Supporting Madam Xu as they walked forward, Lin Youyou said with a smile,
“Mother, this is much better. You have Father, Brother, me, Grandfather, and Uncle supporting you. It’s enough for you to live more freely.”
Madam Xu chuckled softly.
“Yes. I spent the first half of my life bound by what others called virtue, kindness, tolerance, and propriety, losing myself in the process. Before I even realized it, I almost wasted my entire life that way.
“Now that I’ve figured it out, I’m just a woman. I can’t change the world, nor can I influence everyone else. So why shouldn’t I live a little more boldly and freely?
“If I grow old and look back only to see regrets, I know I’ll hate myself for it.”
Lin Youyou grinned.
“Then from now on, Mother should just live however you want and let everyone else envy you.”
“Haha…” Madam Xu’s eyes curved happily as she patted Lin Youyou’s hand and nodded.
“Alright.”
This time, she truly meant it. It wasn’t just empty words.
“Oh right,” Madam Xu suddenly asked, “Qingli said you built a small kitchen in your courtyard?”
“Mhm. I want to cook for myself whenever I have time.”
“Good. If you need anything, tell the steward to buy it. You’re the eldest miss of the Lin family—if others have something, you should naturally have it too. Your mother has dowry shops and estates, so there’s no need for you to be overly frugal with money.”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Mother, are you sure those shops and estates are still yours… and that the money is still there?” Lin Youyou asked uncertainly.
After all, during the eight years they had lived in the countryside, all the household finances had been under the old madam’s control.
Lin Youyou’s words caused Madam Xu’s steps to halt abruptly. Then she turned to her daughter and said,
“Youyou, go back first by yourself. Mother still has some matters to deal with.”
“Alright.”
Lin Youyou nodded and left first.
Madam Xu immediately quickened her pace as she headed back. Gone was the relaxed and leisurely demeanor she had earlier.
Without money, how could she live the life she wanted?
No, she had to confirm whether her money—and the estates and shops that generated more money—were still intact.
Looking at her courtyard, which had finally been renovated and properly aired out, Lin Youyou suddenly felt itchy to do something.
“Qingli, come on. Let’s go to the main kitchen and see what ingredients are left.”
“Yes.” Qingli answered respectfully.
Madam Xu had already instructed them that whatever the young miss wanted to do, they were not to stop her.
When the two arrived at the main kitchen, aside from a few servants doing miscellaneous chores, only one or two cooks remained inside.
The moment they saw Lin Youyou enter, everyone froze.
Qingli raised her chin and announced,
“This is the eldest miss of our residence, Miss Lin Youyou. She’s here to take some ingredients from the kitchen.”
The servants were stunned for a moment before hurriedly curtsying.
“Greetings, Eldest Miss.”
“Mhm. Let me see what ingredients are available.”
A man who appeared to be the kitchen supervisor stepped forward awkwardly.
“Greetings, Eldest Miss. I’m Zhao Si, the manager of the main kitchen.
“It’s already past mealtime, so the kitchen only has some staple flour, rice, seasonings, a few vegetables that aren’t very fresh anymore, and some pig offal and innards left.”
“Mhm. Just have someone clean up everything you mentioned and send it to my courtyard.”
Lin Youyou nodded calmly, not making trouble despite the lack of ingredients.
“Eldest Miss, are you sure?” Zhao Si asked carefully. “Those pig innards are filthy. Nobody eats them.”
He wasn’t trying to cause problems—normally no one wanted such things. Usually, the scraps were distributed to the servants. Though they tasted bad and smelled unpleasant, to ordinary families, meat was still meat.
“Mhm, I’m sure. Just bring them over.”
“Yes.”
Only after Lin Youyou left did Zhao Si straighten up, his expression turning stern.
“What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and get moving! Do I need to watch over every one of you?”
The moment he barked the order, the entire kitchen burst into activity.
Even after leaving the kitchen, Qingli still didn’t understand.
“Miss, why do you want those dirty things? If you want to eat something, the main kitchen can cook it. Why would you need to make food yourself?”
Qingli knew nothing about her young miss’s cooking skills, so she asked directly.
Lin Youyou laughed lightly.
“You’ll know once I’m done. I guarantee people will still want more after eating it.”
Qingli didn’t quite believe her, but she didn’t dare say anything else.
At worst, even if it tasted awful, she’d still force herself to eat it and praise it anyway.
That entire afternoon, Lin Youyou never left her courtyard.
Gradually, an unusual aroma drifted through the air.
It was a rich fragrance unlike the meat dishes they usually ate.
Then a certain father came following the smell, dragging his wife along with him.
Seeing the busy master and servant pair, Lin Chaowen sniffed the air eagerly.
“What is this? It smells incredible.”
Could he admit he’d been lured here entirely by the scent?
And had conveniently dragged Madam Xu along as well?
Seeing her father, Lin Youyou smiled helplessly.
“Father, take Mother into the small hall and rest for a bit first. It’ll be ready soon. Once everything’s done, I’ll join you and we can eat while chatting.”
“Good, good, good!”
Lin Chaowen grinned so widely his eyes nearly disappeared.
He had heard Madam Xu mention that their daughter’s cooking was excellent, but he never imagined it would be this good.
Just from the smell alone, he already knew it would taste amazing.
Sure enough, not long afterward, Qingli entered carrying a tray.
On it sat a plate of meat, rice, wine, and chopsticks.
Under Lin Chaowen’s eager gaze, Qingli placed everything on the table and explained,
“Miss said this is freshly braised pig face meat. It tastes best while hot. She also brought good wine. Madam can eat it with rice if she likes.
“Miss is still plating the other dishes, so you don’t need to wait for her. She’ll come shortly.”
“Alright, alright. Go help Youyou.”
Lin Chaowen waved her off cheerfully before immediately grabbing his chopsticks and stuffing a piece of pig face meat into his mouth.
As he chewed, his eyes narrowed with satisfaction.
“Delicious! It’s completely different from the pork we usually eat. This has texture—chewy, rich, and even more fragrant. Wife, try some too.”
“Mhm.”
Madam Xu also enjoyed meat, so she took a bite without hesitation and nodded repeatedly.
“It really is delicious.”
Lin Chaowen had already poured himself a cup of wine.
For some reason, the braised meat paired even better with alcohol.
The moment the wine entered his mouth, his eyes widened abruptly.
He had one particular hobby: fine wine.
But he wasn’t someone who drank just anything.
Only truly good wine interested him, and he always drank with restraint, rarely allowing himself to become drunk. A small cup for enjoyment—that was enough.
Yet this sip was smoother, purer, and stronger than any wine he had tasted before.
Spicy yet mellow, smooth and lingering.
It was excellent.
“Ha… good wine! Good food! This girl really does produce extraordinary things.”
Lin Chaowen laughed heartily in satisfaction.
This was undoubtedly the wine that best suited his tastes out of everything he had ever drunk.
Qingli soon returned with more dishes:
smashed cucumbers, spicy pork lung, stir-fried intestines in vinegar sauce, and sliced liver.
Every dish tasted different, yet each one was authentic and delicious.
Lin Chaowen’s chopsticks barely paused.
A bite of meat, a sip of wine, and occasionally a crisp bite of refreshing cucumber—
it was exhilarating and deeply satisfying.
“Ha… this is fantastic. Absolutely delicious.”
The moment Lin Youyou entered, she heard her father’s praise and couldn’t help laughing.
In her hand, she carried another wine jug.