Chapter 001: Facing the Sea, It Is Good to Sun Dry Salted Fish
Yang Han's movements remained swift and agile, completely undistracted by the conversation
Haha, during the holidays, make sure to go out and have fun, adjust your mindset, so that you can better embrace the learning tasks of the next three years in high school
Dad!" Yang Ruoyi stomped her foot stubbornly, her cheeks puffed up in anger, "You are trying to fool me again!"
Indeed, the girl's name is Yang Ruoyi, and the man who is busy preparing dinner is our male protagonist, named Yang Han, who is Yang Ruoyi's father, her biological father
What else is there to be dissatisfied with
However, in reality, he is already forty years old this year
In Yang Ruoyi's memory, the instances of her father deceiving her are not limited to just this. She continued, "It's just like when I was in the first year of middle school, there was an essay topic called 'My Dream.' I told you, 'Dad, when I grow up, I want to be a big star!'"
He picked up a lotus root box with the chopsticks he had just held, dipped it evenly on both sides in the pre-prepared batter in a large bowl beside him, and placed it into the oil pot. Instantly, bubbles began to roll on the surface of the oil.
Do not be deceived by Yang Han's appearance of only around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old, standing at a height of 1.8 meters, with a chiseled face, wheat-colored skin, and a closely cropped hairstyle that resembles a military cut; he does not look like a soldier or a cook, but rather like a handsome young man with a strong masculine presence
Yang Ruoyi was also somewhat afraid of the noise from the frying, so she stood a bit farther away from her father. However, she was not distracted by her father's change of subject and still said gloomily: "You have deceived me many times! I remember it all."
I am not in a hurry
Dad! Can we please stop bringing up the matter of picking our toes?
He deep-fried the lotus root boxes for about 20 seconds before taking them out, and he also took great care in plating. On a long oval plate, he first laid down a layer of drained lettuce, and then arranged the crispy on the outside and tender on the inside lotus root boxes, placing them closely together on top.
Yang Han turned her head and happened to see this scene, a smile appearing on her face: "Don't worry, there will be food soon!"
The following words, spoken in anger, were uttered by Yang Ruoyi with a choked voice filled with tears
Yang Han followed uneasily and stood at the door of his daughter's room. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Um... Yi Yi, are you still eating? I made you some fried lotus root patties, and they won't taste good once they cool down!"
Yang Han did not stop her work and casually asked, "What is it?"
Yang Han panted as she tasted the soup, and with a sly smile, she said, "Why are we back on this topic again?"
Hmm? Yang Ruoyi looked at her father with some surprise, could it be that he has changed his mind
Yang Ruoyi curled her lips and said, "Where did the dozens of buildings come from? Our family only has two small buildings, and the one you opened the teahouse in was bought later. Moreover, you haven't rented it out to anyone, so where is the rental income coming from?"
"To be honest, Dad... I want to go to those entertainment companies to be a trainee and see if I can really become a singer. Can you just let me give it a try?" Yang Ruoyi hugged her father's arm, shrugged her shoulders, and pleaded in a long, drawn-out voice, sounding somewhat spoiled.
Upon hearing this, Yang Han slightly furrowed his brows, but he still patiently fried all the lotus root boxes until they turned yellow. After taking them out, he slowly said: "What is so good about being a singer? Those stars on television only appear glamorous on the surface; perhaps behind the scenes, they are not much different from us, sitting in front of the TV while picking their toes."
Yang Han picked up a cloth and wiped the stove that had some dough on it, then looked up and smiled, saying: "If you really want to sing and get on stage, there is no problem!"
Our family is quite wealthy! Yang Han said with a smile
Having two buildings in Yangcheng does not necessarily mean one is wealthy
Even though his appearance remains unchanged, the traces of time can still be discerned from the depth and subtlety of his gaze
"Dad, I'm back!" A clear call echoed from downstairs, followed by a series of light footsteps. A girl dressed in a white T-shirt and blue jeans appeared on the stairs like a breeze.
Yang Ruoyi counted on her fingers, recalling the words her father had once said to her: "Because other people's fathers all have to go to work, I have never seen you at work. What do you have to say to me?"
Yang Ruoyi let out an unhappy "hmph" and said: "What is Earth? Later, I realized that what you were referring to was our planet!"
It is not to say that Yang Han is impervious to reason, creating a one-man rule at home
Tomorrow, Dad will take you to the KTV to practice singing, striving to be able to take the stage at our Xiguan Beilang Village's New Year celebration! Yang Han gave a thumbs up and jokingly teased his daughter with a serious expression.
The previous sentence was quite poetic, but as I listened further, it seemed to lose its essence
Not just this! When I was in elementary school, I came back and asked you, "Are we very poor?"
Her kitchen is quite large, after all, it is a small building that she built herself, and the kitchen is approximately 20 square meters! The U-shaped cabinets have encircled the interior of the kitchen, yet there is still a considerable amount of space in the middle for movement
Yang Ruoyi's muffled cries came from the pillow. After a moment, she slightly lifted her head and, with a clear sobbing tone, somewhat shyly exclaimed: "Is it not possible for me to cry for five more minutes before going to eat?"
Yiyi
"When being a salted fish is quite good! Your father, I, once had a dream, which was to have a house facing the sea, with spring flowers blooming..."
The ceramic pot beside was still simmering with chestnut chicken soup, and Yang Han stirred it with a spoon
After calling out, she stamped her foot in grievance, turned her head, and ran out of the kitchen, heading towards her bedroom. She threw herself onto her bed, buried her head in the pillow, and began to cry softly.
Yang Han said with a smile: "Then like a salted fish, I can comfortably lie on the beach, sunbathing my front side, then turn over and sunbathe my back side"
Yang Ruoyi rarely made requests to her father; as a child, she was a low-maintenance baby (not fond of crying or making a fuss, Yang Han would place her in the stroller, and she could play by herself). As she grew older, she showed little interest in luxury goods. Items like mobile phones and bicycles, which many children desired, were among the first possessions she acquired in her class.
Yang Han smiled and said to his daughter: "Many people from other places come to Yangcheng to work, and they struggle to buy a small apartment here. As for our two buildings, it's not just boasting from Dad; if we were willing to sell, we could easily exchange them for more than ten commercial properties!"
On the contrary, Yang Han is particularly fond of his daughter! From childhood to adulthood, whatever Yang Ruoyi liked, Yang Han would buy for her. Except for being a bit strict regarding her studies, in all other aspects, especially concerning material conditions, Yang Han is completely indulgent towards his daughter—this is what is referred to as raising a daughter with abundance.
Beside the stove, on the thoroughly wiped countertop, Yang Ruoyi saw the lotus root boxes that her father had already prepared. They were lined up neatly in several rows on a rectangular plate, filled to the brim with meat filling that was almost oozing out from the holes of the lotus root slices
Yang Ruoyi became anxious: "However, studying and taking university entrance exams can only be a stage goal, not the ultimate pursuit of our lives! The teacher said that as a person, one must have dreams! Moreover, isn't there a saying online that goes like this? If a person has no dreams, what is the difference between them and a salted fish?"
Yang Han waved the wooden chopsticks in her hand lightly and said with a hint of pride, "Just wait a little longer, dinner isn't ready yet. Dad is making your favorite fried lotus root patties!"
Fearing that her father might misunderstand, Yang Ruoyi quickly added: "Just like those singers on television, singing and holding concerts"
He shrugged his shoulders and said, "You still tell me that Peng Peng was given a television by his father."
Yang Han smiled and did not provide much explanation for this question, after all, her daughter had grown up and was no longer like when she was younger, when she could casually share things with her that she could not discuss with others
The lotus root boxes need to be fried a second time, as the intention is to achieve a crispier surface through varying oil temperatures and frying durations. While teasing her daughter, Yang Han took the lotus root boxes that had been fried once out to cool, and now she is reigniting the stove, adjusting it to medium-high heat, in preparation for the second frying.
"Fried Lotus Root Pockets?" Yang Ruoyi exclaimed in surprise as she followed her father into the kitchen
Yang Ruoyi was completely thrown off by her father's series of jokes. In her frustration, she stamped her foot and exclaimed, "If you want to be a salted fish, I certainly do not! Don't even mention these two buildings; even if I were to inherit a hundred billion in assets, I wouldn't want it! I just want to sing, I want to be a singer!"
Very fragrant
In addition, he also brought a small plate, on which he poured his daughter's favorite Thai sweet chili sauce. The amber-like, crystalline red sauce was placed at the head of the oval plate, resembling a dragon's head, adding the finishing touch! Yang Han straightened up, admired it for a moment, and then nodded in satisfaction: "Alright, wait a little for it to cool down, and then you can pick a piece to try!"
Certainly, a sixteen-year-old girl has not yet fully matured, with a figure resembling a washboard. Coupled with her outfit of denim jeans, she runs about energetically, her hair flying, obscuring her face, giving her quite a tomboyish appearance
Wuwu, do not concern yourself with me
Yang Ruoyi rarely employs this tactic of acting coy
Yes, that is exactly what you said, and you also mentioned that our family is extremely wealthy, claiming that we own dozens of buildings for rental income
Yang Ruoyi could not help but sniffle, and she secretly swallowed her saliva.
Yang Ruoyi saw him, quietly curled her lips, and complained: "Dad, I've been playing for an entire afternoon!"
What does it mean to "fool you again"?
When I was in kindergarten, I once asked you: Dad, where do we come from? You told me: We all come from Earth
But this is not funny
Yang Ruoyi felt a bit shy as she pressed her lips together, but after regaining her composure, she remembered the matter she had rushed up to discuss with her father. The girl hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "Dad, I would like to discuss something with you."
You were also misleading me at that time, saying that I should become a big star? As a student, I should focus on studying hard to get into university said Yang Ruoyi
This statement is perfectly valid
When she returned, Yang Han was just about to start frying the lotus root boxes. Now, he asked his daughter to stand aside, then added a generous amount of oil to the pan and heated it over medium-low heat
Yang Han chuckled and emphasized a certain word, making a gesture for her to stand back a little: "Don't stand too close, Dad still needs to fry it again"
I want to become a singer
The shoulder-length hair with its delicate tips gently swayed with her movements, revealing the girl's face as white as milk. Her slightly chubby cheeks still bore the remnants of baby fat, yet her oval-shaped face was proportionate and graceful. Even without any makeup, there was an astonishingly cute sweetness to her appearance.
Hearing the sound of her running up, a man wearing an apron and holding two long wooden chopsticks walked out of the kitchen, where the range hood was humming. Upon seeing the girl, he smiled gently and said, "Why are you back so soon? Didn't you say you were going to play with Feifei?"
However, in the face of the current issue, Yang Han is not so easily swayed
Yang Ruoyi felt embarrassed, her ears turning red. It was just one day after the high school entrance examination when she was at home watching television, and unconsciously scratched her toes, which her father then used as a source of amusement before and after meals.
"Trainee? If you become a trainee, how hard must that be? Your father cannot bear to see you suffer that fate!"
Dad, you are shifting the concept here. You previously mentioned dozens of buildings, which is definitely bragging! Moreover, even if there are two buildings, one cannot just sit idly and consume resources! Furthermore, one should not live solely for money; there must also be dreams!