Chapter 113: The Five Senses (First Installment)

In the end, Chen settled temporarily into the warm embrace of his kindly neighbor, an elderly grandmother.

He had initially intended to move into one of the model apartments in the complex. However, due to the explosion and fire on the eighth floor that had engulfed not only that level but also affected the seventh and ninth floors, seven households in total were temporarily displaced. Unlike the others, who were mostly families of three, four, or five, he was a lone individual with his cat.

In comparison, the model apartment in the neighborhood seems more suitable for larger families as a temporary residence.

With the neighbor's grandmother consistently regarding him with an exceedingly warm and benevolent gaze, constantly iterating the strength of the bond between their two families, Chen Shi Jin ultimately sought refuge in her home.

However, he only planned to stay temporarily for two days. During this time, someone would come to repair the large hole in the roof of his house, and he would compensate for the damage to the kitchen utensils.

In two days' time, I should be able to return to my own home and resume my life there.

The neighbor grandmother, as expected, was indeed amiable and warmhearted. She offered Chen Shijin her son's room, who was away, to stay in.

"Little Jin, don't worry. The sheets and pillowcases are freshly changed, and Grandma has even sunned the quilts. Just feel at ease staying with Grandma!"

The neighborly grandma had a warm and benevolent smile, and her voice was exceptionally loud! It was a perfect match for Chen's current need to hear clearly.

Chen Shijin nodded obediently, and Lezi the cat on his shoulder followed suit with earnest approval. It seemed that the next couple of days would be harmonious and pleasant.

But this harmony and beauty came to an abrupt end during dinner.

Although Chen Shijin couldn't clearly see what his food looked like, he could still discern the blueish-purple hue. This wasn't a color even purple sweet potatoes could produce in a porridge, let alone a congee with century eggs and lean pork, as the neighbor grandma had claimed.

Lowering his head to take a small taste, Chen Shijin was startled by several fierce pokes from Lezi's claws on his shoulder.

Turning his head, Chen Shijin saw Lezi's eyes wide open in astonishment. The cat peered down at his bowl, then back up at Chen Shijin. Despite the blurriness, it was clear that the feline was questioning: You dare to eat this mess??

Chen Shijin: ...

"Little Jin! Eat up! Grandma has been cooking for fifty years, her skills are unparalleled! This century egg and lean pork porridge is especially delicious!"

Looking up, Chen Shijin vaguely sensed that the neighbor grandma was staring intently at him, holding a kitchen knife in her hand!

It appeared as if she might lunge at him at any moment over a disagreement.

Chen Shijin twitched the corners of his mouth and dipped his chopsticks into the porridge, then cautiously licked a bit off the tip.

A playful meow on his shoulder let out a sharp squeal, covering its eyes with its claws as if it refused to witness Sweet Gold eating feces.

Chen Shijin sampled the soup with the mindset that no matter how poisonous it was, it couldn't kill him in one go.

After tasting it, he blinked. The flavor... ah... it was savory, rich, well-balanced in saltiness, and the lean meat and century egg bits were delectable. According to his tongue's judgment, there was nothing amiss with the taste!

Aside from the unappealing color, it was genuinely... quite delicious?

Chen Shijin took two more bites. With no signs of poisoning or adverse reactions, and the pure taste, he finally relaxed slightly, finishing the entire bowl of porridge.

The neighborly grandma watched him eat with a warm smile on her face, her expression even more benevolent.

"Grandma, this porridge is beyond words! It's truly scrumptious! Your cooking skills are unparalleled!" Chen Shijin loudly praised, causing the grandma to laugh heartily. "I've told you, this is my fifty-year-old recipe! It raised not only your uncles and elders but also your big brother!"

Chen Shijin also laughed.

Then, he slept in the bedroom that Grandma had spared for him that night.

Before he went to bed, though, he seemed to hear a loud noise coming from the kitchen—it was a sound that would have been insignificant to his previous hearing, but it was quite loud considering his newfound acuity.

"Grandma? Is something the matter?"

Still worried, he walked over to the kitchen to check.

There, he saw Grandma mopping around the rice bucket. Upon seeing him, she waved her hand nervously. "It's nothing, nothing. I accidentally spilled a cup of water. After all, I'm old and not as steady on my feet."

Upon hearing this, Chen Shijin wanted to step forward to help, but Grandma quickly pushed him away. "Oh, you little rascal! What are you doing getting involved? Grandma isn't that old yet! Young people shouldn't stay up late, go to bed!"

Chen Shijin noticed the puddle on the floor and didn't think much of it. However, just before he fell asleep, he suddenly recalled that there was an odd smell in the kitchen at that time.

A pungent odor filled the air.

The next morning, they had small dumplings for breakfast, which Grandma had made herself. They tasted fantastic.

Nonetheless, Chen Shijin wasn't surprised to find that his taste buds had started to deteriorate that day. The first bite of the wontons had been savory, soft, and glutinous, but by the end, his mouth seemed devoid of any flavor.

Chen Shijin's expression remained unchanged; this was already the third day.

Assuming one sense was lost each day, it could be either his sense of taste, smell, or touch.

It seemed that today was the day his sense of taste would vanish.

Therefore, the deadly trap must surely lie in his ability to taste.

Recalling the sounds from the kitchen last night, the faintly pungent odor, and the slightly nervous expression on Grandma Neighbor's face, Chen Shijin observed her with great composure throughout the morning. He found that there was nothing unusual about her; she spent the entire morning peacefully knitting on her balcony in a rocking chair. She was indeed a gentle and loving grandmother.

At eleven o'clock, Grandma began preparing lunch.

"Little Jin, for lunch today, Grandma will make you chicken stewed with potatoes. It's one of Grandma's specialties!"

Chen Shijin happily agreed.

Multiple times he passed by the kitchen without noticing anything amiss.

Grandma Neighbor was meticulous and precise in her cooking. Chen Shi Jin squinted his eyes but didn't catch her adding any peculiar ingredients to the pot.

Of course, given his current vision, it was still difficult for him to see clearly, but he sensed no issues.

Therefore, there shouldn't be any problem.

Yet, a nagging uneasiness lingered within him, an indelible sensation that refused to dissipate.

Not until the potato stew with chicken was served, and Grandma Neighbor looked at Chen Shi Jin with great anticipation, waiting for his critique of this signature dish.

However, Chen Shi Jin was almost tasteless now. All food that entered his mouth merely left a bland, waxy sensation behind.

The difference lied perhaps in whether the wax was softer or harder, smoother or stickier, and whether it got stuck in his teeth.

In the end, Chen Shi Jin still picked up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and ate it, subsequently lavishing praise on the chicken's tender and juicy texture.

Chen Shi Jin wasn't lying; the chicken was indeed neither tough nor dry, but delightfully tender. It was just that he couldn't taste its flavor.

Yet, Grandma Neighbor's eyes crinkled with joy. "Eat more if you like it!"

Chen Shijin could only pick a piece of chicken and place it on his rice, preparing for a large mouthful.

Just as he was about to stuff the rice, drenched in chicken broth, into his mouth, his nostrils caught a familiar, pungent odor.

Though faint, the scent was distinct.

Chen Shijin abruptly stopped his chopsticks mid-air.

The nagging unease in his heart had finally found validation.

Nonetheless, he quickly pretended to take two more bites before suddenly standing up. "Grandma, I'm going to the restroom!"

With a somewhat bewildered Grandma Neighbor watching, Chen Shijin went to the bathroom and promptly spat out the rice from his mouth. He then began to frantically rinse his mouth.

The problem wasn't with the chicken dish but the rice!

Despite having lost his sense of taste, he could feel a numbing and painful sensation on his lips and in his mouth.

Better rinse with soap water, then.

As Chen Shijin frantically rinsed his mouth in the bathroom, a sudden loud noise echoed from the dining area.

Chen Shijin lifted his head quickly and saw in the mirror that his mouth had swollen to resemble a sausage, his face equally distorted.

Lezi meowed with laughter on his shoulder.

Chen Shijin: "..."

He took a deep breath and swiftly opened the door to peer into the kitchen, where he spotted the fallen neighbor lady.

Alarmed, he rushed to her side, intending to help her up when the door suddenly opened - though he didn't hear it.

Until an enraged meow pierced his ear, followed by a forceful shove and a sense of impending danger, Chen Shijin instinctively rolled forward at the last moment, evading the furious swing of the neighbor's son's hammer.

"..."

If that hammer had connected, he would have been done for.

"What have you done to my mother?!!"

The middle-aged man was seething with rage.

With swollen lips and a flushed face, Chen Shi Jin bellowed even more fiercely, "Damn it! Listen carefully! Take your mother to the hospital, she's been poisoned!!"

The middle-aged man seemed unable to comprehend, still pointing his hammer at Chen Shi Jin as he attempted to speak.

Unable to see, hear, or taste properly, Chen Shi Jin was beyond furious. He jumped onto his stool and slammed it onto the ground in a fit of madness.

The deafening noise caused the middle-aged man to tremble, but he was completely oblivious to it.

"Damn it! Didn't you hear me? Your mother has been poisoned, take her to the hospital, AHHH—"

Indeed, that roar almost echoed throughout the entire floor, drawing the attention of other neighbors.

As he couldn't hear, his voice naturally grew louder.

Startled, the middle-aged man quickly dropped the hammer and rushed to carry his mother to the hospital upon hearing the news.

With a forbidding look on his face, Chen Shijin followed the middle-aged man to the hospital. When the man glanced at him again, he bellowed, "Have you never seen someone with a 2000-degree myopia? My ears were also damaged by the explosion, so I can't hear well now! I can get checked out at the hospital!"

The middle-aged man was speechless.

Why were young people so easily angered these days?

Chen Shijin's anger intensified after learning about his neighbor's grandmother's test results at the hospital—

The grandmother had been saved after an afternoon of emergency treatment. With a guilty conscience, she held Chen Shijin's hand and explained, "Grandma couldn't bear to waste rice! Oh dear, that colorless and odorless rat poison accidentally spilled a bit into the rice jar. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal since it was just a little, so I even rubbed the rice in the jar several times! Who knew… Anyway, Little Jin, as long as you're okay!"

Lying on the adjacent bed, Chen Shijin forced a smile.

He had swollen cheeks and lips, partial deafness, blindness, and loss of taste. He was truly fine.

The grandmother's son felt very ashamed and apologized to Chen Shijin by buying him two boxes of milk and many fruits.

Looking at him, Chen Shijin chuckled. "It's alright. If not you, then someone else. Anyway, I'm blind, deaf, and can't taste anything now. So be it."

The middle-aged man said, "Young man, don't lose hope! As long as you're alive, there's always hope, right? No one will bully you from now on! Uncle will definitely take good care of you!"

Chen Jin sipped his flavorless milk, blinked his eyes.

Tomorrow would mark the fourth day, and he might lose either his remaining sense of smell or touch.

But if this was a world where everything functioned as it should,

then he felt that he could do something productive during these coming days.

After holding back for so long, it was time for him to mount a counterattack.