Call Me Daddy

Su Tianyuan felt assured of his victory. The father and son were caught up in their conversation, not giving Su Quangen and Miao Yinhua a chance to interject.

However, upon calm reflection on the terms of the agreement, it actually seemed… quite good.

The elderly couple exchanged looks, uncertain if this was their son’s strategy.

The naive grandson continued to boast confidently about his imminent victory, oblivious to the trap he was walking into. Miao Yinhua worriedly noted that her son had suddenly become smarter, highlighting her grandson’s endearing simplicity.

Feeling somewhat guilty, Miao Yinhua attributed it to perhaps not feeding him enough walnuts in his childhood, resolving to remind her husband to be more mindful in cooking to nurture their child’s intellect.

(T/N: walnuts are known to be good for one’s brain.)

Basking in the loving gaze of his grandparents, Su Tianyuan stretched his neck taller and stood a bit straighter. Over the next month, he would show his grandparents that he was the most deserving of their affection.

******

Back in his room, Su Tianyuan lowered his voice and made a call to Brother Zhang.

Despite his father’s words stirring some doubt about Brother Zhang, deep down, Su Tianyuan still leaned towards believing Brother Zhang hadn’t deceived him. He planned to continue developing things with Brother Zhang after this month passed.

He explained the reasons to Brother Zhang during their call. After stating that he could get money from home in a month, Brother Brother Zhangnerously expressed that there was no rush to start the internet celebrity career. He and his team would wait for Su Tianyuan to return in a month. By then, with sufficient promotion funds, he would definitely become popular in one fell swoop.

Somehow, after hanging up the phone this time, Su Tianyuan didn’t feel excited about the grand promises Brother Zhang had made. Instead, he had a vague and inexplicable feeling.

He sensed it; Brother Zhang’s tone had noticeably brightened after I mentioned getting money from home.

Refusing to admit he was easily deceived, Su Tianyuan subconsciously kept telling himself it was just a misunderstanding.

He paced back and forth in his room, scratching his dyed silver-white hair in frustration. Then, like going into battle, he took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked downstairs.

Meanwhile, Su Aobai was already adjusting the camera stand’s height in the kitchen.

Today’s livestream theme wasn’t everyday dishes but a dessert; Date and Yam Cake.

[2333]: Are we making Chinese desserts today? Looking forward to it! *Rubbing hands together*.jpg

[Public Intellectual]: Um… Can’t the host just honestly teach cooking? Chinese desserts in Chinese cuisine are generally inedible, choking hazards. What’s there to teach about this Chinese dessert? Can’t the host make Western-style desserts? If you want to teach desserts, teach Western ones.

[Reinforced Concrete]: Who said Chinese desserts are inedible? You must not have tried real Chinese pastries. A pastry with a cup of tea can be a day-long enjoyment.

[Public Intellectual]: Anyway, I’ve never eaten Chinese desserts that were palatable, don’t argue with me, surely many people share my thoughts.

[Chicken Pecking Rice]: Aren’t Suzhou-style flaky mooncakes delicious? Aren’t tangyuan delicious? Aren’t “donkey rolling” desserts delicious? Aren’t glutinous rice cakes delicious…

[Run Little Duck]: Saying all Chinese desserts are dry is a sweeping generalization, right? There are indeed some drier types among Chinese desserts, but most are meant to be enjoyed with tea, and these types of pastries certainly aren’t unpleasant.

Meanwhile, Su Aobai was still adjusting the camera angles. The studio was in an uproar today due to the chosen theme.

“Today, I’m announcing something to everyone. In three days, my family’s small eatery will no longer take individual orders for stir-fried dishes. Instead, we will start offering set meals, with a variety of dishes for customers to choose from. As you’ve all seen, my dad is getting older, and the workload in the kitchen has become too much for him to handle.”

Su Aobai’s announcement caused a chorus of cries in the livestream, with many viewers planning to visit the shop when they had the money and time, just to taste Grandpa’s cooking.

Especially after a few dishes in his previous livestreams made viewers’ mouths water uncontrollably, the frequency of fantasizing about ordering these dishes in the comments was at its peak. If they couldn’t order anymore in the future, whether they could taste them would just be a matter of luck.

Moreover, many people equate set meals with fast food, thinking that this will definitely compromise the taste of the dishes.

[Public Intellectual]: It’s only been a few days since the broadcast started, and now you’re getting arrogant just because you have a few fans?

[Next Door Old Wang]: The way the host is handling this really ruins their likability. Your dad is getting older; can’t you take over? If not, you could hire someone.

Sure enough, negative comments quickly began to flood the livestream.

Looking at the scrolling barrage of comments, Su Aobai calmly responded, “Because it’s been a small family-run shop for decades, and with my parents not wanting to expand, they prefer family members to run it rather than hiring chefs. As for me…”

Su Aobai hadn’t even spoken yet, but a few active accounts were already speaking up for him.

[2333]: Hahaha, the host can’t cook.

[Chicken Pecking Rice]: The host is a noob, whenever Grandpa cooks, he’s always messing around. If he did it all himself, could we even eat it? Dog head.jpg

[Run Little Duck]: Please, host, don’t personally take charge. Grandpa is so old, and the host must be at least 40 or 50 years old. At this age, learning the craft is too late. Does the host have children? Maybe let the host’s child learn from Grandpa to carry on this family tradition.

Seeing those few active accounts speak up for him, even though their comments seemed somewhat condescending, Su Aobai couldn’t help but smile wryly.

“Well, starting today, my son will come to help out at the shop.”

Just as he said that, Su Tianyuan walked into the kitchen.

[2333]: Wow wow wow!

[2333]: Is this the host’s son? My goodness, is the host’s son really this handsome? Curious about what the host looks like!

In the livestreams of the past few days, Su Aobai had only been heard and not seen, as no one knew what he looked like. From everyone’s guesses, Su Aobai was probably a middle-aged uncle, calm and gentle, just like their own dad.

But now, seeing this fresh and handsome young man, everyone started to reconsider the host’s appearance.

[Chicken Pecking Rice]: Hahaha, the host’s son has such a non-mainstream style. Clearly, Grandpa and Grandma seem so simple and down-to-earth, yet this grandson and the whole family have a different vibe.

***

Su Tianyuan dyed his hair silver, wore a cross earring, had a skull necklace hanging around his neck, and his clothes were mostly black and silver. His jeans had several holes, loosely hanging around his hips as if they weren’t properly worn.

This attire indeed clashed with the kitchen’s nostalgic ambiance.

“Are we going live like this?”

Su Tianyuan became somewhat uneasy as he saw his father adjusting the tripod’s height.

Although he already harbored some shadow over the livestreaming, when faced with the prospect of appearing on camera, he still wanted to tidy up his appearance.

Did I mess up my hairstyle when I scratched my head just now?

Did I forget to clean my eyes after yawning?

So, Su Tianyuan nervously left the kitchen to go to the bathroom and fix up his appearance.

His changing expressions were clearly captured by the camera, instantly making the livestream room lively.

[Chicken Pecking Rice]: Now it’s confirmed, he’s definitely the grandson of this family. Hahaha, he looks exactly like Grandpa.

[Run Little Duck]: Suddenly, this non-mainstream handsome guy seems quite cute, just as adorable as Grandpa.

They recalled the first day of the livestream when Grandpa also ran out to fix his appearance without knowing the filming was already underway.

When Su Tianyuan returned to the kitchen again, there were obvious traces of hair gel on his hairstyle.

“Take off the accessories on your hands and neck, and wear this hat instead.”

Su Aobai glanced at his son, whose bright chef’s hat resembled a peacock’s unfolded tail, and handed him the brand-new chef’s hat in his hand.

Su Tianyuan: “…”

“In the kitchen, hygiene is important. You must wear the hat, otherwise hair falling into the dishes would not be good.” Su Quangen looked at his meticulously groomed grandson and immediately thought of himself on that day.

Su Tianyuan: “…”

So why fuss over hairstyle?

But since Grandpa had spoken, Su Tianyuan had no choice but to comply. He could only put the cylindrical hat on his head, pressing down his meticulously gelled and towering hair until it was flat. Each strand of hair exuded a sense of grievance.

The barrage burst into laughter again. It was true that every reaction of this grandfather-grandson duo was too consistent, even their aggrieved look while wearing hats was identical.

[2333]: One day, I must invent a transparent chef’s hat so that grandpas and little brothers can wear their hats without wasting their carefully styled hair.

[Haha Weirdo]: Haha, so harsh

Apart from a few troublemaking comments, most of the comments were extremely cheerful. Many viewers also saw through Su Tianyuan’s silly and sweet nature beneath his non-mainstream appearance.

***

“For the next 3 days, the snack shop will continue to operate as usual. During these 3 days, we’ll also inform regular customers about changes in the shop’s operations. This date paste and yam cake is a gift to every customer who visits today, a token of gratitude to our neighbors who have supported our small shop over the years.”

Su Aobai prepared the ingredients needed for the date paste and yam cake, narrating on the side.

Although the live broadcasts weren’t frequent, viewers who had watched them knew that this was a shop full of warmth. Many people followed this account precisely because of its strong human touch and nostalgic feeling for the snack shop.

Seeing the way the Su family handled things, there was really nothing to criticize.

After all, the head chef was getting older. Without a successor, it was perfectly normal to lighten the load. Business transactions were fair; one side provided labor, the other money. After opening a restaurant, could they not close it if they wanted?

Now the Su family’s snack shop had simply switched to set meals. It was clear enough. Those willing to eat would still come, and those unwilling weren’t forced. It was still a free exchange.

In this situation, their gesture of giving each customer a small dessert showed genuine thoughtfulness.

“Dad, go wash the red dates.”

Su Aobai saw the old man about to peel a piece of yam and immediately intervened. He handed him a basin of red dates instead, telling him to wash those.

Su Tianyuan had never done chores, but he knew peeling yam was definitely harder than washing red dates.

Calculating old fox!

Su Tianyuan sneered inwardly. Sure enough, his dad was trying to please his grandfather again. Always seizing the opportunity. How had I never noticed Dad’s cunningness before?

Humph, this wasn’t difficult either. I can do it too.

“What are you standing there for? Start peeling.” Su Aobai pushed a plate of long-cut yams in front of his clueless son.

Su Tianyuan: “?”

He took a moment to digest what had just happened.

Dad didn’t snatch the more challenging task from Grandpa’s hands to do it himself and impress Grandpa, did he? Now he’s pushing that basin of yams in front of me, what’s he planning to do?

Originally, Su Tianyuan was planning to show off a bit in front of his grandpa too, but what he was preparing to do was the job of washing the red dates that his grandpa was doing now.

Those piles of yellowish yams, with small brown spots on the surface, some of the yams were twisted, obviously not easy to peel.