Chapter 56: Zhuang Liuhong’s Failed Free Sauce Attempt

Chapter 56: Zhuang Liuhong Fails to Score Free Sauce

Taoxi Town, the Luo home.

As soon as Yuan Yali returned home, she headed straight for the kitchen. Her ten-year-old grandson, Luo Zi'an, was already home from school, watching cartoons in the living room.

Hearing the door open, Luo Zi'an looked toward the entrance. He was a little surprised to see his grandmother returning so late. "Grandma, where did you go? Why are you getting home so late?"

Yuan Yali smiled. "Grandma bought some delicious sauce to cook for you. Keep watching your show for a bit; I'll call you when it's almost time to eat."

"Don't sit so close to the TV; it's bad for your eyes. Scoot back a little."

Before she went out to buy the Spirit Chili Sauce, she had already cooked the rice and soup. Now, she only needed to whip up a couple of dishes. Opening the lid of the Spirit Chili Sauce, a rich, savory aroma filled her nose.

"Let me taste it first." She dipped a clean chopstick into the sauce and tasted a little. Instantly, her eyes widened. The texture was rich and velvety, with a long-lasting aftertaste.

"As expected of a family's secret sauce, it's the real deal! Zi'an will definitely like it!" Yuan Yali broke into a happy smile.

She got the wok hot with oil. In less than 20 minutes, Stir-fried Chicken with Bell Peppers and Stir-fried Cabbage were ready.

"Zi'an, dinner's ready!"

Luo Zi'an stood up from the sofa and looked at the dining table. Seeing his bowl filled to the brim with rice, he said, "Grandma, why did you give me so much rice? I won't be able to finish all this." He usually only took half a bowl; any more than that, he couldn't finish.

"You'll manage today. Start eating; if you can't finish it, Grandma can have what's left." With such fragrant food today, she believed her grandson could definitely finish this bowl.

For dinner tonight, there were three dishes and a soup: Stir-fried Chicken with Bell Peppers, Stir-fried Cabbage, Steamed Fish, and Corn and Pork Rib Soup with Carrots.

As soon as Luo Zi'an entered the dining room, the enticing aroma hit him. His stomach, which he never felt was particularly hungry, suddenly let out a loud growl.

"Grandma, the food smells amazing today," he said, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"If it smells good, you should eat a lot. Grandma made a special trip today to buy a family's secret sauce for cooking. It's so fragrant and delicious. Go on, try it and tell me what you think."

Yuan Yali placed a few pieces of chicken and fish into Luo Zi'an's bowl. Luo Zi'an wanted to take a couple of sips of soup first, then start on the food in his bowl. He quickly finished what was in his bowl and then helped himself to more dishes from the table.

As he served himself, he said, "The chicken is delicious today, and the fish is too!"

"Try the vegetables as well. Grandma also used the Spirit Chili Bean Sauce for the cabbage," Yuan Yali said, adding some cabbage to Luo Zi'an's bowl, watching him expectantly.

Luo Zi'an was a bit of a picky eater. He usually didn't like eating vegetables, thinking it was like eating grass with a strange texture.

When Yuan Yali first put the cabbage in his bowl, his first instinct was to push it aside. But the unique, enticing aroma of the vegetables that drifted to his nose was different from usual, so he decided to try a bite.

That one bite seemed to open the door to the world of vegetables for him, and he found he actually liked them. So vegetables weren't so bad after all; they could actually be eaten.

After finishing the cabbage in his bowl, Luo Zi'an automatically helped himself to several more servings. Not only did he finish all the rice in his bowl, but he also had a second helping and finished that too.

Watching how her grandson ate at dinner today, Yuan Yali's eyes were filled with satisfaction and relief. She was also very grateful to Lu Caiyun in her heart.

Her grandson had a bigger appetite! That 200 yuan was well spent!

Luo Zi'an asked curiously, "Grandma, where did you buy this sauce?"

Yuan Yali replied, "At the entrance of the middle school, at a place called Xuehe Rice Ball."

Xuehe Rice Ball? Luo Zi'an found the name somewhat familiar. He felt like he had heard it from someone, but who was it?

Three seconds later, he remembered. He had heard the name "Xuehe Rice Ball" in his class. His classmates said that although the food from this stall was a bit expensive, it was very delicious. They had even planned to go buy some together after school, but Luo Zi'an, not usually very interested in food, had declined their invitation.

Now, after tasting the food made at home with the sauce, his perspective had changed. Would he also like the snacks from Xuehe Rice Ball?

Luo Zi'an said to Yuan Yali, "Grandma, I heard from my classmates that their snacks are also really good. Can you buy one for me tomorrow?"

Yuan Yali smiled and agreed. "Sure, as long as you eat well. Not just one tomorrow, I can buy ten if you want." When she went to buy the sauce today, she also learned it was a rice ball stall. Besides rice balls, the stall also had meatballs and juice. She would buy some tomorrow.

After dinner, just as Yuan Yali placed the food cover over the dining table, a knocking sound came from the door. "Knock, knock, knock~"

She opened the door to find Zhuang Liuhong, her next-door neighbor, standing there. She asked with a smile, "Liuhong, what can I do for you?"

As soon as Zhuang Liuhong entered, she glanced toward the dining table and saw they had already eaten. An unconcealed look of anger appeared on her face. "Yali, did you deliberately wait until now to open the door for me? That's really not right."

Being scolded for no reason, Yuan Yali's smile faded. Her tone turned cold. "Liuhong, what do you mean by that? I haven't offended you today, have I? You come in and start scolding people right away. Why are you so angry?"

Luo Zi'an pointed angrily at Zhuang Liuhong. "Don't you dare scold my grandma! Get out! Don't come to our house!"

Ignoring Luo Zi'an, Zhuang Liuhong snorted coldly. "Hmph! I knocked on your door half an hour ago. You were all home and didn't answer. And you say it wasn't on purpose? Who would believe that!"

Yuan Yali frowned. "I was in the kitchen with the door closed, cooking. How could I hear you knocking? We're neighbors; your words are too harsh. What did you come to see me for?" Although she knew Zhuang Liuhong's personality was direct and impulsive, Yuan Yali still felt offended.

Luo Zi'an had heard the knocking. He had intended to answer the door, but upon recognizing the knock as Zhuang Liuhong's, he turned back to the sofa and even turned up the TV volume.

Zhuang Liuhong's grandson was named Wang Yichen. Luo Zi'an and Wang Yichen had known each other since childhood and often played together. But Wang Yichen was a proper little troublemaker—bossy, selfish, spoke as harshly as his grandmother, and often snatched Luo Zi'an's toys. Because of this, Luo Zi'an had fought with him many times. Luo Zi'an simply didn't like Zhuang Liuhong's family.

Zhuang Liuhong directly extended her hand. "You bought that stall auntie's family secret sauce today, right? Lend it to me to cook with. Let me see how it tastes."

Yuan Yali's eyelid twitched. She refused. "I still need to use the sauce. You can go buy some tomorrow. It's very close, right at the middle school entrance. You went there at noon today too."

Zhuang Liuhong was someone who never returned things she borrowed from others. Residents up and down the building had all had things "borrowed" by her. If she lent out the Spirit Chili Sauce today, it would be as good as gone.