Trending Again – Chapter 27

Familiar flavor, sharing the same pillow

The precious son has become useless, so Lin Jian had no choice but to take matters into his own hands. The old lady is a woman from the Jiangnan region who came to City A after marriage. She has a deep longing for Jiangnan cuisine. This time, Lin Jian went to great lengths to find an authentic Jiangnan head chef. As long as he can deceive shares from the old lady’s hands, he won’t fear Lin Hanyue taking sole control of the Lin family’s power.

Lin Jian believes that he can secure victory this time. He invites the head chef in, a man with a beer belly who looks to be in his forties, with a small tuft of beard on his mouth and squinted eyes.

“Mom, this is Chef Li whom I invited. He specializes in the Jiangnan culinary tradition, and you’ll surely love it,” Lin Jian says on the side. The hungry Grandma Lin is moved by his words.

Chef Li enters the kitchen, and Lin Hanyue notices that Si Meng is missing. At this moment, Si Meng is busy handing over tasks with Si Teng.

“How’s it going? Have you got the ingredients?”

“Can you explain to me what makes it so obvious that this is the Carp King?” Si Teng roars at her phone. She is supposed to be a bodyguard, here to protect Si Meng, but now she has become a gofer, even going to the fish pond to catch fish for Si Meng.

“Follow what I told you to look for, from the whiskers, fins, body of the fish, and most importantly, it has to be a male fish,” Si Meng explains every detail meticulously, then slips into the kitchen to see how skilled the chef is.

After observing for a while, Si Meng confirms that it is indeed a very traditional Jiangnan cuisine. However, it lacks a bit of soul, like mass-produced crafts on an assembly line, impressive only on the surface.

In no time, the head chef completes eighteen dishes, and the enticing aroma attracts many people. Everyone praises the food, but unfortunately, Grandma Lin only takes a bite of the eighteen dishes and has no desire to continue tasting.

As people age, they always reminisce about certain flavors. After all the twists and turns in life, the most delicious food is still the hometown dishes from childhood. It’s unclear whether they miss the dishes made by a person or the person who cooked the dishes.

Grandma Lin sighed heavily. While the food was delicious, it wasn’t the flavor she was hoping for, leaving her somewhat disappointed. Perhaps she might never get to taste it again in her lifetime.

“Don’t be sad, Grandma. I will definitely recreate the taste you’re familiar with,” Si Meng earnestly promised. However, Grandma Lin just smiled, thinking that Si Meng was trying to comfort her and didn’t take her words to heart.

After a while, Si Teng sneaked into the banquet hall, somewhat disdainfully handing over the ingredients to Si Meng. Just as Si Teng was about to make a quick escape, she noticed Lin Hanyue’s intriguing gaze fixed on her. Si Teng raised her eyebrows slightly at Lin Hanyue and then disappeared into the crowd.

Si Meng entered the kitchen, instructing Uncle Wang to prepare the stove and firewood. Uncle Wang widened his eyes but obediently went to prepare what Si Meng needed. This dish had to be authentic to recreate the taste of the past. In fact, when Si Meng learned cooking with her uncle years ago, she had the privilege of tasting a Jiangnan dish. That flavor remained unforgettable throughout her life.

Leaving the orphanage at the age of eight, Si Meng learned culinary skills from her uncle, traveling far and wide to challenge famous dishes in various regions. She remembered losing for the first time to Jiangnan cuisine. The title of that dish was “The Taste of Home.”

But she didn’t have a home. The orphanage director said the orphanage was their home, but when the orphanage closed, the director had no choice but to send them away. Did that mean they no longer had a home?

When Si Meng tasted that dish, she cried. Perhaps, that was the taste of home.

When Si Meng was little, she asked the orphanage director if her parents didn’t want her. The director patted her head and said, “Of course not. I found you by the riverbank. There was a traffic accident on the cliff at that time, so you might be a survivor. As long as you become outstanding, your parents will surely find you.”

The water in the stove boiled, and Si Meng snapped back to reality. Those were old memories, better left unspoken. What mattered now was fulfilling Grandma Lin’s wish, just like the orphanage director fulfilled hers years ago.

Si Meng expertly deboned the tender crucian carp, leaving only smooth fish fillets. With meticulous knife skills, she sliced the fish into thin pieces, stir-frying them over high heat until golden. Then, she drizzled the prepared sauce, creating a sweet and sour flavor. A dish of West Lake vinegar fish¹ was now ready.

Uncle Wang brought the dish to the table, and everyone present was surprised by the delightful aroma that filled the room. The fragrance was captivating, but with only one dish, they could only watch Grandma Lin eagerly awaiting her first bite.

As Grandma Lin began to eat, tears welled up in her eyes. For decades, she hadn’t returned to Jiangnan. In a fit of anger, she had married and moved far away to City A. Her father had pointed at her back, cursing, “Don’t ever come back if you have the guts.” Young people often defy tradition, but unfortunately, when she matured and wanted to go back to see her father, he was no longer there.

A heavy silence fell over everyone. Perhaps they all shared a sense of understanding—childhood flavors were something lost forever.

“Grandma, as long as you remember this taste, you’ll never forget that person,” Si Meng smiled as she spoke, but her eyes glistened with tears. This was why she loved cooking so much—to preserve certain flavors through generations.

“Child, thank you. Grandma will definitely remember. This is the best gift Grandma has ever received.” Grandma Lin cried for a moment but then laughed. The people in the room went from smiling to shedding tears.

Lin Hanyue tightly held Grandma Lin’s right hand, while Si Meng grasped Grandma Lin’s left hand. The two exchanged a smile, hoping that time could slow down just like it was in that moment.

Observing the interaction between the two, Grandma Lin’s eyes filled with joy. She chuckled and said, “Mengmeng, how about staying in the Lin family and becoming Grandma’s daughter-in-law? That way, Grandma can have delicious food every day.”

Si Meng blushed slightly, feeling a bit embarrassed. She playfully protested, “Grandma, you’re naughty.”

After the dinner, Grandma Lin announced on the spot that she would gift her entire ten percent of the shares to Si Meng.

People around sighed, saying Si Meng was incredibly lucky, but Mr. Jiang was internally annoyed. This old lady was too cunning; he wanted Si Meng to become his daughter-in-law, but this lady acted first and took advantage of the situation.

Old Mr. Jiang sighed in secret over the inadequacy of his granddaughter. Why couldn’t she compare to someone like Lin Hanyue? Meanwhile, the woman in the red dress seemed unaware of her grandfather’s feelings, continuously shaking her head and sighing at him.

Just as they were about to leave, the woman in the red dress intercepted Si Meng. Si Meng, surprised and fearful, said, “Sister, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have touched you without permission,” like a pitiful puppy, wagging its tail in an attempt to please.

“You’re really cute. Lin Hanyue better hide you well. Remember, my name is Jiang Luli. We will definitely meet again next time.” Jiang Luli smiled with a hint of playfulness and then left with the old man.

Si Meng was puzzled, but Lin Hanyue saw it all. She warned Si Meng, “Next time, you’re not allowed to have any contact with her, understand?”

“Oh, are you angry? I won’t have any contact with her.”

“No!”

“Then why are you walking so fast? Wait for me.”

“Who asked you to have short legs…” Lin Hanyue lowered her head and noticed that Si Meng was holding her hand with all ten fingers. Si Meng chuckled inwardly: master of jealousy.

Back in the main hall, Grandma arranged a room for the two of them, which meant they would be sharing a bed again.

Si Meng clearly remembered that there were quite a few empty rooms in the Lin mansion. Whatever, she thought, let it be. Time for bed.

Si Meng looked at Lin Hanyue, who appeared conflicted. Although they had staged a show for Grandma’s happiness, Si Meng felt a bit frustrated at the situation. She spoke somewhat sullenly, “I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“No need. Let’s sleep together.” This time, Lin Hanyue instantly rejected Si Meng’s suggestion. So, what was she conflicted about? Of course, it was because the bed was too big, and she was thinking of a good excuse to squeeze in with Si Meng.

As the two settled down to sleep, they were at a loss for words. Lin Hanyue quietly moved closer to Si Meng, who, afraid of crushing her, shifted to her side. But then Lin Hanyue squeezed over again. Just as Si Meng was about to be pushed off the bed, Lin Hanyue reached around and embraced Si Meng’s petite waist, tightly entwining their legs.

Lin Hanyue’s head rested on Si Meng’s shoulder, and Si Meng felt a tickling sensation by her ear, surrounded by Lin Hanyue’s breath.

Si Meng was in snug shorts, while Lin Hanyue wore a thin skirt. Their legs tangled together, and the delicate, tender skin rubbed against each other. Different sensations surged in both of them. Si Meng felt the waves of warmth pressing against her back, like a soft dough that one hand alone couldn’t grasp.

Si Meng felt that Lin Hanyue was tempting her, but she couldn’t find evidence.

The hand that had been wandering around Si Meng’s waist suddenly became restless, moving towards Si Meng’s bra. Si Meng didn’t dare to move, but she enjoyed the intimacy in her heart.

Lin Hanyue effortlessly removed Si Meng’s bra, and Si Meng was eagerly anticipating her next move. However, Lin Hanyue stopped abruptly, cuddling Si Meng with a fragrant and soft embrace, drifting off to sleep.

Did she get turned off when encountering the bra clasp? Si Meng’s aroused desire subsided. She turned over, facing Lin Hanyue, and nestled into her arms, hugging her even tighter.