Chapter 12.2

The entire meal took more than two hours to prepare, and Pei Zheng and Shen Jiming had returned from their run without Lu Nong realizing it.

Exhausted from exercising, the two were already hungry. The enticing aromas wafting from the kitchen made their mouths water.

They found themselves hovering around the kitchen door, watching as Lu Nong sampled a piece of braised pork, wishing they could replace her and get a taste.

Lu Nong was also being playful, knowing the two were craving meat. She deliberately took another piece, slowly putting it into her mouth and chewing exaggeratedly.

Pei Zheng: “…”

Shen Jiming: “…”

Pei Zheng took a deep breath. He knew he couldn’t offend Lu Nong at this moment. If he did, there might be no food for him. After all, Aunt Wu was on her side. (Since he knew Lu Nong’s age, he couldn’t even say the word “stepmother” to tease her.)

So, he elbowed Shen Jiming sharply, shooting him a fierce look that said it was all his fault for making her angry.

Shen Jiming: “…” He hadn’t expected Aunt Wu’s cooking to be so delicious. He had underestimated it.

Once all the dishes were ready, Lu Nong finally acknowledged (ordered) the two. She instructed one to bring the dishes to the table and the other to go upstairs to call Pei Ji’an and Gu Huai, along with Xiao Zhou, who was still busy with the bed and study desk.

Indeed, the bookshelf and desk Lu Nong had requested were finally finished.

Originally, after measuring the dimensions, she could have bought ready-made bookshelves and desks. However, Lu Nong had a specific request for a simple, IKEA-style desk with solid wood and only four legs, without any drawers. This request took a bit longer to fulfill.

Once everyone gathered around, Aunt Wu initially didn’t want to sit at the table, but Lu Nong forcibly pulled her to sit beside her.

Besides Lu Nong and Aunt Wu, everyone else was stunned when they saw the dishes on the table.

There were four dishes, a soup, and a dessert, all carefully arranged and beautifully presented. The plates were stunningly attractive, free from any drips of sauce or broth, showcasing their exquisite nature.

Not to mention the mouthwatering aromas wafting through the air, which made it impossible for them to resist swallowing.

Was this food? Was this something they could eat?

Pei Zheng had always lived a decent life. Occasionally, he would eat at state-run restaurants with his grandparents. However, compared to Aunt Wu’s dishes, which were like works of art, his past meals seemed lackluster.

But seeing that Lu Nong and Aunt Wu looked normal… Pei Zheng fell into deep thought. His stepmother, bah, Lu Nong, seemed to be really something.

After pondering this, Pei Zheng wrapped his arms around Xiao Huai, eagerly glancing at his father, Pei Ji’an, waiting for him to declare it was time to eat.

It smelled too good. It wasn’t just Pei Zheng, Shen Jiming and Xiao Zhou also subconsciously turned to look at Pei Ji’an.

Pei Ji’an twitched his lips and said, “Let’s eat.”

With his command, everyone dived into their meals, ignoring the pretense of politeness because the food smelled so delicious that they had no time to talk.

Pei Zheng picked up a piece of braised pork and some rice, mixing them together before popping it into his mouth.

Why did the rice taste better than usual?

If Lu Nong knew what was on his mind, she would have said, “Of course, adding some glutinous rice to the regular rice makes it much softer and more delicious.”

Lu Nong picked up a pear ball and some sweet and sour cherry meat, placing them in Xiao Gu Huai’s bowl. Unlike everyone else, Xiao Gu Huai had a special meal made just for him by Aunt Wu—an omelet rice, with fried rice wrapped in an egg pancake and drizzled with sesame.

Pei Zheng, this shameless man, actually secretly took a bite of his brother’s food. After finishing it, he looked at Aunt Wu with shining eyes, and no one knew what he was up to.

“Don’t worry, there’s more in the pot, plenty of meat and rice,” Aunt Wu said, pleased that everyone enjoyed her cooking. Even Pei Zheng and Shen Jiming, who usually didn’t show much enthusiasm, seemed more agreeable.

Seeing this, Pei Zheng quickly chimed in, giving a thumbs-up as he exclaimed, “Aunt Wu, your cooking is amazing! Can you make this again tomorrow?”

“Of course, why not?” Aunt Wu replied, her smile wide.

Satisfied, Pei Zheng resumed eating happily.

After the meal, everyone was full and content, even the little ones, who rubbed their bellies in delight.

Aunt Wu stood up and went to the kitchen, bringing out a pot of digestion tea made with dried tangerine peel and malt and pouring a cup for everyone.

This meal firmly established Aunt Wu’s irreplaceable position in the Pei family.

That evening, everyone returned to their homes.

Pei Ji’an went to his study, while Lu Nong finished washing up and, eager to do her daily skincare routine, excitedly took out the carved box she had brought from Li Garden. She rummaged through her makeup box for the bankbook Pei Ji’an had given her, her previous savings, and the jade jewelry gifted by her aunt, laying them all out on the bed.

Lu Nong took a deep breath, ah~ this is the fragrance of money.

Hehe, she currently has quite a lot of wealth and property.

She has twenty small yellow croakers, a set of jade jewelry, and two pieces of fine warm jade.

In terms of cash: she had a total of three hundred and fifty dollars from her deceased husband’s pension and her original owner’s savings, her current husband provided five thousand three for household expenses, her cousins gifted her three thousand, she made eight hundred from selling her job. and she received sixty-seven dollars and fifty cents for her salary.

Today, she spent thirty-five yuan from her original owner’s change on groceries and meat, along with various other supplies.

Adding it all up, she had a total of nine thousand four hundred and eighty-two dollars and fifty cents, rounding it to a neat ten thousand!

She became a millionaire in the 1960s.

Lu Nong laughed so hard that her mouth couldn’t close, and she rolled around on the bed.

Pei Ji’an: “…”

Noticing the gaze from the doorway, Lu Nong quickly got up, clutching her pile of belongings to her chest, watching Pei Ji’an warily, as if to say, “All of this is mine, don’t even think about touching my money!”

Pei Ji’an didn’t seem interested in her wealth. Instead, he was surprised that his little wife came from such an impressive background. The pile of gold bars alone was something not everyone could possess.

He was relieved she had married him. Otherwise, possessing such treasure might attract misfortune.

“Put it away. It’s best not to take it out again,” Pei Ji’an advised softly.

Like a hamster, Lu Nong slowly packed everything back into the box, leaving only the bankbook Pei Ji’an had given her and some loose change.

The change was her salary, and the bankbook was clearly intended for household expenses, so she couldn’t treat it as her own. As for the pension from Gu Weiguo, that was meant for Xiao Gu Huai as a sentimental token, she wouldn’t touch that.

Once the box was closed, it locked instantly, ensuring that no one but Lu Nong could open it again.

To prevent Pei Ji’an from coveting her wealth, Lu Nong planned to sleep with the box in her arms that night.

After applying various skincare products, Lu Nong indeed snuggled up with the box when she went to bed, facing away from Pei Ji’an, and fell asleep peacefully within ten minutes.

Meanwhile, the wooden box she had held tightly before bed had already slipped to the floor.

Pei Ji’an: “…”

In the middle of the night, Pei Ji’an glanced at the woman who was snuggling against him, sighing as he pulled down her shirt, exposing her collarbone. In the midst of it, he inadvertently touched a soft spot, causing a jolt.

However, once he let go, the woman became restless again.

Pei Ji’an had no choice but to use both hands to secure her, pulling her into his arms, which finally calmed her down.