Chapter 38
Once in the kitchen, Lin Ting laid out all the groceries on the table, then picked up the bag of fish and placed it in front of Chen Zhiyi. "Is it alright to clean the fish?"
Chen Zhiyi looked at her blankly and asked weakly, "Do you scale the fish first and then gut it?"
Lin Ting said seriously, "Fish scales are edible and can be used to supplement calcium."
Chen Zhiyi looked incredulous. "Really?"
Lin Ting got hooked on teasing him, since he had asked her about her embarrassing childhood experiences. "Later, I'll cook a whole fish with scales on its body for you to try."
Chen Zhiyi scratched his head and smiled sheepishly.
Then Lin Ting placed a piece of pork belly on the cutting board, "Can you cut it into pieces?"
Having failed once, Chen Zhiyi couldn't fail a second time. He gritted his teeth, picked up the kitchen knife, and practiced for a long time, but ultimately couldn't bring himself to make the first cut. He admitted defeat and honestly said, "I don't know how to cut meat."
Seeing his dejected expression, Lin Ting suppressed a laugh, took out some vegetables, and said, "I'll handle the meat; you can help me pick the leaves off the vegetables one by one."
"good!"
Lin Ting bought two pig's feet and ordered pig's feet soup, hoping to nourish Lin Qin by using the principle of "like cures like".
She picked up a kitchen knife and chopped hard, but found it wouldn't split. So, she grabbed an axe from the storage room, cleaned it, and with a few quick swings, the pig's trotter was chopped into pieces.
Immediately afterward, she slashed open the crucian carp's belly, cleanly and efficiently removing its internal organs, and then quickly scraped off the scales.
Chen Zhiyi watched silently from the side, his throat pounding violently, but he held back from speaking, worried that if he opened his mouth, he would disrupt her rhythm and, in a moment of panic, the axe or kitchen knife would slide toward him.
He truly understood the meaning of being at the mercy of others. Then he glanced down at the greens in his hand; the leaves were green, the stems white—much cuter than her!
Lin Ting poured the chopped pig's feet into a clay pot, added water, rice wine, scallions, and ginger, and placed it on the coal stove to stew. Then he lifted the lid of the large earthen stove next to him, put the rinsed rice and diced pumpkin into the large iron pot, added an appropriate amount of water, and then squatted down to add firewood and rub the fire.
Lin Ting's kitchen was something Chen Zhiyi had never seen before. It didn't have many modern kitchen utensils and was quite rustic. Her movements were quick and smooth, which captivated him.
"Have you never seen a stove before? You've never seen this way of cooking before?" Lin Ting asked.
Chen Zhiyi said shyly, "It seems quite interesting."
"We have a rice cooker at home, but food cooked in this big iron pot tastes better. I'd like you to try it."
Chen Zhiyi leaned closer, "Do you need any help?"
Lin Ting glanced at him and smiled, "No need, just sit over there."
Chen Zhiyi didn't leave; he remained standing by the stove with a curious expression.
Lin Ting's house didn't have central heating, but sitting by the stove was warm and comfortable.
Then Lin Ting lit another fire on the stove, put oil into the pot, and casually said, "Stand to the side, be careful not to get splashed."
Before Chen Zhiyi could react, Lin Ting had already thrown the diced pork belly into the pot.
With a sizzle, oil splattered everywhere, startling Chen Zhiyi so much that he covered his face with his arm and took several steps back.
Lin Ting was amused by his actions, "Why don't you sit at the table?"
Chen Zhiyi tactfully sat down at the table, away from the danger zone. While the other girls had already moved far away from the splattering hot oil, Lin Ting continued stirring the oil in the pan. He figured she was someone who cooked at home often; that's probably where her usual calm and composure came from.
He felt that the girl he liked was indeed special.
Steam gradually rose from the pot. Lin Ting squinted, her face slightly flushed from the steam. For the first time, Chen Zhiyi found watching someone cook so pleasing to the eye. The aroma of meat wafting from the pot made him feel ravenous, and he couldn't help but swallow a few times.
He was over 1.8 meters tall and at the age of rapid growth; a half-sized sweet potato wouldn't even be enough to fill his teeth.
Lin Ting didn't look at Chen Zhiyi, but focused on stirring the meat in the pan. She said slowly, "There's a paper bag in the big black bag. It contains some roasted chestnuts that I just bought. Have some to tide you over."
Chen Zhiyi thought to himself, "My stomach is growling all the time, but it's not this loud."
Perhaps sensing his embarrassment, Lin Ting deliberately spoke in a light tone, "Our roasted chestnuts here are big and sweet. It's a rare treat to come here, and you'll regret it for a long time if you don't get to eat them."
"You're just like Wang Po selling melons, praising your own wares."
"Whether I'm a matchmaker or not, you'll know once you eat it."
Chen Zhiyi broke open a chestnut and put it in his mouth. It was indeed delicious, sweet but not cloying, fragrant but not overpowering, with the caramel and chestnut flavors blended perfectly.
"I didn't promote it myself, did I?"
Chen Zhiyi's mouth was stuffed full, and he nodded like a rattle-drum, giving a thumbs-up and mumbling, "Delicious!"
Lin Ting was amused by his greedy look again and said an advertising slogan, "If it's delicious, eat more."
A moment later, a clean, whole chestnut was placed to Lin Ting's lips. She looked up and met Chen Zhiyi's clear eyes, which were pure and devoid of any selfishness, and his voice was warm and clear.
"Delicious food should be shared."
Lin Ting didn't shy away; she opened her mouth and generously ate the chestnuts he fed her.
Chen Zhiyi withdrew his hand and placed it at his side, gently rubbing his fingertips that had just brushed against her lips, feeling the lingering warmth on them, a tingling sensation that made his heart race.
...
Dinner was eaten in Lin Qin's room.
Lin Ting moved a low, small square table to the side of the bed so that Lin Qin could sit on the bed to eat. The table was full of dishes, which looked very happy. It was just a pity for Chen Zhiyi's two long legs. Sitting on the small stool, he could only stretch to the sides, looking like a big frog sitting upright, which was a bit funny.
Lin Ting looked at his two long legs that seemed to have nowhere to go, and said a little apologetically, "It feels like you're here to participate in a reality show?"
Chen Zhiyi was stunned at first, then after a few seconds of reaction, he couldn't help but smile, revealing his neat and clean teeth. "If my mom knew, she would definitely be very happy and would definitely encourage me to come here more often to exercise."
Lin Qin moved to sit on the edge of the bed, her voice still gentle, "Xiao Chen can come anytime he wants. If I weren't injured, Lin Ting could take you out for a walk. But the scenery isn't very good in winter. It won't be like that until March or April when spring is in full bloom. There will be peach blossoms, apricot blossoms, pear blossoms, and rapeseed flowers everywhere, in pink, white, and yellow. Tourists often come to see the flowers. You can come and play then, and Lin Ting can accompany you."
These words struck a chord with Chen Zhiyi, and his eyes filled with anticipation. "Okay, I'll definitely come then."
"You're not taking the college entrance exam next year?"
At crucial moments, Lin Ting, as always, spoiled the mood.
"Work-life balance is important!" Chen Zhiyi said with some dissatisfaction.
Lin Ting first served Lin Qin a bowl of pig's feet soup, then handed one to Chen Zhiyi. "Okay, then have a bowl of soup first and relax."
Chen Zhiyi doesn't actually like eating pig's feet; he always feels that even if they're washed very clean, they still have a kind of poopy smell. But when Lin Ting makes them, even if it were a pile of poop in front of him, he would eat it with relish. Taking a sip of the soup, the meat is rich and fragrant, with the sweet taste of peanuts—it's fresh, delicious, and has no strange taste at all.
Sipping on pig's trotter soup and looking at the dishes on the table in front of her—braised pork, sweet and sour crucian carp, salt and pepper chicken wings, celery and dried tofu, etc.—there are many girls who can cook, but those who can make such a high-quality meal in one go are definitely outstanding.
Now, Chen Zhiyi's gaze towards Lin Ting became even more infatuated.
Lin Qin bent over, turned her chopsticks over, and kept putting food into Chen Zhiyi's bowl.
"Here, have a piece of braised pork. We make it sweet here, have some more!"
"This piece is meat from the fish's belly; it has no bones."
"Dried tofu is also a local specialty; you must try it."
Before long, Chen Zhiyi's bowl was overflowing, but he didn't refuse and ate it carefully, bite by bite.
"Alright, Mom, his bowl is already full, you should eat more too." Lin said, and then served Lin Qin another bowl of pig's feet soup.
Lin Qin didn't mind. She liked Chen Zhiyi from the first moment she saw him. He was clean-cut and well-mannered. He was overflowing with maternal love at the dinner table and just wanted to give him more food so he could eat more. "I didn't use serving chopsticks. I used the chopsticks upside down to pick up the food. You don't mind, do you?"
Chen Zhiyi was stunned, then quickly shook his head, anxiously explaining, "No, Auntie, I really like this kind of dining atmosphere."
This is true. When eating at home, Chen Zhiyi either sits alone at the table or the family eats together. They always divide the food in advance, saying that this is for hygiene and that one should not talk while eating or sleeping. Apart from the sounds of chewing and drinking soup, there is nothing else on the table.
Outsiders might see it as a family dinner, but those who don't might think it's a meeting of world leaders.
His ideal family mealtime was like this: chatting about the interesting things that happened to them that day, and sharing the delicious food with their loved ones.
Food is the most important thing for people. Every day, we work hard so that our family can sit together and have three meals a day.
So this dinner was the most comfortable and satisfying Chen Zhiyi had ever eaten. They ate and chatted until seven or eight o'clock in the evening.
Lin Ting gave up her bedroom to Chen Zhiyi, while she squeezed in with her mother. She made up the bed for him and put two hot water bottles inside.
Chen Zhiyi looked around. Lin Ting's bedroom was similar to Lin Qin's: a bed, a dressing table, and a large wardrobe, nothing else. There were no plush toys that girls love, nor any cosmetics or skincare products; it was extremely minimalist.
Lin Ting brought over a cup of hot tea. "This is lotus leaf tea that I brewed with honey, but it will still be a little bitter. You ate too much tonight, so drinking this will help with digestion."
"Auntie, you're so kind."
"You can't force yourself to eat it, it'll hurt your stomach."
Chen Zhiyi took a big gulp; it was indeed bitter, but acceptable.
Lin Ting patted the blankets on the bed. "I've changed all the sheets and duvet covers for you. There's no air conditioning in the room, so I put two hot water bottles in there in case you get cold. Get some rest."
Chen Zhiyi said "Oh," then suddenly remembered something and hesitated. "I haven't finished looking at that photo album yet."
"You still want to see?"
Chen Zhiyi nodded, "Mm!"
Lin Ting smiled, went back to her mother's room, found a photo album and gave it to him, "There's nothing to see, just some old photos. Go to sleep early after you've looked at them."
Chen Zhiyi nodded happily, holding the photo album.
As Lin Ting walked to the door, she suddenly remembered, "What time will Uncle Chen arrive tomorrow?"
"What's up?"
“I need to go to the county hospital tomorrow morning; some medicine won’t arrive until tomorrow. I’m wondering whether I should wait until Uncle Chen picks you up before going to the hospital, or go by myself first.”
Chen Zhiyi said without hesitation, "I'll go to the hospital with you tomorrow morning. Uncle Chen probably won't arrive until one or two o'clock in the afternoon."
"Okay!" After saying that, Lin Ting left the room.
Chen Zhiyi hugged the photo album and snuggled into bed. With the hot water bottle, the bed was nice and warm.
There aren't many old photos in the album; most are from Lin Ting's childhood. She doesn't look much different as a child, but her expressions were much richer—crying, laughing, and making funny faces—a picture of innocent charm. As she grew up, there were very few photos of her, mostly ID photos, and her expressions became calm and reserved.
Chen Zhiyi was drawn to a photo of Lin Ting wearing a junior high school uniform and with her hair in a ponytail. She had delicate features and a gentle smile, looking ethereal and otherworldly. It turns out that some people can really look like fairies at thirteen or fourteen, pure and charming.
Chen Zhiyi couldn't resist taking the photo down and putting it in his wallet.
He flipped through the photo album, which mostly contained photos of Lin Ting and her mother, some of which were clearly cropped, with one person missing from the side.
Actually, based on the number of people in Lin Ting's family, he could guess who was missing, but it would take immense hatred to crop out the person from the photo. Considering that Lin Ting almost never talked about her father, and the snippets he'd overheard from Zhang Linfang today, he was certain that her parents' marriage was broken, which was probably the main reason for her drastic personality change.
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