Chapter 162 This is a tonic!

"Auntie, what is Daceliang?"

Lin Hongzhuo had no idea what it was, and as he spoke, he reached out to touch it, only to have Lin Ling quickly pull it away.

"Xiaozhuo, you haven't washed your hands after eating just now. This shirt is so white, don't go getting it dirty."

You couldn't blame Lin Ling for being so careful. At this time, a shirt made of Daceliang fabric cost a full eighteen yuan. Buying two such shirts would cost more than her entire month's salary.

Xia妍 could see how much she loved it. "Little sister, why don't you try it on?"

"I'll wait until tomorrow after I go to the bathhouse and wash up, then I'll try it."

Lin Ling carefully folded the shirt back up and put it away.

Xia妍 didn't push the matter; once a gift was given, the decision rested entirely with the recipient.

*

After dinner, Xia妍 and Chen Qiumei cleared up the kitchen and finished the chores.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law prepared to boil some tea eggs for the children to eat.

The eggs were put into cold water, brought to a boil, and cooked for no more than ten minutes—just ten minutes was enough.

Once boiled, they were scooped out and plunged into prepared cold water, after which the shells were gently cracked all over, ready for the next step.

Chen Qiumei helped Xia妍 with the work. "Yanyan, Mom has never made tea eggs before. You are truly so clever, knowing how to make so many things."

Eggs weren't cheap in this era, and tea leaves were even more so. The last time Lin Hai brought home tea for Lin You to drink, he kept it tucked away, reluctant to brew it casually.

Therefore, tea eggs could be considered a "luxury item." It was only because the household happened to have some leftover broken tea leaves, combined with the approaching New Year, that they decided to boil a batch of tea eggs.

"Mom, stop flattering me, you're making me blush."

"Mom is just telling the truth. For our Lin family to be able to marry someone like you, it is truly a blessing."

No matter how Chen Qiumei looked at her daughter-in-law, she found her more pleasing by the minute.

Xia妍 was equally satisfied with her mother-in-law. People often talked about how difficult the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law could be, but that was only when you didn't end up with a good one.

The two of them chatted away while tapping the eggshells.

Xia妍 didn't slow down her work at all. She emptied the pot that had been used to boil the eggs and filled it with a fresh pot of water.

Since there were many people in the family, Xia妍 boiled a few extra. Remembering that Sun Xiaofen had mentioned wanting to hang out with her during the day, she threw in a few more, and eventually decided to boil all the remaining eggs in the house.

Once Chen Qiumei finished cracking all the eggs, the water in the pot had just come to a boil.

Xia妍 poured some soy sauce into the pot, and watching the water slowly bubble and roil, she timed it just right and dumped the tea leaves and spices all in at once.

"Mom, the tea eggs are basically done now. Next, we just leave the rest to time. By tomorrow morning, the flavors of the spices and the tea will have been completely absorbed by the eggs."

Chen Qiumei was stunned. "Just like that?"

"Yes, just like that."

With that, Xia妍 stretched lazily. "Ah, sitting in the car all day today really wore me out. Mom, I'm going to wash up and go to sleep."

"Wait, Yanyan, Mom wants to ask you something."

Seeing that mysterious look on her face, Xia妍 suddenly felt a sense of impending doom. "What is it, Mom?"

"Do you remember what Mom talked to you about last time?"

Of course she remembered, but at a time like this, all she could do was shake her head vigorously. "Mom, what are you talking about?"

"It's about having children, of course! Mom went and got the prescription filled for you. Since you guys weren't around today, Mom already brewed it for you. Make sure Lin You drinks a bowl tonight."

"Mom, really, there's no need... We can talk about children later, I'm still young."

Xia妍 hadn't expected her mother-in-law to have completed all the preparatory work.

Thinking of Lin You's usual "ferocity," that was secondary—wouldn't this prescription practically cost her her old life?

"You being young is fine, but Lin You is thirty. You two need to put some effort into it. Mom isn't biased toward boys; grandsons or granddaughters are both fine."

Xia妍: "......"

Fine. Her mother-in-law still desperately wanted them to have a child of their own.

Still, she could understand.

That evening, after Xia妍 finished washing up, she saw her mother-in-law standing by the kitchen doorway, waving at her. A thick, pungent medicinal aroma hung heavily in the air.

"Mom, how about we forget about it?"

"How can we forget? This bowl is for Lin You, and this bowl is for you."

Chen Qiumei turned around and retrieved two bowls from the stove counter.

Xia妍 stared at the pitch-black traditional Chinese medicine before her. Wasn't this supposed to be a tonic just for Lin You? Why was there one for her as well?

"Mom put white sugar in it for you. Drink up without worry, it's all good stuff for a woman's body."

Her mother-in-law's enthusiasm was burning like fire, leaving Xia妍 with no way out. Pinching her nose, she gulped it all down, figuring she could just treat it as a health supplement for herself.

Inside the room, Lin You was reading the newspaper Xia妍 had bought today. The serialized novels published in it were written quite well.

Hearing the bedroom door open, he didn't look up. "Wife, is someone in the house feeling unwell? Why is there such a strong smell of herbal medicine?"

Xia妍 didn't make a sound. She coughed twice and looked at Lin You lying on the bed, suddenly struck by the eerie feeling of Wu Song watching Pan Jinlian offer him his medicine.

"Hmm?"

Seeing that Xia妍 didn't reply, Lin You looked up and saw her holding a steaming bowl, the medicinal stench growing even more potent.

"Wife, where are you feeling uncomfortable? Why are you drinking medicine?"

"This is prepared for you by Mom."

"Me? What is my Mom doing this for? I'm in such great health, why would I drink medicine?"

Xia妍 stammered, having no idea how to explain it. This made Lin You so anxious that he immediately opened the door, ready to go out and get to the bottom of it.

Fortunately, Xia妍 was quick-handed and grabbed him back. "Don't ask anymore, this medicine is... a tonic."

"What?"

When Xia妍 uttered the last two words, her voice was no louder than a mosquito's buzzing. Even with Lin You's sharp hearing, he couldn't catch it very clearly.

Seeing that Lin You was asking again, Xia妍 had to bite the bullet and raise her volume. "A... tonic."

"A tonic?"

Lin You paused for a moment, seemed to understand something, and his weathered old face inevitably flushed red. "Mom is unbelievable! I'm going to go talk to her!"

"You'd better not go. The old lady prepared this all afternoon. I already drank my bowl, so you have to drink yours too!"

Xia妍 pushed the medicine right up to Lin You's lips.

As the saying goes: blessings are to be shared together, and hardships must be endured together!

Besides, the two of them were husband and wife; she had no intention of being the kind of fair-weather spouse who would fly off in different directions when trouble struck!

Lin You looked at the black liquid in the bowl and furrowed his brows deeply. He had hated drinking herbal medicine ever since he was a child!

"It's bitter."

"Mom put sugar in it!"

...

The next day, the two of them slept in until nine o'clock before getting up. That medicine was truly a potent tonic; not long after they got into bed, they fell fast asleep, as if it had been some kind of sedative.

It had been many years since Xia妍 had slept so soundly.

Back when she was working, she only ever slept six hours a day, sometimes as few as four—otherwise, how else could she have built a listed enterprise from the ground up?

After coming to this world, she had also grown accustomed to being woken up by the morning bugle call.

When Xia妍 got up, Chen Qiufang was chatting with two other women in the military family compound. From a distance, they looked precisely like an intelligence-gathering squad.

One of them looked familiar—it was none other than Sun Xiaofen.

She had thought they were just gossiping, but to her surprise, the three of them were actually discussing serious business!