Chapter 73: Still Counts as a Kind of Progress

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Still Counts as a Kind of Progress

Li Beixing really wanted to complain right now. "Is this what you meant when you said your brother could cook? Could this even be called ’can’? How would those who merely claimed they could cook feel if they saw this!"

Being able to use flour to make a roast chicken that looked completely real was already an astonishing feat. If this were shown over in Japan, he would at least be hailed as a Bread Deity.

Li Beixing considered herself a worldly person, but she had truly never seen anything like this before. It was a genuine novelty!

"Maybe the taste isn’t mind-blowing, but the creativity is unmatched," Li Beixing praised.

If she saw it being sold outside, she would definitely buy one. Anything that brightened someone’s day was a brilliant concept. Conversely, the ones that made you want to gouge your eyes out were... questionable at best.

Li Beixing hesitated for a few seconds before she couldn’t resist messaging Chen Jingle. "Sorry to bother you, but how did you make that bread chicken?"

Receiving the message, Chen Jingle replied, "It was originally just a reward for Chen Qiyun growing one centimeter taller. I didn’t expect her to show it off everywhere. I’m sorry if she caused you any trouble, Teacher Li."

"No trouble at all." Diverted from her original question, Li Beixing was curious. "A reward for growing one centimeter?"

Chen Jingle explained, "Yeah, she’s always been on the shorter side, mostly because she’s a picky eater and isn’t getting enough nutrition. So I made a pact with her—every time she grows a centimeter, I’ll prepare a small gift for her."

So that was it!

Li Beixing marveled, "This ’small gift’ of yours is a bit exaggerated."

If this were posted in a kindergarten or elementary school parents’ group chat, it would absolutely drive the other parents crazy with competitive anxiety. She suddenly felt a bit envious of Chen Qiyun, wondering if this was what it felt like to be taken care of by an older brother. As an only child, she really couldn’t comprehend or imagine it.

Chen Jingle replied with an awkward smiling emoji. "This is the only thing I’m decent at."

"What about your calligraphy...?" Li Beixing asked in confusion.

Chen Jingle replied, "Uh, personally, I feel my cooking is a bit better than my calligraphy. After all, I’ve spent more time learning it."

Hearing this, Li Beixing was stunned. In her eyes, Chen Jingle’s calligraphy had already attained mastery. Yet he claimed his cooking was even better than his calligraphy; didn’t that mean... his culinary skills were at the grandmaster tier?!

Li Beixing’s expression turned slightly odd. Could a person’s talent really be so overwhelming that they could hit the ceiling of ordinary human capability in two completely unrelated fields simultaneously? Although rare, there seemed to be quite a few such examples in the world. Perhaps Chen Jingle was exactly that kind of person.

Li Beixing could only marvel at his formidable talent before steering the topic back. "I’m still more curious about how you made it."

Chen Jingle couldn’t explain it clearly in a few words. "It’s actually quite simple. You just knead the dough into the shapes of the different parts, then stick them together. The key is to watch the oven temperature."

Li Beixing was speechless. She wondered how that was any different from saying nothing, and if she looked like a fool who could be easily brushed off. Annoyed, she sent him an eye-rolling emoji. It came off as a bit playful.

Chen Jingle added, "It’s really just ordinary bread. The shape is just a bit unique, that’s all."

Li Beixing retorted, "If this is considered ordinary, then nothing in the world can be called special."

Even if he wrote out a crystal-clear tutorial, probably many people still wouldn’t be able to learn it. Like her, for example.

A thought suddenly struck Li Beixing. "By the way, have you ever thought about opening a bakery? I feel like this bread chicken alone would sell out instantly."

"No. Doing business isn’t that simple. The survival space for brick-and-mortar industries is too scarce these days, and starting a business basically means losing money." Chen Jingle currently had no intention of turning his hobby into a job.

Nowadays, being "ambitious" wasn’t exactly a good word. Many second-generation heirs went bankrupt precisely because they were too "ambitious." It was better to just honestly lie flat!

Li Beixing disagreed. "I think you’re overcomplicating it. Honestly, as long as you have a special skill and price the products reasonably, a lot of people will gladly pay for it."

"That’s true in theory, but the problem is that thinking and doing are two different things. Most ordinary people have limited capital and lack the leeway for trial and error, so they don’t dare to try easily. I’m no exception," Chen Jingle replied noncommittally.

Li Beixing instinctively asked, "Do you need help with funding?" However, she regretted it the moment the words left her mouth.

Chen Jingle chose to decline. "No thanks. I simply have no interest in opening a store for the time being."

Not to mention he wasn’t short on money, and even if he were, he wouldn’t borrow from her. They weren’t close enough for that yet; it was better to maintain some boundaries.

"Alright," Li Beixing said, feeling quite disappointed.

Although he had rejected her help, their conversation was no longer as rigidly polite and distant as before. They were transitioning into the territory of friends. That seemed like good news.

If even Li Beixing was this shocked, there was no need to mention Chen Qiyun’s little friends. Besides being dumbfounded, they expressed deep envy, perhaps even a hint of jealousy. What kind of peerless, amazing older brother was this! This gave her the perfect opportunity to show off ruthlessly.

Chen Jingle glanced at her sideways. "Satisfied?"

"Mhm~" Chen Qiyun was puffed up with pride, her smile never leaving her face. How could a simple word like "joy" possibly describe this feeling?

"Alright, hurry up and head back since you’re full," Chen Jingle said, waving his hand.

Hearing this, Chen Qiyun’s face instantly fell. She reluctantly began packing up her test papers and stationery, dawdling before finally leaving.

Frankly speaking, aside from the miraculous bread chicken, her afternoon harvest had been pretty good. Combined with the morning, she felt that this holiday had been quite fulfilling. It was just a pity that she had to go back to school tomorrow.

However, when she thought about the significant progress she had made in all aspects over this break, Chen Qiyun instantly straightened her back. She decided to shock everyone with her brilliance in the upcoming quizzes and monthly exams!

"Ants, cherish your final chance to stand on equal footing with this exalted one! HMPH HMPH~"

Unable to hold back, her eighth-grader syndrome flared up again.

Watching Chen Qiyun’s figure gradually disappear, the corners of Chen Jingle’s lips curled up slightly. Although tutoring a kid’s homework tested his temper, so far, it was manageable. At least everything was heading in a better direction. Not bad, not bad at all!

He had just lain down on his recliner. On WeChat, Liang City suddenly sent over a meme with a soul-crushed expression.

"What’s wrong?" Chen Jingle asked, puzzled.

"I’m at home keeping my kid company while she practices walking."

"Witnessing your child’s growth—isn’t that a great thing?"

"Stop joking, I’m practically being tortured to death here."

"It can’t be that exaggerated. As long as there’s no danger around, just let her play however she wants. You just need to keep an eye on her," Chen Jingle said, secretly shaking his head.

"Easy for you to say!"

Liang City deeply envied Chen Jingle’s special constitution. Little kids never cried or fussed in his arms, remaining peaceful and steady. In contrast, when he took care of his own kid, if his attention wandered for even a second, the next moment his baby might grab some weird object and shove it in their mouth. It was exhausting!

Liang City changed the subject. "By the way, I heard Wang Ling is getting married during the National Day holiday."

"Did she invite you?" Chen Jingle blinked.

Wang Ling was a girl from their high school class. However, having not seen her for many years, he had almost forgotten what she looked like. In his impression, Liang City seemed to have a decent relationship with her little clique. After all, back in the day, Liang City was the class’s designated confidant for the girls.