Call Me Daddy

Crispy! Crunchy!

Even though she first bit into the fish’s head, she couldn’t detect any bones. The entire small yellow croaker was fried to a crispy perfection. Taking another bite of the fish body, it was crispy on the outside yet incredibly tender inside. The old lady placed half-eaten crispy fried small yellow croaker in front of herself. The cross-section where the fish had been bitten off clearly showed its internal texture.

The fish meat was translucent, and the patterns of its texture were visible, indicating its freshness. Despite being fried for so long, the moisture of the fish meat itself remained locked within the crispy coating, preserving its delicate and moist texture.

The combination of crispiness and tenderness, along with the savory and fresh flavors enhanced by the slight salt added during marination, made the old lady feel that such delicious crispy fried small yellow croakers could be devoured in one sitting.

Miao Yinhua finished off the small yellow croaker in two or three bites, then gave a meaningful glance to her husband.

It’s no wonder they say a spouse who has shared a bed for nearly 40 years can read each other’s thoughts. Su Quangen immediately understood the implication and nodded quickly.

My own son, indeed, is a culinary genius!

Miao Yinhua felt like she was dreaming, but the lingering freshness of the small yellow croaker in her mouth kept reminding her it was real because her husband had never made crispy fried small yellow croakers that delicious.

The two dishes and soup were quickly devoured by the family of three. After finishing the meal, the elderly couple exchanged meaningful glances and finally couldn’t resist asking.

“Son, if you have this talent for cooking, why didn’t you show it before?” Miao Yinhua asked, puzzled.

“I’ve never been in the kitchen before!” Su Aobai stretched his neck confidently.

That statement was undeniable. Considering how much the old couple doted on their son, he indeed never had the chance to showcase his culinary skills in the kitchen. If it weren’t for his sudden interest in doing a livestream and his intervention in what he felt were incorrect methods by his father, his talent might never have been revealed.

Su Quangen and Miao Yinhua were speechless, mouths hanging open.

“Then… then could you always taste that your dad’s cooking wasn’t perfect?” Miao Yinhua wondered. If he had a genius palate, he must have been born with it. But if he could detect imperfections in his dad’s cooking, how did he endure it for over 40 years?

“I could taste it.” Su Aobai scratched his head.

“Sometimes it was a bit bland, other times too salty; occasionally the spices weren’t strong enough to cover the odd flavors of the ingredients, and sometimes it was overcooked, with a hint of burnt taste… But as someone who doesn’t cook, I have no right to criticize. Dad worked hard to make those meals, so I should just shut up and eat. Being picky is just not right.”

His response was casual.

“Besides, Dad’s cooking only has those minor issues. How lucky am I to be born as your child, Mom and Dad? If I were born into someone else’s family, like Uncle Da Yu’s, who frequents our family restaurant, I would really cry.”

Uncle Da Yu mentioned by Su Aobai was a frequent customer at the Su Family Snack Shop. Since Su Aobai could remember, his family of three had eaten at the shop year-round, except for a few occasions when they all went out together to celebrate weddings. It was mostly because the food made by Da Yu and his wife was so unappetizing.

Hearing his son’s explanation, the elderly couple laughed.

Especially Su Quangen. While others criticized his son for this and that, it turned out his son was so obedient and filial. Despite occasionally feeling the food didn’t suit his taste, he never complained because he knew his father had worked hard to make it. Since his childhood, Su Aobai had always had a good appetite, eating two or three bowls at every meal, making Su Quangen think his son really liked his cooking.

Looking back now, did he really like my cooking? No, it was more than that—it was deep admiration and respect for his father.

Without needing Su Aobai to say more, the compassionate father, Su Quangen, had already imagined all the reasons for his son’s behavior.

The old lady was no exception.

Just look at this obedient child she had raised; Why is he so thoughtful and lovable?

Using their own imaginative skills, the couple were almost in tears.

***

After finishing dinner and returning to his room, Su Aobai glanced at the wallet on his bedroom computer desk. Opening it revealed a half-exposed ID card in one of the compartments, with the first line showing the name “Su Tianyuan”.

This was the wallet Su Tianyuan had discovered missing last night when he was preparing to sign the contract.

Su Aobai withdrew his gaze; now wasn’t the time to contact that silly kid to return home for his ID.

Following the current process to reapply for an ID, even if he reported the loss yesterday and immediately went to reapply today, it would still take 7 working days to receive the newly issued ID.

Moreover, some convenience policies hadn’t been updated yet, and with today and tomorrow being weekends, he couldn’t even apply for a temporary ID.

Su Aobai took out his phone and logged into the Douxiong APP.

Based on his memories from his past life, he searched for Su Tianyuan’s live streaming room.

A somewhat unconventional-looking handsome young man appeared on the screen, his expression somewhat restrained as he dryly told some uninteresting jokes.

Su Aobai glanced at the number of viewers in the live stream room; over seven hundred and sixty people. Among them, quite a few were alternate accounts maintained by the company. Due to the mundane and uninteresting content of the live stream, there weren’t many comments in the room. Occasionally, a few would appear, either praising Su Tianyuan for his good looks or criticizing him for having no special talents and being like a block of wood.

Su Aobai decided to change his Douxiong account name.

[Your Dad Is Still Your Dad]: Straw bag beauty!

He left a comment and generously dropped a one-yuan “landmine” on him.

Look, isn’t this dad doing a great job?

First, he struck his son down a bit, allowing him to have a clear understanding of his abilities. Of course, at the same time, he also gave the child ample encouragement, such as praising him as a beauty and throwing out a yuan to make the child feel his support.

Su Aobai was almost moved by himself.

***

On the other hand, Su Tianyuan was extremely ashamed because of the comments from a Douxiong user named [Your Dad Is Still Your Dad], thinking how there could be a netizen as annoying as his dad and who had taken such a username.

For the rest of the day, he couldn’t muster any interest in live streaming.

One after another denial made him wonder if he was really suitable for the path of becoming an internet celebrity.

Zhang Lang also followed Su Tianyuan’s live stream. During his broadcast, he had entered his room to observe the audience’s reactions. He had prepared himself for the idea that Su Tianyuan was just a pretty face with no brains, but even he was surprised by Su Tianyuan’s foolishness.

Clearly blessed with good looks, yet he didn’t know how to capitalize on this advantage.

Girls liked his appearance, and he could easily say some sweet nothings to deceive them. After all, naive girls were as easy to fool as mature rich women; one would spend money for their favorite young man, while the other had no lack of money and would pamper any young meat they liked.

But Su Tianyuan couldn’t do that. When someone praised his looks, he awkwardly said thank you without understanding how to use the advantage, wasting his good looks.

In his frustration, Zhang Lang also thought about Su Tianyuan’s mesmerizing singing voice.

He found him after Su Tianyuan finished his broadcast, suggesting that he could use his captivating singing voice as a selling point. After all, there were many internet celebrities who became famous through satire. Being laughed at didn’t matter as long as it brought fame and money, which was what mattered most.

But Su Tianyuan exploded with anger at the suggestion.

Somehow, he thought of the Douxiong user named [Your Dad Is Still Your Dad]. What would they think if they heard him sing? They would surely mock him. Moreover, Su Tianyuan’s pride wouldn’t allow him to accept becoming famous through a “strength” that was completely unrelated to his talents.

Zhang Lang’s suggestion reminded Su Tianyuan of the comments flooding into his live stream earlier in the day.

Viewers asked about the anchor who sang so poorly, and some even joked about throwing firecrackers and landmines. They promised more tips if he sang and proved just how bad he was.

Such comments didn’t make Su Tianyuan see an opportunity for fame but instead filled him with shame.

This only reinforced his feeling that he might not be cut out for internet stardom after all.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. If we don’t do live streams, we can still make short videos. I’ll find scripts and handle the filming for you. Just follow the script when it’s time to act.”

Seeing Su Tianyuan’s hesitation, Zhang Lang quickly proposed another idea.

“Short videos are great. That way, you won’t have to interact with the audience face-to-face. They’ll only see the character you play in the video.”

Zhang Lang boasted about his organization’s scriptwriting, filming, and editing teams, reigniting Su Tianyuan’s desire for fame once again.

So he decided on the spot that the team would work overtime the following Sunday to shoot a short video for upload to the Douxiong short video app. Zhang Lang had already planned that even if this short video wasn’t successful, he would ensure the likes surpassed 100,000, creating the illusion for Su Tianyuan that he could truly become popular.

First, he would deceive him a bit. By Monday, he would have him go and apply for a temporary ID card. Once the contract was signed, it would be time to squeeze money out of him.

Naive as Su Tianyuan was, he didn’t detect the calculation behind Zhang Lang’s smile. Seeing him offering advice and even calling in his colleagues who were on vacation to shoot the video for him, Su Tianyuan suddenly felt that the money he was paying was well worth it.

***

On Sunday, business at the Su Family Snack Shop was relatively quiet.

Because the young white-collar workers around were on vacation, only some of the nearby residents treated Su Family Snack Shop as their village canteen, visiting almost every meal.

After a day’s work, Su Quangen rubbed his sore shoulders but didn’t feel tired at all. Ever since he discovered his son’s talent, he felt rejuvenated, as if he could work another 20 years.

“Today, Wang Juhua, that picky old lady, praised your cooking even more.”

“That lady from the Yu family, over 90 years old, thinks everything tastes bland, but she really enjoyed your Mapo Tofu today. She had a whole bowl with her rice.”

Miao Yinhua shared happily with her husband the feedback from customers during the day.

“That’s because our son knows how to control the flavor and cooking time.”

Su Quangen beamed with pride. These compliments for his son made him happier than receiving praise for himself.

The elderly couple had already taken their showers and were lying in bed resting. Su Quangen held a yellowed notebook in his hand; it was indeed his father’s handwriting. When he found this notebook in the attic cabinet, he felt somewhat regretful. He had been careless when sorting through his father’s belongings years ago, unexpectedly overlooking something so important.

The notebook contained many insights into the dishes Grandpa Su had cooked throughout his life, along with some secret recipes. These past few nights, before going to sleep, Su Quangen had been pondering over this notebook.

“However, Old Lady Yu should take it easy. At her age, she shouldn’t be eating such greasy and spicy food.”

Amidst his joy, he didn’t forget to remind his own wife.

“Don’t act like you’re more attentive than others. At her age, what’s most important for the kids is that she eats happily. Doctors say this nutrition is good, that one is good for digestion, but she also has to be willing to eat it.”

Miao Yinhua rolled her eyes at her old man and then picked up a bottle of medicated oil, gesturing towards him.

“Shoulder sore again? Let me rub some medicated oil for you.”

While discovering that their son was a genius was undoubtedly a joyous event, Miao Yinhua was still worried about her husband. They really were getting older. Back when they were young, they used to take on extra jobs and host country banquets. During those times of cooking in large pots, those heavy iron pots were several times heavier than the frying pans in the shop nowadays. There was a time when banquet-style meals were popular in the countryside, and after a day of constantly stirring, their hands never paused, yet they never felt this kind of soreness.

Miao Yinhua wondered how many more years her husband could work. Should I persuade him to retire early? But she also knew in her heart that even if she advised him, he wouldn’t agree.

“Ouch, be gentle, be gentle.”

Miao Yinhua’s grip was a bit strong, causing Su Quangen to grimace in pain.

“Thump, thump, thump.”

At this time, the door of the room knocked, the family was also just the three of them, Su Quangen told his old wife to put away the medicinal oil, and then opened the bedroom window to dissipate the odor of the medicinal oil.

“Come in.” He shouted.

“What’s the matter?” Seeing his son come in, Su Quangen asked suspiciously; Is it because he doesn’t have enough money?

“Dad, about our family’s store, I have an idea.”

Su Aobai sat on his butt on the bedside of the two elders, after pretending to be middle-aged for 2 days to get the elders to adapt to his changes, it was time for the next step of the plan.

First of all, to reduce the elders’ workload, and then cheat a handyman back for the old man.