hotmtlnovel Chapter 12: Little Firecrackers
Chapter 12: Little Firecrackers
As Yu Chen entered the house and changed his shoes, he was almost choked by the little glutton's words. He laughed and scolded, "Five? One is enough to try. Aren't you tired of eating five? I feel tired just looking at them."
As he spoke, he walked towards the living room, picked up the soul-guided landline phone on the table, and skillfully dialed a takeout number: "Just eating roast goose is too monotonous. Here, boss, I'll change the menu for you."
"Feed? Yes, it's me. Give me a plate of braised prawns with a thicker sauce; another plate of twice-cooked pork, with a good mix of lean and fatty meat, and lots of green garlic; oh right, also a plate of braised pork belly, and two more plates of vegetables."
As soon as the call connected, Yu Chen had barely uttered a single sentence when the person on the other end recognized him. Then, Yu Chen smoothly recited a string of dish names into the receiver.
After hanging up the phone, Yu Chen turned to look at Na'er's face, which had instantly fallen and then brightened up again, and was about to tease her a bit.
However, before Yu Chen could even speak, Na'er, as if celebrating the sumptuous dinner, suddenly sprang up like a firecracker with its fuse lit, jumping and bouncing around the living room, constantly chanting, "Yay! Yay! There are prawns! There's meat! Long live the boss!"
She would sometimes pounce on Yu Chen and sway back and forth, and other times she would spin around in place like a little top, her excited sonic booms making Yu Chen's ears ring.
Yu Chen was both amused and exasperated by her jumping around and making a lot of noise. He reached out and grabbed her little hand, which was still waving wildly in the air.
Helpless, he pressed her down on the sofa, pointed at her and said, "Alright, alright, stop jumping! You're always making a racket, louder than firecrackers during the New Year. You're like a spark, and you just won't stop."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Chen was stunned. He looked Na'er up and down, who was still puffing out her cheeks in anger, and suddenly felt that the metaphor was extremely apt.
"I won't call you 'Na'er' anymore," Yu Chen raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I think you're just a little firecracker without a tail. You light it at the slightest touch and make a huge fuss."
"A small firecracker?"
Na'er was stunned, pointing to herself, but the next second she accepted the nickname and immediately straightened her back.
"Hmph! Of course! Since I'm the little firecracker, you, boss, are the one who lights it! Hurry up and light it... ah, no, hurry up and serve the food! I'm starving!"
Yu Chen looked at the little firecracker in front of him who claimed to be "starving" and shook his head helplessly: "Alright, alright, I'll 'light the fire' for you now."
"Ah... Boss, you're so kind!"
Na'er—oh no, Little Firecracker—instantly brightened up. Just a moment ago she was clamoring for five, but now that she heard there were braised prawns and braised pork, her eyes lit up.
She clung to Yu Chen's arm like a nimble little monkey, rubbing her face against his warm shoulder.
"I knew you understood me best, boss! I do feel a bit greasy after eating so much. But you were so tired from the assessment today, you definitely need to replenish your energy. How about... you have a couple more pieces of braised pork, and I'll peel the shrimp for you?"
Yu Chen was both amused and exasperated by her twisted logic. He let her hang on him and shook his head, saying, "Don't give me that. Let's get this straight, whether we get to eat meat today depends on your performance. Have you finished the homework I assigned you? Don't want to become a little illiterate later!"
"Reporting, boss! All done!" Na'er immediately stood up straight and gave a crooked military salute.
"I'm a soldier trained by the boss, how could I possibly slack off? Now, can we have a big meal?"
"Alright, you pass." Yu Chen took out the packaged food box from the bag in his hand and just unfastened the clasp.
A rich aroma of meat instantly filled the air.
Na'er's eyes were fixed on the food box, and the stars in her eyes seemed to turn into countless rotating "roast goose" symbols.
"Wow! It smells so good!"
"The skin of this roast goose is golden, crispy, and glistening with oil! I feel like I can see it waving at me!"
Na'er shouted and was about to snatch the food box and start eating with great gusto, her mouth practically watering.
But Yu Chen raised the food box high with one hand and pressed the other hand against Na'er's forehead.
Yu Chen looked at her, who seemed to want to bury her face in the food box, and couldn't help but laugh as he spoke:
"Who just said that a 'frightened soul' needs comforting? I think your soul is not only not frightened, but it's strong enough to kill an ox."
"Oh, boss, that's not important!"
"Give it to me quickly! It must go down into my stomach immediately to soothe my soul!"
"The eldest is the best~~"
Sensing Yu Chen's actions, Na'er didn't rush, but instead used her charm to win him over.
"Okay, okay." Yu Chen could never resist Na'er's coquettishness.
"Yay!" Na'er jumped up excitedly and made a peace sign, then eagerly went to get the roast goose.
But just as her hand was about to touch the roast goose, Yu Chen flicked her wrist and skillfully dodged it.
"Hey?! Boss, what are you doing?!" Na'er jumped up and down in a panic.
"Wash your hands." Yu Chen uttered two words expressionlessly, pointing towards the bathroom. "Kids who don't wash their hands don't deserve to eat such delicious roast goose."
"Oh……"
Na'er's excitement vanished instantly, replaced by a bitter expression. But for the sake of food, she resignedly turned around, only to unleash astonishing speed in that instant—
With a "whoosh," she didn't go to the bathroom, but instead slithered around like an eel, trying to sneak up behind Yu Chen and steal his food!
"Dream on!" Yu Chen was prepared and blocked with his backhand.
"Hehe, just kidding!" Na'er grinned slyly, then suddenly changed tactics, nimbly slipping under Yu Chen's armpit and hugging his waist, shouting, "Boss! You're being held hostage! Hand over the roast goose now! Otherwise, hmph..."
The living room was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Finally, under Yu Chen's "forceful suppression," Na'er reluctantly washed her hands. When she sat back down at the table, a plate of sliced roast goose was already laid out in front of her.
She looked at Yu Chen, then at the roast goose, and suddenly sighed, saying softly, "Boss, I've noticed you've changed."
Yu Chen was drinking water when he heard this and almost spat it out. He wondered what mischief this little guy was up to now: "What did I do?"
"You used to be the boss, now you're the 'beast' boss."
"But it's okay, as long as you feed me, you're my boss!"
As Na'er spoke, she unceremoniously grabbed a piece of goose leg and stuffed it into her mouth, speaking indistinctly.
A roast goose is just an appetizer in front of two big eaters like them, and in the blink of an eye it becomes a skeleton.
Fortunately, the dishes Yu Chen had just ordered had arrived. Na'er eagerly opened the door and saw a figure dressed in the same yellow robe and mandarin jacket as yesterday. As soon as Na'er saw this person, she knew that her hungry stomach was saved.
……