Chapter 16
Yun Chuman didn't want the two children in the kitchen. Knives and fire were too dangerous.
However, after being refused, Yun Juan and Yun Shu didn't cry or fuss. They held hands and ran outside the kitchen, tilted their little heads up, blinked their pitiful puppy eyes, and looked at her silently.
Yun Chuman: ...
So cute! She couldn't refuse!
She lost the staring contest with the two children again.
In the end, Yun Chuman sighed helplessly, squatted down to look Yun Juan and Yun Shu in the eye, and said very seriously, "I'm happy you're here to help me cook, but there's one thing you must do: you can't play with knives or fire, and you can only do anything with me accompanying you."
Yun Juan and Yun Shu nodded vigorously, saying in unison, "We'll accompany Mommy!"
Something about that sounded a little off.
Yun Chuman scratched her head, not thinking much of it. As long as the two children didn't leave her sight, it was fine!
The family of three began cooking together for the first time!
Yun Chuman continued cutting tomatoes, with Yun Juan and Yun Shu standing on either side of her on small stools.
The one adult and two children looked serious and their eyes focused on the cutting board.
Yun Chuman was extremely careful with every cut, yet the tomato chunks she produced were uneven in size and had jagged edges, looking remarkably like… something a puppy had chewed on—it was unsightly.
She frowned in confusion, examining the knife in her hand from all angles. Had it been unused for a long time and the blade been dulled?
Yun Chuman tried every knife in the set, even the fruit knife, but the result was still disastrous.
Standing beside her, Yun Juan looked at the mess of tomatoes on the cutting board, hesitant to speak. His little face scrunched up.
His chubby little hand at his side moved twice. He looked up earnestly, “Mommy, let me try.”
It went without saying Yun Chuman wouldn't agree, but before she could refuse, Yun Shu stretched out her short arms and excitedly and admiringly said, "Elder Brother is skillful! He peels apples without breaking the skin and the peels are this long!”
“Amazing!”
Yun Chuman subconsciously looked at Yun Juan's hands and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
These chubby little hands could peel an apple without breaking the skin! As for herself, she practically only has the core left…
Upon hearing this, Yun Juan proudly put his hands on his hips and puffed out his round little belly.
Yun Chuman hesitated for a moment. Seeing the little boy's expectant gaze, she handed him the fruit knife. She didn't want to dampen his enthusiasm.
"Be careful when you cut. You can curl your fingers up so you don't get hurt," she instructed Yun Juan as she moved his little stool to the cutting board and put an apron on him.
The apron was too long and didn't fit properly. She had to tie several knots around the back of his neck so the apron was snug against Yun Juan's neck. His feet barely showed.
This made Yun Juan's neck look a little short, like a little gas cylinder.
Yun Chuman almost laughed. The two children seemed very interested in cooking. Next time, she'd have to buy two children's aprons.
Yun Juan obediently curled his fingers and his little fist pressed down on the tomato. Though still bearing the typical chubbiness of children, his movements were remarkably steady.
He pursed his lips, his gaze focused, and without hesitation, he raised the small fruit knife and began to slice the tomato.
Yun Chuman and Yun Shu stood by, tense and barely daring to breathe.
One was worried about whether Yun Juan would get hurt, and the other was worried about whether the tomato would be sliced well.
At first, Yun Juan's movements were rather clumsy, and his speed was slow. While his slices were slightly better than Yun Chuman's, they were only passable.
But he quickly found the knack, his movements becoming more and more skillful, and the tomato slices he made were uniform in size and aesthetically pleasing.
He finished the last small piece in one go before putting down the fruit knife.
Yun Shu picked up a tissue she had prepared beforehand and smiled as she wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead.
Head lowered, Yun Chuman stared blankly at the starkly contrasting tomatoes on the cutting board. Suddenly, she felt utterly useless. It wasn't the knife's fault, it was her own!
She clapped her hands enthusiastically, sincerely praising, "Little Juan, you're amazing!"
Yun Juan smiled, continuing to stand with his hands on his hips and his belly sticking out.
Standing beside him, Yun Shu massaged his shoulders, saying, "Elder Brother, you worked hard!"
Although Yun Chuman was outmatched by a child in knife skills, she wasn't discouraged. She considered it a fluke, after all, Yun Juan had some experience.
In a good mood, she instructed the two children, "But from now on, if I'm not around, you can't touch a knife anymore. Not even peeling apples, it's dangerous."
Yun Juan and Yun Shu obediently nodded.
"Next, it's time to crack the eggs!"
Yun Chuman took one of the five eggs she had prepared and smashed it against the edge of the bowl. She used too much force. With a crack, the egg white and broken shell rolled down the inside and outside of the bowl. She blinked. This wasn't what she'd imagined. The actual process was indeed much harder than the theory.
Frustrated, she carefully picked out the eggshell, wiped away the spilled egg white, and picked up another egg, ready to try again.
"Mommy, little Shu wants to try," Yun Shu gently tugged at her sleeve expectantly. "Elder Brother helped, so little Shu wants to help too."
Cracking an egg wasn't dangerous. At most, her hands would get covered in egg white, so Yun Chuman didn't refuse.
Yun Juan didn't plan to participate this time, standing aside to cheer on mommy and younger sister.
Yun Shu's hands were too small. It took two hands to firmly hold a round egg, but she showed no nervousness and even had time to smile at Yun Juan.
She was much more natural than Yun Chuman.
"Little Shu, follow me..."
Yun Chuman wanted to teach the little girl how to crack an egg.
Halfway through her explanation, she saw Yun Shu gently tap the rim of the bowl with the egg in her hand. With a quick pull of her chubby little hands, the egg white and yolk spilled into the bowl. The shell neatly split in two.
Along with that, Yun Chuman's expression also cracked. She glanced at the egg she hadn't yet broken and secretly put it back.
Yun Shu smoothly cracked all the remaining eggs, not a single piece of shell spilling in.
While filled with self doubt, Yun Chuman couldn't help but clap her hands with tears welling in her eyes: "Little Shu is amazing!"
These tears weren't just for her two children's excellence, but also for her own incompetence!
Yun Shu blushed shyly and sincerely said, "Mommy is amazing too!"
Immediately, Yun Chuman’s feeling of wanting cry deepened, mainly because she felt guilty.
However, she didn't give up. There was still one last step and still a chance to prove herself.
Tomato and egg stir-fry comes in savory and sweet versions. Yun Chuman, wanting to eat with her children, chose the latter.
She turned on the gas, placed the pan, and quietly reviewed the recipe: "First, fry the eggs, then add the tomatoes, stirring constantly until they become mushy. Season with a little salt, sugar, and MSG before taking it off the heat."
A little? How much was "a little"?
She wondered, picking up the beaten egg mixture to pour it into the pan.
Yun Juan quickly stopped her, saying, "Mom, you haven't added oil yet!"
"Huh?"
Yun Chuman was taken aback. Add oil? She'd forgotten about that step!
"It'll burn if you don't add oil,"
Yun Shu pointed with her short index finger, reminding her earnestly.
She picked up the small oil bottle beside her and added a little oil to the pan. "Mom, you can fry the eggs now."
Yun Chuman instinctively followed her instructions. The egg mixture sizzling as it hit the pan startled her.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, it won't splatter," Yun Shu patted her back reassuringly.
Then Yun Juan gently shook the pan, gripping the handles with both hands.
"What are you doing?" Yun Chuman asked, her voice tinged with a humility and admiration she herself didn't realize.
"This way it won't stick to the bottom of the pan," Though Yun Juan’s voice was childish, his tone was earnest.
Once the eggs were half-cooked and set, Yun Shu used a small spatula to separate them, gently stirring them a few times before saying, "Mommy, put the tomatoes in."
"Oh..."
Yun Chuman felt like she was dreaming. Her mind was blank, her body moving without a soul and following the children's instructions. She couldn't understand what was happening.
Seeing Yun Shu take out the seasonings, she finally regained her wits, slowly saying, "A little..."
Before she could finish, she saw the little girl expertly scoop a small spoonful of salt into the pan, then add a little MSG and sugar.
She tilted her head back. Her smile was sweet and innocent, "Mommy, just stir-fry a couple more times and it'll be ready to eat!"
"Yes... Little Juan and Little Shu are so great..."
Yun Chuman had accepted the fact that her two children were better than her.
Finally, the noodles were cooked and the first meal the family of three had made together was complete!
Yun Chuman stared blankly at the white noodles and vibrant tomato and egg stir-fry in the bowl. Made together? What was her role?
Oh… she was responsible for eating!
With tears in her eyes, she took a big bite. The sweet and sour tomato and egg stir-fry stimulated her taste buds, and she couldn't help but exclaim inwardly, "So delicious!"
"Little Juan, little Shu, you… how are you so amazing? You can even cook!" Yun Chuman asked after devouring most of her bowl, almost using honorifics.
"Tomato and egg stir-fry is very simple. It's taught on children's programs," Yun Juan said slowly with his cheeks puffed out. He chewed his food like a little hamster before swallowing.
"Elder Brother and I also watched cooking shows," Yun Shu said with a smile, clipping a piece of egg for her.
Yun Chuman: …
She'd watched cooking shows and recipes too. And for years! How come she hadn't developed any cooking skills? Was this a difference in talent?
She took another big bite with tears welling in her eyes. It smelled so good!
The two children didn't have big appetites, while she ate almost everything.
Yun Shu was clearly more enthusiastic about feeding the food she had cooked herself.
Yun Chuman rubbed her bulging belly. She was sure she'd get fat at this rate. She needed to exercise more.
She'd start with washing the dishes!
Yun Juan and Yun Shu wanted to help, but Yun Shu forced them to rest on the sofa.
After washing the dishes, she received a call from a courier saying her package had been dropped off at a drop-off point.
Yun Chuman's eyes lit up. The thing she'd ordered overnight had arrived! With it, she could start working on her competition artwork!
She wasn't good at cooking, but she was quite good at drawing. She hoped this talent could help her regain some of her lost confidence.
Besides that, she also hoped that what she was about to do would help Yun Shu regain some confidence.
Author's Note:
【Cub's Diary】
Yun Juan: Let's cook with Mommy and younger sister again next time!
Yun Shu: Mommy really likes the dishes we cooked together, hehe~ Let's do it again next time!
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Yun Chuman: I'm so useless QAQ
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