In the bedroom.
"Brother Hai, are you planning to start a food factory?" Zhen Linqi asked, lying in bed.
"It's just an idea. I noticed everyone loves this cake," Jia Fuhai nodded.
"Brother Hai, this cake is so delicious! I support you!" Lin Feifei, who usually didn't say much, spoke up in support. It was her favorite cake, and it was the most delicious one she had ever had.
"I… I support it too," Zhen Linna chimed in, raising both hands and feet to show her enthusiasm.
"Hehe, Brother Hai, I thought you'd be a slacker forever," Zhen Linqi teased, thinking he was just a bit bored and wanted something to do.
"Mostly, I just want to be able to eat good food anytime, anywhere!" Jia Fuhai grinned.
"...That works, I guess. But can you handle it? While your cooking is indeed good, running a food factory is a whole different matter," Zhen Linqi rolled her eyes and began warning him about the risks.
"Don't worry. If I can't do it, we can always have our son guide me," Jia Fuhai said with a righteous face, as if his son was his greatest asset.
"Pffft~" Zhen Linna let out a strange noise from the side.
"You really are… fine, whatever. We only have around 7 million in cash at home. I'll give you half," Zhen Linqi said, rolling her eyes again.
"Kiki, you're the best!" Jia Fuhai immediately jumped over to hug her.
"Brother Hai, I have money too!" Zhen Linna quickly joined in, though she had never actually handled any of it.
Lin Feifei, sitting to the side, felt a little insecure. She was still relying on the Zhen sisters for support while she was in the hospital. On top of that, her family was in a cold war due to a fight between Jia Fuhai and her mother, so she couldn't help Brother Hai financially.
"Actually, we don't need that much. We need to first test whether producing the cake in bulk will still taste good. If it doesn't, we can stop before losing too much," Jia Fuhai tried to manage expectations, though he was confident it would work.
"You do whatever you think is best. As long as it doesn't bankrupt us, I support you," Zhen Linqi said, fully backing him. Jia Fuhai's emotional value shot through the roof.
"Kiki…" Jia Fuhai looked at her, moved.
...
"Kiki, if you have time, you could learn some accounting. If the food factory plan works out, you could help with the finances," Jia Fuhai suggested to Zhen Linqi, who was beside him.
Zhen Linqi was running her fingers through Lin Feifei's long hair. "I've already been studying it."
"You seem to study everything!" Jia Fuhai had seen Kiki's books—they were all over the place.
"Just doing some reading in my spare time. I'll focus more on accounting later," Zhen Linqi said, pursing her lips.
"Feifei, I remember you love cake, so later you can be our taste tester," Jia Fuhai said, turning to Lin Feifei beside Kiki.
"Sure! I love cake!" Lin Feifei nodded. She loved the sweetness of cake.
"But the food factory will have to wait a bit. I want my son to study more about other cuisines, and he can guide me in the kitchen. Tomorrow, I'll make your favorite pork rib and corn soup, Kiki."
"I'll take some time to study more before jumping into the food factory," Jia Fuhai explained his plan to the two of them.
"That sounds good. Oh, just hearing about the pork rib and corn soup is making me hungry. You make it really well!" Zhen Linqi said, her mouth watering at the thought of her favorite dish.
"Let me go make it now. Feifei, would you like some cake?" Jia Fuhai got up to get dressed.
"No need, Brother Hai. Let's do it tomorrow," Zhen Linqi quickly reached out and pulled him back.
"Yeah, no need to rush. It's so late already," Lin Feifei also spoke up, stopping him.
"Alright, let's rest. You're both pregnant, after all—don't overexert yourselves," Jia Fuhai thought about it and agreed it was too late to start cooking.
The next day.
Around noon.
Jia Qiyi knew his mother loved pork rib and corn soup, so he thought carefully about the dish, adding a few extra ingredients.
He sat in his grandmother's lap, directing his father in the kitchen.
Of course, Jia Fuhai avoided any dishes that produced too much smoke or oil, fearing it might affect his son.
For now, they stuck to steaming, stewing, and boiling, all of which were light and clean cooking methods.
With these methods, Qiyi could easily direct the cooking.
On the other side, Jia Naji was being taken by his grandfather to play chess with the chess master at the chess hall.
In the video call, Master Xu was sipping goji berry tea, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, clearly struggling.
A crowd of people watched the match from the sidelines.
Jia Naji, on the other hand, looked relaxed. Although he had tied in his first game with Master Xu, he learned quickly from his mistakes, and each subsequent match became easier.
Jia Naji took a sip of his honey water, pushed a knight piece forward with his short hand, and declared, "Check."
Master Xu stared at the board.
Watching his master sweat profusely, Zhang Zongwei quickly came up to fan him.
Zhang was there to watch how his master defeated (or struggled against) his opponent, and also to help cool his overheated brain.
"I lost," Master Xu declared after trying and failing to come up with a solution, announcing his defeat.
Jia Naji sipped his honey water and asked, "Shall we continue?"
"Continue," Master Xu replied, believing that playing chess with this prodigy could help him expand his thinking.
Even if he lost, he wanted to play. This child might help him improve his skills, which had been stagnant for a long time. So he started scheduling regular matches with the little one.
He turned to his apprentice, Zhang, and said, "Watch carefully."
"Yes, Master," Zhang Zongwei nodded. He had already lost to this kid once, and seeing his master defeated too, he was eager to study the child's strategies—and, of course, watch his master...
Zhen Fugui quickly reset the chessboard, and the two sides resumed their game.
Creak.
Just as Master Xu was pondering his next move, the door opened.
He smacked his lips, knowing who it was—the neighboring Go master.
Only he had the nerve to enter without knocking.
"Old Xu, I heard there's a prodigy who's been beating you senseless!" The Go Master, Zhang, entered with a teasing grin.
"Silence during a chess match is a virtue!" Master Xu retorted, continuing to focus on the game, ignoring the annoying neighbor.
The others nodded at Go Master Zhang in greeting but remained silent, their attention still on the video.
Go Master Zhang paid them no mind, standing behind Master Xu to watch.
On the screen...
A child, probably just learning to walk, was already playing chess—against Old Xu, no less!
What?
Go Master Zhang's face filled with shock, but he said nothing, quietly watching the game unfold.
Though he specialized in Go, he was decent at chess too. As neighbors, he and Master Xu often challenged each other—he couldn't beat Master Xu at chess, but Master Xu couldn't beat him at Go.
Seeing Master Xu drink more and more water, practically using it to cool his overheated brain, even though they usually teased each other, Go Master Zhang didn't feel like mocking him this time.
Watching the child remain so calm and composed, he was reminded of the terror of prodigies. Damn it! No matter the field, there were always these terrifyingly gifted people.
So young yet already this skilled. If this child were to take up Go...
Go Master Zhang continued watching their match, lost in thought.