Chapter 170: A Recipe Only Taught to Daughters-in-Law

It was a clear afternoon in winter. The sunlight sprinkled down thinly, gentle and intimate.

Jiang Qin moved a chair to the dormitory balcony, chatting idly with his roommates while basking in the sun. When it reached 2:30 pm and he started feeling drowsy, he dusted off his bottom and left.

“Brother Jiang lacks loyalty, running around on the Winter Solstice and not even going to the internet cafe with us.”

“You can’t blame him. He has a business to run, unlike us. As brothers, we need to learn to understand and accommodate.”

Ren Ziqiang’s eyes widened, not quite comprehending how Cao Guangyu could be so considerate.

But before he could react, Old Cao had already changed clothes, wrapped a scarf, and silently pulled open the door, also ready to slip away.

“Old Cao, where are you going?”

“I’m going to have a brief romance. Remember, learn to accommodate.”

“??????”

Three minutes later, Jiang Qin strolled to 207 and heard an extremely lively commotion inside.

Wei Lanlan, Wen Jinrui, Tan Qing, and Shi Miaomiao were chatting while kneading dough. Beside them, Dong Wenhao, cosplaying as a double-blade turkey, was crazily chopping filling on the cutting board with bloodshot eyes.

“Boss, happy Winter Solstice!”

Jiang Qin took off his down jacket and casually handed it to Shi Miaomiao. “Happy Winter Solstice. Have the payments from each dormitory building been collected?”

Hearing this, Tan Qing spoke, “They’ve been collected. Senior Sister Xu Yu has recorded everything. For some merchants with large amounts of advance payments and tight cash flow, we’ve already disbursed early. The remaining payments are scheduled for early January.”

“It’s best to unify the payment time, don’t mix it up, otherwise, it will increase Xu Yu’s workload for later reconciliation.”

Xu Yu, who was kneading dough, smiled beautifully, “It’s okay boss, with Lanlan and Tan Qing helping me, the work is quite relaxed.”

Jiang Qin nodded and made a round to Dong Wenhao’s side, “I just ate dumplings from the cafeteria this morning, the filling wasn’t very tasty.”

Hearing this, Dong Wenhao immediately turned around, “Boss, try my Dong-style secret filling later.”

“Dong-style again? Old Dong, why didn’t you go study to be a chef? Our country really lost out. Otherwise, they would have to establish a unique cuisine just for you.”

“Linchuan University doesn’t have that major, otherwise I would have definitely applied.”

Dong Wenhao stopped his quick knife work and wiped his sweat, feeling the difference between the world missing a chef and gaining a literary giant probably wasn’t too significant.

“Let’s put a coin inside later. Whoever eats it can receive a kiss from the boss, how about it?”

Looking at the basin full of filling, Jiang Qin had a sudden whim.

“Ah? Then I won’t eat, I’ll just have the hot pot.”

“Shut up, even if you don’t want it, don’t the other female employees want it? How selfish!”

The girls of 207 exchanged glances and laughter immediately rang out, “Boss, even if we wanted it, you wouldn’t dare give it, right? The boss’s wife would kick and shatter your kneecaps with one foot!”

“You’re being quite disrespectful to me by saying that.”

Jiang Qin said with a stern face, but then remembered the scene of the little rich girl kicking and shattering the arcade machine. He chuckled without continuing the topic, as if nothing had happened, but his kneecaps ached faintly, probably old knee problems acting up from the cold.

“Let’s still put a coin inside as a prize. Forget the kiss, whoever eats it will be rewarded 500 yuan.”

“Coins are too dirty, who knows how many people have touched them.”

Wei Lanlan thought for a bit and took out a piece of chocolate from the snack box beside her, “Let’s use this, at least it’s cleaner than a coin.”

“Okay, chocolate dumplings, very creative. Eating it will stain the mouth black, quite amusing.”

Jiang Qin wiped his hands and turned to look at Lu Feiyu, “Old Lu, did you buy the hot pot ingredients I asked you to?”

“No, our office doesn’t have a fridge and it’s so hot inside, I was afraid they would melt if I bought them.”

Lu Feiyu was fiddling with the TV they had applied for last time but never used, but after a long time, it was still just static.

After hearing this, Jiang Qin clicked his tongue, “No fridge, how can that be? President Zhang is really something, I can’t remember to ask, but he can’t take the initiative to send one?”

The corner of Lu Feiyu’s mouth twitched, “Boss, you have thicker skin than the dumpling wrappers Sister Su Nai rolled out.”

“Oh? Su Nai can roll dumpling wrappers now?”

“When she came, she tried rolling one. It looked like an old man wearing a hat walking a dog, quite artistic.”

Jiang Qin laughed, “Where did Su Nai go? Call her over and have her perform it live for me.”

Lu Feiyu raised his head, “Senior Sister Su Nai gave up on herself and went back to 208. Oh right, the boss’s wife is also in 208, she came over early this morning.”

“Who else?”

“No one, just the two of them.”

“…”

Jiang Qin’s expression changed and he immediately got up and went into 208.

Fortunately, Su Nai was wearing headphones watching a normal show and didn’t even notice someone had come in. No new world doors had been opened.

As for Feng Nanshu, she was sprawled on her desk asleep, her smooth long hair scattered down, dyed orange by the sunlight outside the window. Her eyelashes curved and her sleeping face was adorable. Her waistline was lush and shapely, her snow-white skin soft and smooth.

He reached out and took off the little rich girl’s down jacket, gently draping it over her a little. Then he heard the girl mumbling in her sleep.

Listening for a while, Jiang Qin’s eyes became a bit complicated.

Calling my name even in dreams?

This situation doesn’t look good…

Jiang Qin was silent for a moment, pulled over a chair to sit down, and watched Feng Nanshu for a long time in the afternoon sunlight. His mood gradually became restless, so he reached out and picked up the newspaper Professor Yan had left on the desk.

“Ten new stocks launched simultaneously, there may be surprises in unpopular subscriptions.”

“New detailed regulations for second-home loans released, down payment ratio lowered to 20%.”

Jiang Qin sat cross-legged in the sunlight, his expression solemn, his eyes gentle and deep.

An hour later, the little rich girl woke up. Seeing Jiang Qin, she was a bit surprised but didn’t move, continuing to lie on the desk, looking at him with bright eyes, her expression obedient and tranquil.

“Had a good sleep?” Jiang Qin put down the newspaper.

“Jiang Qin, have you eaten?”

“Not yet, we just finished making the wrappers and filling. Everyone is waiting for the boss’s wife to take the lead in wrapping the dumplings.”

“Then I’ll go right now.”

Feng Nanshu wiped her drool and followed Jiang Qin with pitter-pattering steps, going to 207 to wrap dumplings.

She hadn’t tried it before but learned quickly and well. Wei Lanlan and the others exclaimed that the boss’s wife was amazing, coaxing the little rich girl until she couldn’t even maintain her aloof expression, the corners of her mouth curving up.

When they finished wrapping, she held the dumplings in her palm and raised them, showing Jiang Qin.

Afterward, Su Nai also couldn’t resist the urge and followed, trying it in the little rich girl’s way. In the end, she completely gave up, vowing that whoever cooked in this life was a dog.

As evening approached and the snowflakes outside the window became denser, Jiang Qin was learning the method for willow leaf dumplings when he suddenly received a call from Zhang Boqing.

He handed the dumplings to Feng Nanshu, wiped his hands on his apron, and took out his phone, holding it to his ear.

“Jiang Qin, the dumplings are excellent, thank you for thinking of me.”

Jiang Qin realized Jiang Tian and the others must have sent dumplings over and said with a smile, “You’re too kind President Zhang, this is what students should do.”

“Right, how did you mix this filling? It’s quite fragrant. I’ll have my family learn it and make it this way from now on.” Zhang Boqing’s voice carried a hint of delight.

“?”

Jiang Qin had no idea how Jiang Tian and the others mixed the filling. After coughing, he said, “President Zhang, this is our Jiang-style secret filling, the kind that’s not passed down. Only daughters-in-law who marry in can learn it.”

Beside him, Feng Nanshu slightly raised her head, her eyelashes trembling, and accidentally squeezed the filling out.

Zhang Boqing couldn’t help but laugh on the phone, “Well now, even a dumpling filling has a patent? No wonder you’re the one getting rich from entrepreneurship.”

“President Zhang, this has nothing to do with money. It’s mainly that I have a little scheme, hoping that in the future when you want to eat dumplings, you’ll think of me.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere. Alright, you go on, I’ll have someone come install air conditioning for you all tomorrow.”

“Thank you President Zhang, our 208 happens to be missing a fridge. You’re such a timely rain.”

“??????”

After hanging up, Jiang Qin successively received warm greetings from Old Lu and Zhu Feng. Their reviews of the dumplings were all full marks. It seemed Jiang Tian and the others’ skills were indeed not bad, and it wasn’t a waste for him to help find a classroom.

Seeing him end the call, Wei Lanlan asked, “Boss, your family also has a secret filling recipe?”

“What family doesn’t have an ancestral recipe.” Jiang Qin was a bit proud.

“It’s true that only daughters-in-law who marry in can learn it?”

“More or less.”

As Jiang Qin was spouting nonsense, he turned his head and found that the dumplings in the little rich girl’s hands had already become a mess.

What happened?

Wasn’t she learning quickly and well just now?

“Boss, it’s about meal time, let’s boil the dumplings?”

“Go ahead, I’m a bit hungry too.”

With that, everyone began to nimbly put away the pots and pans and started boiling water to cook the dumplings, as well as preparing the hot pot.

207 was originally a reception room, not as cramped as 208. Plus, with Yang Shuai and Ma Yubao tidying up, it was quite spacious. Three office desks put together could barely fit everyone.

As the steam rose, the windows began to fog up with a layer of white mist. It didn’t seem like the Winter Solstice, but more like celebrating the New Year.

A moment later, Professor Yan seemed to smell the aroma and came over with a solemn face.

Didn’t we agree not to use public property for private purposes? How can you not only do hot pot but also cook dumplings?

“Jiang Qin…”

“Professor Yan, freshly cooked dumplings, want to try one?”

Professor Yan picked up chopsticks and tried one, then reached out to take the bowl as well, “An activity with atmosphere like this can indeed enhance team cohesion. This counts as part of work too.”

Jiang Qin saw through it but didn’t expose it, inviting everyone to take a seat.

A while later, Cao Xinyue brought Hong Yan and Tang Lin over, sitting not far from Professor Yan.

Tang Lin had seen Feng Nanshu once during the hallway battle, and although it was just a fleeting glance, the impression left behind was of matchless beauty. But seeing her face a second time, she was surprised to find it even more beautiful than she had imagined.

This… who could win?