Chapter 5 True Purpose

Mei Mengzhen glanced at the vegetables she had previously planted, feeling completely satisfied, and left her space, carrying her little brother for a good night's sleep.

The next day, she got up early to cook white porridge and eggs, and then took two potatoes and a head of Chinese cabbage from the space, intending to stir-fry them for breakfast.

Her little brother loved fried shredded potatoes, and as for the Chinese cabbage, it was purely because she found it simple to cook.

You wouldn't expect a 17-year-old Mei Mengzhen to cook, but at 31, she could make some home-cooked dishes. However, as for the taste, it was palatable, but thinking of anything more was out of the question.

Mei Mengzhen was busy in the kitchen, chopping and washing vegetables. When she had put the vegetables in the pot, Mei Mengchen came running down from upstairs, peeking curiously into the kitchen, "Sister, are you cooking?"

"Yeah, hurry up and wash up; we can eat in a bit."

Mei Mengchen promptly replied, "Okay," and left the kitchen to wash up in the restroom.

After adding a spoonful of salt to the cabbage, Mei Mengzhen called out, "Can you manage on your own?"

She certainly could manage. Just like now, or in the past, her parents never had that much patience; once her little brother could do things by himself, they'd let him be. Although he was only three years old, he could completely handle these tasks on his own, even if he was sluggish. Mei Mengzhen understood this; after all, kids are short and stubby, so it naturally takes them some time to accomplish tasks.

"I can," she almost immediately received Mei Mengchen's reply.

Mei Mengzhen stirred the cabbage in the pot, spreading the salt she'd just added, and then took the cabbage out of the pot, not caring if it was completely cooked since the vegetable could be eaten raw as well.

The shredded potatoes were the same; she just needed to add some oil, stir-fry them briefly, add some seasoning, and a little vinegar before taking them out of the pan—that was enough.

After finishing the two dishes, Mei Mengchen was still dawdling in the restroom. She brought the dishes to the table in the living room and then said, "I've finished stir-frying the vegetables, how much longer will you be?"

"I'm washing my face; I'll be done in a bit," Mei Mengchen's soft and mushy voice sounded slightly whiny.

"Okay, I'll serve the porridge now." The freshly cooked porridge was still hot; she served it and let it cool down a bit, perfect for eating.

"Okay."

Uncertain, Mei Mengzhen decided to go check the restroom, but before she could get there, a knocking on the outer gate interrupted her, "Zhenzhen, Chenchen, are you up?"

"Auntie, why have you come over?" Mei Mengzhen hurriedly ran to the courtyard to open the gate.

The auntie stepped in almost the moment she opened the door, "Are you not up yet? Have you had breakfast? If not, I can go buy something for you."

"We are up; I just finished making breakfast and was about to eat. Auntie, have you had breakfast?"

Mei Yinan was initially startled, then asked, "You made it? Can you cook?"

"Look at what you're saying, auntie. Cooking some porridge and stir-frying a couple of dishes—isn't too hard to manage," Mei Mengzhen said casually, but Mei Yinan didn't quite believe her. Her own children were several years older than Mei Mengzhen, and not only were they reluctant to cook, they didn't even like to step into the kitchen. No, they wouldn't wash a cup unless she did it.

The two went into the living room, and Mei Yinan immediately noticed the two dishes on the dining table. They weren't burnt or mushy; they actually looked quite normal.

Mei Mengzhen asked, "It's still early; you probably haven't eaten, auntie. Let's eat together."

"Okay, I haven't eaten yet, and I was actually planning to take you out for breakfast, so we might as well grab something along the way. Hey, do you have enough porridge? If not, I won't eat. I can just go out to eat."

Mei Mengzhen went into the kitchen to wash three bowls and replied, "There's enough. I cooked a big pot." She had just glanced at it, worried there would be too much left over. Porridge isn't like rice, which you can still eat if there's leftovers. Leftover porridge really isn't tasty.

No sooner had she finished speaking than the auntie put down her bag and followed her into the kitchen, taking over the task of serving the porridge. Mei Mengzhen had no choice but to wash the chopsticks and then carry the bowls of porridge out one by one.

After placing the three bowls of porridge on the dining table, Mei Mengchen slowly strolled out of the restroom and saw Mei Yinan, calling out, "Auntie."

"I was just looking for you. Where were you?"

"I was washing my face."

"Oh, you're washing by yourself now." After saying this, Mei Yinan glanced at Mei Mengzhen, who explained, "He wouldn't let me help, insisting on doing it himself."

Chenchen nodded, "Right, I've grown up, I can do it myself. I always did it myself before."

Mei Yinan looked at the two sensible children in front of her and felt relieved. After all, they were children who had lost their parents and had grown up overnight.

...

Their breakfast was simple, and Mei Mengchen wasn't picky. He picked up some shredded potatoes with his chopsticks and put them in his mouth. But as soon as he tasted them, he was surprised by the flavor. His eyes widened as he exclaimed dramatically, "Sister, this is really delicious."

Mei Yinan was watching Mei Mengchen, worried he'd be picky and not eat, but to her pity, it was just shredded potatoes. How delicious could they be? As she thought about Mei Mengzhen cooking them and looked at Mei Mengchen, she realized the boy really did have a sweet tongue.

Without minding too much, Mei Yinan picked up some shredded potatoes with her chopsticks and tasted them. Her expression instantly mirrored Mei Mengchen's. What was this situation? These potatoes were too delicious. "This is, actually quite tasty."

Mei Yinan also tried the cabbage, then the shredded potatoes again. She looked at the dishes, which appeared quite bland at first glance, not something that would entice one's appetite. Yet, surprisingly, they were tasty. She didn't believe Mei Mengzhen had such great culinary skills, and the dishes didn't seem to showcase any particular skill either. So, it had to be the natural taste of the vegetables themselves. She asked, "Where did you buy these vegetables?"

Mei Mengzhen hadn't expected her aunt to eat breakfast here, so she hadn't thought of any excuse yet. But the vegetables, they were just from the Market, "Just from the Vegetable Market next door."

Speaking of the Market, Mei Mengzhen realized another problem. They lived too close to their relatives. If she sold vegetables nearby, it would be difficult not to run into her relatives. Then what would she explain to them? It seemed she had to rethink the idea of selling vegetables. At least, it was a no-go near the Market close to home.

"The vegetables taste good. What does the vendor look like? I might go buy some too later."

"Just an old lady, but there wasn't much left at her stall when I was there. It's probably all sold out by now."

So, there's no need to try your luck there. Just enjoy your breakfast.

Undoubtedly, all three of them were full from breakfast. Even with the knowledge that the vegetables would be tasty, Mei Mengzhen hadn't expected them to be this good. Heaven knows, she had just added the most basic seasonings. This meant the vegetables must have been quite pricey.

They sat on the couch, rubbing their stomachs, and after a while, the auntie revealed the real reason behind her visit.

The auntie actually wanted to discuss in advance their thoughts on where she and her brother should be placed. This brought Mei Mengzhen's thoughts back to the past.

Auntie had also come over this early back then. But in those days, she wasn't in the mood to cook breakfast; instead, she went out to eat with Auntie and her brother.

Back then at the breakfast stall, Auntie seemed to talk as they ate. She only remembered her brother crying the whole time. The specifics, however, eluded her.