Chapter 72: It’s Snowing, Time to Get Up—If You Get Up, There’s Food.

Ming Dai sniffled, wiped away her tears, and swallowed the lump in her throat. Without saying anything, she turned around and walked out.

She lit the small stove, set up a pot, and took out her precious bottle of oil and spice jar.

After pouring the oil into the pan, she stepped toward the pile of miscellaneous items in the back. From her space, she retrieved five wild chicken eggs and a large handful of dried noodles.

Just as she returned, Huang Dalian came over, having just finished washing up. She was about to speak when she noticed Ming Dai’s reddened eyes.

“Xiao Ming, what happened?” She asked anxiously. “Why are your eyes red?”

Ming Dai shook her head without answering. Seeing that the oil was hot, she began cracking the eggs into the pan.

“Zzzlaaa—”

The scorching oil enveloped the egg whites, and as the sizzling sound filled the air, delicate golden “sunflowers” bloomed in the pan.

Huang Dalian watched in a daze, as if in a dream, as Ming Dai effortlessly cracked all five eggs into the pan at once.

Her mother-in-law always called her wasteful—but clearly, she had never seen true extravagance before!

Behind the firewood pile, Zhou Sinian’s ears twitched, and his nose twitched slightly as he took a cautious sniff.

The familiar sizzling sound and fragrant aroma left him momentarily bewildered.

It’s snowing… so why is there food?

Once the eggs turned golden brown, Ming Dai ladled steaming water from the large pot and poured it into the smaller stove.

In just a few moments, the boiling broth turned a creamy white, the poached eggs bobbing up and down like playful little goldfish, lively and full of energy.

The rich aroma filled the air.

Zhou Sinian took another deep breath. Under the covers, his hand instinctively moved to his stomach.

A night had passed, and that spot had already sunk in, waiting for new food to fill it up.

Thin, neatly arranged noodles were sprinkled into the pot along its edge. Huang Dalian swallowed hard.

A whole handful of noodles—it must have been at least a pound! And she just threw it all in at once?!

Oh, dear heavens!

Look at this! I’m really not the one who wastes food!

Ming Dai carefully prepared the meal with devotion. She wanted to show Zhou Sinian through her actions that even with snow falling, they could still have a full meal.

The noodles floated up and down, cooking quickly. Soon, the entire pot was filled with fragrant, steaming noodles.

Ming Dai pinched off some garlic sprouts she had grown, chopped them into fine pieces, and sprinkled them into the broth.

The milky white soup, soft white noodles, golden fried eggs, and fresh green garlic sprouts—just the sight of it made Huang Dalian’s mouth water uncontrollably.

As if that weren’t enough, Ming Dai took out a small bottle. The moment she opened it, Huang Dalian couldn’t help but swallow again.

A few drops of sesame oil dripped into the pot, and in an instant, the aroma of the noodles reached a whole new level.

Liu Guoqiang was also drawn by the smell. He stared at the full pot of noodles in a daze.

Xiao Ming, the educated youth—is she planning to use up everything at once?!

Ming Dai was satisfied. She found Zhou Sinian’s food container and filled it with more than half a portion of noodles, added all the fried eggs, and then ladled in two scoops of broth.

After checking the meal with satisfaction, she carried the food container and walked to the back of the shack.

On the ground, Zhou Sinian was still lying down. His brows were furrowed as if he were struggling with a difficult problem.

Ming Dai freed a hand and switched on the emergency lamp beside him. Instantly, the small shack lit up.

Zhou Sinian silently watched Ming Dai, his eyes fixed on the steaming food container she was holding.

Ming Dai bent down slightly, adjusting her position so that Zhou Sinian could clearly see inside the food container. The first thing that caught his eye was a golden layer of fried eggs, glistening invitingly.

The next moment, a loud growl echoed from his stomach. Zhou Sinian swallowed hard.

Ming Dai looked at him gently and spoke in a soft voice, “Zhou Sinian, it’s snowing. You need to get up. If you get up, there’s food to eat.”

Zhou Sinian stared at her in a daze, watching as her face gradually blurred behind the rising steam.

He slowly sat up and reached out, lightly touching the side of the food container.

The searing heat made his fingertips tremble slightly.

Ming Dai carefully handed the container to him. Zhou Sinian held it for a moment, feeling the warmth seep into his hands, while the rich aroma of the meal wafted toward him.

A sense of joy stirred deep in his chest, rising up his throat and breaking free onto his face in the form of an unguarded smile.

Ming Dai passed him a pair of chopsticks and said softly, “Eat.”

Then, she turned and walked out.

Zhou Sinian focused entirely on his meal. He picked up a piece of fried egg with his chopsticks, carefully taking a small bite.

The familiar taste of egg filled his mouth, warm and satisfying. He couldn’t stop himself—one bite after another, one mouthful after the next—until he had drained the very last drop of broth.

“It’s snowing. You need to get up. If you get up, there’s food to eat.”

On his first snowy day with Ming Dai by his side, Zhou Sinian committed these words to memory.

Behind the firewood pile, Ming Dai stood silently, listening to the sound of him slurping the noodles.

Tears fell soundlessly from her eyes.

She knew she had lost control of her emotions, had let reason slip away.

But she couldn’t help it. She was just so sad—so heartbroken.

Huang Dalian glanced worriedly toward the small shack. She didn’t know what had happened inside, but something told her she shouldn’t go over.

Before long, Ming Dai walked out. Though her eyes were still red, her face was now lit up with a bright smile.

“Sister Dalian, Accountant Liu! Quick, grab a bowl—the noodles in the pot are about to stick!”

Huang Dalian and Accountant Liu hadn’t expected that there would be some for them too. Embarrassed, they waved their hands.

In the past, they had made do with dry rations, and that was fine. But noodles—such a generous gift—they really had no way to repay it.

Ming Dai shook her head with a cheerful smile. “It’s snowing today, and I’m happy! It’s my treat. Sister Dalian, Accountant Liu, do me a favor—let’s eat some noodles together and celebrate!”

With that, she took the bowls herself and began serving them.

Huang Dalian looked at the snowflakes still swirling down from the sky. She didn’t quite understand—what was there to celebrate about a snowfall?

But that day’s bowl of noodles stayed in their memories for a long, long time. It became something they longed for every winter.

By the time the three of them were eating, Zhou Sinian stepped out, still holding his food container.

Ming Dai slurped her noodles while looking at him, her eyes curving into a smile. “We finished off all the noodles. Do you want some more broth?”

Zhou Sinian nodded obediently and went over to pour all the remaining broth from the small pot into his container.

Then, carrying his bowl, he squeezed in next to Ming Dai, quietly drinking his noodle soup while watching the fire in the stove.

Huang Dalian watched the two of them and couldn’t help but smile. Even though their height difference was obvious, for some reason, they just looked right together.

How strange!

That day, Ming Dai kept feeding Zhou Sinian all kinds of treats. She peeled and placed freshly roasted sugar-fried chestnuts into a small bowl, handing them to him.

She heated up a small pot of cornmeal dumplings and steamed cakes, setting them beside him so he could eat as much as he wanted.

Even the pine nut candies—usually rationed—were packed into a large bag just for him, with no instructions to eat them sparingly.

Zhou Sinian happily trailed behind Ming Dai, feeling as if there was nothing in the world more wonderful than a snowy day.

So much food!

He hoped it would snow again tomorrow! And the day after that! He wished it would snow every single day!

Seeing the emptiness and lifelessness in Zhou Sinian’s eyes gradually replaced by joy, Ming Dai finally let out a breath of relief. She led him to take out the charcoal they had stored earlier and found an old, leaky enamel basin. Lining the bottom with charcoal, she lit it up.

She filled a pot with water, added a packet of dried ginger and two pieces of fresh ginger, and let it boil on high heat for twenty minutes before transferring it into a large clay jar.

With the fire secured, Zhou Sinian carried the clay jar, Liu Guoqiang held the charcoal basin, while Huang Dalian and Ming Dai took a stack of bowls and a ladle. Together, they braved the wind and snow, heading toward the construction site.

The icy wind howled around them, and snowflakes swayed in the air, unwilling to settle on the ground.

The snow beneath their feet was thick, crunching with every step. Ming Dai walked steadily, carefully placing her feet in Zhou Sinian’s footprints, step by step, moving forward with unwavering determination.