Chapter 268: Gratitude

Chapter 268: Chapter 268: Gratitude

During the noon break, Nan Zhi’s group left the school and headed toward the village.

At that moment, Qi Pei’er was on cloud nine thanks to their resounding victory today.

She was still going on about treating everyone to a good meal to celebrate.

Nan Zhi listened with a smile and naturally chimed in,

"Why don’t I prepare it? We can have dinner at my place."

If nothing else, the mountains had more than enough vegetables.

Even though the identity card Nan Zhi had drawn came with poor conditions and a low allowance, treating everyone to a meal was still no problem.

Besides, in Nan Zhi’s eyes, today’s presentation couldn’t have ended so successfully without the help of Qi Pei’er, Fu Chao, and Xie Yu!

"Pei’er was the MVP."

Nan Zhi looked at Qi Pei’er with special approval!

Qi Pei’er was flattered.

"M-Me?"

Nan Zhi raised an eyebrow, her smile soft and radiant.

"Isn’t that so?"

Qi Pei’er nodded excitedly.

"Yes! Of course it is!"

Her jubilant reaction caught Fu Chao’s eye, earning a small, disdainful snort from him.

Xie Yu, however, was calm, simply watching everyone with a smile.

Oh, right. There was also one unhappy little guy.

Just as Nan Zhi was beaming at a bouncing Qi Pei’er, she suddenly felt a gentle tug on the corner of her shirt.

She turned around to find Nan Yi. He was looking at her with an expression that was trying hard to look indifferent but was actually sneaking glances at her, and the sight made Nan Zhi’s heart melt.

Nan Zhi immediately stroked Nan Yi’s head.

"Yes, Yiyi did a great job, too."

Before, Nan Yi would have been overjoyed just to hear his mother praise him.

But now—maybe because he was older, more sensible, and not so easily fobbed off—after hearing Nan Zhi’s praise, he first pursed his lips, then asked in a small voice,

"What part did I do well?"

’He clearly hadn’t done anything at all.’

Nan Zhi’s first instinct was to say, "You did everything well."

But when she glanced at Nan Yi’s earnest and persistent little face, she felt that such an answer would be too dismissive and seem careless.

So, she considered it for a moment before saying,

"Well, it’s probably because having Yiyi by my side gives Mommy infinite courage and strength."

"That’s right, that’s right!"

Qi Pei’er immediately jumped in to back her up, exaggerating how hard Nan Zhi had worked from yesterday to today to prepare, and how she only managed to pull through by thinking of Nan Yi.

Qi Pei’er sighed emotionally.

"Yiyi, your mom really can’t do without you!"

"I-Is that so?"

Nan Yi was still innocent and believed Qi Pei’er’s words without a doubt.

He even showed a hint of shyness.

Even the anxiety he’d felt from being neglected and left out by Nan Zhi over the past two days was washed away.

Only Fu Chao was rolling his eyes, silently condemning Qi Pei’er for deceiving a child.

Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to say it in front of Nan Yi, so he could only nod along and agree.

The atmosphere among the group was very cheerful.

However, when the topic of having dinner at Nan Zhi’s house came up again, Qi Pei’er was the first to refuse.

"You’re so tired today, you should definitely get some rest. For dinner tonight, why don’t we find a local’s house, pay them some money, and have them make us a table of local specialties!"

Going into town for dinner would take too much time, with the travel back and forth.

Among them, besides Nan Zhi, Xie Yu was the next best cook.

But during today’s cooking class, Xie Yu had been helping Nan Zhi the entire time. In terms of how hard he worked, it was no less than Nan Zhi.

So, thinking about it that way, Qi Pei’er’s suggestion was the best option.

Only Fu Chao disagreed.

He raised his hand to volunteer.

"Why not let me cook? I can do it too!"

"You? What can you make?"

"I... I made dumplings last time!"

Fu Chao argued his case.

Qi Pei’er just said, "Oh," then nonchalantly turned her face away to continue talking to Nan Zhi about dinner. She mentioned a dish she’d eaten a couple of days ago, made by one of the villagers—a rustic, farm-to-table dish made with fish caught right from the paddies. She said the flavor was out of this world, which even tempted Nan Zhi a little.

Fu Chao, meanwhile, knew when to quit and wisely shut his mouth, not wanting to humiliate himself further.

Soon, they had reached the area near Nan Zhi’s house.

Although Nan Zhi’s house was in a remote location, it was the closest to the school.

The others were just about to wave goodbye to Nan Zhi and tell her to go home and get some rest.

Suddenly, a strange figure appeared in their line of sight.

A stranger to Qi Pei’er and Xie Yu, but not to Fu Chao.

Master Xu awkwardly raised his hand.

"M-Master Nan."

Master Xu, who had a fearsome and intimidating appearance, actually seemed somewhat ill at ease.

The moment Nan Zhi saw him, she guessed why he was here.

’Things are progressing faster than I thought.’

Nan Zhi raised an eyebrow in amusement and asked with a smile,

"Master Xu, is it done?"

When it came to professional matters, Master Xu seemed much more at ease.

He began to speak endlessly.

"Yes, yes, it’s done! And it’s better than we imagined! None of us thought such an old-fashioned machine could produce this kind of flavor. Everyone’s saying it’s incredible... Er."

Seeing the confused expressions on the faces of Qi Pei’er, Fu Chao, and Xie Yu, Master Xu awkwardly trailed off.

Nan Zhi explained at the right moment,

"I helped Master Xu improve the flavor of a new product for their food factory."

Understanding dawned on the three of them.

Qi Pei’er, in particular, looked the most excited.

"Really? Is it a snack? Can I try it?"

The most important part was that last sentence.

The straightforward Master Xu didn’t even hesitate, holding out the bag he was carrying.

"Perfect! These are for Master Nan to sample. Since you’re Master Nan’s friends, you should try some too!"

Even Master Xu’s stern face softened with anticipation.

He passed out the new buckwheat crisps from the box, then waited nervously for everyone’s feedback.

The children’s reactions were the most direct.

Qi Zhang gasped, "Wow, this is delicious!"

The more reserved Nan Yi also nodded. "Mm, it’s good." ’It’s just a little worse than what Mom makes.’

As for the other three, Fu Chao had tried Master Xu’s previous version of the buckwheat crisps.

When he tasted this new version, he could hardly believe he was eating the same product.

"Is... is this really the same thing? This tastes amazing! It gets more and more flavorful the more I chew!"

Qi Pei’er, who had a sweet tooth, was so delighted she looked like she wanted to swallow her own fingers.

"Delicious! And it’s not overly sweet or cloying at all. It actually feels... refreshing. How can this kind of crisp cookie feel refreshing? It’s amazing!"

Xie Yu also nodded in agreement.

"The ratios are perfectly balanced. It’s easily on par with the best pastry kitchens in the country."

This was without a doubt the highest praise Master Xu had ever received!

Master Xu shook his head humbly.

"Not at all, it’s all thanks to Master Nan... By the way, I overheard you’re looking for a place to eat tonight? How about my house? I’ll cook for you myself. It would be a perfect chance to express my gratitude to Master Nan!"

This was probably the most the normally taciturn Master Xu had ever spoken at one time.

And every word, in one way or another, was filled with gratitude for Nan Zhi.