Chapter 13 ☆ Steamed bread dipped in meat soup

A pot of braised bamboo rat meat was served, with two steamed buns made of mixed flour given to each person. The educated youths were as happy as if it were Chinese New Year.

No one spoke; the only sounds were the clinking of chopsticks on the table as everyone was busy eating.

The bamboo rat meat was salty, fragrant, and spicy, with an indescribably tempting taste. The steamed corn bread dipped in the spicy broth became the most delicious thing in the world. After chewing a few pieces, everyone stretched their necks to swallow, their foreheads beaded with sweat.

The best part was that after eating a few pieces of bamboo rat meat, everyone broke out in sweat, and the heat and fatigue from the scorching day were swept away, leaving them feeling relaxed.

Everyone praised Cheng Nuonuo: “Cheng Nuonuo’s bamboo rat meat is so delicious!”

Even Han Yin’s attitude towards Cheng Nuonuo softened: “Yes, every time I eat Cheng Nuonuo’s cooking, I sweat all over. It feels so good!”

Cheng Nuonuo pursed her lips and said modestly, “I noticed how hot the weather is, so I added extra chili peppers. After eating, everyone sweats and feels lighter, which helps remove moisture.”

“So that’s why. Nuonuo is really thoughtful.” As they chewed the bamboo rat meat, everyone’s attitude towards Cheng Nuonuo improved.

It felt as though she had personally brought the bamboo rat. Cheng Yaoyao found it amusing and broke off a steamed bun, dipping it in the braised bamboo rat broth.

The braised bamboo rat meat wasn’t well-cooked, and the meat was tough. Cheng Yaoyao’s cheeks ached from chewing a piece, and she had to stretch her neck to swallow it. As for the taste… Cheng Yaoyao had prepared all the seasonings, but Cheng Nuonuo didn’t follow the proper order for adding them. There are rules for which to stir-fry first, which to add for seasoning, and which to sprinkle at the end. Cheng Nuonuo had just thrown all the seasonings into the pot and stirred them.

The bamboo rat meat was average in taste but had an incredibly comforting and addictive flavor, similar to the ginger soup from before.

Cheng Yaoyao tasted a piece of meat and some soup, finding that the comforting flavor was more pronounced in the soup. Dipping the steamed bread in the soup, her sore muscles from climbing the mountain today were gradually soothed.

Cheng Nuonuo was enjoying everyone’s praise when she suddenly saw Cheng Yaoyao’s actions, which caused her heart to tighten. “Sister Yaoyao, eat more meat; this soup is very spicy.”

Cheng Yaoyao raised her eyebrows lazily. “Really? I think this soup tastes good.”

Cheng Nuonuo felt anxious. She knew the effects of the spiritual spring well and didn’t want Cheng Yaoyao to benefit from it at all.

Cheng Nuonuo bit her lip and was about to speak, but Han Yin had already dragged the plate in front of Cheng Yaoyao. “Yaoyao, you caught this bamboo rat, and you didn’t even eat two pieces of meat! There’s only this little bit of meat and soup left. You can eat it with the steamed bread dipped in the soup; it’s not that dry.”

When everyone heard this, they realized they had been so busy eating the meat that they forgot to leave some for Cheng Yaoyao, the great hero. They all urged, “Yes, Yaoyao, eat quickly. It’s all yours.”

Even Shen Yan asked, “Have you had a poor appetite these past two days?”

Amid the concern of the crowd, Cheng Yaoyao broke open the steamed bread and ate it bit by bit with the sauce. She ate delicately, her cheeks moving, which was pleasing to everyone. Her tone became more concerned and gentle, and no one paid attention to Cheng Nuonuo anymore.

Exhausted from the day’s activities, Cheng Yaoyao had a big appetite. She ate two steamed buns and all but two pieces of bamboo rat meat on her plate. She ate one piece and gave the other to Han Yin.

Han Yin was so happy that she stood up cheerfully. “The mushroom soup in the pot is ready. I’ll go get it!”

“Yes, I forgot about the mushroom soup. I can smell its fragrance; it’s so delicious!”

Without the bamboo rat meat, everyone gradually noticed the aroma of the mushroom soup and waited eagerly.

Amidst the jubilation, Cheng Nuonuo’s face was stiff, and her smile barely held. Under the light, it seemed that Cheng Yaoyao’s skin was glowing, and her peach blossom eyes were full of autumn water, firmly attracting everyone’s attention.

Another person who couldn’t laugh was Liu Minxia. In the past, Cheng Yaoyao and Han Yin hadn’t gotten along, and Cheng Yaoyao kept all the benefits for herself. But now…

The stove was burning on a low fire, and the mushroom soup was bubbling up and over the lid. Han Yin opened the lid and was greeted by a hot aroma that almost made her drool.

She had never smelled anything so delicious!

Previously, she had picked mushrooms several times at the educated youth site and even added bacon slices to stew them, but they were never this good!

Han Yin swallowed hard, poured all the mushroom soup into a large basin, and brought it to the table with both hands.

What a wonderful smell! Everyone had only one thought in their minds.

Although they had eaten a large bowl of bamboo rat meat and two steamed buns, their appetites were growing again.

After boiling a large pot of mushrooms, the water gradually evaporated, and the mushrooms shrank significantly, leaving only a large pot of thickened soup. The mushrooms looked oily under the light.

Without needing to be asked, more than a dozen pairs of chopsticks reached out simultaneously, and the mushrooms were picked up and stuffed into their mouths without even being blown on first.

It was so hot that they tried to breathe in but couldn’t bear to exhale.

So fresh! They had never known wild mushrooms could be so delicious!

The morels were full of soup and burst with flavor when bitten, hot and delicious. The blue-headed mushrooms were slippery, crisp, and sweet. The red mushrooms had a unique fragrance and burst with a light bite. The dried mushrooms had a woody taste and needed to be chewed carefully to savor their beefy aroma.

And the mushroom soup! Thick and smooth, it combined various mushrooms into a huge and indescribable fragrance. Each gulp tasted of sweet garlic cloves and rice grains that melted in the mouth, providing extreme satisfaction.

It was a double enjoyment of smell and taste.

As everyone started eating, they forgot to be polite and courteous, with two male educated youths almost fighting over the last half bowl of soup.

Shen Yan also drank several bowls of soup, his nose sweating. He took a long breath and looked at Cheng Yaoyao, who was sitting opposite him. He had never known Cheng Yaoyao could cook such a good dish.

Cheng Yaoyao only drank two bowls before stopping, her chin resting on her hand, a smile on her petal-like lips. She sat amidst the noisy crowd at a simple dining table, yet she exuded a sense of nobility, remoteness, and superiority.

Cheng Yaoyao’s beauty seemed too precious and destined not to belong here.

But she could have belonged to him once, at his fingertips.

This “past” suddenly made Shen Yan feel an indescribable regret and melancholy. He vaguely realized that he seemed to have missed something.

In the evening, Cheng Yaoyao faced the issue of bathing again. After climbing the mountain today and having a snake fall on her, she didn’t want to keep the clothes.

Zhang Xiaofeng reminded Cheng Yaoyao that the dormitory was very humid and advised her not to wash her hair and take a shower at night, but Cheng Yaoyao insisted on washing.

There was no shampoo in those days. The original owner only had a bar of Shanghai brand soap with a peach blossom scent, which served as both shampoo and shower gel.

After taking a shower, Cheng Yaoyao put on a clean nightgown and sat on the edge of the bed, drying her hair and smelling fragrant.

Han Yin laughed at her. “You really are a capitalist’s daughter, so fussy that you wash like this every day. It wastes so much soap.”

Cheng Yaoyao ignored her, wiped her thick black hair and let it fall on her shoulders, shook her slender white legs, and sighed, “This shabby dormitory doesn’t even have a bathroom. I really can’t stand it.”

Zhang Xiaofeng smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I heard that the village is holding a meeting to discuss placing us in the villagers’ homes.”

Han Yin quickly turned over and got up. “Really? When? We’ve been living here for almost three months. Have they really discussed it?”

There were not many empty houses in Tianshui Village. In recent years, some sent-down youths had moved in. With ten educated youths arriving suddenly, the cadres were very worried.

There was no place for the delicate educated youth, so they had been placed in this empty dormitory. The educated youth lived miserably here and had complained several times.

When they heard what Zhang Xiaofeng and Han Yin said, even Cheng Nuonuo and Liu Minxia couldn’t help but prick up their ears.

Zhang Xiaofeng said, “I just heard the captain mention something, but I don’t know exactly when or if it will be resolved.”

Han Yin said, “Tsk, I was so hopeful for nothing.”

Cheng Yaoyao seemed to be deep in thought. The dormitory could definitely be moved. In the original story, Cheng Yaoyao’s first major conflict with Xie San was due to her wanting to live in his house.

Xie San’s house was the most imposing and luxurious in the village. After all, it was a landlord’s house, far superior to the villagers’ homes. It was a formal two-courtyard house with blue bricks and black tiles, warm in winter and cool in summer.

When the educated youth first arrived, they checked the village environment. The original owner fell in love with Xie San’s house at first sight and insisted on moving in, causing a conflict with Xie San’s sister and the heroine of the original story. Later, the original owner used tricks to marry Xie San, partly because he rose in prominence, and partly because she was attracted by the house.

Cheng Yaoyao recalled Xie San’s narrow, cruel eyes and his ruthless determination to eliminate pests, and she shivered.

She decided she would find a place farthest from Xie San’s house. Humph.

As they chatted and laughed, Zhang Xiaofeng urged, “Go to bed early; you’ll need to work in the fields early tomorrow morning.”

Hearing this, everyone groaned. Cheng Yaoyao fell onto her quilt and complained, “I… my stomach hurts, my head hurts, and my whole body aches. I’m afraid I won’t be able to get up tomorrow.”

“Stop it!” Han Yin hit her with a pillow, and the two of them started laughing and making a commotion.

Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, Cheng Yaoyao really felt unwell and woke up with a dry mouth.

It must have been the bamboo rat cooked by Cheng Nuonuo that was too spicy.

Cheng Yaoyao quietly got out of bed and, taking advantage of the moonlight, poured herself some water. The moon in this era was exceptionally bright, a huge round disc in the sky, and Cheng Yaoyao couldn’t help but take a second look.

There was someone with long hair and a white skirt standing in the yard!

Cheng Yaoyao almost cried out in surprise as she spilled water on her hands. She looked again and saw that it was Cheng Nuonuo. She glanced back at the kang and noticed Cheng Nuonuo’s bed was indeed empty.

In the yard, Cheng Nuonuo was holding something and behaving very strangely.

Cheng Nuonuo raised the object in her hand high towards the moon, then lowered her head to inspect it closely, and finally stamped her feet in frustration. Was she sleepwalking, or was she engaging in some superstitious activity?

Cheng Yaoyao watched for a while, feeling bored, then yawned, and climbed back into bed.