Amid the neighborhood chatter, Butcher Niu regained a bit of strength, struggled to get up, and grabbed Brother Zai's leg, asking with a sorrowful tone, "Brother Zai, who... are they exactly?"

He often gave meat to Brother Zai for free and they occasionally had late-night snacks together, making them good buddies who bonded over food and drink.

He didn't think Brother Zai disliked him, believing his earlier actions were just an act.

Brother Zai took a puff of a post-event cigarette, his clothes soaked in sweat, wearing an expression of exhaustion as if he'd just run a marathon: "He's someone you and I together can't afford to offend."

"Even Brother Zai can't afford to offend him!"

Butcher Niu's face contorted with pain, his entire face twisted, feeling a wave of shock in his heart.

Brother Zai, being a big shot in the loan shark business, had dealt with countless people. The fact that even he couldn't afford to offend this person—how terrifying must they be?

...

Thanks to Brother Zai's coordinated performance, Qin Hao's image as a "fierce villain" was successfully crafted.

Even the big gangsters were afraid, such a person surely couldn't be offended by ordinary people.

Almost all the vegetable vendors thought this way.

So, Qin Hao found buying vegetables much smoother afterward.

Hardly anyone raised prices unscrupulously, and even a few honest farmers offered buy-one-get-one deals.

A few timid folks even directly gave vegetables away.

This left Qin Hao in a mix of tears and laughter, while Bi Fang was thoroughly speechless.

When the three returned home, their plastic bags were bulging, obviously containing a lot of goods.

Xixi was holding a plastic bag, exclaiming excitedly, "I haven't had crayfish in so long, what a treat today!"

Qin Hao grinned, tousling the Little Angel's hair, then pulled Bi Fang into the kitchen.

As the nominal head chef, Qin Hao naturally had to take charge of cooking. Bi Fang grudgingly became the assistant, handling the vegetable chopping and washing.

Clang clang clang...

Bi Fang's knife skills weren't bad, the sound of the knife on the cutting board was crisp, and the potato in her hand turned into fine strips.

"Oh, not bad skills..."

Qin Hao, while washing vegetables, cheekily complimented her with a teasing grin.

"Of course, don't underestimate me!"

Bi Fang said proudly, not forgetting to brandish the knife: "If you dare to bully me, I'll give you a 'snip'!"

Qin Hao felt a chill down there, so he washed the vegetables more vigorously.

Because there were a lot of vegetables, it took the two of them almost half an hour to prep. During this time, Xixi couldn't sit still and came over to help pluck the spinach leaves.

After washing the vegetables clean, Qin Hao started cooking.

Both women were curious and skeptical of Qin Hao's cooking skills. But upon seeing him skillfully stir-fry a pan of beef and celery until it was fragrant, they were amazed.

Xixi swallowed, touching her flat belly: "Brother Hao's cooking smells so good, um, my tummy is growling!"

Bi Fang rested her head on her hand in awe: "Not bad, you do have some skills."

She often cooked and had quite high culinary skills.

From an insider's perspective, Qin Hao's oil heating, timing for adding ingredients, seasoning control, and temperature management were all spot-on.

Moreover, Qin Hao seemed to deliberately show off, occasionally flipping the pan skillfully, giving it an artistic flair.

After forty minutes, eight exquisite dishes were ready: shredded pork with garlic sauce, hand-torn cabbage, rib and corn soup, celery and beef, braised pork with potatoes, poached fish, Kung Pao chicken, and Xixi's favorite fruit salad.

Just from the dish presentation and aroma, one might believe it was the work of a five-star hotel chef.

The small, old table seemed to glow and brighten with these eight dishes crowding its surface.

The three of them sat around the table, Qin Hao gestured proudly: "Please, have a taste."

Bi Fang was not shy, she picked up a piece of potato and was captivated by the subtle sweet and spicy flavor.

She dabbed at her mouth with a napkin, genuinely praising: "Not bad, no worse than what you find outside."

Qin Hao pouted, feigning displeasure: "That's a low appraisal."

Xixi had long started eating heartily. She couldn't help but lift her head, her little face full of admiration: "Brother's cooking is better than outside, I want to eat five bowls of rice!"

Bi Fang, seeing her sister's gluttonous look, smiled with satisfaction and changed her comment: "Alright, it's actually better than outside, okay? With your skills, you wouldn't have trouble finding work at Dubai Hotel."

Qin Hao's pride swelled, "Now that's more like it."

The three of them ate happily, Qin Hao wasn't very hungry and ate with some decorum. During a moment of boredom, recalling previous mischievous thoughts, he subtly extended his foot under the table to nudge Bi Fang's toe.

Bi Fang was eating when she suddenly felt a tickle under her foot. When she looked up and saw Qin Hao's playful expression, her face slowly turned red, and she lost her appetite for a big meal.

How dare you provoke me, hmph, just wait and see how I give you a taste of your own medicine!

Bi Fang was never one to admit defeat, whether it was in romance or anything else.

Qin Hao dared to be so bold as to tease her; she wouldn't hold back. Removing her shoe, her delicate toes lightly touched Qin Hao's instep.

Qin Hao had intended just to play a prank, not expecting Bi Fang to respond so flirtatiously. His foot tensed up, and hidden mischievous thoughts started to surface.

Looking at Xixi, the Little Angel was still enjoying her sip of rib soup.

Flames of desire rising in his heart, Qin Hao stood up and walked to the living room, "Ahem, I'm full. You guys eat first; I'm going to lie down in the living room for a bit."

On the sofa, lying down, Qin Hao's mind was in turmoil, "Damn it, seems like I've outsmarted myself. Dear heavens, please don't let her come."

At the dining table, Bi Fang, with unfocused eyes, continued eating braised pork, the only thought in her mind being to look back and see what Qin Hao was doing.

The delicious food tasted like wax in her mouth; she finally couldn't put on a facade anymore and said, "Sis needs to go to the bathroom. Xixi, you keep eating" before quickly heading to the living room.

On the sofa, Qin Hao lay casually, and hearing the approaching footsteps, his heart raced.

As expected, Qin Hao felt a tap on his shoulder; the light touch sent an electric current running through him, tingling all over.

Qin Hao's index finger twitched, about to rise and grab that pair of delicate hands when he heard Xixi from the dining room call out: "Burp, Brother Hao, Sister, Xixi is full!"

The Little Angel came joyfully into the living room, with her round belly sticking out, and saw Bi Fang awkwardly withdrawing her hand, and Qin Hao with a mournful look.

"Brother Hao, Sister, what happened to you?"

Xixi's big eyes were full of curiosity.

Qin Hao forced out a smile that was worse than crying: "Nothing, just ate too much!"

Bi Fang, with a flushed face, whispered softly, "Xixi, let's go wash the dishes!"

Feeling like she'd been caught in a scheme, Bi Fang, flustered, pulled her sister towards the kitchen.

Watching the two busy figures in the kitchen, Qin Hao gazed up at the ceiling, feeling dejected: "Oh heavens, can't you let me succeed just once!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.