Chapter 130 - Chapter 130: A Visit to the Lin Family

Chapter 130: A Visit to the Lin Family

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Gu Zi felt as though everything around her had frozen in time. She gazed up at him, sensing the deep vortex that seemed to draw her in.

Placing her hand on the man’s, she smiled and responded, “Sure, I came here to marry you, after all.”

Su Le, who had been playing nearby, happily joined her parents’ romantic moment, placing her small hand on top of Gu Zits hand, exclaiming, “Okay, okay!”

Blushing suddenly, Gu Zi hugged Su Le close, and Su Shen pulled her to sit beside him.

Avoiding eye contact, Gu Zi could sense the ambiguous atmosphere swirling in his eyes, seemingly about to engulf her.

Su Shen shifted the topic, saying, “There have been recent rumors causing concern. Your brother and sister-in-law mentioned they and your parents are worried about you. They didn’t want to disturb you by coming directly, so they asked me to tell you that they will always stand by your side.”

Hearing these words, warmth surged through Gu Zi’s heart.

The Lin family truly cared and were concerned about her. She should visit them before getting married.

She looked up and told Su Shen, “I want to go back to the Lin family in the afternoon and tell them that we’re getting our marriage certificate. At the same time, I want to explain what happened so that they can feel at ease.”

Su Shen nodded lightly. Then, he thought of something and said, “In that case, you can stay at the Lin family’s house tonight and accompany them. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.”

After saying that, Su Shen went out. Gu Zi went upstairs to pack some of her and Su Le’s things and put them in the cart.

Remembering the fish she hadn’t cooked, she headed back to the kitchen. She intended to prepare the Squirrel-shaped Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish in advance, so they could steam it for dinner.

The method for this dish was a bit more complex than the steamed fish. Since Su Le was taking a nap, she had enough time to complete this dish.

Gu Zi cleaned and cut the fish, reserving the fish head. She made incisions along the back, leaving the tail intact.

Then came the process of deboning. Gu Zi removed the larger bones from the middle and belly of the fish, then continued with the incisions, keeping the fish skin intact.

She placed the sliced fish and fish head in a bowl, pouring in water, salt, and wine to soak away the fishy smell.

During this interval, Gu Zi began simmering the sweet and sour sauce. She poured water into a pot, added the removed fish bones and ginger, and brought it to a boil.

Once boiling, she removed the fish bones and ginger, added tomato sauce, sugar, salt, vinegar, and water starch, continuously stirring with chopsticks until the sauce thickened, then set it aside.

Moving on to frying the fish, she coated the fish head and body thoroughly with dry starch in a bowl.

In another pan, she heated the oil. When the oil showed wrinkles on its surface and started emitting a faint smoke, it was ready.

Gu Zi successively deep-fried the fish head and body until golden brown, then removed them to drain and arranged them on a plate.

The arranged Mandarin Fish resembled a squirrel. She poured the prepared sweet and sour sauce over the fish. As the hot sauce met the fish, it produced a sizzling sound.

A dish with a reddish color, crispy exterior, tender interior, combined with flavor and sound, the classic dish was now ready.

She placed the Squirrel-shaped Sweet and Sour Mandarin Fish on the dining table, covering it with a mosquito net. She wrote down some tips on reheating the dish. Following these instructions would make it taste just as fresh as when it was made.

After completing these tasks, Gu Zi changed into a fresh set of clothes and, with Su Le in tow, pushed the cart toward Little Lin Village.

When Su Bing and Su Li returned home, the house was empty. However, there were two bowls of herbal jelly neatly placed on the low table in the living room.

At that moment, both boys were deeply moved. Even though no one was at home, they felt cared for, an unprecedented feeling for them. No one had ever cared for them like this.

Su Bing’s eyes were slightly red. He didn’t immediately ask his brother to start his homework but sat down to eat the herbal jelly.

His mouth twitched uncontrollably, but he was a little man; he couldn’t cry.

Su Li took a bite, suddenly turned his head away, and his vision became blurry. He began to sob uncontrollably.

If Gu Zi had known that her actions would make two little boys cry, she wouldn’t have done it.

Seeing his brother cry like that, Su Bing was speechless. He felt the same as his brother, probably because they were so moved by their stepmother’s concern.

After a long while, Su Li sobbed, “Our stepmother is so good to us. We used to be so guarded against her. Are we bad? Will she not want us anymore?” Su Bing didn’t respond because he didn’t want that day to come either.

In a cold tone, he said, “Finish eating and then start your homework..”