"I'll ask later." Lu Feng scooped the hot water from the pot and took it to the yard. Fu Xiaoxiao nodded and went straight back to her room.
Lu Feng adjusted the water temperature, bathed the two children, and noticing there was still quite a bit of water left in the bucket, he decided to take a bath himself.
When Fu Xiaoxiao emerged from her room, she saw the handsome man bathing.
The golden rays of the sunset fell gently on him like a veil. His bronzed skin, firm chest gently rising and falling with each breath, glistening water droplets danced and rolled down his broad back, tracing his spine all the way down. His hair, drenched with water, stuck to the sides of his face in strands.
Lu Feng slightly tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and raised his hand holding the water ladle high, letting the water roll down his forehead, cheeks, and chin. With both hands, he brushed his forehead backward, throwing the black hair and water behind him, highlighting the sharp and deep contours of his face.
Fu Xiaoxiao leaned against the door and, unable to resist, whistled provocatively.
Lu Feng was startled and turned to look at the owner of the whistle. Fu Xiaoxiao laughed lightly.
"Sorry, I initially came out to make dinner. I interrupted your bath; you can carry on, don't mind me."
Fu Xiaoxiao walked past him into the kitchen, her fingers splayed open over her face.
"..." Lu Feng was at a loss for words for the first time in his life. Did she just flirt with him?
As soon as Fu Xiaoxiao entered the kitchen, she poked her head back out. Lu Feng paused in his actions, feeling her gaze sweep across his chest, and quietly used a towel to cover it.
"I noticed there's nothing in the kitchen. Where can I get some ingredients?" Fu Xiaoxiao asked, spotting her disappointment when he covered up.
"There's a vegetable garden behind the house where I planted some things." Lu Feng glanced at Fu Xiaoxiao and pointed behind him.
"Okay." Fu Xiaoxiao went out, moved to the back, and indeed saw rows of neatly arranged vegetable gardens, each family cultivating their own patches of land.
Fu Xiaoxiao picked some vegetables and scallions. By the time she returned, Lu Feng had finished his bath and was sorting the clothes for himself and the two children.
Fu Xiaoxiao came back to the kitchen with the vegetables, seeing flour and a few eggs. She decided to chop up the vegetables to make egg and vegetable pancakes.
She beat the eggs into a bowl, added flour and some water, and stirred it into a batter. Then she mixed in the chopped vegetables. The flame in the stove was just right to heat the pan.
Once the pan started to heat, Fu Xiaoxiao poured a little oil, scooped a spoonful of batter into the pan, and spread it with a spatula. When the bottom of the pancake set and acquired a hint of crispness, she flipped it over.
After the other side set as well, a fragrant egg and vegetable pancake was ready.
Thinking of Lu Feng's military appetite, Fu Xiaoxiao decided to make a few more.
-
In the room, Lu Feng sat in front of Lu Lin and Xiao Chen. The two children clutched their clothes nervously, and a tense atmosphere hung between the father and sons.
Lu Feng sighed inwardly; this was his first time being a father, and he had no idea how to communicate with them. While the two kids depended on him, they said nothing.
Whatever he asked, they only nodded and said yes.
Recalling Fu Xiaoxiao's words, Lu Feng cleared his throat. The two kids stiffened. "Xiao Lin, Xiao Chen, what did you have for lunch today?"
Thinking they would be scolded, Lu Feng only asked about their lunch. Lu Lin looked up at him.
"Mr. Lu, I used a slingshot to get some wild fruits. We had two wild fruits for lunch."
Hearing that the children only ate wild fruits, Lu Feng's brows furrowed. "Didn't Aunt Li cook for you?"
The two kids exchanged a glance and shook their heads. "She always ignores us."
Lu Feng's lips pressed into a thin line, holding back his anger. He had given Aunt Li quite a lot of money, yet the kids claimed they never ate her meals.
"How long has this been going on?" Lu Feng took a deep breath, the flames of anger burning in his eyes, turning his gaze dark and intimidating like ink soaked in chilling coldness.
"Since your last mission, Mr. Lu," Lu Lin replied after thinking about it.
"This won't happen again. She's different from Aunt Li, and she'll take good care of you. Don't go picking wild fruits outside anymore," Lu Feng said earnestly, ruffling the kids' hair.
"Okay." The two children looked at each other, their eyes dimmed.
It's not that they didn't trust Mr. Lu's words, but the other aunts said...
Suddenly, a delicious smell wafted over, and the three of them heard their stomachs grumble in response.
Lu Feng couldn't help but look toward the kitchen, from where the aroma was emanating.
"Dinner time!" Fu Xiaoxiao called from the kitchen.
"Coming!" Lu Feng gestured for the kids to follow him outside. He carried the table into the courtyard, and Lu Lin and Xiao Chen expertly brought their small stools.
When Fu Xiaoxiao came out with the dishes, three pairs of eyes eagerly watched her... and the plate full of pancakes in her hands.
"Hungry? These are egg and vegetable pancakes. Try them and see if you like the taste." Fu Xiaoxiao smiled, setting them down, urging them to try.
The golden, dazzling egg and vegetable pancakes took center stage on the table immediately.
The perfect crispiness, soft and fluffy inside, with eggs and flour blended seamlessly together.
As you lean in to smell, the rich aroma of eggs meets the subtle scent of vegetables mixed with the faint flour scent and fried oil, creating a unique and mesmerizing fragrance.
"Smells great." Just by the aroma, Lu Feng knew the taste would be excellent. He picked up a piece eagerly, taking a bite just as he expected.
The soft filling slowly spread on the tip of his tongue, the smooth texture of the egg contrasting the flour's softness, while the vegetables contributed their crisp sweetness at just the right time. The diverse flavors mingled explosively in his mouth.
"Delicious!" Seeing Lu Feng start eating, Lu Lin and Xiao Chen immediately grabbed their portions and took a bite.
Mouths full of egg and vegetable pancakes, they exclaimed how tasty it was.
Watching them savor the meal, Fu Xiaoxiao's lips curved in delight. She loved cooking and even more so when someone sincerely praised her dishes.
It was the greatest compliment to any chef.
In her past life, she never had a family, never imagined that after crossing into this world, she would suddenly have a husband and kids, starting from scratch—her life complete.
"Eat more if you like! I know you have a big appetite from the army, so I made extra," Fu Xiaoxiao grinned as the three enjoyed their meal. "Though the seasonings were sparse, a pinch more pepper would have made it better."
"I'll take you to buy some when I come back!" Lu Feng, talking with his mouth full, quickly replied after swallowing a bite.
Even without added seasoning, it was already this delicious. Adding pepper would make it irresistible.
"Sure." Fu Xiaoxiao agreed with a smile.
Certainly, there were many things to add.
The meal saw Lu Lin and Xiao Chen eating without lifting their heads, but ultimately still little and overstuffed, they could only stop and watch Lu Feng finish off all the egg and vegetable pancakes.