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Chapter 27: The Shock of a Bowl of Noodles
It was 5:30 p.m. when Li Yi arrived at the kindergarten to pick up his daughter. After the traumatic experience of his daughter being kidnapped in his previous life, Li Yi and his wife had agreed that one of them would always pick up their daughter from school, ensuring that no one else could take her away. It was a promise he had made to himself.
Regardless of the circumstances, Li Yi was determined to pick up his daughter. He would be there even if it was raining knives from the sky. Moreover, he had repeatedly told the kindergarten staff that his daughter must be taken home only by him or his wife.
The kindergarten had recently dealt with a kidnapping attempt by human traffickers, so the staff had no objections to Li Yi's cautious approach. In fact, they admired his concern for his daughter.
As soon as he arrived at the gate, Li Yi spotted his daughter, Li Youwei, waving enthusiastically through the fence. After receiving permission from the teacher, she skipped over and rushed into her father's arms.
Li Yi smiled and opened his arms wide. "Did you have a good day at kindergarten today?"
"Yes, I even got a little red flower from the teacher!"
"Really? What did you do to earn it?"
"I helped Huang Xilan get his steamed buns, and the teacher said I was helping others, so I got a little red flower. No one else got one!"
Li Yi laughed heartily. "Haha, my Weiwei is amazing!"
"Dad, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
Li Yi playfully pinched her nose and smiled. "What do you want to eat, Weiwei?"
"How about the delicious oil-splashed noodles?"
"Okay, but we need to stop by the canteen to buy some chili first."
"Dad, don't eat chili! It will hurt my mouth."
Li Yi grinned. "Don't worry, I won't put chili in your bowl. Mom and I will eat the chili."
"Okay, then!"
Hand in hand, father and daughter walked to the nearby canteen, chatting and laughing as they went.
Back home by 5:50, Li Yi told Weiwei to do her homework and immediately headed to the kitchen to start preparing the meal.
As he chopped vegetables and mixed the noodles, he couldn't help but feel frustrated about the homework. It was just kindergarten—did they really need to assign homework every day? Shouldn't children have the freedom to play and enjoy their time?
However, in this era where exam-oriented education reigned supreme, homework was a given at every level of schooling, even in kindergarten. Li Yi had experienced this system firsthand and had tried to change it in the past, but his efforts were met with little success. His wife, Xu Qingnan, was a staunch supporter of the educational system, so he had reluctantly accepted it.
"At least I'm not fighting her over it," Li Yi thought as he focused on cooking.
In the living room, Li Youwei was happily playing with the little red flower she had earned, temporarily forgetting about her homework.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Li Yi assumed it was his wife returning from work. "Weiwei, open the door for Mom!" he called out.
"Okay, Dad!" Weiwei replied eagerly.
Moments later, a surprised cry from his daughter rang out. "Dad!"
Li Yi quickly opened the door, only to be stunned. Standing in the doorway was none other than his own father, Li Fengnian.
This was the first time he had seen his father since his rebirth. Despite being just under fifty years old, Li Fengnian appeared youthful and full of strength—far different from the man Li Yi remembered in his previous life, whose appearance had aged dramatically due to stress and guilt.
The guilt his father carried after the loss of Li Yi's daughter and Xu Qingnan's suicide had caused him to sever ties with Li Yi. The years of smoking and regret had led to health problems, and after a lung cancer diagnosis, his condition had worsened. He had remained bedridden for many years before Li Yi's rebirth.
"Dad…" Li Yi's voice trembled, and he felt his eyes well up with tears. If he hadn't forced himself to hold back, tears would have streamed down his face.
His father raised an eyebrow, noticing the apron Li Yi was wearing. "Why are you dressed like that?"
Before Li Yi could respond, his daughter, full of pride, exclaimed, "Grandpa, Dad's making delicious oil-splashed noodles for me and Mom!"
"Oil-splashed noodles? You can cook?" Li Fengnian asked, his surprise evident.
Li Yi smiled. "Dad, it's just cooking. Is it really that difficult?"
Li Fengnian hesitated for a moment before saying, "Isn't it difficult?"
Li Yi recalled a memory from the past. When his mother was away on a business trip, his father had tried to cook for the family. However, he had failed miserably, burning the eggs because he used too little oil. The week his mother was gone, they had barely managed to get by.
Li Yi quickly decided to change the subject. "Dad, let me show you my cooking skills and see if I'm really wasting food."
"Alright, I haven't had dinner yet."
"Then, why don't you stay with Weiwei for a while, and I'll finish up?"
"Sure!"
A short time later, the meal was ready. Just as Xu Qingnan came home from work, she was surprised to find her father-in-law at the house. "Dad, when did you get here?"
"Just a while ago."
"Where's Li Yi?"
"He's in the kitchen cooking."
"Weiwei, what's your dad making today?"
"Delicious oil-splashed noodles, and he said he won't put chili in my bowl!"
Li Fengnian asked with a raised eyebrow, "Qingnan, is this boy really good at cooking?"
"I don't know about other things, but this oil-splashed noodles is really tasty—it tastes like my hometown's cooking!"
"Did you teach him?"
"No, I don't know when he learned it, but a few days ago, he surprised me by showing off his skills. I was really shocked!"
"So, he's really trying to change?"
"It seems so. Li Yi isn't a bad person. He's just a little mischievous, but he'll get better with time."
"Well, changing a person's nature is not easy."
Just then, the kitchen door opened, and Li Yi brought out the dishes. On the plate were fresh cold dishes—cucumbers, green and red peppers, and coriander. Just looking at them made everyone's mouth water.
Li Yi then brought out bowls of noodles, which looked even more tempting than the cold dishes. Li Fengnian's jaw dropped at the sight.
No one knew his son better than he did. Li Yi was known for his love of food and indulgence in bad habits, but seeing him cook so well was a real shock.
Li Yi knew his father was stunned but didn't explain. Instead, he smiled and invited him to eat.
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