Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 45

When the bandits were mentioned, everyone thought of Lu Deren.

Afraid that Lu Tang might get upset again, nobody dared to ask more questions.

After chatting and laughing for a while, they all left.

Liang Cheng stayed behind.

“Little Tang, are you going to keep studying? I’ll keep you company.”

“There’s no need for that. You should go to bed.”

“I can’t sleep right now. Hey, I noticed there are chicken wings in the kitchen. I’ll make some for you in case you get hungry later.”

“Okay!”

Lu Tang pulled out her “Water Management Encyclopedia” from her bag and started reading.

The seven-day preliminary test was coming up. Today was the sixth day, and she still felt clueless!

Liang Cheng quietly poured her a cup of tea and left the room.

Zhou Shu and the others were still playing with crickets in another room. Liang Cheng headed to the kitchen. Seeing a servant cleaning up, he waved his hand, “Keep doing what you’re doing. I’m just making some chicken wings for Brother Tang. Where are they stored?”

The servant quickly replied, “In the cellar. I’ll get them for you.”

Qiao’s Inn had a cellar in the kitchen to store food that needed to stay cool. The chicken wings were kept on ice and were very fresh.

Liang Cheng gathered some green onions, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings, washed his hands, and started preparing.

The servant, eager to help, moved closer to the stove, “I’ll watch the fire for you.”

Liang Cheng smiled, “What’s your name?”

“Er Bao. I’m the second son in my family. My older brother is called Da Bao,” he said with pride. “My brother is really talented.”

As he chopped the green onions, Liang Cheng asked, “How old is he?”

Er Bao replied, “Do you know the Western Mountain Camp in the capital? My brother works there!”

Liang Cheng paused, surprised, “The Western Mountain Camp? That’s impressive.”

The Western Mountain Camp was a military camp that protected the capital.

Liang Cheng was intrigued and looked at Er Bao, who seemed about twelve or thirteen, his face glowing with pride as he talked about his brother.

“What does your brother do at the camp?” Liang Cheng asked, resuming his chopping.

Er Bao happily continued, “He’s the head chef. He cooks so well that even the Emperor praised his food when he visited. All the officers at the camp love my brother’s cooking.”

Liang Cheng laughed, “Do you want to be a chef too?”

Er Bao’s eyes dimmed for a moment before he forced a smile, “I just want to be a helper, not a chef.”

Liang Cheng smirked, knowing the boy was lying, “You can help out in the kitchen from now on.”

Er Bao’s eyes lit up with hope, “Really?”

Liang Cheng smiled, “Yes. The kitchen is harder to clean and manage, but you’ll earn the same pay.”

Before he could finish, Er Bao quickly interrupted, “I promise to keep the kitchen spotless!”

Liang Cheng thought about teasing the boy but decided against it, seeing how happy he was. Everyone had their private reasons.

He remembered Yu Shunhai and asked casually, “Do you know Yu Shunhai from Yunyang Restaurant? He used to be a manager in the county. Why did he come back to Sihe Town?”

Er Bao replied, “People love the wine at Yunyang Restaurant. Everyone in town who drinks loves it. They say you can’t even eat or sleep without it.”

Realizing Er Bao didn’t know much, Liang Cheng didn’t press further.

Just as he finished scoring the chicken wings, Qin Mo walked in. Liang Cheng was surprised, “Brother Qin, are you hungry? I’m making chicken wings. I can send some to you. If you’re in a hurry, I can have Zhou Shu make some flatbreads.”

Knowing that Lu Tang and Qin Mo didn’t have a deep personal relationship, Liang Cheng felt less uneasy.

Qin Mo glanced at the chicken wings and smiled, “Are you planning to marinate them first?”

Liang Cheng nodded, “Yes, to add flavor.”

Qin Mo sighed, “Marinating adds flavor, but not on the cutting board.”

Liang Cheng had placed the wings on the cutting board and sprinkled soy sauce, salt, green onions, ginger, and garlic on them, making them look like raw oysters.

Er Bao, who hadn’t been paying attention, peeked over and burst out laughing, “You need to marinate them in a bowl.”

Liang Cheng: !

He had felt something was off.

Qin Mo rolled up his sleeves, “Let me handle it.”

Feeling embarrassed, Liang Cheng transferred the wings to a bowl, “I shouldn’t trouble you, I…”

“I cook better,” Qin Mo said, taking the bowl from Liang Cheng. “Is this your first time?”

Liang Cheng: …

“Yeah.”

Trying to regain some dignity, Liang Cheng added, “Little Tang has been studying hard lately. I wanted to make something tasty to help him.”

Can Little Tang even overuse his brain? Qin Mo glanced at Liang Cheng, “He could use some good food then.”

Liang Cheng: …

That unease returned.

“I’ve known Little Tang since we were kids. We’re very close.”

Qin Mo: !

What does that have to do with me?

“That’s nice,” Qin Mo replied, removing excess ginger and green onions from the bowl.

Standing aside, Liang Cheng muttered, “If Little Tang were a girl, we’d be childhood sweethearts.”

Qin Mo turned to look at Liang Cheng, thinking, Are you crazy?

Liang Cheng: …

What did I just say?

“I mean, Little Tang likes my chicken wings.”

Qin Mo looked at the wings that Liang Cheng had messed up and, without a word, set half of them aside, “There’s another stove. Use that one. It should be enough for him.”

Er Bao glanced between Liang Cheng and Qin Mo, hesitated for a moment, then quickly moved to the other stove to start the fire.

I’ll stay loyal to the young master’s friends!

Even though this guest seems like he knows how to cook, I’m not someone who just follows the strong!

After a couple of awkward exchanges, the kitchen fell into a strange silence, filled only with the sounds of cooking.

Liang Cheng stared at the burnt wings in his pot, doubting himself.

Why am I even trying so hard!

Wouldn’t it be better to just eat the delicious chicken wings someone else made?

When Qin Mo finished cooking his chicken wings, he left three for Liang Cheng. Glancing at the burnt wings in Liang Cheng’s pot, he said, “Enjoy your meal.”

With his own plate of perfectly cooked wings, he left.