Chapter 105: Stir-fried Tuna with Peppers, and Tongtong Wants to Sneak Ice Cream Again

With a stern face, Jiang Liu pinched Tongtong’s cheek. "No more nonsense, you hear me!"

"BOOHOO... okay!"

Jiang Liu smiled. ’His daughter is just too cute.’

’Her chubby little face was so fun to pinch.’

"Teacher Qingmeng, look what this is." Tongtong pulled the last remaining dried fig from her pocket. "Tongtong couldn’t bear to finish it, so I saved it for you!"

She looked up at Jun Qingmeng with an expectant expression, all but saying, ’Hurry up and praise me!’

Jun Qingmeng took the sticky dried fig, overjoyed. "Thank you, Tongtong. I like it a lot."

"Hehe."

Tongtong cupped her little hand around Jun Qingmeng’s ear and whispered, "You’re welcome. After school, can you take me for an ice pop again?"

"What are you two talking about?"

Jiang Liu, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. ’Whispering when I’m this close? My daughter is adorably silly.’

"Eek! Dad, you didn’t hear that, right? Tongtong didn’t say anything."

"Jiang Liu, let’s hurry up and go grocery shopping," Jun Qingmeng said, changing the subject.

’These two are getting closer and closer,’ Jiang Liu thought.

"Okay."

The two walked shoulder-to-shoulder into the food market, turning heads all the way.

Today, Jun Qingmeng was wearing a cinched-waist dress with a ruffled hem.

Her delicate, fair collarbones were exposed.

On her feet, she wore white sneakers paired with little white socks decorated with hearts.

She had even taken the time to apply light, elegant makeup and a coat of pomelo-flavored lip balm.

As usual, Jiang Liu bought fresh fennel, then added two pounds of long, slender green chilies.

He planned to use these chilies to make a Chinese-style stir-fried tuna with chili.

The morning air was crisp and cool.

A long line had already formed at the door.

The customers were relieved to see Jiang Liu arrive at the shop on time.

’As long as he doesn’t slack off, we’re good.’

The ingredients were carried back into the shop.

Jiang Liu started by proofing some dough, then moved on to preparing the sashimi and other ingredients.

Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong were by the beverage dispenser, bottling the drinks.

The two of them had a system down from experience. First, they’d line up rows of empty bottles on a nearby table. Then, they’d use a clean metal ladle to fill them up, with Tongtong in charge of putting on the caps.

Today, they were making watermelon juice and orange juice.

The two chatted as they worked.

Jun Qingmeng said excitedly, "Tongtong, I have something to tell you. Try not to get too excited, okay?"

"Okay, okay, tell me! Tongtong won’t get excited."

"I rented an apartment on your floor, and I’m planning to move in today."

"Woah, really?!"

Tongtong covered her little mouth, unable to believe it.

The surprise came so suddenly, the little cutie wasn’t prepared for it.

"Does that mean... from now on, we can always be together?"

"If Tongtong wants to see Teacher Qingmeng, she can see her anytime?"

"Mhm! Tongtong can come visit my place anytime. Just remember to bring your dad along to hang out."

Hearing she had to bring her dad...

Tongtong hesitated, then asked in a tiny voice, "Can I bring Dad over a little later?"

’She wanted to eat an ice cream bar. Once she was done, she could bring her dad over.’

Jun Qingmeng was puzzled. "Huh? Why?"

"We can secretly eat ice cream bars! If Dad comes along, I won’t get to eat any."

Jiang Liu’s voice suddenly came from behind Tongtong. "I think I heard someone talking about secretly eating ice cream bars."

Tongtong nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard his voice. "Eek! Dad, you gave Tongtong a big scare!"

Realizing the situation, she put on an innocent face and shook her head.

"Tongtong doesn’t eat ice cream bars. Tongtong is a very good girl."

A smirk played on Jiang Liu’s lips. "I’m guessing you want to go over to Teacher Qingmeng’s place to mooch some ice cream bars. And you were just thinking about how to get her to buy a whole stockpile of them, weren’t you?"

WOW!!

Tongtong’s jaw dropped in astonishment. "Daddy, how did you guess so perfectly?!"

’How could Dad see through her plan when she’s so clever?’

Jiang Liu chuckled. "It was just a wild guess. But now, it’s confirmed."

’Mean Dad!’

’Always bullying his little cutie!’

’Boohoo.’

’I’m so pitiful.’

’Dad is a big meanie!’

Tongtong pouted pitifully. "Daddy, Tongtong won’t eat ice cream bars behind your back anymore. I’ll be very obedient. Can you believe me, please?"

"I believe you."

Jiang Liu nodded with a smile and turned back to his work.

As her father, he could see right through all his daughter’s little schemes.

The corners of Jun Qingmeng’s lips curled into a beautiful smile, her eyes filled with amusement.

She loved this kind of fun, lighthearted atmosphere.

It felt like home.

Tongtong turned her pitiful gaze back to Jun Qingmeng. "Teacher, can Tongtong help you move?"

"What can a little person like you do?"

Jun Qingmeng glanced at Tongtong, a peculiar expression on her face. "You just don’t want to go to kindergarten so you can play outside, don’t you?"

Tongtong shut down.

’Why is everyone so smart? You all make Tongtong feel so dumb!!’

"No, that’s not it! Tongtong just wants to help Teacher Qingmeng."

Tongtong shook her head, not daring to admit the truth.

’Otherwise, Dad would spank her.’

Jun Qingmeng shot her a look. "I’m not taking the day off today. I already have people helping me move."

"Okay..."

Tongtong felt wronged.

’Being a kid is so hard.’

Jiang Liu quickly finished preparing the wild tuna.

A thirty-pound tuna wasn’t much trouble for him to handle.

6:20 AM.

The buns were placed in the steamer.

He set the temperature.

While he had a moment, Jiang Liu quickly made a dish of stir-fried fatty tuna belly with chili.

First, he cut the chilies into sections. He put them into a dry wok with no oil, pan-roasting them until their spicy fragrance was released. Then, he removed them.

Next, he placed the fatty tuna belly into the wok over low heat, again without any oil. The tuna was so rich that in less than a minute, the bottom of the wok was sizzling with rendered fish oil, releasing a fragrant aroma. He added cloves of garlic, wasabi, onion, and ginger to neutralize any fishiness and enhance the fragrance. Once most of the fat was rendered from the fish, Jiang Liu tossed the chilies back in. He followed with premium light soy sauce, oyster sauce, a pinch of white sugar, three spoonfuls of fine salt, a little starch, and his secret-recipe soy sauce. Finally, he sprinkled in chopped scallions and stir-fried everything on high heat to reduce the sauce.

Stir-fried wild bluefin tuna with chili, complete!

The fish slices, originally one-and-a-half centimeters thick, were now rendered down, reddish-brown, and bursting with the aroma of chili.

Jiang Liu tasted a piece of the fish.

It was spicy at first, and the fish oil had a unique, savory aroma.

He placed the plate of stir-fried tuna with chili on the table, along with six steamed buns left over from yesterday that he had reheated that morning.

"Big beauty and little beauty, time to eat!"

"Coming, coming! The little beauty is here!"

Tongtong, who had been playing by the door, heard the call to eat and came running over immediately.

She propped her little hands on the table, leaned over the plate, and took a deep sniff.

"Wow! It smells so yummy! Daddy, what is this?"

Jiang Liu lifted her onto her chair. "It’s stir-fried tuna with chili. You’ve never had it before, have you?"