Chapter 272: Chapter 257: Food and Desire Are Human Nature

When Wan Zhenhong and the others walked into the small class (4) holding their trays, all the children and parents craned their necks, curiously looking around…

They wanted to see what today’s delicious treat would be!

But…

The trays were tightly covered, and they couldn’t see anything.

Just as their curiosity was at its peak, Liu Jinyan was the first to approach Wan Zhenhong and asked, “Honey, what did Chef Huang make?”

“Yeah, Dad, what did Qingqing’s dad make?”

Niuniu also ran over with her short legs, looking up with eyes full of curiosity and expectation at Wan Zhenhong.

Wan Zhenhong didn’t tease them, and smiled while revealing the answer, “Steamed Rice Cakes!”

As soon as these words were said,

a small portion of parents who weren’t keen on steamed rice cakes suddenly lost half of their interest.

“So it’s steamed rice cakes! Well, these are simply and quickly made, perfect for getting done in a short time,” Hanghang’s dad slightly frowned, the anticipation in his eyes dimming a bit.

Nearby, Wei Yulong had a different opinion, laughing as he retorted, “Steamed rice cakes aren’t bad at all! Qingqing’s dad’s culinary skills are famous, the taste he makes is definitely good. Just smell it, this aroma is overwhelming; it’s much better than those sold outside.”

Hanghang’s dad smiled somewhat dismissively, “Hehe, after all, steamed rice cakes are snacks, even if made by a top chef, the taste is just so-so.”

“Alright, today we’re all participating as parents in the Kindergarten’s National Day event, and Qingqing’s dad managed to find time to make snacks for the kids, which is quite commendable. We should feel grateful,” Liu Qiangtao quickly mediated, smilingly smoothing things over.

Zheng Yuanzhou also nodded in agreement, and then said to Pengpeng’s dad, “Exactly, these steamed rice cakes are for the kids, not specifically made for you, why be so picky…”

Seeing all eyes suddenly on him, Hanghang’s dad became a bit flustered: “…”

It made so much sense that he was at a loss for words…

He quickly waved his hand to explain, “No, I didn’t mean it that way, I definitely didn’t mean to complain about Qingqing’s dad, it’s just the expectation was so high before, so the gap seems big, I definitely didn’t…”

His words were drowned out by the classroom’s rising exclamations.

“Wow~”

“Amazing~”

“It’s pandas~”

“So many pandas~”

“…”

Both the kids and parents, even three teachers including Yang Yuxi, couldn’t help but exclaim when they saw today’s desserts.

They appeared particularly excited!

At that moment.

Pengpeng’s dad and others’ attention was thoroughly captured, and they curiously gathered around to see the steamed rice cakes up close.

To be honest…

The appearance of these steamed rice cakes was impressive, especially the panda-shaped ones, exquisite and adorable, even those tough guys couldn’t help but feel happy seeing them.

After all, the visual appeal matters; the same goes for food!

Close up, the aroma was fresh and natural, vastly different from the sugary and artificial-smelling steamed rice cakes they had before…

This flavor… might be quite good!

Watching and smelling…

Parents who initially weren’t interested in steamed rice cakes now couldn’t help but develop a slight interest in this seemingly unimpressive snack, even considering trying a bite from their child later.

What?

The kid doesn’t want to share?

Then coax them, tempt them!

What?

If coaxing and tempting don’t work?

Then accompanying it with incentives might be necessary~

After all, being a parent isn’t easy, sparing the child but not oneself…

Meanwhile.

Seeing the kids drooling, Yang Yuxi laughed and invited, “Children, stop crowding, line up nicely one by one, the teacher is going to start distributing the treats…”

“Yay… We can eat steamed rice cakes now…”

The children cheered excitedly.

With assistance from Xie Jianing, they quickly stood in their usual line formation.

Once all the children were lined up, Yang Yuxi began to distribute the steamed rice cakes one by one.

Each child received two, one was a sweet and delicious red bean steamed rice cake, and the other was a cute and tempting panda-centered steamed rice cake.

Just like Lin Shen and Aunt Li said, after receiving the steamed rice cakes, the children hesitated to eat them right away.

Seeing this.

Liu Jinyan curiously asked, “Niuniu, why aren’t you eating?”

Niuniu looked up, blinking her big eyes, and said, “Mom, Qingqing’s dad’s red bean steamed rice cake looks so good, and the panda steamed rice cake is just too cute. I… can’t bear to eat them~”

Liu Jinyan stroked Niuniu’s head with a smile, saying, “My silly child! No matter how good-looking or cute a steamed rice cake is, it’s meant to be eaten. Come on, have a taste, this panda-centered steamed rice cake must be delicious.”

Wan Zhenhong also chimed in, “Yes, Niuniu, try it quickly. This steamed rice cake is very good, it’s soft and chewy, fragrant and sweet, especially this panda-centered steamed rice cake. Take a bite, the outer cake is soft and delicate, with a faint rice fragrance, melts in the mouth, and it has osmanthus paste inside, giving off a strong osmanthus aroma, with the center being delightfully tasty, the sweet flavor will definitely make you want more…”

Hearing this, Liu Jinyan couldn’t help but appear surprised: “Honey, how do you know so much about the taste of this steamed rice cake?”

Wan Zhenhong hee hee’d with a smug smile, “I went to help out in the kitchen just now, and was lucky to taste a panda-centered steamed rice cake. The taste… tsk tsk tsk, one word, incredible…”

Liu Jinyan: “…”

You promised we’d enjoy the food together, but you secretly enjoyed the taste behind my back!

The problem is…

He didn’t even bring her a single bite of red bean pudding…

At the thought of this, Liu Jinyan’s mood instantly soured a bit, and she looked at Wan Zhenhong with a trace of dissatisfaction: “Didn’t you say before that when there’s good food, you’d definitely think of me? How come now…”

Wan Zhenhong: “…”

He quickly plastered on a smile, admitted his mistake, and coaxed, “Honey, I really didn’t do it on purpose, next time I’ll definitely remember to save some for you, okay?”

Liu Jinyan, though still slightly annoyed inside, saw Wan Zhenhong’s sincere attitude and decided not to pursue it further.

She gave him a dramatic eye-roll and said, “Alright, alright, I won’t argue with you!”

Meanwhile, Niuniu wasn’t paying any attention to them.

Her eyes darted back and forth between the two red bean puddings in her hands, and the irresistible aroma wafting up made her drool, almost uncontrollably.

After a moment of hesitation…

She finally couldn’t resist the tempting smell any longer and eagerly reached for the relatively plain-looking red bean pudding, taking a bite…

Niuniu’s eyes instantly lit up, and a satisfied smile spread across her face.

The red bean pudding tasted quite light, with a jelly-like, bouncy texture, but it was more delicious than jelly, with a faint bean and rice fragrance intertwining…

It’s so tasty~

But one bite is definitely not enough…

She continued taking small bites.

Liu Jinyan watched her daughter savoring the pudding with such delight that even her own throat couldn’t help but move slightly.

She was clearly tempted!

Even Wan Zhenhong, who had already tasted it, couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

Although the children couldn’t use fancy words to describe the delicacy, their expressions and actions vividly conveyed to the parents present just how delicious the red bean pudding was.

Seeing this, the parents were almost tempted to reach out and grab a bite from their children’s hands, this taste was truly irresistible…

If it weren’t for the fact that there were so many parents, children, and teachers present, they might have given in.

“Niuniu, can Mommy have a taste?” Liu Jinyan bent down and whispered into Niuniu’s ear.

At these words, Wan Zhenhong couldn’t help but glance at Liu Jinyan with a hint of, “Is this really the same wife I knew who always said she didn’t like eating what our daughter fed her just so she could have more bites?”

I mean…

Did the sun rise in the west today?

Why else would my wife act so out of character and actually ask our daughter for a taste?!

Alas!

No one can escape the culinary skills of Huang Jun.

Not even Wan Zhenhong’s wife is an exception!

Niuniu:

This is Niuniu’s reward!

Mommy, how can you crave Niuniu’s reward?

Niuniu looked at the red bean pudding in her hand, full of reluctance, but thinking of how Mommy usually saved treats for her, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

In the end.

She handed the red bean pudding to her mom’s mouth.

The whole red bean pudding, shaped like a bowl, appeared clear and translucent, as white as jade, giving a refreshing feeling. In the middle was a small “dimple” – a signature feature left from the making process, and the bitten red bean pudding’s edge was no longer intact, showing a natural curve, revealing part of the red bean filling inside, which looked particularly tempting.

Liu Jinyan, taking a bite from Niuniu’s hand, felt that this was the most delicious red bean pudding she had ever tasted.

The cake’s softness and elasticity quivered lightly in her mouth, delicate like jelly but with richer layers of flavor.

The rice-flour-made pudding was dense yet smooth, with every bite offering a sense of its rich, silky texture.

The red bean filling in it was the crowning touch…

Sweet but not overpowering, the red bean fragrance slowly spread in her mouth.

Every bite revealed the richness of the red bean intertwined with the pudding’s smoothness, making this taste utterly enchanting…

“Delicious! Who would have thought such a simple red bean pudding could taste this phenomenal!”

Liu Jinyan exclaimed, while trying hard to restrain her urge to take another bite, handing the red bean pudding back to Niuniu, “Niuniu, Mommy’s had a taste. This pudding is really delicious, you eat it!”

“Mm-hmm~”

Niuniu was about to put the red bean pudding into her mouth when suddenly her dad’s voice came from beside her, “Niuniu, Daddy wants a taste too…”

Niuniu: “…”

Why is there another one wanting to eat it?

Even Niuniu felt she hadn’t had enough yet!

But seeing her dad’s hopeful eyes, Niuniu obediently responded, “Alright, Daddy, but only a small bite…”

“Okay, just a small bite!”

Wan Zhenhong leaned down and bit into the red bean pudding.

While it might not be as rich in texture as the panda lava pudding, the taste was still fantastic!

Wan Zhenhong couldn’t help but praise, “These red bean puddings may use simple ingredients, but in Huang Jun’s skillful hands, they transform into an irresistible delicacy with a complex, rich flavor. Truly, great food isn’t about extraordinary ingredients but about the craftsman’s exquisite skill…”

Listening to Wan Zhenhong and his wife’s praises and seeing their happy, satisfied expressions after tasting the red bean pudding, the other parents were feeling even itchier with desire.

At this moment…

They felt like their pride wasn’t that important…

Casting longing gazes at their own children…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep