17

Unknowingly, Lin You’s cooking quantity gradually increased every day.

Yao Jiu had some complaints about her once-unique status as a freeloading guest, muttering, “Why? Is he treating your place like a small dining table?”

She, Yao Jiu, had to act as the house manager to get a meal at Lin You’s place, while the neighbor was never seen, so why did he get the same treatment?

Lin You: “It’s fine, anyway, I make extra food every day for the cows. Adding one more person is just adding another set of chopsticks.”

Yao Jiu: “…That doesn’t really make me happy.”

Although she said that, when Lin You served a bowl of spicy pork intestine noodles at noon, Yao Jiu immediately forgot about her “unique” status.

The chopped pork intestines sizzled in a hot pan, releasing oil. Then chili paste, Sichuan pepper paste, and various seasonings were added. The intestines turned a vibrant red. After adding water, they were simmered to perfection.

A spoonful of chili oil was placed at the bottom of the bowl, followed by hand-pulled noodles, a few greens for decoration, and a scoop of spicy, tender pork intestines. The bowl of spicy pork intestine noodles was ready.

The distinctive odor of pork intestines, though slightly lingering after being cleaned, wasn’t unpleasant. It mixed with the spicy broth to create a unique, rich flavor. The thin hand-pulled noodles were chewy and smooth, and the spicy pork intestines were neither too hot nor greasy. They were soft with a slight chewy texture. The fatty intestines had a strong spicy kick—at first, it wasn’t noticeable, but after a few bites, the heat made the sweat trickle down.

Yao Jiu ate two bowls and still felt unsatisfied, wanting more.

“How can this pork intestine be so delicious?”

The red oil on the noodles made them especially appetizing.

Lin You set aside a small bowl of pork intestines. In fact, when Yao Jiu said her place was a “small dining table,” it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Bo Chuan never returned home during the day, so Lin You only left food for him in the evening. She didn’t bother with lunch.

After dinner, Lin You and Yao Jiu were preparing to live stream in the field. Today, not only did they have to plant the remaining vegetables, but they also needed to add some fertilizer to the seedlings. It hadn’t rained in the past few days, so Lin You also needed to water the plants.

However, when they arrived at the field, both were stunned.

The seedlings they had planted earlier had suddenly grown so thick that it was shocking. But that wasn’t all—the bok choy, which they thought would take a few more days to harvest, now had thick roots and tender stems, clearly ready for harvest!

Yao Jiu tugged at Lin You’s sleeve: “Look over there!”

Lin You looked at the moist soil beneath the seedlings, clearly fertilized, and the areas that hadn’t been planted yet but had clearly been turned over by someone.

“Who helped you do this?”

Lin You: “…You can guess with your toes, right?”

The land in the village wasn’t where Lin You’s field was, so few people came here. The only one who could be around every day was probably the person from the mountain.

Yao Jiu gasped, feeling a slight pain in her knees.

“So, should we… harvest the vegetables on the live stream today?”

Lin You wiped her face: “Yes!”

If they left them any longer, the bok choy would get old.

Yao Jiu: “Hey, do you think he might really be some kind of expert? How did he manage to make the vegetables grow so well? Look at them—there isn’t a single bug hole.”

Isn’t that right? After Lin You started planting vegetables, she didn’t use any pesticides. This plot of land should have had some small insects, but when they looked at it now, the bok choy leaves were intact, clearly not eaten by bugs.

Lin You: “Didn’t you know? He bought Chunling’s cow, maybe the cow is well raised, and the cow dung makes good fertilizer?”

She wasn’t sure how Bo Chuan raised his cows, but the four buckets of milk he gave her were used up after a whole day’s work of making biscuits. The milk smelled so good that Lin You was puzzled. Did the milk she bought from Chunling’s place smell this good?

It didn’t seem like it.

But following this line of thought, she figured it was probably because he raised the cows well, so her land benefited from it too.

Yao Jiu nodded, clearly agreeing with Lin You’s explanation, which was more scientific than mystical.

“Hello everyone, I’m Lin You. Today, I’m going to take you to my vegetable field to harvest.”

The biscuits had only been sent out two or three days ago, and not many people had received them yet, so this live stream didn’t have much talk about the biscuits. When Lin You mentioned harvesting vegetables, some people were surprised.

【Brother is my dream: Wait, you’re harvesting already? You planted them just a few days ago!】

【Is that pomelo?: This is really ridiculous, I saw someone say that bok choy takes at least 20 days to harvest. It’s barely been half a month for you!】

【Count Earl Tea without milk: I often see people say “go to the sea blogger” bury their clams and then dig them up themselves. Is this blogger burying the vegetables and harvesting them too?】

【If the moon doesn’t speak: The previous comments are ridiculous, what is this, a fake planting blogger?】

Lin You: “What fake planting… You can see for yourselves, if they were planted by me, the roots wouldn’t be so intact.”

Lin You switched to first-person perspective, showing the vegetables up close. It was even more impressive.

【Sugar oil mixture yyds: Not gonna lie, this vegetable field looks really comfortable, I suddenly feel the joy of a farmer’s harvest… 】

【At work, who isn’t crazy: Seriously, this “fake planting” theory is too naive, I also don’t think it’s likely. I think maybe this land is just really good, look at how these bok choys are growing, like a vast ocean.】

【Want to eat spicy shrimp: LOL, what’s with the “vast ocean” description… But they really are well grown. The bok choy I’m growing on my balcony is all thin, how can these bok choys be so strong and their leaves so tender?】

【Meow meow will there be cats?: So, are you selling these bok choys?】

Lin You: “I’m not selling them. The previous items were processed and could last for a while. But the vegetables won’t be sold.”

When she said that, some people in the comments seemed disappointed.

Lin You put on her hat and began harvesting the vegetables, and the viewers started getting more and more envious.

These bok choys looked so delicious!

However, Lin You was starting to feel overwhelmed.

The vegetables were ripening too quickly. If she didn’t harvest them, they would over-ripen. But if she harvested them all, she wouldn’t be able to eat them all.

After thinking for a while, Lin You decided to harvest only a third of the vegetables, hoping she could sell the rest in the town.

After harvesting, Lin You began planting again.

The process of planting the seedlings wasn’t particularly interesting, and it was somewhat boring, but Lin You explained as she planted, and some viewers decided to stay.

【Hungry and can’t sleep, what should I do: Not gonna lie, Lin You seems like she really knows what she’s talking about. It sounds very reasonable.】

【All the trees bloom in spring: As someone who’s planted before, I can say this girl really knows something. Everything she says is correct. It’s rare, now there are still young people who know so much.】

【Sunny days without an umbrella: LOL, is she reading from notes?】

【Apologies are useless, why bother capturing the boss?: Earlier, the fans of Mu Qingqing, didn’t you say you’d block her and never come back?】

【Sunny days without an umbrella: Who cares, I’m just passing by, watching you all get scammed.】

【Crispy fried cucumber: …It’s tough too, the agriculture person is shedding tears…】

Lin You finished planting the vegetables, wiped the sweat off her face, and spoke into the microphone, “Let’s do a giveaway today.”

She had made too many biscuits, so Lin You decided that all her upcoming live streams would feature a giveaway.

【Crispy fried cucumber: …Pick me! Pick me!】

【Hungry and can’t sleep, what should I do: Wuwuwu, if you’d said you were doing a giveaway earlier, I’d have definitely gotten my friends and family to help out.】

【Being the older brother is my dream: Here I am, pick me (shows off a cute pose.jpg)】

Among all the playful comments, there was one ID that stood out.

【What should I do if my child doesn’t eat?: Blogger! Check your private messages! I’m willing to pay to buy them!】

【What should I do if my child doesn’t eat?: Really, don’t do the giveaway, I’ll buy them!】

Lin You opened her private messages and saw a long message about how the person’s child was thin and didn’t eat, but after eating the biscuits, suddenly loved eating. They wanted to know if they could buy in bulk.

Lin You paused for a moment, then…

Without hesitation, she blocked the person.

Biscuits help with digestion? Ridiculous, she didn’t even know that was a benefit!

She thought about the fortune Bo Chuan had told her, saying she might face trouble soon.

Lin You’s heart skipped a beat. Zhang Kai had been quiet for a while, and she didn’t think he’d let her build her account so smoothly. He must be planning something bad.

The person “What should I do if my child doesn’t eat?” could very well be someone Zhang Kai sent to trap her.

She knew her products weren’t profitable, giveaways were fine, but selling them would mean they were unbranded.

Wasn’t this exactly what some “professional critics” did? They would intentionally buy agricultural products online, then buy in bulk, and later sue the seller for selling unbranded products, making the merchant pay a heavy price under the “fake goods must be fined ten times the amount” rule.

Lin You quickly finished the giveaway and paid no more attention to that person.

Meanwhile, Du Xun said to his frustrated wife, “See, I told you, they definitely wouldn’t agree.”

Du Xun had started asking around about how Lin You left the entertainment industry. Some friends in the entertainment industry quietly told him that Lin You left in a rush and had an unpleasant fallout with her former manager.

“It’s said she even has money stuck in the company, but her manager won’t give it back to her. I suspect she’s doing live streams to make money.”

Du Xun comforted his wife, “It’s okay, in a few days I’ll take care of the company’s matters, find out where she’s living, and we’ll go visit.”

What Du Xun didn’t say was that with how good Lin You’s biscuits were, even if it was just to open a biscuit factory for their son, it wouldn’t be a big deal.

Lin You had no idea that two separate groups were already looking for her.

After harvesting the vegetables, she felt it was necessary to thank Bo Chuan, who had silently helped her with the farming.

So that evening, when she got home, Lin You set up a simple barbecue in the yard. She cleaned the chicken feet she bought, brushed them with sauce, and threaded the eggplants and pork intestines onto skewers, along with sausages from the fridge…

Anything she had at home, Lin You threaded them onto skewers. She kept calling out to Yao Jiu, saying he had worked too hard, and tonight, she was going to eat enough to make up for it.

Lin You brushed a layer of oil on the skewers, sprinkled chili powder and cumin on top, then crushed a few biscuits. The crispy biscuit crumbs mixed with the barbecue seasoning, which surprisingly had a slight milky fragrance and a unique flavor.

She simmered a bowl of meat sauce in the pot, thickened it, and then brushed the thick sauce on the vegetables. The freshly harvested bok choy, topped with the meat sauce, was grilled for a while, and the sauce turned golden brown. With one bite, the savory meat flavor and the barbecue aroma filled her mouth.

Bo Chuan arrived home, but instead of being greeted by a lunchbox, he was met with the open door by Lin You.

Lin You waved him inside to eat skewers: “You’ve got to eat skewers like this—freshly grilled and eaten right away.”

Bo Chuan didn’t know why his feet weren’t obeying him, but he followed Lin You into her house.

Lin You turned on the little string lights in the yard and opened a few bottles of cola. The three of them gathered around the grill, drinking cola and eating skewers.

Lin You ate slowly, occasionally tending to the grill.

Yao Jiu, on the other hand, happily ate one skewer after another.

As for Bo Chuan, although he ate politely, his speed was not slower than Yao Jiu’s.

After finishing the skewers, they had some clear soup noodles.

Lin You thoughtfully plated the leftover pork intestines from lunch on a separate plate and added a dish of cold cucumber salad.

The aroma of the skewers wafted everywhere, even attracting a wild cat from outside.

A tabby cat meowed as it jumped down from the wall.

It didn’t go anywhere else but straight to Lin You’s legs, wanting food.

This cat was very thin, with a round face and a look of longing in its eyes.

Lin You’s heart melted immediately: “Oh, you poor thing, what do you want to eat? How about some chicken feet?”

As a true cat lover, Lin You didn’t just feed the cat, she brought a big bowl and put the grilled chicken feet, corn, sausage, and eggplant in it.

The tabby cat meowed twice, seemingly pleased with Lin You’s offering, then lowered its head and began eating furiously.

Bo Chuan, who was watching the scene, thought to himself: …

Now he understood why the little mountain god wasn’t eating.

The tabby cat, completely oblivious to human affairs, ate with great focus, purring as it ate, which made Bo Chuan’s eyes twitch.

While the cat was eating, Lin You petted it several times, thoroughly satisfied.

“Eat slowly, there’s more if you need it.”

This attitude completely subdued the little cat, which had always been treated poorly before. Every time it came for a meal, Lin You had rationed its food, and the little mountain god had always accepted it with a pitiful expression.

But why was this new cat getting unlimited food?

The tabby cat, full now, used its limited brain capacity to think for a moment.

Hmm, perhaps this human really liked animals that looked like this.

Bo Chuan: “…Stop feeding it, it’s already stuffed.”

Lin You: “Where? Little kittens are supposed to be round to look cute.”

Tabby cat: “Meow meow meow meow!”

Exactly!

Bo Chuan: “…Cats can’t eat too salty.”

Lin You: “I know, that’s why I’ve washed it.”

Tabby cat: “Meow meow meow meow meow!”

No need for that!

Bo Chuan: “…If you keep feeding it, it’ll come here often.”

Lin You, holding her heart: “Is that true?!”

Tabby cat: “Meow meow meow meow meow meow meow!”

See that? She welcome me!

Bo Chuan: …

Forget it, he was worried about the little mountain god’s connection with the other party, and it turns out it’s already developed—he just didn’t know!

After finishing its meal, the tabby cat comfortably claimed Lin You’s lap, leaving the cleaning chores to Yao Jiu and Bo Chuan.

Bo Chuan quickly finished cleaning, watered the vegetable garden in Lin You’s yard, swept the ground, and even tidied up the chicken coop.

Yao Jiu muttered quietly: “Look, the little snail guy!”

Lin You: …

After the “little snail guy” finished his tasks, he glanced at the little mountain god, who was sleepily jumping down, heading out with his limbs sprawled.

Got it, got it, it’s going back to the temple tonight!

Bo Chuan watched the troublesome little one leave, feeling exhausted when he returned home. When he lay in bed, he felt like an old father.

Not only did he have to take care of a rebellious child, but also manage the child’s curfew…

The next morning, Lin You went to the town with Yao Jiu to sell vegetables, bringing along the bok choy she had harvested yesterday.

As they were leaving, they bumped into Bo Chuan, who had been waiting by the door.

Bo Chuan: “I’m going to pick up a package in town, would you mind giving me a ride?”

Lin You had no reason to refuse.

Yao Jiu: “A package?”

Bo Chuan: “Yes, from my parents.”

Lin You, Yao Jiu: …

Bo Chuan rarely smiled: “What? Did you think I ^[1]“grew out of a crack in a rock” is a figurative expression that means someone appears to have no parents or origins, as if they suddenly emerged from nowhere. It’s often used humorously … Continue readinggrew out of a crack in a rock?”

He was already good-looking, and in the past, he had a stern expression, keeping people at a distance. But now, with a smile, he unexpectedly showed the youthful energy of a young man.

Lin You gave Yao Jiu a little push: “It’s fine, it’s fine, let’s go.”

Bo Chuan: “Mm.”

He swung himself onto Lin You’s pink tricycle, curling his long arms and legs on the saddle, looking unusually calm and natural.

As soon as they left, a bus arrived in town.

The morning market in Fangping Town was quite lively. Two men with cameras in their bags were dizzy from the winding mountain roads. When they got off the bus, they were immediately hit with the bustling atmosphere of the market.

“Is it here?”

“I don’t know. Her manager said Lin You’s registered address with the company is in this town.”

“How many villages are there in this town? How are we supposed to find it?”

“Doesn’t matter. Let’s wait a bit and ask a young person.”

The two part-time paparazzi squatted under the license plate, still feeling nauseous from the motion sickness. They couldn’t eat, so they planned to ask someone once they found the chance. But as they looked around, the market seemed to be mostly older people, with only a few younger ones holding children—hardly anyone to talk to.

Bo Chuan sat upright on the tricycle, his hands quickly calculating. When they were almost to the town, he opened his eyes, which had been shut for a long time.

“There are a lot of people ahead, causing a traffic jam. Should we try a different direction to enter the town?”

Lin You, trusting him: “Another traffic jam?”

The morning market in Fangping Town was always crowded, so sometimes it got blocked. In those cases, they would have to take a detour and enter from the other side of the market.

Lin You turned the tricycle’s front and went along the small road to the other side.

Bo Chuan: “Just drop me off at the market later. I’ll buy something at the east end of the market.”

The east end of the market was where the town’s buses stopped.