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Chapter 6 – Showing Off Her Cooking Skills

“Unlike you!” Xu Jingchu wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Other than shopping, you spent the whole morning watching TV. You really do treat this place like it’s your own home.”

“No—that’s not right. This place is much better than your home.” Xu Jingchu added deliberately.

“You—!” Qin Yajuan was so furious she was speechless.

Coming downstairs, Lin Tingjun happened to overhear Xu Jingchu’s sarcastic jab at Qin Yajuan. So, this so-called “younger sister” not only harbored improper thoughts about him but also had a terrible character, speaking so harshly to a companion who came from the countryside with her.

And she still dreamed of marrying him? Maybe in her next life.

What mattered most was that, this morning, he’d heard from Tingyu that his ** had been found in the rooms of the two new girls. The thought of a girl touching his ** made Lin Tingjun’s skin crawl. He had tossed the thing straight into the trash.

As for who had taken it… Lin Tingjun didn’t need to ask. He already knew.

“Lin Tingyu.” His tone was sharp. “Did you get food from the canteen yet?”

“No, bro, I’ll go right now.” Always quick to read the room, Lin Tingyu immediately noticed his brother’s bad mood. Calling him by his full name? That meant trouble. Probably he’d been stuck on a math problem all morning, brooding over it.

But even if his brother was moody, Lin Tingyu never picked fights with him. Why would he? Whenever he was about to be beaten, his brother would speak up for him, and he was always slipping him little benefits.

“Tingyu, I’ll go with you. It’s too much for one person—four portions of rice, soup, and dishes.” Xu Jingchu put down her work.

“Thanks, Sister Jingchu.”

When they brought the food back, Lin Tingyu carried his brother’s share upstairs. He and Xu Jingchu ate together with Qin Yajuan. Afterward, Qin Yajuan wiped her mouth and was about to flop onto the sofa to watch TV again.

“Qin Yajuan, get back here!” Xu Jingchu snapped. This girl really didn’t treat herself like a guest.

“This morning I washed your bowl for you. At lunch, Tingyu and I fetched the food. Your bowl—you wash it yourself.”

“Oh, so it’s fine to wash dishes for the Lin family, but you can’t wash mine? Xu Jingchu, if you’re going to pretend, at least make it convincing! Your face is written all over with bootlicking. Afraid people can’t see right through your scheming heart!” Qin Yajuan stood, hands on hips, pointing at Xu Jingchu’s nose.

“I’m not bootlicking. I just won’t be like someone—living in another person’s home, eating and drinking, doing nothing but watching TV.” Xu Jingchu replied, righteous and unafraid.

“I didn’t eat your food, didn’t drink your water, and I’m not living under your roof. Why should I serve you? What are you, some capitalist’s pampered daughter?”

Although the Reform and Opening had begun, words like “capitalist” and “pampered daughter” were still sensitive—especially inside the military compound.

“What did you just say!” Qin Yajuan’s expression instantly changed. “Xu Jingchu, don’t you dare slander me!”

“Not working, just eating and watching TV—if that’s not a capitalist’s pampered daughter, then what is?” Xu Jingchu shot back without fear. “If you think I’m slandering you, I can shout louder, let all the neighbors judge for themselves.”

Qin Yajuan opened her mouth but couldn’t answer. She was in the wrong, and she couldn’t afford to let anyone else know.

“Fine, I’ll wash them.” She muttered. Luckily it was just canteen food—a few lunch boxes and chopsticks, nothing complicated.

With someone else washing dishes, Xu Jingchu happily went upstairs for a nap. Last night, she’d kept half awake, waiting for the right moment to sneak a man’s ** into someone’s **, so she hadn’t rested well.

After a meal, in the drowsy heat of a summer afternoon, it was the perfect time to sleep.

…

“Tingjun, you’re downstairs!” Qin Yajuan greeted warmly. Last night, she had reflected on herself. Since she’d been reborn, she had nothing to do with Lin Tingjun anymore—her mindset had to change.

Always being awkward around him would only draw suspicion and hinder her plans. Better to act warm and friendly.

“Mm.” Lin Tingjun noticed Qin Yajuan washing dishes. Inwardly, he marked another tally against Xu Jingchu—lazy, even unwilling to wash a few lunch boxes.

Xu Jingchu woke refreshed at three in the afternoon. A bit early for cooking, so with Qin Yajuan out, she seized the chance to study.

Chinese wasn’t too bad—reading, memorizing, and reciting could build a foundation. Math, though, was a disaster. Across two lifetimes, Xu Jingchu had only finished elementary school.

Zhang Guifen hadn’t allowed her to attend middle school, saying it was a waste of money. If she wanted to take the college entrance exam, Xu Jingchu knew she had a long road ahead.

She studied a couple of concepts, then judged it about time and went downstairs to cook. Today would be the first meal she made at the Lin household. She had to prove her skills so the Lins would agree to her conditions.

Sweet-and-sour ribs, braised tofu with scallions, shredded chicken in garlic sauce, stir-fried potato strips, pan-fried flatbreads, and hot-and-sour soup.

“Where’s that smell coming from? Old Hao’s family next door cooking something good again?” Lin Jianbai came home from work and immediately sniffed the air. Since Zhang Qiuyun didn’t cook, he thought it was wafting in from the neighbors.

“Come on, old Lin, don’t be jealous. I’ll go fetch food from the canteen.” Zhang Qiuyun had just gotten home too. She entered the kitchen with lunch boxes—only to find the door shut.

“Aunt Zhang, you’re back. Wash your hands, it’s almost time to eat.” Xu Jingchu was already cleaning up the kitchen.

“Jingchu, you made all this?” Zhang Qiuyun’s jaw nearly dropped. Sweet-and-sour ribs were the kind of dish you’d only find at a state-owned restaurant, never in the canteen.

“Yes, Aunt Zhang. Tingyu told me you usually get canteen food, so I thought instead of sitting idle, I’d buy some ingredients and cook.” Xu Jingchu carried out a platter.

Lin Jianbai, sitting with a newspaper, couldn’t resist the growing aroma. Following it, he realized—it was coming from his own kitchen!

While setting bowls and chopsticks, Zhang Qiuyun explained, “Jingchu cooked dinner.”

“Jingchu, you can cook too?” Lin Jianbai asked in surprise.

“Uncle Lin, back in the countryside I cooked every day. Just ordinary home dishes, nothing fancy. Please make do with it.” Xu Jingchu brought out the soup.

“Sweet-and-sour ribs are just ordinary?” Lin Jianbai teased.

“I learned this one from a restaurant chef in town.” Xu Jingchu had already prepared her excuse—no loopholes allowed.

“Go call those two brats for dinner.” Lin Jianbai rubbed his hands in anticipation. “Today we’ll really eat well for once.”

“And call Yajuan too.” Xu Jingchu reminded. Qin Yajuan had returned earlier, hiding in her room to avoid looking lazy when the adults came home. She’d gone out to familiarize herself with the neighborhood and decided to let Xu Jingchu play nanny if she wanted. Soon enough she’d be gone anyway, maybe in a month. After that, she’d soar to success, never needing to beg anyone again.

When all the kids came down, Lin Jianbai gathered them. “Come on, today’s the first proper meal we’ve had since Jingchu and Yajuan came. And look—such a feast! It’s like New Year’s.”

Seeing how Lin Tingyu and Zhang Qiuyun nodded along without suspicion only made Lin Tingjun more cautious.

Xu Jingchu—this woman was too calculating. She was using cooking to win over his parents, trying to prove herself a model wife.

Did she think proving she was a good wife could erase what she did this morning? That it meant she could marry him? Dream on.

She’d learned the trick of “besieging Wei to rescue Zhao” far too well.

Plenty of women chased him, but one as beautiful and scheming as Xu Jingchu—a true femme fatale—he had never met before.

And his family seemed half won over already, in just one day. Terrifying. Such a woman—better not just refuse to marry her, but avoid her entirely. Lin Tingjun resolved to remain the family’s last line of defense.

“Jingchu, Yajuan, did you both buy things for yourselves today?” Zhang Qiuyun asked, curious how they were settling in.

“Yes, Aunt Zhang. I bought new clothes—I’m wearing them now. I noticed no one in the compound wears patched clothes. I didn’t want to embarrass you.” Qin Yajuan answered quickly, proving she hadn’t wasted money, while subtly pointing out someone else’s patched outfit.

“Mhm, young girls like to dress nicely at that age. That’s exactly why I gave you money—to buy a few nice things.”

Hearing this, Qin Yajuan was pleased. After two lifetimes, she could easily read Zhang Qiuyun’s mind.

“What about you, Jingchu?” Zhang Qiuyun asked.

Stuffing himself with food, Lin Tingyu spoke up, “Sister Jingchu bought grain, vegetables, and meat—used her own ration tickets. You’ll have to reimburse her.”

“Of course, of course.” Zhang Qiuyun immediately agreed. She would have done so even without the reminder. They had plenty of ration tickets, but Xu Jingchu, coming from the countryside, must treasure hers dearly—probably given by her parents for security.

“Jingchu, I’ll give you back the tickets and money later. We’re already lucky to enjoy your cooking. How could we take advantage of you?” Zhang Qiuyun’s attitude toward her was night-and-day compared to yesterday.

At that, Xu Jingchu seized the moment. “Uncle Lin, Aunt Zhang. Since I’m living here and have free time, why don’t I cook dinner every night? Then we won’t need canteen food.”

“Jingchu, Uncle loves your cooking, but I’d hate to wear you out.” Lin Jianbai longed for home-cooked meals, but with his wife so busy, he never demanded it.

“It’s no trouble, Uncle. What do you think, Aunt Zhang?” Xu Jingchu asked.

“That would be wonderful! I’ll give you the money and ration tickets later—you can manage it.”

“Alright, Aunt Zhang. I’ll keep detailed accounts. You can check the ledger anytime.” Xu Jingchu didn’t want to give Qin Yajuan the chance to accuse her of pocketing anything.

“Aunt Zhang, I do have one more request…” Xu Jingchu began.

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