Tang Zhuojun took the initiative to teach Linlin Muay Thai, but she soon realized that her own body was weak as a chick— and Linlin’s wasn’t much better either.
Thinking about the family’s past meals, it was no wonder.
There was nothing to be done about it; they could only improve things slowly over time.
“What would you like to eat for lunch? I’ll make it for you,” Tang Zhuojun asked with a smile, wiping sweat from her face after a quarter of an hour of exercise.
“Anything is fine. Could you… forget it.” Linlin hesitated, stopping mid-sentence.
Little brat— didn’t he know that talking like that was asking to get smacked?
Tang Zhuojun suppressed the urge to pinch his chubby cheeks and said, “I can. Of course I can. Your aunt is omnipotent! Come on, say it.”
“Could you bring me lunch tomorrow?” Linlin lowered his head, but sneaked a glance at her from the corner of his eye. He bit his lip and spoke so softly his voice was barely audible.
He was very nervous, his hands unconsciously rubbing the hem of his clothes.
Tang Zhuojun immediately understood. Linlin must also have been discriminated against at school—most likely he couldn’t even eat his fill at mealtimes, and was too embarrassed to mention it to his family.
Today he had probably noticed the change in her, so he finally worked up the courage to make this “excessive” request.
“Sure!” Tang Zhuojun agreed at once with a bright smile, then deliberately exaggerated, “Oh dear, why did I agree so quickly? What if I don’t cook well and you end up losing face?”
“That won’t happen,” Linlin said softly. “No matter what, it’ll still be better than now.”
Tang Zhuojun felt a sharp ache in her heart, almost unable to stop herself from asking what exactly he had gone through at the academy in Prince Rong’s residence.
But she held back.
The two of them weren’t that close yet.
As before, Tang Zhuojun prepared a lavish meal. It was obvious that her father and brother were very satisfied with her current state.
If there was anything amiss, it was probably the lingering doubt and concern in their gazes— as if they feared her enthusiasm would only last three minutes before she reverted to her old ways.
The next morning, Linlin got up very early. Before he was even fully dressed, he excitedly ran to the kitchen.
Tang Zhuojun was wrapping wontons, her hands deftly folding and pinching. One plump, ingot- shaped wonton after another was neatly arranged on the cutting board.
“You’re up so early?” she said. “Xiuer, go pour some water and help Linlin wash up.”
“You’re making dumplings?” Linlin looked disappointed.
“These are wontons— shredded chicken wontons,” Tang Zhuojun said. “I’ll cook them in chicken broth later and add extra cilantro for you. How does that sound?”
Linlin nodded and looked around, as if searching for something.
When he didn’t find it, his eyes immediately dimmed, tinged with disappointment— and a bit of anger.
She had clearly promised yesterday to bring him lunch, yet today she’d forgotten all about it!
He was so angry! He really shouldn’t have had any expectations of her in the first place!
But the next moment, he heard Tang Zhuojun say, “What would you like to eat for lunch? After I see you off, I’ll go buy groceries and make it, then have Xiuer deliver it to the prince’s residence. They allow entry, right?”
Linlin felt as though the surprise had come too suddenly. In disbelief, he said, “Y-you’ll have Xiuer bring me lunch at noon?”
He had only planned to bring food himself in the morning— how could he have dared imagine that she would think things through so thoroughly?
Tang Zhuojun, however, misunderstood his meaning. “You don’t want Xiuer to go? Then should I go instead?”
Linlin hesitated briefly, then nodded.
Auntie was different now. He wasn’t afraid of her embarrassing him anymore.
“Alright then,” Tang Zhuojun said with a smile. “Go wash your face and comb your hair. We’ll eat wontons in a bit— eat till you’re full and ace the imperial exam!”
Linlin said solemnly, “I will! I’ll place first, just like Grandfather and Father.”
Tang Zhuojun: “No, no, no…”
“What?”
“I mean, don’t put so much pressure on yourself,” Tang Zhuojun said. “When I said ‘placing first,’ it was just a figure of speech. Second place, third place, they’re all amazing, truly amazing.”
Children shouldn’t carry such heavy pressure; it’s not good for healthy growth.
“You don’t believe in me!” Linlin looked deeply hurt.
Tang Zhuojun: “…”
She had never been a mother, but she’d heard colleagues complain endlessly about their kids lacking ambition— so much so that their ears nearly grew calluses.
May she ask: what rare species was this member of the Tang family, pressuring himself like this?
She didn’t even need to push him— had she transmigrated here just to lie back and win?
This was a self- driven child. Case closed.
“You can do it— who else would but you!” Tang Zhuojun immediately switched to a serious expression, her face clearly saying “I believe in you,” her eyes sparkling with “you are truly outstanding!”
After her wholehearted, Oscar-worthy performance of sincerity, Linlin finally showed a faint smile and said solemnly, “I will. I’m going to read for a while.”
Tang Zhuojun: So moved! A model young man of China! Go for it! Three generations of top scholars is just around the corner—oh yeah!
After Tang Boxin took Linlin out, Tang Zhuojun went out to buy groceries.
She had actually prepared everything the night before—kneading and resting the dough in advance, using pumpkin juice and spinach juice to color it. After returning from the market, she quickly made adorable little pig buns and frog buns, setting them in the steamer.
Children have very little resistance to cute things— but nutrition still has to be balanced.
Tang Zhuojun sliced the fresh grass carp she had bought into thin fillets, carefully removing every bone. She prepared a mildly spicy sour fish soup according to Linlin’s tastes.
She also made pumpkin baked with salted egg yolk, stir-fried lettuce stem with pork, fried small river shrimp, and a cold dish of mixed wood ear mushrooms and lotus root slices. She peeled a sweet melon and cut it into bite-sized pieces, then arranged it with mulberries into a fruit platter.
“Bring two damp towels as well—use them to wipe his mouth and hands,” Tang Zhuojun instructed Xiuer.
With so much food, she packed everything into two food boxes and went with Xiuer to Prince Rong’s residence.
When the gatekeeper of Prince Rong’s residence heard that food was being delivered from the Tang household, he reacted as if he’d seen some visitor from outer space. With an impatient wave of his hand, he let Tang Zhuojun in, muttering, “The Tang family is so poor it rattles, yet this maid is quite a looker.”
Tang Zhuyun: Damn your blind dog eyes!
But she said nothing and went in with Xiu’er.
“Hit him! Knock him down!” From afar came the excited shouts of a group of children. Tang Zhuojun’s heart skipped violently. Carrying the food boxes, she broke into a run, leaving Xiu’er far behind.
“You useless trash—get up! I bet thirty taels of silver on you winning!”
“Hahaha, you’re doomed to lose today.”
Hearing this, Tang Zhuojun rushed forward, dropped the food boxes on the ground, and shoved her way through the crowd like a madwoman.
What she saw was something she would never have imagined even in her worst nightmares: Linlin was pinned to the ground by a boy much bigger and sturdier than him. Punches rained down on him like hail, while he could only curl into himself, futilely trying to protect his body.
Good. Very good. Excellent.
Today, nobody was leaving alive.
Her blood surged straight to her head. Without a second thought, Tang Zhuojun lunged forward, grabbed the boy, and slapped him left and right—more than a dozen vicious blows—turning his face into a swollen mess before he could even react. Then she seized his arm and kicked his thighs over and over again, hard, cursing as she went:
“Picking on someone smaller than you, huh? Fine— this lady will play with you!”
Her hair came loose, her clothes fell into disarray. She didn’t care. There was no technique, no restraint— only one thought pounding in her head:
You dare lay a hand on my child— I’ll beat you back even if it costs me my life!
“Impudent! Impudent!” The boy’s attendants panicked and rushed forward to pull Tang Zhuojun away. “This is the young prince of Prince Rong’s household!”