Madam, Please Behave-Chapter 170: Eating Your Cooking

August 31st.

Sunday.

Tomorrow was Liu Xiazhi’s first day of school. Unlike her older brother, Liu Zhiyue, elementary school didn’t start early;the official opening day was September 1st.

To celebrate his daughter advancing to the fifth grade, Liu Changqing had taken her shopping for a brand-new backpack.

It was a black leather backpack, simple and stylish, without any cartoon designs—purchased from a specialty store.

Liu Xiazhi adored her new bag. Sitting in the back seat, she had already slung it over her shoulders, unable to contain her excitement.

Every so often, she would ask, “Does it look good?”

“It looks great! My daughter is the most beautiful girl in the world!”

Hearing her father’s answer, Liu Xiazhi giggled, covering her mouth with both hands.

She was clearly thrilled with her new schoolbag.

As he drove, Liu Changqing glanced at An Yuanyao, who was sitting beside him. After a moment of thought, he softly thanked her.

“Thanks for this. If you hadn’t taken us, I wouldn’t have known where to find a backpack like this.”

“As long as Xiazhi likes it, that’s all that matters.”

An Yuanyao’s voice was gentle.

Since it was Sunday, she didn’t need to go to work. If Liu Changqing hadn’t suddenly called, she would have spent the entire day at home.

Being alone, she didn’t really have a reason to go out.

After hearing her response, Liu Changqing suggested, “Since we’re already out, why don’t we grab something to eat?”

“Hmm…”

An Yuanyao hesitated.

Ever since she started helping Liu Changqing with work, she had been eating out constantly. No matter how delicious the food, eating out too often got tiring.

She remembered that Liu Changqing was a great cook—she had even asked him for cooking tips before.

A faint smile appeared on her face as she suggested, “How about you cook for us this time?”

“You want to eat my cooking?”

Liu Changqing was slightly taken aback but didn’t refuse.

He nodded. “Alright, then we’ll need to stop by the market first.”

With that, he drove toward the local market.

After parking, he pulled the handbrake, turned off the engine, and looked back at his daughter in the back seat.

“Stay in the car and don’t run around, okay?”

“I know!”

“Alright, let’s go.”

This last remark was directed at An Yuanyao.

She nodded, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car, following Liu Changqing into the market.

By this time of day, the market wasn’t as lively as it was in the morning, but An Yuanyao still found it fascinating.

She followed closely behind Liu Changqing, curiously looking around.

Noticing her interest, Liu Changqing chuckled and asked, “Never been to a place like this before?”

“No, this is my first time.”

“Then where do you usually buy groceries?”

“The supermarket, of course.”

“I see… I don’t really like buying from supermarkets.”

Liu Changqing casually remarked.

If he had the option, he always preferred shopping at the market over supermarkets. It was a habit he had formed long ago—market produce always seemed fresher.

Stopping at a poultry stall, Liu Changqing greeted the vendor.

“Old Zhang, get me a chicken and butcher it.”

“Well, look who it is! Haven’t seen you in a while!”

The vendor feigned surprise upon hearing Liu Changqing’s voice.

He recognized him—although they weren’t close, Liu Changqing was a regular customer.

Liu Changqing handed him a cigarette, which the vendor accepted and lit up.

After taking a puff, he noticed An Yuanyao standing behind Liu Changqing, covering her nose with her hand.

His eyes flickered with curiosity as he turned back to Liu Changqing.

“Is this your wife?”

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Liu Changqing replied, shaking his head. “Just get me a good one. Make sure it’s cleaned properly.”

“Got it!”

The vendor chuckled.

Glancing at An Yuanyao once more, he smiled knowingly before turning back to the chicken coop.

After carefully selecting one, he held it up. “How about this one?”

“That’ll do.”

“Alright!”

The vendor got to work, swiftly slaughtering the struggling bird.

Though An Yuanyao found the smell unpleasant, she didn’t complain.

Instead, she simply stood behind Liu Changqing, watching the vendor’s skilled hands as he made a clean cut across the chicken’s neck.

Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed onto Liu Changqing’s belt.

Feeling the sudden tug at his waist, Liu Changqing turned his head in surprise.

He could see that she was scared, but that didn’t change the fact that she was gripping his belt.

With a hint of helplessness in his voice, he said, “If you’re scared, just turn away. But don’t pull on my belt—it’s a bit tight now.”

“Ah! Sorry!”

Realizing what she had done, An Yuanyao quickly let go and turned her back to the scene.

After a brief pause, she asked, “Do you… come here often?”

“Pretty often. Whenever I cook at home, I usually buy ingredients here. If the smell is too much, you can wait in the car.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

She quickly waved off his suggestion.

Her initial fear had subsided slightly, and now curiosity took over.

Peeking from behind him, she continued watching.

It was her first time seeing a chicken being butchered up close, and though it had scared her at first, there was something fascinating about it.

Especially with Liu Changqing standing beside her.

Once he had paid for the chicken and finished buying the rest of the ingredients, they returned to the car.

Back home, Liu Changqing changed into slippers and immediately headed for the kitchen.

After some quick preparations, he got to work.

The butcher had already chopped the chicken into pieces, but they were too large for his liking. He planned to cut them smaller.

However, before he could start, An Yuanyao quietly approached, watching him intently.

Noticing her gaze, Liu Changqing raised an eyebrow.

“What are you looking at?”

“Do you need help? I cook for myself all the time…”

“You want to chop the chicken?”

He placed the cleaver on the cutting board and turned to handle other ingredients.

But when he glanced back, he saw An Yuanyao gripping the cleaver with both hands, as if preparing to split firewood.

Startled, he rushed over and took the knife from her.

Seeing the confused look on her face, he shook his head and sighed.

“You look like you were about to chop wood.”

“I…”

“I’ll handle it. You’re not used to this kind of knife.”

His tone wasn’t harsh—he was simply concerned.

If she wasn’t familiar with the knife, there was a risk of an accident.

If she swung down with both hands and lost her grip, who knew what might happen?

An Yuanyao suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

She had wanted to help, but now she realized she wasn’t needed.

When she cooked, she used a frying pan and a small spatula. The knives she had at home were much smaller, nothing like the heavy cleaver Liu Changqing used.

Her eyes drifted to his face, then to his arm.

The way his muscles tensed as he wielded the cleaver, the effortless motion of his chopping…

The rhythmic sound of the knife striking the cutting board echoed in the kitchen.

He’s… really good at this.