RL (AT) Chapter 5: Cooking

Chapter 5: Cooking

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Sulo

 

“Sister-in-law, go eat dinner first. I’ll watch over here.”

“… That’s troubling you. “Sister-in-law Lin wiped away her tears, stood up, and nodded, before walking out of the kitchen.

Lin Mo stood there for a long time, then went to sit on the stool and looked at the fire heating the medicine can.

In the evening, Lin Mo lay on the bed, listening to the whispers outside the room until only silence was left. Lin Mo thought a lot, but when he thought of another place, what he thought before was covered. He thought for a whole night until there was a distant crow outside the house, and then he heard the crow in his yard.

Lin Mo blinked, entered the spiritual space, and drank spiritual water. After a night’s tiredness, Lin Mo soothed his tense nerves.

The tomato branches thrown in yesterday were still lying on the ground. Lin Mo squatted down and dug a few small pits to plant the vines. He held the spring water in his hand and watered them. Lin Mo squatted quietly and watched, and soon the branches sprouted at speed visible to the naked eye, and then they turned into green leaves.

Lin Mo, who had achieved his goal, no longer continued to observe. After leaving his spiritual space, he lay on the bed for a while and got up when he heard something moving outside.

Lin Mo opened the door and walked out of the room. He saw that it was only his sister-in-law. At this time, she was cooking medicine in the kitchen.

When sister-in-law Lin heard the noise, she saw that Lin Mo was the first to get up. She was surprised. “Mo’ger, you’re up?”

“Mn, how’s Brother?” Lin Mo scooped a bowl of water out of the barrel and went aside to brush his teeth.

“Your big brother woke up in the middle of the night last night. It doesn’t look so serious.” Sister-in-law Lin said happily. Sister-in-law Lin also stayed in the room yesterday to help. Naturally, she heard the doctor say how serious her husband’s condition was. He had a bloody hole in his stomach, and his head had been hit.

In general, it was impossible to save the injured. Since the accident happened, sister-in-law Lin stayed by the bed of Lin Cheng last night. She didn’t dare sleep. Fortunately, Lin Cheng only had a low fever and woke up once in the middle of the night.

After Lin Cheng woke up, sister-in-law Lin let out a breath of relief. Being able to wake up showed that he was out of danger. After that, as long as he took good care of his injuries, there would be no big problems.

Lin Mo nodded and said nothing more. After brushing his teeth quickly, he washed his face and went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

“Do you want to make breakfast? I’ll do it.” Looking at Lin Mo’s posture, sister-in-law Lin wiped her hands and stood up. Because of the particularity of his body, Lin Mo couldn’t do much, so he hadn’t done much cooking.

Although Lin Mo’s health had improved a little in recent days, they all knew that the improvement wouldn’t last long, so sister-in-law Lin didn’t want Lin Mo to make breakfast.

“No, I can cook.” Lin Mo shook his head and refused, then started to prepare the materials. Last night’s dinner was made by him, so Lin Mo knew where things were.

Considering that there were two three-year-old children and a patient at home, Lin Mo was going to cook a pot of porridge. There was a bag of rice and a slab of bacon hanging beside it.

“A-Chen, come to help make a fire after brushing your teeth.” Lin Mo heard footsteps and glanced to his side to see Lin Chen.

“Alright, Fourth Brother. Are you making breakfast?” Lin Chen doubted.

“Mn, why did you get up so early?” Lin Mo asked as he took out all the materials.

It was important to know that, in normal times, people would get up one hour after the rooster crowed. After all, a rural chicken crowed early, and sister-in-law Lin got up to cook medicine. Needless to say, Lin Chen, a ten-year-old child, usually would not get up at this time.

Lin Chen was a little embarrassed. “I couldn’t sleep. I got up when I heard the voice of Fourth Brother and elder sister-in-law in the room.” 

Lin Mo nodded and stopped talking. He lowered his head and continued to process the materials. Lin Mo washed the rice and put it in the ceramic pot. He filled the pot with water and put in a drop of his spiritual spring water quietly. The speed was so fast that people wouldn’t notice Lin Mo’s action.

Lin Chen saw Fourth Brother had put the water on. After brushing his teeth and washing his face quickly, he went into the kitchen and started the fire.

Lin Mo quickly kneaded dough while the porridge was still cooking, covered the basin with the noodles in it, and went out of the kitchen to pick some vegetables. After going back, he saw that Lin Xing also woke up and gave him the items to wash. He went back to the kitchen to prepare the bacon, washing it, and cutting it into diced meat.

“A-Chen, lift the lid of the pot and stir the porridge. Don’t let it stick to the pot.” Lin Mo reminded his brother as he packed a bun with meat.

“Ah? Alright, Fourth Brother. “Lin Chen snapped out of his daze after watching his Fourth Brother’s quick and skillful action and answered quickly. Lin Chen asked as he stirred the porridge in the pot, “Fourth… Fourth Brother, what are you doing?” 

Lin Chen looked at his Fourth Brother as he made a bun. Although these buns were much smaller than what he was used to eating, they were still made by Lin Mo’s hand.

“Making food.”

Lin Chen: “…”

Of course, Lin Chen knew that Fourth Brother was making food, but he wanted to ask what he was doing. But seeing Fourth Brother bowing his head and making breakfast without any expression, Lin Chen shut up.

Lin Chen felt that his Fourth Brother had changed a lot recently. Although he talked less, he didn’t like to laugh, and he was expressionless all day.

“A-Chen, watch at the fire.” Lin Mo ignored the doubts in Lin Chen’s eyes and reminded him.

“Ah? Oh, I see.” Lin Chen returned to his task and squatted down to put firewood in the stove. He soon threw his doubts behind his head.

Lin Mo was making a small steamed bun, so there were a lot of them, but it was just enough for a large family to eat. The stuffing in the bun was only diced bacon. After wrapping, it was put into a clean bamboo steamer. After putting it in the pot, Lin Xing washed the dishes.

“A-Xing, come here and light the fire. Remember to watch the fire.”

Lin Mo saw that the white porridge was boiling and bubbling, and the rice grains were also a little soft after scooping it up. Because a few drops of spiritual water were added, the sweet smell of the rice porridge was completely volatilized, and the smell also made Lin Mo’s stomach more uncomfortable.

“Stop putting in the firewood and change it into a small fire.”

Lin Mo told Lin Chen to go out of the kitchen to deal with the dirty dishes. There were three people in the kitchen, so it was a little crowded. Lin Mo could only cut vegetables outside.

If the green vegetables were older, it was not too late to fry them. Lin Mo cleaned two pieces of yesterday’s hot peppers, took out the washed cucumbers in the vegetable basket, patted them, and cut them into pieces. He sprinkled salt in the big basin and put them into the chopped hot peppers, stirred it, and covered it with another big basin.

Maybe the smell from the kitchen was too tempting, so other people who were asleep began to wake up. Mama Lin took her awakened granddaughter out of the room, and the smell was stronger when the door was opened.

Mama Lin thought that her eldest daughter-in-law was making breakfast. After waiting on her granddaughter to brush her teeth and wash her face, she went into her little son’s room and brought her grandson out.

After everyone had washed and rinsed, the white porridge was ready. It wouldn’t take long for the buns to be cooked over the fire. Lin Mo sauteed the vegetables and brought them out.

He said to sister-in-law Lin, “When Big brother wakes up, ask him to drink the porridge before he takes his medicine.” Lin Mo scooped out a bowl of porridge and put it on the table to cool. 

Sister-in-law Lin nodded and brought the white porridge into the room. Lin Mo left her a share of the white porridge and steamed bun, and sprinkled some onion on the white porridge.

“Mo’ger, did you make this?” At this time, Mama Lin also saw who made the meal, but she didn’t believe it and asked.

“These are all made by Fourth Brother, who got up early in the morning.” Lin Chen first took a small bun and mumbled as he ate it.

“But, how can Mo’ger do this…” Was he well enough to do this? Mama Lin wanted to stop him.

“Mn, eat yours. He is smart enough to do this. What’s wrong?” Father Lin took a pair of chopsticks and knocked on Mama Lin’s bowl. He was not happy.

“Delicious! Fourth Brother is the best!” Lin Xing chewed a bun and gave a thumbs up.

“Fourth Uncle! Uncle, bun! Xiaoya wants a bun.” Lin Xiaoya grabbed the edge of the bowl and pushed it to Lin Mo, who was sitting aside.

“He made it. It’s my fault. Mo’ger is the cleverest.”

With his family’s love for him, Lin Mo was relieved.

Maybe it was because Lin Cheng had woken up and passed the dangerous period. The atmosphere at home was no longer as gloomy as last night, and Lin Mo showed a rare faint smile.

The incident of Lin Cheng’s injury in the mountain spread all over Daling Village in the early morning, and everyone talked about it. After all, many people saw Lin Cheng’s back covered in blood yesterday.

When Mama Lin went out to wash clothes, other people who were washing clothes on the other side of the river asked her about Lin Cheng’s current situation. Mama Lin only smiled at their concern, said a few words, and continued to chat about other things while washing clothes.

The Lin family was a migrant to Daling Village. Lin Mo’s grandfather and his wife came to Daling Village to settle down. The former merchants and Daling Village had no strict restrictions on migrants, so they bought more than 30 mu of land immediately after settling down.

Fortunately, as a daughter-in-law, Mama Lin could only give birth to six children in succession over the years. Lin Cheng, the eldest son, married his wife and had a pair of twins.

Lin Xiu, the second son, passed the rural examination two months ago. He would go to the city for an examination next spring, which was one of the reasons why the Lin family was popular in Daling Village. Lin Lan, the third child, a daughter, married into a large family in the town the year before last. Their family and Father Lin had a great friendship in the business world. The two families were also determined to strengthen their ties with marriage. Fortunately, they both saw each other as equals. Lin Mo, the fourth son, had been weak since childhood. He was ill all year round, and half of their family’s savings were spent on buying medicine for Lin Mo. Lin Xing, the fifth son, and Lin Chen, the sixth son, were twins.

Although Grandfather Lin had only one son, fortunately, he had six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren in the Lin family, all of whom were well behaved, which made them a prosperous family.