Chapter 48 48【Caring back to back】
Xiang Nan then drove Peggy to the supermarket, and then bought some ingredients and kitchen utensils.
When it was time to check out, Xiang Nan planned to pay the bill, but Peggy refused.
"You helped me so much today, and I thank you for this meal. If you were to pay the bill again, then I would be too dishonest." Peggy waved her hand and insisted on paying.
Xiang Nan nodded, and went home with her.
"Sit down for a while, I should finish it soon." Peggy smiled, and she was going to fry steak for Xiang Nan to eat.
"OK." Xiang Nan nodded and sat aside.
Seeing that Peggy was looking up recipes on the Internet through her mobile phone, and at the same time marinating steak according to the recipes, she was so busy that she was in a hurry.
"Have you never cooked before?" Seeing this, Xiang Nan asked curiously.
Peggy shook her head.
She lived a very chaotic life before, that is, she was rotated in different foster families, and she only stayed in each family for two or three months at most. It can be said that she had no fixed place.
Because she can't stay in any family for long, no one likes her, so no one teaches her to cook. In fact, she herself still yearns for that kind of warm and sweet family life.
"Well, let me help you." Xiang Nan offered to propose.
"That's not okay. I'm treating you to dinner today, how can I let you do it?" Peggy immediately refused when she heard it.
"It's okay, I really like cooking." Xiang Nan said with a smile, "You know, I paid for cooking classes."
"Really?!" Peggy said in surprise.
"Really." Xiang Nan nodded, "I want to cook for my beloved girl in the future after I learn how to cook well."
"Wow." Hearing what he said, Peggy felt a burst of emotion.
Most American boys are very irresponsible, talking about how much they like and love, but the real purpose is just to make themselves feel good. As for the girl's feelings, she doesn't care at all, let alone what she will do for her.
Xiang Nan was able to learn cooking skills for the girl he loves, this devotion shows his sense of responsibility.
…
Xiang Nan immediately came to the kitchen and helped Peggy cook.
He has learned cooking skills, and when he makes a move now, he is much better than the rookie Peggy.
Seeing Xiang Nan skillfully chopping onions, beating steaks, and grinding pepper... Peggy couldn't help being secretly surprised.
Just now, when Xiang Nan said that he had learned cooking skills, she thought he was just talking, and at most he was a two-handed knife.
But now it seems that Xiang Nan has probably reached the professional level, which also shows how much hard work he has put in in this area.
Most men in the United States have machismo. Men are in charge of outside and women are in charge of inside. Men are responsible for making money and supporting the family, while women are responsible for housework. Therefore, few men take the initiative to cook, let alone put in the effort to learn how to cook.
"Raj, you did a great job." Peggy couldn't help but praise.
"You're welcome." Xiang Nan said with a smile, "Go and set the table, the steak should be ready soon."
"Set the table?! Oh, good." Peggy nodded and began to clear the table.
But she just wiped the dining table clean, and then put the cutlery and red wine on the table.
Xiang Nan quickly cooked the steak, served it on a plate.
Seeing the rudimentary layout of the table, he couldn't help but shook his head with a smile, then took out the tissue, quickly folded the little swan, and placed it on the table.
Then he took out his mobile phone and chose a soothing song. In this way, the atmosphere was immediately heightened.
"OK, have a sip of wine first, and then try my craft." Xiang Nan opened the red wine and poured it for the two of them.
"Okay." Peggy raised her glass, "Raj, thank you for everything you have done for me."
"You're welcome." Xiang Nan smiled, and the two took a sip each, and then began to cut the steak.
"Well, it tastes really good." Peggy took a sip and said in surprise.
"That's natural. My cooking skills are not for nothing." Xiang Nan laughed.
"Excellent." Peggy smiled, "To be honest, I haven't eaten such a good steak for a long time."
"Really, when was the last time you ate a delicious steak?" Xiang Nan asked curiously upon hearing this.
When Peggy heard this, her expression darkened.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Seeing this, Xiang Nan quickly changed his words.
"It's okay." Peggy waved her hand and said, "The last time I ate a delicious steak, it was cooked for me by Grandma Maria. It has been four years since now."
"Is she still alive?" Xiang Nan asked curiously.
"Not anymore, she passed away four years ago." Peggy shook her head and said, Xiang Nan noticed that her eye circles were red.
"I'm sorry, please forgive me." Xiang Nan hurriedly handed over the tissue and said.
"Thank you." Peggy nodded.
…
Xiang Nan saw the sad things that aroused others, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions, so he talked about his own affairs.
When did I go to study in the UK from India, how did I come to the United States after graduating from a doctorate, and how did I stay in the United States for four years...
Seeing that he also left home when he was very young, Peggy couldn't help feeling a sense of intimacy.
With the deepening of the conversation between the two and the intake of alcohol, Peggy finally opened the conversation box and began to talk about her foster life.
When she was eleven years old, she was abandoned by her mother because her studies had plummeted, and she was infected with petty theft, lying and cheating.
She wanted to find her father, but his father had formed another family and did not welcome her, so she could only wander the streets and live a life without food.
Later, people from the Child Welfare Department found her and helped her arrange a foster family. But she was still giving up on herself at the time, and the foster family couldn't discipline her, so they abandoned her one after another.
There are also some male heads of families who, seeing that she is beautiful and cute, once wanted to be rude to her. This kind of thing also made her wary of men from now on.
The more enthusiastic a man is to her, the more fearful she will be in her heart, which is why she refuses him when Howard is courting her.
Until she was nineteen years old, she met Grandma Maria. It was a kind-hearted old man who was also her landlord. Seeing her alone, he often called her to eat together.
As time goes by, the relationship between the two deepens day by day. Her icy heart was melted by this, and the idea of reviving was summoned up. After that, she went back to school, re-entered the university, and completed her undergraduate and master's degrees through work-study programs.
Peggy became more and more sad as she talked, and finally burst into tears.
"Don't cry, the past is over. You still have a brighter future, so try to look forward." Seeing this, Xiang Nan walked over to comfort him.
Hearing what he said, Peggy cried even more sadly, leaning on Xiang Nan's body, and after a while, his hem was wet.
"Okay, okay, it's all over." Xiang Nan comforted repeatedly.
I don't know how long it took, and the sound gradually disappeared.
Xiang Nan looked down suspiciously, and saw that Peggy had fallen asleep at some point.
Seeing this, Xiang Nan couldn't help smiling, then gently picked up Peggy, sent her to the bedroom, helped her take off her shoes, covered her with a quilt, and then quietly slipped out of the bedroom and went downstairs to go home.
(end of this chapter)