Chapter 57 Rice Noodles: Do you want a wife?
The afternoon sun had already slanted down, quietly spilling through the window frames and shining unhindered into the general store. It then passed through the layers of shelves, casting a hazy warmth over this small space.
Lin Wen'an lowered his eyes, his hands hung down, his back was straight, and even his jawline was taut in the shadows. However, he couldn't maintain this meticulous demeanor. As Ruyi's arms tightened their grip, his Adam's apple bobbed uncontrollably.
It was unbearable and difficult.
This also shattered his carefully maintained composure, like a pebble breaking the surface of water, splashing water everywhere, and causing lingering ripples to spread violently in his heart.
She was so close, her body filled with the fragrance of apricot blossoms, that delicate, spring-like scent that belonged to her, constantly wafting into his nostrils. Ruyi's scent was completely different from the austere and cold aura that had always clung to him; her breath was like a gentle hook, easily stirring the deepest, most tightly sealed emotions within his heart.
He parted his lips slightly, wanting to ask, "Ruyi, have you... thought it through?" But the thought only flashed through his mind. He lowered his eyes and could only see the top of her head where her hair was buried in his heart. Her soft black hair was tied into a double bun that hung down behind her ears, with a few small pearl hairpins in her hair.
This was an attitude of complete dependence and utter unreservedness. He could clearly feel the body heat emanating from her, like flames burning down her chest and waist to every part of her body.
Language seems so superfluous and pale at this moment.
His rational struggle was rendered utterly vulnerable in the embrace of her soft body.
That's enough. No need to ask anymore.
The dagger that had sealed his fate was still in her hand. Even if one day she regretted it... she could still discard him like trash and choose someone better.
A series of sighs seemed to rise and fall in his heart.
Finally, with a sense of sacrificial relief and surging emotion, he slowly, with an almost pious solemnity, raised his hands.
At first, there was some struggle and hesitation, causing him to raise and lower his hand several times.
In the end, it all turned into unwavering resolve.
He opened his arms and wrapped them around her slender yet not frail body. He bent down slightly, lowered his head, closed his eyes, rested his chin on her shoulder, and hugged her back more deeply and tightly.
Yao Ruyi's heart pounded like a drum the moment he hugged her back.
Unlike the panicked embrace she received on that rainy night, this time, a strange, warm sense of peace arose deep within her wildly beating heart, which was almost making her dizzy.
She was like a weary bird that had been drifting and circling in the wind and rain for too long, and now she could finally fold her heavy, wet wings and find a branch to perch on.
My heart sank heavily, enveloped by an unprecedented sense of peace.
She could even feel his hands around her back, unconsciously and extremely gently caressing the few soft strands of hair that fell behind her neck. The affection conveyed between his fingertips was almost overflowing through her clothes.
The two embraced quietly for a long time.
The warm spring sun shone softly and gently through the windowpanes, casting dappled shadows on the ground. These shadows, like wisps of smoke, swayed and danced in the breeze, sometimes falling, sometimes shrouding the overlapping figures in the shadows of the shelves. The gossiping aunties in the alley seemed to have dispersed, and suddenly, all was quiet.
Thump, thump, thump.
Yao Ruyi couldn't hear anything; all she could hear was the gentle, intertwining of their heartbeats in the afternoon silence. They couldn't tell whose heartbeat it was, nor did they want to. Neither wanted to move first, and neither spoke.
Until a soft "click" sounded.
The oil paper bundle knot that Yao Ruyi had been holding onto her finger slipped from her fingers due to her absentmindedness and fell onto the floor tiles at their feet. This small accident instantly broke the long, lingering reverie.
Both of them were startled and separated slightly as if waking from a dream.
This rice noodle is so inconsiderate... Yao Ruyi blushed slightly and subconsciously bent down to pick it up.
However, Lin Wen'an was even faster than her.
Before she could bend down, he had already bent down, his long, slender fingers hooking the oil paper package up. His movements were swift, yet seemed to carry a hint of barely perceptible urgency.
"I'll cook."
He spoke calmly, but his breathing was still labored and his voice was low and tight, with a hint of hoarseness that he tried to suppress but could not completely erase.
Yao Ruyi looked up at him and saw that his face was normal, his lips were tight, but his ears were as ripe as persimmons that had been hit by frost.
Just now, only his earlobes and auricles were red, but now the skin behind his ears is completely red.
For the first time, he avoided her gaze, instead focusing intently on the rice noodles in his hand.
It seems that these rice noodles are not ordinary rice noodles.
Yao Ruyi suddenly found it a little funny. The usually calm, composed, and self-possessed Lin Wen'an was now unusually showing a kind of embarrassment that resembled fleeing in panic. However, he suppressed it with his strong self-control, leaving only a slightly hurried back view in front of her.
Once his tall figure disappeared into the shadows of the porch, Yao Ruyi stood still, unable to suppress a soft laugh.
She opened her palm, turning it over and over in front of her eyes, as if the smooth touch of his clothes and the burning warmth of his chest still lingered on her fingertips. She gazed in the direction he had disappeared, a smile unconsciously playing on her lips again.
She was so bold!
However, it seemed that after she took that step, she had overcome an invisible hurdle in her heart. She hadn't been sure, or even knew, whether she could love someone so much in the world of the book. She would often feel helpless, restless, and lost in confusion because of his mere glance or gesture.
Now, the sense of peace and joy in his heart has become clearer and more certain, thanks to the faint, slightly hurried sounds coming from the kitchen across the yard, which he deliberately kept quiet.
Really? What's there to be afraid of?
Yao Ruyi proudly put her hands on her hips again. Why think so much? There's nothing shameful about liking someone, especially someone as wonderful as him. If she kept acting so coy, she couldn't stand it anymore!
It's probably for the best if things don't change before they can be established.
Having bravely stepped out and come to her sense of self-control, Yao Ruyi felt relaxed and refreshed. With this feeling, she hurried to check on the kitchen.
Lin Wen'an doesn't look like someone who can cook at all; I hope she doesn't blow up her kitchen.
Unexpectedly, when she arrived at the kitchen door, Lin Wen'an was doing a surprisingly professional job.
She leaned against the door and watched with great interest.
Looking at the busy figure in front of the stove, Yao Ruyi's eyes gradually curved upwards, and the corners of her lips unconsciously turned up.
The tall man, who seemed out of place in the kitchen and stove area, was wearing loose-sleeved clothes, but the cuffs were rolled up high, revealing a pair of strong forearms and slender, white hands.
Long legs, broad shoulders, narrow waist... her waist, with its strong lines concave inward, is tied with a pink and white floral apron... a rabbit-shaped apron with squinting eyes.
Yao Ruyi wanted to laugh, but then she felt that the aloof and distant genius he always exuded had been replaced by a domestic and husbandly aura, which made her heart inexplicably warm.
He scooped a spoonful of lard from the earthenware jar and poured it into the hot pan. With a sizzle, a fragrant aroma wafted out. Then he washed some scallions, chopped them finely, and sprinkled them in, quickly frying them into fragrant scallion oil.
He then turned around and took out a few fresh eggs from the bamboo basket. He gently tapped the eggshells on the edge of the pot, and the egg whites, wrapped with yolks, slid into the pot. In no time, amidst the sizzling sound of oil, they instantly bulged with golden edges.
He moved casually, tossing eggshells into the basket with one hand and flipping the eggs with a spatula in the other.
Yao Ruyi stared wide-eyed, finding it hard to believe his fluid and effortless movements.
She was filled with doubt. She had thought that a gentleman like Lin Wen'an, who had read so many books, wouldn't even know which way the kitchen door faced, but she hadn't expected him to be so skilled at it as he stood in front of the stove.
At this moment, the water in the pot boiled. He picked up the rice noodles that had just been soaked in hot water to soften them, put them into the water, and covered the pot to simmer. If the rice noodles hadn't soaked long enough, they would have to be cooked longer until they were soft. He would occasionally lift the lid and gently stir them with chopsticks to make the rice noodles spread out in the water and prevent them from sticking together.
Because he was so tall, the stove was a bit too short for him, so he had to bend down from time to time, looking very serious as he approached the pot to observe the heat in the stove. The firelight illuminated his face, and Yao Ru saw that the tip of his nose was covered in fine beads of sweat from the heat of the fire, but he didn't bother to wipe them away.
There might have been some romantic atmosphere just now, but now Yao Ruyi could tell from Lin Wen'an's expression that he had relapsed into his old ways. His expression was exactly the same as when he was handling official business or drawing firearms blueprints.
Clearly, he is now focused on figuring out how to cook rice noodles.
Indeed, talent is secondary for geniuses; what they really are is their ability to focus and concentrate on anything they do, even something as simple as cooking a bowl of clear soup noodles.
However, Lin Wen'an was indeed different. In this world, even minor officials like Lin Si Cao or wealthy merchants like Meng Yuanwai believed in "keeping a gentleman away from the kitchen." That's why Aunt Ying was so busy and hardworking at home, and she only gave birth to sons.
Apart from Xiao Shitou, Lin Weiming and his older children, even after returning from school, rarely consciously tried to help their mother with cooking.
It's not that they are inherently bad, but that no one has taught them to do this since they were young.
The aroma of rice noodles wafted through the air. After frying the eggs, a pot of boiling water was poured in, instantly turning the soup milky white. Lin Wen'an scooped out the already softened rice noodles from another earthenware pot and put them back into the egg soup.
Once everything was settled, he turned around.
At this moment, his expression calmed down, and he even seemed to know what Yao Ruyi was thinking the moment he met her gaze. He spoke calmly, "Actually, the saying 'A gentleman keeps away from the kitchen' is a misinterpretation and misinterpretation by the world. This saying comes from Mencius's discussion with his disciples on the matter of Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin. The full sentence should be, 'A gentleman, when he sees animals alive, cannot bear to see them die; when he hears their cries, he cannot bear to eat their flesh. Therefore, a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen.' It speaks of benevolence and compassion."
As he spoke, his hands didn't stop; he had already sprinkled the washed spinach into the pot. Once the leaves were soft and wilted, he continued speaking while ladling the cooked rice noodles into a bowl: "...The reason these rumors spread is simply a fig leaf for some unscrupulous people to cover up their own misdeeds. Food is the most important thing for people; who can live without eating? To attribute all cooking to women's grooming and domestic skills is utterly ridiculous. When I read Mencius, there was actually another saying, 'Do not be ashamed to cook and keep yourself at a distance,' which is even better, but hardly anyone knows or recites it. Besides..."
Lin Wen'an placed two perfectly fried eggs, golden brown and crispy, on the surface of the bowl, and turned to Yao Ruyi, saying, "Do you remember when I was a child, I studied at the Yao family's house?"
The milky white soup cradles the snow-white rice noodles, which are garnished with emerald green vegetable leaves. Two fried eggs are then placed on top, along with a large spoonful of bright red and translucent dogwood chili sauce, some pickled radish cubes, pickled cowpeas and fried soybeans, and a few slices of braised meat. It looks so appetizing that it makes your mouth water.
It smells so good.
Yao Ruyi, who had just been admiring Lin Wen'an's forearm lines and waistline, now had her eyes completely glued to the rice noodles. Although she had eaten lunch, looking at the noodles now made her a little hungry again.
Hearing Lin Wen'an's words, he just nodded absentmindedly.
She vaguely remembered that when Grandpa Yao reminisced about the past, he mentioned that Lin Wen'an's mother was bedridden for many years, and his father often took his wife to various places to seek out famous doctors. His younger sister was still young, and during these times, just like the original owner of the body when she was a child, she had to stay with her maternal or paternal grandparents.
Unlike the original owner of this body, Lin Wen'an's sister, though she too had lived under someone else's roof, had Uncle Cong following closely behind to care for and look after her. With Uncle Cong, a family member, by her side, she didn't suffer any mistreatment even while living as a guest. After all, Uncle Cong was extremely vengeful in his youth, skilled in martial arts and a great debater; she couldn't beat him in a fight or out-argue him. Besides, relatives would at most say some unpleasant things behind each other's backs, but wouldn't easily break off relations. With Uncle Cong protecting her, she passed through those days peacefully. According to Uncle Cong, Lin Wen'an's sister was raised to be extremely lively, knew how to ride horses and play polo, married into a military family in Fuzhou, and was now living a very good life.
Compared to the parents' meticulous care for their daughter, it was the mature-beyond-his-years Lin Wen'an who, with his composure and intelligence beyond his years, never caused his parents any worry. He easily became a left-behind child and was casually entrusted to the care of a neighbor.
For several years, he would go to Yao's house for meals and to review his studies after school.
But what does this have to do with his cooking skills?
Seeing that she didn't understand, Lin Wen'an pointed to the stove in front of them: "Back then, you were still in Tanzhou, and it was just the two of us at home. In less than a month, the pot had blown up several times while the master was cooking. Sometimes the pot was still intact, but the meat inside had turned to charcoal and the vegetables to ashes, making it really hard to swallow. And it wasn't good to eat out at restaurants every day, so I learned a few simple dishes. But... I haven't cooked in a long time."
Yao Ruyi chuckled dryly, "So that's how it is."
So it turns out it was forced upon them by Grandpa Yao, that deadly chef.
He picked up two bowls and walked over to Yao Ruyi. As if he had known she would be greedy, he cooked two bowls from the start and even made an excuse for her gluttony, saying, "Have some with me."
***
It wasn't too cold after March. Today's bowl of noodles wasn't a proper meal, and Yao Ruyi was too lazy to set a table, so the two of them sat side by side on the edge of the front porch, eating from their bowls.
Eating has always been the most important thing in Yao Ruyi's life.
Holding the bowl, she looked down at the milky white broth, the thick, round rice noodles curled up in the soup, and a crisp bunch of spinach, her eyes already shining.
Moreover, Lin Wen'an hadn't overcooked the spinach; its soft, smooth, and deep green color was perfectly placed on top, adding a touch of brightness to the simple soup. The two eggs were also fried to perfection, with slightly curled, golden-brown edges and a hint of golden brown inside. When you poked the yolk in the center with chopsticks, the yolk was tender and slightly runny, but not runny.
The finishing touch was that large spoonful of chili sauce. This chili sauce was made by Uncle Cong, and he usually wouldn't use it to entertain guests; it was all for his own consumption. Although there were no red chilies at the moment, Uncle Cong's "Song Dynasty version" chili sauce, made with dogwood, Sichuan peppercorns, pickled ginger, bean paste, sesame seeds, and pepper, was also extremely fragrant and delicious.
That's right, this hot sauce is loaded with pepper!
I heard that she and Grandpa Yao, along with a few other unlucky guys, had been poisoned by mushrooms. The government rewarded them with a few kilograms of mushrooms, but they hadn't used them for cooking. However, since the whole family loves spicy food, they added pepper to the chili sauce.
The dogwood in this chili sauce is finely chopped. While its spiciness isn't as intense as later chili peppers, its mild numbing sensation is incredibly addictive. The other spicy ingredients are chopped in equal parts, half coarsely and half finely, and then mixed together. The Sichuan peppercorns are mainly used to fry the peppercorn oil at the end, which is then poured over the sauce while stirring rapidly. The hot oil "stimulates" the aroma of the various spicy ingredients, thus creating the chili sauce.
With a quick stir of chopsticks, you mix the chili sauce, braised pork, pickled cowpeas, and all the other toppings into the broth, then take a big, satisfying bite with the rice noodles. The broth is sweet and savory, and the rice noodles are soft and smooth. The braised pork is perfectly balanced between lean and fatty meat; the lean parts are tender and juicy, while the fatty parts melt in your mouth without being greasy. The aroma of the braising sauce has permeated every strand of meat. Topped with the noodles and mixed with the other condiments, it's a mouthwatering, spicy and flavorful experience.
Eat the noodles while they're hot. First, pick them up and blow on them, then slurp them into your mouth. Take a breath, then hold the bowl and drink some soup. Yao Ruyi was so engrossed in eating that she completely forgot about the man; all she could think about was this bowl of noodles.
She slurped up all the noodles in one go, then placed the empty bowl on her lap and sighed contentedly.
Actually, making clear broth rice noodles is very simple, and Lin Wen'an's skills may not be that amazing. However, she was in a good mood and hadn't eaten rice noodles for a long time, so when she suddenly ate a bowl, she found it delicious.
An indescribable sense of satisfaction.
Lin Wen'an also slowly put down his chopsticks.
When he first ate it, he noticed the noodles were a bit overcooked, and the broth was somewhat bland due to the haste. He thought that if he had time to simmer some pork bones or chicken carcasses to make a broth, the flavor would be much richer. Just as he was habitually trying to find fault with the bowl of clear broth noodles, he noticed Yao Ruyi eating intently and with great relish beside him. She was eating so heartily that her legs dangled under the eaves, swinging back and forth happily.
"Lin Wen'an, you're amazing."
How come you can succeed at everything you do?
"I'm so envious of you!"
She was enjoying her meal so much that she blurted out his name, still holding rice noodles in her chopsticks, and turned to praise him sincerely as she stuffed them into her mouth.
Lin Wen'an keenly sensed that her mood had changed. Not only was she a little embarrassed by the praise, but she was also pleased by her generous way of calling him by his name. She was stunned for a moment and could not respond.
But Ruyi didn't need his answer. She turned her head away happily and continued to suckle, occasionally letting out a soft "woof" like a dog eating chicken.
He glanced at it, relaxed, and even found himself quite hungry.
Perhaps he could learn a few more dishes in the future… Lin Wen'an thought to himself, and finished the whole bowl of rice noodles. The hot soup and noodles warmed his forehead and made him sweat.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, they both felt languid, and the lingering affection from their earlier embrace seemed to return. Yao Ruyi suddenly didn't want to leave. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Lin Wen'an hadn't moved either. She lowered her head, smiled with narrowed eyes, and understood without saying a word.
The two of them, holding their bowls and smelling the aroma of food, looked up at the courtyard wall and stared blankly at the vast expanse of clouds in the sky.
The spring sky was a clear, bright blue, like a freshly washed indigo-dyed cloth casually hung out to dry. Thinking of it that way, the clouds, pushed by the wind, resembled even more the patterns of tie-dye on that cloth.
A gentle breeze blew, wispy clouds drifted in from the horizon, and the faint scent of apricot blossoms wafted through the air. Wangwang, seemingly out of nowhere, returned, stretched lazily in front of them, then strutted away with its tail held high, completely oblivious to their presence, without even glancing at them.
Yao Ruyi caught a whiff of the fragrance of the flowers and glanced at the basket of apricot blossoms. She then remembered that Lin Wen'an had brought them back on special occasion. She just didn't expect that she had already received them from Aunt Yu and was already applying them to her face.
He seemed to stop mentioning it.
If it were Yao Ruyi yesterday, she would probably already be doing reading comprehension exercises with those apricot blossoms. In her past life, she had neither the opportunity nor the future to meet and fall in love with anyone. Although she intermittently returned to school and was sometimes attracted to the passionate and energetic young men, she never truly fell in love.
Because she knew she wouldn't live much longer.
She had many regrets: she regretted not living a few more days, she regretted leaving her grandmother alone, she regretted not being able to take the college entrance exam, study, and get a job in the usual way, and she regretted not having experienced how to love someone.
She used to envy everyone's life: the auntie who sells breakfast from dawn till dusk, the uncle who sweeps the streets before daybreak, the delivery guy who delivers food in the wind and rain, and the white-collar worker who tirelessly revises plans on a crowded subway. She envied even the most hardworking people because she didn't even have the right to live such a hard life.
Now, she truly has her own life—a long, fulfilling life with companions, a life where she can confidently love someone. Therefore, there's no need for hesitation; she can boldly move forward.
She thought for a moment and moved closer to him.
Her shoulder brushed against his arm, and her fingertips touched his hand.
Lin Wen'an paused, then turned to look at her.
The spring sun shone brightly, making her almond-shaped eyes appear clear and distinct, highlighting her delicate nose, her perfectly proportioned lips, and the dimples that appeared faintly when she pursed her lips slightly.
"Lin Wen'an," she suddenly called out to him with a serious expression.
Although he didn't know what she was going to say, Lin Wen'an also solemnly composed himself: "Hmm?"
Then he heard her speak frankly and honestly, yet with a touch of solemnity.
Do you want a wife?
***
Lin Si Cao's family, Lin Sanlang and Lin Silang, who had just returned from boasting outside, entered the door with grins on their faces.
He saw the children, Xiao Shitou, Moli, and Xiao Song, huddled together, heads touching, seemingly reading something. The children's literacy was limited, and Lin Sanlang, overhearing their broken, stuttering words, curiously leaned over to look: "What are you reading?"
“Just now, a courier came to deliver a letter at the alley entrance. Uncle Xiang, who was on duty at the gate, said it was from my family, so he gave it to me.” Jasmine was holding a few sheets of paper in her hand, looking up at him to show them, and asked in a crisp, tender voice, “Brother Lin, what’s the pronunciation of this character?”
Lin Sanlang took it and read it aloud, word by word:
“...Now that the epidemic is gradually subsiding...the journey home by boat and carriage...has already reached Hengyang..." Halfway through reading, Lin Sanlang suddenly realized and exclaimed with great joy, “Jasmine! Your parents are coming back!”
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My second uncle was knocked down repeatedly by a straight shot.
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