Chapter 29

Chu Lingyue’s face darkened slightly, her tone indifferent as she said, “I have no family.”

【Ding! Rewarded one plate of pine nut corn.】

The corner of Tang Jin’s mouth twitched. It seemed the System was working fine—the problem was this woman.

She thought she understood now!

Whether something was truth or a lie depended on how Chu Lingyue perceived it, as well as the objective facts.

For instance, if Chu Lingyue believed herself to be an ordinary person, then calling herself ordinary wasn’t a lie.

On the other hand, her actual background was far from ordinary—a fact that couldn’t be changed by her beliefs alone. That made it a lie.

But Chu Lingyue clearly had family. Now that her memories had returned, why wouldn’t she acknowledge them?

After a moment’s thought, Tang Jin feigned shock. “Earlier, Chu Shaoyang told me it wasn’t wise for you to show your face in public. Wife, do you have some enemies?”

Could it be that she’d fallen out with her family, just like Tang Laidi?

Chu Lingyue glanced up at her, hesitating for a moment before pressing her lips together tightly.

This time, Tang Jin was genuinely startled. “You really do have enemies!”

Holy cow, could they still keep running this restaurant?

Would it drag her down too?

Seeming to see through Tang Jin’s worries, Chu Lingyue said softly, “A-Jin, don’t worry. No matter what happens, I won’t bring trouble to you or Grandmother.”

Tang Jin found it hard to believe such assurances, even without any System response. After all, Chu Lingyue’s one-sided intentions might not match reality.

This woman thought she wouldn’t cause trouble—what if she was wrong?

But Chu Lingyue showed no sign of leaving, and Tang Jin couldn’t exactly chase her out, especially with Old Madam Tang treating her like a treasure.

They had even lied to the old lady before. If Chu Lingyue left now, it would look bad for Tang Jin and the restaurant.

For the moment, maintaining the status quo seemed the safest option.

“Since you have no intention of leaving, Wife, I’ll take good care of you. But we don’t know when those enemies of yours might show up, so we need to plan ahead. Why don’t you tell me the truth? Now that your memories are back, why are you hiding here, and why can’t you show your face?”

Figuring out the reason was the key to finding the right solution. Otherwise, she wouldn’t even know where to start.

Chu Lingyue fell silent for a moment before saying, “A-Jin, you don’t need to worry too much. I have no enemies.”

Her voice was dry, and a flicker of sorrow stirred in her eyes, as if she were recalling some painful memory.

Seeing no System response, Tang Jin grew even more baffled. No enemies?

Then why couldn’t she show her face?

She was dying of curiosity, itching to crack open Chu Lingyue’s head and see what was really going on.

But Chu Lingyue clearly wasn’t going to say more. Pressing her would be pointless—instead, Tang Jin turned her attention to the matter at hand.

“Wife, will you continue serving customers in the restaurant from now on?”

Chu Lingyue tightened her grip on her fingertips and said firmly, “Of course.”

She hadn’t done anything wrong—why shouldn’t she show her face? As for those people, she was now married to Tang Jin, which had inadvertently gotten her out of that mess.

She probably didn’t need to worry too much…

Hearing this, Tang Jin couldn’t help but smile. “That’s great. Otherwise, I’d have to spend silver hiring help. With you here, I feel much better.”

The smile on the woman before her was bright and open, her gaze clear. To Chu Lingyue, it felt exceptionally warm.

She pressed her lips together and murmured, “Thank you, A-Jin.”

Not asking and not telling—that was the most suitable way for them to treat each other.

Tang Jin raised an eyebrow. “You’re too polite, Wife. We’ll be working together from now on. It’s mutually beneficial—no need for thanks.”

Chu Lingyue lowered her eyes and nodded.

It wasn’t that she refused to explain—it was just that the past was too painful to revisit. As the daughter of a criminal official, treated so cruelly by her own closest kin, she had ended up here. A stable life was already a blessing.

Dredging up the past would serve no purpose; it would only burden others with needless worry.

With that, they had reached a tentative understanding and tacitly dropped the subject.

That night, Tang Jin lay on the floor, tossing and turning sleeplessly.

What exactly was Chu Lingyue hiding? Would it really bring no trouble to the restaurant? Without knowing the details, she could only take it one step at a time.

Her restless night left her waking early the next morning as soon as Chu Lingyue got out of bed.

She glanced at Old Madam Tang and Tang Laidi, still fast asleep, then quietly rose and dressed.

In the kitchen, Chu Lingyue was tidying up the plates. Seeing Tang Jin arrive, she explained, “I figured it was best to deal with these things early, before they pile up too much. This way, we can avoid Grandmother and Laidi.”

That was why she had gotten up at dawn.

Tang Jin nodded in understanding.

She then helped divide the plates into two portions, slung a basket over her arm, and headed out the door with Chu Lingyue.

They found a shop that bought old wares and sold off the plates. Afterward, Tang Jin handed two hundred copper coins to Chu Lingyue. “From now on, you handle these chores, Wife. Consider this your hard-earned pay.”

Chu Lingyue accepted them calmly. She had planned to keep the money herself anyway.

Especially now that her memories had returned, she needed silver more than ever.

Chu Shaoyang might help her out of old affections, but relying on others was never as good as standing on her own.

It was still early. Looking at the now-empty basket, Tang Jin had a sudden idea. “Wife, shall we head to the vegetable market?”

They were already putting on a show—might as well go all the way.

More importantly, she had thought of a quick way to rack up System rewards. This was the perfect chance to try it.

“Alright,” Chu Lingyue agreed. The two set off toward the vegetable market.

With a plan in mind, Tang Jin went straight to a vegetable stall.

“Auntie, I’m looking for some really spicy peppers. Are these hot?”

The vendor, a hearty woman, replied enthusiastically, “You’ve come to the right place! My peppers are the spiciest around.”

【Ding! Rewarded one bowl of Century Egg Lean Meat Congee.】

Tang Jin smiled. She really was clever. Sticking to Chu Lingyue alone was reliable but brain-intensive.

She could use a more direct method to score even more rewards without overthinking. Like this—simple as could be.

“Auntie, is this meat fresh?”

“What kind of question is that? The pig was slaughtered fresh this morning—can’t get any fresher.”

【Ding! Rewarded one bowl of Century Egg Lean Meat Congee.】

Tang Jin’s smile faltered. Century Egg Lean Meat Congee again?

Steadying herself, she pressed on. “Are these apples sweet?”

The auntie grinned. “Don’t worry, guaranteed sweet.”

【Ding! Rewarded one bowl of Century Egg Lean Meat Congee.】

Tang Jin’s smile faded entirely. What was wrong with the System? Had it glitched?

Refusing to give up, she moved to the next stall.

Seeing her go, the auntie called out, “Hey, aren’t you buying?”

Tang Jin turned back with a smile. “Just asking. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye my foot! Asking all those questions without buying—wasting my morning. What a jinx…”

The auntie grumbled on behind them. Chu Lingyue’s mouth twitched as she quickened her pace to catch up with Tang Jin.

The neighboring stall belonged to an old man who had watched Tang Jin’s antics. His attitude turned cold.

“What do you want, miss? If you’re not buying, don’t touch anything.”

Tang Jin paused, then asked, “Uncle, are your radishes crisp?”

Fine, no touching—she’d just ask.

The old man replied coolly, “Crisp. You buying?”

【Ding! Rewarded one bowl of Century Egg Lean Meat Congee.】

Tang Jin turned and walked away. Not even crisp—what was there to buy?

Did they think she had no pride?

She wasn’t done yet. Maybe the System really was bugged?

“Auntie, is this cabbage fresh?”

“Fresh as can be—picked this morning.”

【Ding! Rewarded one bowl of Century Egg Lean Meat Congee.】

“Uncle, are your fried peanuts crispy?”

“Guaranteed crispy, every one.”

【Ding! Rewarded one bowl of Century Egg Lean Meat Congee.】

“Young man, was this fish caught fresh this morning?”

“Of course.”

【Ding! Rewarded one bowl of Century Egg Lean Meat Congee.】

“…”

Tang Jin went numb. After circling the market, her void storage shelf was stacked with twenty bowls of Century Egg Lean Meat Congee.

Her vision went black. Clutching at her last hope, she turned to Chu Lingyue, who had been quietly following. “Wife, what do you think of me?”

Please, System, anything but more Century Egg Lean Meat Congee. She’d lose her mind.