Daily Life 

Making steamed pork with rice flour is both simple and tricky at the same time. 

She took half a pound of pork belly, washed it, and sliced it into small pieces. Then, she mixed it with salt, soy sauce, minced ginger, Sichuan pepper, and a splash of white liquor. After mixing everything well, she let it marinate. 

Normally, she would add more seasonings, but with limited ingredients, she could only make a simpler version. 

While the meat was marinating, she heated a pan and dry-fried the rice until it turned golden, fragrant, and crispy. Then, she scooped it into a mortar. 

Meanwhile, Meng Yuanzheng was heating the water. Once it was hot enough, he poured it into a bucket, added some cold water to adjust the temperature, and carried it to the back of the house. 

“You should pound this. It takes a lot of strength,” Lin Miaoyin said, handing him the pestle. 

“Alright. The water is ready and behind the house. You can take your bath,” Meng Yuanzheng replied, stepping forward to take the mortar and carefully using the pestle to crush the rice grains. 

Lin Miaoyin found some clothes to change into and was walking toward the back of the house. Meng Yuanzheng followed behind her, holding the mortar. 

She turned around, saw him, and smiled, “You don’t have to wait outside today.” 

She had to overcome her fear. She couldn’t let him stand outside while she took a bath every day. 

“It’s okay,” he whispered, found a place to squat down, put the mortar on the stone slab, and started pounding. 

Seeing how focused he was, Lin Miaoyin didn’t insist and simply lifted the curtain to step inside. 

By the time she finished bathing and came out, Meng Yuanzheng had already ground the rice into fine flour. She picked it up and leaned in to take a sniff—the rich, fragrant aroma filled the air. 

“Alright, let me show off my cooking skills tonight. Have you ever had steamed pork with rice flour?” 

“I have,” Meng Yuanzheng replied. 

“So, do you like it?” 

“The rice is already ground. Wouldn’t it be too late to say no?” he said with a rare hint of humor. 

Lin Miaoyin felt a little embarrassed. “Of course, you like it. It’s delicious.” 

She put the rice flour under the eaves. The water on the stove was almost hot. While Meng Yuanzheng went to take a bath, she started steaming the meat. 

Pour the rice noodles into the meat, stir well with your hands, then put the chopped sweet potatoes on the bottom of the bowl and place the meat on top. 

Pour water at the bottom of the pot, put a bamboo steaming rack on it, place the bowl on it, then put the remaining steamed buns around the bowl, cover the pot, turn on high heat, and start steaming. 

Before long, steam seeped through the woven bamboo lid, forming a misty haze in the air. The entire kitchen was filled with a mouthwatering aroma. 

She took this opportunity to pick two more cucumbers and serve them as a cold dish. 

After steaming for nearly an hour, when the water in the pot was almost dry, she wrapped the edges with cloth, took it out, sprinkled it with chopped green onions, put the steamed buns on a plate, and brought it to the table. 

While the meat was being steamed, Meng Yuanzheng had already washed and hung up the clothes. 

The golden steamed pork with rice flour was served with chopped green onions. The sweet potatoes and potatoes underneath had absorbed the rich juices, and with the addition of the pickled cucumbers, the meal looked incredibly appetizing. 

“You did most of the work today, so you get the first bite. Try this piece—it’s the best one,” Lin Miaoyin said, picking up a well-balanced piece of pork and placing it into his bowl. 

“You cooked this meal, so why do I have the greatest contribution?” Meng Yuanzheng picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of meat in his mouth. 

“Did you forget who paid for this meal? I’m just here eating with you. Also, you carried the rice and meat back. That reminds me, after we finish eating, I’ll check your back to see if the basket strap has cut into it. The medicine Zhu Zhiqing gave you is still around. Apply some; it will heal faster. I saw you were carrying manure a couple of days ago, and your shoulders were bruised.” 

Without realizing it, she found herself starting to care for him. 

In this unfamiliar world, having someone by her side was already a kind of happiness. He treated her kindly, and she, being clear-headed, knew that she could only enjoy his kindness by treating him well. 

In short, it was all about mutual respect and care. 

Meng Yuanzheng listened to Lin Miaoyin talk while calmly and gently placing a few pieces of meat into her bowl. 

“Why don’t you eat something first?” 

Seeing her talk endlessly, he couldn’t help but remind her. 

Lin Miaoyin lowered her head and didn’t notice how much meat was in her bowl. 

Although the steamed bun was leftover from noon, it was steamed in the pot together with the steamed pork with rice flour, and it absorbed the aroma of the meat. A bite of steamed bun and a bite of meat—life is worth it! 

Seeing her squinting her eyes with a satisfied look, a big bite of steamed bun with meat in her mouth and a piece of cucumber stuffed in it, chewing with her cheeks puffed out, Meng Yuanzheng’s gaze softened. He gently poured her a glass of water. 

She mumbled “thank you,” took a bite of the potato, then remembered something and glared at him. “Why aren’t you eating? If you don’t eat, I won’t eat either!” 

Don’t think she doesn’t realize it; he’s just being lenient with her, much like when she was younger, and her mother would always say she didn’t like meat. 

“Hmm… Let’s eat.” Meng Yuanzheng quickly picked up a piece of meat and imitated her, taking big bites of the steamed bun, stuffing the meat, and then the cucumber into it. 

Lin Miaoyin rolled her eyes at him and said, “You look so ugly eating like that. Can’t you be a bit more elegant? I’m not fighting with you for the food.” 

Meng Yuanzheng “…” 

Half a pound of meat is not a lot, and the two of them each took a few pieces, and they were gone. Fortunately, there were plenty of potatoes and sweet potatoes, and they were just as delicious. 

After clearing the table, Lin Miaoyin leaned back in her chair and recalled what happened this afternoon. 

“Hey, do you think my cousin’s partner is reliable? Look at it from a man’s perspective.” 

Meng Yuanzheng thought for a moment. “He doesn’t seem scheming, but he also doesn’t seem like someone with a great sense of responsibility.” 

“Exactly! I think so too!” She clapped her hands in agreement. “Before they even got married, they were sneaking around in the cornfield. That’s not deep affection or something they couldn’t resist. Pfft, it’s just hormones… They have no sense of responsibility.” 

Meng Yuanzheng remained expressionless. “That’s true.” 

“Fortunately, I gave him a little reminder, and he reacted by saying he has a salary and can support Hong Yue. Otherwise, ha.” 

Then she suddenly thought of something. In the original novel, Meng Yuanzheng was the kind of person who would sneak around in a cornfield. She wasn’t sure if he had done that, but it wasn’t mentioned in the original. 

“That reminds me, the cornfield is worse than the wild grass pile on the back mountain. The corn leaves scratch terribly, and there are so many pig worms and caterpillars. The corn roots were even fertilized with manure. If it were me, I’d pick the wild grass pile on the back mountain, at least it’s soft.” 

Meng Yuanzheng “…” 

What is this woman talking about? 

“Cough, I’ll go wash the dishes,” he quickly collected the bowls and left. 

Lin Miaoyin didn’t care. She started to worry about one thing: Yan Hongyue and Jin Chengren were engaged as children, and it would be difficult to cancel the engagement as long as Old Man Yan was still alive. 

Zhu Wanqin now lives in Jin Chengren’s house. According to the original plot, the two should be getting along well now. Jin Chengren takes good care of her, but they haven’t developed any feelings for each other yet. 

For now, she had to take it step by step and see whether Zhu Wanqin and Jin Chengren would develop feelings for each other or if Liang Song and Yan Hongyue would win over Old Master Yan with love. 

After a while, when she was ready to go to bed, Meng Yuanzheng came in with a wooden basin and placed it in front of her. 

She was puzzled and asked, “What’s wrong?” 

Meng Yuanzheng wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel after working in the kitchen. He squatted down in front of her and said, “We’ve been walking on the mountain road for so long today. Soak your feet, and I’ll massage it.” 

Lin Miaoyin was shocked and felt extremely frightened. She said in disbelief, “You… want to wash my feet? Massage my feet?” 

Meng Yuanzheng looked up at her, his expression serious yet gentle. “Yes.” 

Lin Miaoyin took a few steps back. When she thought of his hands pressing on the soles of her feet, she felt itchy and uncomfortable all over. 

“I… I don’t want to.” 

“If you don’t, it will hurt tomorrow. We still have a whole day of work ahead,” he said patiently, almost like he was coaxing a child. 

“But I don’t want you to massage my feet!” Lin Miaoyin said firmly. 

Author’s note: 

A reader mentioned that my female lead is a bit of a bitch, and I was thinking about it. I think she’s right, but then I remembered how I interact with my partner in daily life, and I feel like I’m a big lotus flower. (Just kidding.) 😉 

And now, about the relationship between the male and female protagonist. Right now, it’s just ambiguous. The male protagonist is constantly showing his charm, and the female protagonist is about to give in. 

Of course, right now, it’s impossible for the female protagonist to push the male protagonist to other women or anything like that. That was just foolishness before. 

This is just a simple sweet story. If you enjoy it, please support it more. If you don’t, feel free to stop reading. As a newcomer, please bear with me. Thank you!