"That's wonderful, Li Yang, would you like another bowl?"
Seeing Li Yang eating so heartily, Tang Xinyu couldn't help but ask excitedly.
"No, no need, I'm already full. Xinyu, thank you so much. The noodles you made tonight are the best I've ever tasted in my life," Li Yang said with a smile.
"Hehe, thank you for the compliment. I honestly didn't know my cooking skills were this good!" Tang Xinyu said a bit shyly.
As they were chatting, Tang Hucheng also returned from outside.
Upon entering and seeing that Li Yang had finished his meal, a bright smile spread across his face. He walked over and said, "Li Yang, I'm a step late and didn't host you properly. I hope you don't mind."
"Uncle Tang, you speak too kindly. I actually only arrived a little while ago," Li Yang replied politely.
"Dad, you're back just in time. Come quickly and try the noodles I made. Li Yang just ate a big bowl and said my noodles are delicious. It seems I'm a genius when it comes to cooking!" Tang Xinyu, delighted, tugged him to sit down and personally served him a bowl of noodles.
"Is that so? My daughter can actually cook? I must have a good taste of this!"
Tang Hucheng saw that the bowl of noodles was beautifully decorated and unceremoniously picked up his chopsticks to eat.
The moment he took the first bite, Tang Hucheng's expression changed drastically!
He was almost choked to death on the spot, even tears welled up in his eyes.
Tang Xinyu blinked her beautiful eyes and asked, "Dad, why are you crying while eating? Is it that delicious?"
"Good, delicious!"
Tang Hucheng first glanced at Li Yang, noticed Li Yang giving him a signal, and then reluctantly said with a bitter smile.
"It seems my cooking is truly successful. Seeing you two eat so heartily, I must have a good taste too!"
Tang Xinyu's mouth watered at the sight of the bowl of noodles in front of her.
Without a word, she picked up her chopsticks to eat, but Li Yang stopped her in time: "Um, Xinyu, you'd better not eat it. Such delicious noodles, save them for Uncle Tang and me to enjoy."
"Yes, yes, Xinyu, go get something else. The two of us will eat these noodles."
"I won't!"
Tang Xinyu frowned, pushed Li Yang's hand away, and said, "It's rare for me to cook. How can I not personally taste my own cooking on such a good occasion? Neither of you is allowed to snatch it from me."
With that, she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily!
As soon as it reached her mouth, her eyes nearly popped out. She immediately spat the noodles onto the table and pointed at the two of them, saying, "You two actually lied to me on purpose! These noodles are so salty they could kill someone, how could they be delicious?"
"Hehe, I found them truly delicious. What do you think, Uncle Tang?" Li Yang said against his will.
"I also think they are delicious. These are the best noodles I've ever eaten. The food my daughter makes is truly the most fragrant in the world," Tang Hucheng chimed in flatteringly.
After all, this was his daughter's first time cooking, and he absolutely couldn't dampen her confidence!
Hearing both of them praise her cooking so highly, Tang Xinyu suddenly said after a few seconds, "You two think they're delicious, right? Alright, then you two should eat two more bowls."
"I'll go cook more noodles for you right now. Anyone who can't finish them isn't allowed to sleep tonight!"
Saying that, she got up and headed towards the kitchen.
Before Li Yang could move, Tang Hucheng suddenly grabbed Tang Xinyu and said with a chuckle, "Xinyu, that's not necessary. We're both full and don't need you to trouble yourself further."
"Heh, didn't you say you were eating so deliciously? How could such delicious food only be enough for one bowl?" Tang Xinyu taunted him deliberately.
"I..."
Tang Hucheng was so embarrassed he couldn't speak.
At this moment, Tang Xinyu reverted to her previous expression, asked Tang Hucheng to sit down, and said seriously, "Dad, Li Yang, you don't need to flatter me so much. We are a family, if it's bad, it's bad!"
"How can that be the same? My daughter rarely cooks for me, I will remember this meal for the rest of my life!"
Tang Hucheng said very proactively, "If you marry Li Yang in the future, you should do as little cooking as possible. Such an unforgettable experience is enough with just one time."
"Li Yang, do you think so too?" Tang Xinyu turned to ask Li Yang.
"Uh, as long as you're happy, anything is fine. Just put less salt next time, and then it's acceptable," Li Yang said with a smile.
"That's more like it!"
Tang Xinyu was coaxed into being happy again!
The three sat together chatting. The housekeeper, Aunt Zhang, quickly went to the kitchen to make a few more dishes and brought them to the table, along with a bottle of wine, specifically for Li Yang and Tang Hucheng to drink together.
Their relationship had now become as close as brothers. Especially after Tang Hucheng had a few drinks and got a little tipsy, he started chatting with Li Yang as an equal!
When he heard that Li Yang had won the title of Treasure-Appraising Grandmaster at the Spring and Autumn Melee Tournament today, his smile became even brighter. He kept giving Li Yang a thumbs-up and praising him repeatedly.
However, Li Yang soon brought up his intention to develop in the provincial capital. As soon as he voiced this idea, Tang Hucheng couldn't help but be taken aback.
He looked at Li Yang seriously and asked, "Li Yang, are you really going to make a living in the antique world of the provincial capital?"
"Yes, Uncle Tang, I plan to develop the antique shop left by my parents. I used to only know how to eat, drink, and have fun, and my parents even died because of me. Now I just want to do my best to repay them," Li Yang said earnestly.
"Well said! That's what I admire most about you. You are young and promising, and you know how to strive for progress. Since you are determined to develop in the provincial capital, I fully support you. Coincidentally, Xinyu's aunt lives in the provincial capital and is engaged in the jade business, which has reached a certain scale."
"If you go to the provincial capital, I'll have Xinyu escort you. When you get there, go find Xinyu's cousin first. She will definitely help you once she knows your identity. She has always been very good to Xinyu since childhood."
Tang Hucheng patted Li Yang on the shoulder and said, "Uncle Tang believes you can definitely make a name for yourself in the antique world and achieve the best."
"Thank you, Uncle. Then I won't be polite," Li Yang said courteously.
He did not refuse Tang Hucheng's offer because he felt that once he went to the provincial capital, he would indeed need some connections to help him.
Although the Long family could be his primary resource, relying solely on the Long family would not be enough to achieve his dreams.
It was naturally a good thing that Tang Hucheng was willing to help him.
Tang Xinyu had no objections to this either. She smiled at Li Yang and said, "Li Yang, when do you plan to go to the provincial capital? I happen to want to go to the provincial capital tomorrow. Why don't we go together tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow? That's good. Once I'm there, I can see if I can find a suitable shop," Li Yang agreed after thinking for a moment.