Ch. 711..720

Chapter 711: Adding Trouble

“But there are still a few days left until the first day of the New Year.” Mrs. Lopez said, “Are we just going to do nothing during these days?”

“In these few days, we don’t know how Adrian Zhekova will deal with us. We don’t know how much our family will lose.” Mrs. Lopez frowned, and spoke bitterly.

“I think we should go to big sister’s place.” Richard Lopez said.

“See if we can ask the Kirk Family for help.” Richard Lopez continued.

Isn’t this the time to rely on relatives and help each other out?

Otherwise, what’s the point of intermarriage between different families?

Apart from enhancing prestige and forming powerful alliances, it’s also to help each other during difficult times.

Difficulties are temporary.

For families with a deep foundation like theirs, it’s impossible to collapse easily.

They can always hold on for a long time.

As long as they get a little help, they can get through this crisis.

And they can continue to help each other in the future.

No one can be sure that it won’t be their turn to face trouble one day; helping their in-laws is also helping themselves.

Otherwise, what’s the purpose of marriage alliances?

Isn’t it to prevent situations like this from happening?

Why do they only care about marrying partners with similar social standings, and look down on those with no background?

It’s because when trouble comes, the latter can’t help their own family.

Mrs. Lopez nodded, “Shall we go over now?”

“Let’s go tonight.” Richard Lopez said.

They went to see Adrian Zhekova in the morning and contacted Wendy Clarke in the afternoon.

In the blink of an eye, the sky had already darkened.

Today had been extremely eventful.

“No matter how anxious we are, we should go home and get prepared first, so we can present ourselves with dignity.” Richard Lopez said.

After being busy all day, the three of them weren’t in good shape.

Moreover, even if the Kirk Family agreed to help, it wouldn’t immediately relieve the Lopez family’s predicament.

It would have to be tomorrow at the earliest.

So, there was no difference whether they went early or late today.

So, the three of them went home to have dinner.

Richard Lopez also inquired about the Company’s losses today.

The more he heard, the more his heart ached.

He doubted whether they could hold on until the banquet on the first day of the New Year.

***

At this moment, at the Kirk Family’s residence.

The Lopez family easily obtained an invitation because of their cooperation with the government.

However, this year the Kirk Family did not have any cooperation with the government and surprisingly didn’t get an invitation.

The invitations were taken by other families instead.

This made Mateo Kirk, Wyatt Kirk’s father, feel like he lost face.

Especially because the Lopez family got an invitation while his family did not.

If people found out, wouldn’t they think the Kirk Family was inferior to the Lopez family?

In reality, the Kirk family was not weaker than the Lopez family.

But the fact that they didn’t get an invitation could inadvertently give that impression to those who don’t know the truth.

Mateo Kirk felt a sense of inferiority compared to Richard Lopez.

These past few days, Mateo’s mood was gloomy, and he felt terrible.

Wyatt Kirk thought to himself, it seemed the old man’s abilities were limited.

He couldn’t even get an invitation.

Wyatt Kirk silently despised his father in his heart.

Probably because the disdain in his heart was too strong, it even showed on his face.

This angered Mateo Kirk.

He couldn’t get an invitation, and now he was being looked down upon by his prodigal son.

Mateo Kirk threw a magazine at Wyatt’s face, “You try it then! Don’t look down on your old man!”

Wyatt caught the magazine, narrowly avoiding being hit.

“Don’t take your anger out on me if you can’t get it.” Wyatt said.

“Didn’t you say you’re acquainted with Adrian Zhekova?” Mateo continued, “Why don’t you ask Adrian for an invitation then? Or were you just bragging to me all this while?”

At first when this kid showed off the Whatsapp contact of Adrian Zhekova, it really shocked Mateo.

Could his son really have Adrian Zhekova’s contact?

But Mateo didn’t have the guts to ask Adrian if it was true.

So, he had to endure a whole week of Wyatt’s boasting at home.

Wyatt stifled himself and immediately puffed out his chest and said, “Just wait, I’ll ask him now.”

Wyatt immediately sent a message to Adrian Zhekova, “Brother Adrian, it’s Little Wyatt! Do you remember me?”

After sending the message, Wyatt anxiously waited for Adrian’s reply.

After a few minutes, the Whatsapp notification sound rang.

Wyatt was startled and hurriedly opened it with trepidation.

Adrian Zhekova: “Get to the point.”

“Alright!” Wyatt hastily replied, “About the banquet on the first day of the New Year, you’re going, right, Brother Adrian?”

Adrian Zhekova: “I’ll give you one more chance.”

Wyatt quickly said, “My family didn’t get an invitation. Brother Adrian, can you give us one?”

This time, he didn’t dare say anything else and went straight to the point.

Although the invitations were distributed by the government,

The Big Eight families did have some in their possession, which they could give out at their discretion.

However, ordinary families wouldn’t dare to ask The Big Eight families for invitations.

Invitations in the hands of The Big Eight families were usually reserved for their own in-laws.

Adrian Zhekova: “Sure.”

Adrian didn’t think it was a big deal,

It was just a little matter of the invitation.

Seeing that the young man was quite sensible, Adrian readily agreed.

“Big Brother Adrian, you’re my true brother!” Wyatt sent an excited message.

Adrian Zhekova: “…”

He felt Wyatt was taking advantage of him.

“So, are you available now? I’ll come over to get the invitation!” Wyatt immediately said.

Adrian Zhekova: “in such a hurry?”

Wyatt thought to himself this was because he was afraid that Adrian might forget later.

“The invitation is not with me,” Adrian said.

Such trivial matters as invitations wouldn’t be personally handled by him.

“I’ll have someone send it to you.” He continued.

Invitations were kept with the secretarial department in the company.

There were still people working overtime at the company. Anyone could be found to send the invitation to Wyatt.

“Oh, I can’t trouble you like that. I’ll send someone to pick it up,” Wyatt said. “We can’t trouble the people from Pingla.”

Seeing that Wyatt was quite sensible, Adrian agreed, “Alright.”

Wyatt triumphantly raised his eyebrows at Mateo, “He agreed, my Big Brother Adrian promised me.”

Mateo Kirk: “…”

“Really? Is Adrian Zhekova so easily convinced?” Mateo was astonished.

When did Adrian Zhekova’s temper become so good?

This was not Adrian Zhekova!

Wyatt bragged, “Yo? Dad, do you want me to tell Big Brother Adrian about your doubts?”

Mateo Kirk: “…”

“I’ll beat you to death, you unfilial son!” Mateo shouted angrily.

How could he provoke his old man like this!

Wyatt thought if he died, then no one would get the invitation for him.

But Wyatt didn’t continue to stimulate his father.

Instead, he quickly put on his coat and said, “I’m going to Pingla to get the invitation.”

“You’re going personally?” Mateo asked.

“It’s safer to go in person. It shows sincerity.” Wyatt explained.

Chapter 712: Chapter 712: That’s My Brother Shen

Despite Adrian Zhekova not being in Pingla at the moment, many employees are still working overtime at the company.

What if they perceive a lack of sincerity and the word gets relayed to Adrian Zhekova, spreading from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred?

When it comes to matters concerning Adrian Zhekova, Wyatt Kirk felt it was never too careful.

“All right, I’m off to Pingla to get the invitation,” Wyatt Kirk chimed in, heading to the door to change his shoes.

Yet his mouth kept moving. “Dad, dad, just observe. Look, who is left to expect to do any task if not me?”

Mateo Kirk: “…”

“Get out of here!” Mateo Kirk couldn’t stand Wyatt Kirk’s smug attitude.

Under Mateo Kirk’s roar, Wyatt Kirk quickly bolted out of the house.

Mateo Kirk was puzzled.

Even Adrian Zhekova, the [insult], seemed to think highly of Wyatt Kirk.

Could it be what was described in the legends as “birds of a feather flock together”?

Little did Wyatt Kirk know that he was even classified by his own father in the same category as [insult].

Arriving in Pingla cheerfully.

It happened that Sheldon Rowland was also working overtime today.

Upon receiving Adrian Zhekoa’s message, he prepared the invitation ahead of time.

Upon receiving Wyatt Kirk’s call, Sheldon Rowland personally delivered it.

“Ayo, making you personally deliver that, I’m truly sorry,” Wyatt Kirk was remarkably polite, “I’ve interrupted your work.”

In Sheldon Rowland’s mind, he was amazed. When did Wyatt Kirk become this courteous?

Wyatt Kirk had not involved himself in the Company’s affairs, so, at work, Sheldon Rowland didn’t have many opportunities to interact with him.

However, from what he had heard about Wyatt Kirk, it didn’t align with the man standing in front of him.

The stories Sheldon Rowland heard about Wyatt Kirk weren’t wholly characterized by hearsay and rumor.

After all, he didn’t have any dealings with Wyatt Kirk, but people he knew did.

Moreover, quite a few of these had interacted with Wyatt Kirk personally.

Going by Wyatt Kirk’s previous behavior.

Sheldon Rowland’s friends hadn’t lied at all.

Only after Wyatt Kirk experienced Adrian Zhekova’s teachings, he became incredibly obedient.

Even though he still played around, he had become much more cautious as a person.

Therefore, when Sheldon Rowland met him now, it felt different from the stories he had heard.

In his mind, Sheldon Rowland was considering the saying that ‘hearing is believing, seeing is reality’. It turns out to be true indeed.

The ancients really didn’t deceive me.

“That’s not true.” Sheldon Rowland was also very polite, “It’s not a big deal, you’re too kind.”

Wyatt Kirk takes the invitation and says, “I am sorry to bother you empty-handed. I’ve brought some milk tea and cakes. You all have been working hard.”

“Wait a second.” Without waiting for Sheldon Rowland to say anything, Wyatt Kirk ran to the door, waved his hand and said, “Come, bring everything in.”

Barely after he finished speaking, a small van slowly pulled up to the Company’s entrance.

The door opened, and three men got down from the van, carrying boxes of milk tea and cakes.

“I summoned a few people, fearing to call in a loud crowd would disrupt the Company’s order and cause you trouble,” Wyatt Kirk said.

“You’re too kind,” Sheldon Rowland said.

“Aye!” Wyatt Kirk waved, “Why are you being so formal with me! Don’t be.”

“Thank you very much,” Sheldon Rowland laughed, “I’ll have them carry this upstairs.”

“No need for that. Don’t rush. I’ll have them send it batch by batch, that’ll be easier,” Wyatt Kirk said.

“No, No, No.” Sheldon thought, why has Wyatt Kirk become so considerate and courteous? This unsettled Sheldon a bit.

Nevertheless, ultimately, Sheldon couldn’t outdo Wyatt Kirk and let Wyatt’s people deliver everything upstairs.

Wyatt Kirk was incredibly polite before he finally took the invitation and left.

The questions Sheldon Rowland had in his heart were never voiced.

Had he voiced them, Wyatt Kirk would have told him, “You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

***

Just as Wyatt Kirk was visiting Pingla, the three members of the Lopez Family happened to visit the Kirk Family.

Wyatt Kirk had just missed them.

The Lopez trio entered, and Mrs. Lopez smiled and made polite conversation: “Sister, is Wyatt not home?”

“He just stepped out. Haven’t you run into him?” Mrs. Kirk had some snacks brought out.

She didn’t expect the Lopez family to suddenly pay a visit, and for all three members to do so!

The two families often interact during holidays, although it is Mrs. Lopez who usually visits.

Sometimes Richard Lopez would accompany her, but Edward Lopez was quite a recluse.

Unexpectedly, Edward came today as well.

When you look at Mrs. Lopez and Mrs. Kirk as sisters, their relationship was quite good before they got married.

Although sisters often quarrel, their blood ties never break, no matter how much they fight.

Something like the relationship between Cindy Clarke and Wendy Clarke is indeed rare.

However, when both got married and had their own ways, more often than not, they would think about their own families.

First and foremost, they cared for their own family’s interests.

You couldn’t even talk about their birth family, as it came only after their own home.

Especially after the two sisters got married, they inevitably began to compare with each other.

When they were young, they compared the men they married, and the strength of the businesses of the two families.

After having children, they compared their children’s grade and abilities.

If their children were of different genders, it would be fine. If they were of the same gender, there would be far too much to compare.

Mrs. Lopez and Mrs. Kirk had competed plenty of times in the past.

Although Wyatt Kirk and Edward Lopez weren’t great.

At least Edward Lopez had a higher education than Wyatt Kirk.

The words prodigal and so forth, were more often used to describe Wyatt Kirk.

As for this time’s party invitation, the Lopez Family had received one, the Kirk Family had not.

Early on, Mrs. Lopez had flaunted it to Mrs. Kirk.

Through backhanded compliments, she had in essence said that Mateo Kirk and Wyatt Kirk weren’t competent; they couldn’t even get an invitation.

Mrs. Kirk was thoroughly pissed off by that.

Seeing the Lopez family of three visiting tonight, Mrs. Kirk thought they had come to flaunt again as a group.

Mrs. Lopez then timidly explained the difficulty the Lopez family was facing.

Only then did Mrs. Kirk find out. It turns out, these people weren’t here to flaunt.

However, their predicament was indeed tricky.

How could they dare to help when they knew Adrian Zhekova was the one causing problems?

“This …” Mrs. Lopez was troubled and turned to look at Mateo Kirk.

“Remember, you folks didn’t get the invitation to the New Year’s Eve banquet?” Mrs. Lopez said, “Old Lopez will get you another one. It’s easy to get an invitation.”

Mrs. Kirk was unimpressed.

When she flaunted it before, why didn’t she mention that it’s just an invitation, and didn’t say that she would get one for them?

Now that they need their help, she brings it up?

Normally, were the Lopez Family in trouble, they wouldn’t ignore it.

But now, the Lopez Family had offended no ordinary person.

It was Adrian Zhekova.

Mrs. Kirk said, “Do not talk about the invitation, it’ll appear that we are helping because of the invitation.”

“In fact, since you have the invitation, Adrian Zhekova will also be there on the day. You might as well take this opportunity to reconcile with Adrian Zhekova,” Mrs. Kirk suggested.

Chapter 713: Chapter 713: Calling out “Brother Adrian” with every word

“Do you think we haven’t tried that? We went to Pingla today, but it was no use,” Mrs. Lopez said irritably.

“How on earth did you guys offend Adrian Zhekova?” Mrs. Kirk asked curiously.

“What kind of temper does Adrian Zhekova have? Don’t you know about it? Who among the Big Eight families dares to provoke him? How could you guys offend him?”

Mrs. Lopez suddenly fell silent.

Should she say that Edward Lopez had messed with Adrian Zhekova’s wife?

That would be so embarrassing!

Although Wyatt Kirk and Edward Lopez weren’t very reliable people,

Edward was at least more reliable than Wyatt before this incident.

Now that Mrs. Kirk knows about Edward’s stupid act, where does she put her face?

At this moment, the entrance hall sounded with the opening of the door.

Following that, they heard Wyatt’s voice before they even saw him enter the room.

“What did I tell you guys? Brother Adrian is so generous, he gave me the invitation. I told you he’s my good buddy, but you didn’t believe me.”

The entrance hall was a bit far from the living room.

When Wyatt entered, he couldn’t see the living room, so he didn’t know that the Lopez family members had arrived.

Only when he lowered his head to change his shoes did he notice three extra pairs of shoes in the entrance hall, indicating that there were visitors in the house.

Sitting in the living room, Mr. and Mrs. Kirk naturally couldn’t see Wyatt coming in either.

Therefore, everyone in the living room heard Wyatt’s voice first.

What Brother Adrian?

What invitation?

The Lopezes looked at each other, puzzled, and then looked at Mr. and Mrs. Kirk for answers.

At this moment, Wyatt entered the room.

“Oh? Aunt, Uncle, you guys are here,” Wyatt said, surprised that the Lopez family had come.

Wyatt handed the invitation to Mateo Kirk: “Dad, here, take it.”

Mateo took the invitation, and at this point, he couldn’t be bothered to talk to the Lopezes anymore.

He looked at Wyatt in surprise: “You really got it?”

“I told you guys, but you didn’t believe me,” Wyatt pouted.

Back then, when he showed off Adrian Zhekova’s Whatsapp messages to Mateo and Mrs. Kirk,

Mateo bluntly said he didn’t believe him.

Although Mrs. Kirk said she believed him, she was merely comforting him.

In fact, she didn’t really believe in him much.

But now, seeing that Wyatt had indeed brought back the invitation,

they couldn’t help but wonder if this boy really had some connection with Adrian Zhekova.

How could this kid be so capable?

He accomplished something that many people couldn’t?

However, since the Lopezes were present, Mateo and Mrs. Kirk refrained from asking more.

“What invitation?” Mrs. Lopez asked.

Mrs. Kirk smiled and said, “It’s the invitation for the banquet on the first day of the New Year. No need to trouble you guys to get it, Wyatt has already taken care of it.”

Although her sister’s family was in trouble, they were still family members, so naturally, they should help if they could.

But the attitude of the Lopezes earlier on made Mrs. Kirk quite uncomfortable.

So even if they had to help now, they couldn’t help but tease them a bit.

Mrs. Lopez’s smile froze for a moment, and she awkwardly said, “I didn’t expect Wyatt to be so capable.”

Mrs. Lopez was also curious, how did Wyatt get an invitation that even Mateo couldn’t get?

The invitation was really difficult to obtain. Was Wyatt really that capable now?

Mrs. Kirk proudly smiled, saying, “This kid might seem like a wild child who doesn’t like to do anything serious, but it turns out he became adept at it, playing his way into friendships.”

“Look, he even managed to get this rare invitation!” Mrs. Kirk showed the invitation to the Lopezes.

The Lopez family’s invitation wasn’t obtained by Edward, because he didn’t have the ability to do so.

Now, Mrs. Kirk felt a sense of satisfaction and pride.

Wyatt: “…”

Wyatt’s mouth twitched slightly.

Mateo was also happy, so he said, “We dare not offend the Zhekova Family either. We can’t help you guys openly. Besides, there’s no overlap between the businesses of the two families, so it’s not possible for us to hand over any of the Kirk Family’s business partnerships to you guys.”

“In this situation, all we can do is provide money. Let’s see if we can help you guys alleviate your financial hardship for the time being.” Mateo was quite considerate too.

Since they couldn’t help in business, they offered money instead.

“However, the funds we have available right now are not that much. The most I can help you with is 50 million,” Mateo said.

“That’s already very generous,” Richard Lopez gratefully replied.

The Kirk family was indeed very supportive.

“Well, um,” Richard continued, “I wonder if there are any suitable manufacturers that you can introduce to me to help alleviate our urgent needs.”

“Even if I were to mediate, those manufacturers might not dare to take your offer,” Mateo reminded.

“Didn’t your previous collaborative manufacturers cut ties with you because they were afraid of the Zhekova Family?”

“Finding a fearless one now might be difficult,” Mateo reminded again.

Mateo’s suggestion to give cash also had that intention in mind.

It was fortunate that their businesses didn’t intersect with the Lopez family.

Giving cash was very suitable.

However, even if they could intersect, Mateo probably wouldn’t dare to help.

He was afraid of being remembered by Adrian Zhekova.

By that point, they could still help by giving cash,

but they might not necessarily receive Richard’s gratitude at the end.

Upon hearing this, Richard realized the truth. If it weren’t for his inability to find a manufacturer, he wouldn’t have come to Mateo for help.

But everyone was afraid to work with him for fear of offending Adrian Zhekova,

and even if Mateo stepped in, it wouldn’t make a difference.

Mrs. Kirk was still curious and asked, “But how on earth did your family offend Adrian Zhekova in the first place?”

Offend Adrian Zhekova?

Wyatt looked at the trio in admiration.

Wow, they were awesome!

Richard felt very uncomfortable under Wyatt’s gaze.

Does this kid have a problem?

Wyatt smacked his lips, thinking it was a good thing he didn’t mention earlier that Adrian Zhekova gave him the invitation.

Otherwise, the trio would have pestered him for help, right?

This was something he absolutely couldn’t help with.

“I have to be honest here, Edward is the one to blame!” Richard said helplessly, “He’s always loved flirting with young girls, and this time he messed with the wrong girl, he messed with Cindy Clarke.”

“Cindy Clarke is Adrian Zhekova’s wife,” fearing the Kirk family wouldn’t know, Mrs. Lopez added an explanation.

Wyatt thought in his head that they all knew that!

He was someone who had Adrian Zhekova’s IG stories!

He even sent his blessings to Adrian Zhekova long ago!

It was just Edward who was a dummy, not knowing.

Wyatt also listened to Mrs. Lopez say, “Edward was also tricked. Adrian Zhekova got married and had a wife, but he didn’t tell anyone. Edward didn’t know that Cindy Clarke was Adrian Zhekova’s wife, so this happened…”

Mrs. Kirk raised her eyebrows.”

Although the Lopezes’ misfortune wasn’t something to be happy about,

Mrs. Kirk still couldn’t help but feel pleased that their son Wyatt had more insight.

Although he seemed like a wild child, Wyatt actually managed to become friends with Adrian Zhekova!

He referred to him as Brother Adrian all the time!

He didn’t end up like Edward, who foolishly got involved with Cindy Clarke.

Wasn’t that simply rushing into a death trap?

Chapter 714: Chapter 714: This Old Man, Can Act

Although Mrs. Lopez never said it explicitly, she always made it seem that Wyatt Kirk was not as good as Edward Lopez.

Did she really think her sister couldn’t see it?

Now, look who is inferior to whom!

Wyatt may be a bit of a playboy, but at least her son didn’t offend Adrian Zhekova!

Mrs. Kirk didn’t know that Wyatt almost did offend him.

But thanks to his thick-skinned nature, he managed to turn the situation around.

“Cousin, you’re awesome!” Wyatt couldn’t help but exclaim with admiration.

The Lopez family of three: “…”

Is this the time for you to show admiration?

Once their purpose was achieved, they politely thanked the Kirks a few times and then left.

After the Lopez family left, Wyatt finally exhaled: “I’m so scared, Mom. I was worried you would reveal that I know Brother Adrian.”

“Am I that stupid?” Mrs. Kirk glared at him, “Even though she’s my sister, her family is not ours. We can’t risk helping them at the expense of offending Adrian Zhekova. Giving them money is already doing our best.”

“Moreover, if our family offended Adrian Zhekova and their family just happened to have a little relationship with him, could they help us?”

“They probably wouldn’t even give us 50 million.” Mrs. Kirk had it figured out, and said to Mateo Kirk, “I really didn’t expect you to give them so much money.”

Mateo shook his head and said, “After all, it’s your sister’s family. If we don’t help at all when they come to us for help, you won’t be able to face your sister.”

“Helping too little, she’ll still blame you later, and it’s better not to help. So 50 million is just enough to shut them up.”

Mateo and Mrs. Kirk both knew that there might be a connection between Wyatt and Adrian Zhekova, but it certainly wasn’t deep.

Besides, who was Wyatt to advise someone who Adrian Zhekova had already decided to deal with?

You can’t take on this kind of thing.

So Mateo and Mrs. Kirk did not mention anything about Wyatt knowing Adrian Zhekova when the Lopez family brought it up.

It’s important to show off at the right time, and clearly now is not the time.

***

In a blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.

Adrian Zhekova also left work early today.

Little Morgan started his winter vacation early.

When Adrian went to work in the morning, Cindy Clarke let Morgan sleep in.

When he got up, cleaned up, and had a simple breakfast, Cindy took Morgan to the family mansion.

She didn’t let Morgan eat too much in the morning.

He just ate a slice of bread, a fried egg, and a glass of milk.

Because they were sure to eat at the old house at noon.

So she didn’t let Morgan eat too much, or else he wouldn’t be able to eat at noon.

Then, Cindy took Morgan to the family mansion.

Since it was almost the New Year, she let Cleave Roland have a vacation and didn’t ask him to pick them up.

Cindy could drive too, so she drove with Morgan.

Not long after they drove out of the garage, they saw snowflakes slowly drifting down from the sky outside the car window.

“It’s snowing!” Morgan said excitedly.

“A snowy New Year is a good omen.” Cindy said with a smile.

“I wonder if it’ll get bigger. If it does, I can make a snowman!” Morgan said expectantly.

“Check the weather forecast.” Cindy reminded, “Maybe there’ll be a hint.”

Morgan stretched out his hand, which was gloved to keep his body heat away.

So the snowflakes didn’t melt when they fell onto his palm.

The snowflakes were big, and Morgan looked closely at them.

“They’re just like the ones in books!” He exclaimed with delight, “I can’t believe they’re real.”

“I thought they were just drawn to look nice, I had no idea they would be like this!” Morgan examined them more closely.

He noticed that each snowflake looked the same, but the details were different.

It was like tree branches when they branched out, each one was different in some way.

It was as if he was looking at a wonder, he couldn’t stop staring.

Cindy could only remind him helplessly, “Let’s go, and be careful on the road.”

Especially since the old house was a traditional courtyard and had high thresholds, not to mention more than one.

If you don’t pay attention to the road, you’ll trip and fall.

After being reminded, Morgan immediately put down his hand and walked properly.

Inside the old house, Aunt Evans was kneading dough, preparing to make dumplings.

From afar, Old Master and Old Madam could hear little Morgan’s clear voice.

“Great Grandfather, Great Grandmother!” Morgan’s voice rang out from afar.

Old Madam heard Morgan’s voice and hurried to the door.

She almost went out.

“Old Madam, you’re not wearing a coat, you can’t go outside.” Aunt Evans reminded her quickly.

It was only then that the Old Master got up and went to the door, still grumbling about the Old Madam: “At your age, you should be steadier!”

“Morgan’s not here for the first time, you’re so excited like this.” Old Master teased, “Morgan will be here in a while. Why are you in such a hurry?”

“If you’re not in a hurry, don’t come over.” Old Madam gave him a cold look.

What’s this old man trying to pretend!

Old Master thought he’d make sure Morgan didn’t think he was unwelcome!

As soon as Morgan saw it, it turned out that only Great Grandmother was waiting for him at the door.

Great Grandfather was sitting quietly on the sofa, looking totally unexcited.

What if Morgan thought he didn’t love him anymore?

Old Master thought the Old Madam was too cunning!

She always tried to outdo him!

Old Master decided not to go anywhere, no matter how much Old Madam tried to push him away.

He wasn’t stupid!

At that moment, Morgan came running with a pitter-patter, getting closer and closer.

Old Master suddenly raised his voice and shouted, “Hey! Why hasn’t Morgan come yet? I miss him so much! My dear!”

Old Madam: “…”

This old man, what a showman.

It’s so late, why pretend you haven’t seen him!

Such an exaggerated performance, do you really think Morgan would believe it?

Morgan is smart, you know.

Who would have thought, the next second, Morgan’s voice filled with emotion rang out, “Great Grandfather, I’m here, I’m here!”

“Great Grandfather, I’ve missed you too!” Morgan ran over and threw himself on Old Grandfather’s legs.

Chapter 715: Chapter 715: His Skills Are Still Far From Enough

Old Master quickly caught Morgan and picked him up.

“Good boy, hurry up and give Great Grandfather a kiss!” Old Master said, gently pecking on Morgan’s soft cheeks.

“I missed you so much; did you miss me?” Old Master asked again.

“I missed you so much that as soon as I got off the car, I hurried here, not able to wait to see Great Grandfather!” Morgan said, noticing Old Madam nearby.

Following the principle of not showing favoritism, he quickly stretched his neck to Old Madam and said, “Great Grandmother, I missed you too.”

Look at this playboy.

Cindy Clarke worried that if she didn’t teach him well, he would become a playboy in the future.

He was so young and already so sweet-talking.

When he grew up and became handsome, he would certainly wreak havoc on the hearts of young girls!

However, Cindy did not know about the future.

At the moment, Old Master and Old Madam were both amused by the little one.

Morgan asked Old Master a soul-striking question: “Great Grandfather, do you really miss me that much?”

Obviously, this was not the boy’s first time asking such a question.

Old Master was experienced, and he immediately replied without hesitation: “I missed you so much that I couldn’t enjoy my meals or sleep well.”

“I knew you were coming today, and I was restless all night. I woke up at 5:00 this morning, and I lost my appetite for breakfast. I’ve been waiting for your arrival.” Old Master said.

The little one listened and felt as if he’d found kindred spirits, busily saying: “Me too, me too! I only slept…” He counted on his fingers, “5, 6, 7, 8… 9 hours!”

Old Master twitched the corner of his mouth: “9 hours, that’s not little.”

Morgan said hurriedly: “It’s not! Usually on vacation, I sleep 10 or 11 hours!”

Old Master: “…”

“Then… then you’re not getting enough sleep.” Old Master said with a twitching mouth.

Morgan nodded heavily, confirming that this was true: “And I didn’t eat much for breakfast today, I only had a glass of milk, a slice of bread, and a fried egg. It’s much less than usual.”

“It’s all… all because I missed Great Grandfather!” Morgan added.

“Really?” Old Master’s smile revealed a slight twitch, “What time did you start having breakfast this morning?”

Morgan: “…”

He struggled to say: “At ten o’clock…”

The two elders knew that Cindy had reduced his breakfast slightly for fear that he would not have an appetite for lunch.

But whatever, Old Master’s talk about not eating well and not sleeping well was just a tease to the little one.

Both of them were teasing each other, so neither could blame the other.

Therefore, Old Master did not further expose Morgan.

Old Madam came over and asked: “Then how did you miss me?”

Morgan blinked his eyes, using the same words: “I…I couldn’t sleep well, nor could I enjoy my meals. I missed Great Grandmother just as much as I missed Great Grandfather.”

“Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother only need to miss me, but I have to miss both of you. It’s so tiring.” Morgan said with a weary face.

Unexpectedly, Victoria Wheeler sneered and slowly walked over, ruthlessly exposing him: “That’s not right. Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother only miss you, their hearts belong only to you. You fill both of their hearts, which equals you occupying two hearts.”

“But you have to miss both of them separately, splitting your heart into two halves, one for each. So it’s Great Grandfather and Great Grandmother who are at a disadvantage,” Victoria said, looking as if her heart ached for Old Master and Old Madam.

Morgan: “…”

What kind of devil grandmother is this?

However, Morgan wasn’t going to give up so easily.

He said to Victoria: “Grandmother, are you no longer the favorite person in Great Grandmother’s heart?”

Victoria: “…”

Old Madam: “…”

How is this still causing discord?

Even though they knew that the little one was sowing discord, and there was no technique at all in it.

Victoria couldn’t help but take the bait anyway, even though he just blatantly put his intentions out there.

She immediately took Old Madam’s arm and asked, “Mom, if you only miss Morgan, then what about me? What about me?”

Old Madam: “…”

Morgan also looked at Old Madam with great attention, wanting to hear her answer.

Old Madam: “…”

Old Master chuckled.

Let’s see how you’d answer this, Old Madam!

Old Madam forced a laugh, gritted her teeth, and took Victoria’s hand, saying, “You’ve always been in my heart, just… just you and Morgan taking turns, ah!”

“Taking turns?” Victoria looked puzzled at Old Madam.

Morgan also blinked his big, black eyes, radiating great confusion: “Taking turns?”

Old Madam pressed her chest and said, “My heart, you see, is whole and intact, and I can’t split it. One time, I can only miss one person.”

“So, I miss you one day and Morgan the next, then you, then Morgan. You two take turns.” Old Madam explained.

“Victoria, don’t blame me,” Old Madam held Victoria’s hand, “When I’m missing you, my heart is all yours, and I don’t think of anyone else. Believe me!”

Cindy: “…”

Turns out, you can say it like that!

She’s really learned something!

Even Morgan was dumbfounded.

His… his power was still lacking!

Compared to Great Grandmother, he was far behind.

So Morgan quickly took out his mobile phone, opened the notes, and recorded it diligently.

Of course, it was still a mix of Chinese characters and Pinyin, mostly Pinyin.

As long as he could understand it, it was fine.

Old Master: “…”

Old Master’s mouth twitched; he was a little farsighted now.

Morgan’s phone screen had small characters, and a mix of Chinese characters and Pinyin.

It looked like a string of ghost symbols from a distance.

Old Master couldn’t see clearly what the little one had written.

And the Pinyin was all written in lowercase letters, making it even more confusing.

“What are you writing?” Old Master directly asked.

Morgan paused from typing and said, “I’m writing down what Great Grandmother just said.”

Old Master: “…”

Victoria: “…”

Old Madam: “…”

Cindy: “…”

“So you can say it like that,” Morgan said with an admiring face, “I never thought of it.”

Old Master: “…”

Old Madam: “…”

Victoria: “…”

Cindy: “…”

Old Master glared fiercely at Old Madam, thinking that she could not teach anything good!

Chapter 716: Chapter 716: Did Gu Shen eat this when he was a child?

Thinking back… when he was young, he was also deceived by the cunning Old Madam.

It wasn’t until after they got married that he realized how glib the Old Madam was.

And he wasn’t the only one she fooled!

Cindy could already sense this.

With Old Madam’s influence, whether Morgan would become cunning or not would depend on his character.

The Old Master put the little guy down.

He still had his little backpack on.

In it were gaming consoles, an iPad, and other things he could play with.

Belfard prohibits setting off fireworks for Spring Festival.

Unable to play with those, Morgan could only play video games.

But now that it was snowing, he had lost interest in those games.

He put his backpack on the sofa. His hat, gloves, and scarf were still on, and he hadn’t taken off his down jacket.

He was ready to go out and play.

Morgan excitedly said, “Great Grandfather, Great Grandmother, I want to go see the snow.”

“Go ahead,” the Old Master said happily.

No matter what request Morgan made, the Old Master was always willing to oblige.

Especially for something as small as seeing the snow.

Old Madam quickly added, “But don’t play outside too long or you’ll catch a cold. Just watch for a while, then come back in.”

“With the way it’s snowing, there will be a thin layer of snow by the afternoon. At that time, you can go out and play in the snow,” Old Madam said.

“Will there be a thick layer of snow during the daytime?” Morgan asked expectantly.

“Not likely,” Victoria Wheeler dashed his hopes.

“The sun will be out during the day, and the temperature won’t be low enough for the snow to stay on the ground,” Victoria explained. “But it can happen at night. It’s cold enough for the snow to stay on the ground at night.”

“If it keeps snowing tonight, you’ll see a thick layer of snow tomorrow morning,” Victoria said.

The reason she said this was because, traditionally, everyone stayed at the family mansion during Spring Festival.

Cindy and Morgan were joining the Zhekova Family for Spring Festival and would be staying here as well.

They would stay up together on New Year’s Eve to eat dumplings.

It would be worrisome if they went home too late.

Moreover, there was heavy snow today.

So Morgan went out, full of anticipation, to play in the snow.

The other servants in the mansion were busy decorating for Spring Festival.

After finishing the decorations, they too would go home for the holidays.

Belfard prohibits setting off fireworks.

Even in their own courtyard, they wouldn’t secretly set them off.

As a festive touch, Butler Howard bought some firecracker-shaped decorations.

They were fake and couldn’t be lit, but hanging on the tree, they were bright red and festive.

Now they were hanging on the tree with snow falling on them.

Seeing the red and white made them look even better.

The windows of each room in the mansion were adorned with paper-cut designs.

Couplet banners were pasted on the front door.

Fortune characters were put along the outer corridor for a festive touch.

With Morgan outside playing in the snow, Cindy was preparing the dumpling filling.

Aunt Evans had already kneaded the dough.

As soon as the dumpling filling was ready, they could start rolling out the dough and wrapping dumplings.

Because they had Cindy, an amazing cook at home.

Aunt Evans didn’t compete with Cindy to prepare the dumpling filling.

I’ll just be Cindy’s assistant then.

In addition to the traditional meat filling, Cindy also bought Spanish mackerel and squid.

She deboned the Spanish mackerel, mixed with eggs, and minced both the mackerel and squid into a paste.

She continued to work the fish paste to gain more texture.

Then, she made a thick soup by boiling fish bones and adding gelatin sheets.

She placed the soup in the refrigerator to turn it into a fish jelly.

She then cut the fish jelly into small cubes.

Creating a fishball with the fish paste by hand, she made a hole in the middle, placed the fish jelly cube inside, wrapped it up, and then wrapped it into a dumpling skin.

Aunt Evans brought over some brand-new coins that had been cleaned and disinfected with boiling water.

They were all small coins worth a tenth of a dollar.

“Our family didn’t have the habit of putting coins in dumplings during the Spring Festival. We only had it when Young Master was little,” Aunt Evans said with a smile.

Little kids love this kind of surprise.

Whoever eats the dumpling containing a coin is said to have wealth, success, and good fortune in the coming year.

Adrian Zhekova also loved it as a child.

He looked forward to eating dumplings the most during the Spring Festival.

“Adrian ate them too when he was a kid?” Cindy asked in surprise.

She was very curious about Adrian’s childhood.

Aunt Evans laughed and said, “Yes, the Young Master loved it when he was a child. In order to get the coin-filled dumplings, he could eat several plates.”

“Just think about it, he was such a small child with a little appetite, but he managed to eat more than forty dumplings just to get a coin. He was so stuffed that he couldn’t walk.”

“But that was when he was a child,” Aunt Evans said. “By the time the Young Master was in junior high school, he stopped eating coin-filled dumplings. I don’t know if he still looked forward to it, but by then he had developed an adult temperament and insisted on not doing such childish things.”

As people grow up, they tend to lose interest or disdain for these traditional customs.

They don’t care much about these forms anymore.

“So our family temporarily suspended the habit of putting coins in dumplings during the Spring Festival,” Aunt Evans said.

“We haven’t done it for many years. But now that Morgan is here, I think he will definitely love it!” Aunt Evans said.

“Let him enjoy it while he’s still willing to play this game. When he grows up, I’m afraid he’ll be like Young Master,” Aunt Evans said.

Cindy nodded, smiling, and said, “That’s what I think too. Morgan has never eaten coin-filled dumplings before. He was too young before, and I was afraid he might accidentally swallow the coin.”

Last year during the Spring Festival, Morgan was only three years old, and he didn’t turn four until his birthday later that year.

“Now I’m not worried anymore. We can let him eat them, and he’ll be pleasantly surprised,” Cindy said.

So she and Aunt Evans occasionally wrapped coins in the dumplings together.

Not only Cindy and Aunt Evans were making dumplings,

Victoria Wheeler and the Old Madam were also helping.

The four of them sat around the dining table, making dumplings while chatting.

As for the Old Master, he didn’t know how to make dumplings, so he went to play with Morgan.

Butler Howard was in charge of decorating the family mansion for Spring Festival.

For the squid-filled dumplings, Cindy used squid ink to mix a small amount of black dough, and rolled it out to make black dumpling skins.

In addition to the Spanish mackerel and squid-filled dumplings,

There were also the regular pork-filled ones.

Cindy chose pork belly.

However, the pork belly still had too much fat.

She cut off a lot of the fat, leaving just a little in the lean meat.

A little bit of fat makes for juicy meat and prevents the dumplings from being too dry.

In the meat filling, she added chopped shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, green onions, and cabbage.

They added a few coins to dumplings with different fillings.

Additionally, Cindy prepared some special fillings.

Chapter 717: Chapter 717: Year

While unique, it wasn’t distasteful.

Cindy Clarke ground the chestnuts into fine chestnut paste, blending a little lard to make the chestnut smoother.

After adding a touch of sugar, she shaped it into dumplings.

However, she had no intention of boiling these dumplings, instead, they were to be pan-fried.

It turned out to be a version of chestnut crisp.

She set aside these special chestnut-filled dumplings separately, fearing they would get mixed up with others due to their different cooking methods.

Boiling them would, of course, be fine.

But because the chestnut filling is sweet, the taste and texture would differ from regular desserts when mixed with the dumpling skin, affecting the flavor.

After finishing the dumplings, she covered them with a layer of cling wrap to prevent the dough from drying and cracking when exposed to the air.

Especially with the heating on in the house, the high temperature and very dry conditions could have this effect.

Aunt Evans was only halfway through when she went to prepare lunch.

Otherwise, they would not know when they could have lunch.

But by that time, over half of the dumplings were already done, and there weren’t many left.

The Old Madam, Victoria Wheeler, and Cindy Clarke quickly finished the leftovers.

Aunt Evans came out to clear the table.

Then she brought out lunch.

As they still had a feast for New Year’s Eve dinner, lunch was kept relatively simple.

The marinated meat was prepared by Aunt Evans a few days ago for the Spring Festival.

For example, soy-marinated beef, pig stomach, smoked fish, sausage, and pork skin aspic.

These alone made for five dishes.

They also had quite a lot of marinated meat gift boxes from others.

The family had already distributed some to people working in the family mansion.

Bodyguards, gatekeepers, gardeners, and cleaners were naturally included, and, of course, Butler Howard and Aunt Evans were not forgotten.

Even so, they still had plenty.

Nearly no cooking was required.

Aunt Evans took those out.

Some were served cold, while others tasted better after being heated up.

The remaining food was just some cold mixed vegetables, which was also very simple.

At noon, besides the elderly couple, only Victoria Wheeler and Cindy Clarke were present, accompanied by the little one, Butler Howard, and Aunt Evans.

They genuinely couldn’t eat much.

Cindy took the opportunity when the dishes were being served to call Morgan Zhekova and the Old Master for lunch.

The old and the young had been outside for two hours, surprisingly without feeling cold.

When they came in, both of their faces were incredibly red.

Having been outside for a long time, they were quite chilled.

Only after a good while did they start to feel warm inside.

Once they were truly warm, the elderly and the young took off their coats.

Aunt Evans poured them hot water, letting them drink a few mouthfuls to warm up their stomachs, and then they began to enjoy their lunch.

In the afternoon, the snow continued to fall.

A layer of white had accumulated on the ground, but it was still very light.

One step could tread through the light layer of snow, revealing the ground beneath.

Thus, the little one lost interest in playing in the snow.

Just watching it snow without being able to build a snowman was boring.

The little one was just waiting to see how thick the snow would be when he woke up the next morning.

So, in the afternoon, the little one roamed around the house, sticking window decorations.

The window decorations were already in place awhile ago.

But the little one was bored and liked sticking them anywhere.

The elderly couple indulged him.

They even asked Aunt Evans to find more leftover window decorations.

Regardless of whether little Morgan placed the stickers properly or not, he was allowed to stick them anywhere he wanted.

Nevertheless, such whims seldom lasted for long. After applying a few stickers, he got tired.

He took out his iPad to play with.

However, Cindy wouldn’t allow him to play it for long as it could strain his eyes.

The Old Master remembered something, suggested, “Why don’t you play the Nintendo Switch?”

He had previously bought a set for Morgan.

Alongside it, he purchased a lot of games too.

Adrian also had a set for him.

But it was inconvenient to take it everywhere when moving.

Since Morgan often came to the family mansion, the Old Master simply kept a set at the mansion for him.

Not only the Switch, but even toys that Morgan’s house didn’t have were kept here by the Old Master.

How else would they attract Morgan to come over if not like this?

Remembering this, Morgan changed his clothes, ran over to his little courtyard at the mansion to fetch it.

He brought it back to the living room, connected to the television, and began to play.

Seeing that he wasn’t getting into too much mischief, Cindy and Aunt Evans began preparing New Year’s Eve Dinner.

In past years, the mansion would hire a team of chefs to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner.

However, there were too many, and it was a time for family reunion, only family was present.

Having strangers around made people feel uncomfortable.

This year, Cindy asked the Old Madam about the mansion’s New Year traditions.

After listening, she offered to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner with Aunt Evans.

Actually, there weren’t many family members.

The elders, Maverick and his wife, then her, Adrian, and little Morgan.

Altogether just seven people, the New Year’s Eve dinner wasn’t much of a grand project.

As for Butler Howard and Aunt Evans, they don’t spend New Year’s at the mansion.

Both Butler Howard and Aunt Evans usually live in the mansion.

However, for investment and a sense of security from owning a house.

Both also bought houses in Belfard.

Since they usually worked at the mansion and it had courtyards prepared for them.

They wound up living there, instead of commuting back and forth, which was a lot of trouble.

But New Year’s Eve is meant to be spent with family.

Both of their sons had married. Given their treatment at the mansion, buying a house in Belfard was quite easy.

So, they also bought a house for their son.

Therefore, every year at New Year, after they finished their work at the mansion, Butler Howard and Aunt Evans would go directly to their son’s house to spend New Year’s Eve there.

After that, they went back to their house.

They would return to the mansion on the morning of the first day of the New Year.

Cindy had given Aunt Evans the ingredients needed beforehand.

Therefore, Aunt Evans had made preparations early.

In the afternoon, she helped Cindy prepare the meal.

Cindy then urged Aunt Evans: “Aunt Evans, you and Butler Howard should head back early for New Year’s. Otherwise, it’ll be dark by the time you get back, and who knows when you’ll have your New Year’s Eve dinner.”

“I could help you finish cooking the dishes.” Aunt Evans couldn’t bear to leave all this to Cindy.

The task was indeed a big one.

“Actually, most of them are already prepared.” Cindy said, “We’ve got stir-fry that you precooked, and also those New Year gift boxes. Both the Poon Choi and Buddha Jumps over the Wall gift boxes from ‘Quire’ and ‘Eastco Resto’ have arrived; they will be perfect for tonight’s dinner.”

Every Spring Festival, Restaurants under Pingla Corp. generally release some New Year dishes.

All of them were personally created by the head chefs.

Then the restaurant cooks would prepare them into gift boxes, most of them capable of lasting 7 days.

They would be bought by customers and added to their New Year’s Eve dinner.

For example, the dish prepared by ‘Quire’ this year was Buddha Jumps over the Wall.

As for ‘Eastco Resto’, they prepared Poon Choi.

These two were the highest Michelin-rated restaurants under Pingla Corp.

Chapter 718: Chapter 718: Can’t Even Fry an Egg Properly

The two New Year’s Eve dishes brought to the family mansion for them to taste.

And “Fresh Vegetarian” introduced a special lamb spine hotpot gift box, also sold after being frozen.

“With so many dishes, I just need to add a few hot dishes.” Cindy Clarke said with a smile, “I’m a chef, and I’m very fast. You can go celebrate the New Year with Butler Howard.”

In the end, after much persuasion, Aunt Evans and Butler Howard were finally sent away.

Moreover, Aunt Evans had prepared all the ingredients, so Cindy Clarke didn’t need to do any more work.

She could just start cooking.

Just as she was about to start, Adrian Zhekova and Maverick Zhekova came home.

Due to the New Year, many of their employees from other places had taken a few days off to go home early, to avoid the travel rush season.

The employees who lived in Belfard stayed until today.

But because it was New Year’s Eve, the company let employees off early today, allowing them to leave first.

Therefore, when Adrian Zhekova and Maverick Zhekova entered, it was only four-thirty.

Upon entering, they saw that the little one was already tired and lying on the sofa.

He had played with his Switch before, doing a lot of physical activities, and even sweating.

Since the little one had limited energy, he now had little spirit left.

“Grandfather, Daddy.” The little kid saw the two men come in but was too lazy to get up, calling them listlessly.

Adrian Zhekova raised an eyebrow: “What happened to you?”

Old Madam laughed and told him what the little one had done in the afternoon, “He tired himself out.”

He didn’t feel it while playing, but now, listening to Old Madam’s words.

He was surprised to find that he had done so much exercise in the afternoon.

The energetic little one, who didn’t like exercising, collapsed back onto the sofa.

It was even more exaggerated this time, sticking out his tongue like a little dog who had collapsed from exhaustion.

Adrian Zhekova: “…”

Maverick Zhekova couldn’t help laughing: “This little fellow is quite mischievous.”

He walked over, and seeing that the little one was tired, he didn’t pick him up to play.

Instead, he bent down and rubbed his face against the little one’s for a while.

“Ouch, Grandpa, your stubble is so hard!” The little one felt the prickly and ticklish sensation from Maverick’s stubble.

Old Madam saw that the little one’s tender cheeks were rubbed red by Maverick’s stubble, and quickly let him get up, “Before you kiss Morgan, shave your beard first!”

Maverick Zhekova touched his chin, feeling quite clean, “I shave every morning.”

“It’s been a day, and quite a lot has grown back. Unless you shave your chin smooth, you’re not allowed to touch Morgan!” Old Madam said.

This time, the Old Master unexpectedly sided with the Old Madam, saying: “Right! Your mother is right! You listen to her!”

Maverick Zhekova: “…”

The Old Master came over and stretched out his chin, “Look at me, I shaved this morning, then again at noon. Now my chin is still smooth. I can kiss Morgan anytime!”

Maverick Zhekova: “…”

Morgan excitedly held his face, “No wonder I felt so smooth when Great Grandfather kissed me today!”

“I didn’t expect Great Grandfather to do so much for me.” The little one praised while shaking his head, “Great Grandfather is so thoughtful!”

The Old Master was immediately flattered by the little one’s praise and became more energetic.

“Morgan is such a thoughtful child.” The Old Master was extremely moved.

Maverick Zhekova: “…”

What did the little one do to deserve being called thoughtful?

Did he only praise the Old Master a few times?

“He could feel how smooth my chin was, so attentive.” The Old Master continued to praise.

Maverick Zhekova: “…”

Morgan grinned happily, feeling like the beloved of the Zhekova family.

Seeing his reaction, Adrian Zhekova knew exactly what was going through the child’s mind.

He sneered and ruthlessly crushed Morgan’s dream: “You might as well take advantage of your cuteness now. Once you grow up and lose your cuteness, you won’t be so lucky.”

Especially when he and Cindy Clarke give birth to a little sister for Morgan.

By then, who wouldn’t love a soft little girl!

No one would remember Morgan then.

At that time, Morgan would be yesterday’s leftover vegetables.

Morgan: “…”

“Then I’ll take advantage of it now and be as cute as possible.” The little one suddenly felt a sense of crisis.

He immediately stretched out his hand towards Maverick Zhekova: “Grandpa, hug!”

“I just came in from outside, and my body is cold.” Maverick Zhekova said, “Just wait a moment.”

While saying this, Maverick Zhekova took off his coat.

Feeling that his sweater inside wasn’t so cold anymore, he quickly picked up the little one.

“I don’t dislike hugging you.” Maverick Zhekova hurriedly explained.

Having spent so much time together, Maverick Zhekova knew that this little guy was quite vengeful.

He had to explain himself very clearly.

Otherwise, if the little one held a grudge in the future, he wouldn’t let him hug him.

“I just waited for my clothes to warm up; otherwise, it wouldn’t be good for you to get cold.” Maverick Zhekova said.

“I know!” The little one said cheerfully, “Grandpa is so considerate too!”

Maverick Zhekova was immediately happy, and he teased Old Master with a dancing look in his eyes.

Look, it’s not just the Old Master who can be considerate.

He is considerate too!

Old Master: “…”

On this side, eyebrows and eyes fought like knives and swords.

Cindy Clarke decided not to get involved and quietly went back to the kitchen.

The kitchen was safe.

Adrian Zhekova felt that his son was not as fragrant as his wife.

So he took off his coat and followed Cindy Clarke into the kitchen.

Cindy Clarke was cutting beef strips, and Adrian Zhekova asked, “What are you planning to cook tonight?”

Cindy Clarke smiled at him and said, “We have Poon Choi and Buddha Jumps over the Wall at home, just need to heat it up. Aunt Evans also cooked a lot of braised dishes.”

“I’ll just add a few more hot dishes. I’ll make Tinfoil Beef, Braised Pork, Apple Honey Roasted Chicken, Shrimp Tofu Steamed Egg. Aunt Evans also bought King Crab and Western Rock Lobster.”

“King Crab is best steamed for the freshest taste, and since it’s steamed, I’ll make the Western Rock Lobster sweet, sour and spicy.” Cindy Clarke said, “I’ll also make a Sautéed Spicy Fish.”

Having chicken and fish for the New Year’s Eve Dinner brings good luck.

These dishes may not be rare, but family dinner tables can’t do without them, symbolizing auspiciousness and good luck.

“That’s it.” Cindy Clarke said.

“Then let me help.” Adrian Zhekova rolled up his sleeves and said.

“There’s no need.” Cindy Clarke hurriedly said, knowing that this man couldn’t cook.

Didn’t she know Adrian Zhekova?

He had no clue about kitchen stuff.

Although Pingla specialized in food, he couldn’t even cook a fried egg himself.

If he really wanted to help, he might end up doing more harm than good.

“These dishes may look like a lot, but they are actually quite simple and will be done quickly. Plus, Aunt Evans prepared all the ingredients for me; I just need to cook them.”

“Then I’ll just be here, and if you need me to do anything, just say.” Adrian Zhekova said without giving up.

Chapter 719: Chapter 719: Stronger Than Your Dad!

Having said that, he pulled up a chair to sit down and watched Cindy intently.

Although they had been living together for a while and were even married.

However, when cooking, being stared at non-stop by Adrian Zhekova like this, Cindy still felt uncomfortable, and even her hand movements were not as smooth as before.

“You better go out now!” Cindy said helplessly to Adrian Zhekova, “I’m more comfortable in the kitchen by myself. If you keep staring at me, I’ll be uneasy, and I don’t know when dinner will be ready.”

Besides, being stared at by Adrian Zhekova made her uneasy, and if the cuisine went wrong, it would make her look clumsy.

It would make her seem so unprofessional.

But Adrian Zhekova felt that since everyone was playing in the living room, it was not right to leave Cindy alone here to prepare New Year’s Eve Dinner.

It made her look lonely, as if she was here just to cook.

His heart ached.

At this moment, seeing Cindy take out the King Crab, which could still move its long legs, Adrian Zhekova immediately said, “I can clean the crab shells.”

There may be some parasites on the King Crab’s shell.

It’s not poisonous, but it’s better to clean it up.

“Aunt Evans has already cleaned it up,” Cindy said.

“Then, what should I cut?” Adrian Zhekova asked again.

Cindy saw that Adrian Zhekova was not willing to leave no matter what she said.

She thought about her menu for tonight and said, “How about you cut apples?”

For the Apple Honey Roasted Chicken, Adrian Zhekova could actually help out.

It’s a family meal anyway, so there isn’t such a high requirement for knife skills.

It doesn’t matter if the apples are cut into different sizes.

Finally receiving instructions, Adrian Zhekova quickly took the apples and started preparing them on the side.

Cindy began marinating the beef first.

She cut the beef into strips, added soy sauce, rice wine, butter, salt, sugar, starch, and a little water.

She stirred the mixture while adding some peanut oil.

After mixing all these ingredients evenly, she set the beef aside to marinate.

Looking back, Cindy saw that Adrian Zhekova was working enthusiastically.

She then gave him some onions and celery, and said, “Later, chop these up too. Cut the onions into chunks and the celery into sections.”

“You see, I can be quite helpful!” Adrian Zhekova said proudly.

“Yes, yes, yes.” Cindy laughed.

Then, she steamed the King Crab in a pot.

Next, she took out the chicken that was marinated and placed in the refrigerator earlier, stuffing the apple pieces sliced by Adrian Zhekova into the chicken’s belly.

Adrian Zhekova saw this and said, “Is this similar to the dish you made during the competition?”

Cindy nodded, “It was from the mock deserted island competition; however, the ingredients were limited at that time. Now, I can make a complete version.”

Morgan Zhekova had been clamoring to eat it since watching that competition.

However, the little one had too many things he wanted to eat.

Cindy had written them all down in her notebook, making them in order for him.

It was finally the apple roast chicken’s turn.

She then melted some butter with honey in a double boiler.

Mixing broccoli, potato chunks, corn, cherry tomatoes together, she added salt, sugar, cumin powder, chili powder, and olive oil to the mixture and set it aside.

She brushed the melted honey butter on the chicken regularly to give it color and keep it from getting dry while roasting.

By this time, the marinated beef was ready.

She took the onion chunks and celery sections sliced by Adrian Zhekova, added enoki mushrooms, and spread them out on tin foil, placing the marinated beef on top and covering it with another layer of foil, sealing the edges.

Since this dish was easy to make, Cindy didn’t hurry to cook it.

Otherwise, it would have gotten cold after being cooked.

Then, while the roast chicken was cooking, it was time to prepare the braised pork dish.

First, the fatty skin on top was grilled in a hot pot, then the surface was cleaned.

It was cut into squares and each piece was tied with a string into a cross shape.

These pieces were placed into the pot, along with scallions, ginger, and cooking wine, and were quickly boiled to remove any unpleasant taste.

Afterwards, the water was drained, and the bottom of the pot was lined with scallions and ginger slices. The pork was placed skin-side down on top, and rock sugar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, chili, cinnamon, and star anise were added, followed by rice wine and beer. The dish was simmered over low heat.

Cindy carefully calculated the timing of everything.

Longer cooking dishes were prepared first, followed by shorter ones.

That way, several dishes were being cooked at once.

Although cooking multiple dishes took time.

But with Cindy’s precise calculations and careful planning, the preparations went quickly.

As a professional, her cooking was faster and more efficient than Aunt Evans’.

Finally, when the braised pork was almost done,

Cindy put the tinfoil beef into the pot, which had been set aside earlier, and braised it directly, without adding water, for 10 minutes.

“Alright, let’s serve the dishes,” Cindy said to Adrian Zhekova.

Thus, the two of them carried the dishes out one by one.

Some dishes, like Poon Choi and Buddha Jumps over the Wall, were prepared in large pots and placed on induction cookers, allowing people to enjoy them while they continued cooking.

Maverick Zhekova also went to the wine cellar and brought out many bottles of wine.

The Old Master turned on the television.

Although they couldn’t watch it during dinner, they could still listen to the voices.

At that time, the news broadcast was still going on, and the TV was airing news reports.

“In the past, we’d hire a team of chefs to prepare our meals. They’d serve the dishes one by one, and we would eat them as they came out. It was convenient, but since they were not part of the family, we had to be careful about our conversations and couldn’t be as carefree as we wished,” the Old Madam said.

“This is the first time it’s just us family members having a New Year’s Eve Dinner,” the Old Madam added.

Having a team of chefs in the house meant more people, and it felt lively with everyone bustling around.

This year, without those people, the restaurant suddenly felt emptier.

But the atmosphere was just as warm and cozy as ever.

With only family members present, as long as everyone was there, there was no sense of loneliness or withering.

On the contrary, things felt even more welcoming and comfortable.

“Come on now.” The Old Master raised his glass, “This year, our New Year’s gathering is the most complete. In the future, we can add even more people to our celebration!”

Adrian Zhekova had been talking about having a little sister for Morgan Zhekova.

Normally, elder family members would nag about such things.

Adrian Zhekova was exceptional, as he didn’t need any reminders from the elders and was incredibly proactive.

That’s why the Old Master stopped mentioning it.

He was afraid that talking about it too much would put pressure on Cindy.

“When Morgan grows up and brings his girlfriend home, our dinner table will be even busier,” the Old Madam laughed cheerfully.

It was unclear if she and the Old Master would be able to witness that day.

However, Morgan suddenly said, “Great Grandmother, don’t worry. I will start dating early, get married early, and definitely bring my wife home for all of you to see.”

“Well done!” The Old Madam immediately gave Morgan a thumbs-up.

She was proud of her great-grandson’s sense of responsibility!

“Much better than your father!” The Old Madam praised.

Adrian Zhekova was about to defend himself: “Grandmother, I had a child at 24, that’s pretty fast.”

Old Madam: “….”

“At 24 you had a child, but did you bring Cindy and Morgan home then?” The Old Madam shot him a glance, “Didn’t you only bring them back after so many years?”

Chapter 720: Chapter 720: Returning to the Game and Failing

How dare you say that!

The Old Madam couldn’t be bothered with him, and picked up a piece of the Braised Pork for herself.

The Braised Pork was cut into perfectly square pieces, with the fatty parts as soft as jelly.

At first, Old Madam wasn’t prepared, and she didn’t know this was the case.

As a result, when she picked it up with her chopsticks, she almost crushed the fatty part.

Old Madam took a quick look and hurriedly started using a spoon as well.

With a spoon in one hand and chopsticks in the other, she picked up the Braised Pork and put it in her bowl.

When placed on the rice, the sauce from the Braised Pork seeped into the rice grains.

Old Madam untied the string wrapped around the Braised Pork.

Since the knot tied by Cindy was a slip knot, it was easily untied.

Learning from her previous experience, Old Madam used the spoon to scoop out a piece of Braised Pork.

The fat on top had already been cooked so tender that it was almost melting away.

When she gently tapped the spoon, the layers of fat on top jiggled with a “DuangDuang” sound.

The layers of fat had been braised so translucent that they looked like they’d melt at the slightest touch.

Underneath the fatty layers was the lean meat.

Stewed slowly on low heat, the fat and sauce gradually seeped into the lean meat.

Even the lean meat became tender from slow cooking.

Using just an ordinary ceramic spoon, with its round edges and lack of sharpness, she was still able to cut through the Braised Pork smoothly and easily.

In the spoon, Old Madam could see the fatty parts jiggling as she lifted the spoon.

Old Madam put the Braised Pork in her mouth.

The fatty parts instantly slid around in her mouth like jelly.

The tender and juicy lean meat, mixed with the remaining bits of fat, offered a diverse and smooth texture.

The rich sauce was slightly sweet and carried a hint of spiciness and aroma of wine.

Old Madam mixed the remaining half with her rice for her next bite.

The rich sauce paired well with the separate, chewy grains of rice.

“This Braised Pork is so good with rice that I don’t need to eat anything else; just eating this would make me full,” said Old Madam.

Unfortunately, Cindy hadn’t prepared much, just enough for one piece per person.

Seeing Old Madam’s expression, Cindy could tell what she was regretting.

Cindy laughed and said, “Grandmother, even if it’s delicious, we shouldn’t eat too much. One piece is good enough.”

Elderly people especially shouldn’t consume too much of this type of high-fat, high-cholesterol food.

It’s best to only indulge in moderation.

In order to prevent the two elderly from becoming too gluttonous, Cindy had deliberately only prepared one piece for each person.

However, it was true that even though it tasted good, eating too much would eventually get sickening.

Not to mention, there were still so many other dishes to try.

Old Madam could only lick the remaining sauce from her mouth, her craving unsatisfied.

“In a little while, make it again,” Old Madam said. “So I can indulge my craving.”

“Alright,” Cindy agreed readily.

Old Master sneered, “Just look at this pathetic display of yours!”

As if she’d never tasted anything good before.

Old Madam snorted and said, “You just watch; don’t eat it when the time comes.”

“I won’t, I will eat it,” Old Master retorted. When faced with delicious food, things like saving face didn’t matter to him.

Adrian Zhekova picked up the knife again and began cutting the chicken.

The first cut went straight through the chicken’s belly.

The moment the chicken belly was cut open, the aroma of fruit immediately filled the air.

Previously, the chicken belly had kept the fruity scent contained within.

All they could smell was the aroma of roast chicken and the light fragrance of the vegetables under and around it.

But now, with the chicken belly cut open, the soft baked apples spilled out.

Along with them came the syrupy fruit juices, mixed with the meat juices that had been roasted from the chicken.

The meat juice and fruit juice were mixed together, emitting both a meaty and fruity aroma.

Originally, the combination seemed mismatched in both appearance and concept, yet unexpectedly, it turned out to be harmonious.

The hot juice that flowed out of the chicken was still steaming.

It made the fragrance even richer.

The surface of the chicken was glossy and golden from the honey and butter brushed on it.

Without even taking a bite, the mere smell of it was enough to make everyone’s mouth water incessantly.

The chicken bones had been roasted to a crisp, making it very easy to cut.

Adrian Zhekova then cut the chicken into several pieces, like white-cut chicken, making it easier to pick up.

Cindy Clarke had intended to take it to the kitchen to cut it, but she hadn’t done so before in order not to ruin its initial appearance which looked more appealing.

Also, cutting it too early might cause it to cool.

How could Adrian Zhekova let Cindy do that?

She had been busy cooking dinner for a long time.

“I’ll take care of such minor matters,” Adrian Zhekova stopped her and took the initiative to find a knife to handle it.

Although Adrian Zhekova couldn’t cook and his knife skills were mediocre,

he had at least eaten white-cut chicken in a restaurant and knew what it should look like.

Moreover, the chicken bones had been roasted to a crispy texture, making them easy to cut.

Despite Adrian Zhekova’s problematic knife skills, he managed to cut the chicken quite well.

Maverick Zhekova took a piece of chicken thigh for Morgan Zhekova.

Although there were only two chicken thighs, they were cut into several pieces by Adrian Zhekova, so everyone had a chance to taste it.

The chicken thigh was juicy and tender, with a silky texture, and it was enjoyable to gnaw on the bone.

The little one took a bite, and the crispy skin immediately made a “crunch” sound in his mouth.

At the same time, the oily juice melted in his mouth.

“So crispy and delicious!” Despite burning his tongue, the little one couldn’t help but continue eating.

Although there was the aroma of apple, it was not overly sweet.

The vegetables underneath the roasted chicken were soaked in the natural chicken juice, giving them a fresh taste.

At this time, the Buddha Jumps over the Wall and Poon Choi in the middle were heated, and the water inside began to boil.

“Oh, yes, Cindy, how did your recording go yesterday?” the Old Madam asked.

It wasn’t a competition, just a special program recording.

Nearing the end of the year, the family was busy.

The grandparents had many guests to entertain.

Because it wasn’t a competition and not that important, they unusually didn’t go to the scene.

There were no surprises on site.

Without competitors who disliked seeing others do well, the audience-voted returnees naturally had good public relations, charm, and audience appeal.

Every day during the competition, the audience didn’t like the constant arguing.

So, people like Joseph Tanner, Iris Doone, and Blake Walker were not well-liked by the audience.

Except for a few who voted for them, most netizens did not vote for them.

Among those few votes, besides the fans with very different appreciation levels, most votes should have been pulled from their friends and family.

Cindy wasn’t surprised that they even had fans.

Who doesn’t have fans these days?

There are always people with different levels of appreciation.

As for Zoe Silverstone, although her name was on the vote option, she had no chance to canvass for votes at all.

Not to mention her main account being blocked.

All her alternate accounts were closely monitored as well.

Zoe Silverstone had no chance to contact her fans.

Plus, being absent for so long, she had lost almost all of her fans.

So, in this round of voting, Zoe Silverstone didn’t make a comeback either.