Ch 36: Daily Farm Life After Returning from Interstellar

Trivial Matters

Yu Xia returned home and didn’t end up roasting the sweet potatoes; instead, she steamed them. Roasted sweet potatoes tend to be more warming than steamed ones, and consuming them in excess could lead to internal heat.

The kitchen had always been her battlefield, kept spotless and orderly. She knew exactly where each kitchen tool was placed. She retrieved a steamer from the lower cabinet, carefully washed it, and placed it into the steamer pot.

She took out the red potatoes from the bag. This variety of sweet potatoes resembled tobacco sweet potatoes. They had a high sugar content and were soft, glutinous, and sweet. She believed that the young miss would surely like them.

Although the sweet potatoes were already quite clean, she washed them again before putting them into the steamer, covering it and starting the cooking process.

With these tasks completed, she moved on to prepare the white amaranth. She had only a small bunch, but it was enough for the young miss’s breakfast. Since the young miss would be eating alone, there was no need to use all of it. She washed only a small portion and stored the rest in the refrigerator.

Yu Xia was skilled at making dough. Before heading to the supermarket, she had already kneaded the dough. Now was the perfect time to roll out the noodles. Soon, evenly sized noodles lay piled on the cutting board.

Not in a hurry to cook, she first boiled a piece of chicken breast. After cooking the chicken breast, she shredded it into thin strips and discarded the chicken broth.

At this point, she could start cooking the noodles. She brought water to a boil and added the noodles. With her kitchen expertise, she knew exactly when the noodles would be cooked.

She removed the firm noodles and placed them in a large and a small bowl for later use. Then, she brought the well-prepared chicken breast into the pot, boiled it, shredded it, and added it to the bowl with the noodles. The same process followed for the white amaranth. The hot broth was poured over the ingredients, showcasing the interplay of white meat and vibrant green vegetables.

A strong aroma filled the kitchen, and Yu Xia’s eyes sparkled with delight. It was ready!

At this moment, Xiao Ying, still groggy from sleep, descended from upstairs and followed the scent into the kitchen. “Aunt Yu, what’s smelling so delicious this morning?”

Suddenly, her previously suppressed appetite opened up widely. Saliva rapidly flowed, and she couldn’t help swallowing. The smell was not just fragrant; it was clear and free from any greasiness.

Yu Xia paused her cleaning work and picked up a small bowl of noodles, saying with a smile, “I’ve made a bowl of chicken and amaranth noodle soup. Miss, let me bring it out for you to enjoy.”

Curious, Xiao Ying examined the soup. Chicken shreds and amaranth leaves floated within, and the noodles were subtly moving underneath. The broth was clear, not oily at all, and the overall appearance was simple. But Xiao Ying knew Yu Xia’s culinary skills well; this clear soup was far from simple.

Eagerly, she followed Yu Xia to the living room and sat down. Xiao Ying couldn’t wait and picked up a spoon, taking a sip of the soup. The taste was indeed different from its appearance—delicious and rich. It was a hundred times more flavorful than any similar soup she had tasted before.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

She looked up at Yu Xia and praised, “Aunt Yu, your culinary skills have improved again.”

Yu Xia waved her hand modestly. “It’s not that my skills have improved; it’s the credit of this amaranth.”

Xiao Ying lowered her head to look at the leaves in her bowl, puzzled. “Oh?”

Yu Xia roughly recounted what she had seen and heard at the supermarket, ending with a sigh, “Such good vegetables come with a price, indeed.”

Upon hearing these words, Xiao Ying picked up a chopstick of amaranth and chewed on it. She felt the tenderness and freshness in her mouth, sweet and crisp, truly, incredibly delicious!

Before, she had eaten amaranth, but even the tenderest ones would have tough fibers that were hard to chew through. Yet the amaranth before her was entirely different, smoothly sliding down without resistance.

After finishing a small bowl of noodles, Xiao Ying felt completely refreshed, lazily leaning back in her chair, basking in the aftertaste of the delicious meal. It was too good, and she wasn’t satisfied yet – she wanted another bowl.

At this moment, Yu Xia brought in the steamed sweet potatoes, saying, “These are also produced by San Mu. Miss, please give them a try.”

Eager as ever, Xiao Ying sat up straight, peeled the skin away, not minding the scalding steam that reached her fingers. After blowing on her fingers, she continued.

The skin of the smoked potatoes was easily peeled away, revealing a mass of orange flesh. A sweet fragrance immediately filled the air, competing to tantalize the senses, the entire room permeated with its aroma.

Xiao Ying picked up a small spoon and effortlessly scooped up a piece of the sticky flesh. There was no need to chew forcefully; just a gentle bite caused it to dissolve in her mouth. The texture was delicate and silky. She couldn’t help but close her eyes, savoring the exquisite taste.

The relatively small sweet potato was quickly devoured by her. She hurried to the kitchen and said to Yu Xia, “Aunt Yu, as soon as you’ve had breakfast, go to Rui Shang and buy more sweet potatoes. Also, from now on, let’s switch to using San Mu vegetables. I’ll directly transfer three thousand yuan to your account for the monthly grocery expenses.”

While speaking, Xiao Ying swiftly operated her phone, transferring the money to Yu Xia’s account.

Upon Yu Xia’s return to Rui Shang the next day, the San Mu vegetable section was no longer the quiet place it once was. Elegantly dressed ladies and spirited elderly women crowded together, occasionally a few old men, stuffing vegetables into their bags as if they were free.

Seeing this scene, she quickly joined the fray, her funds more than abundant, allowing her to shop freely.

It was only when the group leader urgently contacted Fu Da and implemented purchasing restrictions that the buying frenzy subsided.

Without these limits, over a thousand pounds of vegetables could have been sold out within the short morning hours, leaving the shelves empty.

Yu Xia heard about the purchasing restrictions when she was checking out, and couldn’t help but secretly celebrate. Thank goodness she acted quickly!

**

Far away in Huayuan Village, Fu Da took a sip of fruit tea, his excitement hidden behind a calm demeanor.

This tea was made by Su Mu yesterday, using passion fruit and lemon. In the south, there was an abundance of fruits, with many types grown in villagers’ homes. There was a passion fruit vine growing near the kitchen, entwined with a sweet osmanthus tree. She used fallen, naturally ripe passion fruits for this tea, their dark red wrinkled skins emitting a sweet and fragrant scent.

The lemon came from Grandma Li’s house, where a lemon tree stood in her small courtyard. With thin and juicy skin, its aroma was light and delicate.

After being left in the refrigerator overnight, the passion fruit and lemon tea was perfectly refreshing to drink at this moment, just right for refreshing oneself and dispelling the heat.

Today, everyone was around, so the orders for the flower shop were quickly completed. Wei Liu was sipping fruit tea while chatting with Fu Da about business matters, but suddenly, his phone rang.

It turned out that Grandpa Wei had finally seen the orchid pictures he had sent, hence the call.

“This orchid belongs to the Qingshan Yuquan, one of the eight famous brands of Jianlan,” Grandpa said.

“Is it valuable?”

Grandpa Wei frowned slightly, sounding displeased, “You’ve really fallen into the trap of valuing everything based on money. You see something, and the first thing you think about is its price.”

For someone who loves flowers like him, there’s no distinction of high or low value; anything they personally cultivate is cherished.

Wei Liu discreetly rolled his eyes and admitted his mistake straightforwardly, “I was wrong, Grandpa.”

Grandpa Wei let it go for the moment and continued, “Qingshan Yuquan is renowned for its pure heart and green petals, a rare variety among orchids. As for its value, it’s not necessarily expensive. There are specimens ranging from a few dozen to a thousand yuan. The price depends on factors such as the plant’s aesthetic form, the elegance of its flowers, and the fragrance.”

After listening to Grandpa Wei, Wei Liu completely gave up his fixation on the orchids. He decided to let them grow in the wild, undisturbed.

The May 1st holiday was coming to an end. He planned to return to the city in the afternoon. Having a few days of complete relaxation during the holiday was enough for Wei Liu. After returning, it would be back to work and social engagements, busy and bustling – that was his life.

Since he was leaving, Su Chen naturally couldn’t stay either. Mother Su reluctantly began packing things up.

Su Mu asked Chen Mengzhi, “Sister-in-law, are you going back too? Or are you staying a few more days?”

Chen Mengzhi’s eyes were fixed on the hanging grapes above as she answered, “I’ll go back with your big brother.” As an only child, she definitely planned to spend a couple of days with her parents. Otherwise, they would be too lonely.

Su Mu seemed a bit disappointed, “I see, alright.”

Chen Mengzhi patted her little sister-in-law’s head with a smile, “Mu Mu, remember to save some grapes for me when they’re fully ripe.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely save some. Sister-in-law, make sure to eat plenty of grapes when the time comes. I’ve heard that children born after eating a lot of grapes have big and beautiful eyes.”

Around four in the afternoon, two cars drove out of Huayuan Village, one after the other. The house suddenly felt emptier with three fewer people, creating a somewhat desolate atmosphere.

Fu Da and his father, Fu Qingming, went to the river to fish with small buckets. Father Su and Mother Su went up the mountain to feed the chickens and ducks. Now, only Su Mu and Gu Shi were left at home.

Gu Shi was quietly reading a book, while Su Mu was using scissors to trim the rose bushes. Behind the rose bushes, Father Su had already set up a support frame. Sparse branches were growing and climbing onto the frame. When the weather cooled down in autumn, the autumn flowers would bloom.

After trimming the rose bushes, she picked up a hose and watered the flowers in front and behind the house. The small violets and orchids didn’t have fixed locations. With so many blooming, any flower would be home for the night.

Therefore, when she watered them, she didn’t have any concerns and wasn’t afraid of damaging their “homes.”

After completing these tasks, Su Mu couldn’t just idle around. The vegetable garden wasn’t watered last night, so it had to be done today.

She greeted Gu Shi, “Gu Shi, do you want to come with me to the vegetable garden, just for a walk?”

Mainly because she noticed he had been sitting still all day, without any exercise. How could his body be in good shape like this?

Gu Shi closed his book, “Sure, let’s go take a look.”

After locking the courtyard gate, the two walked in the direction of the village entrance. Gu Shi had distinctive features, and Su Mu was exquisitely pretty. On closer inspection, they actually complemented each other quite well.

Because of this, many villagers misunderstood.

They met Grandma Li on the way. She had just returned from the vegetable garden after setting up frames. When she saw Su Mu, she said, “Mu Mu, the frames for pumpkins, bitter gourds, bottle gourds, tomatoes, and so on are all set up.”

“Alright, I didn’t bring cash with me now. I’ll give you and Grandma Chen your wages tomorrow.”

“No rush, Mu Mu. Is this young man your boyfriend?”

Su Mu’s face turned red instantly. She glanced at Gu Shi, and when she saw that he didn’t show any displeasure, she let out a sigh of relief and hurriedly waved her hand, “No, we’re just friends.”

Grandma Li thought she was just shy. She noticed that a few young men had come together, but only this one stayed till the end.

In rural areas, attitudes towards relationships between men and women are relatively traditional compared to cities. Unless it’s truly time to talk about marriage, young people won’t bring the opposite sex home.

After bidding farewell to Grandma Li, the two continued walking.

“Mu Mu, is this your partner? He looks really handsome.”

“Oh, Mu Mu, you brought your boyfriend home. When’s the wedding day?”

“Mu Mu…”

Throughout the journey, Su Mu explained countless times, her throat dry and her voice on the verge of getting hoarse. However, the villagers simply didn’t believe her explanations. Their expressions said, “We understand, we all understand.”

In the end, she gave up on explaining. If the other party involved didn’t speak up or care, then she could also choose not to explain or care. She could say whatever she wanted.

When they arrived at the vegetable garden, Su Mu got off the field and Gu Shi followed suit.

“You don’t actually need to come down. Just wait by the shore or take a walk along the road,” Su Mu suggested.

Gu Shi pointed at the hose in her hand and asked, “Can I try it?”

Su Mu hadn’t expected him to want to experience this task. She hesitated for a moment before replying, “Of course you can. Just use your thumb to partially cover the hose opening, otherwise, the water pressure will be too strong and it might knock down the vegetables.”

Gu Shi took the hose and clumsily followed her instructions. However, no matter how careful he was, the water still splashed onto his clothes and pants.

He was quite earnest in his approach. Su Mu couldn’t help but glance at the sky. At his current speed, they wouldn’t be able to finish watering the field today.

After some consideration, she went to the other side of the vegetable garden, dug a small channel, and directly irrigated the field with water from the canal.

Su Mu then went to check the rice paddies and spent some time irrigating them as well.

The village chief appeared without her noticing. He called out to Su Mu, “Mu Mu.”

Su Mu only then noticed him and smiled, “Grandpa, did you come here especially to find me?”

The village chief nodded, “Old Lady Wang has signed, and all the villagers, including the land for the house and the piece of land in front of your home, have unanimously agreed. As for you, get the contract and money ready by tomorrow.”

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