Divorced Dad's Gourmet Shop

Chapter 291: Chapter 291: Buying an Oven

At that thought, a chill ran down Jiang Liu’s spine.

’Somehow, without me even realizing it, Jun Qingmeng’s standing with my mom has skyrocketed!’

’Why else would I get the feeling that Mom would definitely take her side?’

The three of them sat together, drinking rice porridge.

Ignoring Tongtong’s pouting face, Jiang Liu kept piling vegetables into her bowl.

"Daddy, that’s enough! Tongtong is just a little kid, I can’t eat that much."

"Well, did you know that little kids who don’t love their vegetables don’t love their daddy?" Jiang Liu said, looking at Tongtong with a straight face as he fibbed.

Tongtong immediately began stuffing her mouth with vegetables.

"Mmm, it’s delicious! Daddy, I love you the most!"

Watching from the side, Jun Qingmeng couldn’t help but laugh at the father-daughter duo.

One had the guts to say it, and the other actually believed it.

When the meal was over, Jiang Liu put down his chopsticks and said,

"I have something I want to discuss with you two."

Jiang Tongtong furrowed her brow with a serious expression.

"Go ahead, Daddy. Tongtong is listening."

"What is it, honey?"

Jun Qingmeng looked at Jiang Liu, puzzled.

Jiang Liu said, "I’m planning to buy an oven. I want to try making some different kinds of food, like souffles, bread, and things like that."

Back when he was in school, he’d worked part-time at a cake shop and picked up how to make a lot of things just by watching.

The ingredients and method for a Souffle are simple.

What tempted Jiang Liu the most was that he could purchase premium versions of the main ingredients—eggs, flour, and sugar—from his Gourmet Album.

For things like cakes and bread, the quality of the ingredients is paramount. Technique isn’t as critical, since for most commercial products, the so-called "technique" is just finding the right ratio of additives to create the flavor.

Tongtong’s eyes lit up.

"Wow! You’re amazing, Daddy! You even know how to make bread!"

She loved bread.

Jun Qingmeng asked in amazement, "Honey, is there anything you can’t do? What size oven are you planning to get?"

Jiang Liu thought for a moment. "Let’s get one around fifty liters. If we’re going to buy one, we might as well get a good one that will last a long time."

"Mm-hm!"

Jun Qingmeng smiled and nodded vigorously. "So when are we going to buy it? You can get whatever you want. If you’re short on cash, just tell me. I’ll buy it for you."

’Sometimes she really just wanted to provide for Jiang Liu.’

’She didn’t want him to be so tired. Shouldn’t a husband be the one who gets spoiled?’

"Daddy, Tongtong thinks it’s a good idea too! But if it’s too expensive, we’ll just have to haggle!"

"That won’t be necessary," Jiang Liu replied to Jun Qingmeng, then turned and gently booped his daughter’s nose.

"You little rascal. You already know how to haggle at your age?"

"Hehe, I’m Daddy’s clever little helper, so of course I have to haggle for him."

Tongtong happily got up and started clearing the table.

’Daddy’s going to make bread for his little cutie!’

Jun Qingmeng unlocked her phone and searched for "oven" on the map. "Jiang Liu, there’s a Kaidu appliance store two kilometers away. Should we go take a look now?"

"Tongtong wants to go too!"

Jiang Liu said, "You two have been running around all day and must be tired. Why don’t I find some time to go buy one tomorrow? We can head back early today."

"It’s okay, I’m not tired. Let’s just go today and get it over with."

Jun Qingmeng’s gaze was full of reliance and anticipation. She had been wanting to go out and wander around with him.

"Daddy, let’s go tonight! As long as I can be with you, I’m happy. Besides, your little cutie can haggle for you!"

Seeing how excited they both were,

Jiang Liu smiled and nodded.

"All right, then. Let’s get ready quickly before the store closes. If we buy it tonight, I can even make you two some bread tomorrow morning to take with you."

Jun Qingmeng asked with concern,

"Won’t you be too tired? Making bread takes time. You’d be better off getting more sleep."

’Even though she really wanted to eat bread made by Jiang Liu, she wanted him to rest even more.’

"Daddy, Tongtong also thinks making it in the morning would be too tiring."

"It’s fine, don’t you two worry. We’ll just make sure to go to bed a little earlier tonight."

"Okay, then."

Jun Qingmeng still seemed a little unhappy.

They turned off the utilities, locked the door, and Jiang Liu led Jun Qingmeng and his daughter out onto Yangzhai Street.

The night air was a little chilly.

"Heading home, Boss Jiang?"

"That’s right. Still busy, Uncle Li?"

"Ah, just about to clock off myself. Here, my wife made these insoles. Take them home with you. Don’t you turn your nose up at them, they’re sturdy!"

"Alright, then. Come by the shop for a meal sometime."

Jiang Liu accepted them without hesitation. He actually needed insoles.

Uncle Li was very thoughtful; there were large, medium, and small sizes, clearly one for each of them.

Jun Qingmeng held the stack of insoles, treasuring them.

’She wouldn’t have batted an eye at shoes worth tens of thousands, but she adored these free insoles. They were a sign that her love with Jiang Liu was being accepted by others.’

"Boss Jiang, closing up early today? I brought you some toilet paper, take it home with you."

"Done for the day, Brother Jiang? Hello, Sister-in-law Dami! Good evening, Tongtong! Want some nuts? I’ll get you some!"

All along the street, it was as if Jiang Liu was stocking up on supplies. The neighbors all rushed over, finding any excuse to give them things.

There were paper towels, insoles, toothpaste, shampoo, a hairdryer...

Yesterday it had been fruit; today, it was household supplies.

Once they were in the car, Jun Qingmeng sat in the back with Tongtong.

Jiang Liu drove to the Kaidu store.

They made it just before closing.

He spent seven thousand yuan on a 52-liter, four-in-one combination microwave, steamer, oven, and air fryer.

It wasn’t huge, just a cube of about 0.4 cubic meters.

It was black and looked very high-tech.

Jiang Liu also picked up a hand mixer for one hundred and fifty yuan.

They put everything in the trunk.

It took them about ten minutes to get back to their apartment complex’s garage and park the car.

Jiang Liu intended to carry the oven up himself. It looked big, but it wasn’t heavy, and he could move it easily.

The moment he opened the trunk, Jun Qingmeng opened her door and rushed over to help.

"Let’s carry it together. Be careful not to pinch your hand."

’She knew Jiang Liu could handle it, but as his girlfriend, she couldn’t bear to just stand by and watch him struggle with a heavy object.’

"Tongtong can help too!"

"Oh, you two... Alright, let’s do it together."

Jiang Liu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

’It wasn’t even that heavy.’

Jiang Liu first positioned the hand cart below the trunk, then reached in and wrapped his arms around the oven.

Jun Qingmeng reached out to help him steady it.

Tongtong was also gritting her teeth and "helping," her tiny hands supporting a corner and contributing every last ounce of her toddler strength.

They set the oven on the hand cart.

Jiang Liu had provided ninety percent of the effort, letting Jun Qingmeng handle nine-point-nine percent of the weight, and leaving the remaining zero-point-one percent to Tongtong.

"Daddy, was I awesome?"

Jiang Tongtong trailed expectantly behind Jiang Liu as he pulled the cart, fishing for praise.

"Yes, you were awesome! My daughter is a super strongwoman."

"Hehe! Next time you need to move something, you have to call for Popeye Tong right away!"

Jiang Liu glanced over at Jun Qingmeng.

He expected to see her trying to hold back a laugh, but was surprised to find his girlfriend also looking at him, waiting for her own praise.

’Well, then.’

’The two of them were two peas in a pod.’

「Back at home.」

The three of them worked together to get the oven situated in the kitchen.

There happened to be an empty space on the white marble counter by the kitchen window.

With the oven in place, Jun Qingmeng poked Jiang Liu’s back as he was looking for an outlet. "Honey, I’m going to go give my best friend some of these snacks. Is it okay if I come back over in a little while?"