Chapter 135: Favoritism

Chapter 135: Favoritism

Lin Shu processed a large amount of pulp, and once it solidified, she had a full basin of *Guanyin Tofu*.

Holding a long bamboo skewer, she sliced the large, emerald-like *Guanyin Tofu* into smaller cubes than she usually made for cold dishes.

The sliced *Guanyin Tofu*, along with the soft, steamed mung beans from the pot, were chilled with cool mountain spring water.

Taking advantage of the moment, Lin Shu peeled the two melons Li Chunmiao had brought, diced them, and placed them in a separate bowl. The fresh cucumbers Lin Zhaodi provided were also diced and put into another bowl.

She then took an empty earthen pot, scooped in half a pot of mountain spring water, broke off a small piece of rock sugar, crushed it, and tossed it in to dissolve, creating about half a pot of sweetened water.

Of course, rock sugar was expensive, and Lin Shu was reluctant to use too much. With such a small piece dissolved in half a pot of water, the water was only faintly sweet. Still, a hint of sweetness was enough.

"Xiao Pu, help me get seven clean bamboo containers," Lin Shu called out.

"Alright, be right there!" Lin Xiaopu went to the kitchen and returned carrying seven bamboo containers.

Farm households typically owned earthen bowls based on family size, usually with only four or five extras at most. More were uncommon, as these items cost money. When guests arrived, the extra bowls usually sufficed. If not, they would borrow tables, chairs, and utensils from neighbors.

This time, when Zhao San and Aunt Lin borrowed the stove to cook, they brought their own utensils and borrowed some from Aunt Li, but it was just enough. Lin Shu didn't use additional earthen bowls.

Sweetwater Village had an abundance of bamboo, and every household kept bamboo tubes and containers—natural storage vessels gifted by nature. These bamboo containers were useful for drinking water or storing beans, and poorer families even used them for serving rice or soup.

Once Lin Xiaopu arranged the clean bamboo containers on the table, Lin Shu used a ladle to scoop the sliced *Guanyin Tofu* into them.

She used a large ladle, and one scoop half-filled each bamboo container.

Next, she added a scoop each of the diced melon and cucumber from their respective bowls, followed by a full scoop of the soft, steamed mung beans.

Finally, a large ladle of rock sugar syrup was poured over the top. The fruit ice jelly was now ready.

Lin Xiaopu watched intently. As soon as Lin Shu finished preparing the seven bamboo containers of fruit ice jelly, she immediately asked, "A-jie, with Wang Yingen and the others, plus me, there are exactly seven of us. Are these for us?"

Lin Shu nodded. "These are for you. We don’t have enough bowls at home, so you’ll have to make do with these small bamboo containers."

Lin Xiaopu quickly pulled one toward herself. "Make do? Wang Yingen and the others will be thrilled! A-jie, let me eat one first. After I finish, can you serve me another?"

Lin Shu smiled and tapped her nose. "You’re my A-mei, so of course you’re different from the others. I’ll set aside another bowl for you."

"Hehe, A-jie is the best." Lin Xiaopu started eating as she spoke, exclaiming how delicious it was!

Since the family had bought rock sugar, Lin Xiaopu had developed a stronger preference for sweet *Guanyin Tofu*. Now that A-jie had turned it into ice jelly, Lin Xiaopu absolutely loved it.

Perhaps A-jie used a different method, but the *Guanyin Tofu* that solidified today was even softer and smoother. Mixed with diced melon, cucumber, and mung beans, each spoonful combined the smooth texture of the *Guanyin Tofu* with the sweetness of the melon and the freshness of the cucumber. Chewing released the soft, sweet mung beans, and a sip of the rock sugar syrup from the bamboo container was cool, sweet, and refreshing—instantly dispelling any lingering heat!

Mmm, so good!

Lin Xiaopu had only tried mung bean soup among the various drinks in town, but even without tasting the others, she was certain that A-jie’s fruit ice jelly surpassed them all!

"This is just basic. If we had more types of fruit, the fruit ice jelly would be even better," Lin Shu said.

During her last market visit, Lin Shu noticed that the variety of fruits in town was limited. Loquats were nearly out of season and expensive, mostly only wealthy households could afford them. This season mainly featured peaches, plums, and apricots, but compared to modern varieties, these fruits were smaller and often sour rather than sweet.

There weren’t many fruit farmers in Jingxi Town; most were grown by locals in their yards. If they had extras, they sold them at the market.

Lin Xiaopu devoured her ice jelly in big bites and immediately said, "A-jie, what about wild fruits? Many wild fruits in the mountains and fields are about to ripen! Ground loquats are the best—sweet and juicy. Raspberries start ripening during the transplanting season—sour, sweet, and juicy. But the ones on the back mountain have already been picked clean by Wang Yingen and the others. We’d have to look elsewhere. Later, there will also be prickly pears and wild grapes…"

Lin Shu chuckled. "Those wild fruits aren’t enough to even fill your teeth. You should just enjoy them as snacks."

Lin Xiaopu licked her lips. "The wild fruits in the mountains really aren’t enough for all the village children, but isn’t there A-Ye? He can go deep into the mountains and bring back any fruit for us!"

Lin Shu thought about this. If there were enough wild fruits, she could create many variations of ice jelly. Unfortunately, ice jelly plants weren't available yet. Otherwise, she could use them to make ice jelly and dye it with fruit juices, creating something both beautiful and delicious.

After making an extra bowl of fruit ice jelly for Lin Xiaopu, Lin Shu served a few more bowls—one for herself, one for her mother, one for Aunt Lin, and one for her father.

After everything was handed out, Lin Shu called He Guixiang and Lin Xiaopu to help carry things.

Lin Shu carried the large basin of cubed *Guanyin Tofu*, He Guixiang carried the earthen pot of rock sugar syrup, and Lin Xiaopu used a basket to carry two bowls of diced cucumber and melon. The remaining bowl of mung beans, which didn’t fit, she carried in her hands.

The mother and her daughters headed together to the construction site.

It was noon, when the sun was strongest. Zhao San, Zhou Ye, and the others had stopped working and were resting in the shade of a nearby slope.

They spread readily available hay on the ground, lying or sitting however they liked.

Lin Zhaodi poured a bowl of herbal tea for Zhao Laosan, and the couple sat together, chatting quietly.

Liu Erzhuang couldn’t help but ask, "Aunt Lin, is Lin Shu really making snacks for us in the yard? Why is it taking so long?"

Lin Zhaodi knew he was impatient. "You think cooking is that easy, done in a quarter or half an hour? Just washing and preparing the ingredients takes time, not to mention steaming and boiling. Do you know how long we women spent on the wild vegetable dumplings you ate yesterday? Just wrapping them required rolling dough and filling—it took A-Shu and us a long time to finish three large pots."

Liu Erzhuang scratched his head sheepishly. "Aunt Lin, you’ve worked hard."

Lin Zhaodi waved her hand. "Don't mention it. Cooking is time-consuming but not too labor-intensive. It’s nothing compared to what you men are doing. We’re grateful for your help; without you, we couldn’t have built this thatched house."

Liu Erzhuang was tired, sure, but farming was also exhausting. After a day’s work, he usually only had porridge and pickles to eat. Working on Zhao San’s house allowed him to enjoy such hearty meals, and he was content. When he heard Lin Shu was making snacks for them, the effort seemed even more worthwhile.

"Brother Zhou Ye, why don’t you go back and see if Lin Shu needs any help?" Liu Erzhuang suggested, turning to Zhou Ye, who was working on a bamboo container nearby.

Zhou Ye was using the noon break to make bamboo containers. He held a small knife borrowed from Grandpa Gao, carefully smoothing the lid of a bamboo container. It was delicate work, requiring gradual adjustment to ensure the lid fit perfectly.

Hearing Liu Erzhuang’s question, he paused and replied, "I’m too dirty to be around A-Shu."

He stayed outside instead of going inside to rest because he felt unclean. While he could wash his hands and face, his mud-stained clothes were another matter. Changing clothes just to rest indoors seemed too troublesome. Besides, for Zhou Ye, sitting idle without heavy labor was rest enough.

Wang Zhangshun, who'd been quiet, overheard Zhou Ye mention Lin Shu and couldn’t help casting an envious glance his way.

Though not as strong as Zhou Ye, Wang Zhangshun was still quite capable and worked diligently without complaint. He felt he and Zhou Ye were similar, except he wasn’t as tall or handsome. But he lacked Zhou Ye’s charm.

Now Zhou Ye even had a capable and beautiful wife. It was truly something to envy.

Wang Zhangshun wanted to get married too.

Not because his mother urged him, but because he genuinely desired it. However, his family was poor, and he felt inadequate, with no prospects in view.

Sometimes he thought about following Zhou Ye’s example and becoming a live-in husband. After all, his parents considered him foolish, and his younger brother could take care of them. But he knew his parents would never agree. Even if he remained single forever, he had to stay with the Wang family.

Zhou Ye’s situation was different—he was homeless, orphaned, and had sold himself to Uncle Lin’s family. People praised his sacrifice, as he had done it to help his clansmen.

If others in the village imitated him, they would be seen as abandoning their roots and face criticism. His parents would rather suffer poverty and hunger than let him bring shame to the family.

No matter how much Wang Zhangshun wanted to marry, he had to let go of the idea.

"Brother Zhou Ye, why don’t you just take a peek from the yard entrance? You don’t have to go near Lin Shu," Liu Erzhuang suggested mischievously.

Zhou Ye said calmly, "What’s the hurry? Just wait. A-Shu will definitely come."

Having nearly finished the lid for the bamboo container in his hand, Zhou Ye put the lid on, gave it some final polishing, and set both finished bamboo containers aside.

Thinking of something, he grabbed a handful of straw and carefully wiped off the dust clinging to the outside of the containers.

Liu Erzhuang thought he was being rather boring. Turning to look at Wang Zhangshun, well, that guy was even duller.

Fortunately, Liu Erzhuang didn't have to complain for long before he heard someone approaching. Craning his neck to look, he saw it was Auntie He with her two daughters.

They were carrying things!

Just as Liu Erzhuang was about to get up to help, Zhou Ye had already beaten him to it, heading straight for Lin Shu.

"A-Shu, let me." Zhou Ye took a few large steps to reach Lin Shu, took the wooden basin from her hands, effortlessly cradled it in one arm, and took the basket from Lin Xiaopu with his other hand.

Although the items in the basket weren’t heavy, Lin Xiaopu was still holding a bowl. One slip and the bowl could've fallen.

As for He Guixiang, she was used to hard work and carried the pot of rock sugar syrup steadily, not needing Zhou Ye’s help at all. Unlike Lin Shu, who had been carrying the large basin of *Guanyin Tofu* until her arms grew sore. Since the distance was short, she hadn’t taken a break, pushing herself to carry it over in one go. By the time Zhou Ye saw her, her back was arched, looking as if she might drop it at any moment.

With her hands free now, Lin Xiaopu grinned and thanked him.

Lin Shu didn’t say anything, but a smile flickered in her eyes.

She naturally walked side by side with Zhou Ye, helping him place the items next to the wooden stump where they kept the tea.

The tea bowls the men had been drinking from were still on the stump—empty pottery bowls that could be used directly.

"A-Shu, what did you and Sister-in-law He bring?" Lin Zhaodi asked curiously, eyeing the basin of green, jade-like substance. She had no idea what it was made of, but it looked smooth and soft, somewhat like tofu.

"Aunt Lin, today I made some fruit ice jelly," Lin Shu said with a smile. Following the earlier steps, she prepared four bowls of ice jelly—one for each of the working men.

As Lin Shu prepared the ice jelly, Liu Erzhuang watched wide-eyed. The moment the four bowls were ready, he immediately snatched up his bowl, scooped a large spoonful into his mouth, and murmured, "Mmm, delicious, so smooth and tender! The melon is sweet, the cucumber fragrant, and the mung beans are soft and sandy. So good! Even the liquid tastes sweet! Sister Lin Shu, did you add sugar to this snack?"

The melon alone couldn’t be this sweet!

Lin Shu pointed to the ceramic pot nearby and said with a smile, "This pot is filled with syrup made from dissolved rock sugar."

So it was syrup made from rock sugar—no wonder it was so sweet!

Nowadays, sugar was a precious commodity, and rock sugar was especially expensive. Sister Lin Shu was truly generous!

Liu Erzhuang chattered away, praising the dish as he ate, while the others focused solely on eating, scooping spoonful after spoonful of ice jelly into their mouths.

Eating such a cool treat on a hot day was truly refreshing!

"So refreshing! A-Shu, this treat you made is absolutely delicious!" Zhao San praised generously. After finishing the solid ingredients in his bowl, he drank every last drop of the syrup.

Lin Shu quickly prepared another bowl for him and said to the men, "Two bowls each, no more after that."

Liu Erzhuang promptly handed over his empty bowl and asked, puzzled, "Lin Shu, there's a whole big basin, why only two bowls per person?"

"That’s for A-Ye. After each of you has had two bowls, the rest will be for A-Ye," Lin Shu explained honestly.

At these words, Zhou Ye immediately felt several pairs of eyes on him.

Outwardly, he showed no reaction, but inwardly, he felt as sweet as the syrup in the ice jelly.

In the past, his big appetite had only brought him endless trouble and worry. But now, it had earned him A-Shu’s special treatment.

He loved this kind of favor.

After each person had eaten two bowls of ice jelly, Lin Shu kept her word. She scraped the remaining melon cubes, cucumber cubes, and mung beans from the bowls into the basin and poured every last drop of the rock sugar syrup from the pot into it, making a large basin of fruit ice jelly.

"A-Ye, this is all for you. Take your time eating it."

Zhou Ye cradled the basin of ice jelly in his arms as if it were a rare treasure and asked, "A-Shu, have you eaten any?"

"Not yet. Mine is on the table. I’ll go back and eat it now." Remembering something, Lin Shu turned to Lin Zhaodi and said, "Aunt Lin, I set aside a bowl for you too. It’s been chilled with spring water, so it’s quite cold. You can let it sit for a while before eating."

Earlier, when no one was looking, Zhao Laosan had sneakily fed Lin Zhaodi a spoonful. She had already tasted it and found it absolutely delicious! But with so many people around, she felt too embarrassed to share a bowl with Zhao Laosan. After hurriedly eating that one spoonful, she hadn’t had time to savor it properly.

She had thought that A-Shu had brought all she had made and given the rest to Zhou Ye, leaving none for her. She hadn’t expected A-Shu to save a bowl for her!

Lin Zhaodi immediately smiled and said, "Let’s go, let’s go back and eat!"

She had been outside for so long and was already feeling hot and stuffy. A bowl of sweet ice jelly would be perfect to cool down!

"A-Ye, I’ll head back now. Once you’re done eating, bring the empty basin back to me. We’ll need it for dinner later," Lin Shu said to Zhou Ye, her eyes carrying a certain look that made Zhou Ye reluctant to look away.

He nodded in agreement. After Lin Shu and the others had walked away, he held the basin of ice jelly and began eating large spoonfuls.

Liu Erzhuang watched enviously. He could easily eat three more bowls of such delicious ice jelly! But now, he could only watch Brother Zhou Ye enjoy it.

Zhao Laosan patted him on the shoulder and said, "What are you staring at? Aren’t two bowls enough for you? On ordinary days, would you even get to eat this much?"

Liu Erzhuang: ...

It was one thing for Lin Shu to play favorites—after all, she was Brother Zhou Ye’s soon-to-be wife. But why was Zhao San also playing favorites?

How could Zhao Laosan not play favorites? Zhou Ye did the work of three to five men in a day! What was wrong with him eating more? He deserved it! Besides, it was his wife who made it—she could give him as much as she wanted.

After finishing the ice jelly, Zhou Ye didn’t delay. He informed Zhao San and took the empty basin back. On his return, he brought along the two bamboo containers he had made.

No one knew what Lin Shu had said to Zhou Ye, but after his trip back, although he looked the same on the surface—his lips still straight and unsmiling—a hint of joy flickered at the corners of his eyes. To Liu Erzhuang, he looked completely lovesick!

In the main room, Lin Shu arranged the bamboo containers A-Ye had just brought alongside the previous two, lining them up neatly. She looked at them with a smile, her eyes curving happily.

Four tea containers—just the right number. One for pine needle tea, one for kudzu flower tea, one for bamboo leaf tea, and the last for mulberry leaf tea. If there were more later, she could also make houttuynia and ginger tea or lychee grass tea.

"A-jie, what did you secretly say to A-Ye just now?" Lin Xiaopu asked curiously.

Lin Shu replied mysteriously, "Some things are better left unasked. Anyway, it’s not something a child like you should know."

Lin Xiaopu snorted lightly, thinking to herself that she could guess—it must have been something mushy. When her sister’s words turned sweet, it was like they were coated in honey, enough to make A-Ye dizzy with happiness.