TSWPF -Chapter 264 The Campaign

Of course, Li Qingling didn’t tell him the truth. She just smiled and said she was a foodie who enjoyed experimenting with these things.

Liu Wenjie listened and gave Li Qingling a thumbs-up. “Being a foodie is good,” he said.

He liked eating too—how had he never thought of that?

“Uncle, you like eating, so you can eat more.” Li Qingling picked up two more pieces of roasted meat and offered them to him. “You could even make a stove like this. Whenever you want barbecue, you can just cook it anytime.”

“That’s a good idea.” Liu Wenjie clapped his hands and nodded with a smile. “Then later, Xiao Ling, you tell me how to make this stove, and I’ll have someone make one.”

“Sure…”

The old man glanced at Liu Wenjie with a bit of pity. He wouldn’t tell him that the meat Li Qingling roasted and the meat he roasted himself were on completely different levels.

Before, when Li Qingling wasn’t at home, he and a few youngsters tried roasting meat themselves. In the end, it just didn’t taste as good as Li Qingling’s. He couldn’t figure out why.

He decided that if Li Qingling and the others moved, he would follow them—just to eat her delicious food.

He thought the imperial kitchen chefs couldn’t make anything as tasty as Li Qingling did.

He could only sigh in admiration: Li Qingling was the reincarnation of a culinary god.

After finishing all the roasted meat, Li Qingling started roasting vegetables.

Liu Wenjie, as if he had never seen the world, asked in surprise, “You can roast vegetables?”

Li Qingling smiled. “Yes. Try it later, and you’ll know what it tastes like.”

“Alright…”

Seeing Liu Wenjie’s inept expression, the old man almost wanted to give him a slap to send him back to the Liu family, to stop embarrassing himself here.

Although he had been like that the first time he ate roasted meat too, seeing his own son like this was a little shameful.

If Liu Wenjie knew what his father was thinking, he would surely cry foul.

It wasn’t his fault; it was his first time eating such food.

After Liu Wenjie finished the vegetables, his belly sticking out, he took a sip of barley tea and let out a satisfied sigh. “Life like this is better than being a god!” Such delicious food—he had only tasted it today. What a loss, really a loss. “Xiao Ling, what else can you cook that’s delicious?”

Before Li Qingling could answer, Li Qingning spoke up. She counted on her fingers one by one, and with each item, Liu Wenjie swallowed hard. She could make so many delicious dishes?

“Anyway, my sister’s cooking is the best,” Li Qingning proudly said. “No one’s cooking is better than hers.”

“Then… what’s a hotpot?”

Li Qingning twisted her fingers, thought for a moment, and said it was putting a lot of ingredients together and boiling them.

Boiling all the ingredients together—would it taste good? Liu Wenjie had some doubts.

Don’t let her small size fool you—Li Qingning was very perceptive. She immediately noticed his doubt and pouted. “It’s super delicious. You’ll see once you try it.”

Hmph… Was there anything her sister cooked that didn’t taste good?

Liu Wenjie smiled awkwardly and asked Li Qingling when they would have hotpot.

“We’re planning to have it on New Year’s Eve. Uncle, will you come?”

“New Year’s Eve?” Liu Wenjie looked at his father with regret. “I can’t come. I have to have dinner at home. Or, you could make some for me tonight?” Although he wanted to go a little, he was afraid his father would scold him.

Li Qingling glanced at Liu Zhimou, and seeing him nod, she agreed.

“Really?” Liu Wenjie was ecstatic, rubbing his hands excitedly. “Great, thanks, Xiao Ling!”

“No trouble at all. I just need to prepare the sauce; the kitchen can handle the rest,” Li Qingling said with a smile. She just needed the kitchen staff to prepare the broth in advance.

The old man cleared his throat and glanced at his eldest son. “Aren’t you going to the Jiang family to deliver New Year gifts?”

Hearing this, Liu Wenjie stiffened for a moment, then chuckled. “I can go tomorrow instead.”

The world is vast, and nothing is bigger than eating.

The old man tugged the corner of his mouth. “Then you won’t be afraid of your wife complaining when you return?”

Speaking of which, apart from being filial, he really couldn’t see any other merits in this son: he loved food, overthought things, and feared his wife. In his eyes, he was truly useless.

Among his four sons, the one he was most proud of and loved the most was his youngest.

Unfortunately, the youngest had been gifted but left the world too early…

He couldn’t think about it. Just the thought of his prematurely deceased youngest son made his heart ache.

“Why would she dare to complain to me?” Liu Wenjie looked at his father in frustration. Why did he have to expose his shortcomings in front of others? It was so embarrassing.

Hearing this, the old man only chuckled.

“…“ Did he think his father was possessed? It wasn’t like this before. Why now?

The old man ignored his foolish son and turned to Mr. Luo. “How are you celebrating this year?”

Over a decade ago, when Mr. Luo learned that the old man had driven away his junior disciple, he never had a good expression toward him. Every encounter was as if the old man didn’t exist.

After his junior disciple was gone, seeing the old man in despair, he gradually began acknowledging him again.

“I’m celebrating with my grandchildren,” Mr. Luo said with pride. The thought of seeing the old man frustrated at not being able to join brought him joy.

It seemed that being alone wasn’t bad; he could come celebrate with his grandchildren without many concerns.

The old man, however, couldn’t. With the whole family, he had to be present.

“…So envious,” thought the old man, feeling his chest tighten. He wanted to celebrate with his grandchildren too, but he truly couldn’t leave.

“Aren’t you going to the palace?”

“Oh, just a brief visit,” Mr. Luo said smiling. “Xiao Ling also mentioned frying some balls and stuff. It’ll be delicious.”

Seeing the old man’s face turn green with anger, he truly felt pleased.

Hmph, it was all because the old man had forced his junior disciple to return the engagement years ago.

If not for the kindness of Zhimou and the others, he would have resented him to death, let alone acknowledge him as a grandfather now.

The old man had really gotten lucky.

“Xiao Ling, don’t forget your grandfather’s portion, okay?” The old man’s heart ached, but he could only ask Li Qingling to give him some.

Li Qingling nodded with a smile. Once it was ready, she would bring him some to taste.

Hearing this, the old man finally felt reassured. He glanced at Liu Zhimou, initially intending to invite him to celebrate the New Year at the Liu home, but seeing the house not yet ready, he swallowed the words.

He would handle the family matters first, then allow the formal recognition.

All these years, he had turned a blind eye, letting them do as they pleased. But this time, for his grandchildren, he had to step in.

“While Wenjie is here, I’ll just say it!” Mr. Luo gently put down his barley tea and looked at Liu Wenjie. “After my grandson’s spring examination, he will formally acknowledge his ancestry. But before that, I hope you educate Liu Zhishan well. Don’t let him cause trouble for my grandson and granddaughter-in-law, or I won’t let him off easily.” Anyone who dared bully his grandchildren would never have a peaceful year.

Liu Wenjie’s face turned red as he muttered, “Is this about the last horseback riding incident? I’ve scolded him; he won’t do it again.” He had forcefully sent his son to the military camp, wondering how he was doing.

The old man saw through something and asked Mr. Luo directly if his grandson had caused trouble again.

“Master, it’s not a big deal. Let it go; no need to bring it up.” Li Qingling hurriedly spoke, fearing it would affect Liu Wenjie’s attitude toward Liu Zhimou.

Fewer issues before the formal recognition meant fewer problems.

“Xiao Ling, tell me. Grandpa’s listening.” The old man’s face darkened, anger flashing as he glared at Liu Wenjie. If Liu Zhishan dared bully his granddaughter-in-law, he would teach him a lesson.

Liu Wenjie was terrified under his father’s gaze, silently praying that the boy wouldn’t cause major trouble. Otherwise, even he couldn’t protect him.

Then, his father punished his son, and his wife would complain. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

Li Qingling looked at Mr. Luo and then at the old man. Seeing their determination, she could only reluctantly recount what had happened. She didn’t exaggerate; she just stated the facts.

Hearing this, the old man slammed the table in anger. “Bastard…” He had to visit the military camp, train the boy hard, make him suffer, so he wouldn’t have the strength to cause trouble. “Next time I discipline your son, you handle your wife. Don’t come pleading just because she says a few words. What have you turned a perfectly good child into?”

If he didn’t intervene sometimes, the child would be ruined.

A kind mother often spoils her child.

Looking at his eldest grandson, now capable of defending the family and standing on his own, compared to Liu Zhishan… it was unbearable.

Liu Wenjie, being scolded by his father in front of so many, felt humiliated. He didn’t dare reply and lowered his head.

But he resolved that next time his father disciplined that boy, he wouldn’t plead on his behalf.

Truly, if left uncorrected, the child would go astray.

After scolding, the old man left some face for his eldest son.

“Xiao Ling, rest assured. Back at the Liu home, no one will dare bully you.” The old man wasn’t dead yet; who would dare bully his grandchildren?

Li Qingling nodded and quickly changed the topic, asking what dishes they wanted to eat tonight.

If they continued on the previous topic, Liu Wenjie would want to crawl into the floor from embarrassment.

It was truly shameful.