Chapter 44 ☆ Share a bed (Part 3)

That night, every household was busy cooking. The kitchen of the branch secretary’s house was filled with the rich aroma of lard, so enticing that it made one want to devour it.

Lin Weimin, the eldest grandson, ran home with a basket, dashed into the kitchen, and shouted, “I’m hungry!”

Wang Cuiping was busy at the stove and said with a smile, “Your second uncle brought home a piece of fatty pork today, and grandma made your favorite fried pork with dried tofu!”

“Meat!” Lin Weimin rushed over and reached out to grab it. Before Wang Cuiping could stop him, she saw him suddenly retract his hand, turn around, and run into the yard.

Wang Cuiping was puzzled: “What’s wrong with this child? He won’t eat the meat even when it’s right in front of him?”

From the yard, Lin Jiajun, the third son, called out, “Lin Weimin, you went to collect cow dung, and you actually washed your hands today?”

Lin Weimin shouted back, “I call this hygiene. What do you know!”

Wang Cuiping’s jaw nearly dropped: Her eldest grandson had started paying attention to hygiene. Was the sun rising from the west?

Lin Weimin was not alone. Today, a bunch of mischievous kids returned home and started washing their hands and faces properly. Xiao Tiedan, who usually took a bath only reluctantly, even asked his mother for a bath and clean clothes. It was truly surprising.

The things Cheng Yaoyao brought home also astonished Xie Fei and Grandma Xie.

A few baskets of bayberries and a backpack full of cicada monkeys were all gifts from the children.

Xie Fei was dumbfounded: “Sister, did you catch these?”

“Of course not. The other kids insisted on giving them to me.” Cheng Yaoyao washed her hands carefully, having accidentally touched a cicada monkey and gotten a fright.

Grandma Xie smiled and shook her head. Xie Fei was pleased: “My brother brought back two taels of soybean oil last time. We can fry some cicada monkeys to eat.”

Hearing Xie San’s name, Cheng Yaoyao felt a bit disgruntled. She said, “I’ll go wash my face first.”

When Cheng Yaoyao returned after washing her face, Xie Fei was sitting on the steps, washing the mud and sand off the cicada monkeys.

Cheng Yaoyao was a little surprised: “You’ve cleaned them well?”

Xie Fei smiled and said, “In the past, when we couldn’t afford meat, my brother would catch cicada monkeys to eat on summer nights. He could catch more than a pound of meat in one night.”

Xie Fei cleaned the cicada monkeys and fed the shells to the chickens. Cicada monkeys are rich in protein, which helps chickens lay more eggs. Soaking the cleaned cicada monkeys in salt water prevents shell shedding and improves their flavor when fried.

Two ounces of soybean oil is not much, so it must be used sparingly. Cheng Yaoyao poured a thin layer of oil into the pot: no deep-frying, only dry-frying. Dry-frying saves oil, and if done properly, the taste is as good as deep-frying.

When the oil began to emit white smoke, she added the drained cicada monkeys and gently stir-fried them. The cicada monkeys made a squeaking sound as their water content decreased, and they became flat and round. After frying a large bowl of them, she sprinkled salt and coarse pepper on top, making them smell as good as meat.

Xie Fei’s eyes sparkled: “It tastes much better than what my brother makes! We used to eat roasted cicada monkeys and sometimes steam them with rice.”

Cheng Yaoyao’s heart warmed: “Save some for your brother.”

Xie Fei replied, “I don’t know when my brother will come back. It wouldn’t be good to save them for him.”

That was true. Cheng Yaoyao pouted in disappointment. If he didn’t come home, he didn’t deserve to eat the cicada monkeys!

Cheng Yaoyao asked Xie Fei to take the stir-fried cicada monkeys away. She also cooked a plate of green peppers and lentils, a dish of loofah soup, and served multi-grain steamed bread that she had prepared at noon.

Though they were simple, home-cooked dishes, Cheng Yaoyao’s cooking tasted particularly good. Not only was Xie Fei delighted, but Grandma Xie’s appetite also improved significantly.

Cheng Yaoyao said, “Grandma, you should drink some loofah soup. It helps moisten the lungs and clear heat.”

“Mm.” Grandma Xie took a sip of the loofah soup, feeling a refreshing sensation in her chest. Over the past few days, the cough that had troubled her for decades has gradually improved. She slept well at night and no longer coughed.

Grandma Xie said to Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei: “Although cicada monkeys are delicious, they can cause internal heat. You should eat them in moderation to avoid getting acne.”

“No problem.” Cheng Yaoyao replied casually.

“Yes, sister, your skin is so good. It won’t be damaged by the sun,” Xie Fei said, admiring Cheng Yaoyao’s delicate skin. Even after a day in the sun, it remained flawless.

Cheng Yaoyao coughed lightly and said, “I stayed in the shade of the tree, so I wasn’t exposed to the sun.”

This body was naturally beautiful, and no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn’t tan. Additionally, she had been drinking Spiritual Spring water and using it to wash her face and bathe, keeping her skin exceptionally delicate.

After dinner, Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei started working with the bayberries.

Besides the ones dried earlier, fresh bayberries needed to be washed first and then soaked in salt water. Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei were busy, while Grandma Xie grumbled: “You’re naughty all day long. How can you eat so many bayberries?”

While complaining, Grandma Xie rolled up her sleeves to help wash the bayberries. She was very skilled, and she cleaned them thoroughly.

In the rosy glow of the evening, the small courtyard became particularly lively and cheerful.

Xie Fei helped light the fire and boil water. Cheng Yaoyao poured the bayberries into the pot, skimmed off the white foam after boiling, and then added white sugar. This sugar was bought in the city before, and Xie San had helped store it, which was handy now.

The dried bayberries boiled in sugar water and then again in rice soup would develop an irresistible aroma and a thicker, chewier texture.

The sweet and sour scent gradually filled the kitchen. Cheng Yaoyao, holding the wooden spatula in both hands, stirred the pot vigorously, sweating from the effort. The bright red bayberries gradually shrank, and the blackened dried bayberries were coated with shiny sugar juice, looking especially tempting.

The bayberries she brought back today weighed at least 70 to 80 kilograms. She boiled them in three or four pots, and there was still more than half a pot of bayberry juice left.

Cheng Yaoyao poured the bayberry juice into a bucket and hung it in the well to stir. She drained the dried bayberries and spread them out in the yard to cool.

Everyone enjoyed bayberry juice and dried bayberries while sitting in the yard and enjoying the breeze. Despite the tiredness, looking at the yard full of dried bayberries gave a sense of accomplishment.

Grandma Xie patted her waist and stood up, saying, “Don’t eat too many dried bayberries, or you’ll get sour water.” 

Afterward, she muttered about being tired and slowly went back to the house. Recently, Grandma Xie’s health had improved, and she felt more relaxed doing some work. She just didn’t want to indulge Cheng Yaoyao’s antics too much, so she always seemed strict.

Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei exchanged glances, stuck out their tongues, and laughed.

Cheng Yaoyao, feeling tired and sore all over from cooking several pots of dried bayberries, sat down for a while before getting up to take a shower. Since Xie San didn’t bring water today, Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei struggled for a long time to bring all the water to the utility room.

Cheng Yaoyao had climbed the mountain today, caught cicada monkeys, and carefully washed herself from head to toe, adding a lot of Spiritual Spring water to her bath. She felt dizzy afterward, possibly because she used too much of the spiritual spring water.

She climbed onto the bed and lay down, still smelling Xie San’s scent. She tossed and turned for a long time but couldn’t fall asleep. The feeling of anxiety and emptiness in her chest returned. Cheng Yaoyao drank half a cup of spiritual spring water, but the situation didn’t improve. Even the little lotus leaf began to wilt.

After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Yaoyao groaned, got up from the bed, and pushed the door open.

The house was empty and silent, with only moonlight shining in the courtyard. Xie Fei and Grandma Xie had already gone to bed. Cheng Yaoyao slipped out of her room quietly in her slippers and opened Xie San’s door.

Xie San’s room, which Cheng Yaoyao used, was very simple and divided into two halves. The outer room contained several cabinets with medicinal herbs and furs. The mixed bitter smell of the herbs and pungent smell of the furs matched Xie San’s personality.

The inner room was the sleeping area, separated by a curtain. It only had a very high bed with a coat and a pillow thrown on it.

Cheng Yaoyao carefully walked in with a kerosene lamp, took off her shoes, and climbed onto the bed. The bed was hard, just like Xie San, lacking any softness.

Cheng Yaoyao sniffed around like a kitten exploring its territory. Since Xie San hadn’t been home for a few days, the smell on the bed had become very faint.

Cheng Yaoyao lay down in the middle of the bed, turned over several times in a daze, and finally picked up the coat and hugged it. The coat had a faint smell of soapberry ^[1]refers to a type of fruit used in soap making., as well as Xie San’s unique scent of plants and hormones.

Cheng Yaoyao pressed her face against it, rubbing her delicate cheek against the rough fabric, and took a deep breath. The burning feeling in her chest finally faded away. Feeling a bit aggrieved, she curled up on the bed and fell asleep to Xie San’s lingering scent.

Footsteps were heard in the alley, very light. Wrapped in moonlight, Xie San entered through the side door carrying a piece of pork and a box of snacks. As soon as he entered the yard, he smelled a sweet and sour aroma, which made the corners of his lips curl up slightly.

He hung the hard-earned pork in the well to keep it fresh and then drew water to take a shower. Passing by Cheng Yaoyao’s door, he stood quietly for a moment, feeling the hard work of rushing home at dawn fade away, replaced by peace and joy.

Xie San returned to his room and put a roll of banknotes from his pocket into the medicine compartment in the dark. He then picked up a towel hanging on the wall and wiped the water droplets from his muscles.

Xie San walked into the inner room, shirtless. The strong smell of medicinal herbs in the room overwhelmed his senses. As he lay down, he realized something was wrong. His body tensed, and his narrow eyes gleamed with a sharp light.

At that moment, moonlight poured in through the skylight, casting a dim shadow on the figure lying on the bed.

In the moonlight, Cheng Yaoyao’s white nightgown outlined her curves. The hem of the skirt was rolled up, revealing her slender legs. Her white skin glowed in the moonlight, and her rosy lips were slightly open. Her satin-like hair was spread over her chest, partially concealing her beauty.

She slept defenselessly in the man’s bed, hugging his tattered coat tightly as if infatuated.

A teardrop mole under her eye made her eyes even more vivid.