Yang Mei quickly handed him the chopsticks, looking at him expectantly.
Lin Dong took the chopsticks, picked up a bite, and immediately raised an eyebrow. "It's so bland?"
Yang Mei's face paled instantly. "Little brother, in these times, soy sauce and salt are hard to come by. I didn't dare use too much."
Lin Dong fell silent for a moment. Sister Mei was indeed a frugal woman who knew how to manage a household.
Humans couldn't go long without salt, especially in the heat of June and July when he often worked out and sweated.
He was losing salt every day, so it was absolutely essential.
He had stockpiled plenty of salt before, and now with the system, he might even draw some more at any time.
He glanced at Yang Mei. "Don't skimp on salt from now on. I hoarded a lot before. We have enough for now."
Yang Mei nodded hurriedly, flustered. "I—I understand, little brother. I'll remake it right away."
Lin Dong waved his hand. "It's fine for today. What about the rice?"
"Ah, I'll serve it."
Yang Mei quickly scooped out a full bowl of rice, carefully scraping off every last bit of rice crust, wasting not a single grain.
She placed the bowl in front of Lin Dong, eager to please. "Little brother, here's the rice."
The aroma of the steamed rice, mixed with the scent of meat from the table, made her mouth water uncontrollably.
She swallowed hard and said, "Here."
Lin Dong took the bowl and looked at her. "How much do you usually eat?"
Yang Mei panicked. "Sister eats very little! A piece of bread in the morning is enough. I'm not hungry at all right now. You don't need to worry about me."
She was terrified that Lin Dong would think she ate too much and kick her out.
But the moment she finished speaking, her flat stomach let out a loud growl.
Instantly, her fair face flushed crimson with embarrassment.
Lin Dong observed her coolly. "Go get another bowl."
She froze for a second, not daring to ask questions, and quickly fetched a small bowl.
Handing it over, she berated herself. "It's my fault. There's so much rice—it could last for several meals. I'll put the rest in the fridge for you."
As she spoke, she began dividing the rice herself.
But just as she was about to hand the rice scoop to Lin Dong, he reached out and pressed his hand over her fair fingers.
The sudden contact made Yang Mei jerk back as if electrocuted, letting out a small "Ah!"
Her face turned even redder, her eyes filled with panic.
Lin Dong took the scoop, divided a small portion into the bowl, and said, "Eat."
Without another word, he picked up his chopsticks and started eating the shredded pork with potatoes.
Yang Mei, however, stared at him in disbelief, then at the bowl of rice in front of her.
She stammered, "Th-this is for me?"
In her own home, Li Zhiqiang wouldn't even spare her a sip of noodle soup.
For Lin Dong to suddenly give her a bowl of rice—she could hardly believe her ears.
"You don't want it?"
How could Yang Mei resist? After starving for two days, the little bread she had in the morning had long since been digested.
Now, she could no longer hold back. Clutching the bowl and chopsticks, she said excitedly, "I'll eat! I'll eat!"
Between mouthfuls, she mumbled incoherently.
The rice barely touched her tongue before she swallowed, the long-missed flavor of rice flooding her senses.
She wolfed it down, feeling it was incredibly delicious.
Her stomach, burning with hunger, seemed to instantly find relief as it was filled with food, bringing a sudden sense of comfort.
As she ate, tears began to fall, and soon she was sobbing uncontrollably.
Lin Dong couldn't help but pause and turn to look at her. "Why are you crying?"
"It's… it's so good. I… I just haven't had rice in so long."
"The rice you lent us ran out half a month ago."
"These past days, I've been surviving on just biscuits, snacks, instant noodles… one meal a day."
"I… I was just too overwhelmed. Little brother, thank you… thank you." She cried as she spoke, choking out the hardships she had endured over the past few months.
It was as if she had finally found someone to confide in, pouring out all her suffering to Lin Dong in one go.
After listening, Lin Dong sighed inwardly.
Li Zhiqiang really was a piece of work—hoarding food at home while hiding it from his own family.
Truly, "Husband and wife are birds of a feather, but when disaster strikes, each flies their own way."
In the face of survival, marital bonds were utterly unreliable.
Especially in a marriage arranged through matchmaking.
Yang Mei was undoubtedly a good woman. If Lin Dong were in her shoes, he would have divorced a man like Li Zhiqiang long ago.
Yet Yang Mei had endured it.
Even while eating, she was restrained, focusing only on the rice and not touching the plate of shredded pork with potatoes.
Lin Dong couldn't stand it anymore. "Don't just eat rice. Have some of the dish too."
Yang Mei quickly shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine with just rice. Little brother, you eat the dish. Save the rest for dinner if you can't finish it."
Helpless, Lin Dong forcefully piled a large portion of shredded pork with potatoes onto her plate, and she thanked him in a flustered manner.
The meal ended just like that.
Before Lin Dong could even get up, Yang Mei was the first to rise. "I'll wash the dishes. Little brother, don't move—leave it all to me."
Lin Dong let her take care of the dishes, his gaze drifting over her hourglass figure before involuntarily settling on the torn stockings beneath her short skirt.
Her fair, slender legs peeked through the ripped fabric, revealing glimpses of smooth skin.
The faint marks left by the stockings stirred an inexplicable excitement in him.
He took a deep breath and stood up, walking toward the kitchen.
Hearing footsteps, Yang Mei instinctively turned her head.
But before she could fully look back, a strong masculine presence suddenly enveloped her.
Lin Dong had already wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Yang Mei trembled violently, panic flooding through her.
"Little brother, you… you…"
She frantically pressed down on his rough hands, wanting to pry them away but afraid of angering him.
Then, she heard his heavy breathing behind her.
"Wash the dishes."
Her body still shaking, Yang Mei felt him bury his face in the hair at the nape of her neck, inhaling deeply.
Goosebumps rose all over her skin, and her legs grew weak.
"L-Little brother… don't…"
Her voice cracked with a sob as she clearly felt his hands sliding downward.
She didn't dare resist in the slightest.
Lin Dong felt a burning heat in his chest, as if he wanted to crush her into his embrace.
But just then, a teardrop fell onto his arm.
He froze, then slowly turned the woman in his arms to face him.
Yang Mei was silently crying.
Instantly, all his desire was extinguished, and his wandering hands withdrew.
Frowning, Lin Dong felt a flicker of doubt rise within him.
"How could I force someone to do such a thing?"
"What difference is there between me and Liu Erlong?"
As reason returned, he took a deep breath, suppressing the beastly desires in his heart, and took a step back. "Wash the dishes," he said.
With those words, he turned and walked toward the living room.
Yang Mei stared blankly at his retreating figure, her entire body going limp as she slumped weakly beneath the sink.
(End of chapter)