Chapter 5: The Most Beautiful Taste

The rooster crowed, and a new day had arrived.

Just as the sky was beginning to lighten, He Miao rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. She dressed herself neatly, then went to the yard to fetch water and wash up. She pushed her hair to one side of her neck, slightly tilted her head, and took a bamboo comb to carefully comb her hair from root to tip.

Her hair was long, soft, black, and shiny.

With a creak, the door to the storage room opened, and the man appeared in the doorway.

“Ah Xun, how come you’re awake so early? Don’t you want to sleep a little longer?” He Miao paused in her combing motion.

The man shook his head and replied, “I slept the whole night. I’m not tired anymore.”

He Miao quickly tied her hair and then put on a light blue scarf with small flowers. She looked in the water basin, adjusted her hair, and gave a satisfied smile.

These simple, brief moments captured the man’s attention, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

He Miao walked out of the yard with a basin of water, splashing it onto the ground. When she returned, she said, “Don’t just stand there. Go back inside and rest. I’ll bring you water to wash up.”

She scooped two ladles of hot water from the cooking pot and added two ladles of cold water from the water tank. After testing the temperature, she turned around to take the water to the storage room but found the man still standing at the door.

She tilted her head and asked, “Why aren’t you resting? You still need to stay in bed!”

As she spoke, she approached him and gently guided him back to the bed. She then brought a cup, a towel, and other washing items.

While showing him the items, she explained, “This towel and the small brush are new, but the washing basin is my father’s. Will it be okay for you to use it?”

She thought he might come from a wealthy family, and even though he had lost his memory, he might still have some remaining cleanliness habits. She asked just to make sure.

“That’s fine,” the man replied firmly, not minding at all.

After he finished washing up, He Miao opened a small bag of flour in the corner of the storage room and scooped out a portion. “You can lie down for a while. I’ll make some hand-pulled noodles.”

“Mm,” the man nodded.

However, after He Miao went out, the man did not lie down. He stood by the door, staring at her busy, graceful figure.

The yard was not very large, surrounded by walls, with two small fields growing some vegetables.

There was no kitchen; just a small stove was set up in one corner with a grass roof, and beside it was a stone counter and a water tank. In the open space of the yard, there was a wooden table and a few stools.

He Miao spread the flour into a basin, about to add water to make the dough. When she looked up, she saw the man still standing there.

“Didn’t I tell you to rest? Why are you up again?” She put down the ladle and walked over to him.

The man paused for a moment before replying, “I’m feeling much better now. I wanted to come out and have a look.”

He Miao smacked her forehead. “Oh, I didn’t think of that! Are you bored? Wait for me for a moment!”

Seeing her run out of the yard, the man found the little girl clever and cute.

Soon, He Miao returned with another young girl, slightly chubby, but looking very similar to He Miao. They both carried a rattan chair into the room.

Seeing them struggling, the man was about to help when He Miao stopped him. “Ah Xun, stay there and don’t move!”

He paused and watched as the two girls managed to place the chair next to the table.

The other girl, with round, bright eyes, greeted him, “Hello, I’m He Miao’s cousin, He Xiangxiang. You’re Ah Xun, right?”

“Mm, hello,” the man nodded slightly.

He Miao pointed to the rattan chair. “Come, Ah Xun, sit here.”

The man slowly walked over and noticed that the chair was covered with a soft lambskin.

Xiangxiang asked, “How is it? It’s not bad, right?”

He Miao added, “This is my uncle’s chair. I borrowed it for a few days. If you’re bored lying in the room, you can sit here and watch. We’ll keep you company.”

“Mm, thank you, Miss,” the man said as he sat down.

He Miao smiled and said, “Don’t keep calling me Miss. Just call me Miao’er. Everyone in the village calls me that.”

“Okay, Miao’er.”

After settling the man, He Miao added more flour and began making the dough.

Xiangxiang had heard that He Miao was going to make hand-pulled noodles, so she skipped breakfast and came to “steal” some food.

Although He Miao was just a sixteen-year-old girl, her parents had always spoiled her while they were alive. Despite being a farmer’s daughter, her father, He Feng, never let her do heavy farm work. She mostly did light chores like sweeping, washing, sewing, and embroidering, and rarely cooked.

It was only after her father passed away two years ago that He Miao began learning how to cook, so she wasn’t particularly skilled at it yet.

As she made the dough, she carefully measured the water, kneading the dough with precision. When pulling the noodles, she worked with focus.

Her usual sweet and carefree smile was absent, replaced by a serious expression as she concentrated.

To the man, this made her seem even more pure and beautiful.

Xiangxiang helped by picking vegetables from the fields, washing them, and gathering eggs.

Soon, a large pot of hand-pulled noodles was ready, divided into three portions: two small ones and one large one.

The large portion was placed in front of Xiangxiang.

He Miao explained, “Ah Xun, my uncle said you shouldn’t eat too much since you’re still recovering. You can have this for now. When you’re better, if you like it, I’ll make as much as you want.”

“Mm, okay,” the man agreed readily.

He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the soft, fragrant noodles. To him, this was the most delicious taste in the world.

There were no special ingredients, simple and plain, but it felt like it would be a taste he would never forget, etched in his memory for life.

Unfortunately, he only had a small bowl, so he ate slowly, savoring each bite.

He Miao noticed that Xiangxiang was eating quickly and warned, “Xiangxiang, eat slowly!”

“Miao’er, these noodles are so delicious! They taste amazing!” Xiangxiang didn’t care about her manners, devouring her noodles quickly, even though she had the largest portion.

Soon, they finished breakfast, and Xiangxiang went to wash the dishes by the water tank. He Miao took some cloth, thread, and a needle, sitting at the table, preparing to embroider a handkerchief.

He Miao’s mother had often been sick, and the family wasn’t wealthy. After her mother’s passing, her father used the silver he had saved to support her cousin, Wu Cheng, to study in the county, so He Miao had no savings left.

Living alone, she had to manage tightly. Although she could farm and the villagers helped, her daily needs were covered. Still, she wanted to save some money for the future. So, in her free time, she embroidered handkerchiefs to sell in the town. Although the earnings were small, it was better than nothing, and it helped her prepare for the future.