Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots
Chapter 679 - 071 Holiday, shopping_3

Chapter 679: 071 Holiday, shopping_3

For a moment, Lin Yuan also wanted to lean in and listen to what they were discussing, but considering her position as the Boss, she ultimately suppressed the urge and stayed away.

Everyone was chatting and laughing, except Uncle Wang, who kept his head down without any reaction. Only when Da Niu approached and said something did he nod and respond faintly.

Lin Yuan knew that this year would be a tough one for Uncle Wang’s family. His eldest daughter met a sudden mishap, and his younger daughter had gone to the Li family for revenge, only able to return home for a couple days during the New Year. On top of that, his wife’s health was deteriorating, and Uncle Wang was surely not taking it well internally.

Lin Yuan didn’t know how to comfort him; all she could do now, it seemed, was help Panpan to the best of her abilities.

Since everyone lived close to town and had work to do outside during the day, Lin Yuan had intentionally scheduled the dinner for the evening. As the Boss, if she didn’t bring her family members, others might feel uncomfortable bringing theirs. Therefore, she had already asked Lin Yi to bring Lin Wei and Xiao Linshuang over. She had also planned to invite Lin Jiaxin and his wife, but his younger brother had caught a cold due to the snow, and Lady Liu, concerned for her son, had stayed home to care for the child. Since Lin Jiaxin was just recovering from a leg injury, and Lady Liu feared he might hurt himself on the slippery snow, she didn’t let him come either.

Thus, only the Lin Yuan Sisters remained at Lin Yuan’s house. But it seemed somewhat inappropriate for only the children to be present, so after some thought, she decided to invite Lao Fan as well. As Xiao Linshuang’s master, he was considered an elder of the Lin family.

The dinner was set for the following evening. With nothing much to do during the day, the three sisters leisurely went shopping. Although Lin Jiaxin and his wife hadn’t come to town, they had given the sisters a shopping list for New Year’s goods, entrusting the important task of preparation to the Lin Yuan Sisters.

Holding the several pages of the list in shock, Lin Yuan flipped through them. Having never bought New Year’s goods before, she had no idea that one needed to purchase so much. Meat and flour, weren’t there already stocks at home? Why buy more? And each purchase was in dozens of pounds.

Seeing her elder sister’s furrowed brow, Lin Wei approached and, following her gaze, explained, "Not all the meat is for us to eat; some of it is for giving away."

With that explanation, Lin Yuan remembered how in the past their family had nothing for the New Year and only got by with the help of neighbors and villagers. She recalled one particularly cold year when the village had a poor harvest, and they got through the New Year thanks to a pig’s bone given by a neighbor. They made a soup boiling pig bones and added corn flour sent by the other families, gathering around a small table to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

Thinking back on this made Lin Yuan angry because on the first day of that New Year, when the Lin Yuan Sisters, led by Lin Jiaxin and his wife, had gone to the old house to pay a New Year’s visit, they saw a dish of pork and cabbage on the table. Though there wasn’t much meat, it certainly was a luxury compared to what they had, and so much better than theirs.

They hadn’t split the family yet, but Lin Jiaxin insisted on celebrating separately with his wife and daughter. Lady Yang refused to let them eat at the old house, not even calling the family over for New Year’s Eve dinner.

Lin Yuan sighed, feeling that she could finally hold her head high. This time, they had to celebrate the New Year well, especially to show the old household who was truly living the better life now.

Tucking the shopping list into her bosom, Lin Yuan called out to her sisters and boarded the carriage. In fact, a lot of items on the list could have been procured by the staff from Fuman Building, but as it was her first time preparing for the New Year, Lin Yuan still wanted to do it herself.

For essentials like pork and flour, they had to be bought in advance. As the New Year approached, every family would be shopping, and if they went too late, there was a chance they wouldn’t be able to get what they needed.

Flour and rice were easy, as Rice Flower Fragrance needed a lot of them daily; now that the Boss herself had come, the suppliers naturally wouldn’t mess with the prices.

As for pork, Lin Yuan only trusted Pork Rong.

From afar, the sight of the Lin Yuan Sisters dressed brightly in red and green approached, and Pork Rong and his wife exchanged a smile before greeting them.

Pork Rong’s wife, a quiet and industrious woman, greeted them and then sat to one side tallying accounts with a smile. Pork Rong himself, with his booming voice, started chatting with Lin Yuan.

"Girl, how are those two piglets I sold you doing?"