The growth system comes at the age of 30

Chapter 226 A Long Hair (5K)

By the time Mom finished eating, the hot water was ready.

Chen Jingle said, "You must be tired after sitting for several hours. The water temperature is 55 degrees Celsius. You can take a shower and then get some rest."

Mom nodded.

Chen Jingle added, "By the way, I'll get up very early in the morning to go out for exercise, and after I finish, I'll go to the supermarket to buy groceries. I won't cook breakfast; I'll just eat at the teachers' college cafeteria. Mom, what do you want to eat tomorrow? I'll bring it to you."

"You still want to go out for exercise so early in the morning in this cold weather?" Mom asked in surprise.

Chen Jingle replied with a smile, "I've taken precautions to keep warm!"

Mom waved her hand: "No need to bring it for me. There's no need to waste money buying breakfast outside. I can cook at home from now on."

Got it!
This leads to conflicts in lifestyle habits.

Chen Jingle sighed and said, “It’s not about wasting money. I eat breakfast between 7:10 and 7:40 every day. It can’t be too early or too late. If you cook porridge at home according to your habits, it means that it should be cooked by 7:10 or better yet, otherwise it will be too hot to eat. So you need to start cooking before 6:7.”

I'm out jogging right now, I don't have time to cook. You don't need to get up so early either, it's the dead of winter, you should sleep in. You finally get a break, there's no need to get up in the dark to save a few dollars. Besides, we rarely keep leftovers in the fridge, especially meat. Anyway, I'll just bring you some when I get back from grocery shopping.”

My mother hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed: "Okay, I'll do as you say."

She really couldn't get up that early in winter. If she couldn't cook breakfast before 7 a.m., she might as well buy it outside.

We can't let our son's work be delayed.

"So what do you want to eat tomorrow morning?" Chen Jingle asked.

My mom said, "Bread, rice noodle rolls, lean meat porridge, anything is fine. Buy whatever you have. I'm not picky."

“Okay, the lean meat porridge in the teachers’ college cafeteria is pretty good.” Chen Jingle nodded.

That's how it was decided.

Actually, there's one more thing.

Liu Yuehua's intuition told her that something seemed wrong at home.

Although it's not much different from before, it just feels a little different; it's so clean and tidy.

So after washing the dishes, she tentatively asked, "Does anyone come over when you're home alone?"

Chen Jingle said, "Chen Qiyun comes over every day after school. You know, my second uncle and aunt are busy with work, and my grandparents don't know how to cook, so she does her homework here, asks me questions, and eats at the same time. I figured it wouldn't make much difference whether I cooked for one person or two, so I let her do it."

"Chen Qiyun is eating here?" Liu Yuehua was a little surprised.

Chen Jingle: "Hmm, is there no problem?"

"Okay, let's eat here then. It's just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks."

Liu Yuehua nodded, still feeling that something was amiss.

Never mind, it's probably just my imagination.

Seeing his mother go to take a shower, Chen Jingle closed the door and went back to his room to go to sleep.

Has Auntie returned?

Just then, Li Beixing sent a bedtime message, something unusual as it wasn't a voice call today.

Chen Jingle replied, "I just got back a little while ago. I've finished eating and I'm about to take a shower. I've been on a ride-sharing trip for several hours, so I'm probably exhausted. I'll rest after I take a shower."

Li Beixing replied instantly: "Then let Auntie rest well, and so should you."

The next second she said, "I changed into a new set of pajamas, do you want to see them?"

Chen Jingle didn't want to expose her, so he simply replied, "I'm not looking, I'm going to sleep."

Trying to harm me in the middle of the night? Hmph, dream on!

Li Beixing: "???"

I do not believe!
After the photo was sent, Chen Jingle really didn't reply; it seemed he had indeed gone to sleep.

Li Beixing was so angry he gritted his teeth; it was like casting a seductive glance at a blind man.

"You wretched guy, you'll know you're wrong by tomorrow after I get off work!"

……

the next morning.

Chen Jingle woke up early as always.

I glanced at my phone and saw that I hadn't replied to several of Li Beixing's messages from last night. I chuckled to myself, sent a smirking emoji, got up, put on my running gear, and prepared to go out.

Although he tried his best to be discreet, he still inevitably made noise when opening the door.

Hearing the noise, Liu Yuehua woke up from her sleep, listened carefully, and then fumbled for her phone next to her pillow. She turned on the screen and saw that it was only 6 o'clock.

Does your baby get up this early every day?

I wanted to get up, but the bed was just too comfortable in winter. I didn't have to go to work, and my child said I didn't need to get up to make breakfast. So I yawned and went back to sleep.

However, when she woke up again, it was already fully light outside, and when she checked the time, it was already 7:30.

She quickly got up and found that Chen Jingle had already bought the groceries and breakfast.

"Breakfast is on the table," Chen Jingle said as she saw her mother come out of her room.

Liu Yuehua chuckled awkwardly, "I was probably too tired yesterday and overslept. It's already this late when I got up."

Chen Jingle laughed and said, "It's okay. I don't have to get up to do anything in the morning. I can get up whenever I want. I don't need to feel guilty. Home isn't a restaurant or a workplace. Before, Mom, you would get up early to cook breakfast for me. Now it's my turn to get up early to go out and buy groceries and breakfast. I don't have anything else to do, so I should just sleep until I naturally wake up."

Liu Yuehua was a little unaccustomed to this pace of life for the time being, but she still agreed: "Okay, Mom understands."

Chen Jingle added, "By the way, I'll cook lunch. Mom, if you want to help, you can wash the vegetables for me. Just put them down after washing; you don't need to chop them. I'll take care of the rest."

"Okay!" Liu Yuehua nodded.

I spent the whole morning observing.

Liu Yuehua gradually understood why her son said he didn't have time to cook breakfast in the morning.

While she was eating breakfast, Chen Jingle took the vacuum cleaner and cleaned the house inside and out before taking a shower.

After taking a shower, he drove off to work at the studio his friend had set up, and wouldn't be back until after 11 a.m.

The timing was very tight, with one thing after another, leaving little time to pause.

Looking at herself, it seemed like she didn't have to do anything; Chen Jingle even refused to let her participate in sweeping or dusting.

Is this what retirement is like?

Liu Yuehua felt a pang of regret after discovering that she had complete control over her time.

What surprised me even more was the change in my son. He kept everything in the house clean and tidy, and seemed more mature and sensible than before.

This is a good thing!

It was relaxing, but something still felt off.

After working hard for most of her life, she came home and didn't have to worry about or do anything; she could just wait to eat. For her, it was actually a bit boring.

People tend to get moldy when they have too much free time.

So, after Chen Jingle left, she looked around the house from top to bottom to see if there was anything she needed to do.

Otherwise, I'd feel like I'm superfluous at home.

After looking around, I found that it really wasn't there.

At most, I just moved some of the things she needed to a more convenient place, and the house was cleaner and tidier than I had imagined.

Liu Yuehua scratched her head. "Never mind, since the little one is all taken care of, I won't interfere."

So she moved the rattan rocking chair that Chen Jingle usually sat in a little further out so she could relax, watch some videos, read the news, and chat with her older brother and sister via voice call.

However, just as she patted the chair and was about to lie down, she suddenly stopped.

"Um?!"

He touched a hair in the crevice of the chair, paused, picked it up and examined it.

It's very, very long, at least up to the waist.

Liu Yuehua stared blankly at the long hair in her hand, lost in thought.

She has short hair, so it definitely can't be hers, not to mention Zai Zai's.

Could it be Chen Qiyun's?
……

"I'll bite you to death, I'll bite you to death..."

After class, Li Beixing went straight to the calligraphy and painting studio. When she saw Chen Jingle, she immediately launched into a tirade, still fuming afterward: "Why didn't you reply to my messages last night?"

"I fell asleep," Chen Jingle said innocently.

"You did it on purpose! Why didn't you wait until you finished watching before you went to sleep?"

"How is that possible? I'm not that kind of person."

Not that kind of person? Hmph!

Li Beixing posted the chat history: "Yes! You said yourself that you wouldn't look at it!"

Chen Jingle glanced at the phone screen: "Well, I have something to say too. You sent me this kind of photo, are you sure you really want me to go to sleep after seeing it? That's despicable!"

Li Beixing's eyes widened: "Is there something wrong with this photo? Isn't it perfectly normal? It just shows an ankle!"

Chen Jingle blurted out, "As long as I respond, you'll definitely keep sending me messages. At first, you only sent me pictures of her feet, but I don't even want to think about what you'll send later."

Li Beixing finally understood what it meant to be the one to accuse the villain first. Although she had indeed thought that way, she hadn't done it, so she hadn't done it!

After a playful scuffle, Chen Jingle emerged victorious.

Of course, he paid a heavy price; his lips were swollen, and he almost suffocated as a result.

This woman is really something; she doesn't give anyone a moment's air when she's kissing.

At this moment, Li Beixing returned to her usual quiet demeanor, nestled in his arms playing on her phone, while Chen Jingle scrolled through documents on the tablet beside them. They did not disturb each other.

For both of them, this state is the most comfortable.

Unfortunately, they didn't have much time together. Chen Jingle had to go home at 11:10, unlike before when they could stay together until 12:30.

Another reason is that Li Beixing is a little unhappy that he can't eat Chen Jingle's cooking today.

"Let me adjust to the new pace of life first, and then I'll figure out how to make it for you separately, okay?"

Chen Jingle pinched her cheek.

Even if Li Beixing had objections, he could only agree for the time being.

……

Jiang Zhiqin was quite surprised to see her daughter return.

Wow, the sun really did rise in the west today.

Wow, so early! I usually don't get back until after 12:30.

She thought to herself, "Could it be that she broke up with that guy?"

But it doesn't look like it.

If it's a breakup, it's definitely more painful than this, and the specific manifestations are often being lost and dejected or becoming taciturn.

It won't be like this now; it just looks a little down.

So I tentatively asked, "Why are you back so early today? Aren't you busy with work?"

Li Beixing sensed that her mother was implying something, so she vaguely replied, "Yes, everything has been taken care of."

Jiang Zhiqin seemed to be deep in thought.

Well, it shouldn't be a big problem. It's normal for young people to have some arguments and conflicts. If they can't even handle this, then there's no need to worry about the bigger conflicts they'll encounter after marriage.

the other side,
When Chen Jingle returned home, he found that his mother had already washed all the vegetables for him, saving him a lot of trouble.

For him, washing and preparing vegetables is the most troublesome part; cooking is actually quite simple.

I started cooking immediately.

Liu Yuehua watched her son's smooth and skillful actions in surprise, and finally understood why he only asked her to help wash the vegetables.

If you let her cut the vegetables, given her knife skills, the vegetables she cuts won't be too bad, but they'll be far inferior to her son's.

Even the knife skills of the kitchen helpers and chefs at the restaurant where she used to work were far inferior to those of her son.

I never imagined my little one would be such a culinary genius!

This made her very happy, but unfortunately she couldn't help with anything else.

Okay, then she can just wait for dinner to be served.

When Chen Qiyun came home from school, unlike usual, she peeked into the house as soon as she entered the yard.

Upon seeing Liu Yuehua, she quickly greeted her, "Hello, Auntie!"

Liu Yuehua looked up and said in surprise, "Oh my, Qiyun? Long time no see! Have you grown taller? You look taller than your auntie now."

In her memory, Chen Qiyun was clearly a tiny little girl, dark-skinned and thin.

I didn't expect that after not seeing you for more than half a year, you would have changed so much. You've grown so much taller and your skin is much fairer. You've started to gain weight and your complexion looks much better than before.

Teenagers really do change every day.

Chen Qiyun smiled shyly and nodded: "Yes, it has grown about 8 centimeters in the past two months."

Liu Yuehua was both surprised and enlightened, and said with a smile, "That's great. Kids these days are all so tall and big. It's not good for girls to be too short. By the way, your brother Jingle told me that we should continue to eat here. It's just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks."

"Thank you, Auntie!"

Chen Qiyun was finally relieved and very happy.

Liu Yuehua smiled slightly. Anyway, it was her son who was in charge of cooking, so she would do whatever he said.

A thought struck her, and she glanced at Chen Qiyun's hair length, sensing something was off. So she casually asked, "Besides you and your brother Jingle, do any other people usually come over for dinner?"

Chen Qiyun, being just a child, couldn't hide her feelings on her face. Although she said, "No, I haven't seen it," her expression betrayed everything.

Liu Yuehua immediately understood and did not ask any further questions.

Some things are better left unsaid; there's no need to get to the bottom of them.

When Chen Jingle finished cooking, Liu Yuehua was once again amazed by her son's culinary skills.

It tastes even better than what I made last night!

Perhaps the food was reheated in the microwave last night, so it didn't have the same wok-fried aroma as when it was freshly made. This also helps me understand why Chen Qiyun enjoys eating here so much, and why she grew 8 centimeters in two months.

If a child in a family eats three bowls of rice every meal, has plenty of delicious dishes, and receives balanced nutrition, wouldn't they grow tall?
Liu Yuehua, unusually, served herself three bowls before finally putting down her chopsticks, still feeling unsatisfied.

The thought that she wouldn't have to do anything at home in the future, at most helping to wash vegetables, while her son would take care of everything else, felt unbelievable to her, like a dream.

Is this kind of life too comfortable? Is it really something she can enjoy?

……

At that moment, Li Beixing's family was also having lunch.

Jiang Zhiqin watched her daughter eat quietly and asked, "Is something bothering you?"

Li Beixing looked up in confusion: "Huh? No."

"Is it because you don't like today's dishes?"

"No, it's not that. I just don't have much of an appetite," Li Beixing quickly waved his hand.

Strictly speaking, Aunt Wang's cooking skills have improved recently.

She was already discouraged by Li Beixing's comments when she made the Jade Pearl Fish Flower dish, but later she couldn't even beat the seemingly simple beef sauce, which made her doubt whether her skills had declined. So she practiced hard in private.

The results were indeed fruitful, and quite substantial.

However, for Li Beixing, having gotten used to Chen Jingle's cooking, eating other people's cooking, even a master chef like Aunt Wang, still felt quite different.

It's not that it tastes bad, it just lacks that amazing quality.

It's so-so, just passable.

Adding to the fact that I couldn't eat at Chen Jingle's house today, it's hard to have a good appetite.

Jiang Zhiqin was unaware of this, which led to the misunderstanding.

Li Beixing thought for a moment, then took out the beef sauce that Chen Jingle had given him earlier, only to find that it was almost empty.

She immediately scolded, "Mom, why are you eating so fast?"

Jiang Zhiqin rolled her eyes: "The portion was never much to begin with. I only scoop out a little bit occasionally. Besides, it's not like I'm eating it all by myself."

Li Qiguang: "..."

Fortunately, Aunt Wang wasn't there; otherwise, overhearing this family of three's conversation would have made her question the meaning of life.

They'd rather eat beef sauce than her hot meals, which is a huge blow to someone who used to be a head chef at a five-star hotel.

Li Beixing didn't finish the whole bottle of beef sauce; he left some. Heaven knows when he'll be able to eat Chen Jingle's cooking again, and he'll be surviving on this little bit of beef sauce for the next few days.

Chen Jingle said he would get her a few more bottles, but he hasn't done it yet. I don't know if he forgot.

Lunch ended hastily like that.

When Li Beixing went to the studio after get off work in the afternoon, she found that Chen Jingle had brought her a meal in an insulated food container, which touched her deeply.

It's not easy!

Chen Jingle smiled apologetically: "I made it at noon. I picked out a portion of each dish and packed it up. It's not leftovers."

You're still the best!

Li Beixing, ignoring his full mouth, hugged Chen Jingle and showered her with kisses.

Chen Jingle was disgusted when his face was smeared with oil.

Seeing this, Li Beixing got even more excited and continued kissing, "Let you complain, let you complain!"

After finishing, he chuckled and continued eating.

Chen Jingle remained silent, quietly taking out a tissue to wipe the vegetable oil off his face.

Thankfully, the insulated food container is of high quality, and it remained warm even in such cold weather. Although it wasn't quite as warm as when it was fresh out of the oven, at least it wasn't cold, and the taste wasn't much different.

That was enough for Li Beixing.

Even if we reduce two meals to one, it's better than not having anything to eat at all. Let's leave it at that for now and figure out a solution later.

……

In the evening, after dinner.

Mom said, "I'm thinking of going to your uncle's house tomorrow, and your aunt and the others will come too. We can all get together and have a meal. Do you want to go?"

Chen Jingle blinked: "I'll drive you there tomorrow. I won't stay for dinner; I have other things to do. Just call me to pick you up after you've finished eating and chatting."

My mom said, "Why don't I just drive my little electric scooter there myself? It's not far anyway."

Chen Jingle waved his hand: "It takes an hour to go back and forth on a small electric scooter, but it's just a matter of stepping on the gas when driving a car. Besides, it's so cold on a small electric scooter in this weather, why bother suffering like that?"

My mom is the type who sometimes tries to endure hardship even when it's not her fault.

After thinking it over carefully, Liu Yuehua realized it was true and agreed.

And she hasn't even ridden in the new car her son bought yet.

(End of this chapter)