Chapter 29: Picking Up a Bowl from the Ditch (Part 1)

Mu Mian, still at Yangliu Brigade, had no idea that her brother had built such a legendary image of her outside.

Right now, she was still at her maternal uncle’s house. The family had just returned from the mountains and was preparing to cook a meal.

Naturally, the one in charge of cooking was Liu Tao. It seemed that people with good cooking skills always had their own unique techniques.

Even though the ingredients were simple, with just a few skillful maneuvers, the flavors transformed remarkably in her hands.

Mu Mian stayed in the kitchen instead of leaving. With so many adults around, there was nothing for her to do, so she simply stood by the stove and watched Liu Tao’s smooth, practiced movements.

The fire burning in the stove made the kitchen much hotter than outside. Beads of sweat appeared on everyone’s faces.

Liu Tao assumed her little cousin was hungry. She scooped a few freshly stir-fried river snails into a small bowl and handed it over. “Take this to Nidan and the others. Why are you still hanging around here? Not afraid of the heat?”

Mu Mian took one and then passed the bowl to Nidan and his sister, Xiao Xuehua, who had been squatting by the kitchen door the whole time.

She grinned. “I’m stealing some cooking tips. The heat doesn’t bother me.”

Liu Tao chuckled. “Isn’t your grandma’s cooking enough for you to learn?”

Mu Mian replied without hesitation, “I want to learn from both. The more I learn, the better.”

Her grandmother cooked often, but her cousin was always busy. It was rare to see her take charge in the kitchen.

Besides, their cooking styles were quite different. Liu Tao preferred bold flavors, cooking with swift, intense movements. Before Mu Mian could even react, the dish would already be done.

Her grandmother, on the other hand, had a steady, practiced hand, honed through years of experience. She never rushed and always controlled the cooking process with precision.

In her past life, Mu Mian often cooked for herself. She thought her cooking was decent—at least she could handle home-cooked meals well.

However, she relied heavily on seasonings. Without them, she was at a loss.

In these times, seasoning options were limited. Cooking was more about bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients, which required real skill.

Since Mu Mian showed interest in learning, Liu Tao shared some cooking tips now and then.

However, from Mu Mian’s perspective, these tips were more instinctive than precise.

For example:

“Just add a tiny pinch of salt.”

“Stir-fry this a few more times.”

“The heat can’t be too high for this.”

And so on.

It was all quite abstract. Mu Mian only half understood, feeling like the knowledge went in one ear and out the other.

But once the dishes were served, she forgot all about that. The only thing left in her mind was how good everything smelled.

Mu Fugui couldn’t stop praising the food, chatting away as he ate.

Apart from the river snails, there was also a dish of braised bones. Liu Dezheng had specially prepared it for the ritual offering, then cooked it again afterward.

The rich aroma of the bones made Xiao Xuehua drool. She kept following Mei Haoli around, chanting, “Eat, eat, eat.”

Since it was a family meal, there was no need for formalities. Once everyone was seated, they started eating.

Mu Mian sat beside Xiao Xuehua and occasionally picked food for her.

Despite being so little, the girl held her bowl steadily and used her wooden spoon skillfully. She didn’t need anyone to feed her.

She ate in big bites, her tiny mouth smacking noisily, like a little rabbit that hadn’t eaten for three days.

The adults also chatted as they ate.

Mu Fugui patted his stomach and smacked his lips. “I’d say, back in the day, even landlords probably didn’t eat much better than this. Maybe their food wasn’t even this tasty.”

Liu Shuangcui shot her husband a glare. “Did you drink soup straight into your brain? Talking nonsense again.”

Who compares themselves to landlords?

Liu Cheng agreed with his second uncle’s remarks. “Xiao Tao should have gotten a job as a chef at a state-run restaurant. She can cook, and she wouldn’t have to be this busy all the time.”

Liu Tao wasn’t one to hold back against her big brother. “You weren’t saying that when I first got into the Public Security Bureau.”

Back then, he was so proud he practically had his tail in the air, telling everyone, “Did you know my sister got into the Public Security Bureau?” He showed off so much that it was clear he learned from their second uncle.

The men of the Liu family all seemed to have a certain fear of their sisters. Liu Cheng scratched his head. “How was I supposed to know you’d be this busy? We barely see you once a month.”

Liu Tao, however, was carefree. “What job isn’t busy? Even factory workers are busy. I like running around. Standing by a stove all day, doing the same thing over and over—how boring.”

Mu Mian gave her cousin a big thumbs-up. “I support Sister Taozi!”

Liu Tao was so pleased that she scooped up her little cousin and gave her a good rub before letting go. Then, she glanced to the side. “What’s Xiao Xuehua doing under the table?”

Mu Mian turned her head and saw that her little niece had somehow crawled under the table and hadn’t come back up.

She leaned down to check and found a gnawed bone on the floor. The little girl was sitting under the table, chewing on it, her face covered in dirt.

Mei Haoli was both exasperated and amused. “You little rascal! I take my eyes off you for one second, and you end up like this.”

She scooped up her daughter, tossed the bone aside, and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.

Xiao Xuehua stretched her tiny arm toward the fallen bone. “Eat. I can still eat it.”

Mei Haoli scolded her, “There’s no meat left on it! Were you a puppy in your past life? Gnawing on bones now?”

Mu Mian’s eye twitched at the sight.

It seemed like kids around two or three really did have a habit of picking things off the ground to eat.

Once the twins, Xias Mai and Xiao Miao grew older, her little uncle and little aunt were in for some trouble.

Mu Mian was just thinking about this when she heard her father say, “When Mian girl was little, she liked to do the same thing.”

Mu Mian widened her eyes. “Really? Dad, don’t lie to me.”

She didn’t believe it. There was no way she would pick up food from the ground and eat it.

Liu Shuangcui laughed and added, “It’s true, but you didn’t eat it. You picked up the food and stuffed it into your brother’s mouth.”

Mu Mian: “!!!!!”

No wonder her brother had such a hard time raising her. She should find something nice to send to her eldest brother when she gets home.

—

After finishing lunch and helping clean up, Liu Shuangcui didn’t leave right away. Since it was rare for her to visit, the family sat together and chatted.

Mu Mian helped keep an eye on the children. Nidan couldn’t sit still at home. Even in the middle of the hot afternoon, he wasn’t afraid of the sun and ran outside with a few boys.

Xiao Xuehua was at the age where she loved to follow others. She moved her little short legs as fast as she could, trying to chase after her brother.

Nidan had no patience to slow down for his little sister. Like a monkey climbing a pole, he dashed off in an instant.

Xiao Xuehua was left behind, struggling to run but never able to catch up. She burst into tears, wailing, “Wait… wait for me, brother…”

Maybe he had been chased too many times before, but the heartless little boy was completely unmoved by his sister’s cries.

Mei Haoli shouted, “Why are you chasing him? It’s so hot outside! Look at your brother. He’s so tanned he looks like a lump of coal. If we throw him into a pile of coal, we wouldn’t be able to tell him apart.”

The little girl refused to listen. She stomped her feet anxiously and cried out, “Brother! Coal! Wait for me…”

Mu Mian couldn’t help but laugh. She took a few steps forward and picked up her little niece. “I’ll take you there!”

Xiao Xuehua immediately stopped crying and pointed ahead. “Chase… chase, brother!”

Mu Mian teased her, “No, say ‘chase coal’ instead.”

Xiao Xuehua immediately copied, “Chase coal!”

Mu Mian chuckled. This was why kids at this age were so much fun.

The boys hadn’t run too far, only to the base of the mountain.

By the time Mu Mian caught up with Xiao Xuehua in her arms, they had already started playing. There was a small ditch nearby, and the boys were plucking grass and tossing it across the ditch, competing to see who could throw it the farthest.

Xiao Xuehua struggled to get down. “I want to throw!”

A little boy, who looked about five years old, turned to Nidan and asked, “Who’s that holding your sister? You have an older sister too?”

Nidan replied, “That’s not my sister. That’s my aunt. My real aunt.”

The little boy then called out, “Aunt, do you want to play?”

Mu Mian: “………………”

How did she suddenly gain an extra nephew out of nowhere?

Mu Mian put Xiao Xuehua down. “You guys play. I’ll sit over there for a bit.” She wasn’t interested in the games the boys played.