Chapter 186: Planting Trees

"I never want to leave Daddy, you know, Mama? Daddy has always protected Tongtong ever since she was little. When Tongtong was scared of thunder, he held her. When Tongtong wet the bed or did something wrong, Daddy still doted on her. He’s the best! I’ll love him forever!"

The two of them snuggled together.

"I wish school would end soon. I want to give Daddy a kiss."

"I want to give your daddy a kiss, too."

The two of them hugged affectionately for a little while longer, both in high spirits.

Nap time arrived.

All the children obediently lay down in their little beds.

Jun Qingmeng sat nearby, telling them the story of Snow White.

Tongtong was the first to "power down," falling asleep in less than three minutes.

Jun Qingmeng covered the sleeping children’s tummies to keep them from catching a chill, then sat beside Tongtong and watched her sleep.

...

「World’s Second Best Restaurant」

The more Jiang Liu looked at the sterilizer cabinet, the more it bothered him.

’It’s so ugly...’

"Boss Jiang, are there any buns left?"

Jiang Liu turned with a smile. "Ma’am, we’re closed for now. We’re all out. Please come back this afternoon."

"Alright then. I came too late today. I’ll have to be earlier next time. It’s gotten so hard to get my hands on your buns."

"Boss Jiang, why don’t you get a dough mixer or some other machines to help out? It would be so much more efficient. Otherwise, you make so little every day, it’s never enough for everyone. Listen to me—even if you made a hundred thousand buns, people would buy them all without a second thought."

The woman advised him with earnest gravity.

Jiang Liu shook his head. "I can’t use machines. Whether it’s kneading dough or mixing fillings, doing it by hand is different from using a machine. I want to give my customers the best possible quality."

There are some things a machine just can’t replace. Take kneading dough, for example—it involves numerous techniques, whereas a machine is too imprecise.

The woman sighed in admiration. "That’s true. No wonder my cooking is so bad, while everything you make is absolutely delicious."

The customers lingering by the entrance also looked on with admiration.

"Look at Boss Jiang, and then look at all those unscrupulous merchants. Tsk, tsk. The comparison is just brutal."

"We need to show Brother Jiang more support from now on. He works really hard, putting in long hours every day just so we can eat his delicious food."

"I’m posting this in a Douyin group right now. I’ll get everyone to spread the word: Boss Jiang is divorced and has no one to love him, so let’s all love him together!"

Inside the restaurant.

Jiang Liu placed the dishes in the dishwasher to be cleaned and sterilized, took out the trash, cleaned the premises, and sprayed down the surfaces with alcohol.

By two o’clock, everything was spotless.

Jiang Liu decided to reward himself with an hour of rest.

He lay back contentedly in his chair and opened his phone.

Jun Qingmeng had sent him another message.

Jun Qingmeng: "Miss me?"

Jun Qingmeng: "Tongtong is asleep. I told the children the story of Snow White today. Do you want to hear it tonight? You can lie in bed, and I’ll tell you a story you’ll love."

"(Photo)"

"(Video)"

The photo showed Tongtong pinching her nose as she ate scrambled eggs with zucchini.

In the video, Tongtong was sleeping soundly, her little belly rising and falling gently under her tank top.

A smile crept onto Jiang Liu’s face as he watched.

He replied:

"A little. You should just save the stories for Tongtong. I don’t need one."

"I just finished up here. Business was good today. Is there anything you want? I’ll buy it for you."

After sending the messages, Jiang Liu went online and bought a new 1.5-meter-wide sterilizer cabinet.

It was a high-end Canbo model that cost over two thousand yuan, featuring smart drying, powerful UV sterilization, and even a smart display screen.

With all that taken care of, Jiang Liu closed his eyes to rest.

In the sweltering little park next door, the cicadas chirped incessantly.

「Three o’clock.」

Jiang Liu got up and began to knead dough, adding spring water to the flour little by little, working it into shape...

He set the dough to rise, prepared the fillings, the sashimi...

By now, a line of more than two hundred people had already formed outside.

Wang Han had come to wait in line in person.

"Xiao Huang, are you sure we’ll be able to get the beef from this spot in line?"

Huang Yunfeng said confidently, "Don’t worry, President Wang! I’m experienced in this. I guarantee both of you will get some!"

Wang Guozhong’s face was full of anticipation. He had managed to get a piece of beef and a potato that morning, and it had been absolutely incredible!

"Xiao Han, what do you think of Boss Jiang? How about we recruit him into our Wang Family as a live-in son-in-law?"

Wang Han thought about it, very tempted. "That could work. He seems like a good person. If Jiang Liu is willing, I have no objection."

"Alright, then I’ll swallow my pride and ask him for you!"

Wang Guozhong swallowed excitedly.

Wang Han gave an elegant smile and added a reminder, "You can feel it out, but just be careful not to make him angry."

’In truth, she really wanted to bring Jiang Liu into her home, have him be her personal chef who doted on her, cooking gourmet meals just for her, and her alone!’

"Hey, you silly girl, have you had a crush on Jiang Liu for a while? I haven’t even done anything yet, and you’re already jumping to his defense."

"Mind your own business!"

Wang Han lifted her smooth chin haughtily.

Standing to the side, Huang Yunfeng couldn’t help but look on with envy.

’She’s the heiress to the Wang Family! Whoever marries her would be set for life.’

「Six-thirty.」

Jun Qingmeng arrived at the entrance with Tongtong.

Her gaze met Wang Han’s.

Both women frowned simultaneously.

Each could feel the hostility from the other.

Without exchanging a word, Jun Qingmeng pulled Tongtong inside the restaurant.

Standing beside them, Wang Guozhong couldn’t help but ask.

"Xiao Han, who is that? How is she able to go into Jiang Liu’s restaurant before it opens?"

Wang Han frowned, saying uncertainly, "I think... she’s the teacher of Jiang Liu’s daughter. She must be dropping her off."

She had seen Jun Qingmeng before, but aside from the impression that she was exceptionally beautiful, she knew nothing else about her.

Wang Guozhong breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good. We need to act fast. Recruiting such an outstanding man into our Wang Family would be a huge asset!"

"Just imagine, someday we arrange a banquet and have Jiang Liu cook the meal. How much face would that give us?"

Just then, a young woman behind them couldn’t take it anymore. "Could you two stop trying to claim Brother Jiang? He’s already taken. He and Teacher Qingmeng are in a lovely relationship right now, and I for one am rooting for them."

"Huh?!" Wang Han’s mood instantly soured.

Wang Guozhong’s heart skipped a beat. "Have they registered their marriage?"

"No, they’re just dating. Brother Jiang and Teacher Qingmeng are so sweet together; they see each other every day."

"So they aren’t married yet?"

Wang Guozhong sensed an opportunity. He looked at Wang Han and said, "Xiao Han, don’t be upset. It’s just some nobody. A few threatening words should be enough to scare her off."

Wang Han let out a sullen grunt.

’As a domineering CEO, she found it hard to accept that the man she had set her sights on was suddenly with another woman.’

’Maybe I should just give up...’

「Back Kitchen」

Jiang Liu was still in the back kitchen, making buns.

He glanced at the time every now and then.

He was looking forward to Jun Qingmeng and Tongtong’s return.

Just then, a sweet, childish voice called out from the front.

"Daddy! Your little SpongeBob is ba-ack!"

"Jiang Liu, your wifey is ba-ack, too."

Jiang Liu wiped his hands and walked out from the kitchen.

The big and little pair were sprawled out on chairs, panting for breath.

Tongtong was covered in a child’s sweat.

"What were you two doing? Why are you so tired?"

"Daddy, we planted trees today."

"Planted trees?"

Jiang Liu got two bottles of juice, carefully inserted straws into them, and placed them on the table.

Tongtong pouted and nodded. "So, so tired. We planted little trees."

Jun Qingmeng took a blissful sip of the juice Jiang Liu had prepared for her and explained, "It’s like this, Jiang Liu. There’s a big empty plot of land behind the kindergarten, so the director organized an activity for us to teach the children how to plant trees."

"Tongtong planted two all by herself. That was the most out of all the children."

Tongtong’s little eyes lit up as she looked at Jiang Liu excitedly.

’Hurry up and praise me.’