As the competition day approached, the team led by Cheng Su became increasingly tense. They developed one sauce after another, only to overturn them again and again. There were always problems and shortcomings in the process, yet new ideas kept coming in.
However, Cheng Su felt this was a good thing. Discovering problems and solving them now were certainly better than spotting shortcomings during the competition. Since they were competing, they had to aim for the highest standards and strive for perfection.
Because of these strict demands, Cheng Su lost a lot of weight in just a few days for this competition, which made Qi Taiguo extremely distressed.
At this tense moment, calls came in from the hometown saying that Father Qi was knocked down to the ground by a cow. Since he didn’t dodge quickly enough, although the cow didn’t directly hit him, it stepped heavily on his foot.
Older people’s bones are brittle, and this step caused a fracture, scaring Mother Qi into tears and prompting her to call Qi Taiguo.
"Mom, stop crying. It’s good that he’s okay. Fractures can heal over time," Qi Taiguo said with a frown.
Mother Qi said something else over the phone, which made Qi Taiguo’s face turn slightly cold. He replied, "Alright, alright, I’ll take a leave tomorrow to go see what’s going on, okay? If there’s nothing else, let’s end the call; it’s already dark, and it’s hard to see on the road at night."
After hanging up, Cheng Su asked, "How is it, what’s going on?"
She didn’t catch the whole conversation, but she did hear that Father Qi seemed to have broken his foot.
Qi Taiguo said, "It’s just a broken foot. He’s fine otherwise. I’ll take a leave tomorrow afternoon to go back and have a look, and also tell them that I need to leave for training."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Su said, "Then I’ll go back with you to have a look."
Qi Taiguo felt warm inside. He knew she still cared about his family, but he also knew she was at a critical stage for her company’s competition and couldn’t afford any delay.
"There’s no need. It’s just a broken foot; it’ll heal in a few months. Your company is competing too, and it’s a tense time. You shouldn’t get distracted. Just push through with it," Qi Taiguo said while tucking her hair behind her ear.
"But..."
"Besides, I’m going back tomorrow afternoon, and I’ll return the day after. The back-and-forth is troublesome, and you’ve been tired enough lately. Look at your face; there’s barely any flesh left," Qi Taiguo pinched her cheek and said, "The competition day is fast approaching too, you need to be well-rested to prepare. So don’t fuss over going with me, I’ll explain everything to my parents!"
To be honest, Cheng Su just wanted to visit Father Qi. As for Mother Qi, she didn’t feel much at the moment.
If it weren’t for Father Qi breaking his foot, she wouldn’t think about going back.
"Then tomorrow morning, I’ll buy some good supplements for you to take back for Dad. Even though it’s just a fracture, he’s older, and it’s a bone injury, which is never easy," Cheng Su thought for a moment and said.
It was a gesture of filial piety, and Qi Taiguo had no reason to refuse. Instead, he felt she was sensible and filial.
"That’s a good idea. Let Dad see how good and filial his daughter-in-law is," Qi Taiguo said with a smile.
Cheng Su rolled her eyes at him and said playfully, "I’m not doing it for the reputation, look at what you’re saying."
Qi Taiguo chuckled, nibbled on her earlobe, and said, "Can I cherish this reputation? Am I allowed to have this vanity?"
"Get out of here."
Cheng Su pushed him away, only to be pulled back into his arms. The two of them laughed and played together.