egg was the most fragrant and had the best texture!