Chapter 62: The Sixty-Second Day of Slacking
A few days later, the sweet pickled garlic was ready.
At the same time, Wen Ying received a message from Lin Ruge: his mother was asking when she would be returning the bottles and jars.
What a coincidence.
Wen Ying looked at the pickled garlic in the jar and smiled.
Well, she would “return” his mother’s seasonings to her right now.
That day at lunch, as Lin Ruge’s family was sitting down to eat, Wen Ying arrived in the main hall carrying her pickling jar.
Under their astonished gazes, Wen Ying placed the jar on the floor with a loud thud.
The three of them had already heard the rumors circulating in the stronghold about Wen Ying’s ox-like strength. Now, it seemed… the rumors were true.
After a moment of shock, Lin Ruge’s parents broke into satisfied smiles.
Excellent, just excellent. Our Gege has a good eye for picking a wife. How could the wife of a bandit chief be anything but a formidable fighter?
“Yingying, what… is this?” Lin Ruge’s father asked curiously.
It seemed Lin Ruge’s parents really enjoyed giving people affectionate, repetitive nicknames.
As long as it wasn’t something as strange as “Gege,” Wen Ying didn’t mind.
“This is sweet pickled garlic that I made,” Wen Ying replied.
Seeing no reaction from Lin Ruge’s mother, Wen Ying added, “It’s made by pickling garlic with a lot of sugar, salt, vinegar, and soy sauce.”
To Wen Ying’s surprise, even after being so direct, Lin Ruge’s mother still showed no reaction.
Wen Ying had no choice but to spell it out. “A while ago, I had Ruge bring me the bottles and jars from your room, madam. Weren’t you just asking for them back today? I’m sorry, but I’m afraid… I can’t return them.”
“Why not?” Lin Ruge’s mother shot up from her seat, clearly agitated.
“Because I used them all up.” Wen Ying patted the jar. “They’re all in here.”
“You…!” Lin Ruge’s mother looked like she was about to burst, the words catching in her throat.
As his mother pushed her chair back and walked towards her with great emotion, her eyes glistening with what looked like tears, a smile played on Wen Ying’s lips.
Perhaps this first plan would be enough to succeed.
Wen Ying had expected Lin Ruge’s mother to do something drastic. She never imagined the woman would grab both of her hands.
“This is wonderful, just wonderful!” Lin Ruge’s mother cried out with joy. “When Gege told me you wanted to borrow those things, I was hoping you might know what was in the bottles. I was just worried you wouldn’t recognize them, so I had Gege give you a little warning. It turns out, I was worried for nothing.”
Wen Ying considered herself to be someone who had seen a lot.
But this scene was something she had never, ever anticipated.
“Yingying, according to what you just said, the things in those bottles and jars are called salt, sugar, and vinegar?” Lin Ruge’s mother asked excitedly. “I know of salt and sugar, but… they don’t look like this! And what are vinegar and soy sauce?”
It was normal for people in this world not to recognize these seasonings, but Wen Ying truly hadn’t expected that Lin Ruge’s mother wouldn’t know them either.
If she didn’t know what they were, why did she have them, and why did she treasure them so much?
“They’re all just seasonings,” Wen Ying answered.
“Seasonings… so you’re saying, this whole jar is edible?” Lin Ruge’s mother looked up, blinking her big eyes at Wen Ying. “Can… can we try some?”
Wen Ying was a soft-hearted person.
Especially when faced with such an adorable young girl.
“You can,” Wen Ying nodded.
She ladled a few cloves of the sweet pickled garlic from the jar onto a small plate on the table.
Lin Ruge and his parents had never tasted such a delicious snack. In no time, they had eaten every last piece, and polished off three large bowls of rice along with it.
“Delicious, absolutely delicious! Gege, I never thought the wife you brought back would be such a talented cook! So virtuous!” Lin Ruge’s father patted his round belly and gave his son a thumbs-up.
“Thank you, Yingying, thank you so much!” Lin Ruge’s mother was moved to tears as she ate. “So this… this is the delicious thing my mother left for me…”
Good heavens.
These few bottles of seasoning were something left behind by Lin Ruge’s mother’s mother. Was this… a family heirloom?
“My mother said that when my sister and I solved the mystery of these items, it would be time for us to reunite… But now, my sister and I are separated, and I… I may never see my mother again. But thank you, Yingying, for fulfilling this wish of mine.” The girl’s watery eyes were heart-wrenching to see. “I treasured them so much before. I took out a small amount and tried many ways to figure out what they were, but it never occurred to me… to just taste them.”
So there was such a story behind these items.
Although Wen Ying didn’t know where the girl’s mother had gotten them, she figured it was probably a kind, white lie told before her passing.
“Yingying, you are truly a wonderful daughter-in-law to our Lin family!” Lin Ruge’s mother placed a hand on Wen Ying’s, her voice filled with gratitude and relief.
Wen Ying was speechless.
Her plan was to make Lin Ruge’s mother resent her through extravagance. Now, not only was there no resentment, but she was being showered with praise and gratitude…
Seeing his mother so happy, Lin Ruge quickly chimed in to express his own thanks. “Thank you, Wen Ying.”
Wen Ying wanted to roll her eyes at him so hard they’d fall out.
It was one thing for his parents, who were clueless about her intentions, to react this way. But for him, who knew the whole story, to be thanking her too!
Amidst an atmosphere of warmth and heartfelt emotion, Wen Ying’s first plan was officially declared a failure.
The only thing she gained was a jar of sweet pickled garlic… which she could save and eat slowly later.
She could also take some back for Shen Linfeng and Little Sun Sun.
As for Little Black, better not. Too much salt would make his fur fall out.
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