That night, everyone had Qin Huai's crab roe pork buns, except Qin Luo.

For Qin Luo's dinner, Qin Huai exchanged 12 crab roe pork buns with the neighbors for plain noodles. Qin Huai specifically instructed to use the simplest three-yuan-per-pack egg noodles bought from the supermarket, boil them in plain water, and absolutely not use the chicken broth from home. Just add two greens, don't crack an egg. The bowl must be large, noodles must be plentiful, and no extra toppings or homemade pickles should be added.

Upon hearing that Qin Luo developed a taste for plain noodles during a year of study abroad, the neighbor cheerfully cooked a big pot. But due to lack of experience, the noodles were plain, almost like thin soup, as the salt was less. Qin Luo could only eat a big bowl with tears, and deleted the photos taken on her phone, completing two grocery lists that night. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

This change of heart deeply touched Qin Huai. After confirming that Qin Luo genuinely finished the two lists with real effort despite limited skill, Qin Huai immediately handed over the menu selection rights for tomorrow to Qin Luo, stating that she could choose any dish she wanted to celebrate the holiday!

Qin Luo was delighted and ordered 18 dim sum dishes.

This surprised Mr. Qin and Granny Qin. Granny Qin quietly asked Qin Congwen at night to make sure Luoluo was okay. After two years of study abroad, had her appetite grown so big? Granny Qin mentioned she often watches science parenting videos, knowing that being overweight is unhealthy. If a teenage girl eats too much and gains weight rapidly, it'll be difficult to slim down. Luoluo always had a large appetite since childhood, it shouldn't grow any bigger.

Qin Congwen calmly replied, "Mom, you're overreacting. Luoluo's appetite is nothing. Tomorrow an even bigger eater will come."

By noon the next day, Granny Qin met the bigger eater.

Shi Dadan, living in the city, arrived earlier than Zhao Cheng'an who flew from Hangzhou.

Shi Dadan returned to the village and the first thing he did was bring his family to Qin Huai's house for lunch.

It's the first time everyone saw Shi Dadan's wife and two kids.

How to put it, they were not quite as imagined but also quite the same.

Shi Dadan's wife is Lin Xiaohong. By combining their names, one would think they are a couple that shares joys and hardships, but actually, they're not. Shi Dadan had been running a restaurant in Qiu County for years and was financially well-off. Lin Xiaohong came from a fishing family with many ships, not an ordinary fisherman.

According to Lin Xiaohong, she pursued Shi Dadan actively because she loved dining at his restaurant, fearing she'd miss good food if the restaurant closed. So, she proactively won him over, only to find out he couldn't even eat, as he also needed to mooch from chefs.

As a proud boss's wife, unlike her husband, she couldn't always mooch, could only do so occasionally. Later, when Shi Dadan opened a farm, it ran smoothly because Lin Xiaohong's family had many seafood sales channels. Shi Dadan only needed to farm, while the sales were managed by her father.

Lin Xiaohong's brother greatly desired to learn Shi Dadan's advanced farming skills but ended up doing unpaid work for two years, finding no special techniques. The farm raised healthy seafood, naturally growing well without getting sick, ultimately returning empty-handed.

Lin Xiaohong felt regret, regretful that her brother's unpaid work was short-lived. Among many spies at the farm, her brother was the most meticulous, dedicated, and responsible. Other spies weren't as good as her brother. Additionally, those spies were paid, while her brother didn't need any salary and often bought snacks for her kids.

Shi Dadan's two kids are Shi Hui and Shi Wen. Naming them was straightforward as both Lin Xiaohong and Shi Dadan were culturally uneducated and allergic to books. Despite lacking money, they desired a scholar in their family, ideally one of their kids.

The name Hui was chosen for a clever daughter and Wen for a son with literary talent.

Unfortunately, things went against their wishes.

The daughter inherited their allergy to books, the son failed in academics, fumbling them more even martial arts. Others were all-rounders, but her son wasn't interested in either field. Once the village beauty with a gentle temperament pursued by many young men, Lin Xiaohong's temper grew violent over the years, sometimes storming the farm to scold fish ponds, not without efforts from her two unfortunate kids.

How did Qin Huai learn these intricate details...?

Well, Qin Huai was preparing snacks in the kitchen in the afternoon when Lin Xiaohong enthusiastically offered to help and chatted away about these stories.

Indeed, Lin Xiaohong has a strong urge to vent, befitting someone who would scold fish ponds.

Incidentally, the catch Shi Dadan brought was: large grouper, large yellow fish, sea cucumber, fish fins, abalone, and bird's nest. When Qin Huai pointed at the two boxes of bird's nest and asked if they were also fished out of the sea, Shi Dadan just smiled, admitting they were from home.

Qin Huai felt Shi Dadan was accustomed to delivering ingredients to CAO Guixiang's house, sending the same portion to himself.

It was Shi Hui and Shi Wen...

Qin Luo and He Cheng got along well with the two kids. According to these unfortunate kids, they hadn't encountered anyone whose academic performance was worse than theirs.

Shi Dadan's family stayed at the Qin Family for a hearty meal till 8 PM before leaving. Before leaving, Lin Xiaohong warmly asked Qin Huai if she should bring any ingredients when coming for breakfast tomorrow. She could fetch the freshest from their village farm.

Shi Hui and Shi Wen agreed to get the freshest ingredients, saying they'd wake early to fetch them from other people's farms!

Qin Huai politely declined, saying just bring your appetites.

At 8:57 PM, Zhao Cheng'an arrived late, looking pale, barely able to stand, evidently carsick.

He didn't vomit upon arrival because he'd done it several times en route.

Qin Huai offered Zhao Cheng'an a cup of plain hot water, letting him sip and ease, asking, "Our village's roads were repaired two years ago, they shouldn't be bumpy. You couldn't just be carsick, right? Last time you rode multiple roller coasters at the amusement park?"

Qin Huai looked at Zhao Cheng'an, puzzled why he was hospitalized for so long due to gastroenteritis.

Zhao Cheng'an: ...

"If your annual leave is limited, forcing you to switch planes, trains, and buses within a day, wearing a sweater you can't remove, feeling hot and overheating, you'd be like me."

Saying this, Zhao Cheng'an promptly vomited.

Qin Huai: ...

Isn't it common sense to remove your sweater in hot weather?

Had it been an ordinary person, Qin Huai would have questioned their sanity, but standing before him was Zhao Cheng'an, considering his personality, everything seemed normal.

Qin Huai calmly reassured Zhao Cheng'an to drink more hot water, signaling Qin Luo to fetch a leftover Fermented Rice with Steamed Bun from the kitchen to ease Zhao Cheng'an's discomfort.

Zhao Cheng'an drained the hot water, paused a minute, and Qin Huai handed him a slightly cooled Fermented Rice with Steamed Bun, which he instinctively took a bite of.

Just one casual bite.

Zhao Cheng'an's eyes widened, astonishment struck; the bun in his mouth seemed too quick to chew or swallow, muffled yet loudly asking, "Did you gain insight again?"

"What level did you upgrade to? Fermented Rice with Steamed Bun needs only yeast, right?"

"Did your yeast level up? What's above a master chef? Sect Leader? Ancestor Master? Nascent Soul? Crossing Tribulation? Divinity Transformation?"

Qin Huai: ...Dude, read fewer cultivation novels, make more snacks!

This is a contemporary culinary story, not urban cultivation fantasy.

Startled by Zhao Cheng'an's exaggerated reactions, Qin Huai pondered for two seconds whether he was being pranked, confirming it wasn't as Zhao Cheng'an lacked such acting skills.

Qin Huai's confused gaze landed on the Fermented Rice with Steamed Bun Zhao Cheng'an bit.

[Fermented Rice with Steamed Bun Level S-]

The level hasn't changed; it didn't upgrade to Level S. What's with Zhao Cheng'an's dramatic reaction? Was he mistreated at Zhiwei Restaurant by Master Zhou? Deprived of master chefs' snacks, only eating apprentice-made snacks? Long deprived of quality food, his taste buds rebel and react dramatically?

"I didn't gain insight." Qin Huai honestly stated, "Maybe you vomited too much en route, dulling your taste? This Fermented Rice with Steamed Bun's level didn't change; my basic stats haven't either. If I did gain insight, I'd immediately text you about it."

"I'm quick at texting."