Who Would Fall in Love After Being Reborn?

Chapter 170: A Recipe Only a Daughter-in-Law Can Learn

TL: Etude

In the afternoon, as the snow cleared, the winter sun cast a thin, delicate light, gentle and welcoming.

Jiang Qin moved a chair to the dormitory balcony, basking in the warmth while chatting leisurely with his roommates. By two-thirty, feeling slightly drowsy from the sun, he patted his backside and left.

“Jiang is really heartless, running around even on the Winter Solstice, not even joining us at the internet cafe.”

“You can’t blame him, though. He’s got business to take care of, unlike us. As brothers, we need to understand and be tolerant.”

Ren Ziqiang’s eyes widened, hardly believing such understanding could come from Cao Guangyu.

But as he snapped back to reality, he saw Cao had already changed his clothes, wrapped a scarf around his neck, and silently opened the door, ready to slip away.

“Old Cao, where are you off to now?”

“I’m off for a casual romance. Remember, learn to be tolerant.”

“??????”

Three minutes later, Jiang Qin strolled into Room 207 and was greeted by a bustling scene.

Wei Lanlan, Wen Jinrui, Tan Qing, and Shi Miaomiao were busy chatting and kneading dough, while Dong Wenhao, cosplaying as a double-sword turkey, frenetically chopped stuffing on the cutting board, his eyes red with fervor.

“Boss, happy Winter Solstice!”

Jiang Qin took off his down jacket and handed it to Shi Miaomiao. “Happy Winter Solstice. Have all the dorm buildings settled their payments?”

Tan Qing responded, “All settled. Xu Yu has recorded everything. For merchants with tight cash flows and large advance payments, we’ve already paid them. The rest will be settled in early January.”

“It’s best to keep a unified payment schedule to avoid confusion. Otherwise, it will increase Xu Yu’s workload later on.”

Xu Yu, kneading dough, smiled skillfully. “No worries, boss. With Lanlan and Tan Qing helping, the work is quite manageable.”

Jiang Qin nodded, then approached Dong Wenhao. “I had canteen dumplings this morning. The filling was really not up to par.”

Dong Wenhao immediately turned around. “Boss, try my Dong’s secret stuffing later.”

“Always ‘Dong’s’? Old Dong, why didn’t you become a chef? Our country really missed out. Otherwise, they’d have had to create a whole new cuisine just for you.”

“If our university offered that major, I would have definitely enrolled.”

Dong Wenhao paused his chopping, wiping sweat from his brow, feeling the world missed out on a Chef Dong but gained a ‘Wenhao’ instead.

“Let’s put a coin in one of the dumplings. Whoever gets it gets a kiss from the boss. How about that?”

Jiang Qin suggested whimsically, looking at the basin full of filling.

“Ah? Then I won’t eat. I’ll just stick to hotpot.”

“Shut up. If you don’t want it, the other female staff might. So selfish!”

The girls in Room 207 exchanged glances and burst into giggles. “Boss, even if we wanted it, we wouldn’t dare. Wouldn’t the boss lady kick your knees to pieces?”

“You speak so disrespectfully.”

Jiang Qin feigned a stern face, then remembered his boss lady’s feat of smashing the game machine in the arcade. He chuckled and didn’t continue the topic, as if none of it had happened. However, his knees ached slightly, probably old rheumatism flaring up.

“Let’s still put something in a dumpling for luck, but forget the kiss. Whoever finds it gets five hundred yuan.”

“A coin is too dirty, who knows how many people have touched it.”

Wei Lanlan thought for a moment, then took a piece of chocolate from a snack box. “Let’s use this instead, it’s definitely cleaner than a coin.”

“Great idea. A chocolate dumpling, very creative. Eating it will leave a funny black mouth, quite amusing.”

Jiang Qin wiped his hands and turned to Lu Feiyu. “Old Lu, did you buy the hotpot ingredients you were supposed to?”

“No, I didn’t. Our office doesn’t have a fridge, and it’s so hot in there. I was afraid they’d melt if I bought them.”

Lu Feiyu was fiddling with a television they had requested but never used, which was still showing nothing but static.

Hearing this, Jiang Qin clicked his tongue in disapproval. “No fridge? What’s Principal Zhang thinking? Can’t he just send one over proactively?”

Lu Feiyu’s mouth twitched. “Boss, your skin is thicker than the dumpling wrappers Su Nai rolls out.”

“Huh? Su Nai can roll dumpling wrappers now?”

“She tried rolling one when she came. It looked like an old man wearing a hat, walking a dog. Quite artistic.”

Jiang Qin was immensely amused. “Where’s Su Nai? Call her over. I want her to perform this for me live.”

Lu Feiyu looked up. “Sister Su Nai gave up and went back to 208. Oh, and the boss lady is also in 208. She’s been here since early morning.”

“Who else is there?”

“Just the two of them.”

“…”

Jiang Qin’s expression changed instantly. He stood up, left 207, and entered 208.

Fortunately, Su Nai was engrossed in her drama with headphones on, oblivious to his entrance and any new worlds being opened.

Feng Nanshu was asleep at her desk, her soft, long hair falling in tendrils, tinted orange by the sunlight from the window. Her curved eyelashes framed a cute sleeping face, her body’s contours full and shapely, her skin fair and smooth.

He gently draped his down jacket over her, then heard her murmuring in her sleep.

Bending down to listen, Jiang Qin’s gaze grew complex.

Even in her dreams, she’s calling my name? This is troubling…

After a moment of silence, Jiang Qin pulled up a chair and sat, watching Feng Nanshu under the afternoon sun, his mood growing anxious. He then picked up a newspaper Professor Yan had left on the desk.

“Ten new stocks launched, surprises may come from unexpected subscriptions.”

“New policy details for second-home loans released, down payment ratio reduced to 20%.”

Sitting cross-legged in the sunlight, Jiang Qin’s expression was serious and focused, his eyes warm and deep.

An hour later, Feng Nanshu woke up, surprised to see Jiang Qin, but she didn’t move, continuing to lie on the desk, looking at him with a well-behaved and tranquil expression.

“Slept well?” Jiang Qin put down the newspaper.

“Jiang Qin, have you eaten?”

“Not yet. Just finished preparing the dough and filling, waiting for the boss lady to lead the dumpling making.”

“Then I’ll go right now.”

Feng Nanshu wiped her mouth and followed Jiang Qin to Room 207, running along the way. She had never tried before, but learned quickly and did well. Wei Lanlan and the others praised her, making Feng Nanshu smile, unable to maintain her usual aloof expression.

After finishing, she held up a dumpling in her palm to show Jiang Qin.

Soon, Su Nai couldn’t resist joining in, trying to mimic Feng Nanshu, but ultimately gave up, swearing never to cook again in her life.

As evening approached and snowflakes began to fall more densely outside the window, Jiang Qin was learning to make willow leaf-shaped dumplings when he suddenly received a call from Zhang Baiqing.

He handed the dumpling to Feng Nanshu and wiped his hands on the apron before answering the phone.

“Jiang Qin, the dumplings are great. Thank you for thinking of me.”

Realizing Jiang Tian and the others must have delivered the dumplings, Jiang Qin replied with a smile, “Principal Zhang, that’s what students should do.”

“Ah, how did you mix this filling? It smells really good. I’ll have my family learn this and make it like you do,” Zhang Baiqing’s voice carried a note of pleasure.

“?”

Jiang Qin had no idea how Jiang Tian and the others mixed the filling. After coughing, he spoke, “Principal, this is a secret patented Jiang family recipe, the kind that’s not passed on except to a daughter-in-law who enters the family.”

Feng Nanshu, standing nearby, slightly lifted her head, her eyelashes trembling slightly, accidentally squeezing the filling out.

Zhang Baiqing couldn’t help but chuckle on the phone, “Well, a dumpling filled with a patent? Truly worthy of an entrepreneur. If you don’t get rich, who will?”

“Principal, it’s not about the money, really. It’s just that I have a little scheme, hoping that when you crave dumplings next time, you’ll think of me.”

“Praising you a bit and you’re already over the moon. Alright, you go ahead with your work. I’ll arrange for someone to install an air conditioner for you tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Principal. Room 208 just happens to need a refrigerator. You’re really a godsend.”

“??????”josei

After hanging up, Jiang Qin received more warm greetings from Old Lü and Zhu Feng. The dumplings were rated highly, it seemed Jiang Tian and the others did have great cooking skills, not wasting his effort in finding the classroom.

Wei Lanlan, seeing him hang up, asked, “Boss, does your family have a secret filling recipe too?”

“Doesn’t every family have some ancestral secret?” Jiang Qin said with false pride.

“Really? Only taught to a daughter-in-law?”

“Something like that.”

Jiang Qin was talking nonsense when he turned around and noticed the little rich lady’s dumplings were now a mess.

What happened?

Weren’t they doing well just a moment ago?

“Boss, it’s almost time for lunch. Shall we cook the dumplings?”

“Let’s do it, I’m a bit hungry too.”

As the words fell, everyone started to efficiently clean up the pots and pans, getting ready to boil water for the dumplings and prepare for a hot pot.

Room 207, originally a reception room, wasn’t as cramped as 208. Cleaned up by Yang Shuai and Ma Yubao, it was quite spacious. Three office tables put together could just about accommodate everyone.

With steam rising, the windows began to fog up, making it feel less like the Winter Solstice and more like the New Year.

Moments later, Professor Yan, as if lured by the aroma, came in with a stern face.

They had agreed not to misuse public resources, but why were they not only having a hot pot but also boiling dumplings?

“Jiang Qin…”

“Professor Yan, try a fresh dumpling?”

Professor Yan picked up a chopstick, tasted one, then reached for the bowl, “Activities like this, with a sense of atmosphere, indeed enhance team cohesion. This can be considered part of the work, I guess.”

Jiang Qin saw through but didn’t say, gesturing for everyone to take their seats.

After a while, Cao Xinyue arrived with Hong Yan and Tang Lin, sitting not far from Professor Yan.

Tang Lin had seen Feng Nanshu once during a corridor confrontation, a fleeting glimpse, but the impression she left was stunning. Yet, seeing her again, Tang Lin was surprised to find that the face before her was even more beautiful than she had imagined.

This… who could win?

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