MGASC -Chapter 169 You Look Really Good in Red

“Let go.”

It wasn’t until she got anxious that Jin Quan finally released her.

Zhang Ling, blushing, lowered her head and took out the money she had prepared in advance. “How much should I pay you for this cart of mustard greens?”

Jin Quan looked down at her flustered expression from above. “You decide.”

Zhang Ling was taken aback. She suddenly looked up, glaring at him angrily. “You can’t just ‘decide’! It’s supposed to be a set amount!”

She was clearly angry, but Jin Quan’s gaze remained calm and unshaken, carrying a bit of that roguish ease and the smug confidence of a predator certain to catch its prey.

The way he looked at her only made the woman in front of him more annoyed and physically uncomfortable.

She shoved a hundred and twenty yuan at him. “Here! Take it!”

Jin Quan took the money without counting it, casually slipping it into his pocket, and sized Zhang Ling up from head to toe. “You actually look pretty good in red.”

Even after he walked away, Zhang Ling’s mind remained in a daze.

She thought to herself that Qiao Qiao was right—this man is twisted and definitely someone to keep at a distance. Why should her appearance matter to him at all?

But neither she nor Zhang Qiao expected that a few days later, Jin Quan would return to deliver goods. After unloading, he quickly built the bread oven Qiao Qiao had described in one corner of their yard, following the blueprint.

The oven was made of red bricks. The square base was for the fire, and the top layer was for baking and keeping food warm. The insulation layer made from wine bottles and clay was both practical and aesthetically pleasing. Jin Quan spent the entire afternoon constructing it, and Sister Li and Sister Xu were fascinated watching him work.

Once he left, everyone praised Jin Quan’s craftsmanship, his efficiency, and his upright and manly demeanor. He might talk little, but really, who needs a man to talk too much?

Sister Li and Sister Xu were married with kids already, and the conversation eventually shifted from casual compliments to more risqué topics, like whether Jin Quan had a wife and how skilled he was…

“Sister Ling, you interact with Brother Quan the most. Have you ever asked him if he has a wife?”

Being called out suddenly, Zhang Ling’s heart raced. “How would I know?”

“Then why not ask? Consider it doing a favor for us sisters.”

Everyone started chatting and laughing, and Zhang Ling, embarrassed, quickly found an excuse to escape the gossip-filled scene.

That evening, Zhang Qiao wanted to try out the bread oven. Since she was too far along in her pregnancy to handle it herself, she carefully explained the steps of fermenting dough and baking bread to Zhang Ling, letting her handle the actual work.

Zhang Qiao noticed that her sister had a natural talent for making baked goods. After some experimenting, the two of them actually produced a large, soft, and fluffy traditional loaf.

The moment the bread was done, the sweet, fermented aroma of milk filled the air.

It was Zhang Ling’s first time encountering such a novelty. Following Qiao Qiao’s instructions, she took the bread out and placed it on a cutting board.

The crust was crisp, cracking with every slice, while the inside remained soft and fluffy, dotted with large raisins. The three children, who had been waiting all night, along with Zhang Qiao, were drooling with anticipation.

“Sister, I have to say, this bread smells amazing. Next time, our restaurant will have another signature dish.”

Zhang Ling tried a piece and agreed—it was delicious. Crunchy on the outside, fragrant with milk and dough on the inside, and sweetened by the raisins. A few more bites, and her mood lightened instantly.

“Qiao Qiao, making bread isn’t that hard. If you like, I can bake one for you every day. Next time, we can try different flavors and add other ingredients.”

Lin Ran: “Aunt Ling, can we add chocolate?”

Lin Jin: “I want peanut flavor!”

Lin Ran: “Do you have meat flavor?”

Lin Jin: “Then how about honey flavor?”

As Zhang Qiao tasted the bread, her mind started racing.

“Sure, we can try all those flavors. Sister, I’ve realized you have a real talent for baking. The buns, sugar triangles, noodles—you make them all better than I do. Why don’t you learn professional baking? Once our restaurant opens, you can be our official pastry chef!”

Zhang Ling was confused. “Qiao Qiao, what’s a pastry chef?”

“Well, it depends if it’s Chinese or Western style. Chinese pastry chefs make traditional foods—noodles, buns, pancakes, desserts, fried items. Western ones do baked goods—cakes, Western pastries, bread… In the long run, Western baking has better prospects. Someday, you could open a cake shop or bakery, and your income would be very good.”

Although Zhang Ling had never heard these words before, she listened intently.

Could she really become a cake chef?

Before, she had only eaten birthday cakes at Xu Liang’s colleagues’ homes. The colorful designs and the soft, sweet cream, like white clouds, left a deep impression.

She loved sweets, and even a small piece could lift her spirits.

Today’s bread was already delicious. She couldn’t imagine how happy she would be if she could actually become a pastry chef one day.

“Qiao Qiao, learning these things… doesn’t it cost a lot? How much money would I need to save? Tell me, so I have an idea.” She asked eagerly.

“Sister, if you want to learn, it won’t cost a penny. I’ll cover all the fees and even pay you a salary. All you have to do is work with us after you finish!”

Zhang Qiao said this casually, but Zhang Ling couldn’t believe it. She thought it was a joke.

Who could really learn a craft for free?

A dream is worth trying for, though.

A week later, Zhang Qiao went to Jiangcheng for a prenatal checkup. Everything looked good, but unfortunately, the baby’s position still hadn’t corrected itself. The doctor reassured her that if necessary, a cesarean could be done.

Lin Tianyue’s heart skipped a beat. A cesarean? That would mean cutting into his wife’s stomach!

Zhang Qiao wasn’t nervous at all, but he was sweating with anxiety.

After the checkup, Zhang Qiao rested in a chair. Having skipped breakfast, Lin Tianyue brought her milk, eggs, and buns, making sure she ate everything.

He sat beside her, placing his large hand on her belly, scolding the baby sternly: “Listen here. If you’re filial, adjust your position before birth. If you make your mom go through surgery, I swear I’ll spank your little butt!”

Zhang Qiao, drinking her milk, rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away. “Lin Tianyue, you’re too harsh. You’ll scare the baby.”

“Hmph, you spoil the kid. Let’s see who ends up bullying you!”

Zhang Qiao rubbed her belly. “My own baby? Of course, I’ll spoil them. Besides, the baby wouldn’t dare bully me.”

After she ate, at Zhang Qiao’s insistence, Lin Tianyue took her to check on the restaurant under renovation.