Chapter 52.1

Xie Yanzhao looked at her with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Leaning against the wall, his tall figure cast a shadow over Ruan Mingfu.

She couldn’t help but swallow nervously.

With a forced laugh, she said, “I… I just wanted to see if she was asleep.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Ruan Mingfu widened her eyes, trying to convey her sincerity.

Xie Yanzhao chuckled lightly and lifted her up effortlessly.

She was startled.

She wanted to scream, but the man said, “If you want her to hear you, just scream.”

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

Isn’t that a threat?

But if Gu Yilin really hears, what’s the point of her even trying to act normal?

Damn it!

Feeling threatened.

She couldn’t help but press her lips together, and in a moment of petulance, she pounded his back a few times in retaliation. But his physique was like a solid rock, unaffected, while Ruan Mingfu’s hands turned red.

Even more enraged!

Xie Yanzhao patted her. “Behave yourself.”

Where did that dog man just pat her?!

Damn pervert!

Ruan Mingfu was so embarrassed and angry that her face turned crimson.

Before she could think clearly, he opened the door and threw her onto the bed, then pressed down on her.

His gaze became even more intense as he gently stroked her face, from her forehead to her chin, and then to her slender neck…

“Why aren’t you wearing the nightgown from last time?”

As if knowing what was about to happen next, Ruan Mingfu felt a pang of anxiety and was somewhat dazed. After a moment, she realized what he meant.

Her face turned even redder.

Damn bastard!

Last time he acted all righteous and made her change, and now he’s asking why she’s not wearing it?

Thinking about what happened after wearing that nightgown, Ruan Mingfu’s face reddened even more.

Damn pervert!

Ruan Mingfu wanted to cover her face but was firmly held down.

Helpless, she could only close her eyes and try to ignore it.

Xie Yanzhao’s expression showed dissatisfaction, and his hands applied a bit more pressure.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

With tears in her eyes, she gritted her teeth and looked at him, “Turn off the lights!”

….

Since that night, it had been raining continuously. The outside was wet, and Ruan Mingfu was reluctant to visit others.

Gu Yilin wanted to go out, but with the heavy rain, no one was going anywhere.

When people are bored, they tend to get up to mischief.

Like right now.

Ruan Mingfu was adding various seasonings to a pot.

Soon, the water in the pot turned black, resembling the witch’s brew from the fairy tales Gu Yilin used to read.

“Are you sure this is drinkable?”

“Of course,” Ruan Mingfu tasted it, found it lacking in salt, and added a generous amount more.

Gu Yilin was stunned.

She suspected that her so-called “plastic friend” disliked her and wanted to kill her!

Ruan Mingfu sniffed the aroma and nodded with satisfaction. She looked at the eggs on the side and was about to add them to the pot but decided against it after a moment’s thought.

“Come and crack the eggs.”

Gu Yilin looked at her in confusion.

Ruan Mingfu then picked up a rolling pin and cracked each egg a few times. Seeing this, Gu Yilin was no longer worried about her “plastic friend” being crazy. She walked over curiously.

“What are you doing?”

Without looking up, Ruan Mingfu said, “Making tea eggs.”

“Are they good?”

Gu Yilin became even more curious.

She reached out to examine the eggs as if she were trying to see something extraordinary.

“Is it delicious?”

Ruan Mingfu hesitated.

Her auntie is a great cook, and her tea eggs are the most famous. Ruan Mingfu was curious and asked her for some advice. The secret recipe was still the same, but it was her first time making it, so she didn’t know if it would taste the same.

It’s all her plastic friend’s fault.

She saw Xie Yanzhao cooking these two days and mocked her for being lazy and gluttonous.

How infuriating!

She had to show off her skills and let her so-called “plastic friend” know that she,  Miss Ruan, had some real talent.

“It’s not poisonous, right?”

Gu Yilin didn’t believe in Ruan Mingfu’s cooking skills in the first place, and after hearing what she said, she was even more afraid to eat it.

Ruan Mingfu narrowed her eyes.

Looking at her “plastic friend” with her fluffy head, she tightly gripped the rolling pin in her hand, looking for the right place to start.

Feeling a sudden sense of danger, Gu Yilin shrank back.

The water in the pot began to bubble, and the aroma of spices gradually filled the air.

Gu Yilin wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth and took the rolling pin from Ruan Mingfu. “You’re too slow. Let me do it.”

It had to be said, her so-called “plastic friend” was quite skilled.

In no time, the half basin of eggs was cracked.

Ruan Mingfu took out the red tea sent by the tea factory representative, steeped it, and added both the water and tea to the pot.

When she lifted the pot lid, the aroma of the spices became even stronger.

Gu Yilin decided to take back what she had just said.

“When can we eat?”

Her eyes lit up with anticipation as she looked at Ruan Mingfu.

“Didn’t you just say you didn’t want to eat?”

Plastic friend, let’s see if you dare to mock me again.

Gu Yilin swallowed. “Oh, that… I wasn’t thinking clearly before. Besides, I helped you.”

She pointed at the plate with the cracked eggs.

Ruan Mingfu was very pleased.

She had managed to one-up her plastic friend.

Placing the eggs in the pot, she turned up the heat for a while before turning it off and letting the eggs soak in the broth.

Smelling the aroma in the air, Gu Yilin felt she was almost losing control.

“Hey, when can we eat?”

“About half an hour if it’s fast, four hours if it’s slow.”

“So slow…”

While they were talking, Wangcai also came over.

It just sat at the kitchen door and wouldn’t come in. When Ruan Mingfu looked over, it barked a few times.

Wangcai was only a month old when it first came, but now it was much fatter. Plump and round, it was clearly a cute little dog.

Ruan Mingfu waved at it. “Wangcai, come here~”

It had been well-trained by the dog man, and besides the yard and the living room, it wouldn’t wander into other places, especially the kitchen, no matter how good the smell was.

Ruan Mingfu liked it even more.

She peeled an egg and placed it in front of Wangcai.

Wangcai’s eyes sparkled, and its tail wagged. After a glance at Ruan Mingfu, it began eating.

“Damn it, you’re feeding the dog?”

Gu Yilin stared longingly at the egg in Wangcai’s mouth.

After being stewed and soaked, the once white yolk was now covered with a light brown layer. On closer inspection, besides the spice aroma, there was also the rich scent of red tea.

She was extremely resentful.

Wangcai barked twice at Gu Yilin and ran off with the egg.

Ruan Mingfu: “…”

If she hadn’t been there, would her plastic friend have tried to steal the food from the dog?

Just then, Hu Wanning, accompanied by the chubby little boy, came around from the front yard and smiled when she saw the two of them. “I knew you’d be here.”

“Sister-in-law, why are you here?” Ruan Mingfu offered a small stool. “Sit down.”

Gu Yilin also said, “Sit down.”

The little boy, with eyes as big as black grapes, first looked at Ruan Mingfu, then at Gu Yilin, and pointed at her saying, “Sister.”

“That’s right, sister.”

Hu Wanning agreed, then lowered the boy’s hand.

“Don’t point at others, it’s impolite.”

The little boy nodded, somewhat understanding.

“Good boy,” Hu Wanning patted the boy’s head. “The small cabbage over there has grown again, so I brought some for you. Have you cooked the ones we picked last time? How did they turn out?”

“They were quite good.”

Ruan Mingfu recalled.

The cabbage was very tender, with no stalk membranes. It was simply stir-fried in lard with just a bit of salt and nothing else.

It was fresh and delicious, with a hint of sweetness.

“These seeds were brought from the capital,” Hu Wanning smiled and placed the cabbage she brought into the basin Ruan Mingfu had prepared. “If you like them, go and pick some. It’s been raining these days, and they’ve grown a lot. I can’t pick them all.”

This type of vegetable grows rapidly when watered.

After not checking for a few days, they could grow as thick as a tiger’s mouth.

But it has a unique trait: no matter how large it grows, it never becomes tough and remains tender.

“I also picked those large ones,” Hu Wanning pointed to two big ones nearby. “Stir-fry the leaves with other vegetables and save the stalks for your husband to stir-fry with meat. It’s incredibly fragrant.”

Gu Yilin was almost drooling.

“Then I won’t be polite with you, Sister-in-law.”

Ruan Mingfu really likes eating this kind of cabbage.

Hu Wanning sniffed, “What a nice smell! I could smell it as soon as I got here. What delicious food are you making?”

“It’s tea eggs.”

Ruan Mingfu used a big spoon to take out two from the pot.

She then saw Gu Yilin’s eager expression and, feeling a pang of sympathy, took another one from the pot.

“They were just made, so they should be simmered a bit longer,” Ruan Mingfu explained, “The flavor will be even better.”

Hu Wanning examined the egg in her hand.

The shell was still unpeeled, and the once white shell had turned a deeper brown color. With cracks all over it, Hu Wanning, an experienced cook, could tell it was tapped to enhance the flavor.

She leaned in and sniffed.

The shell still emitted the same aromatic smell as in the air.