txolops Chapter 199 Parents' Concerns
Chapter 199 Parents' Concerns
2:30 p.m.
The phone next to the bed vibrated twice before Lin Chen reached out and stopped it.
He opened his eyes, and his gaze instantly returned to clarity.
Although he only slept for a little over an hour, it was enough time for him, who worked non-stop in the kitchen all year round, to recover his energy.
Lin Chen sat up and picked up the black short-sleeved shirt draped over the bed and put it on.
"call……"
Hearing a noise from the side, Wang Hai yawned widely, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and got up from the sofa.
"Brother Chen, it's 2:30?"
Wang Hai asked, still a little confused.
"Get up and get to work."
Lin Chen spoke up.
"Alright."
Wang Hai rubbed his face vigorously, forcing himself to wake up, then shuffled into the bathroom in his slippers, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water haphazardly on his face.
When Wang Hai wiped his face and came out, Lin Chen had already gone into the kitchen.
On the stove, the large stainless steel insulated bucket sat atop the blazing stove.
The flames underneath were turned down to the lowest setting, slowly licking the bottom of the pot.
"Glug glug..."
After several hours of slow simmering, the rich aroma of 60 jin of premium pork, the freshness of scallions and ginger, and the flavor of secret spices are completely blended together.
Even with the heavy lid on, the aroma of meat still seeped out through the cracks, filling the entire rented room.
Wang Hai walked to the kitchen door and took a deep sniff.
"Brother Chen, this tastes absolutely amazing."
Wang Hai swallowed hard, rolled up his sleeves, and asked with great enthusiasm, "What do we do next?"
Washing vegetables or cooking rice?
"Wash the rice and cook it."
Lin Chen assigned tasks: "Sixty catties of minced meat, and a considerable amount of rice will be consumed."
Wash out the storage boxes, and use all the rice cookers.
"Okay! Leave it to me!"
The two had a clear division of labor in the kitchen, each busy with their own tasks.
"Splash..."
In the sink, Wang Hai quickly rinsed the rice, the white rice water flowing down the drain.
Lin Chen was on the other side of the cutting board, preparing the Shanghai bok choy he would use that evening.
Just then.
"Ring ring..."
The cell phone that was on the dining table in the living room suddenly rang.
The crisp sound of the bell rang out clearly in the rented room filled with the sounds of water.
Lin Chen paused, his hand holding the kitchen knife.
"Brother Chen, the phone is ringing."
Wang Hai shook the water droplets off his hands and reminded him.
"You continue."
Lin Chen put down the knife, rinsed his hands by the sink, dried them with a towel, and turned to walk out of the kitchen.
He went to the dining table, picked up his phone, and glanced at it.
Two words appeared on the screen: Mom.
Looking at those two words, a hint of tenderness appeared in Lin Chen's eyes.
Having transmigrated to this parallel world, he inherited the original owner's body and memories, and fully embraced the deep bond of kinship.
Lin Chen swiped to answer the call.
"Hello, Mom."
Lin Chen put the phone to his ear.
"Hey, Xiao Chen."
On the other end of the phone came the voice of a middle-aged woman, carrying a hint of the vicissitudes of life, but full of concern, "Did I disturb your work?"
Are you busy?
"Not busy, just woke up from my lunch break and am preparing ingredients for dinner."
Lin Chen answered softly.
"It's good that we didn't disturb you. Your dad and I figured you should be up by now, so we called to check on you."
Lin Chen's mother paused for a moment, then asked, "How are you and Tangtang doing lately?"
Is Tangtang a good girl at kindergarten?
The weather is getting hotter and hotter. Running a stall is so hard; can your body handle it?
A barrage of questions came at me, all filled with worry.
Lin Chen tightened his grip on his phone slightly.
"We're doing fine."
Lin Chen slowed down his speech and answered patiently, "Tangtang is very good. She has already been sent to kindergarten today."
My business is doing well, and my body can handle it.
You don't need to worry.
"Business is good, but don't work too hard. You can't earn all the money in the world."
Hearing her son say that everything was fine, Lin Chen's mother visibly breathed a sigh of relief. "It's not easy for you to take care of the child alone out there. Eat something good every day, don't be stingy."
Tangtang is growing and needs more nutrition.
"I know."
Lin Chen nodded in agreement.
"By the way, Xiaochen, your dad and I went to town yesterday to send a package."
Lin Chen's mother's tone became cheerful, "There are some homemade dried sweet potatoes and two pieces of cured meat that your dad smoked, which are Tangtang's favorite foods."
I also have a few jars of pickled radishes and chili sauce that I made myself. If you don't have time to cook while you're running your stall, just take them out and eat them with your meals.
Hearing this, Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart.
Their hometown is hundreds of kilometers away, but the elderly couple always remembers to send food to their son and granddaughter in the city.
"Mom, logistics are so convenient now. You can buy anything in the supermarket. You don't need to send things from so far away anymore."
You all stay home and eat.
Lin Chen gently advised.
"Can anything bought from the supermarket taste as good as homemade food?"
"Will it be as clean as a house?"
Lin Chen's mother immediately retorted, "How much could the postage cost?"
As long as you and Tangtang are happy eating, your dad and I won't feel bad about it.
"Okay, I'll make it for Tangtang after I receive it."
A warm smile appeared on Lin Chen's lips.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.
A moment later, Lin's father's voice faintly came from the background: "Ask him if he needs money, don't let him struggle alone out there."
Then, Lin Chen's mother lowered her voice and tentatively asked, "Xiao Chen, is your stall doing well lately?"
Your dad and I still have some money in our savings account. If you're short on cash, don't hide it from your family; we'll transfer it to you.
"You're raising a child, don't make yourself suffer."
Lin Chen's eyes welled up slightly.
The original owner had previously lived in poverty, but no matter how difficult things got, his parents were always his last source of support.
Now, he earns over ten thousand yuan a day and has long since escaped his financial straits.
"Mom, I don't need money."
Lin Chen said, "The stall business is very good. I not only don't lack money now, but I've also saved quite a bit."
Keep the money in your savings account for your retirement, and buy whatever you want.
In a couple of days, I'll transfer some money back to your account.
"Hey, why are you paying?"
What money could two old folks like us possibly spend in the countryside!
Keep it for yourself to pay Tangtang's tuition!
When Lin Chen's mother heard that he wanted to send money, she immediately became anxious, saying, "As long as you are all well, we are relieved."
Alright, I know you're busy, Mom won't say any more.
Go get back to work, and take good care of yourself.
"it is good."
Lin Chen took a deep breath and said seriously, "Mom, you and Dad should also take care of yourselves at home."
"After a while, I'll bring Tangtang back to visit you."
"Okay! Okay! Bring Tangtang back!"
Lin Chen's mother's voice instantly rose eight octaves, her tone filled with undisguised excitement and anticipation, "Then your father and I will wait for you at home!"
"It's over."
"Beep...beep..."
The phone hangs up.
Lin Chen slowly put down his phone and stood by the dining table.
The cicadas chirped incessantly outside the window.
Inside the kitchen, the sounds of running water and Wang Hai's work mingled together.
Lin Chen looked at the gradually darkening phone screen and let out a long breath.
This phone call completely connected him to the roots of this world.
Having someone to care about and give back to seems to give you even more motivation to make money.
"Brother Chen?"
The kitchen glass door was pushed open, and Wang Hai leaned out, holding a freshly washed Shanghai bok choy in his hand.
"What's wrong?"
Lin Chen put away his phone, turned around, and his eyes regained their usual calm and capable expression, without any unnecessary sadness.
"The 60 jin of minced meat is almost done cooking. Should I chop the Shanghai bok choy directly, or blanch it in boiling water first?"
Wang Hai asked.
"Blanch them in boiling water with a little salt and cooking oil to keep the leaves bright green."
Lin Chen walked back to the kitchen and casually retied his apron. "Hurry up and get all the ingredients ready before four o'clock so we can load them into the car. We need to pick Tangtang up from school."
"Alright! Mission accomplished!"
Wang Hai grinned and turned to turn on the high-powered stove.