Xiang Nan then took Peggy to the supermarket and bought some ingredients and kitchen utensils.
When it came time to check out, Xiang Nan planned to pay the bill, but Peggy refused.
"You helped me so much today, and I would like to express my special thanks to you for this meal. If you were to pay the bill again, I would be very insincere." Peggy waved her hand and insisted on paying.
Xiang Nan nodded and went home with her.
"You sit down for a while, I should finish it soon." Peggy smiled as she prepared to fry steak for Xiang Nan to eat.
"OK." Xiang Nan nodded and sat aside.
Peggy was looking up recipes on the Internet on her mobile phone and marinating the steak according to the recipes. She was so busy that she was in a hurry.
"Have you never cooked before?" Xiang Nan asked curiously when he saw this.
Peggy shook her head.
Her previous life was very chaotic. She was rotated among different foster homes, and each family would only stay for two or three months at most. It could be said that she had no fixed place to live.
Because she couldn't stay in any family for long, and no family liked her, so naturally no one taught her how to cook. In fact, she herself still yearns for that kind of warm and sweet family life.
"Well, let me help you." Xiang Nan suggested.
"That's not okay. I'm inviting you to dinner today, how can I let you do it?" When Peggy heard this, she immediately refused.
"It's okay, I actually like cooking." Xiang Nan smiled, "You know, I spent money to take cooking classes."
"Really?!" Peggy said in surprise.
"Really." Xiang Nan nodded, "I want to learn cooking skills so that I can cook for my beloved girl in the future."
"Wow." Peggy sighed after hearing what he said.
Most American boys are very irresponsible. They talk about how much they like and love, but their real purpose is just to make themselves feel good. As for the girl's feelings, he doesn't care at all, let alone do anything for her.
Xiang Nan was able to learn cooking skills for the girl he loved, and this dedication showed his sense of responsibility.
…
Xiang Nan immediately came to the kitchen and helped Peggy cook.
He has specialized in cooking, and now that he is taking action, he is much better than the newbie Peggy.
Seeing Xiang Nan skillfully cutting onions, beating steaks, and grinding pepper... Peggy couldn't help but be secretly surprised.
When she heard Xiang Nan say that he had learned cooking skills just now, she thought he was just talking, and that he was only a second-hand knife at most.
But now it seems that Xiang Nan has probably reached a professional level, which also shows how much hard work he has put into this aspect.
Most men in the United States are chauvinistic. Men are responsible for making money and supporting the family, and women are responsible for running the housework. Therefore, few men take the initiative to cook, let alone make the effort to learn to cook.
"Raj, you did a great job." Peggy couldn't help but praise.
"You're welcome." Xiang Nan smiled, "Go and set the table. The steak should be fried soon."
"Setting the table?! Oh, okay." Peggy nodded and started to clear the table.
But she just wiped the table clean and put the tableware and red wine on it.
Xiang Nan quickly fried the steak, put it on a plate and brought it over.
Seeing how crudely arranged the table was, I couldn't help but smile and shake my head. Then I took out the paper towels, quickly folded the little swans, and placed them on the table.
Then he took out his mobile phone and chose a soothing song. In this way, the atmosphere is immediately heightened.
When Peggy saw this, she couldn't help but nod her head.
"OK, let's have a drink first, and then try my handiwork." 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. The two of them each took a sip, and then began to cut the steak.
"Well, it tastes really good." Peggy took a taste and said in surprise.
"That's natural. I didn't learn my cooking skills in vain." Xiang Nan said with a smile.
"Awesome." Peggy smiled, "To be honest, I haven't had such a good steak in a long time."
"Really? When was the last time you had delicious steak?" Xiang Nan asked curiously after hearing this.
When Peggy heard this, her face suddenly darkened.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Upon seeing this, Xiang Nan quickly changed his words.
"It's okay." Peggy waved her hand and said, "The last time I had delicious steak, Grandma Maria cooked it for me. It's been four years now."
"Is she still alive?" Xiang Nan asked curiously.
"No more. She passed away four years ago." Peggy shook her head and Xiang Nan noticed that her eye circles were red.
"I'm sorry, please have my condolences." Xiang Nan quickly handed over the tissue and said.
"Thank you." Peggy nodded.
…
Xiang Nan didn't dare to ask any more questions when he saw that it aroused other people's sadness, so he started talking 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 with a PhD, and how did I stay in the United States for four years...
Seeing that he also left home at a very young age, Peggy couldn't help but feel a sense of intimacy.
As the conversation between the two deepened and the alcohol was consumed, Peggy finally opened up the conversation and began to talk about her foster care life.
When she was eleven years old, she was abandoned by her mother because her studies plummeted and she contracted petty theft and lying.
She originally wanted to find her father, but his father had already started a new family and did not welcome her arrival. Therefore, she could only wander on the streets and live a life of hunger.
Afterwards, people from the Child Welfare Department found her and helped her find a foster home. But she was still giving up on herself at the time, and the foster families couldn't discipline her, so they abandoned her one after another.
There were also some male heads of families who wanted to be rude to her when they saw that she was pretty and cute. This kind of thing also made her wary of men from then on.
The more passionate a man is towards her, the more she will be wary of him. This is why when Howard shows his attentiveness to her, she refuses him.
It wasn't until she was nineteen years old that she met Grandma Maria. It was a kind-hearted old man who was also her landlord. Seeing that she was alone, he often called her to have dinner with her.
Over time, the relationship between the two deepened day by day. Her cold heart also melted, and she had the idea to cheer up again. After that, she went back to school, re-entered university, and completed her undergraduate and master's degrees through work-study.
Peggy became more and more sad as she talked, and finally started to cry.
"Don't cry, what happened before is in the past. You still have a better future, so try to look forward." Upon seeing this, Xiang Nan walked over and comforted.
Hearing what he said, Peggy cried even more sadly, leaning on Xiang Nan, and within a short time, his hem was wet.
"Okay, okay, it's okay, it's all over." Xiang Nan comforted him repeatedly.
I don’t know how long it took, but gradually I couldn’t hear the sound anymore.
Xiang Nan looked down in confusion and saw that Peggy had fallen asleep at some point.
Xiang Nan couldn't help but smile when he saw this, then he gently picked up Peggy and carried her to the bedroom. He helped her take off her shoes and covered her with a quilt. Then she quietly slipped out of the bedroom and went downstairs to go home.
