Chapter Three: The Super Chef

Chapter Three: The Super Chef

Guoguo, her little face aglow with excitement after easily earning a hundred yuan, chirped, “Daddy, can you give me another hundred now?”

“Uh, more?” Xu Yun was a bit puzzled. Hadn’t he just given her a welcome gift?

“Silly, of course it’s your payment to hire me to help you court my mom!” Guoguo replied, looking at him with exasperation, as if she couldn’t believe his naivety.

The childish voice struck Xu Yun’s ears with a force far greater than any thunderbolt could have managed. He stole a glance toward the kitchen, then decisively fished out another hundred-yuan bill and handed it over.

Guoguo gleefully accepted the money, hopped down from her chair with a spring in her step, and bounced her way toward the kitchen.

Xu Yun, still marveling at the power of money while seated, felt his musings instantly shattered by the clear voice ringing out from the kitchen.

“Mommy, Mommy, Superman Uncle just gave me a hundred yuan to help him woo you!”

Even a godfather wouldn’t set him up like this! Guoguo took the money with one hand and sold him out with the other. Xu Yun had no choice but to admit defeat at the hands of this little imp.

Ruan Qingshuang, busy with her cooking, was left blushing from Guoguo’s words. She shot her daughter a glare. “Guoguo, stop your nonsense. Go give the money back to Uncle.”

“No, I’ve already made Superman Uncle my godfather. It’s not easy to have a… uh, a dad who can protect me…” Guoguo’s voice grew choked, tears welling up in her bright, expressive eyes as she spoke, moved by her own words.

Ruan Qingshuang’s heart ached at the sight of her daughter’s pitiful look. Indeed, except for Xu Yun, there really was no one else willing to stand up and protect them.

Her stern expression softened as she turned off the stove and carried out a bowl of medicinal soup, her cheeks still tinged pink. She offered Xu Yun an apologetic smile. “Guoguo is just too mischievous. Don’t take what she says to heart…”

“I’d like to, but what good would it do? She’s already spilled everything…” Xu Yun thought gloomily, though he said aloud, “It’s fine, really. She’s just a child…”

“Guoguo, give the money back to Uncle,” Ruan Qingshuang gently urged, smoothing her daughter’s hair. She figured this whole godfather idea must be one of Guoguo’s little tricks.

Guoguo pouted, clearly unwilling, but slowly pushed the hundred yuan across the table back toward Xu Yun.

How could Xu Yun take back money he had given a child? Smiling slyly, he said, “Why don’t you keep it to buy yourself some sweets?”

“No, sweets are bad for my teeth,” Guoguo sighed, shaking her head in reluctant agreement. “Mom says kids who eat sweets aren’t good children.”

But her expression betrayed her true feelings—she only admitted this because of her mother’s presence.

Xu Yun found himself more and more smitten with this little charmer. He patted her on the head. “Then why not use it to buy something tasty for your mom?”

“That’s a good reason!” Guoguo’s eyes lit up. She eagerly snatched the money back.

Ruan Qingshuang could only look at Xu Yun with an embarrassed smile. Guoguo gave a cheerful shout and scurried off to wash her hands for dinner.

“I’ll give the money back to you,” Ruan Qingshuang said as soon as Guoguo was gone, reaching for her wallet.

“No need. As long as the child is happy,” Xu Yun replied with a gentle smile. That mischievous little sprite was simply adorable.

Ruan Qingshuang insisted, “No, no. Guoguo may be young, but I can’t possibly take your money. I already don’t know how to thank you for everything today.”

“Thank me?” Xu Yun glanced at the job postings for a chef and server taped to the medicine kitchen’s door, patted his belly, and said, “Why not treat me to a bowl of medicinal soup? American ginseng, dendrobium, and lean pork—how about that?”

Ruan Qingshuang was momentarily stunned. In all her time running the shop, no one had ever ordered a medicinal soup without looking at the menu. After a brief pause, she nodded quickly, “Of course!”

As Ruan Qingshuang returned to the kitchen, Guoguo came scampering back with clean hands. Spotting Xu Yun’s wary look, she tilted her head. “Godfather, what’s wrong? I’m not a bad person. Why are you looking at me like that?”

What a captivating child! Every “godfather” rolled so sweetly from her lips. If he weren’t so self-controlled, Xu Yun thought, he’d probably count money for her even as she sold him out.

“Guoguo, don’t you think we’re quite destined to meet?” Xu Yun asked with a grin.

Guoguo eyed him warily for a long moment before nodding. “You want something from me? Just say it. But I absolutely won’t tell you that Mommy is wearing pink underwear like mine today.”

Xu Yun nearly spat out his drink. What on earth went on in children’s minds these days? Still, he couldn’t help but glance at Ruan Qingshuang’s silhouette and noticed a faint pink under her clothes—Guoguo wasn’t lying.

Then he looked at Guoguo’s own little vest embroidered with a cute kitten, and his mind wandered briefly to an image of Ruan Qingshuang in similarly cute attire. But it was just a passing fantasy. He quickly reined himself in and pointed to the job ad on the door. “Guoguo, has Mommy found a chef yet?”

“Nope,” Guoguo shook her head, looking unhappy as she sipped her white fungus and pear soup. “No one wants to do it for just fifteen hundred a month. But Mom can’t afford to pay more.”

Xu Yun smiled. “What do you think about Uncle becoming the chef?”

“You?” Guoguo put down her chopsticks, stood on her chair, and examined Xu Yun up and down with her big, clever eyes, throwing out questions that had nothing to do with cooking. “Can you sing children’s songs?”

“Of course.”

“Can you tell ghost stories?”

“Absolutely!”

“Can you play Truth or Dare?”

“No problem!”

“Can you make Mommy laugh?”

“I guarantee it!”

At that moment, Ruan Qingshuang emerged with a bowl of American ginseng, dendrobium, and lean pork soup, eyeing the pair’s antics with curiosity. “What are you two up to?”

“Mommy, I found a chef for you! One thousand a month!” Guoguo announced proudly, making a face at Xu Yun.

Xu Yun blinked and leaned over to whisper, “Wasn’t it fifteen hundred?”

Standing on the chair, Guoguo leaned close and whispered so only he could hear, “Do you want to woo my mom or pocket the extra five hundred?”

What a trump card! Xu Yun dared not haggle, fearing she’d announce his intentions to the world. One thousand it was.

“Don’t mind her, children say the silliest things,” Ruan Qingshuang said quickly, scooping Guoguo off the chair, unaware of the silent exchange that had just taken place.

“Guoguo’s not lying,” Xu Yun said, sipping the medicinal soup. “Not bad. But the ratio of ginseng to dendrobium isn’t quite right. If you add a couple of slices of fresh ginger to conceal the medicinal taste, it’d go down even smoother.”

Ruan Qingshuang was stunned by his critique. “You really know medicinal cooking?”

Xu Yun nodded. Now was his chance—thanks to Guoguo, he had an opportunity to work with such a remarkable proprietor. He needed to seize the moment and show off a little. “A bit. Just the basics.”

Guoguo secretly gave him a thumbs-up: Awesome!

“So… you really want to work here?” Ruan Qingshuang asked, her tone both doubtful and hopeful. After the trouble with those thugs today, she realized that without a man around, it would be hard for her and Guoguo to handle any trouble.

Xu Yun considered for a moment. “If you trust my skills, I’m willing to give it a try.”

“Really?!” Ruan Qingshuang was overjoyed. She’d never imagined such good fortune would come her way.

Xu Yun nodded. “Mhm.”

“Yay!” Guoguo jumped up, her innocent little face beaming as she winked at Xu Yun. “One thousand a month, that’s our deal.”

This little money-grubber really was helping her mother save money!

Ruan Qingshuang stroked Guoguo’s head affectionately. “I’m actually a bit strapped for cash right now… If you don’t mind, once business picks up next month, I’ll double your salary, how’s that?”

Before Xu Yun could answer, Guoguo had decided for him. “No need, no need. Daddy’s coming here just to be close to Mommy—he doesn’t care about salary!”

Daddy?! Ruan Qingshuang was dumbstruck.

Xu Yun blushed at being called out like that. This little rascal really had sold him out thoroughly.

“Let’s eat!” Guoguo ignored the two embarrassed adults and sat down to enjoy her mother’s delicious cooking. She teased, “So, new chef, aren’t you going to show us your skills? I don’t keep idlers around, you know.”

She truly had the air of a little boss. Xu Yun was left speechless. “Alright, I’ll show you what I can do.”

Ruan Qingshuang was also eager to see Xu Yun’s culinary skills. She hoped he really did know something—after all, her family’s reputation for medicinal cuisine was at stake. But for the sake of pride, she didn’t ask directly. Now that Guoguo had spoken up, she let Xu Yun don a flower-patterned apron and head into the kitchen.

Guoguo winked at her mother, clearly expecting praise. With so many tricks up her sleeve, she knew exactly what her mother was hoping for.