My Promotion Story Through Time Travel

Chapter 146 Mid-Autumn Festival Family Feast

Zhu Zi and Shun Zi led the carriage to the alley where Lin Ziping and his family lived.

As usual, the alley was very quiet, and the group arrived smoothly.

Lin Ziping helped Liao Mama out of the car, and Lin Zhong also lifted the curtain and got out of the car.

"Zhu Zi, take the things from the carriage behind and bring them into the house," Butler Tao instructed.

Lin Ziping opened the door, and Lin Zhong stepped inside.

Granny Liao looked around the courtyard and sighed again, "Young Master has suffered."

Actually, compared to the courtyard where Lin Ziping lived in Qingyang, this one isn't much different. But perhaps in the hearts of the elders, home is always the best, and there's always the possibility of suffering outside.

Thinking of this, Lin Ziping comforted them gently and led them to the main room.

Lin Zhong sat at the head of the table, with Steward Tao standing beside him. Granny Liao led Xiao Ya to the kitchen, intending to prepare food for Lin Ziping.

"Uncle." Lin Ziping stood at the lower end of the table, cupped his hands in greeting, and placed a cup of tea on the table next to Lin Zhong.

Lin Zhong took a sip of tea and asked, "How has Ziping been lately?"

Lin Ziping reported on everything he had done in Fuchun.

I don't know why I could act cute and charming with Lin Zhong when I was a child because I was young, but now, although I am happy to see him, I still feel more and more distant when we are together, and even when we talk, it's like a work report.

"That's excellent, Ziping has grown up." Lin Zhong nodded with satisfaction.

Lin Ziping stopped speaking and stood silently.

Lin Zhong lowered his head and slowly drank the water.

The room suddenly became very quiet.

Seeing this, Butler Tao said, "Master, I wonder how Granny Liao's preparations are going? Why don't you let the young master go and take a look?"

Lin Zhong pondered for a moment, then sighed and said, "That's fine then. Ziping, go and see how Granny Liao is preparing the meal."

"Yes." Lin Ziping bowed and left into the kitchen.

The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen; amidst the smoke and cooking, Granny Liao stir-fried dishes while Xiao Ya helped tend the fire.

"Young Master, what brings you here? Are you hungry?" Granny Liao asked when she saw Lin Ziping. "Why don't you keep the Master company?"

"No, my uncle asked me to come and take a look." Lin Ziping washed his hands and picked up the vegetables on the cutting board to start chopping.

"Oh dear, young master, what are you doing? Put it down quickly!" Seeing Lin Ziping take out a knife, Granny Liao hurriedly called out.

Xiao Ya also stood up, wanting to take the kitchen knife from Lin Ziping's hand.

Lin Ziping smiled and dodged the question: "Grandma is fine. I've been cooking occasionally lately and I've found it quite enjoyable."

"Young Master, how can you do this? This...this...this is uncivilized!" Granny Liao hurriedly put down the spatula in her hand.

Lin Ziping put down the cleaver and took the spatula to stir-fry.

"Little girl, what name did you choose? Why didn't you write to tell me?" Lin Ziping began to change the subject. "I'm furious."

The little girl quickly squatted down, took out two pieces of firewood, and said, "Steward Tao gave me a name, 'Shumiao' (meaning 'millet seedling'). What do you think, young master?"

“The millet seedlings are lush and green, nourished by the rain, and they drift south, where the shrike calls them.”[1] Lin Ziping said, “I never thought that Steward Tao would also like to read the Book of Songs.”

"What Book of Songs, Young Master? You don't know, do you? My family used to grow millet." Granny Liao covered her mouth and laughed, taking the spatula from Lin Ziping's hand. "Let me do it."

Xiao Ya and Shu Miao smiled and said, "Yes, Aunt Wei also said that my family used to grow millet."

Lin Ziping laughed along. A name can be refined and elegant, or it can be simple and unpretentious.

"What's your surname? How about Lin, like mine? Zhuzi and Shunzi also have the same surname as me," Lin Ziping said.

The smiles on their faces vanished abruptly. Before Lin Ziping could react, Granny Liao put on a smile again: "Young Master's kindness is appreciated, but this matter still requires Master's approval."

Lin Ziping understood, of course, that this required Lin Zhong's consent. Bringing it up now was merely a preventative measure, a reminder to everyone.

"I'll talk to my uncle in a bit." After saying that, she continued chopping the vegetables in her hands.

"Shumiao, go and set out the bowls and chopsticks," Granny Liao instructed.

"Yes, Granny." After saying that, Shu Miao got up, washed her hands, and took the bowl and chopsticks out.

After Shu Miao left, Granny Liao approached Lin Ziping and said, "Young Master, are you hungry? Try this."

After saying that, he stuffed a piece of meat into Lin Ziping's mouth.

Lin Ziping was startled, and a scene from his childhood during Chinese New Year flashed through his mind: his mother would cook on the stove and then secretly stuff food into her mouth when no one was looking.

The taste was absolutely amazing. Later, I ate chicken, duck, fish, and meat, as well as delicacies from land and sea, but none of them tasted quite the same as the one in my memory.

"Is it delicious?" Granny Liao asked.

Lin Ziping chewed carefully and nodded emphatically: "Delicious!"

"Haha, eat more later." Granny Liao smiled, her eyes crinkling.

Carrying the plates outside, Lin Ziping set down two tables and put the food down.

With everyone working together, the food was set out in no time; this could be considered a Mid-Autumn Festival family feast.

Lin Ziping and Lin Zhong sat at one table, while the others sat at another.

As Lin Zhong picked up his bowl and started picking up food, everyone else began to use their chopsticks.

Lin Ziping tasted the food that Granny Liao had just stuffed into his mouth. Strange, why didn't it taste as good as before?

Seeing the others enjoying their food, Lin Ziping continued eating as usual, occasionally using serving chopsticks to put food on Lin Zhong's plate, and receiving a gratified look from him every now and then.

After a satisfying meal, Shu Miao led Zhu Zi and Shun Zi to start clearing away the dishes.

Lin Zhong, Steward Tao, Granny Liao, and Lin Ziping gathered in the main room.

Lin Ziping first explained the county government's arrangements for the evening and expressed his apologies for not being able to accompany them.

Lin Zhong waved his hand and said, "It's alright. Official business is more important. Our inn happens to be at Fuchunlou, so we can go together."

They're staying at Fuchunlou too?!

Thinking that Lin Zhong and the others might run into people from the county government office that night, Lin Ziping suddenly felt a sense of embarrassment, like when his parents met his teachers when he was a child.

"What, Ziping, don't you want us to go with you?" Lin Zhong asked, seemingly sensing Lin Ziping's emotions.

"No...no," Lin Ziping waved his hand.

Lin Zhong sighed, "Very well, since I haven't informed the magistrate beforehand, I shouldn't visit him rashly. Ziping can go by himself later. We'll stroll around Fuchun."

Judging from Lin Zhong's expression, Lin Ziping guessed that Lin Zhong thought Lin Ziping looked down on him.

Butler Tao and Granny Liao also looked at him with disapproval.

He opened his mouth as if to explain something, but after thinking about it, he kept his mouth shut. Explaining would be tantamount to covering up. Although he didn't mean it that way, he really didn't want them to run into the people from the county government.

I had originally planned to bring up the matter of giving Shumiao, Zhuzi, and Shunzi the surname Lin while Lin Zhong was in a good mood, but now it seems I should avoid that for the time being.

It's all my fault for having such a bad mouth.