The Seductive Pretender: Sister-in-Law is Turning Gay - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: She Leaned In and Kissed Her.

“Not necessarily.” She added this last sentence before going back inside, simultaneously clearing away the empty tomato soup bowl.

Zhong Manjing licked her lips; she could already smell the sweet and sour aroma released by the tomatoes being sautéed in hot oil.

She looked down and opened Lin Yuqing’s WeChat Moments. There were only two posts, both photos of the sky, and nothing else.

The noodle shop operated until 10:30 AM. Zhong Manjing had already checked the swimming pool schedule Lin Yuqing worked there from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM. Her day was packed; it was obvious she was short on money.

Zhong Manjing, on the other hand, had plenty of money and had saved up a significant amount in advance. But given her current relationship with Lin Yuqing, the other woman wouldn’t accept it anyway…

There was no choice but to start from a different angle.

Last night, “Whatever Noodle Shop” had a successful debut with plenty of customers, and this morning was the same. The pickled cabbage Lin Yuqing had bought wasn’t much, and three pounds quickly hit the bottom of the barrel.

“Boss, the pickled cabbage is gone, add some more!”

“Sorry, it’s all sold out.” Lin Yuqing poked her head out, fine beads of sweat on her nose.

“Alright then, just add some ginger. Will there be more pickled cabbage tomorrow?” The diner smacked their lips unsatisfactorily. “Something sour for breakfast really opens up the appetite; it gives the tossed noodles a fresh taste.”

“…Not necessarily.” After Lin Yuqing finished speaking, she glanced around. Zhong Manjing had disappeared at some point.

After leaving the noodle shop, Zhong Manjing took a grocery cart to the vegetable market across the street and purchased ten pounds each of fresh cabbage and white radishes.

Space was limited in her rooftop garden, and she seemed to have bought the wrong cabbage seeds—after waiting forty days, the heads were only the size of her palm, “miniature versions” that couldn’t be used for pickling. She had to buy them from the market.

The owner of the pickle stall, Li Sheng, also sold oil, salt, and vinegar. Seeing Zhong Manjing dragging her cart, he hurried over to help.

Zhong Manjing said, “Quick, get me a barrel of vinegar.”

“Why are you buying so much again? Are you developing a new variety?” Li Sheng brought out a large 10kg barrel of vinegar from the back warehouse.

Zhong Manjing’s small cart was already stuffed full. He stacked the large barrel on top of the radishes and secured it tightly to the cart frame with zip ties. The highest point now exceeded the height of Zhong Manjing’s chest.

Li Sheng was clearly practiced at this, indicating it wasn’t the first time.

The pickle barrel in front of them was the fastest seller; it was almost empty before noon. It was the same pickled cabbage Lin Yuqing had asked about that morning.

Zhong Manjing took out a water bottle and took a sip of chilled plum syrup. “I don’t have time for research. The batch I made the day before yesterday is finally sour enough to open. I’m buying these to start a new batch today.”

Li Sheng rubbed his head regretfully. “Ever since you helped me improve the recipe the month before last, this barrel has been selling much better. As soon as I put it out, people follow the scent. At four this morning, even the boss who took over Xiao Ying’s shop came by, but she only bought three pounds. She had some nerve, though—asking for the recipe before she even bought anything.”

Li Sheng laughed as he spoke, enlarging and highlighting the words “Eight Immortals Noodle Shop Special.” His family had always supplied pickles to Eight Immortals, but the shop used to buy from others too.

Ever since Zhong Manjing helped tweak the recipe, Eight Immortals only ordered from him.

Don’t be fooled by this young girl’s delicate appearance; the things she made were simply better than anything sold outside.

Zhong Manjing asked, “Then why didn’t you give it to her?”

Li Sheng said, “This is a secret recipe! A secret! Besides, you gave it to me, so I’d have to ask you first. What are you drinking? It looks great.”

“Plum syrup.” Zhong Manjing took a long cup out of her canvas bag and poured a little for Li Sheng.

How could this plum syrup be so much more fragrant than what was sold outside? Li Sheng couldn’t wait to take a big gulp it was sweet, sour, and left a lingering sweet aftertaste with a subtle scent of osmanthus.

Li Sheng asked again, “How can you finish so much pickled cabbage by yourself?”

“It’s not for me; it’s for Boss Lin.” Zhong Manjing smiled. “It’s not easy for a young person to come back and start a small business. I want to help her.”

After returning, Zhong Manjing stayed busy. She had two large refrigerators at home, both packed with ingredients.

One was in the kitchen. She washed her hands, changed into a comfortable camisole and shorts, and took out four large glass jars three for cabbage and one for spicy ginger and radishes.

Natural fermentation took three days. She had prepared these three days ago, before Lin Yuqing’s shop had even opened.

For lunch, she stir-fried some of the leftover pickled cabbage with meat and happily finished a bowl of rice before continuing to pack the jars. She needed to pack these and place them in a cool spot for one last night of natural fermentation before tonight; by tomorrow, the flavor would be perfect.

At 1:30 PM, Zhong Manjing paused her work and called Meng Luo.

“I made a barrel of plum syrup, but it’s too much. Can you come pick it up for the staff? I’m going for a swim too.”

With such a perk, Meng Luo immediately agreed.

Just as Zhong Manjing finished changing and stuffed her swimsuit into her bag, Meng Luo arrived. She deftly hoisted the large barrel onto her back seat, the ice inside clinking incessantly.

Since she was already there, Meng Luo swiped a small jar of pickles as well.

At the swimming pool, Zhong Manjing went to the locker room to shower first. She wanted to look her best when meeting her; she didn’t want to appear dirty in front of Lin Yuqing.

She had been busy since hauling the cabbage home and was covered in sweat.

On the other side, the plum syrup benefit had been distributed.

Meng Luo placed a large barrel with a tap by the poolside and called out to Lin Yuqing: “Lin Yuqing, come have some water first.”

In the afternoon, coaches were teaching young children in Area 1, and there were some individual visitors. Lin Yuqing stood by the side, watching.

She hadn’t been there long, standing between the deep and shallow ends to easily monitor the pool conditions.

The job was relaxed. She was a part-timer, and although the hourly wage wasn’t high, it was paid daily. This was what Lin Yuqing liked most about the job.

Thinking it was just a typical powdered drink, she ceremonially filled her cup. As the liquid flowed from the tap, she smelled the sweet and sour scent of smoked plums mixed with osmanthus. She indeed saw golden osmanthus flowers floating inside.

One sip chased away the summer heat; her whole body felt at ease.

Lin Yuqing’s eyes lit up. The complex aroma and sweet aftertaste from the tangerine peel and licorice, combined with the roselle and osmanthus… the smoked plums used must have been medicinal grade. The person who made this plum syrup was very meticulous.

The acidity of the hawthorn and smoked plum was perfectly balanced.

She quickly poured a second cup. This didn’t taste like the ordinary plum syrup sold outside. After two sips, she asked, “Where was this bought?”

“Manjing made it; it’s a staff benefit,” Meng Luo bragged. “Good, right? Manjing is so talented. Things she makes on a whim are always delicious. I just swiped a jar of pickles from her house… tsk, I’m salivating just thinking about it.”

She added regretfully, “Even if Manjing gives me the semi-finished product, it’s never as good as hers when I stir-fry it.”

Lin Yuqing said, “So she’s that skilled.”

“You are too! Your tossed noodles are great; even Manjing said they’re delicious.”

Lin Yuqing smiled. “That’s the extent of my skills.” She wasn’t lying; the fried sauce, the noodles, and those few toppings were what she was most familiar with. But she didn’t care about the finer details of daily life; for instance, she would never have thought to reward herself with something like this plum syrup.

Meng Luo said, “Our job usually isn’t busy. The last part-time boy joked when he quit that his swimsuit wouldn’t even get wet after a day’s work. So lifeguards sometimes have to do odd jobs. Thanks for your hard work.”

Lin Yuqing: “It’s nothing.”

Other employees came over with empty cups for the plum syrup, and the children learning to swim each got a mini paper cup. As the barrel neared the bottom, Lin Yuqing poured herself another half-cup.

Just as she looked down for a moment, she heard someone dive into the deep end from above.

A moment later, Zhong Manjing poked her head out of the pool to greet her, her eyes curving into crescents. “Boss Lin, is it good?”

Lin Yuqing nodded. “Very good. It quenches thirst; I’ve had two large cups.”

Zhong Manjing said, “Want more? I can make some more.”

Lin Yuqing replied, “Don’t go to the trouble. I’m happy just having a taste today.”

One shouldn’t be greedy for good things, and the other person had no obligation to do this for her. She hadn’t been here long and remained wary of the kindness of those around her.

Zhong Manjing laughed, splashed a handful of water toward her, and swam away.

Lin Yuqing returned to her post, holding her thermos with the remaining plum syrup. For some reason, she was reluctant to finish it all.

There weren’t many people in the pool, mostly children. While it was called swimming lessons, it was really just a way for them to cool off and play in the water during summer. Zhong Manjing was actually the only adult in the pool.

She was very familiar with the kids, splashing water back and forth with them. Even without looking over, Lin Yuqing could hear the playful noise; the children called out “Sister Manjing” very sweetly.

“Sister Manjing, the plum syrup you made is so good. Can I go to your house to drink it?”

“No, unless you tickle me.”

“Sister Manjing, why don’t you work? You can just play here!”

“If you study hard, you can play every day like me when you grow up.”

Lin Yuqing couldn’t help but smile, looking down at the calm water on her side.

“Sister Manjing, where is your boyfriend? Why don’t you go on a date with him?” Not until this child’s voice appeared did Lin Yuqing notice a slight ripple on the water in front of her. She looked up.

Zhong Manjing poked the little girl’s cheek and said with a light laugh, “Little busybody, you worry about a lot.”

“Sister Manjing! Let’s have a breath-holding contest! If you lose, you have to be my girlfriend when I grow up!” Chenchen shouted loudly from his swim ring.

Zhong Manjing: “Oh? Let me see if Chenchen has improved today.”

With that, she broke through the circle of children and dove into the deep pool.

The water below the diving platform was five meters deep. One could swim there from the ordinary deep end. Zhong Manjing kicked off the pool wall and successfully swam two meters down. She exhaled, following a string of rising bubbles as her body slowly sank toward the bottom.

Children were strictly forbidden from going there.

Lin Yuqing looked down at the watch on her wrist—twenty seconds had passed. She knew Zhong Manjing was a good swimmer, so she wasn’t worried.

“Sister Manjing hasn’t come out yet! Look at Chenchen!”

“I can’t hold it anymore! Waaaaah—” Chenchen, who had plunged his head into the water, suddenly looked up, gasping for air. “How long did I hold it?”

“Chenchen, you’re so weak, only twenty-five seconds!” The others laughed at him. “And you wanted to compete with Sister Manjing, haha.”

Chenchen’s face turned bright red. What should he do? He had made a bet with Sister Manjing—if he could hold his breath for more than forty seconds, she would be his girlfriend, waaaaah…

“Sister Manjing was just going easy on you, that’s why she said she’d be your girlfriend if you held it for forty seconds, hehe.”

Lin Yuqing heard the children crowding toward the deep end and stepped closer herself.

As the minutes and seconds ticked by, Lin Yuqing’s brow gradually furrowed.

It had been nearly two minutes. An untrained adult can only hold their breath for one to two minutes underwater at most.

Zhong Manjing should be able to hear the commotion above from underwater. Why was she staying down so long?

“Wow, Sister Manjing is amazing. She gets better every time.”

Lin Yuqing crouched down. “How long does she usually hold it?”

A child answered obediently, “A minute and a half.”

As soon as the words left the child’s mouth, the serious and beautiful sister dove straight in.

Lin Yuqing was like an arrow piercing the water, gliding toward the bottom of the deep end. Swimming past the blind spot, Lin Yuqing saw Zhong Manjing lying quietly at the bottom of the pool.

Her hair had come loose at some point. Zhong Manjing had her eyes closed, looking like a leaf that had fallen to the seabed.

Ignoring everything else, Lin Yuqing quickly swam over, grabbed Zhong Manjing by the waist, and pulled her upward.

Zhong Manjing was surprisingly thin; her weight seemed almost negligible. Lin Yuqing was anxious, and her movements were far from gentle. She encircled Zhong Manjing, her fingers pressing firmly against the girl’s waist, while her arm paddled the water to head for the surface.

She leaned in and patted Zhong Manjing’s cheek was she still conscious?

In the next moment, Zhong Manjing suddenly opened her eyes. A second before they broke the surface, her eyes were full of mischievous laughter. She closed the negligible distance between herself and Lin Yuqing.

She leaned in and kissed Lin Yuqing, her teeth biting into the soft lower lip, grinding slightly.

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