Zhen Lina rushed out and saw only two egg tarts left. Without hesitation, she charged forward to grab them.
"Nana, slow down! There's plenty more," Jia Fuhai said, trying to calm down his eager wife.
"Nooo, these are my favorite honey egg tarts!" Zhen Lina whined, frustrated that being a woman meant she took longer to get ready in the morning. She wished she could be as quick as the men.
The moment she took a bite of the honey egg tart, her expression changed dramatically. It was as if she had just tasted the pinnacle of life itself. The rapid transformation in her face could easily be used as a cinematic example of pure bliss.
Without wasting time, she shoved both tarts into her mouth, cheeks puffed out like a hamster, savoring every bite.
"Pfft!" Zhen Linqi couldn't hold back her laughter as she watched her sister devour the tarts.
"Dad, why don't you bring out the rest of the cakes now?" Jia Naji, feeling embarrassed by his mother's display, quickly suggested it to his father.
Jia Fuhai nodded and brought out the other cakes he had prepared earlier. These were meant to be shared with everyone. As for Feifei, he planned to bake her some later in the day.
He placed trays of butterfly cookies, butter cakes, and sponge cakes on the table. As soon as they were set down, Zhen Lina, stomach growling, lunged toward the cakes like a hungry tiger.
"Hold on! Be a lady, will you?" Jia Fuhai quickly grabbed her hands, stopping her.
"Okay, okay," Zhen Lina said, her mind entirely focused on her taste buds. She could feel her mother's deathly glare from across the room, which forced her to reign in her hunger—for the moment.
Once Jia Fuhai had placed everything neatly, he finally let go of Zhen Lina's hands.
No longer held back, Zhen Lina dove straight for the cakes, tearing into them with abandon.
"Qiyi, Naji, don't eat too much," Jia Fuhai warned his sons as they also began to dig in.
"Got it, Dad!" the two boys responded obediently, though they continued munching happily.
Before long, everyone was joining in on the feast, and in no time, the trays were empty. Zhen Lina was even licking up the remaining crumbs from the baking trays.
With their bellies full and slightly round, the family sat back, relaxing.
"Well, there goes lunch!" Jia Fuhai chuckled.
Zhen Lina lay back, eyes closed, still savoring the lingering taste of the egg tarts. "This is the best pastry I've ever had! Forget lunch; Qiyi should direct the baking from now on!"
"Agreed!" Jia Naji chimed in without a hint of jealousy. He was just happy to enjoy the delicious food—good food heals all.
"It's a shame we can only make simple things for now. Once Qiyi gets older and we can use more tools, the food will taste even better," Jia Fuhai said, feeling slightly limited. The kids were still young, and he couldn't risk more complex recipes yet. But after a few experiences, everyone understood that Qiyi had a natural gift for cooking.
"Why not let Qiyi explore other types of dishes and have him direct you, Hai? That way, he can practice his leadership skills too," Zhen Linqi suggested. She recognized her son's immense talent in the kitchen and saw no harm in letting him develop it further. It would also give him a sense of responsibility while keeping him engaged in something productive.
"Qiyi, what do you think?" Jia Fuhai asked, turning to his son. It was important to nurture his interest while it was still fresh. If Qiyi enjoyed it, his talent would only grow. But if he didn't, it would be a waste of such potential.
"Sure, Dad! I think it's fun to direct you in the kitchen. I learn quickly from the cookbooks, so it should be easy," Jia Qiyi said, feeling confident in his abilities. He had always been able to memorize things quickly, so it wasn't a challenge for him.
"Alright then, it'll be a father-son activity," Jia Fuhai said with a smile. Under his son's guidance, he knew his cooking skills would improve dramatically.
"Sounds perfect," Zhen Lina said dreamily, already fantasizing about the many delicious meals they would make together.
Later that evening...
While the two boys were resting and studying, Jia Fuhai busied himself in the kitchen, baking more of the same cakes from lunchtime. They turned out just as delicious as earlier.
Jia Fuhai realized that following his son's instructions closely made his own cooking almost identical in taste. This discovery made him feel like he had unlocked a new level of culinary prowess.
"Wow, this system is amazing!" Jia Fuhai thought to himself, marveling at the ease with which he had improved.
"This is great," Zhen Lina commented as she took another bite of the cake, looking as if she were floating in bliss.
"Hey, stop eating! Let's save some for everyone else," Jia Fuhai quickly said, carrying the tray to the dining table.
Zhen Lina's eyes followed the cake tray like a magnet, and she trailed behind Jia Fuhai, refusing to let it out of her sight.
"Mom!" Jia Naji called out, trying to break his mother's cake obsession. He hoped to trigger her maternal instincts and snap her out of her trance.
But Zhen Lina only gave her son a brief glance before refocusing her attention on the cake. For her, this was "forget-my-children cake."
"Hai, did you bake these yourself? They smell just as good as when Qiyi directed you," Zhen Linqi said, her taste buds starting to tingle from the familiar aroma.
The entire family gathered around, with Lin Feifei, who had just returned, joining them.
"It smells amazing!" Lin Feifei exclaimed, her usual calm demeanor slipping away as she eyed the cakes. She loved pastries, especially the ones Jia Fuhai made.
"Alright, dig in," Jia Fuhai said, lifting the cover from the tray and inviting everyone to eat.
As expected, Zhen Lina was the first to jump in, grabbing two cakes and stuffing them into her mouth like a hamster. "Mmm!"
Chen Lina watched her daughter from across the table and felt exasperated. No matter how hard she tried, her daughter would never change her ways.
Lin Feifei, taking a single bite of the cake, looked amazed. "This is so good! Hai, did you really make this?"
"Qiyi taught me. He can just look at a recipe and make the food even better than it should be!" Jia Fuhai proudly replied, not missing the opportunity to praise his son. Without Qiyi's guidance, his baking wouldn't have reached this level.
"Qiyi, you're amazing!" Lin Feifei said, patting Jia Qiyi's head affectionately.
"Thanks, Feifei Ma, but Dad made these tonight," Jia Qiyi humbly responded, happy but not forgetting to give his father credit.
"Both of you are incredible. I wish we could eat like this every day!" Lin Feifei said, now mimicking Zhen Lina's hamster-like eating habits.
"It might be possible," Jia Fuhai mumbled thoughtfully.
He began to consider how, with the right machines, they could bake these goods more efficiently. Maybe they could even sell them, earning some extra income while enjoying delicious food at home.
His original goal was still unchanged—to live an easy, laid-back life. But earning money while being a "couch potato" seemed like a perfect scenario to him.
"Oh, this could work. What if we used machines to bake and sell the cakes?" Jia Fuhai asked aloud, looking at his wife, Zhen Linqi, for her opinion.
"That could definitely work! This cake's taste would make people want to buy it," Zhen Linqi agreed, thinking about how the cake's texture and flavor would easily outshine any competitors in Hong Kong.
"Xiaohai, are you finally going to put in some effort?" Zhen Fugui, his father-in-law, asked incredulously. He couldn't believe that someone as laid-back as Jia Fuhai was considering a business venture.
Chen Lina, however, lightly smacked Zhen Fugui and added, "Xiaohai, as long as you take good care of the family, that's all that matters. There's no need to take on extra work."
She gave her husband a sharp look, reminding him of how their own risky ventures had nearly ruined them. Even now, the memory of almost going bankrupt left her anxious.
They had enough money to live comfortably, so there was no need to take unnecessary risks. Her priority was making sure her family was well taken care of and happy.
"Mom, I wasn't planning to open a bakery," Jia Fuhai clarified.
"I was thinking about pre-packaged cakes, like the ones you find in stores," he explained.
"But don't those have preservatives? They're not as healthy," Chen Lina said, concerned about the quality of pre-packaged foods.
"Not necessarily. We could avoid additives, but the cakes just wouldn't last as long," Jia Fuhai explained.
"Well, Xiaohai, it's up to you. Just remember, your main responsibility is to care for the family," Chen Lina said, her tone gentle but firm. She decided to let him make the decision, as long as it didn't interfere with his family obligations.
"I understand," Jia Fuhai replied, nodding. Despite his lazy nature, when it came to his