MGASC -Chapter 45 Sweetness That Shakes the Soul

“Stop pretending here—who do you think you are, calling me aunt!”

Wang Yan said angrily.

Lin Ran frowned. Although being scolded made him a little upset, he quickly shrugged it off, calm as ever.

Aunt Qiao had said before: in human interactions, the hardest thing to exchange is sincerity. If someone is insincere to you, you respond with the same. These are just casual acquaintances; there’s no need to offend petty people.

Seeing him shrug and start to leave, Wang Yan felt even more disappointed.

Suddenly, she called after him: “Lin Ran, wait a moment!”

Looking around to make sure no one was nearby, Wang Yan led Lin Ran to a secluded spot where it was just the two of them.

Her expression was still full of grief and anger as she asked him, “Where’s your dad? Where did he go?”

Lin Ran shook his head. “He didn’t say.”

“Did he go out of town?” Wang Yan didn’t know whether she felt disappointed or happy for him. She had heard from Lin Tianyue’s friends that he planned to start a feed processing factory.

If it succeeded, it would be the only one in Xiangshui County and would definitely make a lot of money.

The thought that Xiao Qiao, with her seductive face, had taken the man she liked—and that he was about to get rich and live well—made Wang Yan gnash her teeth with envy.

She asked Lin Ran again, “Did your dad really not say anything when he left, or did that fox spirit stop you from telling me?”

Lin Ran pouted. “He didn’t say.”

Even if he had said, he wouldn’t have told her—after all, she had called Xiao Qiao a fox spirit.

Wang Yan studied him and realized she might have been too harsh. She softened her tone and patted Lin Ran’s head. “Lin Ran, you know, back then, I cared for you the most. About the watermelon incident, I owe you an apology. I didn’t mean to give you spoiled watermelon. I bought it for you, but I got held up with business and never had the heart to eat it myself, just wanted to bring it to you. I never thought leaving it too long would make it toxic. If I had known, I would never have hurt you! Right?”

Lin Ran tugged at the corners of his lips and smiled faintly. “It’s okay, Auntie. It’s all in the past.”

Wang Yan gritted her teeth—past my foot.

That fox spirit had taken advantage of that very incident to successfully pull Lin Tianyue away from her.

That woman was too malicious; knowing Lin Tianyue cared about these three children, she deliberately schemed using them.

Toxic watermelon? She had lived twenty years and never heard of such a thing!

Wang Yan thought for a moment, then pulled a handful of candies from her pocket and forced them into Lin Ran’s hand. “Lin Ran, these are White Rabbit milk candies—hard to get. Take them home and share them with Lin Xun and Lin Jin. Consider it an apology from me.”

“Auntie, I don’t want—”

“Take them! Take them. I bought them for you in the first place.”

Wang Yan went all out with her performance and even unwrapped one and fed it to Lin Ran.

The sweet taste spread across his tongue, rich and creamy, filling his whole being with sweetness.

Looking at Wang Yan, holding the candy tightly, Lin Ran finally smiled. “Thank you, Auntie.”

“For what? I’ve told you before, you’re like my own children. Seeing you in the hospital, I was so heartbroken! I went that morning—you should remember. Lin Ran, your older brother only listens to your dad, Lin Jin is too young, and you’re the smartest. Some things, I can only warn you about. That woman—don’t be fooled by her act. She’s nice to you now because your dad has money. She’s after your dad’s money.

Think about it—didn’t she only start treating you well after your dad got released?”

Lin Ran stood silently.

Wang Yan continued, filled with righteous indignation: “Last time, she quietly took the money and left. She’ll do it again. Your dad may be fooled, but you must stay alert, or she’ll trap your whole family! From now on, pay attention. If anything unusual happens at home, tell Auntie first. I’ll expose her and protect you.”

“Good boy, Lin Ran, remember that, okay?”

After this heartfelt admonition, she finally let him go.

Wang Yan would never forget the humiliation Lin Tianyue had inflicted on her that night. She didn’t know what she could do to soothe her frustration, but she knew this matter was far from over.

Meanwhile, Zhang Qiao was still busy in the kitchen. Seeing Lin Ran pass by, she called him over to fetch a large bowl.

A few minutes later, he brought it.

Looking at the huge pot of golden-braised pig trotters, Lin Ran felt his mouth water.

“Almost done. Tonight, each of you three will get one—enough for everyone! Later, I’ll give one to Aunt Liu too,” Zhang Qiao said as she washed dishes.

Lin Ran paused. “Aunt Qiao, aren’t you going to eat?”

“I had some chicken yesterday, a bit greasy. I don’t really want it.”

She was speaking the truth. She’d eaten a lot of meat these past two days and felt her waist growing. So tonight, she planned a light bowl of noodles, and the doctor had advised her to keep a balanced diet during her last checkup.

But Lin Ran thought she was deliberately saving the food for them.

He lowered his head, feeling a little awkward.

Finally, Zhang Qiao noticed his odd behavior. “What’s wrong? You think I’m saving it for you on purpose? Don’t overthink it. We have better conditions now; we’re not lacking food. Next time, if I like something, maybe I’ll even fight you for it.”

Lin Ran finally showed a small smile. Zhang Qiao saw him reach into his pocket and take out three White Rabbit candies, putting them into her hand.

“Eh? Who gave you these? These candies are hard to get.”

When Zhang Qiao went to the city that day, she didn’t even find these, only ordinary milk candies—but nothing compared to White Rabbit.

Lin Ran had already made up his mind and gave Zhang Qiao a mysterious smile. “For you. Eat it—it’s really tasty. Don’t worry, I tried it—no poison!”

Then he dashed off.

Zhang Qiao held the candies in her hand, smiled, and felt that Lin Ran seemed to be hiding something from her, but she didn’t want to pry.

She unwrapped the candy and popped it in her mouth.

Her eyes lit up—yes, this was the taste.

That night, the three kids happily devoured the braised pig trotters.

Zhang Qiao only ate a bit of the skin, then took a whole portion of trotters mixed with soft, stewed soybeans—a big bowl—and delivered it to Aunt Liu’s house.

Aunt Liu was surprised by her visit. Seeing she also brought food, and having just received a box of cakes from her, she felt embarrassed to accept the generous bowl of trotters.

After all, meat wasn’t easy to get in these times. Who could casually demand such a thing?

But Zhang Qiao knew how to talk and was warm; with a few words, she won over Aunt Liu’s heart, who happily accepted her gift.

After chatting a bit, and once the meal was ready and Uncle Liu returned, Zhang Qiao quickly left. As a return gift, Aunt Liu gave her several large black fish caught from the pond.