Chapter 14: Little Crispy Meat

“Xiao Yuan, is that your boyfriend?” Master Zhao teased with a cheerful smile.

“No, it’s my college roommate. She’s probably calling to ask if I’ve found a job yet.”

“Master Zhao, you go ahead and work. I’ll come back to chat after I finish this call with my friend.”

“Alright, alright, go on.” Master Zhao waved her off with a laugh.

Yuan Yuan had just left when Master Zhao noticed a small figure sneaking in, peeking through the door.

“Little Taozi, you’re here? Come on in.”

“Hehe, Grandpa Zhao, what delicious food have you made today?” Taozi asked, stepping in with a spring in her step.

“Little crispy meat. Want to try some?”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Taozi nodded eagerly.

“Wait, have you washed your hands?”

“The director has instructed that while we can give you special treats, you must wash your hands before and after meals.”

“She said that with the flu and mycoplasma infections going around, we need to be extra careful.”

“Don’t worry, Grandpa Zhao. We always listen to Mama Lu.”

“Look at my hands, aren’t they clean?”

Taozi grinned as she showed her little hands.

“Yes, very good. Here, have some.”

“Wow, Grandpa Zhao, your little crispy meat is so delicious!”

“This is the best crispy meat I’ve ever tasted in my life!”

“Grandpa Zhao, you’re amazing!” Taozi praised as she ate.

Her voice was soft and sweet, and her words were genuinely charming.

Master Zhao couldn’t help but smile, his lips curling up uncontrollably.

Working at this orphanage was undoubtedly one of the best decisions he had ever made.

It’s so joyful to work here.

Every day, the children call him Grandpa Zhao, and they look at him with such admiration.

That feeling is… indescribably wonderful.

And he remembers it clearly.

When he first arrived, the children here were all pale and thin.

Even the director herself was.

In just a couple of weeks, they’ve changed so much.

Of course, this is not only due to the director’s efforts but also thanks to the delicious food he prepares.

What makes him happiest is that everyone in the orphanage loves his cooking.

No matter what he makes, they all enjoy it.

But the one who loves his food the most is this little girl, Taozi.

Perhaps she was once scared of being hungry, so Taozi developed a habit of loving food and being protective of it.

According to the director, once during a night check, she found dried meat hidden under Taozi’s pillow.

The dried meat was wrapped in a clean handkerchief at the bottom, covered by her clothes, with the pillow on top.

The director hadn’t noticed at first.

She only saw that Taozi’s head was tilted while she slept, and her blanket wasn’t properly covering her.

So she went over to adjust her sleeping position.

That’s when she discovered the pillow was too high.

When the director tried to lower the pillow… she found the hidden dried meat.

The next day, when the director mentioned it to Taozi, she immediately apologized nervously.

She said the dried meat wasn’t stolen; it was leftover from her afternoon meal.

She couldn’t bear to finish it, so she secretly saved some for herself.

She promised she wouldn’t do it again.

The director didn’t scold Taozi; instead, she felt very sorry for her.

The morning after that incident, the director came to him.

She told him that if he had time, he could make some snacks or treats that the children liked.

Keep them ready so the kids could have something to eat.

If Taozi or any of the others wandered into the kitchen, he should give them something to eat.

Don’t let the children go hungry.

Because of this, Master Zhao spent the night digging through recipes and videos for making snacks, learning and trying them out.

Now, whenever he sees someone approaching, he waves them over to give them something to eat.

Watching Taozi enjoy one piece after another, Master Zhao couldn’t help but speak up.

“Taozi, as delicious as this is, you shouldn’t eat too much.”

“You kids are growing, and you need to eat proper meals.”

“Don’t worry, Grandpa Zhao. My stomach is a bottomless pit. I can eat lots and lots of things~”

Taozi patted her small belly, looking proud.

“You little girl, you’re quite the foodie.”

“No, I’m not. Mama Lu said Taozi isn’t a foodie; she’s a little gourmet.”

“Alright, alright.” Master Zhao agreed helplessly.

“Grandpa Zhao, don’t you think Mama Lu is wonderful too?” Taozi asked.

“Yes, I do.”

“Hehe, I think so too. Mama Lu is so gentle and beautiful~”

“If she hadn’t found out about me hiding the dried meat, I wouldn’t have known she comes to tuck us in at night.”

“And Mama Lu said that if I want to eat something in the future, I should just come to you, Grandpa Zhao, instead of sneaking around.”

“Grandpa Zhao, I’m a good girl who listens.”

“It was Mama Lu who told me to come, so I came!”

“Alright, alright, you’re following orders, I understand.” Master Zhao said.

“Yes, hehe.”

“Taozi, Master Zhao, what are you two talking about?” Yuan Yuan walked in after finishing her call.

“Teacher Yuan, you’re here too!”

“I was just praising how delicious Grandpa Zhao’s crispy meat is. You should try some too!”

“Okay!” Yuan Yuan nodded.

Master Zhao noticed that Yuan Yuan’s smile seemed less genuine than before, so he couldn’t help but ask with concern.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Yuan? Did you have a fight with your friend?”

“No, no.” Yuan Yuan quickly shook her head.

It was just that her friend, upon hearing she worked at an orphanage, had poured a bit of cold water on her.

And then bragged about landing a job at a well-regarded public kindergarten.

It’s not a big deal.

Work is something she does herself.

As long as she’s happy doing it, that’s all that matters.

What others do is their business.

“It’s nothing. She was just concerned about my job.”

“She was saying how great it is to work at a public kindergarten.” Yuan Yuan explained.

“That’s not necessarily true. Public kindergartens are probably busier than here, right? The salary might not be as good as ours.”

“But there are definitely more kids there, and the environment might be more professional.”

“Oh, Teacher Yuan, are you going to work at a kindergarten?”

“I’d be so sad to see you go.” Taozi asked anxiously.

“Of course not. Taozi, don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”

“The environment here is great, and you kids are all well-behaved, obedient, and adorable. Master Zhao’s cooking is delicious. How could I bear to leave?”

Leaving here would mean losing the ten thousand yuan salary, not to mention having to adapt to a new work environment.

Who knows what kind of people and situations she might encounter in a new place?

No, she’s determined not to leave.

At this moment, Lu Qingqiang suddenly received a warning from the system.

She had been sitting by Xiao Hui’s hospital bed, reading him a story, when the system’s beeping sounded in her mind.

Since the last cleft lip surgery, Xiao Hui had been recovering for a while before undergoing heart surgery.

The good news is that from now on, he won’t have to worry about unexpected incidents due to heart disease as he grows up.

The bad news is that he still has to stay in the hospital for recovery.

“Alright, today’s story ends here. To find out what happens next, tune in next time~”

“Do you want to rest, or watch some TV?” Lu Qingqiang asked.

“Mama Lu, I want to watch Animal World for a bit.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll only watch for half an hour.”

“In thirty minutes, I’ll turn off the TV and rest.” Xiao Hui promised.

“Alright, you have my permission.”

“But before that, you need to drink this glass of water.”

The water had a drop of “Spirit Spring Water” from the system, which would greatly aid Xiao Hui’s post-surgery recovery.

“Okay, Mama Lu.”

After leaving the ward, Lu Qingqiang walked out.

Xiao Hui had caregivers and Aunt Liu taking turns to help take care of him, so she didn’t need to worry.

What she was most worried about now was the matter the system had mentioned…