Chapter 34: Raising Leng Xiao’s Favorability, Can the Storage Area Really Expand?

After loading the purchased fabrics onto the flatbed cart at the cloth shop, the five of them headed toward the blacksmith’s shop near the west gate.

“By the way, here are the paper, inkstone, brush, and ink I bought for you. Since you’re here, you can take them back to the Academy to use. I originally planned to have Eldest Brother bring them to you when he delivers your cotton-padded clothes.” Wen Nuan Nuan, seemingly taking them from the bamboo basket but actually retrieving them from the refrigerator’s storage area, handed over the paper, inkstone, brush, and ink.

She also took out shaomai, steamed rolls, and boiled eggs to distribute.

“No need, I don’t need them. Eldest Brother and I have already eaten at the Academy,” Leng Tian quickly waved his hands, offering the food to his younger brothers.

Hearing that Eldest Brother and Leng Xiao had already eaten, Wen Nuan Nuan skipped the two of them and distributed the food to Second Brother and Little Brother.

She then took out two oranges, giving one to Eldest Brother and handing the other to Leng Xiao.

Leng Xiao was looking down at the rice paper and She inkstone, his cool and detached expression revealing no emotion.

“How is it?” Wen Nuan Nuan’s small face lit up with a sweet smile.

Just these few items had cost over three taels of silver.

“It’s alright,” came the casual reply, giving no indication of whether he liked it or not.

Just as Wen Nuan Nuan was about to mention the three taels of silver, she heard a ding!

What? Did she get a system?

Wen Nuan Nuan quickly shook her head left and right to check.

Nothing at all!

What was going on?

Then she noticed that her refrigerator had visibly grown larger!

Yes, it had clearly expanded!

What had she done? She had only given Leng Xiao a set of writing materials.

There had been no prompt when she gave it to him, but it updated in real time after he replied, “It’s alright”!

Just as she had guessed, as long as she treated them well, the refrigerator would grow larger!

Being good to the three younger ones only expanded three layers of the storage area, updating the next day.

But being good to Leng Xiao made the entire storage area grow larger, updating in real time.

Heavens, Leng Xiao truly lived up to being favored by the heavens, the beloved child of destiny.

Come on, she needed to raise his favorability a lot, making her refrigerator’s storage area grow bigger and bigger!

“Here, a honey orange. It’s very sweet,” Wen Nuan Nuan offered the orange with a radiant smile.

As soon as Leng Xiao finished eating it, she asked with concern, “How is it? Is it sweet? Is it good?”

“It’s alright,” came the same indifferent reply as always.

But!

Ding!

The refrigerator had clearly grown larger again!

For the rest of the journey, Wen Nuan Nuan’s “concerned” questions could be heard.

“Are you cold?

Are you hot?

Are you thirsty?

Are you tired?”

…

The three younger ones followed happily behind the two of them.

Beaming with joy, their hearts filled with delight.

Sister-in-law is so good to Eldest Brother!

Eldest Brother’s attitude needs improvement. We’ll have to remind him when we get the chance—how can he be so cold toward Sister-in-law?

In contrast, Sister-in-law couldn’t be any better. Even though Eldest Brother’s expression was indifferent, she still smiled warmly and gently, showing him care and concern.

When they arrived at the blacksmith’s shop, Wen Nuan Nuan learned that there were restrictions on purchasing iron products!

Iron pots, firewood knives, hoes, iron sheets, and iron mesh could all be bought, but daggers were not allowed.

“Madam, it’s not that we don’t want to sell it to you, but we can’t! Daggers are also classified as blades and swords, just like armor. They cannot be privately manufactured—it’s a matter of losing one’s head,” the blacksmith explained helplessly.

Wen Nuan Nuan was stunned, though she could understand it. It was normal for the authorities to regulate blades and swords.

“Is there any other way to obtain blades and swords?” Leng Xiao, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up.

The blacksmith replied, “It’s not impossible. You just need to register with the authorities. That way, if anything happens in the future, there’s a trail to follow, right?”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan Nuan thought the risk factor was far too high!

What if she accidentally lost it and someone else used it to do something wicked? Wouldn’t she be blamed for it?

A kitchen knife was safer.

After all, wasn’t there a saying that no matter how skilled you were, you still feared a kitchen knife?

Might as well keep a kitchen knife in the refrigerator storage area. Usually, it could be used for chopping vegetables and cutting meat, and if she really encountered danger, its function wouldn’t be inferior to a dagger!

Having made up her mind, Wen Nuan Nuan was already determined, her clear eyes filled with a smile as she said amiably, “No need for the dagger. I want a kitchen knife, a firewood knife, a pair of scissors, a hoe, two small iron pots with double handles, an iron kettle, an iron sheet, and two iron grates.”

Everything else was in stock, but the blacksmith had never made or even heard of iron sheets or iron grates.

After discussing with the blacksmith, Wen Nuan Nuan agreed on the dimensions, style, and size, arranging for Eldest Brother to pick them up in five days.

She paid the silver together, received the ready-made items, and then went to the pottery shop next door.

The items from the blacksmith’s shop were heavy, while those from the pottery shop were large and fragile.

She carefully selected a small water vat and two pickle jars, testing the pickle jars’ seal with burning leaves before buying them.

She bought a plump, large clay pot for making old hen soup and spare rib soup.

She chose a shallow-mouthed clay pot, which could be used for cooking clay pot porridge or hotpot.

She also picked a large-bellied clay kettle.

Although she had bought an iron kettle earlier, its small mouth was suitable for brewing tea or boiling tea.

The clay kettle, with its wide mouth, was perfect for brewing flower tea or fruit tea.

Winter was approaching, and the weather would be dry and harsh. It would be just right to brew some sugarcane, snow pear, and reed root water, which was excellent for quenching thirst, relieving dryness, clearing heat, and moistening the lungs.

In the past, when winter was too dry, she often suffered from dry skin and an uncomfortable throat, and drinking this helped her recover.

So she always kept this recipe in the refrigerator.

From time to time, she would brew a small kettle and drink it throughout the day.

She also picked out some small items. After buying everything, the flatbed cart was already heavy.

Wen Nuan Nuan winked at Eldest Brother and Leng Xiao and said, “Let’s find a safe, deserted alley first.”

Leng Chen and Leng Yun looked at their sister-in-law, confused.

They had already bought everything, so why not just go home? Why look for an alley?

Leng Tian said, “There’s a dead-end alley ahead. I’ll take you there.”

Once there, Leng Xiao took the bamboo baskets from the two little ones and calmly instructed, “You two stay here and guard the entrance. Don’t let anyone in. I need to talk to your sister-in-law for a moment.”

Although the two little ones didn’t understand, they obediently nodded and didn’t ask further.

Deep in the alley, making sure no one else could see, Wen Nuan Nuan quietly placed the heavy ironware, cloth, and fragile jars and pottery into the storage area.

Before coming, she had worried that the vegetables and rice cakes in the kitchen might not be safe and had considered storing them in the storage area. However, she had refrained from doing so because she knew the things she bought would be many and heavy, and she didn’t want to tire Eldest Brother.

Originally, with so many purchases, they wouldn’t all fit in the storage area. She could only selectively store small, heavy, and fragile items, while things like cloth couldn’t be stored.

But she hadn’t expected Leng Xiao to come!

Through sheer effort, in just over an hour, he had expanded the storage area by more than three times!

Now, not only could small, heavy, and fragile items be stored, but even cloth, pastries, bamboo baskets, and backpacks could all fit.

Of course, the backpacks wouldn’t be stored.

“Sister-in-law, why not leave the bamboo baskets on the flatbed cart? Cover them with straw, and no one will notice there’s nothing inside,” Leng Tian suggested.

“Good idea,” Wen Nuan Nuan agreed.

Exiting the west gate, they and Leng Xiao had to part ways—one heading south, the other north.

They were about to part ways, and Wen Nuan Nuan decided to earn another wave of goodwill.

There was no other choice—who knew when she would see Leng Xiao again next time.

And expanding the storage area was just too convenient and important!

Once she returned, she could stock up on mountain goods without restrictions and earn silver.