Chapter 22 - Mom Had Her Own Secret
Mei was not home alone.
When Eli burst into the apartment, he found her serving tea to three unconscious men.
Technically, the men were not drinking.
They were tied to chairs.
Mei looked up.
"Take shoes off."
Eli stared.
"Mom, why are there kidnappers in our dining room?"
"They came through window. Very rude."
One man's face was swollen.
Eli slowly looked at his mother.
"What did you do?"
"I used pan."
Jian entered behind him.
Mei froze.
The teacup slipped from her hand.
For seven years she had believed her husband abandoned them.
For seven years Jian had believed the lie protected her.
Eli suddenly wished he were back fighting cleavers.
Mei crossed the room.
She slapped Jian.
Then hugged him.
Then slapped him again while hugging him.
"Seven years!"
"I know."
"You idiot!"
"I know."
"I sold your good wok!"
Jian gasped. "The carbon steel one?"
"You deserve worse."
Reggie whispered to Owen, "This is more terrifying than kung fu."
When emotions settled slightly, Eli showed Mei the stolen Hearth Seed.
She did not look surprised.
That was suspicious.
"Mom?"
Mei sighed.
"Your father told me some things before restaurant closed. Not everything."
"How many things?"
She pointed toward a cabinet.
Behind bags of dried mushrooms sat a wooden recipe box Eli had seen his entire life.
Inside were no recipes.
There were cultivation notes.
Dozens.
Mei had known about culinary cultivation for twenty-four years.
"You let me think Dad's breathing exercises were weird old-man stretching."
"They were weird old-man stretching. Also cultivation."
Jian looked offended.
Mei explained the Chen Family Kitchen had been one of Seattle's original independent Hearth nodes. Jian refused to register it under Nine Banquet central authority.
Victor Vale pressured banks, suppliers and landlords until the restaurant collapsed.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Eli asked.
"Because you were sixteen and angry at algebra. You think I give you secret spiritual war also?"
Fair.
Then Mei opened a hidden compartment.
Inside was a jade spoon.
The Ledger reacted instantly.
[Legacy Artifact detected: People's Ladle]
[Original function: Distribute Hearth burden across consenting diners.]
Eli stared.
This was a missing component of the Ten-Thousand Bowl Method.
Hope surged.
Then Appraisal revealed a black crack through the jade.
[Artifact damaged.]
[Repair requirement: Living Hearth Core shard.]
Jian looked grim.
"Only one active Hearth Core is accessible in Seattle."
Eli knew before he said it.
The core beneath Jade Table.
Victor Vale's personal cultivation foundation.
They needed to steal a piece of the villain's heart to fix a spoon.
Mei picked up her frying pan.
"Good. We go."
Eli blinked.
"No."
Mei narrowed her eyes.
The system whispered:
[Host has chosen difficult dialogue option.]
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