It was the hottest part of the day. One bite of watermelon sent an even stronger sensation than last night, and Yan Zihao kept eating several pieces before finally stopping. As for Lu Qingran, she was sipping a glass of chilled watermelon juice. Yan Zihao had some too, but compared to her, he preferred gnawing on the fruit itself.
This afternoon’s nap was the most comfortable the Yan family had had in a long time.
The twins, Yan Silang and Yan Zimeng, woke up first and immediately ran to Yan Zihao and Lu Qingran’s room.
“Big brother! Big brother!” the two little ones called from the doorway.
“Fourth brother, Fifth brother, your big brother isn’t here—he went to water the fields.
And your sister-in-law isn’t awake yet. Don’t make a noise,” Yan Ziyue, who was washing pig hearts and livers in the kitchen, hurried out when she heard the commotion.
No sooner had she spoken than the door to Yan Zihao and Lu Qingran’s room was flung open. Lu Qingran, still half-asleep, looked at the two little ones at the doorway.
“Silang, Zimeng, what’s going on?”
“Big sister-in-law, sorry for waking you up,” Yan Silang said apologetically.
“It’s okay. Your big brother isn’t here. Why are you looking for him?” Lu Qingran gently patted their heads.
“Big sister-in-law, I just wanted to ask if there’s any more of the fruit we had for lunch,” Silang said.
“There is, but you can’t eat it today. It’s a big fruit, and you already ate a lot at lunch. If you eat more now, you might get a stomachache. We’ll eat the rest tomorrow at noon,” Lu Qingran replied.
“Alright!” The twins looked a little disappointed but brightened immediately at the thought of enjoying it tomorrow, eagerly anticipating the next day.
The commotion had fully woken Lu Qingran. Thinking of Yan Zihao and the others working outside in such heat, she quickly called out to Yan Ziyue in the kitchen.
“Third sister, help me boil a pot of water.”
“Okay!” came the reply from the kitchen.
Closing the door and entering her space, Lu Qingran went to the supermarket to get some mint leaves and honey, and also grabbed a few pieces of fruit candy before leaving the room.
She first gave the fruit candy to Yan Silang and Yan Zimeng, then turned toward the kitchen.
“Big sister-in-law, the water’s boiled. What are you going to do?” Yan Ziyue asked, seeing her enter.
“I bought some mint leaves. In summer, they make a refreshing drink. It’s cool, soothing, and helps beat the heat. Once it’s ready, we’ll bring some to Dad and your big brother and second brother,” Lu Qingran explained.
“Oh! Then I’ll help you,” Yan Ziyue said.
“Big sister-in-law, what’s this?” Yan Ziyue asked, pointing to the honey on the counter.
“This is honey. Add a little to the water and it will sweeten it. Try it later—you’ll see how delicious it is,” Lu Qingran replied.
Honey mint water is a refreshing, cooling, and tasty drink that’s very simple to make.
Lu Qingran first washed the mint leaves and drained the water. She chopped them finely with a knife. Then she added the chopped mint and honey into a bowl, stirring thoroughly until well mixed. Slowly, she poured in hot water while stirring, until the honey completely dissolved, and then let it cool for drinking.
After preparing the honey mint water, Lu Qingran turned to Yan Ziyue. “Third sister, do we have bamboo tubes at home?”
“Yes, I’ll get them!” Yan Ziyue ran off and returned a few minutes later with three bamboo tubes.
“Three should be enough. We’ll give them to Dad and your big brother and second brother. We’ll drink from bowls at home. Third sister, help me pour the water into the bamboo tubes carefully,” Lu Qingran instructed.
“Got it!”
Once the honey mint water was poured, Lu Qingran and Yan Ziyue carried the bamboo tubes out, with Silang and Zimeng eagerly following.
“Big sister-in-law! Third sister! Where are you going? We want to come too!”
Stepping out of the yard, they saw a crowd gathered by the small river. Seeing that no one was in their field, the four of them headed toward the river.
The riverside was lively, with people chatting loudly about the year’s weather.
Yan Zihao, tall with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, had a classic, well-proportioned build. Among the crowd, Lu Qingran spotted him immediately.
Silang and Zimeng didn’t care about that—they ran ahead and shouted loudly, “Dad! Big brother! Second brother!”
Everyone turned, and Yan Father, Yan Zihao, and Yan Ziyi looked over. Seeing them, the three walked toward the group.
“Qingran, what are you doing here?” Yan Zihao asked.
“I made some refreshing honey mint water to cool you, Dad, and second brother down,” Lu Qingran said, handing the bamboo tube to Yan Zihao. Yan Ziyue quickly handed hers to their father and Yan Ziyi.
“Dad, big brother, second brother, I tried this. It’s very cool and refreshing. Drink it quickly!” Yan Ziyue said.
Hearing this, the adults felt envious, silently scolding their wives and kids for not giving them any.
Yan Father and Yan Ziyi quickly opened the bamboo tubes and drank. Yan Ziyi’s eyes sparkled as he tasted it.
“Big sister-in-law, what is this water? It feels warm in the mouth but cool as you swallow, with a hint of sweetness,” he said.
Before Lu Qingran could reply, Yan Ziyue said first, “It’s mint water. Second brother, isn’t it delicious?”
“Yes, very delicious. Thank you, big sister-in-law,” Yan Ziyi replied.
Hearing the name, Yan Zihao realized his wife had brought it from her space. Fortunately, both ingredients existed locally, though no one thought to brew mint leaves for drinking.
Yan Zihao also opened his bamboo tube and drank several mouthfuls. Watching the Yan family enjoy the water made the other villagers thirstier, and they hurriedly drank their own water as well.
“Qingran, you should head back! Don’t stay in the sun,” Yan Zihao said.
“All right. There’s plenty at home. When you finish, come back to fill up, or call us from the field, and we’ll bring more,” Lu Qingran said.
“Got it. Don’t worry!” Yan Zihao said, carrying two buckets of river water with Lu Qingran back home.
Back at home, Yan Mother was washing pig intestines behind the vegetable patch. Seeing the situation, Lu Qingran thought for a moment and said, “Mother, after selling today, we won’t sell this anymore. I’ll ask the innkeeper at Futian Restaurant if he wants the recipe so they can make it themselves. It’s hot now, pig offal doesn’t store well and smells strong.”
“All right, you decide,” Yan Mother replied.
Now, Lu Qingran arranged most things in the Yan household, while Yan Father and Mother simply helped with the work.
The money they earned all went through her, and the family lived in harmony.