After a while, the two little toddlers who had been playing outside were suddenly drawn by a strange, enticing aroma.
Sniffing deeply, Yuanzi asked:
“Brother, do you smell that? It’s so good! Sis Youyou’s cooking really smells this delicious?”
Tuanzi nodded, indicating that he also noticed it.
The two children exchanged a smile, jumped up, and ran to the little kitchen, peeking through the doorway to watch Shen Youyou at work.
Their mouths watered uncontrollably. Compared to their uncle’s cooking, this aroma was far more tempting!
After a while, Shen Youyou noticed the two little cuties staring at her with wide eyes at the doorway. She smiled helplessly and said:
“Almost done! Go call your uncle to come eat.”
“Okay! I’ll go right now!”
Tuanzi immediately dashed off toward the place where their uncle was gathering firewood.
By the time they returned, Shen Youyou had just picked up a piece of chicken and was feeding it to Yuanzi to taste.
After tasting it, Yuanzi’s eyes practically sparkled with excitement. She nodded furiously and exclaimed:
“Delicious! Sis Youyou, you’re amazing! Your chicken tastes way better than my uncle’s. It’s so fragrant!”
Hearing his niece declare that his cooking was terrible, Mo Yan felt embarrassed.
Shen Youyou noticed first, and holding back her laughter, told the kids:
“Alright, go ahead and eat. I’ll head home for my own meal—my mother has also cooked something delicious.”
Seeing her getting ready to leave, Mo Yan quickly took a bowl, filled it with more than half of the braised chicken, and handed it to her, shyly saying:
“Well… since you made it, take some home as well. Let everyone taste it. Consider it a little thank-you for cooking for us.”
Seeing his sincere gesture, Shen Youyou didn’t refuse and happily accepted it.
“Okay, thank you! I’ll go now.”
She carried the bowl back home.
After she left, Mo Yan immediately transferred the braised chicken she made into a large bowl, brought it into the house, and also served the previously warmed steamed buns.
The three of them—himself and the two little ones—immediately started eating.
Yuanzi had already tasted it earlier and knew it was delicious, so she started eagerly. Tuanzi and Mo Yan, however, were stunned by the first bite.
This was so good! The chicken had no unpleasant smell, was tender, and had a unique fragrance. They had no idea what spices she used, but it was incredibly delicious.
Shen Youyou hadn’t said much earlier—just that she used her own secret blend of seasonings.
In no time, the large bowl of chicken, along with the steamed buns, was completely devoured by the three of them.
Even the sauce at the bottom of the bowl was wiped clean by dipping the buns into it.
Mo Yan sighed inwardly. Since leaving the capital and settling here, he had finally eaten a proper meal. The buns were exchanged with the village women using ducks he had caught—he could never have steamed such good buns himself!
After finishing, the two little ones even let out a satisfied burp. Tuanzi, smiling, asked:
“I didn’t expect Sis Youyou to cook this well! Wasn’t she silly before? How does she have such amazing skills? It’s so delicious!”
Mo Yan was equally puzzled, shaking his head. Some secrets are better left unexplored. After all, he had his own secrets too!
“Alright, stop talking. Now that you’re full, go play in the yard for a while. I’ll cook eggs for you tomorrow morning.”
“Yay! Eggs tomorrow! Awesome!”
Even as Yuanzi ran out to play, she kept repeating the phrase. It was clear she really wanted eggs.
Mo Yan felt a twinge of sadness. Since leaving the capital, life had been precarious and harsh. He had never eaten anything truly good. When they were younger, the children barely remembered it.
After settling here, things became more difficult. With little money, he had to live frugally. He didn’t know how to cook well, but he had no choice. At the very least, he could make the food edible for the children, and that’s what he did, muddling through for a while.
He never expected that today, they would finally have a proper meal. Not only the kids, but he himself felt like crying with gratitude!
A few years ago, he could never have imagined his life turning out like this. Could his eldest brother’s family ever find them? Sigh…
Meanwhile, a few steps away, Shen Youyou noticed her younger brother, Shen Nan, peeking around. Seeing her, he happily said:
“Sis, why were you gone so long? Mom’s meal is ready. Hey, what are you carrying? It smells so good!”
“Come on, let’s go home for dinner.”
Seeing Shen Nan calling her in, Shen Youyou’s heart warmed. It had been a long time since she felt this.
Having a family… really felt nice.
Back home, Shen Youyou recounted everything that had happened at Mo Yan’s house, though she didn’t mention using Manman Little Kitchen’s secret seasonings.
Li Shi was touched, saying:
“Mo Ge is such a good boy. I knew it—he went out to gather all that firewood earlier because he wanted to repay us. Alright, let’s eat! Today we finally have a proper meal. Good meat and eggs, everyone will be nourished.”
So the family gathered around and enjoyed their first proper meal since the family split.
As they ate, Shen Youyou couldn’t help asking:
“Mom, who is Mo Ge? Why does he live up on this mountain? And what about those two children’s parents? Why are they left in the care of just one uncle?”
Li Shi sighed and said:
“I only heard it from the villagers. They said Mo Ge came from a faraway place. There was a flood in his hometown, and the whole family perished. Only the three of them survived—himself and the two children.
When they first arrived in our village, they were in such a sorry state. The village head took pity and let them stay, but there was no housing. So he was allowed to live on the mountain, and you became his neighbor.”
“Oh, that explains it,” Shen Youyou said, nodding, finally understanding.
She didn’t know how much of Mo Ge’s story was true.
Just as she was about to take another piece of scrambled egg, Li Shi asked:
“By the way, Youyou, how did you learn to cook so well? All these years, you seemed daft, always playing around. How did you master such exquisite skills?”
This question piqued not only Shen Youyou’s curiosity, but also Shen Nan and Shen Father’s.
Shen Youyou knew she couldn’t dodge it, so she had already thought of an explanation.