Aunt Wang and Aunt Li couldn’t resist taking a bite either, and immediately showered it with praise.
Su Ting’s terrible cooking had never been complimented like this before. Looking at the fish in front of her and then at Lin Ruanruan’s smug little expression, her feelings became extremely complicated.
Her cooking… could actually taste this good?
Standing at the doorway, Su Xiaomei watched Ruanruan being surrounded by neighbors and praised. Then she looked at the complicated expression on her mother’s face—mixed with surprise and something else.
Quietly, she clenched her fists and lowered her head to hide the jealousy and unwillingness surging in her eyes.
That wild girl had only been here for a short time.
Why did everyone like her so much?
Ruanruan didn’t care about any of that. She climbed onto a stool, picked up a spoon, and took a huge bite of the fragrant fish.
Mmm! Now this was the right taste! Life suddenly had hope again!
Once everyone dispersed,
Su Ting cleaned up the dining table again. The dishes that had been completely inedible earlier had all been thrown away, leaving only a basin of glossy, bright-red spicy fish on the table.
This was her chance to redeem herself!
When she turned around, she saw Ruanruan wiping her little face clean, looking as adorable as snow and ice.
For once, Su Ting showed a gentle smile and rubbed the girl’s little head.
“You little thing, you’ve got some skills.”
Ruanruan was busy finishing the last piece of fish in her bowl. When her head was rubbed, it wobbled slightly. She lifted her oily little face, her big eyes full of “innocence,” and grinned.
“It’s because Mom is amazing that you could cook something this delicious!”
While saying that, the little abacus in her mind was clicking rapidly.
So her stepmom’s smiling face meant she had changed strategies?
Planning to use a gentle approach now?
But it didn’t matter. As long as there was delicious food, she’d deal with whatever came!
Fragrant food was the real king!
She ate until her little belly was round and full, completely satisfied.
On the other hand, Su Xiaomei felt like she was chewing wax despite the delicious meal.
She looked at the smile her mother gave Lin Ruanruan, listened to the neighbors praising her, and remembered how embarrassed she had been earlier when she was scolded during the apology incident.
Her chest felt suffocated. She poked at her bowl with her chopsticks for a long time without eating much.
“Xiaomei! What are you doing? Eat properly! Why are you stabbing your bowl? Such good food is being wasted!”
Su Ting frowned and scolded her out of habit.
In her eyes, Su Xiaomei’s sulking attitude was simply childish and ungrateful.
Su Xiaomei’s eyes reddened, and she lowered her head in grievance. She couldn’t eat at all now.
At that moment, Lin Dayong returned after finishing some matters.
As soon as he entered the courtyard, he heard Su Ting’s irritated scolding. His heart tightened.
Thinking Ruanruan had started causing trouble again and worried his daughter might suffer, he rushed into the main room in a few quick steps.
“What’s going on?”
His tone carried urgency and helplessness, and his eyes instinctively searched for his daughter first.
But the scene he saw stunned him.
His daughter was sitting obediently with her round little belly in her arms, letting out a satisfied little burp. Her cheeks were rosy, and a bit of sauce still clung to the corner of her mouth. There was no trace at all of her having made trouble.
Instead, Su Ting’s own daughter, Su Xiaomei, had her head lowered, her shoulders trembling as if she had been scolded to tears.
Lin Dayong: “…”
This wasn’t right!
Then he looked at the food on the table. The spicy fish glistened with oil and looked incredibly appetizing, releasing a rich aroma—completely different from the “dark cuisine” Su Ting used to make.
“Th-this… who made this?”
Lin Dayong pointed at the table, so surprised he forgot his earlier worries.
Su Ting snorted unhappily, but there was a hint of pride in her tone that even she didn’t notice.
“Who else could it be? Of course I made it!”
Lin Dayong didn’t quite believe it, but judging by her expression it didn’t seem like a lie.
He scratched his head and gave a perfunctory compliment.
“You’ve improved a lot!”
Su Ting proudly raised her chin, then smiled brightly.
“I wouldn’t dare take all the credit. Your daughter taught me! It’s strange—such a little girl knows quite a lot!”
Lin Dayong felt conflicted.
On one hand, he was proud that his daughter was so capable. On the other hand, he felt worried.
Taking advantage of the moment when Su Ting went to serve rice and Su Xiaomei was still sulking with her head down, he quickly walked to Ruanruan, crouched beside her, and spoke in a low voice.
More serious than ever before.
“Ruanruan! Did you forget what Dad told you? I told you to make trouble and act like a foolish, unruly kid! Why are you showing off now?”
“Fishing and teaching people to cook? If you keep acting like this… you’ll attract too much attention! What if… what if she starts targeting you?”
Lin Dayong hadn’t forgotten that his former wife had been bullied precisely because she was too outstanding and made others jealous.
Ruanruan blinked her innocent big eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered like little fans, and her small face was full of obedient sincerity.
“Dad, Ruanruan remembers! But… but Mom’s cooking was too awful. Ruanruan was hungry… so Ruanruan just wanted Mom to cook something tastier…”
As she spoke, she even pouted her little lips in grievance, as if she were the poor misunderstood one.
Seeing his daughter’s pure and slightly wronged expression, all the scolding words stuck in Lin Dayong’s throat.
He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her head helplessly.
“Sigh… you! Just remember what Dad said. In the future… keep a low profile, okay?”
“Mhm! Ruanruan understands! Low profile! Low profile!”
Ruanruan nodded vigorously, her head bobbing like a pecking chick, her eyes extremely “sincere.”
But in her heart, she thought: she wanted to keep a low profile too—but her abilities simply wouldn’t allow it.
Looking at her obedient response, Lin Dayong somehow felt that the road ahead wouldn’t be peaceful.
Sigh! Having a daughter who was too outstanding was really worrying!
…
The next day, the sun shone brightly and the sea breeze carried a salty scent.
Ruanruan carried her little bucket and small fishing rod, trotting skillfully toward the seaside.
Her little brain was filled with thoughts of the many good things in the system shop that she hadn’t unlocked yet!
—White sugar! Honey! And biscuits with pretty patterns on them! All of them required points! Points! Points!
However, when she arrived at her usual spot, she noticed something different today.
By the rocky shore, besides a few familiar kids, there were also several adults gathered around!
It turned out that news about Ruanruan’s incredible fishing success had spread. Many people didn’t believe it, but curiosity got the better of them—they all wanted to see with their own eyes whether this five-year-old girl was really that amazing.
“Ruanruan’s here!”
Chen Zihao spotted her first and shouted.
The adults’ gazes instantly focused on the delicate little girl.
Some smiled kindly, some looked at her with scrutiny, and many were simply there for the spectacle.
Ruanruan seemed not to notice the probing looks at all. Like a happy little bird, she skillfully found a good spot, hooked the bait, and cast her line in one smooth motion.
Whoosh—splash! The hook entered the water.
Less than a minute later, the float suddenly sank!
“Fish on!”