Why am I, a cook, always involved in cases?

Her words contained deep apology, which flowed out slowly like an indescribable stream.

Lin Zhiruo spoke softly in a gentle and delicate tone, with a searching glint in her eyes, which gently fell on her young son. Her eyes were as deep and clear as autumn water, as if she could see through everything in the world.

"Did that forest eagle ever sit peacefully on that shelf over there?"

Her words were like a gentle breeze, carrying a hint of imperceptible doubt.

When the youngest son heard this, his expression tensed slightly, and then he revealed a slightly lonely smile:

“In the past, there were indeed goldfish swimming freely in this forest sculpture, like elves in the water.

However, the cold winter makes it difficult for goldfish to survive.

I only put it here on warm days. As time goes by, the goldfish has gradually disappeared and it has become a lonely decoration.

Lin Zhiruo looked at him with indifferent eyes, as if she could see through his appearance and understand the loneliness and desolation in his heart.

Then she turned gently and floated out of the hut as quietly as a falling leaf.

"Where are you going?"

There was a hint of curiosity in the youngest son's voice, and his eyes followed Lin Zhiruo's figure.

"I want to get some clean water to nourish this dry forest sculpture."

Lin Zhiruo answered softly, her voice like a breeze blowing past her ears.

She walked lightly towards the lady, asked for a cup of water, and then gently poured the water into the forest sculpture, as if breathing new life into this lonely decoration.

"I heard that this forest sculpture was once filled with water. Is that true?"

Lin Zhiruo's gaze fell on Lin Diao, her voice soft and full of curiosity.

"Indeed, the pattern is facing this way."

The lady replied with a smile, her tone full of memories and nostalgia for the past.

Lin Zhiruo thought secretly in her heart, as if everything was under her control.

She looked up at the window. The sunlight shone through the window lattice and reflected on the forest sculpture, converging into a bright beam of light, pointing just at the keyhole under the cupboard, flashing a faint and mysterious light.

"Did you often hold tea parties at this time?"

There was a hint of curiosity and exploration in Lin Zhiruo's voice.

"..."

The second son suddenly interrupted, blocking the mysterious light.

"Please don't block the light!"

Lin Zhiruo's voice involuntarily rose a few notches, with a hint of eagerness and anxiety.

The second son was so frightened by her words that he huddled up in a ball and dared not move.

"I'm sorry, but the strong light shining directly into my eyes may cause blindness. And you're standing like this, it's getting in my way. Please move away a little, otherwise I won't be able to perform the lock-opening technique."

Lin Zhiruo explained, her eyes fixed on the keyhole and the light, as if everything was under her control.

Time passed slowly like flowing water, and the light gathered by the forest sculpture gradually moved, gradually illuminating the area around the keyhole.

However, the good times did not last long. The shadow of the chestnut tree quietly spread and the sun no longer shone.

Lin Zhiruo stared at the keyhole and reached out to touch the metal part. She felt that it was slightly warm and there seemed to be a strange fragrance in the air.

An inexplicable feeling of speculation and expectation surged in her heart.

"What exactly does this mean?"

There was a hint of curiosity and confusion in the youngest son's voice.

Lin Zhiruo turned around, her eyes as deep as the abyss:

"Did the deceased elder suffer from anemia or abdominal pain?"

There was a hint of solemnity and concern in her voice.

"Indeed."

The three brothers looked at each other and nodded in confirmation, their eyes flashing with memories and nostalgia of the past.

"What about nausea or depression?"

Lin Zhiruo continued to ask, her voice full of concern and worry about her elder's illness.

The three brothers looked at each other in silence again, but Lin Zhiruo had already read the answer from their expressions.

She thought of the crystal that was placed aside like a decoration, and a trace of speculation and doubt arose in her heart.

"I know very little about craftsmanship. Is welding used here?"

There was a hint of humility and curiosity in Lin Zhiruo's voice.

"Oh, it is."

The eldest son replied, a hint of pride and satisfaction in his voice.

"Then please use the key to open this drawer."

Lin Zhiruo said, her voice full of anticipation and mystery.

"Didn't I tell you it can't be opened?"

The second son inserted the key into the keyhole with some displeasure, but was surprised to find that the key went in without any obstruction.

He turned the key in surprise, and with a "click", the drawer opened.

"What...what's going on?"

The eldest son was shaking with fear, the second and youngest sons also widened their eyes, and Liu Wu also had a bewildered look on his face, as if he was deeply shocked by this scene.

Lin Zhiruo smiled slightly, as if everything was under her control:

"Nothing, I'm just following the will. Just like in the past, we all gathered together for tea party."

There was a hint of tenderness and mystery in her voice, as if bringing everyone into a distant past.

After saying that, Lin Zhiruo took out the entire drawer and placed it in front of everyone.

There is a key-shaped mold at the bottom of the drawer, emitting a faint glow.

Surprisingly, there was a piece of soft metal inside the mold.

Lin Zhiruo touched it lightly with her fingers, confirming its hardness and texture.

"Can I take it out?"

Lin Zhiruo inquired, with a hint of tenderness and respect in her voice.

"Ah, of course."

The eldest son nodded, his eyes flashing with curiosity and anticipation.

Lin Zhiruo carefully took the key out of the mold.

The still warm key fit perfectly into the three rusty keyholes on the cabinet.

She tried to open each drawer, again attracting everyone's surprised and curious gazes.

"This...what on earth is this?"

In three drawers of different sizes, each contained a mixture of metal and crystal.

In the largest drawer was a crystal glowing blue, very similar to the decoration at the entrance, as if it contained endless secrets and power.

"I don't know, but I was just doing what I was told."

Lin Zhiruo shook her head and placed the three items on the table.

She didn't need to say anything more, as everything was already clear, like a mysterious scroll slowly unfolding before everyone's eyes.

"Damn it! What's with all the harmony we're getting along with? In the end, we just got fooled around by Dad's last prank!"

The eldest son shouted angrily, with a hint of unwillingness and helplessness in his voice.

“It’s really intolerable!”

The second son echoed indignantly, his eyes flashing with anger and dissatisfaction.

However, the youngest son stared at the three objects intently, looking at the drawers of the cupboard in turn.

Unlike the eldest and second sons, the youngest son's hands were covered with red burn marks, as if telling of his past efforts and persistence.

(Stealing skills?)

Lin Zhiruo recalled that a craftsman guest with an eccentric temperament once said this.

She also recalled that she had been poisoned because she had believed this and cooked food without authorization. Later, her father sternly warned her to ask before taking any action.

She knew that only by truly understanding the profound meaning of the late craftsmen could she master the essence of this craft.

Perhaps, only this young son truly understood the profound meaning of the late craftsman.

It is said that "welding" is achieved by mixing multiple metals to lower their melting points.

After all, Lin Zhiruo was a person who traveled through time, so she naturally knew that this was a mixture of lead and tin.

The reason she knew so much was that lead is also a poisonous metal.

She had witnessed with her own eyes the tragic scene of a craftsman being poisoned while melting lead; in addition, her father had told her that the poisonous white powder that was once popular in the harem was made of lead.

Two of the three objects were a mixture of lead and tin.

If it is matched with another crystal, can a completely new metal be melted out?

Moreover, although the sunlight concentrated by the forest sculpture is of high temperature, the exposure time is not long.

This means that its melting temperature is quite low.

The drawers are deliberately made to different sizes, which must be the key reason.

Lin Zhiruo didn't need to say anything more, but there was one thing she thought it necessary to remind her.

She walked up to her youngest son and said softly:

"Deep in Red Blossom Alley, there's a shop called Hongxialou. There's a chef named Lin Xiang. He's a highly skilled chef. If you're feeling unwell, please be sure to visit him."

There was a hint of concern and sincerity in her voice, as if she was guiding her young son on a clear path.

"Oh, okay...ok."

The youngest son was startled by Lin Zhiruo's sudden words and answered with some surprise.

His eyes flashed with gratitude and respect, as if he saw hope and dawn for the future.

Lin Zhiruo slowly bowed her head in greeting, then turned and left, no longer paying attention to her youngest son who was saying goodbye solemnly and her two furious brothers.

Seeing that Liu Wu still looked unhappy, she couldn't help but reflect on whether she was meddling too much.

However, she knew she had done her best and left the rest to fate.

As for what happened afterwards, it had nothing to do with Lin Zhiruo.