Chapter 27 ☆ Banana Honey (Part 2)

Cheng Nuonuo held the jade pendant tightly. Her heart gradually calmed. No matter what, the jade pendant was now in her possession, and even if she had to destroy it, Cheng Yaoyao would not escape her revenge!

Cheng Nuonuo washed herself in the yard, her body covered in sweat, sticky liquid, and grass dust. If she had known Shen Yan was useless, she wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to be with him in the mosquito-infested grass. However, this was also a way to consolidate Shen Yan’s hold on her.

After showering, Cheng Nuonuo returned to the dormitory. Everyone was asleep, and Cheng Yaoyao had one hand outside the quilt.

Cheng Nuonuo gently held Cheng Yaoyao’s hand, and the jade pendant began to feel warm again.

After a while, the pendant gradually cooled down.

Cheng Yaoyao turned over suddenly, startling Cheng Nuonuo. She smacked her lips, kicked the quilt, and one of her long white legs pressed down on it. Cheng Yaoyao turned over and fell back to sleep.

The leg had a beautiful line, flawless in its appearance. Cheng Nuonuo coldly withdrew her gaze. Now that she had discovered the secret of the spiritual spring, with its nourishment, her body would surpass Cheng Yaoyao’s in beauty.

However, the spiritual spring could enhance her skin and flesh, but not her height. Height had always been Cheng Nuonuo’s greatest regret. Her mother had cursed her, blaming her father’s favoritism towards Cheng Yaoyao for her stunted growth.

Cheng Nuonuo believed this, but in this life, she was only 15 when reborn. Her father, brought back, was no longer partial to Cheng Yaoyao. She consumed plenty of nutritious food and drank much of the spiritual spring, but her height did not improve.

Cheng Nuonuo failed to consider that her mother’s family were all very short, which might be the reason for her own height issues. She was fortunate enough to marry Cheng’s father later.

With a frown, Cheng Nuonuo fell asleep, her mind swirling with complex and excited emotions.

After a night of contrasts, some were happy while others were troubled.

Cheng Yaoyao slept soundly, waking up early to wash her face and brush her teeth without anyone urging her. She changed into a light yellow top with a white crepe collar and light-colored pants, braiding two strands of hair into three braids. She put away her flirtatious style and adopted a pure first-love appearance.

She packed the biscuits and steamed buns she had prepared into a small bamboo basket and hurriedly ate the steamed buns with pickled vegetable soup at the table.

Today’s steamed bread was made of 30% white flour and 70% cornmeal, and the pickled vegetable soup had a hint of Lingquan flavor^[1]in contexts like Chinese cuisine, it could refer to a subtle, delicate taste associated with high-quality ingredients.. Cheng Yaoyao had a hearty appetite, consuming one after another.

Her cheeks were rosy, and she looked very happy. Everyone at the table couldn’t help but notice her. Han Yin smiled and said, “There’s no competition for the food, so why are you in such a hurry?”

“Finish your meal early and start work early!” Cheng Yaoyao responded with a mouthful of steamed bread and puffed cheeks.

Suddenly, she felt Shen Yan’s gaze from across the table, his eyes fixed on her in a trance.

Cheng Yaoyao glared at him. Shen Yan has had dark circles under his eyes lately, making the once handsome and gentle young man appear worn out. His expression of forgotten love struck her as amusing rather than sincere infatuation.

Cheng Nuonuo and Liu Minxia were also in a daze. Liu Minxia’s hair was rarely clean, and she now seemed more guilty and sneaky than before. Cheng Nuonuo looked radiant, but her eyes kept darting toward Cheng Yaoyao’s face, with an odd expression.

After finishing her meal, Cheng Yaoyao eagerly grabbed four steamed buns and packed them into her lunch box, handing Han Yin a ticket. The steamed bread in the cafeteria was made with 70% corn flour and 30% buckwheat flour, while the bread in the educated youth camp was made with 30% white flour and 70% corn flour. She didn’t want to miss out on this small advantage.

On the way to work, Han Yin and Zhang Xiaofeng teased Cheng Yaoyao about her newfound enthusiasm for work. Cheng Yaoyao ignored them and hurried down the path.

Xie San was already waiting, with traces of dew still on his trouser legs. Ever since Cheng Yaoyao had waited alone for him on the ground that day, he had never been late again.

In her yellow shirt, Cheng Yaoyao’s snow-white skin looked especially… tender today. Xie San watched her approach, his mind still occupied with the dream from the night before.

He suddenly raised his hand to cover his nose and took two steps back.

Cheng Yaoyao took off her backpack and handed it to Xie San naturally. Noticing his strange behavior and expression, she asked, “…Do I smell something?”

She raised her hand suspiciously and smelled her arm. There was no smell.

Xie San took the backpack and started walking. Cheng Yaoyao caught up with him, pulling at his basket. “Does your arm still hurt? Why are you walking so fast?”

Xie San didn’t answer, so Cheng Yaoyao looked at his arm. The wound on Xie San’s face had turned into bruises overnight. The wound on his arm was even worse, with a stick mark turning purple, and there was an invisible spot on his back that no one knew about.

Despite carrying a heavy basket, Xie San’s expression remained unchanged.

Cheng Yaoyao suddenly reached out and poked him on the shoulder blade.

Xie San groaned and quickly turned to look at her. His narrow eyes showed visible embarrassment. He also took down the large basket and used it to shield himself.

“Does it really hurt so much?” Cheng Yaoyao was surprised. She took out a steamed bun with some guilt and said, “Here, eat this first.”

Xie San lowered his eyes, his chest heaving.

Cheng Yaoyao offered the bun again. “Here you go. I charged you two dollars for it. What’s the harm in taking a steamed bun? Eat it quickly. You’ll have the strength to work after breakfast.”

“You…” Xie San’s voice was hoarse. Cornered by Cheng Yaoyao, he grabbed the steamed bun, took a big bite, and chewed it fiercely. Veins bulged on his forehead and neck.

Seeing him eat so eagerly, even though it was just a steamed bun, Cheng Yaoyao turned and led the way with brisk steps. “Let’s go quickly while it’s still cool!”

Xie San pulled his gaze away from her slim back and pinched his palms in an almost self-destructive manner. It took him a while to calm down.

The heat in his young body was boiling. After eating the steamed bun, he felt slightly full but also experienced another intense hunger. This hunger persisted, leaving him unsure when it would be satisfied.

When he looked up, Cheng Yaoyao had already disappeared around the corner. Xie San’s heart raced as he quickly picked up the basket and put it on his back. His movements were slow for a moment, but the injuries on his shoulders and arms no longer hurt. The basket seemed much lighter, and he felt a surge of strength.

Xie San took three large steps, turned a corner, and caught up with Cheng Yaoyao.

Cheng Yaoyao was picking bright red banana flowers, sipping the nectar from the trumpet-shaped flowers. Her rosy lips were coated with a layer of water.

Xie San watched her lips. Noticing his gaze, Cheng Yaoyao generously offered, “Do you want some?”

…

Cheng Yaoyao’s labor diary:

8:00 a.m.: Arrived at the soybean field, rested, and drank water.

8:30 a.m.: Xie San had another nosebleed. He was so scared that he needed to rest for two hours to recover.

10:30 a.m.: Worked.

10:40 a.m.: The sun is unbearably strong. What’s going on?

12:00 p.m.: Roasted mushrooms, baked bread, and used wits and perseverance to make Xie San eat white flour buns and biscuits.

1:00 p.m.: Nap.

3:00 p.m.: Nap.

4:00 p.m.: Woke up. Xie San finished all the work, and we picked mushrooms and cherries together.

6:00 p.m.: Returned home.

Another busy and fulfilling day!

As the busy farming season was ending, the workload was increasing. Each day, when the educated youth returned to the dormitory, they were so exhausted that they collapsed on the kang.

Only Cheng Yaoyao washed herself clean and cooked bayberry juice in the kitchen. The top-quality Dongkui bayberries, which had been dried in the soybean field, had lost much of their moisture.

She poured the bayberries into a pot, added water, and boiled them. After skimming off the foam, the taste was not bitter. She added brown sugar and some licorice to enhance the sweetness. Licorice is sweet, so it saved a lot of brown sugar.

Cheng Yaoyao had saved several kilograms of dried bayberries. This was the last bottle, which she planned to give to Xie San. She paid special attention to the heat.

Cheng Nuonuo suddenly appeared. “Sister Yaoyao, do you need any help?”

Cheng Nuonuo leaned close, her arm brushing against Cheng Yaoyao’s. In the summer, with everyone in short sleeves, Cheng Yaoyao felt goosebumps from the sweat on Cheng Nuonuo’s arm and quickly moved away. “No need.”

Cheng Nuonuo didn’t mind and smiled. “Then I’ll help you light the fire.”

“Really,” Cheng Yaoyao raised an eyebrow. “Stay away from me. Don’t get too close in this hot weather. We’re not that familiar!”

Cheng Yaoyao emptied the pot of bayberries and poured out the remaining juice to dry.

Just then, Zhang Xiaofeng burst into the dormitory. “The team leader and the branch secretary are here!”

Since the educated youth had been assigned to this dormitory, there had been many disputes with the team leaders over dormitory issues, and the team leader and branch secretary had never visited.

Everyone quickly got up, and Han Yin asked excitedly, “Are they going to talk about moving to the dormitory?”

“I don’t think so. Didn’t they say they would bring it up after the busy farming season?” Cheng Yaoyao asked curiously.

Zhang Xiaofeng replied, “They’re already at the door. Hurry up and get ready to go out!”

The male educated youths also dressed quickly and ran into the yard. Team Leader Lin Dafu and the branch secretary walked into the yard. Lin Dafu put his hands behind his back and looked around, saying, “You’ve taken good care of this place!”

Shen Yan approached them and said, “Captain, Secretary, are you here to inspect our work?”

Lin Dafu and the branch secretary exchanged glances and coughed. “After finishing our meal today, the branch secretary and I went for a walk to aid digestion. We happened to come to your educated youth camp and thought we’d check out your living environment.”

The educated youths quickly brought out a few stools and poured water for them. Cheng Nuonuo presented two bowls of bayberry juice with a sweet smile, saying, “I don’t have anything fancy to offer, but I’ve made some bayberry juice. It’s good for cooling down.”

Cheng Yaoyao: “…”

Lin Dafu and the branch secretary held the red bayberry juice in their bowls. The bright red soup had a sweet and sour aroma. After taking a sip, they found it to be sweet, sour, mellow, and cool, which dispelled all the heat from their bodies.

Lin Dafu couldn’t help but praise, “This tastes great. Young educated youth Cheng’s cooking skills are really impressive.”

Han Yin quickly added, “This was cooked by Yaoyao!”

“Oh?” Lin Dafu looked at Cheng Yaoyao with surprise. “You can cook too? I didn’t realize that.”

Cheng Yaoyao glanced at the bayberry juice she had set aside for Xie San, feeling a bit distressed. She could only smile shyly and say, “It’s very simple. Just add some sugar to the bayberries and boil them.”

Cheng Nuonuo chimed in, “It’s not easy to cook it well. Sister Yaoyao has to bring fresh bayberries every day to make it.”

Lin Dafu asked, “I remember there was a patch of bayberry trees in the soybean field. Do you pick bayberries every day?”

The atmosphere became awkward. It seemed like an attempt to expose Cheng Yaoyao’s secret.

Cheng Nuonuo sighed, as if regretting her words, and said, “Sister Yaoyao must finish her work before picking bayberries.”

Lin Dafu said nothing. The branch secretary put down his bowl and said slowly, “You young people from the city love to be busy. Even though you’re exhausted from work, you still find time to pick mushrooms and bayberries. There are plenty of bayberries west of the village. You can pick them if you like, just don’t go too far.”

The educated youths were thrilled to hear this. Cheng Yaoyao pulled Han Yin and exclaimed, “The canteen can also cook a pot of this every day! It will cool you down and quench your thirst. It tastes better than the current absinthe tea!”

Cheng Nuonuo’s face twitched, and she quickly added, “But…”

“Good idea!” Han Yin led the applause. “The wormwood tea^[2]is made from the leaves of the wormwood plant. It has a very bitter taste and has been used in traditional medicine to help with digestion and to treat parasites. is so unpalatable now that I have to drink cold water every day.”

Everyone cheered, but Cheng Nuonuo’s face twitched. She worried about the extra work involved in making bayberry juice every day. She suddenly thought, “But bayberry juice requires a lot of sugar, which is too expensive!”

“It’s not a big deal,” Cheng Yaoyao said quickly. “You can use saccharin^[3]is a type of artificial sweetener. It’s used to add sweetness to foods and drinks without adding calories.. A large pot per day won’t cost more than five cents. It’s crucial to give everyone a little benefit now.”

Saccharin can be bought at the supply and marketing cooperatives. It is 500 times sweeter than sucrose and tastes more artificial. However, the villagers are pleased with the sweetness and can’t tell the difference.

Initially, Lin Dafu didn’t take it seriously, but after hearing Cheng Yaoyao’s suggestion, he actually considered it. “That’s a good idea! Bayberries are free, and saccharin is cheap. I remember there’s a big bag of it in the cafeteria. Let’s do it!”

Everyone cheered again. They hadn’t expected Cheng Yaoyao to secure them the benefit of bayberry juice with just a few words.

One of the male educated youths said happily, “The food cooked by Cheng Nuonuo tastes the best, so the bayberry juice she makes must be better than mine. Drinking it will give us strength and help us work.”

Cheng Nuonuo could barely keep up her smile. A big pot of bayberry juice daily would consume a lot of spiritual spring water. She touched the jade pendant through her clothes and felt somewhat relieved. As long as Cheng Yaoyao was around, her spiritual spring wouldn’t be cut off.

After chatting and laughing for a while, the branch secretary suddenly said, “We came here today because we have something else to discuss with you.”

“Is it about the dormitory assignment?” Cheng Yaoyao asked first.

At that moment, the moon shone brightly in the sky, and Cheng Yaoyao seemed even brighter than the moonlight. Lin Dafu softened his tone, saying, “We’ll talk about the dormitory after the busy farming season. Today, we’re here to find Shen Yan and Zhang Xiaofeng.”

Cheng Yaoyao sighed in disappointment. As she turned to leave with everyone else, Lin Dafu called out, “Comrade Xiao Cheng, you stay too.”

“???” Cheng Yaoyao and Han Yin exchanged puzzled looks.