This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 107 The Class Monitor's Unparalleled Happiness
After buying groceries at the market, on their way back, the unconventional Taoist priest, as always, led the obedient class monitor through a secluded alley.

Emerging from the alley, it was just as the sunset was at its most brilliant.

Lin Mengqiu looked up at the ever-changing sunset on the horizon, watching the rose-red clouds slowly being swallowed by the orange hue, and then watching new golden-red clouds emerge from behind the buildings. Suddenly, she felt that the unease she had felt while walking through the dark alley had been soothed by this sudden splendor.

Living a life of routine between home and work every day, she rarely has such a relaxed and leisurely time.

She went home with Chen Shi'an, then went grocery shopping together, and planned to cook and eat dinner together. It was just the two of them at home...

Is this what we called playing house as kids...?

When the word popped into her mind, the girl blushed slightly, but fortunately, the sunset obscured it.

Perhaps this trip should have ended abruptly when my dad texted me that he wouldn't be home for the weekend, but I never expected that this flawed process would continue.

The two carried their own groceries, entered the residential compound together, and went upstairs together.

Lin Mengqiu opened the door and went inside first.

The room was quiet, and the lights were off.

It seems Dad really isn't home...

Logically, having her father at home should have made her feel more at ease, but she felt inexplicably relieved because he wasn't home.

Lin Mengqiu turned on the lights in the house, put down her things, and bent down to find slippers for Chen Shi'an.

Those were the biggest slippers he wore last time.

"You should wear this."

"Thank you monitor."

Chen Shi'an followed her into the house. Returning from the bustling city to the empty house where only the two of them were, his first impression was of quiet.

The silence became even more pronounced as Chen Shi'an casually closed the open door.

It was fine when the door was open, but now that it's closed, the house has suddenly become a private, independent space.

Lin Mengqiu suddenly felt a little nervous and glanced at the closed door.

She had tested the soundproofing of the door; she figured that no matter how loudly she shouted inside, no one outside would hear her…

A lone man and a lone woman...

"Why don't we just open the door?" Lin Mengqiu said.

"Aren't you going to shut it down?"

"It doesn't matter."

Chen Shi'an didn't care. Seeing her say that, he opened the door again.

But a little while later, as he was changing his shoes on a small stool, he looked down and saw a pair of clean white feet in slippers walk past him. He looked up, but Lin Mengqiu had already closed the door.

Do you want to open the door or close it?

"Not opening again?" Chen Shi'an asked.

"not open."

Why isn't it open?

"The point of being at home is to keep the doors closed."

"?"

The girl, who was jumping back and forth, was a little embarrassed. Ignoring Chen Shi'an's strange look, she closed the door, put on her slippers, and went into the kitchen with the groceries she had just bought.

When Chen Shi'an changed his shoes and came into the kitchen, he saw the class monitor standing by the counter, doing nothing, just staring blankly at the vegetables he had bought.

"Is the class monitor mourning the loss of the food?"

"..."

Lin Mengqiu turned her head and glared at him.

"Go cook the rice first."

"..."

Upon hearing Chen Shi'an's words, Lin Mengqiu suddenly realized what she should do.

So I quickly came over, opened the rice cooker, took out the inner pot, and prepared to wash the rice and cook it.

She's not bragging, but she could cook when she was thirteen.

Lin Mengqiu bent down, opened the cabinet below, and was about to scoop rice from the rice box when the rice box that was originally in the cabinet disappeared!

The girl then froze again.

She began opening each cupboard one by one and searching inside.

"What is the class monitor looking for?"

"rice."

Chen Shi'an: "..."

No, I don't even know where I put the rice at home?
Just as Chen Shi'an was about to speak up to remind her, Lin Mengqiu finally found the cabinet with the rice box, took the measuring cup, and poured two cups of rice into the inner pot of the rice cooker.

"How long has it been since the squad leader cooked a meal?"

"...I don't remember." (in a soft voice)
Didn't you say last time that you could cook?

"Yes, I can." (in a loud voice)
Lin Mengqiu didn't want to say much to him, so she took action and walked to the sink, turned on the tap and started rinsing the rice in the pot.

Seeing that she had washed it three times and was still washing it, Chen Shi'an couldn't help but remind her, "Washing it twice is enough. Don't scrub it too hard. If you wash it too much, it won't have the aroma of rice."

Lin Mengqiu paused in her movements: "I know."

Finally, after the fourth time, she stopped washing. Following the traditional method her father had taught her, the girl washed her hands clean and then pressed her delicate, white hands onto the rice in the pot. When she saw that the water in the pot was about the height of the back of her hand, she knew that was enough.

She then took a towel, wiped her hands, and then wiped the water stains around the inner pot of the rice cooker before putting the pot into the rice cooker.

The rice cooker was recently purchased; it was advertised as a smart rice cooker with a bunch of buttons. It was her first time using it, and after fiddling with the buttons for a bit, she pressed them, the indicator light came on, and it started cooking rice smoothly.

"The class monitor is really good at cooking rice. This rice cooker looks so complicated. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't know how to use it."

"~~~"

Lin Mengqiu was quite pleased with the praise. Feeling a little smug, she asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"...How about the class monitor peels some garlic for me?"

"..."

Lin Mengqiu was displeased and frowned, saying, "I see online that when cooking, you just smash the garlic and that's it, you don't even need to peel it."

It's just to give you something to do!

Seeing that the girl was rebellious and refused to peel the garlic, Chen Shi'an said again, "Then class monitor, can you help me prepare the green peppers? I taught you last time, you should know how, right?"

"Who doesn't know how to do that?"

Lin Mengqiu then began processing the green peppers.

Although her movements were not as nimble as Chen Shi'an's last time, she didn't just wash it and call it a day like last time. She washed the green peppers and removed the stems. A little hesitant to use a kitchen knife, she used scissors to cut the green peppers open and remove the white veins inside.

And you know what? This job suits her quite well. A young girl can't tolerate even the slightest imperfection, and she tears those white tendons cleanly.

The green peppers were a bit spicy, and her delicate fingers, which had never been exposed to any kind of cooking, suddenly felt a burning sensation on her fingers as she was tearing them. She quickly rinsed them with water.

To my surprise, it didn't work at all!
Even after washing, my fingers still felt burning hot, and soon my fingers turned red.

"what happened?"

Chen Shi'an, who had just finished washing the meat and was cutting it into shreds, turned around and asked.

"My hand got burned by the spiciness of the green pepper."

"what?"

"fine."

Seeing Chen Shi'an's incredulous look, Lin Mengqiu felt embarrassed, as if she were being too delicate, so she simply stopped rinsing and decided to just bear it.

People's skin has different tolerance levels to chili peppers. Lin Mengqiu is obviously one of the more sensitive types. Seeing that the girl was uncomfortable from the spiciness, Chen Shi'an picked up a bottle of vinegar and handed it to her.

"Wash it with vinegar."

"Will it work?"

"I don't know, I've never had anything spicy."

"Then how do you know that washing it with vinegar will be enough?"

I've heard people mention it.

Lin Mengqiu was skeptical, but she took the bottle of vinegar and poured it from one hand to the other. The vinegar dripped onto her fingers, which she then rubbed and twisted.

It's not much better than washing it with water. At first, it's not spicy anymore, but after a while, it feels spicy again.

"Doesn't it work?"

"Somewhat useful, but not much..."

"Let me see." Chen Shi'an stopped what he was doing, came closer to her, took the bottle of vinegar from her hand with one hand, and held out the other hand to her.

Lin Mengqiu was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Let me help you wash your hands."

"Need not……"

"Hurry up, I still need to cook later."

"..."

If it were anyone else, Lin Mengqiu would probably have been ruthless enough to call the police.

Seeing Chen Shi'an's outstretched hand and his honest and natural expression, she didn't know what she was thinking, but she actually handed him her hand.

Looking at the girl's delicate fingers, as tender as sprouting willow branches, Chen Shi'an finally understood why she was so bothered by the spiciness of the chili peppers.

He poured white vinegar in one hand and used the other hand to rub her red, spicy fingers.

Something amazing happened.

The burning sensation that Lin Mengqiu had been struggling to wash off even after using half a bottle of white vinegar disappeared without her noticing after Chen Shi'an helped her scrub.

"Is it still spicy?"

"..."

"Ok?"

"..."

Lin Mengqiu didn't say anything, she just stared blankly as Chen Shi'an held her hand and washed it like a child's hand.

"Monitor?"

"No, it's not spicy anymore."

Chen Shi'an then let go of her hand, put the half-empty bottle of vinegar that the class monitor had wasted back in its place, and continued to prepare the dishes.

Until then.

The girl seemed to have been hit by a high latency, and her fair face turned bright red in an instant.

My fingers are no longer spicy.

But the capsaicin seemed to have transferred to her face, and Lin Mengqiu felt a burning sensation all over her face.

She left the kitchen without saying a word, her head bowed.

I rushed to the bathroom and frantically scooped up some icy water to wash my face and cool down.

……

When Lin Mengqiu returned to the kitchen, Chen Shi'an had already started cooking.

Since Uncle Lin wasn't home, it was just the two of them having dinner tonight, so we didn't prepare too many dishes.

The ingredients were all bought by the two of them at the market together. Tonight, they will make three dishes: shredded pork with green peppers, fish head stew, and stir-fried shredded lettuce.

Chen Shi'an had already prepared the dishes, with several plates containing bright green bell pepper strips, lettuce strips, marinated shredded meat, and marinated fish head pieces.

Lin Mengqiu doesn't like eating fish, but she really likes eating the head of this bighead carp, which is especially fresh, sweet and tender. Her father often uses fish heads to cook dishes, such as fish head with chopped peppers, fish head stew, fish head soup and so on.

Lin Mengqiu barely ate any of the chopped chili fish head her dad made last time.

She's going to have a good taste of the fish head stew Chen Shi'an made tonight and see how her cooking compares to her dad's.

Chen Shi'an heated the pan and started frying the fish head. He had given up on explaining to Lin Mengqiu or asking her to help with any tasks. The class monitor's hands were only suitable for holding a pen.

Unexpectedly, Lin Mengqiu took the initiative to ask him questions.

"Aren't you going to flip it over? It looks like the bottom is going to burn."

"Frying fish is all about slowness, not speed. The fish is moist, so fry it over low heat. Don't worry about it burning. If you flip it too quickly, the fish will fall apart before it sets."

Chen Shi'an started working on both stoves at the same time. While frying the fish head on one stove, he also turned on the fire on the other stove to preheat the casserole. He poured in oil, sautéed ginger, garlic and shallots, and then neatly arranged the fried fish head pieces on top. He poured the prepared sauce over the fish head, covered the pot with the lid, and finally poured a ring of rice wine around the edge of the pot.

"Doesn't it need water?"

"No need. Adding water will easily bring out the fishy smell from the fish head. A layer of rice wine around the casserole can seal the environment inside the pot, allowing the fish's own moisture to circulate in the pot and blend with the seasonings, locking in all the aroma."

Three to five minutes later, feeling that the cooking time was about right, Chen Shi'an lifted the lid of the clay pot.

Lin Mengqiu didn't even have time to notice that he had just lifted the scalding hot pot lid with his bare hands, because the moment he opened the lid, a rich, savory aroma of soy sauce wafted out, making her take a deep breath.

It smells so good!
It smells better than ever when my dad makes fish head stew!

Chen Shi'an hadn't added a single drop of water, yet the broth in the casserole was bubbling away. He then sprinkled finely chopped scallions and red pepper strips on top as a garnish. The presentation was simple, yet it firmly captured the girl's appetite.

My tummy started growling, so pathetic...

Chen Shi'an turned around and glanced back, while Lin Mengqiu looked away.

"The food is ready. If you're hungry, you can eat first, class monitor."

"Not hungry."

Ah.

Seeing the girl's demureness, Chen Shi'an said no more, but simply sped up his cooking.

Cooking with two stoves is so fast! The fish head stew is just finished here, and the shredded pork with green peppers over there is ready to be served.

Chen Shi'an was working on both sides simultaneously, yet he didn't seem flustered at all.

Lin Mengqiu was stunned. Let alone her, even if her father came, he would definitely be busy running around!

While Chen Shi'an was cooking the last dish, Lin Mengqiu, who was standing at the kitchen door, secretly took out her phone and took a picture of him as he was cooking.

Chen Shi'an turned around and was caught red-handed.

"Class monitor, are you taking pictures of me without my permission?"

"...My dad said, 'Let's see what dish you're making.'"

Lin Mengqiu calmly put away her phone, washed her hands, and quickly went to get bowls and chopsticks to serve the rice.

This girl, who always needed her dad to call her for meals, had never been so eager before.

After serving the rice, she quickly came over to help serve the dishes.

The casserole was very hot; she touched it with her finger and quickly pulled it back.

"Squad leader, you go get the shredded pork with green peppers, I'll get this."

"Be careful, it's hot..."

"fine."

Chen Shi'an carried the scalding hot casserole out by hand and placed it on the table mat.

Once all three dishes were served, the two of them sat down.

Just like last time, the two sat facing each other, and without her father by her side, Lin Mengqiu felt much more comfortable sitting opposite him.

"Please eat, class monitor, don't be shy."

"it is good……"

After she finished speaking, the girl came to her senses. Whose house is this?!

Seeing that Chen Shi'an had already started eating, Lin Mengqiu couldn't wait to reach out with her chopsticks and pick up a piece of fish head from the casserole.

The meat near the gills was so tender it almost didn't need chewing; it melted in her mouth with the slightest touch of her teeth, the juices flowing down her tongue and down her throat. The slightly wrinkled fish skin had a chewy texture, the gelatinous substance sticking between her teeth. The freshness of the fish and the aroma of the sauce made her squint her eyes, and her legs under the table couldn't help but wiggle.

Ugh...!
So delicious...!

Two points! Two points!!

Try the stir-fried shredded lettuce. The moment your teeth touch the lettuce, you hear a crisp "crunch," and the tender texture instantly bursts in your mouth. First comes the natural sweetness of the lettuce, with a touch of fresh, crisp juice. Then, the aroma of garlic, stir-fried in hot oil, slowly spreads out. Without any extra seasonings, the refreshing flavor of the lettuce is brought out to its fullest.

Ugh...!
So delicious...!

Two points! Two points!!

Finally, let's try the shredded pork with green peppers. This was her favorite dish last time. She didn't know if it was because Chen Shi'an personally selected the ingredients this time, or because she helped deal with the peppers and even burned her fingers, but this plate of shredded pork with green peppers tasted even better than last time. It was so delicious with white rice.

Ugh...!
So delicious...!

Two points! Two points!!

It turns out that eating delicious food really can bring a feeling of happiness.

Lin Mengqiu felt incredibly happy at that moment.

She really isn't a picky eater.

It's just that Dad's cooking is terrible!

Twelve points are deducted from your score!
(End of this chapter)