Su Chen had no impression of the family of three before him, but when his daughter suddenly ran over, he heard, "Panpan~"
Panpan's mother introduced them, "Mr. Su, I'm Panpan's mother. Panpan and Tuantuan are classmates in kindergarten~ You even gave a speech onstage during the craft assignment a couple of days ago~ This is Panpan's father."
"Oh~ I remember now. Hello." Su Chen did not actually remember what they looked like, but he knew they were parents of his daughter's classmates, so he politely greeted them.
"Honey, this is Mr. Su I told you about. He's incredibly good at crafts. Tuantuan and Lele got first place, and that Peek-a-boo Little Rabbit was something Tuantuan taught our Panpan to make."
That one sentence instantly brought the two sets of parents closer.
Panpan's father smiled. "So that was Mr. Su's work. It really was excellent. Mr. Su, you're so handy. Did you come here to have fun over the weekend too?"
Su Chen nodded. "Yeah. Tuantuan said this place was fun and wanted to come, so I brought them here."
Holding Panpan's hand, Tuantuan happily said to her father, "Daddy~ Panpan said her daddy and mommy often bring her here, so I wanted to come too~"
Su Chen smiled. "Is that so~ So little Panpan was the one who discovered such a great place."
Praised by the handsome uncle, Panpan immediately beamed.
Over there, Panpan's father, clearly familiar with the place, accompanied Su Chen to rent a barbecue grill.
Tuantuan had already started playing with Panpan.
Panpan was an ordinary-looking little girl. Her parents were both working people, and they looked average as well. Panpan took after her father, with a somewhat square face. She wore two ponytails and looked fairly cute.
But Panpan knew very well that she was not as pretty as Tuantuan. All the children in class liked Tuantuan, but not everyone liked her.
Though young, the little girl had plenty on her mind. She had kept telling Tuantuan that her parents often brought her out for barbecues and treated her especially well because Tuantuan was pretty and her mother was rich, while Panpan's family could not compare.
She had not expected Tuantuan's daddy to bring them here today too.
The one thing she seemed to have over Tuantuan had suddenly lost its shine.
She looked at the busy Su Chen and pouted slightly.
"Tuantuan, my daddy and mommy often bring me here for barbecues. My daddy's cooking is amazing!" Panpan said proudly.
Innocent little Tuantuan did not realize that the words carried a hint of bragging. Smiling sweetly, she said, "Panpan, my daddy's cooking is super delicious too~"
Panpan felt even worse and could not help raising her voice. "But your daddy definitely hasn't made barbecue for you before! What your daddy makes definitely isn't as good as what my daddy makes!"
Her voice was a little loud, and all three parents nearby heard her.
Panpan's parents looked awkwardly at Su Chen, while Panpan's mother went to pull Panpan away.
"Panpan, how can you talk to your classmate like that?"
Pouting, Panpan unhappily turned her head away.
Seeing Panpan angry, Tuantuan looked slightly aggrieved. She walked over to Su Chen, looked up at him, and softly said, "Daddy, Tuantuan didn't say anything."
Su Chen stroked his daughter's head and gently said, "Mm, Daddy knows. Our Tuantuan didn't bully anyone."
Hearing that, Panpan's father immediately said awkwardly, "Mr. Su, I'm sorry. Panpan is a little thoughtless."
Su Chen shook his head, and the smile on his face faded slightly.
He did not speak to Panpan's parents anymore and focused on preparing the barbecue.
Tuantuan and Lele sat obediently nearby to help. But calling it helping was a stretch—they were really just making a mess. The meat in their hands became props for playing house, and after they played with it for a while, it could no longer be used.
Su Chen set up the grill. With the God of Cookery Skill in his possession, fragrance soon began wafting from it.
On weekends, the riverside was full of parents out with their children, with several young couples mixed in among them.
The children and young women were all drawn in by the scent.
"It smells so good~ We're all making barbecue, so why does theirs smell this amazing~ My mouth is watering already~"
The children followed their instincts and ran straight over to gather around Su Chen's grill. One after another, they smacked their lips, looking as if they were drooling with hunger.
After being scolded by her mother, Panpan's eyes were red. She had still been a little angry, but when she smelled the aroma, she could not help looking over.
"Uncle, your barbecue smells so good~ Could I have just a little taste?" a bold little girl asked, drooling.
Su Chen smiled and nodded. "Of course. Wait a moment, okay? Uncle will save some for these two little ones, then let the rest of you have a taste~"
"Wow~ Uncle, you're the best~"
Su Chen placed the grilled skewers in front of Tuantuan and Lele, letting them choose a few first, then handed the rest out to the children gathered nearby.
After the children ate them, they all praised them enthusiastically.
"Wow~ Uncle, this is so delicious~ It's way better than my daddy's barbecue~"
"It's even better than the barbecue from restaurants. It's really amazing~"
Hearing that, Tuantuan's smile returned. She proudly said, "See? I told you my daddy's cooking is super delicious~"
Lele said nothing, but he took a big bite from the skewer in his hand.
Mm~ So good~
Seeing everyone eating so happily, their mouths covered in oil, Panpan suddenly burst into loud tears.
"Mommy, I want some too~"
Panpan's mother handed her the barbecue Panpan's father had grilled, but Panpan did not even look at it. Pointing toward Su Chen, she said, "I want the skewers Tuantuan's daddy grilled~"
"I want tasty food too~ Waaah!"
"You child!" Panpan's mother looked helpless and could only kick her husband.
Panpan's father sighed helplessly and awkwardly walked over to Su Chen.
"Mr. Su, I'm really sorry. Could you... give our Panpan a couple of skewers too? That child really..."
Su Chen smiled and pointed at his grill. "Panpan's dad, I'm sorry, but I've already handed out everything from the first batch. How about you ask Tuantuan? She still has quite a few in her hands."
Panpan's father became even more awkward. Of course, he understood what Su Chen meant.
Panpan had just hurt Tuantuan's feelings. Now that they had come asking for food, it depended on whether Tuantuan was willing to forgive her.
He had wanted to leave, but hearing his daughter's heartbroken cries, he could only force himself to ask Tuantuan, "Tuantuan, Panpan was wrong just now. Would you still be willing to share some of your skewers with her? Uncle can bring you some more later for your daddy to grill. Your daddy's barbecue tastes even better."
Upon hearing that, Tuantuan handed over the skewers in her hand almost without hesitation. "Of course~ Uncle, take these to Panpan. I'll wait for Daddy to grill more for me~"
Panpan's father accepted the skewers and said emotionally, "Tuantuan really is a wonderful little girl."
He took the skewers back. Su Chen glanced at Tuantuan and affectionately patted his daughter's little head.
"Tuantuan did an amazing job today, so Daddy has decided to reward Tuantuan with more meat later, okay?"
The moment Tuantuan heard the word meat, her eyes immediately lit up, and she nodded happily.
Having gotten the barbecue she had longed for, Panpan immediately stopped crying in delight.
But Panpan's father seriously lectured his daughter.
The little girl knew she had done wrong. Though she had still felt unwilling after being scolded by her mother, when her father told her that Tuantuan had given her the skewers, she could not help feeling guilty.
She had lost her temper at Tuantuan, yet Tuantuan was still willing to give her barbecue. Tuantuan was the good child; she herself was not good at all.
"Panpan, now that you've eaten the skewers, don't you think you should apologize to Tuantuan?"
Panpan immediately nodded and ran toward Tuantuan with the skewers in hand.
"Tuantuan, I'm sorry. I was wrong."
"I shouldn't have lost my temper at you. I just thought you were so cute, prettier than me, and richer than me too. Then you said the meat your daddy grills tastes better than my daddy's, and I felt sad..."
"But I really was wrong. I shouldn't have lost my temper at you."
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