Afterwards, he cleaned and processed the duck and fish that Wenxi had brought him. He first chopped the duck into pieces and put them on a plate, and then processed the fish. This big black fish was very thick and strong, weighing at least five or six pounds. It was also slippery and difficult to handle. He didn't know how Wenxi had caught such a big fish.

Of course, he didn't know that catching fish was effortless for Wenxi, because the fish were all lying there obediently, waiting for Wenxi to catch them.

"Xiaoxi, how do you plan to eat this fish?" Qin Mi asked.

Seeing that Qin Mi had already killed the fish, Wen Xi taught him to slice the fish meat into thin slices so that it would absorb the flavor better and taste even better.

The fish was very fat, so the fish fillets filled an entire basin, making it quite heavy.

The firewood hadn't arrived yet, so they couldn't cook. The furniture hadn't arrived either, so they couldn't put the things they bought today in the room. So Qin Mi went to the window of the room to hammer nails and tie wires.

Once the dark blue curtains were hung up, the light was instantly blocked out, plunging the entire room into darkness, as if the temperature had dropped several degrees.

Qin Mi was very satisfied. Looking at the surprised Wen Xi, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

Not long after, the sound of a car came from outside. Miqin and Wenxi went out to check. The driver got out of the car and said, "Director Qin, I met an old man who sells firewood. He will deliver the firewood in a little while. I'll go to the door and wait for him."

"Go!" Qin Mi said calmly.

Less than twenty minutes later, the driver brought the old man over. The old man was pushing a cart full of firewood, weighing about 500 pounds. The three men carried the firewood into the kitchen and neatly arranged it where the coal was stored.

The firewood originally cost fifteen yuan, but the old man wanted to exchange it for some tickets, so Qin Mi gave him ten yuan and a few tickets he needed.

With nothing else to do, Qin Mi told the driver to leave and come back in the late afternoon, as the furniture would be arriving soon and needed to be moved. He couldn't very well let Wen Xi, a delicate young girl, carry all that heavy furniture!

With everyone gone, only Qin Mi and Wen Xi remained at home. Now that they had firewood, Qin Mi went to start a fire to season the iron pot. He first heated the pot, then put the chopped second-grade meat into it, stir-fried it, and rendered out the oil. He then rubbed the second-grade meat all over the iron pot, coating it with oil, and left it to sit for a while before going to season another pot...

That's how you season the two pots; they won't rust easily afterward.

Qin Mi used wood ash to clean both pots thoroughly, and then used the slightly smaller iron pot on the outside to stir-fry the vegetables.

He made braised duck, boiled blackfish slices according to Wenxi's recipe, stir-fried hot and sour shredded potatoes, and made mushroom soup with the dried mushrooms Wenxi brought him.

He soaked the dried mushrooms before going out to buy furniture.

She also cut two of the preserved eggs that Wenxi brought over into eight pieces and arranged them on the newly bought plate, making them look like an enticing black flower.

Today, the kitchen was Qin Mi's domain, so Wen Xi didn't interfere. She simply stood not far from Qin Mi, assisting him. Since they were burning firewood, there was no need for someone to sit in the back and watch the fire all the time. Wen Xi would just pass Qin Mi some dishes or plates.

Braised duck, boiled fish fillets, hot and sour shredded potatoes, cold preserved egg salad, and mushroom soup.

Although it may not seem like much, it is considered a feast at this time, because many families can only eat meat and vegetables during the Chinese New Year!

Wenxi took out the dates, washed them clean, put them in a large bowl, and placed it on the dining table so that she could eat them anytime.

Although the jujubes were wild jujubes she picked on the mountain and weren't very big, they weren't the hard, tasteless kind. The flesh was sweet and the texture was quite good.

Looking at the sumptuous meal on the table, and then at the young girl sitting opposite him who hadn't completely shed her naivety, he saw that although she was still quite inexperienced, she was very capable and bold. While others were nervous and apprehensive in his presence, she was relaxed and natural, as if she really treated him like an older brother.

Yes, they are neighbors. If his family hadn't had that accident, if he hadn't been taken away by those unscrupulous relatives, they would have grown up together. Wouldn't he be his neighbor's older brother?

Although they didn't grow up together, they got along inexplicably harmoniously, as if they had made up for the time they missed in between.

A wave of sadness washed over Qin Mi, not only because of Wen Xi, but also because he hadn't had such a warm and memorable meal in a very long time.

He might never forget this meal in his life, because it was the first time that the two of them had cooked it together without anyone else around.

Seeing that Wen Xi had only eaten half a bowl of rice and drunk a bowl of mushroom soup before putting down her chopsticks, Qin Mi was a little surprised, "Aren't you going to eat?"

"I'm full, Brother Qin, please eat slowly." Wen Xi nodded.

The amount of food today was quite large, and Qin Mi couldn't clean up all the leftovers. So, she decided to save the leftovers for dinner. After washing the pot, Qin Mi added a few ladles of water, placed a steamer on it, and put the remaining food into the steamer. She could simply heat it up over a fire tonight.

After tidying everything up, Qin Mi brewed two cups of tea.

The two sat on the sofa talking. Wenxi remembered that he had given her fifty yuan to help her exchange vegetables, so she said, "Brother Qin, fifty yuan is too much for vegetables. Exchanging vegetables doesn't cost much."

Aside from chicken, duck, goose, and eggs, which are slightly more expensive, vegetables are very inexpensive, some costing only a few cents per pound, others a few dimes per pound. For Qin Mi, who lives alone, her monthly vegetable expenses, including a mix of meat and vegetables, should not exceed twenty yuan.

After all, some families only have this much living expenses for a whole month!

"I'm giving you a month's worth of groceries, and the rest is your errand fee. After all, it's not easy for you to make a trip to the county town, and even if we're acquaintances, I can't take advantage of you."

Wen Xi's eyes widened in surprise, "You're giving me all the rest? Brother Qin, aren't you being a little too generous!"

Twenty or thirty yuan, and you just give it to her as a running errand fee?

"But you have to promise that the vegetables you deliver will be the same as the last two times, with meat, vegetables and eggs. I really don't have time to go shopping. With you delivering them to me, I can save a lot of trouble, so the delivery fee isn't much." Qin Mi smiled at Wen Xi through the steam of the tea.

"Of course," Wen Xi said proudly. She had enough supplies to last a lifetime!

"By the way, Brother Qin, there's something I need to tell you." Thinking about the team's affairs, Wen Xi suddenly sat up straight.

"Hmm?" Qin Mi's expression also became serious.