For Sheng Nian, going to kindergarten was pure joy. If only the kids in his class wouldn’t cry so easily, it would be even better.
By now, Sheng Nian could count from one to a hundred. When he went home and recited it to his auntie, her praise made him blush with happiness. And every time he learned a new song and performed it for her, she was so delighted that she couldn’t help but give his little cheeks a kiss.
Even though he was a boy, he really liked these affectionate gestures from his auntie—it meant that she and he were the very best of friends.
Sheng Nian was happy every single day, but Haohao wasn’t quite as cheerful.
Apart from the first day, when Haohao had dinner at Sheng Nian’s house, his parents picked him up every day after that. But unlike his good buddy Niannian, who was always the first to be picked up, Haohao was always the last one left in the classroom.
After his parents took him home, they’d make him dinner. His mom’s cooking wasn’t as good as Niannian’s auntie’s, but it was still decent, and he could manage a bowl of rice while smelling the delicious aromas wafting over from Niannian’s house.
But if his dad cooked for him? Haohao couldn’t help but sigh. His dad’s cooking was just terrible.
Today, Haohao was once again the last one left in the classroom. He wasn’t in a rush, though—he munched on the cookies his best buddy Niannian had specially saved for him. At least he didn’t have to deal with other kids drooling over his snacks.
“Haohao, Dad’s here to pick you up.” Zhang Yuejun rushed to the school, still sweating, hoping to arrive early to get his son, but unsurprisingly, he was the last one again.
Haohao stuffed the half-eaten cookie into his mouth, got up from his chair, and walked over to his dad.
After thanking the teacher profusely, Zhang Yuejun took his son’s hand and headed home.
“Didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to eat fried little fish? Your mom went to the market early this morning to buy some. When we get home, Dad will make it for you.” Zhang Yuejun thought to himself that fried fish would go perfectly with a little drink—an excellent snack to go with alcohol.
Haohao nodded, but in his mind, he was thinking about the fried fish he’d gotten from Niannian the day before. Because he and Niannian were such good friends, he’d gotten three whole pieces, while everyone else only got one.
But three were nowhere near enough, so last night he’d told his mom he wanted to eat fried fish.
Who knew it would be Dad making it?
Would it even taste good?
Once home, Zhang Yuejun told his son to go watch TV while he headed into the kitchen to show off his skills. But when he saw the small plate of fish—barely enough for one serving—he couldn’t help but sigh.
It was strange. Usually, these little fish were so unwanted that people wouldn’t even take them for free, but today they were hard to come by. His wife had gone to several stalls just to get this one plateful, and she’d specifically told him to make sure their son got his fill first.
But Hu Li had completely overestimated her husband’s cooking skills.
Staring at the plate of fried fish that had a faint burnt smell, Haohao looked utterly incredulous.
“This isn’t fried fish! This isn’t fried fish!” Haohao threw a little tantrum.
Zhang Yuejun took a closer look at the fish on his plate, then picked one up and put it in his mouth. It was a bit burnt, but it was definitely fried fish.
“How is this not fried fish? It is fried fish! If you don’t believe me, try it.”
“It’s not, it’s not! Fried fish is supposed to smell fragrant and delicious. What Dad made smells bad!” It was nothing like the fried fish Niannian’s auntie made—just the smell of it made his mouth water.
Zhang Yuejun felt a bit awkward. He knew his cooking couldn’t compare to Sheng Nian’s auntie’s, but calling it “smelly” was a stretch. It was just a little burnt; it was perfectly edible.
“Then what do you want to eat? Dad will go buy it for you?”
His son had never been this picky before. Since when did he get so particular?
“Can we go buy some from Niannian’s auntie?” Haohao looked at his dad expectantly. Tonight, Niannian had said his auntie was going to make something super delicious, and Haohao really wanted to try it too.
“No way. Think of something else to eat.” Zhang Yuejun was too embarrassed to show up at their door.
Haohao’s head drooped in disappointment. “Then can Haohao have some cookies? The ones Mom bought.”
“That works. Have some cookies, and Dad will make you a glass of milk. How about that?”
Haohao reluctantly nodded. At least cookies and milk were better than Dad’s burnt fried fish.
While Haohao’s dad’s attempt at fried fish failed, another family in the same building had success with theirs.
On the 8th floor lived a little boy who was thin and small for his age. Even though he was almost six, he wasn’t as tall as an average five-year-old—all because he was an extremely picky eater.
If something didn’t taste good, he wouldn’t eat it, and he got sick easily. That’s why he was only starting kindergarten at this age. His family had been reluctant to send him, but his father wanted him to go out and make friends, hoping that running and playing would improve his health.
Unfortunately, it hadn’t helped much.
If it weren’t for their family’s good financial situation, they might not have been able to raise him this far.
Last night, after coming back from playing outside, the child suddenly hugged his mom’s leg and said he wanted to eat fried little fish.
This was the first time the child had ever expressed a craving for something specific. The whole family was overjoyed! Early that morning, his grandparents went to the market and bought several pounds of small fish, intending to let the child eat as much as he wanted.
Now, a large basin of crispy fried fish sat right in front of the child. The whole family—grandparents, father, and mother—all looked expectantly at the little figure sitting upright.
“Kangkang, try the fried fish. It’s what you said you wanted to eat yesterday.”
The little boy had delicate, refined features on his thin face. Because he was so slender, his eyes looked especially large. Now, those big eyes were fixed on the fried fish in front of him. He couldn’t help but swallow and picked up his chopsticks to grab a small fish.
He took a bite of the tail first—it was incredibly crispy, with a faint touch of saltiness.
Kangkang’s eyes immediately lit up. “Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom—this little fish is delicious!”
Hearing that, the four adults couldn’t help but break into joyful smiles. They had made this dish once or twice before, but Kangkang had refused to eat it after just one bite, saying it wasn’t good.
The family had tried it and thought it was perfectly fresh and tasty. Later, they asked a doctor and learned that what tastes “fresh” to some people can come across as “fishy” to picky eaters. Some adults can tolerate it, but children are much more straightforward.
“Kangkang, if you like it, eat more. Grandma will make it for you again tomorrow.” The old lady smiled warmly. As long as her beloved grandson enjoyed it, she would make it for him every day.
It just took a bit more oil—not that it mattered. Not only did the child’s parents earn well, but she also had more than enough money of her own to cover it.
Just when they thought he’d eat more this time, Kangkang frowned after only two pieces.
“It’s not that good anymore.” Kangkang put down his chopsticks.
The family’s joy came to an abrupt halt.
“Grandma, can I go out to play now?” Kangkang still remembered the fried fish Sheng Nian had brought out yesterday. He’d eaten two and wanted more, but Niannian had run out. He wondered if he’d get to eat fried fish again today.
The old lady couldn’t help but tear up again. Just when she thought her grandson was getting better, he’d stopped eating again.
“Grandma, can Kangkang go out to play?” He was afraid that if he went too late, he’d miss out if Sheng Nian brought something.
Kangkang’s mother forced a smile. “How about Kangkang have two cookies before you go, okay?”
Kangkang didn’t really want cookies either, but he knew that if he didn’t eat something, Grandma definitely wouldn’t take him out. So he nodded, and when his dad handed him the cookies, he finished them quickly.
As promised, Kangkang went downstairs to play, accompanied by his grandmother.
After the old lady and the child left, Kangkang’s mother couldn’t hold back—her eyes turned red.
“It’s okay. Maybe Kangkang just didn’t like Grandma’s cooking. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the restaurant and get a takeout portion of fried fish. I’m sure Kangkang will love it.” The grandfather figured that a restaurant chef would surely cook better than his wife, and maybe the child would enjoy it.
“How about this—tomorrow night, let’s just go eat at Kangkang’s favorite restaurant,” Kangkang’s father suggested.
If it weren’t for the distance, he would have taken the child there every day.
“Alright, it’s settled then.”
Kangkang couldn’t wait to find Sheng Nian and Haohao. The kids usually loved playing marbles, but Niannian had said that lying on the ground to play would get their clothes dirty. They hadn’t cared much before—but ever since Niannian started bringing tasty treats, they didn’t like playing that way anymore.
Because Niannian said that dirty hands weren’t allowed to touch the food he brought.
When Sheng Nian saw Kangkang arrive, he took a piece of fish cake from his box and handed it to him.
“Kangkang, this is fish cake my auntie made. It has egg and fish in it—it’s really good.”
Beside him, Haohao nodded eagerly with puffed-out cheeks, echoing Sheng Nian’s words. If it weren’t for this fish cake, Haohao’s stomach would already be growling.
“Thank you, Niannian.”
It was a white, square piece. Kangkang took a bite, and his eyes sparkled. “So good! Niannian’s auntie is amazing!”
“I’m so jealous of Niannian—he gets to eat all this delicious food every day. My mom just loves making stir-fried greens for me, and it’s not tasty at all,” said a slightly dark-skinned little boy.
“My grandma’s cooking isn’t great, but her dumplings are the best.”
“Me, me, me! My dad cooks really well, but still not as good as Niannian’s auntie.”
Mingming savored the last piece of fish cake, reluctant to swallow it. “Niannian, I really want to eat at your house.”
“Me too!”
“Can I come too?”
Kangkang still had a small piece of fish cake left—he quickly stuffed it into his mouth and raised his hand along with the others.
“I’ll have to go back and ask my auntie. If she says yes, I can invite you all to my house for dinner.” Sheng Nian had never invited friends over for a meal before—he hadn’t had any friends until now. But now he did.
His auntie had always wanted him to make good friends, and Sheng Nian wanted to introduce his best friends to her too.
“Yay!”
“That’s great!”
“Can you go ask your auntie right now?” someone asked impatiently.
Hearing that, all the kids turned to look at Sheng Nian. They wanted to go eat at his house as soon as possible.
Sheng Nian had originally planned to ask his auntie when he got home today, but with so many pairs of eyes on him, he nodded with a hint of composure.
“Alright, I’ll go ask her.”