When the Side Character Gets a System and Travels through Difference Worlds-Chapter 112: The Tan Family’s Big Purchase

Tan You had been busy since she got home mid-morning, and her grandmother didn’t bother her. Her grandmother had gone to the paddy fields to pull weeds before it got too hot, leaving Tan You to manage things at home.

Washing, blanching, caramelizing sugar, simmering spices—Tan You handled each step methodically. Although she had never made such a laborious dish during her mission worlds, she had seen many videos on how to do it. Once she saw something, she remembered it.

Now, making it for the first time, Tan You was doing an impressive job. Tan Deming, squinting as he plucked stray hairs from the pig’s head with a pair of tweezers, didn’t forget to chat with Tan You. "How did you know how to make this?"

Tan You watched the flames in the stove. "I saw it in a book. I see things, I remember them."

Tan Deming said, "If your mother found out, she’d scold you again for not focusing on proper business."

Tan You replied, "Is it my fault I have a good memory? I just happened to glance at it. Just don’t tell her."

While making small talk with Tan Deming, the braising liquid came to a boil. Tan You placed the pig’s head and trotters into the large iron pot in the inner room, then left it to simmer on low heat while she started preparing lunch.

Around noon, Wang Hunv returned from the paddy fields. Smelling the rich aroma, she tried to ask calmly, "We can’t eat it for lunch?"

Tan You said, "No. I just checked, and a chopstick can’t pierce it yet. We’ll have to wait until tonight."

Seeing her grandmother’s disappointment, Tan You lifted the pot lid and fished out three braised eggs and six slices of dried tofu. "We can have these for lunch. We’ll eat the rest tonight."

Having finally placated her grandmother, Tan You didn’t say much more. Throughout the afternoon, she periodically went to the kitchen to check on the pot, making sure the fire in the stove remained low.

To be honest, running to the kitchen in such hot weather was torture, but Tan You felt completely serene. ’Perhaps the biggest impact of going out on missions was that it made me calmer.’

Very few things, whether it was her environment or other people, could cause any ripples in her emotions.

Around four in the afternoon, Tan You removed the firewood from the stove. The contents of the pot were still bubbling gently. Tan Deming sniffed the air. "You’re really something else now. You learn to do all this just by seeing it once, and you can even make clothes."

Tan You was very calm. "Good memory. I was born with it."

The aroma of the braised meat was undeniably potent. At the very least, all the neighbors on either side smelled the Tan family’s stewing meat, but no one came over to ask about it. That evening, Wang Hunv finally got to eat the braised meat she had been thinking about all day. Satisfied, her triangular eyes narrowed into slits.

Tan You only had a couple of bites and didn’t touch the rest. For one, she was on a diet. For another, after smelling the braising liquid all afternoon, she felt like the scent was permanently stuck in her nose.

Wang Hunv didn’t care. She ate with great gusto. Don’t be fooled by the old lady’s thin frame; she had an excellent appetite and could eat anything, hot or cold, as if she had the stomach of a wild boar. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

But looking at the remaining half of the braised meat and the pot of braising liquid, Wang Hunv was reluctant to let it go to waste. "It’s so hot. It’ll spoil by tomorrow, won’t it?"

Tan You commented casually, "It wouldn’t go bad if we had a refrigerator."

Wang Hunv was immediately tempted. "Then let’s buy one! We can use it to make fish aspic! Fish aspic with porridge is the best breakfast."

Tan You was surprised. "You’re willing to spend the money? A refrigerator costs over two thousand."

The old lady fell silent. After a long moment, she sighed. "Let’s buy it. Other families have one, so we should too. It’s really inconvenient without a refrigerator."

Tan Deming was a man of action. "Then let’s go now, before the stores close."

In less than two hours, the Tan family had a new refrigerator. Compared to the side-by-side refrigerators Tan You had seen before, this one looked remarkably old-fashioned. But it was the first major appliance the Tan family had purchased in many years, so deep down, Tan You was still happy.

Now that the refrigerator was home, the braising liquid and leftovers had a place to go, and the old lady was happy too. She picked her teeth in satisfaction. "Tomorrow, I’ll go buy a silver carp. We’ll braise it, put it in the fridge, and have fish aspic in the morning."

Tan You didn’t mind, as long as her grandmother gave her money for groceries.

Tan Deming also told Tan Lin that the family had bought a refrigerator. On the other end of the line, Tan Lin was silent for a long time. "Did you really need to buy a refrigerator?"

Tan Deming said, "We were going to buy one eventually. Other families have one. I paid for it myself; I don’t need money from you two."

Tan Lin immediately relaxed. "Oh."

Tan You, who had overheard, curled her lips in a scornful smile. Looking back now, she felt her parents were rather peculiar people. You could say they were harsh with their children, but they were even harsher on themselves.

When they worked as migrant laborers, they were frugal in every way, scrimping and saving, wanting to put away every last cent. It was precisely because she had seen his and Cheng Wenhui’s hardship that Tan You couldn’t bring herself to be completely indifferent toward them.

’Perhaps maintaining this kind of detached relationship is the most comfortable state for all of us. At least, I find it very comfortable.’

Perhaps because the family had gotten a refrigerator today, Tan You couldn’t help but feel a little inspired. Coincidentally, the store had also included popsicle molds and an ice cube tray, which got Tan You’s mind working.

She couldn’t make red bean and mung bean popsicles right away, but Tan You could make other things. For example, she could make milk pudding popsicles.

She just wouldn’t be able to eat any of it right away. But Tan You was perfectly happy busying herself in the kitchen alone.

The Beauty System reminded her weakly, "Host, you said you were going to do the lottery draw."

Tan You snapped, "I only said I wouldn’t do it for the time being, not that I would do it right now. We’ll talk about it later."

Tan You’s "later" turned into three days. She was busy enjoying the new refrigerator, whipping up all sorts of frozen treats. The bottom freezer drawer held a dozen or so popsicles. There were all kinds of flavors: red bean, mung bean, saltwater, and milk popsicles, among others.

In the crisper drawer above were chilled rice cakes and jellies. Anyway, a single bite on a hot summer day sent a cooling sensation straight to your heart.

These days, the old lady’s favorite thing to do after a long day in the fields was to sit under the persimmon tree and eat a popsicle. Since they had plenty of red beans and mung beans at home, she’d much rather Tan You use them for popsicles than save them for making red bean or mung bean rice.

The ingredients were all from their own pantry, and it saved them from having to buy popsicles. The old lady knew how to calculate her savings.

Tan You’s novelty only lasted a few days. After three days, her enthusiasm for the refrigerator had waned, and she was once again burying her head in her studies. This time, however, she wasn’t wrestling with her high school textbooks but had started on the math competition book.

It had been over a week since she got the book, and Tan You still hadn’t even finished ten pages. She wasn’t in a hurry. Her intelligence had just barely reached the passing line, and math competitions were a game for smart people. Tan You had a very clear understanding of her own abilities.

She was just trying to broaden her horizons; she had never considered pursuing the path of math competitions.

As for her high school curriculum, thanks to her good memory, she was gradually able to recall the old material after a few read-throughs, so Tan You wasn’t really that worried.

This morning, Wang Hunv ate a plate of red bean cakes and let out a satisfied burp. "Will there be more of these red bean cakes tomorrow?"