Chapter 78: Chapter 78
Mary bought glutinous rice, red dates, salted egg yolks, bamboo leaves, and even prepared marinated meat.
In the following days, they borrowed the hospital’s kitchen to cook several large pots of rice dumplings.
Initially, because Anna Thornton’s skills were lacking, the dumplings she wrapped were not tight enough, and they all fell apart during cooking, rendering them unusable.
But with practice, her triangular dumplings started to look more presentable.
However, since they cooked so many dumplings, it was impossible for the two of them to finish them all, so Anna decided to give them as Dragon Boat Festival gifts to the hospital staff, especially those taking care of Pop.
On that day, when Conrad Sterling arrived at the hospital, he was greeted by the scent of bamboo leaves instead of the usual cold disinfectant smell.
"President Sterling." Two passing nurses, each holding two dumplings in their hands, greeted him,
"Is today the Dragon Boat Festival?" he asked.
"No, it’s still a few days away from the festival."
Conrad never remembered these holidays, first because he had tirelessly worked for ten years without taking a break, finding it unnecessary to remember them.
Secondly, living alone meant there was no one to remind him of holidays that typically signify reunion and familial joy.
"Miss Thornton is handing out dumplings to everyone in the hospital today. President Sterling, you should get yours too."
Given President Sterling’s status, it’s unlikely that he would care for dumplings.
Only after saying this did the nurse realize her lack of respect.
This was because Anna Thornton’s personality was very down-to-earth; during her time at the hospital, she got along well with everyone, contrary to what online or media reports suggested.
Also, Conrad often came to the hospital recently, and the medical staff frequently saw him outside Pop’s ward, standing with Miss Thornton, which led them to mistakenly believe that he had become more approachable.
In reality, President Sterling was still the same; he remained distant and didn’t have time to converse with the lower-level medical staff.
When Conrad arrived in the hospital’s kitchen, he indeed found Anna squatting in front of a large pot, holding two dumplings tied together, handing them out as gifts.
As she distributed in the front, Mary followed in the back, instructing people to appreciate the dumplings but not to eat them.
Despite the advice, quite a few people still came to claim the dumplings.
Among the medical staff were also some patients’ family members, likely drawn by the buzz about Anna Thornton being a celebrity.
Conrad deliberately stood on the fringe until the crowd dispersed before approaching.
"Ah! Finally, almost all given out!"
Anna stood up, stretched, and seeing Conrad approach, she greeted him with a smile: "President Sterling, want some dumplings?"
Conrad didn’t speak; he glanced at the pot in front of Anna wherein only two dumplings remained.
Anna bent down, picked up the last two dumplings, and dangled them in front of Conrad: "These are rabbit-shaped dumplings, cute, right? I created them myself; these two are made with the most care."
Mary catered well to Anna’s needs; even though Anna wasn’t naturally talented in cooking, she excelled in creating designs. Updates are released by NoveIＦire.net
After mastering the basic triangle dumplings, Anna went on to innovate. She pulled leftover bamboo leaves through the triangle dumplings, making the two pointed leaves on top droop like rabbit ears, making them super adorable.
Just then, Anna noticed a late-coming child and waved to him: "Hey little one, want some dumplings?!"
The little boy wore the Crestlight Hospital’s inpatient uniform, indicating he was likely a patient.
He shyly ran over and asked Anna, "Do you have any dumplings left, sister?"
"Since you asked so nicely, sister will give you the last two dumplings."
Children seemed to love small animals; Anna handed over the last two rabbit-shaped dumplings, and the boy immediately stood on tiptoe to receive them with both hands, delighted: "Thank you, sister!"
"Wait a minute, young man!" Mary caught up with the child, instructing, "Make sure to tell your mom when you take these home that they are just to look at. If you must eat, disassemble the ingredients first and season them yourself."
"Got it, thank you, auntie!"
"Such a good boy!" Mary praised through bittersweet tears.
Seeing the child take away the last two dumplings, Conrad frowned in dissatisfaction and asked Anna, "Weren’t those meant for me?"
"I thought you wouldn’t care for them."
"I didn’t say I wouldn’t take them!"
"But you didn’t say you wanted them either!" Anna shrugged, "President Sterling, if you like something, it’s best to express it early. Dumplings won’t wait in place for you, and neither will people!"
Anna’s dumpling-making skills were somewhat mastered, but as the program’s recording date approached, Mary felt uneasy, "Anna, after much consideration, I still find your first reality show to be significant, and can’t rest easy if I can’t accompany you."
"You praised my dumpling-making before; what could go wrong?"
"No, I’ve pored over that ’Food and Love’ reality show earnestly these past days. I realized that female artists on the program often encounter problems, and due to its vulgar tactics and sexually suggestive style, the audience doesn’t like it; almost every episode receives harsh critiques."
Mary continued to analyze, "But the program seems to capitalize on this, attracting more audience ire indicates better reception. So, the show’s online viewership is quite high, but it’s incredibly unfriendly to its participants. After each episode airs, it’s followed by waves of mockery, and fans withdraw their support in droves. Currently, only desperate minor celebrities grabbing at their last chance would dare participate."
What Mary was expressing was only the mild version.
Some artists, even when their dishes seemed decent, still faced criticism, especially given Anna Thornton’s dishes were more about appearance and couldn’t be consumed.
In fact, after it was announced that Anna Thornton and Ethan Hawthorne would record the show simultaneously, mockery had already commenced online.
Revealing a story of having a child out of wedlock followed shortly by rumors entangling Conrad Sterling, many first-time listeners to Anna Thornton’s name branded her as open and promiscuous.
Even many of her original fans expressed disappointment, as their admiration largely stemmed from watching ’Revenge,’ hoping she’d represent Chinese actors proudly among European and American personas.
Who knew her first submission since returning home would be rife with nonstop rumors; lately, Anna Thornton’s fan base has been severely declining.
As for Ethan Hawthorne, although his past scandal didn’t spread widely, women who heard about it universally critiqued and snubbed him.
A sleazy man who attempted to drug a pure actress, paired with a chaotic and loose woman, everyone anticipated what sparks would fly when these two met.
Various gossip mongers had already taken seats and laid out keyboards, ready to flame both the scumbag and shameless woman from all angles till they’re burned at the stake.