茶杯狐 -CUPFOX

Upon seeing Xiang Kun get into the car with a thermal box in his left hand and a small wooden box in his right, Tang Baona in the passenger seat couldn’t help but turn around and reach out, “Is this the woodcarving you’re going to give to my grandfather? You’ve really finished it so quickly?”

Yang Zhen’er also turned back and said, “I want to see too, what have you carved?”

Xiang Kun then handed the wooden box to Tang Baona.

The wooden box looked similar to the ones Xiang Kun had used before to hold the various woodcarvings he’d gifted, a simple box that had been sanded smooth without paint. Opening it revealed a boxwood carving less than a foot tall.

“Nana, is this your grandfather?” Yang Zhen’er giggled as she watched Tang Baona take out the wooden figurine, “The one on his back…is that you? So adorable!”

The carving depicted an elegant elderly man in a long robe carrying a slightly cartoonish young girl on his back.

Yang Zhen’er had met Tang Baona’s grandfather, Mr. Feng, several times and instantly recognized him in the carving. And the chubby, smiling, little girl resembling a plump monkey lying on Mr. Feng’s back was, evidently, a representation of Tang Baona in her childhood.

Yang Zhen’er turned back to Xiang Kun, “Chef Xiang, have you seen Nana’s grandfather before?”

Xiang Kun chuckled, “I haven’t, but Nana gave me a few photos and I loosely based the carving on those. Nana, is the likeness passable?”

“It’s amazing!” Tang Baona nodded with admiration all over her face. “You just contacted me for photos late the night before last, and this was done in just over a day? That’s incredibly fast! But you didn’t pull an all-nighter to do this, did you?”

Xiang Kun laughed, “Actually, it’s quite rough, a lot of details have been omitted. I’m worried that it might not impress someone like your grandfather, who knows about these things.”

None of the photos Tang Baona provided had exactly the same poses as the one in the carving.

He based this image on an “artistic photo” of Mr. Feng in a long academic gown holding a scroll, combined with another picture of the old man holding one-year-old Tang Baona. He deconstructed and melded these images to create the final form.

He had modified the image of Mr. Feng carrying Tang Baona to having her on his back. He also changed their attire to the scholastic gown, made Tang Baona’s face and body a little more animated which resulted in her looking especially cute and round. At the same time, it also maintained enough recognizability for people who had seen Tang Baona as a child to identify the image as her.

This way, when others see this woodcarving, their attention would be immediately drawn to Mr. Feng’s clothing, overall temperament, and the cute chibi Tang Baona on his back. These were the areas where Xiang Kun dedicated his efforts, and the other less focused details were unlikely to be noticed, leaving the overall impression undisturbed.

As for this woodcarving, Xiang Kun hadn’t established any “super sensory contact” with the material nor had he imbued any “emotions” during its creation. Thus, the carving was a pure exhibition of Xiang Kun’s actual woodcarving skills in which he wasn’t a true master. Therefore, he had to play to his strengths, and this creation was an optimal application of these tactics, maximizing strengths and avoiding weaknesses.

For this carving, Xiang Kun had spent a total of more than eight hours over the past two days, unlike his other carvings created in one go. Instead, he worked for a few hours, took breaks, and then worked for another few hours, given he had other responsibilities too. He had to discuss the investigation into the “vampire patients” with Old Xia, the design of the research base and lab in Chongyun Village, the establishment of the gaming company with Zhang Qian and Zi Cheng, the future operations and publicity plans, and subsequent technical support.

On the other hand, he intentionally split the carving process to avoid inadvertently creating another “emotionally infused object”.

In the end, he managed to complete the woodcarving just half an hour before Yang Zhen’er and Tang Baona came to pick him up. He then spent thirty minutes making a wooden box, giving the gift a decent semblance.

Originally, he wanted to give Mr. Feng one of his pre-existing woodcarvings. But when he checked his stock—those twelve minions had already been taken by him to decorate the “Youlong Restaurant” in preparation for its grand opening. At home, all that remained was the “Eight-armed, Eight-eyed Wood Carving” and Alsace.

The “Eight-eyed Wood Carving” which was originally retrieved from Mr. Feng and was infused with fear, was too unique and naturally couldn’t be given as a gift. Should he give the Lich King Alsace woodcarving? That would be inappropriate too…

After deliberation, Xiang Kun chose to make a new carving and request Mr. Feng’s “comments”.

Holding the woodcarving, Tang Baona was somewhat enchanted, smiling “Where’s the roughness? It’s very delicate! Also, my grandfather can’t really be called an expert. He’s just an armchair critic and he himself can’t carve. Rest assured, he will definitely like this woodcarving!”

In fact, she was already considering whether or not to find an excuse to get this woodcarving from her grandfather to keep for herself later on. The carving of her as a child was too adorable—even if thinking that way left her feeling a little embarrassed.

Yang Zhen’er widened her eyes at Xiang Kun and said, “Chef Xiang, I want a carving like this too. Later, I’ll send you photos of me as a child! My parents also want to invite you for a meal, and at that time, you’ll have to carve a gift too. Make me a chibi version as well, and it has to be as cute as Nana’s, hehehe.”

Xiang Kun sighed in resignation, “What ‘hehe’… Why on earth would your parents want to meet me like this! This is just too weird! Whatever kind of woodcarving you want, I’ll carve it for you when I have spare time.”

Yang Zhen’er said, “Actually, my dad does really want to meet you. He said he wants to discuss your game project, and he may want to invest.”

Xiang Kun said, “In that case, it’s better not. If your dad gets involved, it’ll be inappropriate whether he owns too little or too much. If he owns too much, Zhang Qian and the others would most likely not be too pleased. For the future of this project, we will have to rely heavily on Zhang Qian to manage and integrate resources, so if her share is too little, it wouldn’t be fair. Then there’s Zi Cheng and the others; it’s not possible to reduce their shares too much either. So, thanks but no thanks for Uncle Yang’s kind offer.”

Yang Zhen’er blinked and said, “It doesn’t really matter whether you come for dinner or not. The thing is, you just promised to carve for me! You can’t break your promise! And you can’t drag it on too long! In three months…no, within a month!”

Xiang Kun waved his hands in urging, “We’ll talk about that later, let’s start driving, if we delay any longer, we’ll end up stuck in traffic! Let’s go, let’s go!”

“Promise first! You have to deliver it within a month!” Yang Zhen’er was still gripping the handle of the glove compartment and staring at Xiang Kun, “If you don’t promise, I won’t leave!”

Tang Baona couldn’t help but laugh, “Zhen’er, why are you behaving like a child?”

Yang Zhen’er glared at her, “How would you, the favored child, understand? Kids like us, the dunces, have to make a fuss to get a sweet treat! As the saying goes, ‘the dung bird cries first’. The early bird gets the worm!”

“Alright alright, I promise. A month, a month, okay? Let’s hit the road now.” Xiang Kun said, barely concealing a smile.

This time at Tang Baona’s grandfather’s house serving “casual meals”, aside from Mr. Feng, there were only Tang Baona, Baoting and her sisters, Baoting’s fiancé Gao Yao, Yang Zhen’er, and Xiang Kun. Neither Tang Baona’s parents, her two uncles nor any other cousins were there.

Officially, Mr. Feng wanted to have a meal and chat with his grandchildren.

Upon meeting Mr. Feng, Xiang Kun bowed very politely and said, “Hello, Teacher Feng, I am Xiang Kun.” He had heard from Tang Baona that Mr. Feng used to be a Chinese teacher for two years. Considering his hobbies, usual clothing, home decoration style, formal style, calling him “Teacher Feng”, would be closer than “Grandpa Feng” or “Mr. Feng”. It would also be more appropriate for him to adopt an attitude of “seeking advice” with his wood carving works.

As expected, after judging various sensory information, Xiang Kun thought Mr. Feng’s first impression of him was quite good. Upon seeing the the wood carving of “Carrying Nana” that he gifted, Mr. Feng was unable to close his mouth due to his delightful laughter. His mood was at a high level of pleasure.

Although Xiang Kun was a guest today, he heard Tang Baona mention several times during their chat two days ago about how “Chef Xiang made rabbit meat”, which Mr. Feng showed interest in. So today, he brought specially-prepared marinated rabbit meat with him.

After greeting Mr. Feng, Baoting, and Gao Yao, Xiang Kun went to the kitchen. Under the doubting and distrustful gazes from Mr. Feng’s housekeeper, he started making one of his signature dishes: braised rabbit meat.

The housekeeper thought she was familiar with the tastes of Mr. Feng, Baona, and Baoting. She couldn’t help but offer several suggestions while Xiang Kun was cooking.

However, Xiang Kun knew what the final taste of his dish should be. He had undergone numerous tests, calculations, and lead chef experiences for this dish. He had adjusted the taste to cater to Tang Baona. The rabbit meat that had been pre-treated and marinated according to his recipe would have a very stable flavor once cooked by him and didn’t need any adjustments.

So, for the housekeeper’s suggestions, Xiang Kun just smiled and indulged her with good manners. In reality, he still proceeded completely according to his own plan.

The housekeeper was initially quite dissatisfied with the way Xiang Kun cooked but due to him being a guest, she didn’t want to say much. However, when the rabbit dish was served, and Xiang Kun offered her to taste a piece, her attitude immediately changed.

Xiang Kun’s few rabbit dishes were initially changed and fine-tuned in various ways in flavor and cooking method to cater the tastes of Tang Baona, Yang Zhen’er, Old Xia, and others. For designing a menu for Youlong Restaurant, he underwent deeper and more complicated adjustments. Every step, every seasoning, and the detailed control of the heat, he understood and mastered them perfectly.

As such, since this braised rabbit meat dish was personally cooked by Xiang Kun, the basic level was set. No matter what the housekeeper’s taste preference was, the standards of delicious were absolutely surpassed. Of course, if it was tasted by Tang Baona or someone with similar taste to her, the enjoyment of the flavor would reach even higher.

After the housekeeper tasted a piece of braised rabbit meat, she knew that Xiang Kun truly had a skill level that was definitely higher than her own.

When Xiang Kun just delivered the braised rabbit meat to the dining table, he noticed Tang Baona swallowing saliva and Yang Zhen’er licking her lips. Even Baoting and Gao Yao’s eyes focused on the rabbit meat in his hand. Those who had eaten his food, especially several times, and had been treated with a tailor-made menu by him based on feedback, would all naturally react like this.

Mr. Feng noticed the reaction of the four young people as well. He often heard his two granddaughters speaking about how “the rabbit meat by the Chef Xiang” was so excellent, delicious, and incredibly good. But as a relatively wealthy elder who also values food and has tasted all kinds of cuisines, he always thought that his granddaughters were exaggerating. How delicious could the dishes made by a non-professional chef, who had only been learning cooking for a short while, be?

However, after actually seeing the reaction of the four young people that day, Mr. Feng’s previous view was somewhat shaken. His expectations for the rabbit dish in Xiang Kun’s hand also suddenly increased.

“Teacher Feng, have a taste! This is considered as my brilliant dish. Nana, Zhen’er, Sister Baoting, Brother Gao have all eaten it and feel that the taste is quite satisfactory.” Xiang Kun knew that he should not be overly humble at this moment. If he should elevate the anticipation, he would. Baona had mentioned that her grandfather’s preferences should be similar to hers, thus the dish should achieve a pretty good result.

Without waiting for more dishes to be served, Mr. Feng immediately picked up his chopsticks and tried a piece of braised rabbit meat.

The rabbit meat was tender and delicate. The taste Xiang Kun had created rich and layered. After the first bite, there was a hint of spiciness followed by a burst of juices that tasted a bit salty. Then it gradually transitioned to be mildly sweet. The more he chewed, the tastier and richer it got. After swallowing the first piece, he instinctively reached for the second piece.

After picking up the second piece, Mr. Feng paused and seemed to find his eating speed amusing. He chuckled and put the rabbit meat back into his bowl. He then said to Xiang Kun, “This is indeed delicious! Your rabbit dish truly stands out! Nana mentioned that you haven’t been learning cooking for long?”

“Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Feng. I seem to have a little bit of talent for cooking, especially when it comes to rabbit meat. With other ingredients, I might not be able to achieve the same result,” Xiang Kun affirmed with a smile.

Gao Yao couldn’t help chiming in, “Not just rabbit meat, the beef soup Xiang Kun makes is very delicious too.”

Yang Zhen’er added, “The best is actually the dry pot rabbit meat. However, to cater to Nana’s taste, Brother Kun always intentionally keeps the flavor light. So it’s not quite perfect!”

Baoting also nodded, “Nana’s taste is too mild!”

The discussion about the dishes naturally ignited everyone’s enthusiasm for conversation. Even the normally silent Gao Yao was speaking up frequenctly, which surprised Mr. Feng, who had met his potential son-in-law a few times before. He didn’t expect Xiao Gao could be so talkative.

After dinner, they switched to a tea tray, continuing with their chats while drinking tea.

Mr. Feng was holding the wood carving Xiang Kun had given him today, as well as the “Golden Flashing Wood Carving” Tang Baona had passed on from before. He was comparing and commenting on them, believing that Xiang Kun’s “craftsmanship” was indeed very good and improving.

On the topic of wood carving knowledge, Xiang Kun wouldn’t deliberately show off but answered what he knew. As for what he didn’t know, he simply admitted it.

However, when he was self-learning wood carving, he found lots of materials and tutorials online and read quite a lot. By then, his memory had become quite extraordinary and he remembered everything he read. So when discussing various cultural topics with Mr. Feng, he managed pretty well.

After the wood carving topic, they shifted to calligraphy, in which Xiang Kun really didn’t excel. He honestly admitted that apart from learning the Eight Methods character form from an old neighbor when he was young, he had never learned any other techniques. He simply practiced occasionally and had no professional skills.

Unknowingly, the conversation moved to Xiang Kun’s recent “creative industry project”.

With his rich experience and broad vision, Mr. Feng himself and his two sons had always kept up with the Internet and related emerging industries. He shared some experiences of his younger friends who started businesses, including some current business and tech tycoons.

In the flow of conversation, Gao Yao couldn’t help but ask, “Do you know Lu Cheng’an, the Chairman of ‘Divine Technology’? He is also from this city, I believe? I’m kind of a fan of ‘Divine Technology’ and pay close attention to their cutting-edge technology.”

Inwardly, Xiang Kun gave him a thumbs up. That was a question he was also interested in.