Chapter 116: With a Kitchen Knife in Hand, I Rule the World

The father and daughter climbed onto the shore, soaking wet. The morning breeze made them feel quite chilly. After taking just two steps, Liu Heming stopped walking while holding his daughter.

He now felt as if he wasn’t even the owner of this ranch anymore, completely unaware of the situation right outside his doorstep.

That small pit that had been formed earlier used to have only a little groundwater at the bottom. But now? The pit was completely filled with water.

The water in the big lake over there was crystal clear, but the water in this pit—let’s call it a small lake for now—had a somewhat greenish tint. He couldn’t see anything beneath the surface at all.

When he came here yesterday, it was still just a small water pit. It looked like it had been dug carelessly, so no one paid much attention to it. But after a night’s sleep, the pit had filled up, and his daughter had learned how to swim in her dreams.

This wasn’t normal. The only explanation he could think of was that the System’s upgrade was behind all this.

In his understanding, the System was a capricious, somewhat unreliable, and even a bit neurotic presence. This upgrade had taken so long, and he simply didn’t believe it had nothing to do with these events. The System had been eyeing his daughter for a long time; perhaps it was the System that taught her how to swim.

Now it had created this small green lake, almost like a mother-and-child pair with the big lake. Who knew what it was up to this time? He could only wait until the System finished upgrading to ask.

He carried his daughter back to the house, his mind full of worries. When he saw Sasha, he gave an awkward smile, handed their daughter over to her, and then went to the bathroom to rinse off again.

He hadn’t finished his morning chores. After rinsing off and noticing Sasha wasn’t in the living room, he went back outside with the Bear Kids to clean up the droppings.

“Sasha, Alex has learned how to swim. I took her to play in the lake for a bit,” he said upon returning, seeing that Sasha and the others had already started breakfast without waiting for him. He felt he should confess and take the blame.

Sasha frowned and put down her fork. “Alex is too young. You shouldn’t let her do such dangerous things. From now on, wherever you take her, you must keep a close eye on her.”

“She’s young and doesn’t understand much, but you’re an adult. You can play with her, but her safety must come first.”

“Absolutely, absolutely. I promise nothing like this will happen again,” Liu Heming quickly assured her, like a schoolboy who had done something wrong.

“Dad is so good,” little Alex, the one involved, said sweetly from the side.

Liu Heming tapped his daughter on the nose. It was all because of this little one that he got scolded.

“Dexter has been doing quite well lately,” Robin said from the side, his words slightly muffled as he stuffed an entire sandwich into his mouth and chewed.

Liu Heming shot him a glare. Robin was the biggest freeloader on the entire ranch. But he also found it strange. Robin was supposed to be a bodyguard, yet he didn’t seem to show much respect for Sasha, his employer.

The relationships in wealthy families were complicated. Fortunately, Robin was very diligent in protecting his daughter. The surveillance equipment and firearms he brought were things an ordinary bodyguard couldn’t manage.

“Little bears, little bears, eat nicely now,” Alex said to the Bear Cubs at the table.

Liu Heming turned to look. Well, the two Bear Cubs were sitting there as if they had done something wrong, their paws behind their backs, staring at the food in their bowls but too scared to eat.

“Hmm, you two are quite good. You know how to care for me. I’ll give you extra treats at noon,” Liu Heming said approvingly, patting the Bear Cubs on their heads.

But even after he said that, the Bear Cubs remained sitting obediently. Even though drool was dripping from the corners of their mouths, they didn’t start eating immediately. Instead, their little bear eyes kept glancing toward Sasha from time to time.

Sasha knew the two Bear Cubs were smart. But seeing them actually learning to read “expressions” was quite amusing. She gave a slight nod toward them, and the two Bear Cubs immediately plunged their heads into their food bowls.

This annoyed Liu Heming greatly. He really wanted to ask them who had adopted them in the first place and who had raised them through thick and thin. And now they had learned to betray him.

“It seems they already see you as the real lady of the house,” Robin chimed in from the side, unable to stay out of it.

Sasha was taken aback, then her face turned red. She glared at Robin, annoyed that he was speaking out of turn again.

Liu Heming felt a little awkward because he secretly had some “improper thoughts.” Now, Robin’s words felt like they had revealed his inner feelings.

After finishing the somewhat awkward breakfast, Liu Heming hurriedly took the little one and the Bear Kids away from there. He still needed to go to John’s place to pick up his kitchen knife and pot.

“Dexter, the kitchen knife is ready. But I didn’t sharpen the blade for you. Grinding a good blade yourself can be very rewarding,” John said, handing two finished kitchen knives to Liu Heming.

Liu Heming weighed them in his hands. They felt great—a little heavy but just right for applying force when using them. These were the kitchen knife and cleaver he had forged himself. The thick backs and wide blades made him feel proud just looking at them.

He set the cleaver down and made a few slicing motions with the kitchen knife, feeling even more satisfied. It gave him a bold sense of “with a kitchen knife in hand, I rule the world.” A good horse needs a good saddle, and a chef needs a good kitchen knife, right?

“Before you start sharpening the blade, it’s best to practice on other knives first. When sharpening, pay attention to applying the same pressure on both sides and the same number of strokes. Otherwise, the blade might become uneven,” John advised.

“Also, don’t sharpen for too long at once since you’re not very skilled yet. Just sharpen a little each day, and it should take about a week to get a good edge.”

“Thank you, John. If I were on my own, I could never make such beautiful knives. The handles are great too; they feel very comfortable to hold,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

Quenching and tempering were remarkable skills. He could handle the forging part, but these techniques weren’t something you could learn just from reading books. It took a true expert like John to get it right.

If he had to put it in percentages, the initial shaping and hammering accounted for only about 30%, while the quenching and tempering were at least 70% of the importance.

There was no need to say more words of thanks. Once he finished sharpening the knife and preparing the pot, he would invite John over for a big meal—that would be thanks enough.