Chapter 75: Sacrifice.

Aunt Gu prepared a sumptuous dinner that evening, consisting of five dishes and a soup: braised pork with chestnuts, scallion oil chicken, stir-fried prawns with scallions, steamed turbot, stir-fried eggs with chives, and black bean and pork rib soup.

Under the warm yellow light, all the dishes looked even more tempting, as if they even tasted like home.

Uncle Gu laughed and said, "It's rare for Xiao Qiu to come back, so let's eat and drink well together. Eat more!"

Aunt Gu said enthusiastically, "Yes, why don't you try my cooking and see if it's improved! This pork was raised by villagers, it's very fatty, and the chicken was caught by someone in the village. They all grew up eating leftovers, so it should taste better than the ones in the city. The shrimp and fish were bought by your uncle at the market, and they're quite fresh. The chives and black beans were grown by your uncle and me. When you go back the day after tomorrow, pick a lot of greens to take back with you, and bring a bottle of these black beans too."

"Okay, thank you, Auntie. I won't stand on ceremony. These homegrown vegetables and black beans are my favorite; they're all organic and healthy. Thank you for preparing this meal, Auntie." Gu Qingqiu felt a warm current flowing through her heart as she smiled and replied, feeling the care from her family that she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Gu Shaocheng raised the glass of cola and smiled, "I won't say anything else, just welcome Xiao Qiu back. Eat well, drink well, and sleep well these next few days!"

"Thank you, brother." Gu Qingqiu raised her glass and clinked it with his, then took a sip of cola. The bubbles and sweet aroma burst in her mouth, just like her mood at that moment.

Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu also raised their Coke cups and clinked glasses with her to welcome her back.

The family started eating, and Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu would occasionally put food on Gu Qingqiu's plate, urging her to eat more.

Gu Qingqiu ate a lot of meat dishes. The braised pork was cooked until tender and not greasy, the chestnuts were fragrant and chewy, and the scallion oil chicken was fresh, tender and savory, even more delicious with the aroma of scallion oil. If you scooped a spoonful of scallion oil and poured it on white rice, you could eat a whole bowl of rice.

The shrimp were quite large. My aunt had already removed the shrimp veins before stir-frying them. Now, you only need to bite off the shrimp head, tail, and shell to taste the firm and sweet shrimp meat. The aroma of scallions, ginger, and garlic permeated every inch of the shrimp meat, making it sweet with a hint of saltiness.

The turbot has very tender flesh. You can easily pick up large pieces of fish by scraping off the skin with chopsticks. Then, dip the fish in the clear, savory sauce on the plate. It's so delicious that you can't help but keep picking up more and more pieces.

Stir-fried eggs with chives are also very fragrant. The chives grown at home are tender and juicy after being stir-fried, yet they have a bit of a chewy texture. With enough seasoning, they taste salty and savory. The eggs are stir-fried until crispy and fragrant, and they are also very tender.

She guessed that the eggs must have been laid by chickens raised by the villagers, and they tasted quite delicious.

Black bean and pork rib soup is also delicious. The black bean flavor is particularly strong. The soup looks dark yet slightly clear, with a few specks of oil floating on top, which means that the essence of the black beans and pork ribs has been extracted.

The ribs weren't the best kind that restaurants cook, but they still had a lot of meat. As expected of ribs raised on farms in the countryside, they had more fat and tasted even better.

Gu Qingqiu enjoyed the meal very much and was very satisfied. Of course, she also talked a lot with her uncle, aunt, and cousin.

When talking about her recent situation and running the restaurant, Gu Qingqiu patiently repeated what she had said to her cousin on the way there that afternoon. She concluded by saying, "I've managed to get the restaurant that my grandfather and my parents left behind running again. Business is booming, and I'm doing quite well. Don't worry about me."

Having heard about this before, Gu Shaocheng still admired his cousin, who seemed quiet and reserved, as if she was born to sit in an office doing paperwork, even after hearing it again.

Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu were shocked.

Uncle Gu stammered, "Wh...what? You quit your job at the publishing house and went back to open the restaurant your parents left behind?"

He looked at his wife and son, trying to confirm if he had filled it out wrong. "No, Xiao Qiu, you're so smart and educated, why did you go and open a restaurant? It must be so tiring."

Aunt Gu was surprised and distressed: "Yes, you went back to open a restaurant without saying a word, and you ran it all by yourself. It's really not easy."

They were both thinking that Xiao Qiu, who seemed quiet and gentle, was actually quite bold. They had never heard their older brother and sister-in-law say that Xiao Qiu was a good cook before. Even though they had watched their grandfather and parents cook since they were little, this was quite a leap.

However, Xiao Qiu is so good at studying, she might also be very talented in cooking. She may have learned from watching cooking since she was little and memorized it. Now, when she needs to, she can cook dishes that taste especially delicious with just a little practice.

Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "Uncle and Aunt, quitting my job at the publishing house to open a restaurant was a decision I made after careful consideration. I want to revive the restaurant that my parents left behind, and I also have some savings to give me confidence. Even if the restaurant fails in the end, I can still hold on for a while."

"Fortunately, I've managed to run the restaurant successfully, and business is pretty good right now. If you ever come to Jiang City, feel free to visit the restaurant and try my cooking."

Uncle Gu could tell that she was confident in doing this, so he said, "A cultured person like Xiao Qiu wouldn't act rashly; she must have a solid foundation." He felt relieved.

He nodded: "Great! Your brother, sister-in-law, and grandfather will definitely be happy to know this. You should talk to them about it tomorrow. When we have the chance to go to Jiang City, we'll definitely visit your restaurant."

Gu Qingqiu smiled and agreed.

Aunt Gu stopped worrying about it; Xiao Qiu could make her own decision, and thankfully she managed to get the restaurant up and running.

She joked, "Xiao Qiu, I never thought you were a restaurant chef now. What do you think of the meal I made tonight?"

Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "Of course it's delicious. Auntie, to be honest, these dishes would be popular in our restaurant. The ingredients are fresh and you cook them so well. You've got the oil, salt, and heat just right."

"Most importantly, Auntie, your warm welcome and hospitality made the food taste delicious and warmed my heart."

Gu Shaocheng had been listening to his parents and cousin talk with a smile the whole time, and now he raised his Coke at the right moment: "Little sister is right, Mom, I'll toast you!"

Gu Qingqiu also raised her Coke: "Auntie, let me toast you. You and Uncle have worked hard these past few days."

Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu smiled and raised their Cokes. The four of them clinked their glasses together, making a crisp and cheerful sound. Then they all took a few sips of Coke and laughed.

They were both happy. Xiao Qiu seemed much more lively, and even her speech had become more confident. It seemed like the child had truly moved on.

The guests enjoyed the meal immensely. Besides Gu Qingqiu talking about some things that happened after she opened the restaurant, Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu also talked about their family's affairs over the past year and what happened in the village. At the end, they even complained about how Gu Shaocheng failed to go on two blind dates.

Aunt Gu muttered, "I don't know why your brother has such high standards. All the girls introduced to him are pretty and decent-looking, and their temperaments, personalities, and jobs are all a good match, but he hasn't liked a single one of them. It makes me so angry."

Receiving a look from his cousin, Gu Shaocheng shrugged helplessly.

Gu Qingqiu comforted her, "Auntie, maybe it's just that my brother's time hasn't come yet. If he meets the right person, I promise I'll bring him back to you right away. My brother has always been the kind of person who would raise his hand to answer questions in school since he was little."

It's amazing, even though they don't usually keep in touch, he quickly integrated into the family atmosphere when he returned to his hometown. He even called out "my brother" very naturally, which surprised Gu Qingqiu.

Gu Shaocheng covered his face and laughed, recalling his ignorance and fearlessness when he was in elementary school. He thought it was a proud thing to be called on by the teacher to answer questions, and he raised his hand to answer questions quite often.

Back then, very few students were willing to raise their hands in class, so all the teachers liked him very much and loved to praise him at parent-teacher conferences. His parents were also big mouths, and they told everyone in the village about it.

Xiao Qiu only found out about it when she went back to the village for the Chinese New Year. I didn't expect her to still remember it.

Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu were obviously also thinking about what happened back then, and they both laughed.

Aunt Gu stopped talking about her eldest son and instead asked Gu Qingqiu if there had been any recent developments, and if so, to let her know.

Unexpectedly, the topic turned to her. Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "Don't worry, Auntie. If anything happens, I'll definitely let you know and bring it back for you to see!"

"Haha, okay, then we'll be waiting." Aunt Gu laughed.

Uncle Gu and Gu Shaocheng laughed along with them.

After the meal, not only did he refuse to help wash the dishes, but even Gu Qingqiu's offer to help clear the table was rejected.

Aunt Gu stopped her from picking up the bowls, chopsticks, and plates: "Xiao Qiu, you can just sit and rest for a while. You can look at your phone or watch TV, but you don't need to touch these things."

Gu Shaocheng chimed in, "Yes, sis, you can go sit down. I'll take care of it."

"That's more like it!" Aunt Gu snorted. "He only becomes slightly more diligent when Xiao Qiu is here. Otherwise, he wouldn't even bother to pick up a fallen oil bottle."

As Gu Shaocheng picked up the empty bowls, chopsticks, and plates, he replied, "You've almost emptied my savings."

As he went into the kitchen, Aunt Gu smiled and explained, "He doesn't usually like washing dishes, but he will still do chores like sweeping and mopping the floor. Occasionally, when he has free time, he will go to the fields to help water the vegetables."

“I know, brother, you’re a good person, hardworking and good at your job. You’ll find a daughter-in-law sooner or later,” Gu Qingqiu said.

Aunt Gu beamed with joy: "I've been looking forward to it."

Gu Qingqiu sat with her uncle in the living room for a while. After her aunt and cousin finished their work in the kitchen and came out, they chatted for a bit before she got up to go back to rest.

Even though the two houses were separated by only a wall, Gu Shaocheng still escorted her home before going back to his own house.

After closing and locking the door, the house was brightly lit. Gu Qingqiu smiled and thought the experience of returning to her hometown was quite good.

She turned on her phone's flashlight, turned off the lights on the first floor, went up the stairs to the second floor, turned on the air conditioner in her room, got her clothes and went to wash up. After that, she sat on the headboard and looked at her phone.

Without thinking about it, she habitually opened Xiaohongshu. Since there was no new post for today's menu, she clicked on the post she made yesterday and switched the comment section to display the latest time.

[Wearing high heels feels so good: Missing the first day of Story Home Kitchen (Chin resting on hand, longing and yearning.gif)]

[Got a tan from sunbathing: I rarely get to leave work early this morning, and my first thought was to go to Gu's Private Kitchen for a nice meal. But as I stood up, I suddenly remembered that the restaurant was closed today. Who understands this feeling of disappointment, wanting to go but having nowhere to go?]

[Lavender: Sigh, the most painful thing during this time is wanting to eat at Gu's Private Kitchen, but the restaurant is closed, and we have to endure this for another three days (sighing frantically as the noble person goes online.gif)]

[Xiangrui Ma Ni: I'll probably be relying on scrolling through the food photos in the comments section of my previous posts for the next three days. Once Gu's Private Kitchen reopens, I'm definitely going to eat there for three days and three nights!]

Gu Qingqiu smiled as she looked at the food. It felt nice to be remembered, even if it was just the food she cooked.

She didn't reply to any comments. After scrolling for a while, she exited and switched to her private account. She browsed through the notes recommended by big data for quite a while, and only when she got tired of it did she exit, put down her phone, close her eyes, and go to sleep.

The next morning, Gu Qingqiu woke up around 6 a.m. as usual, following her biological clock.

After she got up, she opened the window and looked out from the second floor. She could see most of the houses in the village, most of them two or three stories high. Some were newly built in recent years, and some were extensions of old houses. Looking south, she could vaguely see the green of the fields scattered around.

The air in the village seemed fresher than in the big city. The sky was a washed-out blue, and the clouds were particularly low and thick. The sunrise cast golden rays down from the east, making the whole village look vibrant and full of life.

She took a good breath of fresh air before closing the window to change her clothes and then going to the bathroom to wash up. Picking up her phone, she saw a message from her aunt, telling her to come over for breakfast when she woke up.

Gu Qingqiu replied with a voice message, poured herself a glass of water, drank it, and then filled her thermos with warm water before carrying her backpack, taking her phone, and going downstairs to visit her aunt and uncle next door.

Her uncle and aunt were both home. They looked like they had just woken up early and returned from working in the fields. Uncle Gu was probably hot, as the ceiling fan was spinning and he had taken off his white vest to cool off. He only put his clothes back on when he heard her come in.

"Good morning, Uncle." Gu Qingqiu greeted him with a smile.

Uncle Gu nodded: "Good morning, you're here. Come in and have some food." He then stood up as well.

Gu Qingqiu agreed and followed him into the dining room connected to the kitchen, smiling as she greeted Aunt Gu, who was still cooking in the kitchen.

Aunt Gu used a spatula to scoop out the large round shrimp and egg pancake, plated it, and brought it over: "Eat up, let's have some local specialties for breakfast."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Auntie." Gu Qingqiu said with a smile.

Aunt Gu: "Don't be so polite, eat up."

Gu Qingqiu asked, "Where's my brother?"

Uncle Gu: "He went to work. In the mornings, he just goes to the county town to buy some steamed buns and rice noodle rolls to eat."

Gu Qingqiu smiled and said, "I see. I was so free that I forgot he had to go to work."

Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu invited everyone to eat breakfast, and Gu Qingqiu nodded in agreement. They ate and chatted together.

Breakfast was indeed very characteristic of my hometown. The porridge was sweet potato porridge, and the side dishes included homemade dried radish and dried fish, a jar of olive vegetables I bought, and a shrimp and egg pancake that my aunt had just brought over.

Gu Qingqiu used to eat these things a lot back in her hometown, so she got used to them and even thought they tasted pretty good after not having them for a long time.

After breakfast, Aunt Gu had just put the bowls, chopsticks and plates into the kitchen sink to soak when she hurriedly prepared some offerings for the ancestral worship.

There were eight items prepared in total: cooked pork belly, a whole chicken, meatballs, fish balls, shrimp balls, golden-fried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and white steamed buns as big as a plate. A bunch of chives was still dripping with dew, probably freshly picked from the ground this morning, but that wasn't included in the eight items.

Since we are worshipping our parents at the same time, and we only do this once a year, we prepared double portions of everything, as it's good to have more.

In addition, we prepared a lot of paper money and incense, which were put in two large bags against the wall in the living room.

Aunt Gu said, "Xiao Qiu said you would bring something back yourself, and you asked me to prepare eight things, so I only prepared eight things."

The offerings prepared for the deceased should typically be in multiples of three, and traditionally, nine items were prepared.

"Yes, that's right. I brought back some peach shortbread that my parents love from Jiang City. We'll treat it together as a gift later. I just put one in my bag and brought it with me," Gu Qingqiu said.

"That's good. Let's pack up and get ready to go."

Gu Qingqiu and Aunt Gu helped put all the offerings into the bamboo baskets. These bamboo baskets are used to hold offerings when worshipping gods, and every household has a pair.

The pair of peach shortbreads that Aunt Gu washed and dried yesterday were left here, waiting to be used today. Including the two portions of peach shortbread, there were a total of eighteen plates, which was too much. So we used Aunt Gu's bamboo baskets to pack them in as well, layering them on top of each other to barely fill them all.

Afterwards, they carried the bamboo basket to their doorstep. Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu each rode a motorcycle; they had developed a skill for worshipping gods over the years.

Place a horizontal board in front of the motorcycle seat where you can rest your feet. Place a pair of bamboo baskets on either side of the board. Then, use your legs to block the outside of the baskets to stabilize the board and the baskets.

Aunt Gu gripped the handlebars with both hands, seemingly ready: "Xiao Qiu, you can ride in your uncle's car. His car is an oil-powered vehicle, so it has more power to carry people up the mountain."

Gu Qingqiu nodded in agreement, sat on the back of her uncle's motorcycle, and said "I'm all set" after securing herself. Uncle Gu then turned the throttle and set off, with Aunt Gu following closely behind in her car.

Not far from the village are rolling mountains, where many of the older generation are buried after they pass away. Relatives are all connected in one place, and some descendants even prepare graves for their elderly elders in advance, a practice known as "living graves."

A tomb built according to Feng Shui principles, combining the harmony of the earth's energy with the natural environment, is not only beneficial to the health of its future owner but also protects its descendants.

However, Grandpa didn't believe in these things back then, so Mom and Dad didn't follow the customs of their hometown. Fortunately, the mountain land left by their ancestors was large enough, so the graves built after Grandpa's death and Mom and Dad's death were connected together, so they had each other's company and it was convenient for Gu Qingqiu to come and pay her respects.

Gu Qingqiu sat on the back of her uncle's motorcycle, watching the mountains and forests rushing past.

This is a route she has walked every year during the Qingming Festival with her grandfather and parents since she was a child. However, the people who go up the mountain with her have changed, and there are now three relatives she misses on the mountain.

When they reached a spot halfway up the mountain, Gu Qingqiu got out of the car first and helped carry the bamboo basket down and put it away. Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu parked the car and came over to help take out the offerings from the bamboo basket and place them in front of their elder brother and sister-in-law's graves.

They bowed towards their uncle's grave, and then bowed in respect towards their elder brother and sister-in-law's graves.

Aunt Gu said, "Xiao Qiu, you must have a lot to say to your parents. Your uncle and I are going for a walk and will be back later. If anything happens, just call us."

"Okay, thank you, Uncle and Aunt."

"You're welcome. Take care of yourself."

After her uncle and aunt had gone far away, Gu Qingqiu first lit three cigarettes with a lighter, bowed, and then stuck them in the rice cup. She then arranged and lit the incense and candles, and placed eighteen kinds of offerings in front of the grave.

She said, "Mom and Dad, please enjoy this. These are all fresh and delicious meat and vegetables that my uncle and aunt helped buy, as well as Bingji peach shortbread that you love. I also brought it back from Jiang City for you to eat."

The smoke from incense and candles rises gently, the wind rustles through the forest, everything is so tranquil, and it seems as if you can truly feel the longing carried on the wind.

Gu Qingqiu walked over and swept away the withered branches and fallen leaves in front of her grandfather's grave. Because she had come to sweep the grave and weed during the Qingming Festival, there were no obvious weeds around.

When my uncle and aunt come up the mountain, they sweep up the fallen leaves for my uncle and aunt, and they also sweep the leaves here. The area is much cleaner and tidier than the ones we saw along the way.

She took a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor) out of her bag. Her cousin had bought it for her yesterday at a liquor store on the way back to the village from the high-speed rail station. It was the kind of liquor her grandfather used to drink.

Gu Qingqiu took out the three wine cups she had brought from her uncle and aunt's house, poured three cups of baijiu (Chinese liquor) and placed them in front of her grandfather's grave. Then she used another rice cup to insert the three incense sticks she had offered, lit the incense and candles, and said with a smile, "Grandpa, let's all have a good time today, you should have some too."

She stood back in front of her parents' graves, squatted down, and began to talk about her recent situation.

"Mom, Dad, and Grandpa, I have something to tell you. This April, I quit my job at the publishing house and went back to reopen our family's Gu's Private Kitchen..."

She went on and on, talking about how amazing she was at running the restaurant, even better than her grandfather's business.

They also mentioned that netizens on Xiaohongshu and Weibo are incredibly enthusiastic. Customers who have dined at the restaurant share photos of their meals, and other netizens rave about how much they want to eat there. Some customers even travel from other places to Jiang City just to have a meal at our restaurant on Suli Street and try our food.

She said that running an official account is actually very interesting. Not only can it promote and interact with the restaurant, but reading the comments left by netizens every day is like having countless like-minded friends who appreciate her, encouraging and supporting her. It lets her know that she is not fighting alone and that her efforts can be recognized and receive enthusiastic feedback.

As she finished speaking, Gu Qingqiu's almond-shaped eyes glistened with tears, but the corners of her mouth were forced upwards: "Mom, Dad, Grandpa, don't worry, I'm capable now and I can take care of myself. I'll continue to live with our Gu Family Private Kitchen."

She closed her eyes, trying to mobilize the spiritual energy in her dantian to sense the surrounding spiritual energy and even the flow of other factors. In the cultivation world, if a deceased cultivator leaves behind a spiritual consciousness, it can be sensed. So, would the same be true for human souls after they die?

The clouds were gentle, the wind was gentle, and even the leaves swayed gently in the breeze. Everything resembled the gentle gaze of her parents when they came back to see her, softly caressing her. Yet, there was no fluctuation in the surrounding spiritual energy, nor any flow of energy. Everything remained as usual.

Gu Qingqiu withdrew her spreading divine sense, smiled helplessly, and felt a sense of relief.

Once the incense and candles have burned out and the fragrance has lingered three times, the worship ceremony is over.

Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu returned just in time, exchanged a few words with their eldest brother and sister-in-law, then helped pack up the offerings and put them back in the bamboo basket before heading home.

The procession was similar to when they arrived. Going up the mountain was filled with anticipation and longing, while coming down the mountain was filled with relief and the courage to move forward. Gu Qingqiu and her uncle and aunt soon returned to the village.

Time flew by, and the joy of chatting together and the fond memories of the past when alone were all a welcome contrast to the relaxation of running the restaurant and cooking dishes.

After lunch on Sunday, Gu Qingqiu prepared to return to Jiang City.

Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu picked a lot of green vegetables from the field early in the morning. They were afraid that Xiao Qiu would be too tired to carry them home, so they didn't dare to pick too many. They picked a little of each kind of green vegetable and simply packed them into two shopping bags, saying that they were all dried out so that they wouldn't leak on the way.

They also filled a large Coke bottle with the soybeans and mung beans they had previously grown and harvested, and told her to take them back with her so she could make soup or soy milk.