Auntie Wang~~~~~~

The Art of Culinary Mastery.

In the kitchen,

Cao Cheng stood with a knife in hand, his posture as steady as a mountain—calm yet imposing. The blade flashed like a shooting star, slicing through the air with such precision it seemed to defy reality. In an instant… the potatoes were transformed into thin, uniform slices.

Then, with a few more swift motions, the slices became delicate strands, like a dragon emerging from the sea…

Every cut was precise, leaving the potatoes no chance to resist.

His knife skills were flawless, leaving no room for error!

"Wahhh—!"

Cao Cheng suddenly let out a strange cry.

His ear was abruptly seized by slender fingers, pinching with such force and at such an awkward angle that he grimaced in pain.

Ren Yuege twisted his ear and scolded, "You little brat, didn’t you say you couldn’t cook?"

Cao Cheng grinned but didn’t argue. Instead, he turned to the elderly woman with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, teacher. My sister’s a bit reckless. Please excuse her."

The old woman chuckled and shook her head.

These two siblings really were a perfect match.

She had always thought Ren Yuege was overly lively, being the youngest girl in the family, and everyone doted on her to some extent.

Now, it seemed there was finally someone even younger who could keep her in check.

"Calling me reckless? You little punk, how many times have you lied to me these past few days? Just today alone, it’s been two or three times already!" Ren Yuege fumed.

"Ow!"

Cao Cheng swatted her hand away, rubbing his ear. "We’re in public. Can’t you act a little more dignified? Stop causing a scene and let me cook in peace. Go play outside—I’ll call you when dinner’s ready. Be good!"

Ren Yuege reached for him again. "Who’s the older one here? Who do you think you’re calling ‘little’?"

Cao Cheng dodged a few times before slipping out of the kitchen, with Ren Yuege hot on his heels.

Lingling stifled a laugh.

The old woman smiled as well and went back to preparing the meal.

Having some liveliness in the house was quite nice.

She enjoyed this kind of atmosphere.

The only regret was…

This boy’s talent was extraordinary, yet he wasn’t pursuing it seriously. It was a bit of a pity.

……

In the end, Cao Cheng reluctantly agreed to Ren Yuege’s unreasonable demand.

He promised to compose an original piano piece for her when he had time.

The request was truly excessive.

But…

Considering how much emotional energy she provided him throughout the day, Cao Cheng decided to humor her.

After all, you can’t expect a cow to produce milk without feeding it properly.

When it came down to it,

Ren Yuege was currently the top contributor to his "emotional value" rankings, pushing Aunt Wang down to second place.

This proved she was an absolute "taxpayer extraordinaire."

They had only known each other for a few days,

while Aunt Wang had been around for over a month.

So,

it was only right to take care of his "top supporter" and indulge her occasionally.

Besides, these "original compositions" didn’t serve much purpose for Cao Cheng beyond showing off.

If he gave them to Ren Yuege, she could even profit from the royalties.

Cao Cheng would never lose out!

For the rest of the afternoon,

Cao Cheng didn’t help the old woman with cooking. Instead, he went upstairs, finalized the sheet music from earlier, and handed it over to Ren Yuege and Lingling.

As long as they didn’t use it for commercial purposes, they were free to play it however they liked.

Cao Cheng was wise beyond his years—how could he not notice the occasional flicker of admiration in Lingling’s beautiful eyes?

It felt pretty good.

After all, being admired by a pretty girl was something anyone would secretly enjoy.

Once the sheet music was done, Cao Cheng stayed to guide them through the piece.

Naturally, he didn’t just sit idle—occasionally showing off and teasing Ren Yuege made the afternoon pass by pleasantly.

Dinner that evening was delightful, especially the old woman’s soup, which Cao Cheng happily had two bowls of.

Before leaving,

the old woman told Cao Cheng to drop by for meals whenever he had time.

During dinner, she had learned that Cao Cheng was living alone in the area, hence the invitation.

Perhaps she also hoped that through more interactions, she could persuade him not to waste his exceptional talent.

Cao Cheng agreed without hesitation.

He also saved the old woman’s private number, as well as Lingling’s.

……

On the way home by car,

a large group of neighborhood gossips—aka the "intelligence squad" of aunties—were gathered at the entrance, though fewer than usual since many had gone dancing in the evening.

Aunt Wang was nowhere in sight.

Once again, Cao Cheng’s face fell with disappointment.

However,

he soon spotted a familiar figure in the distance.

Aunt Wang!

It was her, no doubt.

At the moment, Aunt Wang was holding a wooden stick in her right hand while her left hand firmly gripped an ear—her youngest son’s head tilted awkwardly as she dragged him along unsteadily.

Clearly, the boy had done something wrong and been caught by Aunt Wang.

No need to guess—he had probably sneaked off to an internet café after dinner to play games with his troublemaking friends while Aunt Wang was out.

This scene was all too familiar.

"Stop the car, stop the car, stop the car…" Cao Cheng exclaimed excitedly.

Ren Yuege, who hadn’t recognized Aunt Wang, stopped the car in confusion. "What’s going on?"

Cao Cheng didn’t answer. He opened the door and rushed out.

On the way, he even snapped off a few bamboo twigs.

"Aunt Wang~~~"

"…" Aunt Wang’s hair stood on end, and her temper flared instantly.

She turned to see Cao Cheng sprinting toward her, grinning from ear to ear, which only fueled her irritation.

A curse nearly escaped her lips.

"Good evening, Aunt Wang! Beating up your son for fun again?" Cao Cheng greeted her politely.

"None of your business. Scram," Aunt Wang huffed.

"Come on, don’t be so touchy. We’re all neighbors in the same community—no grudges between us, right? Don’t be so petty. Be magnanimous."

"…"

Aunt Wang’s lips twitched. Those words sounded eerily familiar.

Well, well, well…

Wasn’t that exactly what she used to say?

Talk about a boomerang effect.

Now it had come back to hit her.

Her grip unconsciously tightened.

"Ow ow ow—! That hurts!" Her son yelped in pain.

Aunt Wang quickly loosened her hold.

The boy hopped around, clutching his ear.

Cao Cheng sighed. "Aunt Wang, I hate to say it, but kids make mistakes. Nobody’s perfect, right? You shouldn’t go so hard on him. Unless… he’s not really your son?"

The son: "…"

Aunt Wang’s face darkened. "Cut the nonsense. My family matters are none of your concern. Get lost."

Cao Cheng shook his head. "I’m not interfering. I’m just saying, if you’re going to discipline him, do it properly. That stick’s too thick—are you trying to kill him?"

As he spoke, he handed her the bamboo twigs. "Use these instead. They’re perfect—hurts the skin but not the bones. Sure, it might leave a mark, but a little iodine and he’ll be bouncing around by tomorrow."

The son paled at the sight of the bamboo twigs.

A stick was mostly for intimidation—at most, a light smack on the butt where the force could be controlled.

But bamboo twigs were different. Light to hold but devastating when swung, with no guarantee where they’d land. One accidental flick to the face, and it’d leave a bloody welt.

This guy was ruthless!

The son glared at Cao Cheng with resentment.

Negative emotions surged.

Like mother, like son—both top-tier taxpayers.

Without waiting for Aunt Wang to refuse, Cao Cheng took the stick from her and pressed the bamboo twigs into her hand.

"Trust me, Aunt Wang. One hit with this, and he won’t dare misbehave again."

"Of course… if you can’t bring yourself to do it, that’s fine too. After all, he is your son."

"However, spoiling a child is like killing them. If you don’t discipline him today, society will do it for you later—maybe even the police."

"Honest advice is hard to swallow, but it’s up to you whether you listen. I’m leaving now—no need to see me out!"

With that,

Cao Cheng dashed back to his car, still gripping the stick.

"Hurry, hurry, drive! Go, go, go—!"

The BMW zoomed away in an instant.

"……"

"……"

Mother and son both wore grim expressions.

The younger son stomped his feet and cursed, "This is my family’s business, none of your damn concern! Cao Cheng, just you wait, I’ll fing—&a;&a;￥#@!"

The vulgarity was unbearable…

A small crowd had gathered to watch the commotion, and upon hearing the foul language, they frowned and whispered among themselves, pointing at Aunt Wang.

What kind of upbringing is this?

A kid barely out of high school, yet so crude?

Truly born but not raised properly!

Aunt Wang flushed with embarrassment, her anger boiling over. With a sharp snap, she brought down a bamboo switch on him.

Though his clothes softened the blow,

summer fabric was thin, and the pain sent him hopping. "Ow! Mom, Mom, I was wrong… Mom, I won’t do it again!"

Cao Cheng, sprawled in the passenger seat, watched Aunt Wang’s discipline unfold through the rearview. Hearing the system’s prompt, he burst into laughter.