The Lin Clan Leader sized up Lin Wanwan for a while, and suddenly became agitated: "You... you! Is your father called Lin Yousi? Is your mother from the Xiao family of Southern Liang?"
Lin Mengjin exclaimed in surprise, "Is she really a girl from the Lin Family? Is she the daughter of Uncle Yousi?"
What could Lin Wanwan say? She naturally spun more tales about seclusion and forgetting past events.
"You mean you got separated from your family and have been living in seclusion with your master in the mountains ever since? Which mountain? What's your master's name?" the Lin Clan Leader asked repeatedly.
Lin Wanwan took a slight step back and slowly said, "I don't know my master's name; he always said, what's the point of leaving a name if you're an hermit? As for my parents, I don't remember them either. I was too young back then. However, I have a bracelet engraved with characters; I'm not sure if it counts as a token."
As she spoke, she took off a gold bracelet from her right hand and handed it to the Lin Clan Leader.
The Lin Clan Leader wiped his hands on his clothes before taking the bracelet for a closer look. This bracelet was very minimalist, with the brand logo on the outside and "Lin Wanwan" engraved on the inside. Lin Wanwan had this custom-made at a modern Chow Tai Fook store just for this moment.
The Lin Clan Leader didn't actually know many characters, but he just happened to recognize his own surname, and quickly identified the "Lin" character, declaring, "That's right, this is Lin. You are indeed a girl from the Lin Family. Your father must be Brother Yousi, and as for your mother being from the Xiao family, there's no mistake. You look exactly like her. Since you've come to the clan, settle down first at the Lin Family Manor."
The Lin Clan Leader's words hit the mark with Lin Wanwan's intentions. Travel back a thousand years, and being part of the Lin Clan gave her a sense of belonging, prompting her to express gratitude and agree to it.
The Lin Clan Leader returned the bracelet to Lin Wanwan, feeling so confident because, back then, in the first year after the direct lineage Lin Yousi married, he brought his new wife from the Xiao family to the ancestral shrine to pay respects, and the Lin Clan Leader and others were amazed by her beauty.
They didn't really take a good look at her appearance; they were overwhelmed by her ladylike demeanor and her extravagant attire adorned with hairpins and silks. And seeing Lin Wanwan dressed similarly, wasn't she almost identical?
With preconceived notions, the Lin Clan Leader firmly believed Lin Wanwan was their daughter. Moreover, the Lin Family Manor, being in a poor and remote area, wasn't a desirable place. Would such a noble lady dressed in silk and brocade come here to falsely claim kinship? No doubt she was indeed a Lin family girl.
The direct lineage was displaced during the former dynasty's war and their whereabouts were unknown. Now, upon seeing the graceful Lin Wanwan and the little Qingyu clinging tightly to her, the Lin Clan Leader couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.
After Yousi's ancestral worship, their branch and the direct lineage completely split, each having their own clan leader. The direct line was of noble lineage, while their branch were merely farmers and fishermen.
But as times changed, who would have thought that the direct lineage's fate would become unknown, while their branch, due to being in the countryside, endured the war and was passed down to the new dynasty?
Knowing that Lin Wanwan would be coming at the end of the month, Lin Mengbo's family joined to accompany her at the Clan Leader's house, one of them being the eldest daughter, saved by Lin Wanwan using the Heimlich Maneuver.
"Miss Wan, we don't have much, but here is a bag of sun-dried sea jellyfish blood. It's flavorful when stewed, a delicacy favored by nobles. Please take it and try it out," Lin Mengbo said, carrying over a large bamboo basket containing the sea jellyfish blood he'd mentioned.
Lin Wanwan knew that sea jellyfish blood, also known as sea jellyfish skin, was immensely valuable. In modern times, something like this would sell for two thousand per pound, and here there seemed to be four or five pounds.
But compared to another item in the bamboo basket, this nearly ten thousand worth of sea jellyfish skin was nothing.
"This Yellow Croaker, we caught it during a sea outing a few days ago; it's for you to enjoy," Lin Mengbo said.
The fish was exchanged by Lin Mengbo forgoing the rest of that month's catch. The clan goes to sea together, and the catch is generally divided based on contribution.
Lin Wanwan glanced at the half-human-length Yellow Croaker, it must be a hundred pounds! Such a wild Yellow Croaker in modern times would definitely be worth more than a million.
Lin Wanwan felt embarrassed to accept it, and immediately said, "Such fine goods, I'm too embarrassed to take it. You should sell it and buy something good for the children."
Lin Mengbo hurriedly replied, "Miss Wan, you saved my eldest daughter's life. If you refuse such a trivial thing that doesn't even cost a coin, I'd be utterly ashamed."
"Not even worth a coin?" Lin Wanwan's mouth slightly opened, the price difference over a thousand years was truly vast!
But indeed, the Yellow Croaker, let alone in Tang Dynasty a thousand years ago, it wasn't particularly valuable even in the 1980s and 90s. In 2022, wild Yellow Croaker was so valuable solely due to overfishing causing rarity; rarity leads to high value.
In the end, Lin Wanwan accepted the heartfelt gift of gratitude, and as a return gift, Lin Wanwan opened a box and presented an eight-piece kitchen set.
Lin Wanwan smiled as she displayed the kitchen set, introducing each item one by one, explaining what they were and how to use them.
There were four containers for condiments, filled with salt, brown sugar, MSG, and pepper powder; and four bottles for olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and cooking wine.
Glass had been around since the Tang Dynasty, with the Western Regions having glass-making techniques, so Lin Wanwan wasn't afraid to bring it out. As for the condiments, it didn't matter much either; they would be consumed quickly and wouldn't be taken outside.
Lin Mengbo, Lin Qin, and the whole Lin Clan Leader's family were utterly astonished by what she brought out.
Lin Qin quickly declined, "No, no, Miss Wan, we couldn't possibly accept this. Please put them away!"
Lin Wanwan said casually, "The salt was made by my master from sun-dried seawater, and everything else was handcrafted by him too. The glass bottles and pepper are imported, abundant in the Western Regions, not rare at all. If you all refuse my return gift, then I can't accept your Yellow Croaker either."
Lin Mengbo and the group were impressed by Lin Wanwan's refusal to take any advantage, but ultimately, they wouldn't accept the entire set.
Lin Qin waved her hands, "Impossible, impossible! You're the lifesaver of my eldest daughter, and I haven't repaid you yet; how could we accept such valuable things from you?"
After all the refusals, the six households present each took one item, while the ones containing pepper and olive oil, obviously more valuable, were returned to Lin Wanwan.
Lin Qin marveled, "You and the old sage really live an immortal life! What are these glass bottles? They're as beautiful as gemstones; I've never seen anything so lovely in my life. And the oil, dumplings (MSG), oh my goodness! I've never heard of such things! How is this salt so white and fine? What! Red sugar and pepper powder too! Those are treats only nobles eat!"