Free Web NovelChapter 415: Chapter 415: Yanxi 23
Xu Yanxi quickly soothed him. "I would never slack off. I’ll work hard."
Xu Jinwu smiled. "You’d better be. Why the sudden visit? Yesterday was your birthday, but I had something come up and couldn’t make it."
Xu Yanxi knew what Xu Jinwu meant. Ever since he sensed something was off, Xu Jinwu had never shown up on her birthday. ’Perhaps he uses this day to reminisce about her,’ she thought. ’After all, it’s not something Xu Jinwu can easily talk about on a normal day.’
Xu Yanxi linked her arm through his, speaking in a wheedling tone. "I just missed you, and since it’s the weekend, I came back to rest for a couple of days."
Xu Jinwu tried to keep a stern expression, but a smile still crinkled the corners of his eyes. "Fine. Now that you’re home, it’s not like I’m going to treat you poorly, am I? Your old man will make sure you have more than enough of all the fruits and vegetables you like."
Xu Yanxi cheered, "My dad’s the best!"
When they got home, two large yellow dogs came out to greet them, wagging their tails at Xu Yanxi without a hint of shyness. These dogs had quite a story behind them—Tan You had specially brought them over from Hua Country.
After all, while Country H had dogs, they were mostly breeds like Shiba Inus or other companion dogs, which Tan You really didn’t like. It wasn’t until Xu Jinwu retired and wanted to get into gardening that Tan You brought the two dogs over.
Xu Yanxi scooped one up under each arm and headed inside. "So beautiful, and so well-behaved and obedient."
Xu Jinwu watched her go, then went to the sink to wash his hands. His daughter was home; he needed to think of something good to make for lunch.
Xu Jinwu had been picturing a wonderful meal, but when he saw the spread of Korean dishes Xu Yanxi served for lunch, his face scrunched up. "This is what you expect me to eat?"
Xu Yanxi said with an air of confidence, "Yeah. Haven’t we been eating this for decades?"
"I don’t want to eat this," Xu Jinwu said. "I want Braised Pork Belly, Braised Pork Knuckle, Fish with Pickled Greens, Duck Feet with Mustard, Cold-Dressed Beef Tongue..."
He had been so happy his daughter was back that he’d forgotten the one who used to make all those elaborate, creative dishes wasn’t his daughter anymore. Faced with seaweed soup, bibimbap, and the like, Xu Jinwu—whose palate had been thoroughly spoiled by Tan You—found it utterly unacceptable.
"You might as well just kill me," Xu Yanxi said, rolling her eyes. "I only know how to make Korean food. I can’t cook anything else."
"I knew I couldn’t count on you." Xu Jinwu stood up and headed to the kitchen. "Want some beef noodle soup?"
"Yes!" Xu Yanxi shouted back. "I want lots and lots of beef!"
Xu Jinwu shot back, "Take it or leave it!"
Despite his words, Xu Jinwu still piled plenty of beef into Xu Yanxi’s bowl. When he served it, she immediately started laying on the flattery. "My dad is incredible! You even know how to make beef noodle soup! This beef is delicious."
Xu Jinwu’s chopsticks paused. Tan You was the one who had taught him how to make braised beef. ’Forget it,’ he thought, ’there’s no point dwelling on this.’ He shot Xu Yanxi a look. "Can’t even food shut you up? Hurry and eat. You can finish all those dishes you made yourself."
After having eaten so well, he really couldn’t bring himself to eat this stuff now.
The old man slurped his noodles, completely looking down on the kimchi and what-not.
Xu Yanxi beamed. "Alright, I’ll finish them, I’ll finish them. When I get back, I’ll start practicing my cooking. I’ll do my best so you can eat a good meal soon, Dad."
Hearing her dad rattle off those dish names with such perfect articulation, Xu Yanxi started to crave them too. But it was obvious she couldn’t rely on her dad, so it was up to her to practice her own cooking skills. ’The gap between me and Tan You can’t be too wide,’ she resolved.
Xu Yanxi spent two days at her old home doing little else but playing with the cats and dogs. When she left, her back seat held a small jar of braising liquid and a calico cat.
The calico cat wasn’t actually a pet of Xu Jinwu’s; it was a stray that just stopped by from time to time. Whenever it appeared, Xu Jinwu would give it some food, so its visits became more and more frequent.
Xu Yanxi felt an immediate liking for the calico. Besides, the cat’s belly was large and round, so Yanxi decided to take her back to the city to care for her. The thought of coming home to a house full of fluffy creatures put her in a wonderful mood.
"Huahua, we’re home." Cradling the calico cat in one arm and lifting the jar of braising liquid with her other hand, Xu Yanxi walked with a light, cheerful step.
Tan You had set her up with several properties, but Tan You herself still lived near the university, so that’s where Xu Yanxi returned this time. As for the other houses, she planned to visit them during her next break and bring the calico cat along to familiarize her with the new places.
Time seemed to fly by with a cat in the house. It felt like just yesterday that she had taken Huahua for a check-up and deworming, and before she knew it, Huahua had given birth to a single tiny kitten.
Looking at the pitch-black little kitten and then back at Huahua’s now-flat belly, Xu Yanxi had a strange look in her eyes. "Just one? Your belly was so big, I thought for sure there would be several."
Tan You squatted beside the cat bed, staring at the pitch-black kitten. "I’ve heard an old saying. Something like, ’A single kitten is like a dragon, a pair of kittens is like a tiger, and a litter of three are the best at catching mice.’"
Xu Yanxi propped her chin on her hand. "So this little guy is supposed to be a big deal? Well, even if he isn’t, it’s not like we’ll be short on food for him."
"Right now, I just hope this little fella isn’t *too* much of a big deal."
But despite her words, Xu Yanxi was incredibly attentive in her care for Huahua and the little black kitten. Because Huahua had just given birth, Yanxi stumbled her way through making "postpartum meals" for the new mother, managing to raise both Huahua and the kitten until their coats were sleek and glossy.
"Oh, it’s odd-eyed." When the kitten opened its eyes, Tan You was sitting to the side, watching. Seeing one eye the color of water and the other a vibrant green, even Tan You couldn’t help but marvel.
"How striking and beautiful."
Xu Yanxi was beside herself with excitement. "’Little Black’ is too plain. I have to change it. It’s beneath a cool cat like him! What should I name him?"
Tan You shrugged indifferently. "Whatever you like. I’m not good at naming things either."
Xu Yanxi racked her brain. "How about Shuangshuang, since he has a pair of different-colored eyes? It sounds a little soft and cutesy, but that’s the best I’ve got. At least it’s better than ’Little Black.’"
Tan You truly was terrible at naming things. In her eyes, ’Little Black’ or ’Shuangshuang’—it was all the same little kitten.
Shuangshuang and Huahua officially settled into the household, and Xu Yanxi fell into a routine of attending classes at the university by day and coming home to dote on her cats by night. She wasn’t in a hurry to take on students, feeling that since she hadn’t fully mastered the material herself, it would be irresponsible to start tutoring others.
On weekends, Xu Yanxi would take Huahua and Shuangshuang to stay in a large, single-story apartment in the city. Tan You also had property near the university town, but many of her students were in that area, and Xu Yanxi ran into them nearly every time she visited.
It was obviously not the place to go for some peace and quiet. Therefore, Xu Yanxi deliberately chose the downtown apartment, where at least very few people knew her. There, she could comfortably hole up at home, reading, writing, and honing her culinary skills.
