TNIBFT -Chapter 152 Cooking Is Happier Than Killing

“Mother?”

Ye Tian lowered his head and looked at the little son in his arms. The child’s small, potato-like head was fluffy, his little face tilted upward, big round eyes staring straight at him.

His expression was sorrowful.

His eyes were full of worry.

Ye Tian felt helpless. In the original novel, there was never any mention of the three villains’ mother. Even their childhoods were only briefly glossed over. The entire story had been written from Shen Jie’s perspective. As for the children’s mother, Ye Tian seemed to have a vague impression of her in his mind—but whether she was dead or alive…

He didn’t know.

Ye Tian kissed Xiao Jiang on the forehead and said gently, “Don’t be afraid.”

“You’re all safe. As long as I’m here, nothing will happen to us.”

Ye Shuangxue blinked her beautiful big eyes, slid down from Ye Tian’s chest, then looked up at him and said, “I’ll go check on Shi Hao.”

With that, the little girl lifted her skirt and was about to run off. Ye Tian said helplessly, “Don’t tease him…”

“Got it!”

Without even turning her head, Ye Shuangxue waved her hand and ran off with a series of duang duang duang footsteps. Listening to his daughter’s retreating steps, Ye Tian shook his head and smiled.

Shi Hao had come over without informing his family. After thinking for a moment, Ye Tian decided to send Yuan Heipang to inform them, so Shi Hao’s mother wouldn’t worry.

…

Inside the hot pot restaurant kitchen.

There weren’t many customers today, and Duan Qingshan was the only one in the kitchen. At this moment, he was wearing an apron, his expression serious as he silently stared at the flames before him. When the color of the fire changed, he lifted the copper pot with one hand, preparing to start cooking.

Shi Hao stood behind him. His chubby back looked like a little bear. Stretching his neck, he curiously watched Duan Qingshan’s movements.

“How many years have you been a cook?”

“The scar on your face—did you get it while cutting vegetables?”

“Or did your father beat you?”

“Do you just not like talking?”

The chubby boy chattered endlessly, craning his neck and staring at Duan Qingshan.

Duan Qingshan remained expressionless. He skillfully added white pork lard into the pot. Upon contact with the heat, the solid fat immediately began to sizzle. As he moved the pan, the lard melted into liquid, and a rich aroma of oil quickly filled the air.

Shi Hao licked his lips.

His stomach growled loudly. Earlier that evening, when his father had just returned home, he had dragged Shi Hao in front of his elder brother and scolded him harshly without explanation. As usual, Shi Hao didn’t argue back. But his elder brother was still not satisfied. In front of him, his father even struck Shi Hao’s palms with a ruler. Even after apologizing, his elder brother refused to let it go.

With no other choice, his father had ordered him to go alone to their house in Lingfeng Village to reflect behind closed doors. Only when his elder brother’s anger subsided would he be allowed to return.

A heavy snowstorm raged outside. No matter how much he begged his brother, it was useless. He had no choice but to set out alone. With the roads blocked by snow, he could barely keep going—only then did he think of coming to find Ye Tian.

Seeing that Duan Qingshan ignored him, Shi Hao didn’t feel awkward. He was used to being ignored at home.

“You’re making fried rice for me?” Shi Hao frowned.

The hot pot he had last time was delicious—he had wanted to eat that again. Why was a hot pot restaurant serving fried rice?

His chubby little face fell in disappointment.

Duan Qingshan poured diced radish, chopped greens, and minced meat into the pot, stir-frying them until fragrant. Then he added the rice. The colorful mix of vegetables and meat blended with the rice, looking fresh and appetizing. After a moment, Duan Qingshan began flipping the wok, his movements smooth and flowing like water. Shi Hao watched with wide eyes and silently gave him a thumbs-up.

The room was soon filled with a rich, mouthwatering aroma.

There was the fresh fragrance of vegetables, mixed with the rich aroma of meat. When the beaten egg was poured in, Duan Qingshan lifted the copper wok with one hand. Flames surged up from the stove, and Shi Hao’s eyes widened. Duan Qingshan’s movements were smooth and swift as he continuously stir-fried, finally sprinkling a pinch of bright green scallions on top.

Shi Hao’s saliva was already uncontrollably dripping down. Staring at the plate of egg fried rice, he let out a silly grin. “So fragrant!”

“Uncle Duan, can you teach me how to cook in the future?”

“Have you been making egg fried rice for many years?”

Duan Qingshan remained expressionless and casually pushed the plate in front of Shi Hao. Shi Hao’s eyes lit up instantly—like a starving little wolf cub, he let out a howl and pounced on it, eating so fast that his face was soon covered in golden grains of rice.

“Delicious!”

“So delicious!” Shi Hao mumbled as he ate.

Seeing him choking and turning red in the face, Duan Qingshan silently poured him a full cup of tea. The kitchen was filled with rising steam, and the dim candlelight flickered, casting their shadows onto the window. A single door, a single window—it felt as though all the chaos of the outside world had been shut out.

A faint smile tugged at Duan Qingshan’s lips.

Cooking… was far more joyful than killing. It brought a sense of peace.

When he turned back to the table again, Shi Hao had already finished the entire plate of fried rice. Seeing Duan Qingshan looking at him, Shi Hao, his mouth greasy, gave a sheepish grin.

“I… it was so good, I forgot to leave some for you, Uncle Duan.”

“This is the fullest meal I’ve ever had.”

He spoke awkwardly.

Duan Qingshan listened without expression.

Shi Hao continued, “My older brother calls me a fat pig. Whenever my father sees me eat, he scolds me too. He won’t even let me eat my fill. I often wake up hungry in the middle of the night. From now on, I won’t go home anymore—I want to stay here and learn cooking from you. Anyway, I don’t want to fight my brother over the family property. I just want to fill my stomach. My father doesn’t treat me like a son, so I don’t want him as my father anymore!”

Duan Qingshan said nothing.

Seeing no reaction from the man across from him, Shi Hao lowered his head in disappointment.

“Do you want another bowl?”

A man’s voice suddenly came from above. Shi Hao’s eyes instantly lit up as he looked up at Duan Qingshan. “Can I?”

“Of course.”

Ye Shuangxue stood at the kitchen doorway, peeking in with half her head. She hadn’t expected little Shi Tou to be so pitiful.

“Boss!”
“Boss!”

Yuan Heipang’s voice was sharp and panicked, breaking the quiet.

Ye Shuangxue immediately lifted her skirt and ran toward the front hall. Duan Qingshan, who had been about to start another batch of fried rice, suddenly turned cold and rushed out as well. Meanwhile, Shi Hao lingered in the kitchen, slowly looking for anything else he could eat, muttering softly:

“What could be more important than eating?”

“I’ll talk after I’ve eaten my fill.”

In the hotpot restaurant’s main hall—

Snow still clung to Yuan Heipang’s head and clothes. His face was pale as he grabbed Ye Tian and said, “Boss, many people have died. Outside the city, a lot of civilians are gathered beneath the walls, trying to get in.”

“I heard many people died out there—whole villages have been buried alive…”

“The city is full of patrol soldiers… This time, we’ve truly angered the heavens. I’ve heard many wealthy merchants are planning to leave Sifang City overnight…”

Ye Tian frowned in thought. In the original story, the avalanche at this point had indeed been severe. This time was no different—it was merely something the author used to build momentum for the protagonist.

There shouldn’t be any problems inside the city.

With that in mind, Ye Tian said, “We have enough food in the shop. No one goes out for the next few days. We’ll close for now and see how things develop.”

“There’s one more thing,” Yuan Heipang added, looking at Ye Tian. “Shi Hao’s father has taken people to Lingfeng Village to look for someone.”