Time flew by.
The couple, engrossed in their intimate conversation, was suddenly startled by the ringing of a phone.
Zhen Linqi glanced at her phone and said, "Teacher Wang is here. Qiyi and Najie need to start their language lessons."
"Alright, I'll go greet the teacher. Linqi, can you bring the boys downstairs?" Jia Fuhai got up and prepared to head down.
Zhen Linqi nodded and got ready to fetch her sons. The two exchanged a fiery glance at the doorway, a look that was beyond words.
As soon as Zhen Linqi went upstairs, she saw her younger sister wearing a pained expression.
Zhen Linna was watching a "Motherhood Tutorial" on TV, with Chen Lina beside her, explaining things.
"Mom, I'm here to pick up the boys for their lessons. Teacher Wang has arrived," Zhen Linqi said.
"The boys are playing chess in the room," Chen Lina quickly pointed to the room.
Zhen Linqi went in, gathered her two sons, and prepared to take them home.
"I'm going to check on my sons' lessons," Zhen Linna quickly said, eager to escape the study session. She didn't want to spend time learning from the tutorial at all.
Chen Lina originally wanted to stop her but thought perhaps watching her sons study would inspire Linna to be more diligent.
"Yes!" Zhen Linna almost jumped with joy as she realized her mother didn't force her to stay and study. If she had to keep learning, her brain would explode!
"Ahh," sighed Chen Lina. Her daughter didn't seem to inherit her love for learning at all.
She glanced at Zhen Fugui, who was holding their grandson up ahead.
After arriving home, Teacher Wang soon arrived upstairs as well.
After exchanging pleasantries, Teacher Wang began the lesson.
The Fugui couple also intended to sit in on the lesson. They often observed the lessons and had picked up a few phrases of foreign languages themselves.
The teaching room was spacious, and they stayed at a distance, not disturbing the class.
Teacher Wang, being a top-tier educator, welcomed the observation. As a renowned teacher in wealthy circles, she was used to much more intense scrutiny.
Zhen Linna originally wanted to play computer games with Haige, but...
Things took a more unfortunate turn.
"Linna, Haige and I are going to visit the cake factory. Can you help Dad and Mom keep an eye on the boys?" Zhen Linqi instructed her sister.
"Got it, Sis," Zhen Linna replied dejectedly. She wasn't upset about her sister spending time with Haige; she was just disappointed she wasn't invited along.
Her mom had been unusually strict today, pushing her to study. It felt like the sky was falling!
After Zhen Linqi said goodbye to her parents, she headed out.
Zhen Fugui watched his eldest daughter leave with a smile. His eldest was perfect in almost every way, but she tended to stay indoors too much. Today, she was actually going out!
Even if it was with that "rascal" Haige, he was willing to accept it if it meant his daughter would become more lively.
Chen Lina also nodded. This would give her more time to focus on educating Linna.
Once Jia Fuhai and Zhen Linqi left, the three of them went to the room to observe Teacher Wang's lesson.
"Look at your son. He's so diligent and learns so quickly. And you?" Chen Lina whispered into her daughter's ear.
"I'm not as smart as my son, obviously. Of course, I can't compare," Zhen Linna muttered quietly, fully aware of her own shortcomings.
"Is that what I'm saying? Look how seriously your son is studying. But whenever I ask you to learn something, there's always an excuse!" Chen Lina continued her soft reprimand.
"I can't learn like him! If you'd given me the same level of intelligence as my son, I'd be just as good," Zhen Linna murmured under her breath.
"What did you say?!" Chen Lina's nose almost flared in anger. Was Linna blaming her now?
Zhen Fugui, standing nearby, quickly pulled his wife back. Their grandsons were in the middle of their lessons—no need to disturb them.
"Hmph, I won't interfere anymore!" Chen Lina relented, remembering the boys' lessons.
"Momma~" Zhen Linna quickly latched onto her mother, clinging to her while acting coy.
Chen Lina rolled her eyes at her daughter. Where had Linna learned this trick of pushing people to the brink of explosion and then pulling back?
This technique of adding fuel and extinguishing the fire was flawless.
Zhen Fugui smiled at the mother-daughter interaction. Linna had practiced this on him first.
He'd once been so enraged by his daughter that he was about to explode, only for her to cling to him sweetly, instantly defusing the situation. As a self-proclaimed "daughter slave," how could he not let it go immediately?
Meanwhile…
Jia Fuhai and Zhen Linqi had arrived at the entrance of the Jia Family Food Factory.
This was the name of his factory, although the sign hadn't been installed yet as the factory was still under construction.
"This is a facility dedicated to food production, right?"
Zhen Linqi noticed the trucks labeled with food-related signage coming and going from the Tianfeng Industrial Park.
"Yes, all thanks to Dad," Jia Fuhai said, feeling immense gratitude towards his father-in-law. All he could do to repay him was prepare good food.
He then led Linqi through the factory, showing her around since it was her first visit. She had never been here before—usually, he came with Linna.
"Is there anything else missing?" Zhen Linqi asked as she looked at the brand-new, spotless factory.
"Everything is ready. We're just waiting for the food safety inspection to pass," Jia Fuhai said, feeling that everything was in place.
"If there's anything you still need, just let me know. You haven't hired employees yet, right? What's your plan for that?"
"Oh, right. Linqi, do you have any suggestions for where we can find reliable hires?" Jia Fuhai had initially planned to ask Uncle Zhou, but since Linqi had a better understanding, her advice would be more helpful.
"Hmm, maybe we should consult with Dad and Mom," Zhen Linqi said, frowning slightly. She knew she was better with theory, but she also knew that real-world experience couldn't be ignored. It was best to ask more experienced elders for advice in this case.
"That works too. Linqi, do you want to see the video of Linna making cakes?" Jia Fuhai asked, pointing to a surveillance camera.
"Sure. Why did you record it?" Zhen Linqi asked, surprised.
"I learned it from Uncle Zhou. I'm planning to live stream the production process to boost sales," Jia Fuhai explained his plan.
"Won't people just copy your process? After all, the ingredients are right there," Zhen Linqi said, worried.
"Don't worry. The temperature changes constantly, and the taste relies on minute adjustments. Besides, the machines' inner workings aren't visible from the outside."
Jia Fuhai wasn't concerned. Even if someone tried to imitate them, it wouldn't matter. He believed his improvements in the kitchen—and in life—were just beginning.
"As long as you have a plan," Zhen Linqi nodded. To support Haige's business, she had studied accounting books and other materials related to running a food factory.
They then began discussing improvements for the factory, going over every detail to see if there were any areas that needed enhancement.
For the first time, Jia Fuhai experienced the overwhelming competence of his studious wife. He had thought everything was ready, but after their discussion, he realized there were many small but important oversights.
Luckily, Linqi had decided to visit today. If she hadn't, he might not have noticed these issues until it was too late. Even though the problems were minor, it was always better to prevent them in advance.
As for the finished cakes, there was no need to discuss those—everyone already knew how delicious they were.