After chatting with her old friend outside for a long time, smelling the aroma wafting through the air, Ge Jiaojie finally understood what Li Minglan had meant earlier.
It turned out this little girl was a culinary whiz!
She prided herself on her own cooking skills but hadn't expected this young girl to be so talented.
So, Ge Jiaojie looked at Li Minglan, "A Lan, is this what you wanted to say earlier?"
There was nothing to hide. She needed to know now.
"Don't look at me like that. Even if I had said it earlier, you wouldn't have believed me. It's better to experience it yourself now."
Li Minglan disagreed. No one understood her old friend better than she did; even Ding Yujing upstairs wasn't as perceptive.
"..."
"That's true..."
Unwilling to deny it, Ge Jiaojie's eyes kept glancing towards the kitchen while they continued their chat.
Unable to resist, she swallowed and looked at Li Minglan, "A Lan, what is Xiao Xi cooking?"
It smelled so good!
She considered herself old and, while not always indulging in delicacies, she had eaten her fair share of delicious food.
By rights, she shouldn't be so greedy for food at her age, but this aroma was just... incredibly captivating!
"I don't know. How about... we go take a look?"
She knew what ingredients had been bought, but she didn't know exactly how Xiao Xi would cook them.
After all, this girl had her own unique way of cooking; even stir-frying a simple vegetable was different from others.
Ge Jiaojie nodded upon hearing this, "Let's go! We'll help the girl."
"Mm."
In the kitchen, Qiu Xi, who was busy searing the meat, turned around and saw the two women crowding at the doorway.
"Grandma Li, why are you here?"
"Your Grandma Ge and I came to see if there's anything we can help with."
As they spoke, their eyes swept over the dishes that were already prepared.
Then, they both quietly closed their mouths.
Qiu Xi shook her head, "No need. It's all finishing touches now; I can do it myself."
As she spoke, she gently pushed them out of the doorway, "Grandma Li, you just wait outside. It's smoky in here."
She had finally managed to cook a meal for her Master and Grandma Li. The pills she had exchanged from the system shop could be used again.
Normally, she even considered fetching water, but sadly, such opportunities weren't always available.
It happened only once a week, and sometimes the things she brought were not convenient to tamper with.
It was fine at first, but then Grandma Li would say something as soon as she saw them. After a while, she would be the one pushing things away.
Sometimes, she would even forcefully stuff some back for her to take to school.
"Alright... then we'll go out."
Seeing that they truly couldn't help, the two women left.
"Go on, go on, I'll be done shortly."
Closing the door, Qiu Xi continued her work.
With two pots going, it took about twenty minutes for all the dishes to be ready.
"Grandma Li, Grandma Ge, we can start eating now."
"Alright!"
The two who were already seated hadn't even remembered the two old men in the study.
"Grandma Li, you eat first. I'll go call Master."
Yes, it was Qiu Xi who remembered she had a Master in the study.
As she said this, she started to go call them.
However, before she could even take a step, the two of them had already come out.
"We could smell the aroma of the dishes even through the doors."
"Xiao Xi, you're the one cooking today, aren't you?"
"Yes, Master. Come and eat quickly."
"Okay, I'll come after washing my hands."
Even when washing his hands, Du Bin, who couldn't resist showing off, pulled Ding Yujing and started speaking, "Old Ding, you're in for a treat today! My little apprentice's cooking skills are beyond compare!"
"You two old men, why are you taking so long to wash your hands, acting like young girls fixing their makeup!"
Over there, Ge Jiaojie looked at the two old men and started urging them without a second thought.
Ding Yujing immediately responded upon hearing the voice, "Hey, coming right up!"
Du Bin felt like laughing, seeing that the two of them were still the same as before, "Your old wife, after all these years, her temper hasn't changed at all."
"And you're just like you were when you were young!"
Yes! Always ready to tease each other!
"..."
I spoil my wife, and I'm happy about it!
Thinking this, he immediately went out, followed by Du Bin.
"I say, Sister Jiao, it's still you. Your skills are as sharp as ever!"
The way she addressed him, which she had started calling him in their youth alongside A Lan, would probably never change.
"That's right!"
"You old scoundrel haven't changed either. According to A Lan, you still have that same grumpy temper."
"..."
"Nonsense!"
My little apprentice is still here! I can't be made speechless in front of outsiders!
Even if it's an old friend they've known for many years, it's still not acceptable!
"..."
"Alright, Xiao Xi isn't looking at you. Let's eat."
Ge Jiaojie, Grandma Ge, had single-handedly become the host of the dinner table.
Qiu Xi, on the side, was stunned.
She had always known her Master's temper – a playful old man, stubborn and disobedient.
She knew this, but it was the first time she had seen her Master rendered speechless.
It seemed that Grandma Ge must have been quite a character in her youth.
"Mmm~"
"Your cooking skills are indeed quite good!"
"Delicious!"
Ge Jiaojie, the first to pick up her chopsticks, couldn't help but sigh with satisfaction as the food entered her mouth.
Seeing his wife's reaction, Ding Yujing instinctively took a bite.
The dishes had already been fragrant just sitting there, but surprisingly, the taste was even better when chewed.
Indeed, it was truly delicious only when it entered the mouth.
"Good!"
Seeing their reactions, Du Bin and Li Minglan also smiled warmly, their joy evident in their eyes.
"Then eat more."
Li Minglan said, and then served some more food onto her old friend's bowl.
"You eat too, this is delicious!"
"..."
Du Bin shot Ding Yujing a look and then began to eat.
"..."
Your wife likes my wife, what can I do about it?
Eating is more important!
Qiu Xi, on the side, saw all their subtle glances.
She lowered her head and smiled, then served some of his favorite dishes into her Master's bowl.
"Master, eat your food."
He nodded as if feigning seriousness, "Mm."
Then, he glanced at his old friend beside him, who was engrossed in eating, before comfortably picking up his chopsticks.
After they had eaten half their fill, the group finally began to chat.
The first topic of conversation was Qiu Xi.
"Xiao Xi, you're planning to participate in the Century Cup in the second half of the year. I just spoke with this old fellow. From now on, you can find him at the school whenever you have time."
Although Old Ding might be unreliable in other areas, when it came to academics, he was unparalleled.
Especially in recent years, he hadn't been involved in these matters for a long time, but this old fellow had immersed himself in it for years.
Now, you could basically find this old guy's presence at any related authoritative competition.
"Really!"
"Then Grandpa Ding, I won't be polite!"
"No need for politeness. I'll give you my office and the school apartment building later. Come find me and your Grandma Ge when you have time, to entertain us old folks."
Entertaining them was secondary; the teaching was the real purpose.
As a mentor, he never lacked visiting students at home. Therefore, the old couple wasn't bored.
It was just that they had discussed with Old Du earlier and decided to take this opportunity to interact more, to see how far this girl could go and whether she could bear great responsibilities.
"Then I'll be delighted. Normally, besides Old Ding's students, no one visits our home."
At such an old age, Old Ding was still determined to hold on for a couple more years. So, the old couple didn't move in with their son and grandchildren. They only visited on weekends, or their son would bring the family over to see them.
Now, if such a young girl could come, she would be very happy.
"Grandma Ge, then you must not dislike me!"
"I can be quite troublesome."
Hearing the girl's words, Ge Jiaojie laughed heartily, "I won't dislike you at all. You're just to my liking, and I adore you."
She could already imagine the joyful days ahead.
"Sister Jiao, aren't you happy now?"
"Very happy!"
Ge Jiaojie patted her old friend's hand, "A Lan, you come along then, and I'll be even happier."
Her old friend understood her best. It would be wonderful if they could spend more time together like this.
Looking at the two elders, Qiu Xi remembered her car, "Grandma Ge, don't worry. On my days off, I'll come to pick you up and bring you along."
"That's right! Xiao Xi has a car. We'll see each other every week from now on."
"That would be wonderful!"
"There's no need to trouble others; it's on the way."
Ge Jiaojie's smile now made her eyes narrow.
"Alright! It's settled then."
She decisively made the decision!