CHAPTER 1180: CHAPTER 1176: LEARNING TO COOK

At this time of day, business at the River Fish Restaurant is booming.

The place is completely packed, and there are even tables set up outside for customers to dine at.

This wasn’t the restaurant’s idea, but a solution thought up by the impatient customers themselves.

The River Fish Restaurant is in the business of making money, so naturally, they won’t turn down customers’ requests.

That’s why they’re doing it this way.

"Let’s go, Qianqian."

Chen Yang glanced around briefly, then led Xia Qianqian upstairs through the bustling River Fish Restaurant.

Once upstairs, Xia Qianqian went to her room to change clothes.

Chen Yang put down the wild mountain oranges and sat down in the living room.

A few minutes later, Xia Qianqian emerged from her room in simple, comfortable loungewear.

This girl was very familiar and close with Chen Yang.

So she wasn’t reserved at all and sat down right next to Chen Yang.

A whiff of fragrance wafted in the air, making Chen Yang feel a bit uneasy.

"Qianqian, are you hungry? If you are, you can have some fruit. Your mom’s still busy downstairs, so we might have to wait a while before we can eat." Chen Yang sought to make conversation.

Xia Qianqian sat with her legs on the couch, holding a remote and flipping through channels.

She shook her head cutely at Chen Yang’s words, "I’m not hungry, I’m used to it. We always eat late at home."

Chen Yang chuckled at this and said, "Well, there’s not much we can do about it. The business is just too good. And once the branch opens, your mom’s going to get even busier. Maybe you should learn to cook, so you can handle it yourself."

With that, Chen Yang reached for the wild mountain oranges on the coffee table, intending to open them and let Xia Qianqian try some.

Suddenly, Xia Qianqian’s gaze turned his way.

"Oh! Uncle Chen, you’re so right. If I learned to cook, Mom wouldn’t have to be so busy, and I could cook for her when I get home." Xia Qianqian’s eyes lit up as if she had discovered a brilliant idea.

"Haha, yes, mastering cooking skills will make it easier to find a boyfriend in the future."

Chen Yang laughed and teased her.

Xia Qianqian pouted at this, "Hmph, I won’t cook for a boyfriend. I’ll only cook for Mom!"

Chen Yang smiled and said nothing more.

He continued unwrapping the wild mountain oranges.

The packaging, designed for a premium product, had a bit of ritualistic charm, requiring a step-by-step unwrapping process.

It took several tries before he finally got the box open.

"Uncle Chen, can you teach me how to cook when you have time? I know your culinary skills are the best!" Xia Qianqian suddenly asked, hoping Chen Yang would teach her to cook.

Chen Yang was taken aback and somewhat amused.

With so many chefs at the River Fish Restaurant, how did this girl think of him?

"Me? Oh, I don’t think so. You have plenty of chefs in the restaurant. Just find any one of them, it’s more convenient. It’s a hassle for me to come from afar." Chen Yang said, laughing.

He intended to refuse by citing inconvenience, but unexpectedly, the mention of distance only made Xia Qianqian more excited.

"Haha, isn’t that even better? You can come to my house more often then." Xia Qianqian said excitedly.

"But I have plenty of things to handle at home, I can’t just leave." Chen Yang immediately replied.

"That’s fine, Uncle Chen. You can come over whenever you have time, and if you’re really busy, it’s okay not to." Xia Qianqian said with a hopeful look, her eyes blinking at Chen Yang.

Seeing her so eager for him to teach her, Chen Yang had no choice but to agree.

"Alright then, I’ll come over and teach you when I have time. If I’m busy, then maybe next time."

"Okay, okay, thank you, Uncle Chen!"

Xia Qianqian’s face lit up with joy when Chen Yang agreed, then she turned back to watch TV.

Chen Yang helplessly shook his head and took an orange to peel for himself.

As soon as he finished peeling it, Xia Qianqian’s face turned towards him, looking both at him and the peeled orange in his hand.

Chen Yang immediately understood and split the orange in half for her.

"You lazy girl, you wouldn’t peel an orange yourself, you just waited for me to finish." Chen Yang said jokingly.

Xia Qianqian smiled smugly, "Hehe, would you believe me if I said I happened to look just as you finished?"

"I don’t believe it."

Chen Yang shook his head outright.

"Haha, I wouldn’t believe it myself." Xia Qianqian laughed again, then took the half orange Chen Yang gave her and started eating.

Xia Qianqian sat cross-legged on the sofa, her eyes on the TV show, casually popping an orange segment into her mouth.

At first, she showed no reaction, but after a few chews—

Her expression turned into one of pure delight.

Chen Yang knew this girl would react after tasting the wild mountain orange, so he had been watching her expression the whole time.

Seeing the delight on her face, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

"What’s up? Why are you looking at me like that?" Chen Yang asked Xia Qianqian, pretending not to know the answer.

Xia Qianqian looked at Chen Yang in shock, "Uncle Chen, what kind of orange is this? It’s too delicious! I’ve never had an orange this good."

"It’s a new project I’ve been working on recently. I brought some over especially for you to try." Chen Yang explained.

Upon hearing this, Xia Qianqian didn’t ask further but continued eating the orange she held.

"Wow, it’s really amazing. I’ve never tasted such a good orange. Uncle Chen, I want another one." Xia Qianqian said, thoroughly enjoying it.

Hearing this, Chen Yang immediately handed her another orange, "Peel it yourself, don’t eat too much, we’re having dinner soon."

With that, Chen Yang stood up, planning to head downstairs to check on Yang Caiyun.

Just then, Yang Caiyun came upstairs.

As soon as she entered, she saw Chen Yang standing, seemingly about to leave, and asked with a smile, "Yang Zi, where are you going?"

"Xia Qianqian and I were hungry and were just going to go downstairs to find you when you came up." Chen Yang replied.

Hearing this, Yang Caiyun glanced at Xia Qianqian on the sofa, catching her eating an orange.

"I’ve already instructed the kitchen to prepare our meal, it won’t be long until we can eat." Yang Caiyun said.

Chen Yang acknowledged with a nod and turned to sit back down on the sofa with Yang Caiyun.

"Caiyun, you should try this orange. I brought it specifically for you all, taste it and see." Just as they sat down, Chen Yang offered Yang Caiyun a taste of the wild mountain oranges from Liuhe Village.

"You brought this? I was just wondering where these oranges came from." Yang Caiyun said with a smile.

"Yes, Mom, you should definitely try it too. The oranges Uncle Chen brought are amazing. I’ve never had anything like them." At that moment, Xia Qianqian insisted that Yang Caiyun try the oranges Chen Yang brought as she continued to eat.

Seeing Xia Qianqian’s reaction, Yang Caiyun couldn’t help but get curious.

"Are they really that good?"

"Absolutely delicious! You have to try it." Xia Qianqian said as she picked up an orange and handed it to Yang Caiyun.

Seeing this, Yang Caiyun said no more and began peeling and tasting the orange.