Lin Kang did not breathe a word about the proposal and his confession for the rest of the day. Since he promised he was going to give Xiu Ling time and space so he would not speak of that again until Xiu Ling brought it up herself.
To not put Xiu Ling on the spotlight and thus make her uncomfortable, Lin Kang urged them to return to the baking as soon as possible. That was a neutral ground they both could be comfortable in.
Xiu Ling retrieved the oven tray and preheated the oven. She placed parchment paper on the tray. She was thankful that Lin Kang did not press her further and allowed her to take things at her own pace. She appreciated that.
Xiu Ling dusted the top of the dough generously with flour. Then she lifted the basket of dough and turned it over. She allowed it to fall gently on the tray. She tapped the back of the basket several times before peeling it off.
Even though she did not give Lin Kang any instruction, the man had been following her closely. This time he did not screw up. Perhaps the procedure was easier this time around or earlier the man had too many things on his mind to really pay Xiu Ling's teaching any attention.
When Lin Kang was ready, Xiu Ling said, "Alright, this is the last step before we send the dough into the oven. It's called scouring and we need to use this."
Xiu Ling picked up a metallic tool that looked like a large razor. "This is called a lame."
Lin family was wealthy enough to afford two of these so Xiu Ling pointed at another one on the table. "You can use that one."
Lin Kang picked it up and Xiu Ling led by example. "Now, you just cut on the surface."
A beautiful slit appeared on Xiu Ling's dough.
Lin Kang tried to follow suit but he was only halfway through when Xiu Ling stopped him, "Wait, you're using too much force, the slit is cutting too deep into the dough."
Xiu Ling grabbed Lin Kang's hand and guided the lame over the dough. "Perfect," she said.
Lin Kang put the tool down and he commented, "So the key is to use a light hand. A valuable lesson both in baking and in life if I do say so myself."
Xiu Ling did not know what exactly he was referring to. There were many occasions in the past where he could have toned down his aggression. Xiu Ling certainly had not forgotten them but the question now was, could she look past them? That was a question she needed to answer before she could think about accepting Lin Kang's confession.
Lin Kang helped Xiu Ling throw the dough into the oven. According to Xiu Ling, the bread would need to bake for about 30 to 45 minutes until the crust was shiny and bubbly.
While they waited for the bread to bake, Lin Kang tried to start a conversation. However, he stopped himself when he saw how deep in thought his wife was. He could venture a guess at what she was thinking so he did not interrupt her. He knew she need some peace and quiet then.
The smell of fresh bread filled the kitchen. Xiu Ling loved the smell, it reminded her of home and her mother... right, her mother. That was another thing that her husband had his hand in.
The more she considered it, the more things Xiu Ling could come up with to stack against her husband. However, they were all in the past. Could she really still fault him for what he did in the past? Viewed from another perspective, the question was, could human being really change?
By all accounts, Lin Kang appeared like he did turn over a new leaf but could the change be permanent, would he someday revert back to the man that he was? Xiu Ling honestly could not tell, she was not a seer, she couldn't see into the future.
All she could depend on was faith and although Lin Kang had been slowly making progress in earning it, he still had a long way to go. Xiu Ling believed that was going to be her answer. She was going to wait and observe some more until she could come up with a more concrete conviction. And that was what she told Lin Kang.
The man did not seem surprised by her answer. If anything, it appeared like he had anticipated as much. Lin Kang shrugged and said, "Like I've told you, I'm willing to wait. And if more time is what you need, Xiu Ling, then I'm willing to oblige. Don't worry."
Thank you was everything Xiu Ling could say before they were interrupted by the alert on the oven. The bread was ready.
In reality, Xiu Ling was thankful that they were interrupted because she felt like she had disappointed Lin Kang somehow. If they were left to continue in that increasingly-awkward interaction, she had a feeling she would be coerced into accepting him simply because she did not want to keep him hanging dry.
Xiu Ling had a tendency to please others and unbeknownst to herself, Lin Kang had become one of the people she would not wish to see have a bad day. While Lin Kang had come to terms with his honest feelings, Xiu Ling still had many things to deal with, many complications within her heart that she needed to solve. After all, the man was the proprietor of the many traumatic events that she had been put through. It was naturally easier for Lin Kang to get over them compared to Xiu Ling... that was if she could ever get over them.
Xiu Ling turned to look at Lin Kang. The man seemed lighter and happier somehow, probably because he had gotten the secret that he had been hiding off his chest. While Xiu Ling was thankful for the man's interest, she was also feeling slightly resentful towards him even though she knew she should not feel that way.
This was because his confession forced her to examine old wounds that she did not think she had the courage to face yet. However, she knew she had to do this because Lin Kang deserved an answer, one with finality, unlike the flimsy one she just gave.
In a way, Lin Kang's confession perhaps had worked against him because most of these old wounds Xiu Ling suffered under his hands.
Lin Kang did not breathe a word about the proposal and his confession for the rest of the day. Since he promised he was going to give Xiu Ling time and space so he would not speak of that again until Xiu Ling brought it up herself.
To not put Xiu Ling on the spotlight and thus make her uncomfortable, Lin Kang urged them to return to the baking as soon as possible. That was a neutral ground they both could be comfortable in.
Xiu Ling retrieved the oven tray and preheated the oven. She placed parchment paper on the tray. She was thankful that Lin Kang did not press her further and allowed her to take things at her own pace. She appreciated that.
Xiu Ling dusted the top of the dough generously with flour. Then she lifted the basket of dough and turned it over. She allowed it to fall gently on the tray. She tapped the back of the basket several times before peeling it off.
Even though she did not give Lin Kang any instruction, the man had been following her closely. This time he did not screw up. Perhaps the procedure was easier this time around or earlier the man had too many things on his mind to really pay Xiu Ling's teaching any attention.
When Lin Kang was ready, Xiu Ling said, "Alright, this is the last step before we send the dough into the oven. It's called scouring and we need to use this."
Xiu Ling picked up a metallic tool that looked like a large razor. "This is called a lame."
Lin family was wealthy enough to afford two of these so Xiu Ling pointed at another one on the table. "You can use that one."
Lin Kang picked it up and Xiu Ling led by example. "Now, you just cut on the surface."
A beautiful slit appeared on Xiu Ling's dough.
Lin Kang tried to follow suit but he was only halfway through when Xiu Ling stopped him, "Wait, you're using too much force, the slit is cutting too deep into the dough."
Xiu Ling grabbed Lin Kang's hand and guided the lame over the dough. "Perfect," she said.
Lin Kang put the tool down and he commented, "So the key is to use a light hand. A valuable lesson both in baking and in life if I do say so myself."
Xiu Ling did not know what exactly he was referring to. There were many occasions in the past where he could have toned down his aggression. Xiu Ling certainly had not forgotten them but the question now was, could she look past them? That was a question she needed to answer before she could think about accepting Lin Kang's confession.
Lin Kang helped Xiu Ling throw the dough into the oven. According to Xiu Ling, the bread would need to bake for about 30 to 45 minutes until the crust was shiny and bubbly.
While they waited for the bread to bake, Lin Kang tried to start a conversation. However, he stopped himself when he saw how deep in thought his wife was. He could venture a guess at what she was thinking so he did not interrupt her. He knew she need some peace and quiet then.
The smell of fresh bread filled the kitchen. Xiu Ling loved the smell, it reminded her of home and her mother... right, her mother. That was another thing that her husband had his hand in.
The more she considered it, the more things Xiu Ling could come up with to stack against her husband. However, they were all in the past. Could she really still fault him for what he did in the past? Viewed from another perspective, the question was, could human being really change?
By all accounts, Lin Kang appeared like he did turn over a new leaf but could the change be permanent, would he someday revert back to the man that he was? Xiu Ling honestly could not tell, she was not a seer, she couldn't see into the future.
All she could depend on was faith and although Lin Kang had been slowly making progress in earning it, he still had a long way to go. Xiu Ling believed that was going to be her answer. She was going to wait and observe some more until she could come up with a more concrete conviction. And that was what she told Lin Kang.
The man did not seem surprised by her answer. If anything, it appeared like he had anticipated as much. Lin Kang shrugged and said, "Like I've told you, I'm willing to wait. And if more time is what you need, Xiu Ling, then I'm willing to oblige. Don't worry."
Thank you was everything Xiu Ling could say before they were interrupted by the alert on the oven. The bread was ready.
In reality, Xiu Ling was thankful that they were interrupted because she felt like she had disappointed Lin Kang somehow. If they were left to continue in that increasingly-awkward interaction, she had a feeling she would be coerced into accepting him simply because she did not want to keep him hanging dry.
Xiu Ling had a tendency to please others and unbeknownst to herself, Lin Kang had become one of the people she would not wish to see have a bad day. While Lin Kang had come to terms with his honest feelings, Xiu Ling still had many things to deal with, many complications within her heart that she needed to solve. After all, the man was the proprietor of the many traumatic events that she had been put through. It was naturally easier for Lin Kang to get over them compared to Xiu Ling... that was if she could ever get over them.
Xiu Ling turned to look at Lin Kang. The man seemed lighter and happier somehow, probably because he had gotten the secret that he had been hiding off his chest. While Xiu Ling was thankful for the man's interest, she was also feeling slightly resentful towards him even though she knew she should not feel that way.
This was because his confession forced her to examine old wounds that she did not think she had the courage to face yet. However, she knew she had to do this because Lin Kang deserved an answer, one with finality, unlike the flimsy one she just gave.
In a way, Lin Kang's confession perhaps had worked against him because most of these old wounds Xiu Ling suffered under his hands.
