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Chapter 14 - The Preschool Kids Scrambled to Try Lu Xiyao’s Food!
Chapter 14 - The Preschool Kids Scrambled to Try Lu Xiyao’s Food!
Chapter 14 The Preschool Kids Scrambled to Try Lu Xiyao’s Food!
Lu Qin slipped his phone into his pocket and rode his bike down the street. When he got home, he restocked some ingredients and seasonings, along with some food containers.
In the afternoon, he could use the street vendor map to find a spot, saving him a lot of hassle.
Lu Qin washed his face, sat on the couch to rest, and scrolled through short videos for a bit. Just as he was about to make lunch, his WeChat video call rang. It was the little one calling from her smartwatch.
Lu Qin smiled and answered the call.
The phone screen showed a cute, round little face.
“Daddy, do you miss your little cutie?”
On the other end, the little one was sitting on a stone bench on the playground, probably during a break.
“Of course I do. Does Yao Yao miss Daddy?”
“Of course I do! Daddy, did you set up your food stall this morning?”
…
The father and daughter chatted for five or six minutes before the little one had to go have lunch. After hanging up, Lu Qin decided to make something simple, just stir-fried noodles for lunch.
At Starlight Preschool, the children were already lining up to get their lunch trays. Some kids were already sitting at their spots in the cafeteria with their packed lunches from home.
Lu Xiyao was sitting with her good friend, Zhong Shuyi.
“Yao Yao, you brought lunch from home today too?”
“Yeah, I love eating what my dad makes.”
“What did your dad make for you?”
“Stir-fried noodles.”
“Is it fried rice noodles? My mom and dad once took me to a mall, and we ate rice noodles at a snack shop nearby. It wasn’t good at all, and I never ate it again.”
“But the stir-fried noodles my dad makes are super delicious!”
“Really?”
Zhong Shuyi was a little skeptical. She opened her fancy lunchbox and said, “This is my favorite shrimp and egg fried rice that our family chef made, plus sweet and sour ribs, bamboo shoots, and broccoli.”
“Broccoli? What’s that?”
Lu Xiyao, puzzled, leaned over to look, then rolled her eyes.
“That’s broccoli!”
“I don’t care what kind of flower it is, I don’t like it. Yao Yao, can you help me eat it? I’ll give you half of my fried rice. It’s really yummy!”
Lu Xiyao shook her head.
“I only eat the stir-fried noodles my dad makes. I can’t eat anything else. You eat it yourself.”
Zhong Shuyi wanted to say something else, but just then, other kids came over carrying their trays one by one.
“Everyone, hold your trays steady, okay? Don’t spill them.”
“Got it, Miss Li.”
A group of little kids sat down in a row. Today’s preschool lunch was chicken drumsticks, braised eggs, shredded potatoes, tofu, and milk.
A few of the hungrier kids had already started digging in with their spoons.
“Zhong Shuyi, what did your family chef make today? Can I have a bite?”
“The food from Shuyi’s family chef is always so good. I’m so jealous!”
“I told my dad we should hire a chef too, but he told me to come back in my next life with better luck. I don’t get what that means.”
“Having home-cooked lunch is the best. I’m so tired of the preschool food.”
“Lulu, ask your mom and dad to cook and bring it for you!”
“My dad’s super busy and doesn’t have time, and my mom’s cooking is awful! Last time she made steamed buns that were so hard you could crack walnuts with them. It was terrifying!”
“Yao Yao, did you bring your own lunch today? Did your dad make it? What is it?”
“It’s stir-fried noodles,” Zhong Shuyi answered.
“Stir-fried noodles? That’s not good. I’ve had it before, and it was so greasy.”
“My grandpa made it for breakfast once. It was super salty, and I never had it again.”
Lu Xiyao didn’t pay attention to the other kids’ comments. They had never tasted her dad’s cooking, so they didn’t know what they were talking about. She opened her thermal lunch box, and a rich aroma immediately filled the air.
Zhong Shuyi, who was stuffing her mouth with shrimp fried rice, instantly perked up at the smell of the noodles, which quickly overshadowed the aroma of her fried rice. Several kids nearby also caught the scent and stopped eating, turning their heads to look.
Lu Xiyao picked up her chopsticks and happily began to eat her noodles. As she chewed, a look of pure joy appeared on her face.
“Wow, Xiyao, why do your noodles smell so good? Are they tasty?”
“They smell amazing! Did your dad make them? They look way better than what my grandpa makes!”
The nearby kids, drawn in by the enticing smell, leaned in closer, eyes glued to her noodles, forgetting their own meals.
Zhong Shuyi quickly swallowed her mouthful of fried rice, then tugged on Lu Xiyao’s arm, asking, “Yao Yao, can I have a bite?”
“You said stir-fried noodles aren’t good, so why do you want to try them now?” Lu Xiyao said, feeling proud and smug. Her dad’s noodles were so delicious that anyone who saw them would want a bite.
Zhong Shuyi was Lu Xiyao’s good friend, and Lu Qin had taught his daughter that it’s important to share good things with friends.
“Okay, here, have a bite.”
Zhong Shuyi beamed with happiness. “Thanks, Yao Yao!”
She took a bite of the noodles, and as the wonderful taste spread through her mouth, her eyes lit up.
“These noodles are so good!”
She couldn’t resist taking another bite.
The other kids, seeing this, were dying to try them too. Lu Xiyao quickly pulled her noodles back.
“That’s enough. This is my lunch. You guys should eat your own food.”
But Zhong Shuyi, still craving more, pleaded again, “Yao Yao, can I have one more bite? They’re really, really good!”
“No, eat your fried rice.”
“I’ll trade you my favorite shrimp and egg fried rice for your noodles. Plus, I’ll give you all my broccoli!”
As soon as Zhong Shuyi suggested trading, the other kids jumped in, shouting their own offers.
“Lu Xiyao, I’ll trade you my chicken drumstick for your noodles.”
“Yao Yao, I’ll give you my milk and some modeling clay for the noodles.”
“I’ll trade my toy robot dog for your noodles. Is that okay?”
“Lu Xiyao, I’ll give you my new set of colored pencils if you let me try your noodles.”
…
Suddenly, the whole table erupted into a frenzy. Miss Li hurried over and pushed the kids back into their seats.
“Everyone, eat your lunch properly. No running around.”
Miss Li glanced at Lu Xiyao and then at her lunchbox.
It was just stir-fried noodles.
Could they really be that good?
Are these kids seriously fighting over it?
Lu Xiyao looked up at Miss Li and asked, “Miss Li, do you want to try a bite?”
Miss Li usually treated Lu Xiyao kindly, often giving her fruit or snacks on the side.
She smiled and shook her head.
“No, thank you, Yao Yao. You eat it, but don’t have too much—stir-fried noodles can be really greasy.”
“They’re not greasy at all. My dad made them, and they’re delicious.”
Miss Li had eaten stir-fried noodles before. How good could they be, really?
Just as she was about to walk away, she caught a whiff of the aroma.
As Lu Xiyao stirred the noodles, more of the scent wafted out.
“Hmm?”
“Wow, that actually smells really good.”
Miss Li froze for a moment. Somehow, after smelling the delicious aroma, she couldn’t help but want to try a bite herself.