Chapter 31: Rum-Filled Chocolates

Chapter 31: Rum-Filled Chocolates

Walking into Lin Jinrui's room again, Cheng Miao took a careful look around, finally stopping at the small stove.

Lin Jinrui hadn't come back last night, and the stove was cold, the herbal residue on top already dried out. It looked like no medicine had been brewed in two days.

Cheng Miao was puzzled—why would she suddenly stop taking the medicine? "Does your mother take medicine regularly?"

"Yeah." Lin Jinrui nodded. She had been drinking it since elementary school, and it had never stopped all these years.

Cheng Miao pondered—could she really be pregnant? Someone who'd been taking medicine to get pregnant suddenly stopping—either she was pregnant, or she'd given up trying.

So which was it for Ding Cuicui?

One question after another was making Cheng Miao restless. He thought for a moment, then said to Lin Jinrui seriously, "From today on, you have to tell me everything that happens, big or small. Got it?"

Lin Jinrui was a little confused, but seeing how serious Cheng Miao looked, she nodded anyway.

At noon, the three of them went back to Cheng Miao's place for lunch. Mother Cheng still had leftover meat from yesterday, so she threw together a simple stew with the meatballs and crispy fried pork to get through lunch.

Then she started on the braised pork and roasted pork. The meat that had been marinated yesterday was sliced into half-centimeter-thick pieces.

She poured a little sesame oil into the pot and fried the meat until the surface turned golden and crispy. She took a portion out—that was the roasted pork.

Then she poured in most of a bottle of fermented bean curd juice. The bright red liquid immediately stained the meat slices. She covered the pot, let it simmer for a bit, then took the meat out and arranged both kinds in separate small bowls.

Finally, she added some meat broth and steamed them. While that was steaming, Mother Cheng cut some potatoes into chunks and deep-fried them until golden and crispy on the outside, then fished them out.

After that, she grabbed a big piece of tofu, sliced it thin, and fried it until golden. Then she cut it into diamond shapes and put it in the freezer—that was the frozen tofu Lu Yu had eaten when he first got there.

She evenly sprinkled the fried potatoes and tofu into each small bowl. At this point, the meat prep was finally done.

In the afternoon, Cheng Miao looked at the small bowls neatly stacked in the outer room. Every year around New Year's, that full sense of happiness came from meat.

Lin Jinrui went home early. Mother Cheng gave her a bowl of each meat to take home for her parents to try.

That evening, the four of them steamed four small ceramic bowls and happily enjoyed dinner.

Cheng Miao's steamed bun had a hole poked in the middle, stuffed with a piece of dark-red lean meat. He dipped the bun in the fermented bean curd juice from his bowl.

One bite—the savory meat juices paired with the wheaty bun, plus the unique flavor of fermented bean curd—and Cheng Miao swallowed with satisfaction.

Father Cheng, meanwhile, picked up a piece of roasted pork with his chopsticks. He preferred the fatty parts—one bite, rich but not greasy, tender and silky.

"Is that little Lin girl not here today?" he asked, glancing around the table while eating.

"She went home!" said Mother Cheng.

"I ran into Lin Shun today," Father Cheng added. "He was in a hurry, saying he was rushing back for the New Year."

Cheng Miao was taken aback. Lin Shun was back—which meant Lin Jinrui might not be able to come over to do homework anymore.

Sure enough, the next morning around nine, Lin Jinrui still hadn't shown up. Just as Cheng Miao was about to head to her house, Lin Jinrui came running over with four empty bowls.

Out of breath, she said, "Sorry, my dad's back." She took a deep breath. "I said I had to return the bowls to get out. I've gotta go back and make lunch soon."

Lin Jinrui lowered her head and said quietly, "My mom's having a baby. I have to take care of her."

Cheng Miao was startled. So she really was pregnant. And in that case, it really might not be Lin Shun's child.

"I can't come over to do homework anymore," Lin Jinrui said. At that moment, her heart felt empty. She didn't know if her parents would still want her, or if she'd even get to go to school once the baby was born.

Last night, she'd overheard her parents talking. Her mother was pregnant, and her father was thrilled.

He said he wanted to take her mother to the hospital for a check-up, and that they needed to get more stuff for the house. Her mother complained that there'd be more expenses once the baby came.

The two of them had whispered and talked for a long time.

Lin Jinrui left the bowls dejectedly and was about to head home. Cheng Miao felt helpless—he didn't know how to help her. He might be able to save her, but there wasn't much else he could do.

Cheng Miao paused, then asked, "What time are you free each day?"

Lin Jinrui thought for a moment. "Around one in the afternoon." That was when her parents would be napping.

"Then every day at one-thirty, Lu Yu and I'll wait for you at your door and bring you something good to eat."

Cheng Miao comforted her again, "Don't be scared. We're friends, right? No matter what happens, we've got your back."

Lin Jinrui nodded and forced a faint smile.

After the twenty-fifth of the twelfth lunar month, a new kind of busyness set in. Most people no longer had to work, but they still couldn't rest—they had to clean the house, prepare New Year's dishes, go to the county for new clothes, and stock up on New Year's goods.

Father and Mother Cheng were busiest before the New Year. Their vegetable business was booming around this time.

In winter, people usually ate cabbage and potatoes, but for the New Year, they couldn't skimp—there had to be some fresh vegetables on the table.

So for these two days, Father and Mother Cheng left early and came back late, not getting home until three or four in the afternoon.

In past years, Cheng Miao would go to his grandfather's house, but this year he flat-out refused, and with Lu Yu keeping him company, Mother Cheng let him be.

Since Lin Jinrui stopped coming over in the mornings to do homework, Cheng Miao slept in every day, waking up around ten.

He'd have brunch, clean up a bit, and around noon grab some snacks to go see Lin Jinrui.

Every day was full. When Mother Cheng had free time in the afternoon, she'd browse the vegetable market. The New Year's supplies were fully stocked—peanuts, melon seeds, and candy. Cheng Miao had been eating them for three days straight and was already getting a bit overheated.

Before heading out, he stuffed a big handful into his pocket and handed them to Lin Jinrui. She couldn't hold them all with both hands, so she hurriedly stuffed them into her pockets. "Cheng Miao, you're taking so much food—won't your mom scold you?"

Cheng Miao shook his head. "It's fine. My mom's been busy lately. She won't even notice."

He had no idea that with all his snacking over the past few days, the candy was already half gone. If Ms. Ma Lianhua took one look, a beating would be guaranteed.

Cheng Miao pointed at the candy in Lin Jinrui's hand and picked out one with pink wrapping. "Try this chocolate—it's really good. Let me show you how to eat it."

With that, Cheng Miao pulled two rum-filled chocolates out of his pocket and handed one to Lu Yu.

Sweet chocolate filled with a hint of light liquor—the packaging was rough and the chocolate wasn't rich enough, but the combo was a favorite among kids.