CHAPTER 116: CHAPTER 116: AFTER SHOWING OFF MY HUSBAND, NOW SHOWING OFF MY MOTHER-IN-LAW

Professor Zhou waved his hand with a smile, "It’s no problem. I’ll just chew a bit more, it’s fine to indulge once in a while."

Since Professor Zhou said so, Qin Xiao and Zhang Yang didn’t say anything more.

The three of them quietly started eating. Qin Xiao and Zhang Yang, having arrived earlier, were almost done, but they stayed to accompany Professor Zhou.

When Professor Zhou finished eating and they took their plates to the dishwashing area, Qin Xiao spoke up, "Professor, I’m taking a day off tomorrow for a health check-up."

Professor Zhou quickly asked, "Is there any discomfort, or is it just a routine check-up?"

Qin Xiao laughed, "We’re planning for a second baby, so it’s a pre-pregnancy check-up."

Tomorrow, Xiao Li is off from work, so they wanted to schedule the check-up.

Xiao Li had taken too many days off before, so she felt bad about asking for leave again for a pre-pregnancy check-up.

So Qin Xiao had to coordinate with her schedule.

Upon hearing this, Professor Zhou smiled, "That’s a good thing, go ahead!"

Zhang Yang, following behind the couple and once again force-fed a mouthful of dog food, rolled his eyes helplessly.

The next day, Qin Xiao and Xiao Li went to the Qin Family’s private hospital for the check-up.

After a series of examinations, both of them were fine. They just needed to maintain a good lifestyle, exercise daily, and Xiao Li should start taking folic acid three months before trying to conceive.

After finishing all the check-ups, it was almost lunchtime. Xiao Li directly said to Qin Xiao, "Uncle, let’s eat out for lunch today!"

Qin Xiao smiled and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

Xiao Li thought for a moment, "I want hotpot."

Qin Xiao thought for a moment, then took out his phone and started editing a message, "Get in the car..."

The two of them got in the car, and Qin Xiao drove Xiao Li toward home...

When they were about to reach the villa area, Xiao Li noticed they were heading home and said, "Uncle, weren’t we going out for hotpot?

Why are we heading home?"

Qin Xiao smiled, "Because we have a master at making hotpot at home."

The car stopped in front of Qin Father’s villa. They got out of the car and walked into the villa, where Xiao Li saw Mother Qin wearing an apron in the kitchen...

Seeing this, Xiao Li was surprised.

Since marrying into the Qin Family, she had never seen Mother Qin cook.

Seeing Xiao Li’s surprise, Qin Xiao whispered in her ear, "Mom only knows how to make hotpot, she can’t cook anything else...

That’s why you’ve never seen her cook before here.

You just said you wanted hotpot, so I sent Mom a message.

Mom might be a rookie in cooking, but she’s quite good at making hotpot. You should try it."

Hearing this, Xiao Li raised an eyebrow and then laughed as she walked into the kitchen...

Qin Xiao then went to the living room to play chess with Qin Father.

In the kitchen, as soon as Xiao Li entered, she asked, "Mom, is there anything I can help with?"

Seeing Xiao Li returned, Mother Qin quickly smiled, "No need, I don’t really have much to do, just preparing the base and the dipping sauce, the side dishes are prepared by the aunties.

I haven’t made hotpot base for years, I’m a bit rusty."

Xiao Li laughed, "I was really surprised to see you busy in the kitchen, Mom.

I heard from Uncle that your hotpot is delicious, but how come I never tried it before?"

Mother Qin covered her mouth and laughed, "Because Xiao and the others were scared by me. They’d rather go out to eat hotpot than have me make it at home.

You know me, I’m not great at cooking, but once, after your dad and I traveled and I had an authentic hotpot there, I couldn’t find the taste back here anymore...

Somehow, I just wanted to recreate that taste. Your dad even considered buying the restaurant over there I liked, but I stopped him.

After that, I started experimenting. I fiddled with making the base all the time.

Eventually, the result was eating hotpot frequently at home. Initially, it didn’t taste good, and Xiao was the only one who stuck with me.

But by the time I got it right, they didn’t want to eat it anymore.

They got tired of it! And it gave them indigestion!

So for a while, they went out to eat and stopped eating at home. At that time, it was just your dad keeping me company.

After Xiao and his brother stopped eating at home, it was just me and your dad, gradually I stopped making it.

Since then, they are cautious about mentioning hotpot at home.

They’re afraid of reigniting my passion for it.

In the past couple of years, I made it occasionally, but recently, they don’t like it anymore. With no one eating, I stopped.

You haven’t eaten it in the past two years because Xiao and the others dare not mention hotpot, fearing I’d get into a frenzy and tinker with it for days...

Today Xiao suddenly messaged me saying he wanted hotpot, you don’t know how happy that made me...

I put down my phone and got to work right away. Although I hadn’t done it for a long time and was a bit rusty, once I started, the feeling came right back. You must try Mom’s cooking later!"

Xiao Li laughed, "Then I’ll definitely have a good taste later..."

In the living room, just as Qin Xiao sat down opposite Qin Father, he was met with a dagger-like glance from him.

Qin Xiao touched his nose and offered pleasingly, "Dad, I’ll play chess with you."

Qin Father snorted, "It’s suspicious when you ingratiate yourself for no reason.

You dug a hole for me and now you’re trying to appease me.

Tell me, why did you suddenly mention hotpot? With your mom’s enthusiasm today, it’ll be a few days of fuss again.

You’ll just have one meal and leave, but it’s me who will be troubled.

You can all go back to your own homes, but I can’t get away."

Qin Xiao laughed, "Dad, you’re getting old, your body isn’t like it was before, and your stomach can’t handle it."

As soon as Qin Father heard Qin Xiao call him old, his eyes immediately widened, but after hearing the latter part, his eyes lit up.

That’s right!

Old people should avoid strong flavors, the stomach can’t handle it.

With a solution in hand, Qin Father was in the mood for chess again and started playing with Qin Xiao...

They had only been playing for a while when the hotpot was ready. At Mother Qin’s call, Qin Father could only reluctantly glance at the chessboard before getting up to the dining room...

Walking to the dining room, he told Qin Xiao, "Don’t run off after eating! Finish the game with me..."

Qin Xiao smiled and said, "I have no plans this afternoon, I’ll spend a good round with you."

Qin Father smiled and pointed at Qin Xiao, "Make sure you stick to it! I want to have a good game this afternoon..."

In the dining room, Xiao Li was taking photos of the hotpot on the table with her phone, then after some edits, she posted them on her social media, captioning it: Mother-in-law’s loving hotpot...

Shortly after posting, comments started pouring in...

Feng Qing and a few others replied similarly: After showing off your uncle, now your mother-in-law... Xiao Lili, you’ve turned bad.

Xiao Li scrolled down and saw He Jie’s comment: Mom can make hotpot? I’ve never had it... wait for me, I’ll be back soon...