Chapter 4.2

Although they called each other classmates, everyone there had actually grown up together, so no one was shy. Each reached out for a piece of dragon’s beard candy, and soon the room was filled with words of praise for Su Ying.

Everyone gathered around, chattering endlessly. Su Ying felt as though she had gone back to her school days, when the classrooms after school had been just as lively. But now, most of the conversation revolved around work and daily life.

When the topic shifted to Su Ying, everyone except Tangtang was surprised to hear that she had returned to her hometown to build a career. She’d had a great job in the big city and had been so busy these past two years that she hadn’t even had time to return home. But no one questioned her. After learning she was now making short videos, they curiously asked for her account. Some even realized they had seen her videos recently and had already followed her.

Back then, when they saw those videos, they had found the scenes strangely familiar—never expecting it was Su Ying’s account and that she had filmed everything right there in their own village.

Time flew as they chatted, and soon it was dark.

The charcoal fire was ready, so they set up a grill and gathered around to barbecue. Though none of them had the skills of a professional chef, the atmosphere more than made up for it. They sprinkled cumin and chili over the grilled skewers, grabbing handfuls here and there, sipping on small drinks and chatting away. The class monitor even brought out some small fireworks and lit them in the yard.

The fireworks lit up the night sky with dazzling colors, illuminating the now more mature faces of her old friends. After the short display, everyone returned to the fire, sharing food and stories. As the night grew late and full of memories, everyone slowly dispersed. Walking home, Su Ying once again felt how good it was to be home.

When she got back, her parents were already asleep. Su Ying washed up quietly and went to bed.

She slept straight through until noon the next day. From outside came Li Tangtang’s loud voice:

“Yingying, I’m here! Hurry and open the door!”

Her boisterous personality hadn’t changed one bit. Su Ying’s father smiled warmly as he opened the door for her.

“Uncle Su, Aunt Su, these apples are from my mom—they’re from our own orchard,” Tangtang said politely, handing over the apples her mother had prepared.

“Oh, you didn’t have to bring anything!” Su Ying’s mother said as she shoved a handful of freshly cooked chestnuts into Tangtang’s hands.

Tangtang didn’t stand on ceremony, biting into one and peeling away the soft, sweet chestnut meat.

Hearing Tangtang’s voice, Su Ying woke up. Checking her phone, she was shocked to see it was almost 2 p.m. She hadn’t expected to sleep in so late after a few drinks the night before.

After washing up, she came out and, seeing the chestnuts in Tangtang’s hand, immediately grabbed a couple and started eating.

Her father brought out the lunch he had saved for her, reheating it so it was just right to eat. It was vegetable rice with a side of meatball soup. Su Ying was starving and polished off a bowl of vegetable rice and two bowls of soup in just a few bites, finally feeling satisfied.

Tangtang, meanwhile, was still peeling chestnuts and occasionally tossed one into Su Ying’s bowl. Su Ying ate them directly without fuss. After lunch, Tangtang nagged Su Ying to go to the town’s market fair the next day. She had to return to work the day after, so this was her only chance. They chatted for a bit longer before she left, and Su Ying’s mother packed her a big bag of chestnuts to take home.

That night, the chestnuts her mother had bought became the star of Su Ying’s cooking.

She scored the chestnuts with a knife, boiled them so they would peel easily, then went out to the chicken coop and grabbed a rooster. Her father handled the butchering—slitting its neck, draining the blood into a bucket, and scalding it in boiling water to pluck the feathers. The chicken was cleaned quickly, and the innards were removed.

Su Ying chopped the chicken into small pieces, skipped the blanching step, and heated soybean oil in the wok. She added slices of ginger and garlic for fragrance before stir-frying the chicken pieces until golden brown. She then seasoned with soybean paste and oyster sauce, poured in enough water to cover the chicken, and added the chestnuts. After simmering on low heat for half an hour, she uncovered the pot and turned up the heat to reduce the sauce. The chestnut-braised chicken was ready.

With a side of mixed white and millet rice, the meal was another feast. In the video she recorded, she edited out the bloody butchering scenes before posting. Once again, her comment section was flooded with foodies.

Though Su Ying never showed her face in her videos, many fans and curious viewers left comments guessing what she looked like, but she ignored them.

The short videos mostly showcased rural scenery, farm work, and cooking. Of all the content, the cooking videos were the most popular, garnering the most views and interactions. Over time, after her follower count surpassed 1,000, it steadily grew. Each new video could bring in dozens, even hundreds of followers. Her earnings from the videos also started to show, and though still modest, Su Ying was already satisfied.

Thinking about the market fair tomorrow, Su Ying felt a wave of anticipation. The monthly market fair in town was always bustling, and since it was the harvest season, there would surely be rare ingredients and interesting content to capture. She made sure her power bank was charged so she could film plenty of footage to share with her audience.

After dinner, her mother picked up the almost-finished sweater she’d been knitting while watching TV, and her father tidied up the house before joining her. He took out the purple clay teapot Su Ying had brought back and brewed some tea. Su Ying joined him for kung fu tea, while her mother, who disliked drinking tea at night because it kept her awake, sipped on a cup of boiled water her father had thoughtfully poured for her.

When her mother finished the sweater, she handed it to Su Ying, who went to her room to change into it. The pale yellow sweater suited Su Ying’s age perfectly, making her look like a sweet young girl. It was stylish, slimming, and the perfect length—her mother’s craftsmanship was impeccable.

The next morning, Su Ying carried a medium-sized bamboo basket and waited at the village entrance for Tangtang. Tangtang arrived carrying a much larger basket. A bus ran to town every two hours, and the morning trip was packed with people heading to the market fair. The two of them found seats and set off for town.