Chapter 789 --789

Chapter 789: Chapter-789

"I know perfectly well that people would do anything to put a plate of food like this on their table. Some might even resort to robbery just to feed themselves and their families. I’m not blind to the reality of this world."

Heena looked at the two of them before continuing.

"And if I don’t have this food tomorrow, then fine. I’ll survive on whatever I can find. I’ll figure something out when the time comes. But if I have the ingredients today, then I’m going to cook them and eat properly. Why should I starve myself today worrying about tomorrow?"

With that, she pushed her chair back and stood up.

Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, she turned towards Ren.

"And you?"

Ren looked up, startled.

Heena pointed at the empty space in front of him. "Why the heck is there no egg in front of you?"

Ren was stunned.

He had no idea how to answer that question.

In this world, men usually didn’t get to eat eggs, meat, or other expensive ingredients. Such things were reserved for the women of the household. Yesterday, he had already been shocked when Heena had allowed him to eat chicken and eggs with them. He had never expected something like that to happen.

But today, when he had entered the kitchen and seen the ingredients laid out, he had felt guilty.

They had already eaten meat yesterday. The ingredients weren’t cheap, and he couldn’t bring himself to prepare another meal with eggs when he knew how much they cost. So, in the end, he had settled for a simple pot of congee.

He hadn’t even dared to ask Heena what she wanted.

Now, looking at her expression, he felt as though he had made a terrible mistake.

Heena stared at him for a moment before sighing.

Honestly, what is wrong with these people?

She glanced at the thin congee on the table, then turned around and walked into the kitchen without saying anything more.

Ren and Madam Lin exchanged confused looks.

A couple of minutes later, Heena returned with six freshly boiled eggs.

She sat down, placed two eggs in front of Ren, another two in front of Madam Lin, and kept the remaining two for herself.

"There. Eat."

She looked between the mother and son, making sure they understood her words.

"And remember this. I have enough money to feed all three of us, so don’t go around starving yourselves in front of me. You’re already old enough to know better."

Madam Lin’s eyes widened.

"Who are you calling old?!"

Heena ignored her completely.

She picked up one of her eggs and began peeling it.

Perhaps it was because her system wasn’t around to chatter endlessly in her ear, or perhaps it was because she had only just woken up after sleeping through the entire day, but she didn’t feel like arguing anymore.

Besides, the congee was already cooked. Making another dish would take time, and she didn’t particularly want to waste the food that was already there.

So, for now, she decided to make do with what she had.

Once she had peeled her egg, Heena cut it neatly in half. She then sprinkled a little salt over it, followed by some finely chopped onions and green chilies that she had prepared earlier. Finally, she added a pinch of crushed pepper.

She had really wanted to fry the eggs in oil, but considering how expensive oil was in this world, she decided to restrain herself.

Well, boiled eggs aren’t bad either.

Heena picked up one half and took a bite.

Her eyes brightened slightly.

Oh, God. That’s good.

The combination of salt, onion, chili, and pepper made the plain boiled egg taste so much better. It wasn’t anything complicated, but sometimes, the simplest things were the most satisfying.

Across the table, Ren and Madam Lin watched her with bewildered expressions.

Madam Lin finally couldn’t hold back.

"What kind of strange way is that to eat an egg?"

Heena calmly took another bite before looking at her.

"Don’t judge food without tasting it first. That’s a sin."

Madam Lin opened her mouth to argue.

"Would something like that even taste good?"

She said it with complete disdain, yet her eyes had already drifted towards the chopped onions and chilies on Heena’s side of the table.

Before Heena could react, Madam Lin reached over and practically snatched some of the ingredients for herself.

She sprinkled them over her own egg, added a little salt and crushed pepper, and took a cautious bite.

Silence.

She chewed slowly.

Then she took another bite.

...Oh.

It actually tasted much better than she had expected.

Heena glanced at her but didn’t comment. Instead, she focused on her own food, thoroughly enjoying the little improvement to her otherwise ordinary meal.

Ren, seeing his mother eat it, finally gathered the courage to try the same combination.

Soon, all three of them were eating their eggs with the simple seasoning.

Once she had finished her first bowl of congee, Heena picked it up and looked towards Ren.

"Give me another bowl."

Ren blinked.

"Huh?"

Without waiting for him to respond, Heena stood up, walked into the kitchen, and ladled herself another bowl from the pot. She returned to the table, sat down, and began eating as though nothing unusual had happened.

Ren stared at her.

Madam Lin also looked rather surprised.

Wasn’t one bowl enough?

Heena noticed Ren eating his congee in tiny spoonfuls, as if he were trying to make the food last as long as possible. She looked at his bowl, then at the pot in the kitchen.

There was still plenty left.

Yet the portions Ren and Madam Lin had served themselves were so small that they looked more like snacks than proper meals.

Heena set down her spoon.

"There’s more congee in the pot. Why are you eating so little? Finish it today."

Ren looked at her uncertainly. "But—"

"I don’t want leftovers sitting around until tomorrow."

Heena wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with the eating habits of ancient worlds. People often cooked a large pot of congee, ate only a little at each meal, and saved the rest for later. The same pot might be reheated and eaten the next morning, then again in the afternoon, before another batch was finally prepared.

It was an economical way to manage food when ingredients and fuel were scarce.

But Heena had no intention of following that routine when there was already enough food to satisfy everyone today.

She glanced at their bowls again.

"Take another serving. As much as you want."

Then she added, completely matter-of-factly, "If there’s still any left by the end of the meal, I’ll throw it away."

Both Ren and Madam Lin looked at her in horror.

"Throw it away?!" Madam Lin exclaimed.

Heena calmly picked up her spoon again.

"Yes. So eat it while it’s fresh."

She wasn’t trying to disrespect food, nor did she intend to waste ingredients carelessly. She simply refused to turn every meal into a lesson about deprivation.

There was enough food for everyone. They were hungry, and the food was there to be eaten.

To Heena, that was reason enough.