Chapter 48 ☆ Hickey

Cheng Yaoyao had never felt so wronged! She stomped forward along the alley, and when she turned the corner, she saw Xie San standing there, talking to someone with his back to her.

The person was thin and small, almost completely blocked by Xie San’s tall figure. Through the gap, Cheng Yaoyao saw her clearly. The girl had a braided pigtail and kept rubbing the end of it while talking to Xie San. Wasn’t she the one who had spoken to Xie San on the ridge last time?

To be fair, this girl was considered outstanding in Tianshui Village. She had fair skin, wore a pink dacron blouse ^[1]which is a type of polyester fabric., and blinked her eyes often. Her thoughts were written all over her face, and she was unable to hide them.

Cheng Yaoyao moved closer to listen. She heard the girl say sweetly, “Thank you, Brother Xie San…”

Cheng Yaoyao’s initial anger immediately flared into an overwhelming rage. She wanted to rush out and scratch Xie San’s face but held herself back at the last moment.

She turned around, ran down the other end of the alley, and finally made her way home after circling around.

The yard was filled with the sweet and rich smell of steamed buns. Grandma Xie and Xie Fei were sitting in the yard, washing vegetables. When they saw Cheng Yaoyao coming in, they said, “What were you and Brother Zhao doing out there? The dough is almost fermented. I’ll help you steam the buns so Brother Zhao can take them to the city later.”

Cheng Yaoyao then remembered that she had just made the dough for the steamed buns.

Grandma Xie kept nagging, “Don’t worry, I’m good at steaming buns. They’ll be perfectly cooked. I also added eggs and sugar to the white flour buns. Aren’t you making them tomorrow? Brother Zhao has always been easy to take care of; there’s no need to be so meticulous.”

“I didn’t steam the buns for him!” Cheng Yaoyao muttered softly, pouting, as she threw her small backpack on the ground and went to wash her hands.

Xie Fei picked up the small backpack, opened it, and said in surprise, “So many cicada monkeys! Sister, are you going to fry them up and give them to Brother Zhao too?”

“Mmm!” Cheng Yaoyao carefully washed her hands and face with soap, her eyes involuntarily glancing outside the yard.

Grandma Xie asked, “Why hasn’t Brother Zhao come back? Yaoyao, didn’t you two go out together?”

Cheng Yaoyao innocently replied, “He was talking to someone, so I came back first.”

The cicada monkeys they caught today were big and fresh. After cleaning off the mud and sand, they could be cooked. Cheng Yaoyao poured a little more oil today and fried the cicada monkeys until they were crispy, then sprinkled them with salt and coarse ground pepper while they were hot. The aroma was irresistible.

She cut some fat off the pork belly and boiled it into lard. The rest was diced and marinated with soy sauce and rice wine. She soaked the dried mushrooms and diced them as well. Heating a little lard in the pan, she stir-fried the diced pork belly, then added the mushrooms and garlic cloves, stirring until evenly cooked.

The aroma of dried mushrooms is richer and more intense than that of fresh ones. You don’t need to add much else; it’s already mouthwatering. She then poured in some soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar, sprinkled a little more salt, and added the water used to soak the mushrooms. She brought it to a boil over high heat, then turned it down to simmer slowly until the sauce thickened and coated the diced pork belly and dried mushrooms in a rich, dark brown glaze.

Cheng Yaoyao picked up a little and asked Xiao Fei to taste it: “How does it taste?”

“Delicious!” Xiao Fei nodded vigorously.

“You say everything you eat is delicious.” Cheng Yaoyao also tasted a little herself, and it was indeed tasty—salty, fragrant, fresh, and sweet, with a slightly savory taste, just right for eating with rice.

Xiao Fei smiled and said, “It’s really delicious. My brother will definitely like it!”

In the yard, Grandma Xie was tidying up while keeping an eye on the door, looking a little worried. “What time is it? Why hasn’t Xie San come back yet?”

As if on cue, the courtyard door was pushed open, and Xie San looked unusually anxious: “Grandma, is Yaoyao back?!”

Grandma Xie replied, “She’s in the kitchen. She came back early. What happened to you?”

Xie San didn’t bother to answer. He quickly strode to the kitchen door and saw Cheng Yaoyao standing by the stove. His heart sank heavily.

Grandma Xie came over and asked in surprise, “Zhao, why are you sweating so much? Didn’t you go out together just now?”

“…Before Xie San could answer, Cheng Yaoyao said, “Yes, I saw him talking to someone, and he couldn’t take care of me, so I came back by myself.”

Grandma Xie said, “Brother Zhao, you’re sweating so much. Go wash your face so you can eat.”

Xie San replied, “It’s too late. I have to catch a ride into the city.”

Cheng Yaoyao paused and looked at her watch. It was already 10:50. She had been back for more than half an hour, and Xie San was still looking for her outside? Was he too foolish?

Xiao Fei and Grandma Xie hurriedly surrounded Xie San and said, “Why are you leaving so soon? You haven’t even had your meal yet! Yaoyao specially made steamed buns for you.”

Cheng Yaoyao hummed, “Pack it up and eat it on the way.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Grandma Xie said, “Zhao, wait a moment; it will be ready soon!”

Xiao Fei and Grandma Xie worked quickly and efficiently. They wrapped the white, tender, and hot steamed buns in oil paper, put the fried cicada monkeys ^[2]refers to a type of edible insect known for its crispy texture when fried. in lunch boxes, and added bayberry juice ^[3]refers to a type of fruit juice made from the Chinese bayberry, known for its sweet-tart flavor. and dried bayberries ^[4]also known as a fruit that is dried for preservation and snacking. to fill a bag.

Xie San came out after changing his clothes. Grandma Xie stuffed the bag of things into his arms and said, “Come on, Brother Zhao, take everything with you. You have a big appetite, so if you get hungry at night, just eat something! Or you can eat something at home before leaving?”

“It’s too late. We have to catch the bus.” Xie San walked out with his things, but his eyes were on Cheng Yaoyao.

Cheng Yaoyao stood at the kitchen door. As soon as she met Xie San’s eyes, she turned away and snorted.

Xie San looked at her deeply, but had no choice but to follow Grandma Xie out, as she kept telling him many things.

Xie San was going to learn how to drive, which was a matter of great significance to the Xie family and to Xie San himself. Grandma Xie had many thoughts on her mind, but when she spoke, she only gave the most straightforward advice: “… Learn carefully, but don’t work too hard; your health is important. Rest well when you can, and don’t take on too much work. Grandma doesn’t want anything else, just for you to be safe, okay?”

When the two of them reached the alley entrance, Xiao Fei chased after them and stuffed a bottle of sauce into Xie San’s arms, gasping for breath: “I almost… forgot this. This is the mushroom sauce made by Sister Yaoyao!”

Xie San looked behind Xiao Fei, but there was no one there.

Xiao Fei said, “Sister is at home.”

Xie San’s eyes dimmed, and a trace of disappointment crossed his face, which did not escape Grandma Xie’s notice. Grandma Xie said, “You were so angry when you came home just now. Did she leave you and sneak back?”

“No.” Xie San put the mushroom sauce in his pocket.

Grandma Xie said, “You’re still covering for her! You came back more than half an hour after she did. Were you looking for her outside?”

Xie San’s lips moved as he said, “Sister is delicate; please don’t say anything about her.”

“You!” Grandma Xie poked his forehead with a finger and said, “You look exactly like your father!”

After watching Xie San’s tall figure disappear at the intersection, Grandma Xie went back with Xiao Fei. On the way, Xiao Fei asked, “You always say that my brother is exactly like my father. What exactly is the similarity?”

Grandma Xie said angrily, “Girl, stop asking such questions!”

Xiao Fei stuck out her tongue and said, “Sister Yaoyao made mushroom sauce for my brother, and she asked me to send it to him as soon as possible.”

Grandma Xie’s heart softened, and she said, “I thought she was just being greedy, but it turns out she made it for Brother Zhao.”

“Sister Yaoyao is so nice to my brother,” Xiao Fei said with a smile, “There’s half a strip of pork belly in the mushroom sauce. It can be kept for a long time. My brother is in for a treat.”

Grandma Xie glanced at her and said, “I think you are just like your brother. You both have your eyes on Yaoyao. Isn’t your brother good to her?”

“That’s fine,” Xiao Fei said, fiddling with her pigtails. “But many people are nice to Sister Yaoyao. She’s so pretty, educated, and can cook delicious food. Everyone likes her.”

Grandma Xie stopped talking and sighed deeply. How could she not see what even Xiao Fei could see? Only Brother Zhao was so stubborn that he couldn’t be swayed, even by eight horses.

The Xie family’s courtyard returned to its original tranquility. Only the full water tank and the newly added firewood pile showed that Xie San had been there.

Cheng Yaoyao was listless, so she just fried two kinds of vegetables, and everyone ate mixed flour steamed bread with the remaining half bowl of mushroom sauce. Xiao Fei ate without even looking up, forgetting the rule of not talking while eating: “It’s so delicious, Sister, this mushroom sauce is so good!”

“It has meat in it, how can it not taste good?” Grandma Xie spread a little sauce on the steamed bun, took a bite, and was stunned.

It’s not like Grandma Xie hadn’t eaten good food before. She was also a pretty good cook, but the taste of this mushroom sauce still surprised her greatly.

The meat sauce is salty, sweet, and fresh, with a thick consistency and rich flavor. If you chew carefully, you can taste the pork belly, but the mushrooms are even more delicious than the meat. The dried mushrooms have a chewy texture and are full of fat and sauce. When you chew them, you can taste both meat and mushrooms, which is very appetizing.

With this small bowl of mushroom sauce, Xiao Fei and Grandma Xie both ate one more mixed flour steamed bun than usual!

After the meal, Grandma Xie drank a glass of bayberry juice, and then she felt her bloated stomach ease up. She said sincerely, “This mushroom sauce tastes really good, but I don’t know how long it can be kept. Brother Zhao can’t keep it warm outside.”

Cheng Yaoyao was drying bayberries with Xie Fei. Hearing Grandma Xie’s concerns, she said confidently, “No. I added a little more salt to the mushroom sauce. There’s a layer of oil on it, so it can be kept for half a month without going bad.”

“That’s great,” Grandma Xie smiled. “Why didn’t I think of that before? Brother Zhao often works outside, and they have to eat dry food all day long. They can’t afford to go to a restaurant, and at most, they can only eat some pickles. Their life is so hard.”

Cheng Yaoyao’s mind began to work. She thought, “In a restaurant, a serving of green vegetables costs 20 cents, and a serving of meat and vegetables costs 70 cents. It’s not cost-effective. My mushroom sauce has both meat and vegetables. If…”

Dried bayberry is a niche item, but mushroom sauce is suitable for all ages, and its sales potential is definitely greater than dried bayberry!

The basket of mushrooms that Xie San picked this morning was still in the yard. Cheng Yaoyao hurriedly took them out and saw that most were chicken mushrooms. These mushrooms had opened their caps, which were perfect for making oil chicken mushrooms, but it would be a waste to make sauce.

“I’m going to pick some mushrooms and make mushroom jam!” Cheng Yaoyao decided, rushing into the house to change clothes.

Grandma Xie shook her head. “You talk too fast and don’t stay calm.”

But it is this lively personality that attracts the quiet and introverted Brother Zhao and brings energy to the Xie family’s home.

In the room, Cheng Yaoyao found a lake blue long-sleeved cardigan that was about 60% old. This dress made her look especially fair, with moderate puff sleeves and a cinched waist. If she wore it in the village, every girl would envy her. Unfortunately, Cheng Yaoyao could only wear it to work.

Cheng Yaoyao unbuttoned her pink dress and was about to put on the blouse when she noticed something. 

The fair skin on her chest was covered with crisscrossing red marks, which were particularly glaring. Cheng Yaoyao’s skin was white and delicate; a slight pinch would leave marks, but they would soon fade. These marks were bright red, with some turning light purple, clearly fresh.

When she lived in the dormitory for educated youths, Cheng Yaoyao was often bitten by mosquitoes and laughed at by Han Yin. But there were no mosquitoes in the Xie family’s house, and she had been sleeping soundly lately.

Cheng Yaoyao stared at the marks in confusion. She touched them lightly with her fingers and immediately gasped. It was a little painful, but not like a mosquito bite.

She hurriedly took off her little shirt, discovering that not only her chest but also her slender waist and long, white legs were covered with mottled red marks. 

There was also a finger mark that seemed to extend into the area covered by the bra.

She took out a small mirror and looked at her back, finding more red marks and finger marks.

Cheng Yaoyao fell onto the bed, her mind blank: Where did these marks come from?!