However, when He Zhilan poured the soup from the lunchbox into the bowl, He Teng’s expression became somewhat interesting.
"Just soup? Nothing else? Vegetable soup?" Had the color of the soup not been slightly green with a few vegetable leaves floating on top, He Teng might’ve thought Zhilan was just trying to fob him off with plain boiled water seasoned with a bit of salt and oil.
After a pause, He Teng hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Zhilan, I know dad always cooked at home and never let you and Dongxue step foot in the kitchen. He didn’t want to burden you guys. If you don’t know how to cook, it’s fine. It’s bother and hard work for you. It might be easier to just get me food from the hospital cafeteria."
"What are you talking about!" He Zhilan found it funny, she knew the doctor ordered a light diet, did He Teng think she had cooked because of her poor cooking skills?
"It’s not too nice to keep bothering others, especially since this is Dr. Bian’s turf. From now on, just grab something from the cafeteria." He Teng seemed to finalize the decision, "Trust me."
"Bian Muhe said you can’t eat rich food or rice right now, bland liquid food is all you can manage. Depending on your recovery, Dr. Bian said he might let you have some pigeon soup in a few days." He Zhilan wasn’t upset, she explained patiently, "I’m not incapable of cooking. Before I came to school, dad taught me. Back in our hometown, you used to eat the meals I cooked, right? They were hardly so bad you couldn’t swallow them, right?"
"Me, a grown man, eat pigeon? When I can eat real food again, a little rice will do!" Most importantly, He Teng thought something like pigeon soup was a waste of money. That money was better spent on Zhilan, who had been running back and forth so hard these past few days. He always felt Zhilan looked somewhat thinner recently.
"No matter the cost, it’s worth it for your health. Health is the foundation of everything. Money collected now can always be earned back. But if we don’t take good care of our health, it can’t be recovered." Zhilan always spoke with a smile, never showing signs of annoyance. Knowing He Teng’s personality, she patiently waited for the soup to cool before handing it to him. She respected He Teng’s pride as a man and didn’t spoon-feed him. "I’ll later ask Bian Muhe if you can have eggs now. If you can, I might make you some steamed eggs or egg flower soup. A big strengthening diet isn’t allowed, but a small strengthening one should be, right?"
A bowl of plain soup warmed He Teng’s heart directly. The soup looked so bland it hardly aroused the appetite, but it tasted pretty good once it was in the mouth.
By his side, He Zhilan’s concerned words, her soft tone, her gentle speech, evoked admiration in He Teng’s heart. He Zhilan seemed to have grown up.
"Zhilan, Zhilan~" From outside the ward, Bian Xiulin’s head peered in like a thief, probably because she had smelled the aroma from the ward. She pushed the door open and walked in, sniffing like a dog, and then looked at the bowl in He Teng’s hand, "Vegetable soup? Smells good."
"Isn’t that obvious? Do you think everyone in the world only cares about eating not cooking like you? It’s a miracle that the small kitchen of Dr. Bian has survived under your management." Lin Chan, who came in afterwards, mocked Bian Xiulin, "I worry for my buddy, Xing Ye. Marrying a wife like you, I guess his stomach will suffer a lot in the future."
"Even if I cook arsenic, he will still gulp it down with a smile of bliss." Hearing this, Bian Xiulin turned around towards Lin Chan who just entered, "Weren’t you supposed to be busy these days, Lin Chan? How come you have time to visit the hospital today?"