Chapter 10

The next morning, Lin Tian woke naturally.
Chu Ci had already gone to school. When she reached the living room, she saw a note left on the table: Breakfast is in the kitchen, heat it yourself.
Raising an eyebrow in mild surprise, she went to the kitchen and indeed found cooked porridge, eggs, and the buns he had bought. She reheated them and ate.
Afterward, Lin Tian continued her daily exercise, stretching in the courtyard. She noticed that the clothesline was full of her recently changed clothes.
Summer was hot, so the clothes were half-dry.
The first day of her new life had a nice start.
Lin Tian made lunch herself at noon, and after her nap, she took out paper and pen to write some cold-dish recipes.
In her past life, she hadn’t made many of these, but as a chef, she had some knowledge.
She realized that being pregnant now made it inconvenient to cook, but she could sell the recipes or teach others and take a cut.
Selling cold dishes made sense, as it was summer, they were seasonal, easy to make, and didn’t require sophisticated skills.
She figured she would likely need Chu Ci’s help for this.
She searched her mind for suitable recipes for this era and slowly began writing.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Startled, she put away her recipes and walked slowly from her bedroom.
“Who is it?” she asked cautiously.
A strong, confident older woman’s voice came back: “Comrade, we’re your neighbors next door.”
Lin Tian raised her eyebrows and went to open the door.
Standing there were a woman in her fifties and a young woman in her twenties.
The older woman was plump with a kind, gentle face. The younger one looked strong and tall, Lin Tian guessed around 1.7 meters.
The older woman introduced herself: “I’m your neighbor, surname Ma, just call me Aunt Ma. This is my daughter-in-law, Dong Juan; you can call her Sister Juan. I brought some homemade pickles for you. Comrade Chu recently cleaned the courtyard, so we’ve seen you move in. As neighbors, it’s good to look out for each other, especially with you being newly married and expecting. If you need help, just tell me or Sister Juan. Young people can talk among themselves.”
Lin Tian smiled politely: “Hello, Aunt Ma, Sister Juan. I’m Lin Tian, you can call me Xiao Lin or Tiantian.”
She made room and invited them into the living room, pouring them water.
Aunt Ma immediately noticed the courtyard flowers and exclaimed: “Your yard is so well kept.”
“All my husband’s work; I just offered suggestions,” Lin Tian said, pretending to be modest.
Dong Juan looked at her with envy, while Aunt Ma remained composed, holding Lin Tian’s hand with satisfaction: “You two are a happy couple, that’s a good thing. You also seem blessed, pregnant and still so lovely. Comrade Chu must cherish you.”
Lin Tian, unaccustomed to such sudden attention, subtly withdrew her hand and took a sip of water, smiling: “Aunt Ma, don’t flatter me, I’m not that beautiful.”
Aunt Ma’s hand fell empty, but she didn’t mind, still smiling warmly: “I’m not flattering you, it’s true. Ask my daughter-in-law, Sister Juan, right?”
Dong Juan, not much of a talker, nodded: “Yes, Lin Tian, you’re very beautiful.”
Lin Tian laughed at her simple honesty but replied modestly: “No, Sister Juan, you’re lovely too.”
Dong Juan’s cheeks turned red, and she seemed uneasy.
Aunt Ma sighed inwardly at her timid daughter-in-law but said nothing. She hoped this visit would encourage her daughter-in-law to interact more; Lin Tian was confident and natural, easy to talk to even at first meeting.
Lin Tian gracefully extended a social bridge: “Sister Juan is honest, come visit anytime. I’m at home with nothing to do, and I was wondering how to pass the time.”
Aunt Ma smiled: “That’s great. We’re also free now, our child is at kindergarten. We just moved back, and don’t know neighbors well. Our families can get to know each other. I make decent pickles, and if you like them, I can bring more.”
Lin Tian thanked her: “Thank you so much, I won’t be shy about it.”
She also thought to give their child some treats later. After all, a good neighbor is worth more than a distant relative.
Aunt Ma looked at Lin Tian affectionately, she liked this girl more and more. Polite, confident, and beautiful, Lin Tian had made a good impression.
Aunt Ma also thought of her own daughter-in-law, Dong Juan. She was honest, hardworking, and liked by her son, but too introverted. Yet each person had their own fate, she sighed silently.
After chatting a bit more, Aunt Ma and Dong Juan left. Dong Juan didn’t say a word, and Lin Tian thought to herself that Sister Juan seemed very much like socially anxious people from the future, a difficult trait in this era.
Lin Tian liked the pair. They were both friendly and approachable, and suddenly she had an idea, these two, both without jobs, could be perfect candidates for selling her cold dishes.
Still, this was only their first meeting; she would need more time to observe.
Lin Tian wrote down all the cold-dish recipes she could think of, and by the time she finished, it was nearly dark.
She began preparing dinner, with tomato and egg dumpling soup as the main dish.
She also made braised potatoes with spare ribs, the ribs were leftover from yesterday and needed to be eaten before going bad. Then she tossed the pickles Aunt Ma had sent over with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
She had kneaded dough at noon, and in the afternoon, after it had risen, steamed a batch of buns. They weren’t pure white flour; she had mixed in some cornmeal. But she had sifted it carefully and added a little sugar, so the buns came out with a subtle sweetness.
No sooner had she finished dinner than Chu Ci returned.
“Back already? Let’s eat. If you hadn’t come, I wouldn’t have waited,” Lin Tian said, fetching bowls and chopsticks.
Chu Ci quickly washed his hands and face, then joined her in the kitchen.
While Lin Tian served the rice, he looked at her lovely profile and said, “If you’re hungry, just eat first. You’re pregnant; no need to wait for me.”
He carried his bowl out, and Lin Tian smirked quietly at his back.
The dumpling soup was sweet and sour, warming and appetizing. The potatoes were soft and tender, soaking up the broth and the savory flavor of the ribs. Even the bones of the ribs were so fragrant that one didn’t want to spit them out.
By comparison, the pickles were just simply tasty.
Chu Ci, knowing the household well, asked, “Where did these pickles come from?”
“They were sent by Aunt Ma next door. Do you know their family?” Lin Tian asked, curious.
Chu Ci pondered briefly: “Yes, I saw them a few days ago while organizing the courtyard. Aunt Ma’s son even helped out, they’re a good family. Her husband is a university professor and has worked hard for what he has.”
Lin Tian nodded thoughtfully. This meant the family was likely of good character. That was best, she wanted her business partners not only to be trustworthy themselves but also to have reasonable family backgrounds. She didn’t want disputes over interests later.
Still, she hesitated, after all, they were neighbors. Would it be appropriate?
Her expression showed a hint of uncertainty. Chu Ci, observant as always, noticed and asked carefully, “Is there a problem?”
Lin Tian didn’t hide it. She told him about her plan to find business partners and asked for his opinion about whether Aunt Ma and her daughter-in-law would be suitable.
Chu Ci didn’t think she was being fanciful; instead, he expressed support. “I think you can ask them. Being neighbors is just an identity, you’ll still be working with people you know. Later, write down the agreement clearly, and it’ll be fine.”
Lin Tian no longer hesitated. “I agree. I’ll get to know them a bit more first and ask if they’re interested. Making money is good, but it also depends on their willingness.”
After all, the recent upheaval had left people wary.
Chu Ci smiled: “I can ask a friend who studies law to draft an agreement for you.”
Lin Tian was pleased. She put a rib in his bowl and praised him: “Good job, a man should be like this.”
“What kind?” Chu Ci asked with a playful glint in his eyes.
Lin Tian smiled slyly, looking him in the eye: “Like this, you.”
Chu Ci quickly looked down, unwilling to meet her gaze, silently calming his racing heart.
Lin Tian chuckled mischievously, touching her belly. Little ones, teasing your dad is fun.