Chapter 2: This Was Jiang Feng’s Shop! Teacher Rong Shuang, Picking Up Her Daughter After School!
During his time as a stay-at-home dad, Jiang Feng had naturally honed his cooking skills.
His little daughter loved dumplings filled with shrimp and chives, so he often made them.
It didn’t seem particularly difficult.
After gaining the experience from the system—
Jiang Feng suddenly realized that making dumplings was truly a skilled craft!
The water temperature for kneading the dough.
The temperature, humidity, and duration for fermentation.
The technique for wrapping, as well as the seasoning of the filling.
Every detail determined the quality of the final product!
Why could some people become nationally recognized master chefs?
While others spent their whole lives making dumplings, only to end up with dry, cracked ones that reeked of alkaline?
The difference lay in the details!
Once Jiang Feng fully mastered the skill—
Xu Na said, “I’m leaving.”
“I have visitation rights every week. If I find out you can’t afford to raise Youyou, I’m taking custody of our daughter.”
Jiang Feng looked at her as if she were a stranger. “Fine.”
A strange pang shot through Xu Na’s heart. She turned and left, getting into a Cayenne.
Inside the car sat a woman in her forties, also wearing heavy makeup. Her wrinkled face was caked with foundation, settling into every crease.
This was Xu Na’s mother, Xu Xiumin.
Xu Na came from a single-parent household and took her mother’s surname.
“Done?” Xu Xiumin asked eagerly when she saw her daughter.
“He didn’t ask for money before agreeing to the divorce?”
Xu Xiumin let out a relieved sigh. “At least he has some dignity.”
“I’ll find you a richer man—someone far better than him!”
“A poor guy like that would only hold you back. My daughter is so beautiful, wealthy, and capable. You deserve a billionaire at the very least!”
Xu Na gave a noncommittal hum.
She hadn’t divorced Jiang Feng just to find a richer man—she simply believed he wasn’t good enough for her.
But now that she was single, marrying a wealthier man wouldn’t hurt.
She absolutely had to find someone better than Jiang Feng!
In their rearview mirror, Jiang Feng got on his electric scooter and soon disappeared from sight.
“Pathetic,” Xu Xiumin sneered.
Jiang Feng arrived at the address provided by the system.
Minwang Street was an old neighborhood, surrounded by six residential areas. Next to his shop was a noodle place called “Liu’s Noodles,” run by a middle-aged couple busy serving customers.
Jiang Feng stepped inside his new shop.
The space wasn’t large, but the renovation was fresh.
Inside were two four-seater tables, four two-seaters, and six single-seaters.
The kitchen was open-concept, fully equipped with a stove, cooking utensils, a cutting board, a freezer, and a fridge.
The business license was already on the table.
Jiang Feng had his health certificate ready.
“All I need is a sign, and I can open for business.”
When Xu Na’s shop had opened, Jiang Feng had handled much of the preparation.
He still had the contact for the sign manufacturer.
He called them—they were still in business.
“I’d like to order a sign for a food stall. Aluminum-plastic board will do.”
“Sure. It’s 650 RMB per square meter. What size do you need?”
“2 meters long, 0.8 meters wide.”
“That’ll be 1,000 RMB. Custom orders take three days. Is that alright?”
After ordering the sign—
Jiang Feng bought a small blackboard for 80 RMB and wrote down his menu:
Chive & Egg Dumplings – 2 RMB each
Fennel & Pork Dumplings – 3 RMB each
Carrot & Egg Dumplings – 2 RMB each
Scallion & Pork Dumplings – 3 RMB each
Scallion & Beef Dumplings – 4 RMB each
The pricing was reasonable for Minwang Street.
Once the sign was ready—
Jiang Feng wiped down the tables and chairs, then headed to the nearby market to check produce prices.
After looking around—
He didn’t buy anything.
For the best taste, ingredients had to be fresh.
It was already afternoon—the vegetables weren’t at their peak.
Jiang Feng decided to wake up early the next day to shop.
The wholesale market opened at 4 AM.
Factoring in dough preparation and dumpling-making time—
He planned to open by 6 AM.
Jiang Youyou was about to finish school.
When he arrived, some parents had already picked up their kids.
Teachers stood at the gate, waiting for families to arrive.
Jiang Feng took out his pickup card and approached a strikingly beautiful teacher.
“Teacher Rong, I’m here,” he said politely.
Rong Shuang was 24 years old.
Working at a kindergarten, she dressed simply, wearing only light foundation. Yet her flawless features and porcelain skin made her breathtakingly beautiful.
Since she started working there—
The number of fathers picking up their kids had skyrocketed.
Jiang Youyou was in her middle class.
A little girl in a pink tracksuit rushed over and clung to Jiang Feng’s leg like a koala.
Jiang Feng patted her head and smiled.
“Youyou’s dad,” Rong Shuang greeted with a smile, revealing a cute canine tooth. “She did well today.”
“Really? I hope she wasn’t any trouble.”
“Not at all. We all adore her.”
“Great. I’ll take her home now. Say goodbye to your teacher.”
Youyou turned and waved. “Bye, Teacher Rong!”
Holding his daughter’s tiny hand, Jiang Feng strolled leisurely along the sidewalk.
The sun set in the distance.
The June evening breeze was pleasant.
People around them were heading home.
Little Youyou hopped cheerfully, matching her father’s pace as she chattered about her day.
Jiang Feng felt at peace.