Lin Mo: I Think I Saw My Great-Grandma!

Orphanage, kitchen.

Lin Mo had already tied on his apron. After cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom, he began to prepare the ingredients.

The kitchen was small, with a large iron wok set atop a stove built from yellow clay.

The walls inside were blackened by smoke and fire, but the pots, bowls, ladles, and basins were all scrubbed until they gleamed.

Lin Mo rolled up his sleeves, scooped a ladle of water from the vat into a basin, and began to wash the cabbage.

His movements were nimble; he peeled the leaves apart one by one, rinsed them twice in the water, and set them aside.

Next, he picked up a radish, washed it clean, and with a swift motion of his knife, sliced it into thick, even pieces.

Taking in this scene, a flicker of curiosity crossed Xiao Wu's eyes: "Lin Mo, you actually know how to cook?"

"Mm."

Lin Mo nodded, his hands never stopping: "I matured earlier than others my age. By my second year of school, I had already started helping the Dean out."

"Stir-frying is nothing difficult for me."

Though it was called an orphanage, there were no other staff members besides the elderly Dean.

Essentially, the Dean was the one raising all of them orphans single-handedly.

After awakening the wisdom of his past life, Lin Mo had made it a principle to help out whenever he could, often acting as the Dean's assistant.

Hearing Lin Mo's words, a sharp glint flashed in Xiao Wu's eyes.

Soon, Lin Mo skillfully finished stir-frying the first dish.

But before he could start the second, Xiao Wu volunteered, raising her hand with an excited tone:

"So this is stir-frying? Watching you do it once, it doesn't seem hard at all. I think I've got it—let me give it a try!"

As she spoke, she leaned forward, her pink eyes filled with eagerness.

"Are you sure?" Lin Mo asked skeptically.

"Sure, I'm sure!"

Xiao Wu nodded enthusiastically: "What's so hard about this? Watch Big Sister Xiao Wu make you a signature dish!"

Hearing this, Lin Mo stopped what he was doing and untied his apron.

He stepped behind Xiao Wu and passed the apron strings around her waist.

Xiao Wu cooperated by lifting her arms slightly, allowing him to tie the knot securely at her back.

Their movements were surprisingly in sync.

Once tied, he smoothed out the edges of the apron and stepped back, nodding with satisfaction.

However, just before Xiao Wu stepped up to the stove to begin, Lin Mo asked out of caution:

"Xiao Wu, I have a question. Have you ever cooked before?"

"Nope, why?" Xiao Wu remained high-spirited.

She held the spatula and gestured with it, looking quite the part.

Hearing her reply, Lin Mo instinctively pressed a hand to his forehead, looking helpless: "In that case, just make a small portion for your first time. Don't make too much."

His tone carried a sense of powerlessness, as if he could already foresee the outcome.

"Fine." Xiao Wu nodded.

Though she agreed readily, she showed no intention of holding back.

Without a second thought, she dumped all the ingredients Lin Mo had prepared into the wok at once.

Shortly after tossing the vegetables in, a look of confusion appeared on Xiao Wu's face.

She picked up a small clay jar and began to examine it.

This must be the seasoning; I think this is what Lin Mo used.

She scooped a bit of the powder from the jar with a small spoon and sprinkled it into the wok.

Wait, that doesn't look right. I think Lin Mo used the other one.

A flicker of doubt crossed her pink eyes.

She picked up another jar, opened the lid to peek inside, sniffed it, and frowned.

The contents of the two jars looked far too similar—both were white powders, and she couldn't tell them apart at all.

Oh well, forget it! Since they look the same, they probably taste the same. I'll just put them both in.

With that thought, a smile returned to Xiao Wu's face.

She let herself go completely, scooping a spoonful from this jar and a spoonful from that one, her pace growing faster and faster.

In the end, she simply took all five or six seasoning jars on the counter and poured a bit from each in turn.

After adding each seasoning, she would stir the wok with the spatula, looking very serious about it.

The food in the pot had turned into an indescribable color, a chaotic mixture of red, black, and brown.

Yet, where Xiao Wu couldn't see, Lin Mo, who had stood behind her and witnessed the entire process, already wore a look of utter despair on his face.

Xiao Wu really hadn't been lying; she had never stepped foot in a kitchen before, and she couldn't even identify the seasonings.

Lin Mo opened his mouth to offer a word of caution, but seeing how happy Xiao Wu looked, he couldn't bring himself to say anything that would dampen her spirits.

He only felt an intense regret in his heart now, regretting that he hadn't stopped her earlier.

Xiao Wu looked exceptionally serious as she stir-fried, the spatula flying about in the pot, occasionally mimicking the vigorous tossing motion he had used earlier.

Whether it was because she used too much force or simply wasn't used to the spatula, a few leaves flew straight over the edge of the pot and landed on the stove with a soft thwack.

Before long, Xiao Wu had successfully finished her first dish.

She then scooped the stir-fry out of the pot and onto a plate.

That is, if this could even be called a dish.

Xiao Wu carried the plate over to Lin Mo, holding it with both hands, looking up at him with sparkling eyes.

She wore an expression that clearly said, "Aren't I amazing? Hurry up and praise me!"

Lin Mo looked down at the plate, his pupils constricting sharply.

The unnamable mess on the plate made it nearly impossible to tell what the original ingredients had been.

The few vegetable leaves that could barely be identified were charred beyond recognition.

The surface was even coated in clumps of undissolved salt and peppercorn powder.

In Lin Mo's opinion, ignoring the taste and judging purely by appearance, this dish Xiao Wu had stir-fried was on par with the egg-fried rice he had seen Red Wolf make.

It was a bona fide dark cuisine!

Staring at the dish before him, the hand holding Lin Mo's chopsticks trembled.

He hadn't even taken a bite yet, and he could already feel his stomach protesting in advance.

But with Xiao Wu's expectant gaze fixed directly on him, Lin Mo couldn't bring himself to refuse.

"Hurry and try it!" Xiao Wu urged, her smile growing even brighter. "This is Sister Xiao Wu's first time cooking!"

Hearing this, Lin Mo closed his eyes and steeled himself. He picked up a piece, shoved it into his mouth, and swallowed it whole without even chewing.

Feeling the protest rising from his stomach, his heart finally gave up all hope.

"I think I just saw my great-grandmother..."