Chapter 69: The Gluttonous Bear Kids

To be honest, Liu Heming felt quite envious. He really wanted to borrow these things and fire a whole magazine for fun. It would probably be very exciting.

He took the leftover meat from yesterday out of the fridge and put it back into the bucket, placing it over the fire to heat up. Meanwhile, he quickly started kneading dough to make bread. Because of Robin, who had a big appetite, he made a little more dough today. Otherwise, he was genuinely worried it wouldn’t be enough for Robin.

“Dad, what is this?” Alex asked, running over while carrying a horseshoe.

“This is for you, but it hasn’t been polished yet. Once it’s polished, it will shine. The mark on it is the paw print of a little bear,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

The little girl nodded happily. Although she didn’t know what the horseshoe was for yet, she liked it because it was a gift for her.

“Dad, are we having dumplings again today?” the little girl asked, looking curiously at the dough.

“Not yet. Today we’re eating something different. Dad will take you to the vegetable garden to eat some cucumbers. They’re very crisp and tasty,” Liu Heming said, washing his hands and picking up the little girl in his arms.

Even though it had been less than two months, he felt like he had been separated from his daughter for a long time. He thought he really needed to work harder to earn money so he could create more opportunities to spend time with his daughter. When he had enough money in the future, he would visit her every weekend.

As the father and daughter walked ahead, the two bear cubs trotted along behind them, afraid that Liu Heming would forget about them now that he had his daughter.

“Dad, can we eat these?” the little girl asked when they arrived at the vegetable garden, pointing at the half-green, half-red tomatoes.

“They still need some time, but the cucumbers are ready to eat now,” Liu Heming said, carrying the little girl to the cucumber trellis.

The cucumbers weren’t fully grown yet, but as far as Liu Heming was concerned, they were good enough for his daughter to eat now. These tender little cucumbers had a slightly astringent taste, which gave them a unique flavor.

He picked a few small cucumbers, still with their flowers and prickles, and gave one to each of the bear kids. They didn’t have the patience to wait any longer and immediately started munching on them, crunching loudly.

“Are they delicious?” Alex asked the two bear cubs seriously.

The bear cubs’ response was simple. While eating, they kept glancing at the cucumbers in Liu Heming’s hands, and their little bear eyes occasionally wandered toward the cucumber trellis.

“You can’t go over and sneak more to eat, even if they’re tasty. Today is an exception. The cucumbers grow quickly and will be much bigger in a couple of days. Just bear with it for a little longer,” Liu Heming said to the two bear kids.

While he was talking, the bear kids had already stuffed the little cucumbers into their stomachs. They didn’t even waste the cucumber ends, and their eyes were filled with longing as they looked at the cucumber trellis.

Their pitiful little eyes made Liu Heming feel almost unable to resist. His daughter, little Alex, was even simpler. She directly ran over, picked two more cucumbers, ran back, and stuffed them into the bear cubs’ paws.

Fortunately, the two little guys had some conscience. Instead of eating them right away, they looked at Liu Heming. Since they were already picked, and his daughter had done it, what could Liu Heming say? He could only nod.

“Dad, look! The bear cubs are smiling!” the little girl exclaimed excitedly, tugging at Liu Heming’s hand.

Liu Heming took a closer look. Indeed, the bear cubs’ faces now had something like a little smile. It was just that he had gotten so used to seeing them that he hadn’t really noticed.

On the way back, Alex didn’t need Liu Heming to carry her. She walked back while playing with the bear cubs. The only small downside was that it took a bit longer.

“Are the cucumbers here already this big?” Sasha asked curiously when she saw the cucumbers in Liu Heming’s hands.

“The weather this year is good. There’s plenty of sun, so they’re growing faster. In about a week, the tomatoes will be ready to eat too,” Liu Heming said with a nod and a smile.

But he quickly wiped the smile off his face and hurried to wash the cucumbers. He noticed that Nina, who was sitting next to Sasha, had started giving him that teasing look again. It was really driving him crazy.

Cucumbers are quite cooling, so even though they were small, Liu Heming only gave Alex half a cucumber. The other half, of course, he enjoyed himself.

It was just an ordinary cucumber, but the flavor was okay. It made him miss the System’s Lucky Grand Draw even more. If he could draw some other plants, the taste would definitely be fantastic.

The two bear kids were very clever. They knew they couldn’t get any more cucumbers from Liu Heming, and Robin had an even bigger appetite—he finished a small cucumber in just a few bites. So, the bear kids ran over to Sasha and Nina. They didn’t say anything, just watched with their pitiful little eyes as the others ate.

“You two, still so adorable. Here, have some. Don’t fight over them,” Sasha said with a laugh, breaking the remaining cucumber into two pieces and giving one to each bear kid.

With the cucumbers in their mouths, the bear kids ran to Sasha’s legs and rubbed their heads against her. It was their way of saying thank you.

Nina, who was nearby, felt a bit envious. After all, the two bear kids were just too cute. However, when she offered them the cucumber she had deliberately saved, they ignored her. They would eat the cucumber, but they wouldn’t thank her—they weren’t familiar with her, after all.

“Why? Why is this happening?” Nina asked, bewildered, looking at Sasha.

“Last time I came, they weren’t very close to me either. Maybe they’ve gotten used to me now,” Sasha replied with a smile.

Liu Heming felt pleased. Serves you right for always teasing me—what if you stir up my desires? It’s good that the bear kids taught you a little lesson on my behalf.

Seeing that the dough had risen enough, he started kneading it.

Kneading dough was a skill. You had to work it thoroughly to make it elastic. In the past, his arms would get sore after kneading for a while because he wasn’t strong enough. But now it was no problem. The dough changed shapes easily in his hands.

After kneading the dough, Liu Heming rolled it into thin cylindrical shapes and began cutting it with a knife, making a “thump, thump, thump” sound.

“Dexter, it seems like your knife skills are much better now compared to the last time I saw you,” Robin, who had been watching, remarked.

“I’ve been practicing my cooking skills lately. I just want to make delicious food for Alex,” Liu Heming said with a smile.

Robin nodded but didn’t say anything else.

Just then, the aroma of the braised marinated meat from the bucket started to waft through the air, attracting Alex over.

Liu Heming fished a piece of meat out of the bucket, cut off a small corner, placed it on a plate, and handed it to the little girl. “Try it and see how it tastes,” he said.

The little girl nodded happily, then puffed up her cheeks and blew on the meat a few times before skewering it with a fork and putting it into her mouth. As she chewed, a smile gradually spread across her face, and she gave Liu Heming a thumbs-up.