My stepmother forced me to donate bone marrow, so I retaliated by slapping my scumbag father in the

In the kitchen, Shen Ze's movements did not stop.

Slicing, blanching, seasoning, stir-frying—she was incredibly skilled at every step.

A plate of stir-fried beef with yellow peppers was quickly served.

The beef is tender, and the green and red peppers are bright in color. As soon as they are served on the plate, their spicy aroma whets the appetite.

Next came braised prawns and stir-fried seasonal vegetables.

The four dishes were prepared in succession, with almost no time wasted.

Yu Yehua stood to the side, having just finished one of the two dishes he had prepared.

He glanced at Shen Ze, then at the food in his own pot, and for a moment wondered who was helping whom.

"Xiaoze, how come you cook so fast?"

"It gets faster once you get the hang of it."

Shen Ze turned down the heat for him: "This dish will taste even better if it simmers a little longer."

"Okay, whatever you say."

Yu Yehua nodded.

A dozen minutes later, all six dishes were served.

The braised fish has a bright red color and a rich, thick broth.

The braised prawns are neatly arranged on a plate, their shells gleaming enticingly.

The stir-fried beef with yellow peppers was fragrant, the stir-fried vegetables were crisp and refreshing, and the remaining two dishes were stewed chicken and stir-fried meat slices, which were made by Yu Yehua himself.

"Old Zhao, don't be so polite."

Yu Yehua invited everyone to sit down: "Try today's dishes."

Zhao Gang's appetite had already been whetted by the aroma.

He picked up a piece of fish, but as soon as it entered his mouth, he paused.

The outer layer is coated with a rich broth, while the inside remains tender and juicy. The fishy smell is completely removed, and the salty-sweet ratio is just right.

"tasty!"

Zhao Gang picked up another piece: "This fish is really well cooked."

He then tried the braised prawns, which had firm and tender meat.

"This shrimp is good too."

"Stir-fried beef is more about the heat; if you cook it too long, it will become tough, and if you cook it for too short a time, it won't be flavorful. This dish is just right."

Zhao Gang tasted several dishes in succession, his chopsticks almost never stopping.

"Old Yu, when did you develop such culinary skills?"

"I've known you for so many years, how come I didn't know you were hiding this skill?"

Yu Yehua looked embarrassed and quickly waved his hand, "Don't flatter me, I didn't cook most of the dishes on this table."

Zhao Gang was stunned for a moment: "Not you?"

"Braised fish, braised prawns, stir-fried beef with yellow peppers, and that plate of greens, were all made by Xiaoze."

Yu Yehua pointed to the remaining two plates: "Only the stewed chicken and stir-fried pork slices were made by me."

Zhao Gang looked at Shen Ze, his surprise even more evident: "You made all four dishes?"

I just made a few dishes.

Shen Ze smiled and said, "Mr. Zhao, please eat more if you like."

"This is not something you can just do casually."

Zhao Gang was generous with his praise: "Some professional chefs might not even have your skills."

"Old Yu just said you're very capable, and I thought he was showing some favoritism towards his son-in-law."

"In retrospect, he may have been conservative in his assessment."

Yu Yehua immediately laughed: "How about that? I wasn't bragging, was I?"

"no."

Zhao Gang picked up another piece of beef with his chopsticks: "This cooking skill is truly impressive."

The meal was very lively.

Before long, only some broth remained from the braised fish.

The plate of braised prawns was completely emptied, and the stir-fried beef and stir-fried vegetables were also eaten clean.

In contrast, the stewed chicken and stir-fried pork slices prepared by Yu Yehua were only symbolically touched a few times.

Zhao Gang reached out his chopsticks, intending to pick up another piece of beef, but found that the plate was already empty.

His chopsticks paused in mid-air for a moment before finally reaching for the stewed chicken.

Yu Yehua looked at the four empty plates, then at the two almost untouched dishes in front of him, and couldn't help but sigh.

"The difference is too obvious."

Zhao Gang laughed and said, "Your two dishes aren't bad either."

"Alright, you don't need to comfort me."

Yu Yehua shook his head: "Of the six dishes, four were eaten, and I made the remaining two."

"It seems I'll have to learn cooking skills from Ozawa from now on."

Yu Binglan suppressed a laugh: "Didn't you just say you wanted Shen Ze to try your cooking?"

"Just trying it is enough."

Yu Yehua said confidently, "Elders also need to keep improving; they can't just rely on their past achievements."

After lunch, the group returned to the living room.

Yu Yehua brewed a pot of fresh tea and then took out a set of well-preserved writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones from his study.

"Old Zhao, it's rare for you to come all this way today, could you leave me a calligraphy piece?"

Upon seeing the items on the table, Zhao Gang immediately realized: "So you invited me to dinner with this in mind."

"Friends are friends, and calligraphy is calligraphy."

Yu Yehua laughed and said, "Now that you're the vice president of the Great Xia Calligraphers Association, people who want to ask you for a piece of calligraphy can line up for blocks."

"I've entertained you for so long today, I can't let you leave empty-handed, can I?"

"What kind of logic is that?"

Zhao Gang joked, but did not refuse.

He walked to the desk, spread out the Xuan paper, and carefully flattened it.

Yu Yehua personally ground the ink for him, and the fragrance of the ink gradually spread.

Zhao Gang picked up the brush, thought for a moment, then dipped it in ink and began to write.

His wrist was steady, and his brushstrokes were skillful; a line of large characters quickly appeared on the paper.

The entire process was seamless, and the finishing strokes were executed with remarkable precision.

After finishing writing, Zhao Gang put down his brush, took two steps back, examined it for a moment, and nodded in satisfaction.

"I feel good today."

Yu Yehua had already moved closer to the table, and the more he looked at the calligraphy, the more he liked it: "Beautiful calligraphy! The structure is open and the strokes are powerful."

"Old Zhao, your calligraphy has improved again in the past few years."

Zhao Gang waved his hand with a smile, but a clear look of satisfaction was on his lips.

"It's far from being a true master's work, but it should be enough to hang in your study."

"What does 'enough' mean?"

Yu Yehua said earnestly, "Many people would spend money to get their hands on this piece of calligraphy."

Shen Ze also walked to the table and looked at the calligraphy copybook he had just finished writing.

He noticed the problem after just a few glances.

The first character starts with a slightly heavy stroke, and in an attempt to maintain continuity, the transitions are handled too hastily.

The calligraphy works are not bad when viewed individually, but when placed together, the overall style and rhythm are not fully integrated.

The last stroke appears carefree, but the finishing touch is unstable, disrupting the overall balance.

In the eyes of ordinary people, Zhao Gang's calligraphy is indeed at the level of a master.

But Shen Ze already possesses god-level calligraphy skills.

Various fonts, structures, brushstrokes, and styles have long been ingrained in our instincts.

In his eyes, this calligraphy had far too many flaws.

Pity.

Shen Ze looked at the Xuan paper and sighed inwardly.

Zhao Gang noticed that he kept staring at the calligraphy copybook and mistakenly thought that he had developed an interest in calligraphy.

"Shen Ze, you also like calligraphy?"

"I have some understanding of it."

"It's a good thing that young people are willing to get involved in calligraphy."

Zhao Gang smiled and said, "The most important thing in calligraphy is the foundation. If you are really interested, I can teach you the basics."

Shen Ze paused slightly.

Should I teach him the basics?

Zhao Gang's calligraphy skills are indeed not bad, but they are still far from being at the level of divine calligraphy.

To be honest, the other party wasn't even qualified to teach him.

However, Zhao Gang was, after all, an old friend of Yu Yehua and an elder.

The other party offered to teach them out of good intentions.

To refuse outright would be somewhat disrespectful.

Shen Ze was pondering how to decline when Yu Yehua became agitated and grabbed Zhao Gang's hand.

"Old Zhao, you said it yourself!"

Zhao Gang laughed and said, "Of course."