Gu An'an: ...So this guy spent the whole day agonizing over this question?

Since that's the case, she has to tease him a bit.

"It's just so-so."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuheng's eyes suddenly dimmed a little. Sure enough, he still hadn't tried hard enough.

But that's okay, he's a beginner anyway, he'll get better with practice.

Moreover, An'an loves Sichuan cuisine so much that he'll definitely improve his skills when he goes back and learns from the cafeteria's experienced chefs.

"I will continue to work hard."

Hearing the warmth of his sincere gaze, Gu An'an suddenly regretted making that joke.

"Actually, it's quite delicious."

"Really?" Xiao Yuheng reacted in a second.

"Um."

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Xiao Yuheng's smile widened, making him look somewhat silly.

"Alright, stop laughing. If those older women see this, who knows what they'll say."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yuheng immediately stopped smiling and returned to his previous aloof demeanor. However, a closer look at his smiling eyes revealed that he was in an extremely good mood.

"Then I'll make it for you again tonight, just wait for me."

The village is busy, and so is the educated youth compound.

Seeing that the village was suddenly bustling with activity, Zhao Hu and Chen Jianguo simply added some money to hire a local craftsman to repair the kitchen overnight.

To celebrate sharing the kitchen, the two went up the mountain and found two wild rabbits in a trap. They also picked some cucumbers with the village aunties before heading back home.

"Old Zhao, go and invite Zhou and Gu, the educated youths, over for dinner tonight."

Thinking of the meat that Xiao Yuheng had given to Gu An'an a while ago, she thought, "Oh right, let's invite Comrade Xiao along too."

Zhao Hu had no objection. In the past, he ate with those guys all together, and even if he wanted to treat them, there was nothing he could do. Now that he could make his own decisions, he could invite whoever he liked.

When Zhao Hu arrived, Xiao Yuheng was still helping out with Gu An'an.

"Okay, I'll definitely go tonight."

Seeing that Gu An'an agreed, Xiao Yuheng naturally followed suit.

As soon as everyone left, Xiao Yuheng blurted out, "Then I won't have a chance to cook for you tonight."

Gu An'an found it amusing. This person looked so big, strong, and mature, but his behavior was completely different from what he appeared to be.

Xiao Yuheng was enlightened by her words and instantly perked up again, "Then I'll help you get this done and then go help out."

Next, Xiao Yuheng worked much faster and more enthusiastically, and soon he had sorted everything out.

"Let's go."

Seeing his impatient look, Gu An'an really wanted to laugh, but she still walked towards the courtyard together.

"Xiao Heng, Gu Zhiqing, where are you going?"

Zhou Xiulan went to pick cucumbers in the nearby mountains today. Luckily, she picked two baskets in no time and carried them back with her granddaughter. Little did she know that she would see this perfect couple before she even got home.

"Chen and Zhao, the educated youth, just built a new kitchen and invited us over for a meal. I'll go see if there's anything I can help with."

Looking at their baskets, which were overflowing, I couldn't help but offer a rare compliment.

"Aunt Zhou, you're still as capable as ever."

Xiao Yuheng grew up in Xiaowang Village, so she was naturally familiar with her aunt, her good friend.

Aunt Zhou beamed with joy at his praise, "Xiao Heng has really grown up; he even knows how to compliment people now."

They chatted for a while and then went their separate ways.

Aunt Zhou looked at the two people who had left, then at her own granddaughter, and finally sighed.

"Grandma, why are you sighing again?"

Wang Ting looked at her grandmother strangely. Her grandmother was not like this before. Why has she been sighing so much these past two days? Could something have happened?

"Grandma, if something's wrong, just tell me. Don't keep it bottled up inside, it'll make you sick."

Seeing her granddaughter so sensible, Aunt Zhou was even more worried.

“I originally wanted to tell you to Xiao Heng, but I didn’t expect that the child would fall for Gu Zhiqing. I’m just feeling sorry for you.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Ting couldn't help but laugh out loud. "I thought it was something serious. What's there to worry about? This just shows that Brother Xiao and I are not meant to be."

"Besides, Brother Xiao and I have known each other since we were children. If he were interested in me, I wouldn't have had to wait until now. What's there to regret?"

Aunt Zhou was surprised that her granddaughter thought this way. "You don't like Xiao Heng? As far as your grandma knows, there are many people who are eyeing him. He's very popular."

Wang Ting continued walking home with her basket on her back, her tone as usual.

“Brother Xiao is a good man. Anyone who marries him will definitely have a good life. But a good life cannot depend solely on Brother Xiao; one must also be able to stand on one’s own two feet.”

“The girls in our village are all good, but none of them are good enough to be the wife of the regimental commander. It would be really not worth it if we didn’t enjoy the good fortune and even dragged Brother Xiao down with us.”

“I am your granddaughter, you know my own worth very well, I don’t want to live such a tiring life.”

Aunt Zhou was finally relieved to hear her granddaughter say that, since the child had overheard her talking about it with her husband at home.

If she were to take this to heart and develop deep feelings for Xiao Heng, she would be committing a sin.

"Okay, Tingting, that's the right way to think. Let's live our own lives. I've asked Aunt Qiuju to keep an eye out for you and she'll definitely find you a good marriage."

The grandfather and grandson started talking, both with smiles on their faces.

"Grandma, let's not talk about this for now. Let's finish these vegetables quickly. With a good family background, I can stand tall and not be afraid of marrying anywhere."

Gu An'an didn't hear the conversation between the grandfather and grandson. The two chatted all the way to the educated youth compound. Gu An'an returned to her own courtyard, while Xiao Yuheng went directly to find Chen Jianguo and the other person.

"I'll cook dinner tonight."

Chen Jianguo and his companion exchanged a glance and quickly declined, saying, "No need, guests are guests, how can we let you do it? These are pumpkin seeds sent from my home, you can crack them open."

He couldn't just sit back and do nothing; An'an was waiting to eat his cooking.

Without saying a word, Xiao Yuheng took over the position of head chef from Chen Jianguo and skillfully started stir-frying.

"Comrade Xiao, you can cook?"

After all, he's a big shot in Xiaowang Village. Not only does he do his job well, but he also cooks so well that he doesn't give ordinary boys like them any chance to survive.

"Yeah. I just learned it, I'll practice when I get a chance."

Hearing that Xiao Yuheng was a novice, the two suddenly became worried about whether they would be able to have dinner tonight.

Only after Xiao Yuheng finished preparing the first dish and the two of them took a bite did they finally feel completely at ease.

"Brother Xiao, you're really amazing."

Seeing that they took two more bites before stopping, Xiao Yuheng knew perfectly well that he hadn't messed up today, but he still had to be humble.

"Is it edible?"

"What do you mean 'can eat a lot'? That's too modest. It's obviously delicious. If I had that skill, I would have cooked it myself a long time ago."

These were Zhao Hu's true feelings; his cooking skills were simply that of someone who could eat a lot, but he was particularly good at preparing wild game.

Chen Jianguo was a bit less skilled at climbing the mountain, but his craftsmanship was much better than his; otherwise, they could have worked together.

Xiao Yuheng was secretly pleased, thinking about Gu An'an's reaction after eating these dishes, and his hands moved even more quickly.