So everyone likes to foul, huh

Xie Yuling's sweet soup was made exceptionally well.

The green bean paste in the bowl was smooth and residue-free, melting right in the mouth.

Although a pressure cooker was used to quickly mash the green beans into a paste, Xie Yuling had also taken the time to scoop out the floating bean skins afterward.

This made the texture even creamier.

Things like green bean paste and green bean soup are green in the south, but due to water quality differences, they often take on a reddish hue in the north.

If you really had to compare, the green ones are slightly healthier.

Lin Mo took a sip, and the rich, sweet flavor lingered in his mouth.

One taste was enough to tell that Xie Yuling had used slab sugar instead of white granulated sugar to boil the green bean paste.

Slab sugar contains more vitamins and antioxidants than normal white sugar.

Simply put, it is more nutritious.

However, this kind of sugar is much more common and widely used in the south.

After all, slab sugar is favored in the south because it is moisture-resistant and easier to store.

Jiang Yunlu took small sips, the sweet taste helping to relax her somewhat tense nerves. Watching the natural familiarity between Lin Mo and Xie Yuling, she could not help but ask:

Do you all know how to cook?

Yeah, Xie Yuling's eyes curved into a smile as she nudged Chu Miaomiao beside her with her elbow. But Lin Mo's cooking is the best, right, Miaomiao?

Chu Miaomiao nodded repeatedly. My mom and I both think the food Lin Mo cooks is delicious.

Jiang Yunlu's hand paused on her spoon, and the jade-green sweet soup in her bowl seemed to lose a bit of its flavor.

She had never tasted Lin Mo's cooking.

As soon as this thought popped up, her heart felt like it had been lightly pricked—not painful, but a bit empty.

She watched them familiarly discuss their shared past, feeling like an intruder who could only listen quietly from the sidelines.

Lin Mo's gaze swept over her slightly lowered eyelashes, taking everything in.

He put down his bowl and smiled, Anyway, it is not really appropriate to go to the Xie ancestral hall for dinner tonight. I will cook a few dishes, and you guys can go downstairs to buy some stir-fry to round out the meal.

With just one sentence, that subtle sense of disappointment was completely swept away.

Jiang Yunlu's eyes instantly lit up. The little haze in her heart cleared out, replaced by an indescribable sense of anticipation.

We do not seem to have many groceries left at home. I will go buy some, Xie Yuling immediately responded, preparing to stand up.

Lin Mo waved his hand, amused. Did you forget about Aunt Zheng's doomsday prep?

Doomsday prep?! Jiang Yunlu was stunned.

Xie Yuling slapped her forehead, laughing hard. Oh, right! Last year, my mom believed that 2012 doomsday prophecy and hoarded a ton of canned food in the cupboards!

Lin Mo added, Spam, beef, tuna, dace with salted black beans, baked beans in tomato sauce... you name it. She said they were hard currency for the apocalypse.

This made everyone laugh, and the atmosphere immediately lightened up.

Although Xie Yuling remembered the canned food, she still had her own insistence. No, dace with salted black beans must be paired with Indian lettuce, otherwise it has no soul. I still need to make a trip to the market.

She stood up briskly and walked over to the door to put on her shoes.

Watching her back, and then looking at Lin Mo who was already rolling up his sleeves in the kitchen, Jiang Yunlu felt moved. She did not want to just sit there waiting.

I will go with you. I want to experience more things too.

Xie Yuling glanced back at her and nodded readily, Sure, let's go!

The two quickly got ready to head out.

Only Lin Mo and Chu Miaomiao, the two guests, were left in the house.

Lin Mo made himself at home, walking straight to the kitchen and finding several types of canned food in the upper cabinets.

As everyone knows, the shelf life of canned food actually refers to the can itself.

As long as there is no issue with the can, the food inside can theoretically stay good for an incredibly long time.

A lot of canned food gets contaminated simply because the internal metal seams have rusted.

This is especially true for the pull-ring type cans that can be opened directly.

But military canned food is different; they mostly use a fully sealed, one-piece pressing process to reduce rust at the pull-ring seams.

This allows them to be stored for a very long time.

Of course, what Aunt Zheng bought were just regular cans.

They could not be stored for that long, and with the humid weather in Eastern Guangdong, if they were not buried in a basement, it was best to eat them before they expired.

Lin Mo placed the cans on the table one by one, and Chu Miaomiao came over to help open them.

Lin Mo reached out to stop her. Let me do it. It is easy to cut your hand on these if you are not careful.

Saying that, he started pulling open the cans.

The next second, a body slowly hugged Lin Mo from behind.

It was another foul for charging with the ball.

Wait, why did I say another?

Neither of them spoke as Lin Mo popped the cans open one by one.

A moment later, the young girl seemed to rub against him from side to side.

This is already very nice.

It was only when Lin Mo had opened all the cans that the girl slowly let go.

--System: Foul! Every single one of you just loves to commit fouls, do you not!--

Xie Yuling went downstairs and led Jiang Yunlu to a nearby stir-fry restaurant.

At this stir-fry place, you could get a dish for just ten or so yuan, and the most expensive item, water-boiled beef, was only fifty-something.

Xie Yuling directly ordered three meat dishes, which only came out to sixty-something yuan.

Just as she was about to pay, Jiang Yunlu had already handed over a hundred-yuan bill.

I will get it.

Seeing this, Xie Yuling did not fight her to pay, but simply said to the female boss, Boss, we will come back to pick it up in a bit.

The boss smiled and nodded, Sure, no problem.

Then the two walked to the market. It was obvious Xie Yuling was a regular; quite a few people at the market recognized her.

Seeing Xie Yuling buying Indian lettuce, someone immediately said:

Buying Indian lettuce to stir-fry with dace and salted black beans, huh?

Yeah.

Jiang Yunlu was a bit curious and could not help asking, Why does buying Indian lettuce mean it has to be stir-fried with dace and salted black beans?

The vegetable-selling auntie looked Jiang Yunlu up and down.

You do not cook much, do you, little girl? Indian lettuce absorbs a lot of oil, so frying it with dace and black beans makes it really fragrant. Around here, a lot of people use it specifically for that dish.

The main reason dace and black beans are cooked with Indian lettuce is that the lettuce holds and absorbs the oil well.

Just like eggplant, it only becomes fragrant when fried with a large amount of oil.

After buying the vegetables, Xie Yuling also bought some extra seasonings.

While walking on the road, Jiang Yunlu suddenly spoke up, Actually, I wanted to ask you a question.

I will not let go, Xie Yuling stated immediately.

Uh... that was not the question. I wanted to ask... never mind, it is nothing. Anyway, thank you.

Xie Yuling looked inexplicably at the equally inexplicable Jiang Yunlu.

Saying thank you will not work either. I still will not let go.

Same here.

By the time they returned to the stir-fry shop, the boss had already packed up all their dishes.

Both of them carried the bags and headed upstairs.

But a strange atmosphere continuously swirled between the two of them.

Jiang Yunlu was walking in front when she suddenly missed a step and fell forward.

But in the next second, a hand firmly scooped her into an embrace.

Still lingering in fear, Jiang Yunlu tightly hugged that soft, delicate body.

A sense of reassurance welled up from the bottom of her heart. Looking up, she saw Xie Yuling's slightly worried expression.

"Are you alright?"