Siheyuan: I just came across and wanted to chase me away

Gu Nan chuckled and nudged her aside. He rolled up his sleeves, deftly tied on the apron Ran Qiuye had just taken off, stood in front of the stove, picked up the spatula, and tossed it around—his movements were even more practiced than Ran Qiuye's. "No need, you can just sit and rest for a bit." He glanced at the small stool by the table. "I'll handle the cooking. You can just sit back and enjoy the meal."

Ran Qiuye sat down on the small stool as instructed, resting her elbows on the edge of the table and watching him work. Gu Nan was scaling and gutting a sea fish, his movements swift and efficient. Water splashed onto the back of his hands, but he didn't seem to mind. Beside him, sliced ​​braised meat was arranged on a plate, its alternating layers of fat and lean meat looking incredibly tempting. The setting sun shone through the window, casting a warm yellow light on his shoulders, even gilding the stray hairs at his temples.

A slightly chilly breeze blew in from the courtyard, but Ran Qiuye felt a sweet warmth in her heart. Life in this courtyard wasn't wealthy; the walls were peeling, and the ground was uneven, but the sight of the busy figure before her, and the comforting warmth, made it feel exceptionally peaceful. She knew that with Gu Nan back, this home was finally complete. The water on the stove boiled, bubbling and gurgling, like a gentle accompaniment to this cozy moment.

Wearing a faded blue apron, Gu Nan busied himself in the kitchen for almost half an hour. The wok flipped and turned in his hands, oil splattering up and falling back down, and soon three dishes and a soup were laid out on the stove, steaming and emitting a fragrant aroma. The plate of glistening braised pork belly was stewed until tender and the pieces were evenly sized. The amber-colored broth firmly coated the marbled meat, which trembled slightly. Even before touching the meat, a rich aroma of meat, mixed with the scents of star anise and cinnamon, wafted up to the nose. Next to it was a plate of stir-fried seasonal vegetables, freshly picked from the garden. The minced garlic sprinkled on top released its fragrance in the hot oil, making the whole dish exceptionally refreshing. There was also a plate of pan-fried ribbonfish, its skin golden and crispy with slightly charred edges. A light touch with chopsticks would produce a "crunch," while the fish meat was snow-white and tender, with a subtle sea flavor. Finally, there was a pot of milky white crucian carp and tofu soup, with a few bright green scallions floating on the surface. The tender tofu in the pot trembled slightly, making it look incredibly appetizing.

He took off his apron, draped it over the back of the chair, wiped his hands with a towel, and said with a smile to Ran Qiuye, who was sitting at the dining table, "Ran Qiuye, try it and see if my cooking skills have deteriorated. I've been so busy with things at the factory lately, either attending endless meetings or supervising the production line. I haven't cooked properly in a long time, and my skills are a bit rusty."

Ran Qiuye's mouth was already watering from the aroma of the dishes on the table. The scents of meat, fish, and vegetables filled her nostrils. She picked up her chopsticks and carefully placed a piece of braised pork into her mouth. The meat melted in her mouth, and the savory-sweet broth spread across her tongue. The fatty parts were oily but not greasy, and the lean parts were tender and not dry. The delicious flavor slid down her throat, making her squint her eyes and smile with satisfaction. "How has it gotten worse? I think it's even more flavorful than before! This braised pork is even more authentic than the old restaurant at the corner store. Their meat always has a bit of a fishy smell, but yours has no off-flavors at all."

Gu Nan smiled at the compliment and picked up a spoon to serve her a bowl of fish soup: "Eat more if you like it, there's still a lot simmering in the pot."

At the dinner table, a baby who had just turned one year old sat in a specially made high chair, wearing a little bib, waving his chubby little hands and babbling, drool dripping from his mouth. Gu Nan would occasionally stop eating, picking up a small piece of steamed fish that was incredibly soft from the plate, carefully removing the bones, and bringing it to the baby's mouth. The little one would snatch it up with a "woof," chewing it with smacking sounds, making him giggle, his eyes narrowing into crescents, his little hands even patting the table, splashing soup all over his face. Looking at the child's adorable appearance, the fatigue from his busy work seemed to fade a little from Gu Nan's face, and a gentle light shone in his eyes.

After a while, his chopsticks slowed down, and the tension in his heart quietly rose again. The setting sun shone through the window, casting warm yellow spots on the tablecloth, but this cozy scene didn't completely relax him. He knew that the current peace was only temporary; the factory's affairs still weighed heavily on his mind—the new factory manager, Zhu Tao, seemed amiable on the surface, but he was quite scheming behind the scenes. He had already figured out the first step of the plan: using the pretext of distributing benefits and inviting people to dinner to win people over, and then taking the opportunity to place his relatives in the logistics and purchasing departments. But this was only the beginning; the other party's second move was deeply hidden, like a landmine buried in the ground, and hadn't shown any signs of it yet, which only made him more vigilant.

He put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and his gaze unconsciously darkened. Zhu Tao looked smiling, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were full of calculation; he would never be satisfied with just placing a few people in positions of power. Who would he target next? Would he try to sabotage the production line, replacing a few skilled veteran workers, or would he use the guise of reform to squeeze out the long-time sales team members who had followed him for years? He had to figure these things out in advance, otherwise, if the other side actually made their move, he would be caught off guard and in a very passive position.

Ran Qiuye had been watching his expression closely. Seeing that his eyes were wandering and he was poking at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks but not eating, she put down her chopsticks and asked softly, "What's wrong? Is there something bothering you at the factory again? Look at how furrowed your brow, you could trap a mosquito in it."

Gu Nan snapped out of his reverie, quickly composed himself, and smiled to hide the seriousness in his eyes: "It's nothing, I was just thinking about work and got a little distracted. Let's eat first, the food will get cold and won't taste good."

He picked up a piece of green vegetable and put it in Ran Qiuye's bowl, his mind already racing—whatever Zhu Tao's second plan was, he had to prepare in advance. He needed to have a serious talk with Old Chen and the other core members, keep a close eye on everyone in each department, especially the warehouse and finance departments, and absolutely not let the other side find an opportunity. No matter what, he couldn't let Zhu Tao disrupt the factory's stability, and he couldn't let the brothers who had worked so hard for him for so many years suffer any injustice.

Gu Nan just wanted to teach Zhu Tao a lesson, and more importantly, he wanted to find out if Zhu Tao had powerful backers.

After all, he had dealt with Li Jianjun, and now Zhu Tao appeared. What if he dealt with Zhu Tao, and then Gou Tao appeared? That was Gu Nan's biggest worry. Only by finding the people behind them could he deal with them all at once, so that he could finally live a peaceful life.