Chapter 39: Salt or Sugar?

He curled his lips into a smile and lifted the lid of the jar, only to frown and chuckle to himself. It seemed he had truly overestimated his little wife’s culinary prowess.

What she had handed him was clearly salt.

Leng Mohan reached out, gently flicked her little nose, and held the jar out for her to see. "Do you see what you brought me?"

Lin Yan blinked her large eyes, her voice wavering with uncertainty. "..."

"Well?" Leng Mohan moved the jar closer, urging her to take a good look.

Lin Yan stuck out her tongue, even less confident than before. "Is it... salt?"

Leng Mohan finally laughed out loud. He took the jar of salt away to exchange it himself. When he returned to the stove, he found Lin Yan leaning over the heat, asking, "Is that sweet and sour spare ribs in the pot? It smells really good."

"You recognize it well enough once it's cooked," Leng Mohan said with a light chuckle.

He added the seasoning, reduced the sauce, and plated the dish. A plate of fragrant, sweet and sour spare ribs was ready.

On the other side, the water began to boil. He skillfully added the noodles, stirred them a few times with chopsticks, and covered the pot to cook.

Once the noodles were done, he ladled the previously sautéed tomato and egg sauce over them, and two steaming bowls of tomato and egg noodles were served.

The two sat at opposite ends of the dining table. Lin Yan looked at the ribs and the noodles before her, her face glowing with such vivid delight that Leng Mohan felt his heart skip a beat.

She looked up at him, and her smile suddenly vanished. She grew flustered; while he was cooking, it hadn't felt like much, but now, sitting across from each other, she suddenly remembered that they were no longer the "big brother" and "little sister" they once were. He was now her husband, and she was his wife.

"Um, I really didn't expect you to have learned how to cook," Lin Yan said, feeling awkward. "As a wife, I feel truly ashamed."

Leng Mohan seemed to sense her discomfort. He reined in the momentary flutter of his heart and said calmly, "I know how to do many things you wouldn't expect."

He picked up his bowl first and said, "Alright, let's eat."

"Mhm." Lin Yan nodded. She had just lifted a strand of noodles when the electronic lock at the door beeped, and Ye Ye swept in like a whirlwind.

"Brother Mohan! Brother Mohan! I heard you were back from your business trip!" She rattled off like a machine gun, heading straight for him the moment she entered, her eyes brimming with joy.

Seeing the noodles and ribs on the table, she frowned. "Oh, Brother Mohan, you just got back from a trip—how can you eat these things?"

As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves, seemingly intent on clearing the bowls and plates from the table.

"You know, when you need high vitamin intake, you shouldn't be eating things that are too sweet or rich."

"Sister Lin Yan, you should learn some nutrition from me in the future. Otherwise, you won't know what to cook for Brother Mohan every day. We'll let it slide for today, but I'll cook something for him instead. Sister Lin Yan, is there any broccoli in the fridge?"

She had been talking non-stop since she entered, leaving Lin Yan and Leng Mohan almost no chance to interject.

When she asked her question, she finally paused. Lin Yan replied blankly, "I don't think there is any. It’s been a week; I should have gone grocery shopping. The fridge seems to be empty."

"Ah?" As soon as Lin Yan finished speaking, Ye Ye stopped what she was doing, her brow furrowing even deeper. "Oh dear, how can the fridge be empty? Why don't you go down to the supermarket downstairs and buy some groceries? I'll check to see what ingredients we can prepare in the meantime."