Chapter 75: Mengqiu, Come Over and Greet Your Martial Uncle!

When Lin Ming returned after his phone call, Chen Shian was already washing the pots. All the used condiments, jars, dishes, and bowls had been neatly arranged, the oil stains on the stove wiped clean, and the countertop now displayed four dishes and a pot of soup. Lin Mengqiu, seemingly famished, was taking bowls out of the sterilizer to serve rice.

Lin Ming paused, a little dazed.

“Shian, you’ve already finished the shredded pork with green peppers and the fried eggs with whitebait?”

“Yes, I saw Uncle Lin was busy on the phone, so I made them first. Now that you’re done…”

“Time to eat,” Lin Mengqiu said, casting her father a slightly reproachful glance before carrying out the dishes.

“You’re making me feel embarrassed!” Lin Ming chuckled sheepishly. “Director Chen’s calls are always so long-winded. I thought I’d do it when I got back, but I didn’t expect you to take care of it. Go eat, Shian, just leave the pot for me to wash!”

“It’s nothing, Uncle Lin. Didn’t you tell me to make myself at home? It’s just a small thing, I’m happy to help.” Chen Shian placed the cleaned pot back on the stove and hung up his apron.

When he tried to help carry out the dishes, Lin Ming wouldn’t hear of it. Smiling warmly, he patted the young man’s shoulder, ushered him to the table, and poured him a drink.

Although Lin Mengqiu couldn’t cook, she was quick to help with serving the food and rice. The rice was ready, and she carried out the four dishes from the kitchen. When she reached for the steaming soup, her father took over, telling her to go eat as well.

Normally, with just the two of them, they didn’t need a big round table—just an ordinary six-seater rectangular table. For convenience, the dishes were placed in the middle, slightly off to one side. Chen Shian and Lin Mengqiu sat opposite each other, while Lin Ming sat at the side, with the young Daoist on his left and his beloved daughter on his right.

“Shian, your cooking looks wonderful! The shredded pork and the whitebait omelet smell amazing!”

Lin Ming eyed the two dishes Chen Shian had made. Judging by their appearance and aroma, he felt his own years of cooking experience paled in comparison to this young man.

“Let’s all dig in!” Lin Ming called out, and the three of them picked up their chopsticks.

Chen Shian reached for the five-spice ribs.

Father and daughter both went for the shredded pork with green peppers at the same time.

The expression that had been on Lin Mengqiu’s face now appeared on Lin Ming’s.

The moment he tasted the shredded pork, Lin Ming’s eyes lit up. Paired with a mouthful of white rice, he nodded repeatedly.

“It’s always the simplest dishes that show true skill! Shian, this is the best shredded pork with green peppers I’ve ever had, not exaggerating!”

Lin Ming was no food critic and didn’t know how to put the feeling into words—everything was just so perfectly balanced. The ingredients’ qualities and flavors were brought out flawlessly, as if every seasoning, every stir, every second on the fire had been carefully calculated and controlled.

Culinary arts are a path of their own. Chen Shian understood both cooking and tasting, and with his heightened senses, hardly anyone could surpass him in making even the simplest ingredients shine.

“You flatter me, Uncle Lin. Your five-spice ribs and chopped chili fish head are excellent, too.”

“Haha, compared to you I’m far behind, but those two are my specialties—Mengqiu loves them.”

Yet the picky young lady, who usually adored the ribs and fish head, hadn’t touched either, alternating only between the shredded pork and the whitebait omelet.

At home, Lin Mengqiu was naturally at ease, though she didn’t join in the men’s conversation, quietly focusing on her food.

Each time she tasted one of Chen Shian’s dishes, her legs, hidden under the table, couldn’t help but sway gently.

Snapping back to herself as her father mentioned her, Lin Mengqiu finally reached out for a piece of five-spice rib.

Her legs stilled.

Suddenly, she didn’t seem to like the ribs as much anymore…

Unlike the picky eater who only chose two dishes, Chen Shian sampled everything, even reaching most often for Lin Ming’s ribs and fish head. He wasn’t picky; though he thought these two dishes weren’t perfect, he appreciated the process, reflecting on what could be improved. Of course, he’d never mention these points out of politeness, and Uncle Lin had his own strengths, too. For Chen Shian, it was a chance to learn from others and improve himself.

“…Uncle Lin, did you renovate your home recently?”

“Yes, we’ve lived here for nearly twenty years. We only remodeled a couple of years ago. How are you finding the old place? Are you getting along with Xiao Li, your roommate?”

“It’s great, very comfortable, and Sister Wanyin is wonderful.”

Sister Wanyin?

Lin Mengqiu blinked as she ate. She rarely paid attention to the rental business, but she knew Chen Shian was living in their old house with a roommate.

It seemed the roommate was an older girl?

Not interested.

Who cares who he lives with, as long as it’s not Wen Zhixia…

Pah! Even if it were Wen Zhixia, what does it matter? She couldn’t care less…

Whitebait omelet is delicious too~

While Lin Ming and Chen Shian chatted, Lin Mengqiu, who had been silent, suddenly stood up, pulling out her chair.

Lin Ming was surprised. “You’re done? There’s still soup, have some soup.”

“…No.”

She went to the kitchen, and to her father’s amazement, returned with a second bowl of rice, settling back into her seat to continue eating.

Wait,

Since when has my daughter ever eaten two bowls of rice?!

…

Lin Mengqiu couldn’t remember the last time she finished a meal feeling so satisfied—a warm, full belly and a small sense of happiness.

With a dishwasher at home, she didn’t have to do the dishes herself. After helping her father clear the table, she returned to her favorite spot on the sofa, reclining lazily.

Her long, attractive legs stretched toward the coffee table. Hugging a small pillow, with her waist, neck, and head resting on the sofa, she felt a sense of warmth and energy fill her, even her usually cold hands glowing with heat. She sighed contentedly.

Chen Shian had never seen the class president so relaxed.

Perhaps noticing his gaze, Lin Mengqiu subtly adjusted her posture.

Heh.

Chen Shian withdrew his eyes and sat at the tea table by the balcony, expertly brewing a fresh pot of tea.

“Would you like some tea, class president?”

“…”

“The same kind you had earlier.”

“All right.”

When Chen Shian approached with the teapot, Lin Mengqiu sat upright, picked up the small teacup, and waited for him to pour.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

…

Just whose house is this, really!

The tea was indeed excellent.

Politely, she drank it all, exhaled softly, put aside her pillow, and prepared to shower before settling in to read.

As if reading her mind, Chen Shian, still at the tea table, spoke gently, “You should rest a bit after a good meal, have some tea, relax.”

…

Her movement to get up paused. Ignoring him, she picked up the remote she’d found behind the pillow, turned on the TV, and began watching as if nothing had happened.

In the kitchen, after loading the dishwasher, Lin Ming came out and joined Chen Shian at the tea table for more tea and conversation.

Lin Mengqiu’s eyes were on the TV, but her ears were tuned to their conversation.

She had no idea how the two of them found so much to talk about.

They discussed incense making, cooking, and then delved deeper—talking about Daoist methods, classics, and doctrine.

Chen Shian was a little surprised.

“Uncle Lin, you know quite a bit about Daoism.”

“Compared to you, it’s all superficial!” Lin Ming laughed. “Elder Daoist Chen was a great benefactor in my life. By chance, I learned from him for a month, and it benefited me immensely.”

“Oh?”

The young Daoist’s curiosity was piqued. His master rarely spoke of his past—either he thought the matters trivial or didn’t want Shian to know. Since Uncle Lin had never mentioned it, Shian hadn’t asked. Seeing Lin Ming bring it up, he asked, “So you and my master have that kind of connection?”

On the sofa, Lin Mengqiu discreetly turned down the TV volume. She’d always been curious what history her father shared with Chen Shian’s master to treat Chen Shian so well.

“It was nearly thirty years ago!” Lin Ming poured Chen Shian some tea, his face filled with reminiscence.

“I was about your age, Shian, studying away from home when my mother suddenly had a heart attack. I rushed back by train and bus through the night, but she was already laid out in the mourning hall. Elder Daoist Chen happened to be traveling through our village and, pitying my mother and me, performed the funeral rites for free. It was thanks to him…that I got to see my mother one last time. Otherwise, I’d never have found peace in my life.”

Chen Shian could sense the deeper meaning behind those words.

Lin Mengqiu, however, could not.

She’d heard her father talk about his mother—how she’d raised him alone. Lin Mengqiu had never met her grandmother, but from her father’s stories, she knew what kind of mother she’d been.

Only now did she realize the Daoist who had cared for her grandmother’s burial was Chen Shian’s master.

…

It was all long in the past, and Lin Ming had already come to terms with it. Sensing the solemnity in the room, he shifted to a lighter tone.

“Later, Elder Daoist Chen stayed in our village for a while, and I followed him for a month, learning the Dao.”

“He was a true cultivator. That month’s teachings benefited me for a lifetime. I came to understand so much, saw through so much. He was the greatest benefactor of my life.”

“When he called me, I was on a business trip. I rushed home, but still didn’t arrive in time to see him off. That’s my deepest regret. Shian, when you perform the memorial rites, please tell him for me—ask him not to hold it against me…”

“Uncle Lin, you needn’t blame yourself. My master would never mind. Good people are respected by all, blessed by the heavens, and followed by good fortune. Throughout his life, my master formed many good bonds; the depth of those connections isn’t measured by a formal farewell. You and I have troubled you much during my studies—my master and I are indebted to you.”

“Oh, it’s nothing—just small favors.”

“Whether something is great or small depends on who’s looking. What you consider a great deed might have been effortless for my master. You formed a bond with him, and he chose to guide you for a month—he must have seen qualities in you he valued. There’s no need to speak of debts. If anything, I should call you senior brother.”

The more Lin Ming interacted with Chen Shian, the more he understood why Elder Daoist Chen had accepted only him as a disciple. Such intelligence and composure left him feeling inadequate; what ordinary youth could speak like this?

Hearing Chen Shian actually call him “senior brother,” Lin Ming blushed with embarrassment. How could he be worthy of that title!

A direct disciple and a nominal one are worlds apart.

Though Lin Ming had always dreamed of being a direct disciple, he knew his own limitations; it was a secret wish he dared not utter aloud.

“Don’t tease me, Shian! That would make everything a mess!”

“See? Senior brother, you’re still attached to formalities.”

“Oh, come on…!”

Lin Ming scratched his head, his face red. He knew Shian was mostly joking to lighten the mood, but it still pleased and embarrassed him greatly.

“Mengqiu, come call him uncle-master!”

“???”

What nonsense are you two talking about!

Is this tea or wine you’re drinking? Have you both gone mad?

Uncle-master, really… If I call this Daoist “pig-head,” he’s lucky!

…

With dinner and tea over, Chen Shian didn’t stay long. Night had already fallen, and he prepared to leave.

There was no way Lin Ming would let him leave empty-handed. Even if Chen Shian had come with nothing but his appetite, Lin Ming would’ve sent him home laden with goodies.

He packed up two big bags of fruit, snacks, and pastries, insisting Shian take them.

“Thank you, Uncle Lin.”

“We’re all family, Shian, don’t be so formal. Whenever you’re free, just let me know—come eat with us anytime.”

“Thank you, I’ll be going now.”

“I’ll walk you out.”

“No need, Uncle Lin, I know the way.”

“Then… Mengqiu, Mengqiu!”

“?”

“You walk Shian out.”

“…”

After being docked five points by her father, Mengqiu was forced into service.

Now that it was Mengqiu seeing him out, Chen Shian dropped the formalities, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

“Sorry to trouble you, class president.”

“…”

I hope I catch you alone.