The houses in the urban village had terrible soundproofing and poor ventilation. As Yang Yi busied himself in the kitchen, a rich aroma slipped past the thin door and drifted into the bedroom.
On the bed, the little one was like a serene sleeping beauty, her delicate, almost translucent cheeks framed by a few mischievous strands of hair, making her look utterly endearing.
Perhaps teased by the scent, the little one's pink nostrils fluttered slightly, and she greedily stuck out her tiny tongue to lick her lips.
In the kitchen, Yang Yi was tending to a small iron pot simmering over low heat. The water and the softened instant noodles bubbled with a thick fragrance—a mix of seasoning packet and sesame oil. Yang Yi had tossed out the oil packet from the noodles; he didn't trust those oils.
Now, Yang Yi stirred in finely chopped ham sausage, mixing it evenly with long chopsticks. As the boiling broth melded with the ham sausage's flavor, it seemed even more aromatic!
Just then, Yang Yi's ears perked up. He heard a rustling sound followed by the bedroom door creaking open. Peeking out, he saw the little one rubbing her sleepy eyes, barefoot, stumbling out in a daze.
"Daddy, Daddy..." Xi Xi, just woken up, spoke in a soft, sticky voice tinged with a worried insecurity.
"Daddy's right here!" Yang Yi quickly walked over and scooped her up.
In her father's arms, Xi Xi finally relaxed, her groggy mind gradually clearing. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pouted, "Daddy, Xi Xi's hungry."
"It'll be ready soon. Daddy's making you dinner!" Yang Yi smoothed her hair and smiled, calming her down.
Of course, the noodles weren't done yet! After helping Xi Xi put on her slippers, Yang Yi returned to the kitchen. Under Xi Xi's curious gaze, he couldn't resist showing off a bit.
He tossed a clean egg high into the air, making Xi Xi gasp softly. Then, with his right hand gripping the kitchen knife, he met it mid-air. In a motion so subtle it was barely visible, Yang Yi absorbed the impact, and the egg landed steadily on the knife's spine without a single crack!
Before Xi Xi could react, Yang Yi flicked his wrist, channeling force through the knife's back, and tossed the egg up again. With lightning speed, he flipped the blade, precisely cutting into the eggshell, where it lodged securely.
"Wow!" Xi Xi exclaimed, her little mouth dropping open as if it could fit an egg, before she instinctively covered it with her small hand, quite ladylike.
Yang Yi smiled faintly. He hadn't practiced these tricks before, only seen videos online. But with his masterful knife skills, pulling them off on the fly wasn't too hard!
Still, seeing his daughter so delighted filled Yang Yi with a sense of accomplishment.
The egg white dripped down the blade, slowly spreading over the instant noodles as Yang Yi gently tilted it. With a light shake, the shell's gap widened, and the yolk dropped, perfectly settling into the framework of the egg white.
The little one couldn't see it; she could only tiptoe and crane her neck curiously.
What came next was simpler. Yang Yi casually cracked three more eggs around the edge as garnish, then turned off the gas stove and covered the pot. Overcooking the eggs would ruin them; the residual heat and steam would cook them to a perfect seven-doneness.
"Too bad there's no scallion, or I could plate it nicely," Yang Yi thought to himself.
"Alright, once Daddy boils some cabbage, we can have dinner!" Yang Yi said with a smile, carrying the pot of instant noodles to the coffee table in the living room, warning the little one not to burn herself.
Xi Xi, drooling with anticipation, followed her father around like a shadow.
There was napa cabbage in the fridge. Yang Yi hadn't wasted any; he'd already trimmed and washed it, setting it aside. Now, he boiled a fresh pot of water, quickly blanched the cabbage, drained it, and arranged it on a plate.
Then, he heated oil in a wok, added minced garlic and soy sauce to create a sauce that smelled irresistible. When the oil was bubbling, he poured it over the blanched cabbage, producing a sizzling sound and filling the entire room with the rich aroma of vegetables and oil.
"So good, so good! Xi Xi wants to eat!" The little one's stomach growled at the scent, and she started hopping impatiently.
Xi Xi was quite sensible. She took the initiative to bring over the washed bowls and chopsticks, then fetched her special little stool and sat obediently, waiting for dinner to start!
Yang Yi worked quickly. He didn't let the noodles sit too long. Lifting the lid, the instant noodles were perfectly soft yet still chewy.
But Xi Xi's attention was captivated by the heart-shaped egg in the center. Yang Yi's trick had shaped the egg into a heart, with the golden yolk nestled in the white, like a work of art.
Truth be told, Yang Yi thought the three eggs he'd cracked separately tasted better. The heart-shaped egg might not be as tender, since it was spread out and cooked a bit longer.
When Xi Xi saw her father put one of the other eggs into her bowl, she immediately protested, pouting her pink lips, "I want that one! I want that one!"
It seemed even kids were swayed by appearances these days!
Yang Yi smiled, prepared for this. With a soup spoon in his left hand and chopsticks in his right, he skillfully scooped up the heart-shaped egg along with the noodles beneath it, swiftly transferring it to Xi Xi's small bowl. The egg on top remained perfectly intact.
"Be careful!" Xi Xi was nervous, watching her father scoop the noodles back into the bowl, afraid he'd ruin something. "No, no!"
"Alright!" Yang Yi chuckled, pushing Xi Xi's bowl closer to her and handing her the chopsticks. "Time to eat!"
Xi Xi had already learned to eat on her own, mostly because over the past six months, Mo Fei had started preparing for her comeback, leaving less time to feed her bite by bite. Sometimes, Xi Xi even had to eat and play by herself in Mo Fei's recording studio.
Now, Xi Xi picked up her chopsticks but hesitated.
She lightly tapped the egg on the noodles with her chopsticks, looking at it with a mix of drooling desire and reluctance to eat.
The little one looked up at her father uncertainly: "Daddy, can we not eat it? It's so cute..."
Yang Yi couldn't help but laugh. He fished out the egg from the bottom of his own bowl and said, "Try this one first!"
Faced with the plainer-looking egg, the famished Xi Xi couldn't resist. She struggled to pick it up with her chopsticks and took a small bite.
"Sizzle..." The semi-set, runny yolk oozed from the corner of Xi Xi's mouth, dripping onto her clothes. The little one, experiencing this for the first time, was a bit startled.
Yang Yi grabbed a tissue to wipe the stain on her chest, feeling a bit anxious, worried Xi Xi might not like it.
But soon, Xi Xi's eyes lit up, and she greedily licked her lips.
It was delicious!
This seven-doneness egg had the richest flavor and the best texture!