After delivering the vegetables, Chen Qiaoyu quickly climbed back over the small hill and went home.
She changed back into her own clothes and re-braided her hair. Then she placed her hand on the stove. The next second, she was back in the Chen family’s old house—the one she knew so well.
As soon as she returned, she heard noises outside the courtyard. She went out to take a look, and there was Qi Xiangdong, walking in carrying a strip of meat, a bottle of alcohol, and two cans of yellow peach slices.
Seeing Chen Qiaoyu, Qi Xiangdong didn’t stand on ceremony. He handed her the meat. “A full two catties of pork belly. Qiaoyu, you’ve got the best cooking skills—do whatever you want with it!”
Chen Qiaoyu laughed. “Perfect. I have some peppers at home. I’ll make twice-cooked pork with green peppers, and also boiled sliced pork. When we eat it, we’ll pour garlic sauce over it. I promise it’ll be delicious!”
Qi Xiangdong exaggeratedly slurped his saliva. “That sounds amazing. I’m in for a treat today!”
Chen Qiaoyu was quick and efficient. She took the meat and went to the back to prepare it. Qi Xiangdong trusted her completely and didn’t follow.
Chen Qiaoyu thought to herself: These educated youths from the city really do have money. When Qingyang and I were at home, even if Yao Jinhua bought two taels of meat, she’d hide it on the roof beams, terrified that someone might steal a bite.
Since Qi Xiangdong trusted her, Chen Qiaoyu was determined to give it her all and show off her best cooking skills.
While she was cooking, the others gradually returned.
Zhou Quan had gone to town and brought back a block of tofu, tied up with hemp rope. It was heavy and quite large.
Chen Qiaoyu discussed with her: “Let’s cut the tofu in half. I’ll portion out the meat accordingly. How about braised tofu with pork? We can mix the remaining tofu with some scallions.”
Zhou Quan smiled. “Sure. You’re the head chef today. Whatever you say goes!”
These past few days, Chen Qiaoyu had been saving a little something for Zhou Quan each time, no matter how small, as a gesture of gratitude. So Zhou Quan had already gotten a taste of Chen Qiaoyu’s cooking.
Even with limited ingredients, Chen Qiaoyu had perfect control over the heat. With just simple soybean paste and salt, she could bring out wonderful flavors.
Qingyang and Zhong Sinian were the last to return. By the time they got back, Chen Qiaoyu had almost finished cooking. She was peeling garlic by the door, occasionally looking out.
At the far end of the path, Chen Qingyang and Zhong Sinian emerged from the trail leading up the mountain. Chen Qingyang was walking in front, carrying a bamboo basket on his back, while Zhong Sinian followed behind with two large bundles of firewood on a shoulder pole.
Seeing Chen Qingyang hunched over and sneaky-looking, Chen Qiaoyu felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Then she caught the conflicted expression on Zhong Sinian’s face, and it clicked—Qingyang looked exactly like she had that night when she crawled out of the stove alcove, clutching the roast duck, and hurried back to her room.
Chen Qiaoyu: …Let me explain. We siblings really don’t make a habit of sneaking around.
Although Chen Qingyang looked cautious, his eyes and brows were filled with unrestrained joy.
Once inside the courtyard, Chen Qingyang made everyone shut three doors in a row—the courtyard gate, the main hall door, and the kitchen’s wooden door—before announcing, “Brother Zhong is amazing! He actually caught a rabbit! And he caught a big fish too!”
Not just a big fish—there were also some finger-sized fish and eels.
Chen Qingyang was bursting with admiration for Zhong Sinian. Qi Xiangdong nudged Zhong Sinian with his shoulder. “Nice one, Sinian. How come we never knew you had these skills?”
Zhong Sinian replied, “If I caught them, would you be able to cook them?”
Qi Xiangdong paused. “…Well, no.”
He looked over at Zhou Quan.
Zhou Quan quickly waved her hands. “Don’t look at me. I’m an even worse cook than you!”
Only then did Zhong Sinian explain, “These things aren’t that easy to catch. A few years ago, there were none at all. They’ve only started becoming more abundant in the last couple of years.”
Everyone suddenly understood. “That makes sense. A few years ago, people couldn’t even fill their stomachs. Everyone was out hunting in the mountains. There’s no way weaklings like us could have caught anything.”
These past two years, although food wasn’t exactly plentiful, ordinary families were no longer going hungry. At worst, they’d just choke on too many sweet potatoes and pumpkins.
Everyone laughed and showered Zhong Sinian with praise. Chen Qiaoyu was a beat slow to react—so Zhong Sinian had just made a joke with a completely straight face?
Good grief…
Although Chen Qiaoyu didn’t yet know the term “deadpan humor,” she could already feel an indescribable awkwardness settling over the room.
With an extra rabbit, a fish, and some small fish and eels, dinner became even more sumptuous.
Zhong Sinian, Qi Xiangdong, and the others had struggled together for many years, and no one was being stingy at this farewell feast. They told Chen Qiaoyu to cook all the ingredients.
Chen Qiaoyu lived up to expectations. She made spicy rabbit dice with dried chili peppers. With the remaining half, she made braised rabbit with potatoes—the potatoes, soaked in the rich sauce, were even more delicious than the meat.
The grass carp had a muddy taste, so Chen Qiaoyu added plenty of soybean paste and chili peppers to braise it. Finally, she tossed in some pickled vegetables that Second Aunt Jin had given her, making a rustic sour pickled fish.
Zhou Quan drew well water and splashed it all over the courtyard floor, settling the dust and cooling the air.
By the time the pale moon appeared on the horizon, a small square table had been set up in the courtyard of the Chen family’s old house. Five people sat around it.
The dishes on the table were plentiful: translucent slices of boiled pork drenched in thick garlic sauce; golden-brown pan-fried pork belly slices stir-fried with green peppers into twice-cooked pork; braised pork with tofu; braised rabbit with potatoes; spicy rabbit dice; cold tofu salad; cold eggplant salad; and smashed cucumbers.
Chen Qiaoyu also contributed eggs. She made a tomato and egg drop soup with one egg, and used two more, mixed with water, to steam a full bowl of egg custard.
She had added a bit too much water, so the color of the custard was a little pale, but no one minded—in these times, having a feast like this was no small feat.
Qi Xiangdong raised his glass first and thanked Chen Qiaoyu. “Qiaoyu, you worked hard today. I never expected to have such a meal before leaving. It leaves me with no regrets.”
He downed his drink in one gulp, refilled his cup, and then turned to Zhong Sinian and Zhou Quan. “Sinian, Zhou Quan, over the years, at least twenty or thirty educated youths have passed through our courtyard. In the end, it’s just the three of us left. It hasn’t been easy—really, it hasn’t.”
The villagers had hard lives, but the educated youths weren’t much better off.
Qi Xiangdong continued, “If I were going to spend my whole life in this village, I might not think there was anything wrong with this kind of life. But that’s not who I am. I came down from the city. My parents are educated people. Yet here I am, stuck farming this land. I couldn’t accept it—I really couldn’t!”
As he spoke, Qi Xiangdong’s eyes turned red.
Zhou Quan and Zhong Sinian silently raised their glasses and drank with him.
Chen Qiaoyu and Chen Qingyang sat off to the side like quails, not interrupting.
They were exactly the kind of people Qi Xiangdong was talking about—those born and raised here for their whole lives.
But now, things were different.
Chen Qiaoyu thought about what she had seen in the “modern world.” Stirred by Qi Xiangdong’s words, her emotions surged. Something she couldn’t quite name seemed to struggle inside her chest, trying to break through the soil.
Yes, after seeing such a miraculous and advanced era, how could she be content to stay where she was?
With this kind of extraordinary luck, she ought to do something different.
With that thought, Chen Qiaoyu suddenly raised her cup, which contained canned peach syrup water, and toasted Qi Xiangdong. “Educated Youth Qi, I toast you! Thank you!”
“Hmm?” Qi Xiangdong was confused—hadn’t he just thanked her? But he was already tipsy from the alcohol, so he simply raised his cup and accepted it. “Qiaoyu, take care of yourself. I have high hopes for you!”
Zhou Quan urged Chen Qingyang to eat more. Zhong Sinian’s gaze traveled between Qi Xiangdong and Chen Qiaoyu, but he said nothing.