It was still dawn when there was a noise in the Xie family's yard. Grandma Xie always got up early, and when she buttoned up and went out, she saw Xie San squatting in the yard brushing his teeth.

Grandma Xie asked, "Zhao, you're back? Didn't you want to learn how to drive a tractor? Why are you back?"

"Yeah." Xie San said vaguely with a toothbrush in his mouth, "I'll leave in a while."

Seeing that the water tank was full of water and the chicken coop had been repaired, Grandma Xie sighed and said, "You have worked hard these days. Don't do these things when you come back."

After a pause, he asked, "What time did you come back last night?"

Xie San spat out a mouthful of water, his face turned red and his neck became thick, and he didn't dare to raise his head.

Grandma Xie took out three warm eggs from the nest as if nothing had happened. They were small and exquisite, with red skins and spots. She said, "I picked up three eggs today and boiled them for you to eat."

Xie San coughed for a long time, wiped his mouth with a towel, and said reluctantly: "No, you keep it for yourself."

Grandma Xie used a rag to wipe the eggs lovingly, wiping off all the chicken feathers and chicken droppings on them, and put them in her egg basket. She also grabbed a handful of rice bran and sprinkled it into the chicken feed bowl: "I saved a basket. You've worked hard learning to drive, so you need to eat more. Don't mention saving some for Xiao Fei, she doesn't have to go out, and she has enough food now."

Xie San washed his face, water drops rolling down his straight nose, and said, "Steamed egg cake for my sister."

"Meimei" is the local dialect in Tianshui Village, similar to "Nannan", and is a nickname for girls.

Grandma Xie said unhappily, "She is naughty because she is idle all day. If you give her eggs, she will be crazy. Look at what time it is now. What girl is so lazy as to not get up like her?"

Xie San said, "She just arrived and is not used to the place yet. Let her sleep a little longer."

Grandma Xie said angrily, "Protect him, just protect him!"

"Who are you protecting?" She asked in a coquettish voice, still with a hint of tiredness. Cheng Yaoyao leaned against the door with her hair loose and sleepy eyes. She was wearing a pink blouse and an over-the-knee umbrella skirt with a wrinkled collar.

When Xie San saw the pink blouse, he turned his head as if he had been electrocuted and quickened the pace of washing his face.

Cheng Yaoyao covered his lips with his hands and yawned, then walked over to Grandma Xie and said coquettishly, "You said you would leave the eggs for me to pick."

"Waiting for you to pick them up? The hens have already torn them!" Grandma Xie wiped her hands on her apron, straightened Cheng Yaoyao's collar, and said unhappily, "Girl, how can you go out with your clothes untied? It's not nice for people to see you!"

"There's no one else here." Cheng Yaoyao obediently let Grandma Xie tidy up her hair. She tied her long hair behind her head with a hair tie and turned around to wash her face.

Xie San had already prepared the water and squeezed the toothpaste. She took it and stuffed it into her mouth, casually glancing at the washbasin that Xie San had placed beside her. The towel had been used for who knows how long, and it was worn out. The same was true for the toothbrush, the bristles were almost all gone.

Xie San handed her the tooth mug filled with water, took his broken washbasin, and went to the yard to chop firewood.

Nowadays, every household in the countryside burns firewood. With the permission of the village, we can go into the mountains to cut old wood. More often, we let the children carry baskets and go into the forest to pick up some dead branches that can be used to start a fire.

Xie San often went into the mountains and forests, and the firewood pile at home was very high. The firewood was chopped into small and even pieces, and neatly stacked in the corner of the wall.

Xie San placed a log upright on the ground, raised the axe with both hands, and chopped it down. With a snap, the dry log split into two halves. He picked it up and placed it in place, and chopped it into two halves again with another blow of the axe. In this way, the firewood was evenly divided into four parts, which was easier to burn.

Xie San was wearing a torn jacket, his muscles bulging all over his body, forming very beautiful lines. He looked serious while working, his beautiful lips were tightly pursed, his eyebrows were soaked with sweat, and he had the vigor and vitality that only young men have.

Cheng Yaoyao stared at him while brushing his teeth, from his broad chest to the beautiful muscle lines of his arms, and then to the two deep mermaid lines that could not be hidden under his torn coat.

Grandma Xie called out, "Brother Zhao, there's enough firewood. Stop chopping it. You've made yourself sweaty so early in the morning. Your classmates will laugh at you later!"

"Hmm!" Hearing some anger in Grandma Xie's tone, Xie San had to stop and lifted up his torn coat to wipe his face.

Cheng Yaoyao handed him the wet towel in his hand: "Don't always use clothes to wipe your face, use this."

"The light pink towel was clean and soft, reflecting Cheng Yaoyao's snow-white fingers. Xie San hesitated for a moment, and Cheng Yaoyao handed it to him and winked at the kitchen.

Grandma Xie was busy in the kitchen and didn't notice them.

Xie San covered his face with a towel and wiped it. The towel was extremely soft, and had the unique scent of Cheng Yaoyao, which made him reluctant to let go.

I don’t know if it’s because Cheng Yaoyao’s towel is particularly soft, but Xie San felt refreshed after washing his face.

Xie San took out the piece of pork hanging in the well. After a night, the pork was still cold and had not spoiled.

It was a piece of pork belly with fat and lean parts, about three fingers wide, tied with a hemp rope. Xie San explained: "I was afraid it would go bad, so I sent it back specially."

Grandma Xie looked at the meat with great pleasure: "Where did you get this meat? It must have cost a lot of money, right?"

Xie Sanzhi said, "It's free. I earned it by helping people carry goods."

Grandma Xie scolded, "You came to the city to study, why do you always carry goods for others? Don't overwork yourself in such hot weather! Look at the wound on your shoulder, is it from carrying goods?"

There was a bright red scratch on Xie San's arm. It looked like he was cut by something, but more like he was scratched by something.

Xie Sanmai's face suddenly turned red and he stepped back: "It's okay. Let's cook the meat today. It will go bad if we leave it out any longer."

Grandma Xie held the meat and said with a smile: "Spread some salt on it and marinate it. It will be delicious for a while."

Cheng Yaoyao said, "It doesn't taste good if it's pickled. This pork belly is of such good quality, let's cook it all at once."

Xie San arrived immediately: "Okay."

Then he glanced at Grandma Xie and added: "I will bring back some meat next time."

Grandma Xie took off her apron and said unhappily, "Okay, okay, okay, all up to you!"

Cheng Yaoyao was very excited. She picked up her apron and tied it around her waist. "I'll make breakfast! You're not leaving so quickly, are you? Have breakfast first?"

Cheng Yaoyao's face showed undisguised reluctance. Xie San also had something on his mind. He nodded and said, "There is a bus going into the county town at 11 o'clock. I can take it."

Grandma Xie said, "That's great, we can even have brunch!"

Since Xie San is having breakfast at home, today's breakfast will naturally have to be more substantial.

Cheng Yaoyao asked Xie San to go into the vegetable garden to pick some tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, etc., and he went to ask Grandma Xie for eggs.

"Granny, give me five eggs."

Grandma Xie was counting eggs. When she heard this, she held the basket cautiously and said, "If you want to eat cakes, two are enough. Why do you want five at a time? What's the point?"

"I want to make something delicious for Third Brother Xie." Cheng Yaoyao said confidently, "Give it to me."

It turned out that she was not greedy. Grandma Xie was angry and deliberately said, "If you want eggs, pick them from the chicken nest yourself."

"You've got everything today!" Cheng Yaoyao pouted and said, "At worst I'll return it to you in a few days."

Grandma Xie was amused by her: "There are only three eggs a day, and I am the one feeding them. You are giving my eggs back to me. You are very calculating, aren't you?"

Cheng Yaoyao raised his chin and said mysteriously, "Then starting from tomorrow, I will feed the chicken for you. I guarantee that I can pick more than 5 eggs a day."

Grandma Xie said flatly: "I don't believe it."

"Then let's make a bet." Cheng Yaoyao took the opportunity to say, "If I let the hens lay more eggs, what will you do?"

Grandma Xie said without hesitation: "All the extra eggs are yours!"

"It's a deal!" Cheng Yaoyao clapped his hands, still staring at Grandma Xie's egg basket: "Then give me a few eggs first, I'll count them as borrowing from you."

Xie San walked to the door and said to Cheng Yaoyao, "Yaoyao, don't make trouble with grandma."

Cheng Yaoyao said aggrievedly: "I wanted to borrow some eggs from grandma, but she wouldn't give them to me."

Xie San gently pushed her towards the kitchen: "Go wash the vegetables first."

Seeing Cheng Yaoyao walk away angrily, Xie San turned around and looked at Grandma Xie helplessly: "Grandma, don't tease her."

The wrinkles at the corners of Grandma Xie's eyes spread out softly like chrysanthemums, hiding a little of her smile. She shook her head and said, "I wonder how her family raised a daughter who would be so spoiled and willful even if she marries someone else in the future?"

"I won't marry anyone else." Xie San's voice was filled with unquestionable stubbornness and confidence.

Grandma Xie paused while counting eggs, and suddenly stared at Xie San sternly: "Zhao'er, I still say the same thing. I don't care what happens between you and Yaoyao, you are not allowed to bully others!"

"I can't." Xie San turned his eyes away involuntarily.

Grandma Xie stared at him sharply: "What did you do last night?"

The hairs on Xie San's back stood up immediately and he raised his eyes.

Grandma Xie continued, "I heard you hanging around the door! Let me tell you, our ancestors are watching us. If you dare to do anything to that girl, I will be the first one to break your legs!"

…

Wash the cucumber, chop it into pieces, and pour soy sauce, minced garlic, and green pepper paste on it and mix well. Chop the tomatoes, scallions, and green vegetables, and set them aside for later use.

Cheng Yaoyao scooped a spoonful of cornmeal from the rice jar, hesitated for a moment and poured it back, then scooped out a spoonful of white flour from his small bag.

It's a rare opportunity for Xie San to come back, so why save the flour?

She had just scooped up the flour when she saw Xie San stride into the kitchen.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Were you scolded by your grandma?" Cheng Yaoyao seemed to be gloating over the misfortune.

Xie Sanzhan opened his big hand, holding several eggs in his palm. Cheng Yaoyao counted with his fingers: "One, two, three, four, five, six... six!"

Cheng Yaoyao quickly took the egg and muttered, "Grandma is biased. She gave it to you and not to me!"

"Grandma is teasing you, you can't say that." Xie San reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and wanted to touch her soft cheek. Grandma Xie's words rang in his ears, and he withdrew his hand abruptly.

Cheng Yaoyao was unaware. She crushed three eggs and poured them into the flour, then added an appropriate amount of water and stirred it carefully. This was high-gluten flour, so the strength of the stirring hand needed to be properly controlled. If you stir too much, the gluten will be stirred out, and you won't be able to make pancakes.

After the batter is mixed, add diced tomatoes, chopped vegetables and green onions in turn and start seasoning.

Cheng Yaoyao was very serious when she was working. Her coquettish look was restrained and her beautiful face had a special charm.

Xie San was so absorbed in watching that he only came back to his senses after Cheng Yaoyao gave him a light kick. He then saw Cheng Yaoyao glaring at him unhappily: "I'm asking you a question!"

Xie San: “Hmm?”

Cheng Yaoyao asked again: "Do you like salty or sweet food?"

"All good." A soft smile appeared on Xie San's lips.

"What kind of answer is that?" Cheng Yaoyao had no choice but to make it a little saltier as he wished, and then eat it with porridge or steamed buns. The salty taste would make it more tasty.

He cut off a small piece of fat from the pork belly that Xie San brought back and rubbed it in the hot pot. The white meat gradually shrank, releasing oil and turning into transparent small cubes, which finally curled up and turned into burnt pork fat residue.

Cheng Yaoyao raised her hand and poured the vegetable batter into the pot. Her wrist shook skillfully, and after pouring it around, the batter quickly solidified into a pancake of even thickness. She flipped it over with a spatula, and the aroma of flour and lard soon filled the kitchen.

In the morning light, Cheng Yaoyao's snow-white and crystal face seemed to be glowing. She was clearly a delicate and beautiful flower in the world, but by some strange coincidence she ended up in Xie San's simple kitchen, wearing this lovely little apron with floral patterns, washing his hands and making soup for him.

Xie San looked at her, and there was always a strong sense of unreality and happiness in his heart, which repeatedly pulled his nerves and made him unable to help but reach out his hand.

"What a nice smell! Sister, what are you doing?" Xie Fei rushed into the kitchen and asked happily, "Brother, when did you come back? How did you come back? Aren't you in the city?"

Xie San clenched his fists and hid them at his side. He nodded stiffly, "I brought back a piece of meat. Oh, and some snacks. They're in the back room."

Xie Fei was as happy as if it was Chinese New Year. With the fragrant egg pancake, she was not in a hurry to look at the snacks. She kept sticking to Cheng Yaoyao and helping her, pushing Xie San aside.

Cheng Yaoyao still complained to Xie San: "You are too big, don't bother me here, get out now!"

Xie San: ""

The aroma of lard and pasta wafted through the Xie family's house, making people salivate early in the morning.

People living in the same alley were drinking porridge and eating wild vegetable dumplings that looked like mirrors. They couldn't help but stretch their necks to smell the fragrance: "Where does this smell come from? It smells so good?"

"It seems to have come from the Xie family."

"The Xie family is really lucky. They got a golden phoenix and now they eat meat and noodles every day."

There was no shortage of gossipers in the alley, who would chew over and over the gossip about the landlord's son and the educated youth beauty, and then swallow it down with the fragrance.

The Xie family, however, was a harmonious and harmonious family.

A plate of seven or eight egg pancakes was placed on the table, along with a pot of thick millet porridge, a plate of smashed cucumber, and a plate of pickled basil leaves made by Grandma Xie herself.

Grandma Xie distributed the bowls and chopsticks. Xie San scooped out four bowls of porridge, picked up one of the bowls, stirred it gently with a spoon and blew it to cool.

Seeing his clingy look, Grandma Xie was furious: "Stop bragging! She's not a three-year-old child, why would you spoil her like this?"

"She's afraid of being scalded." Xie San estimated that the porridge was almost cold, so he put it back.

Grandma Xie said unhappily, "You've been bothering me for so long and I still haven't come out. What on earth are you doing with Xiao Fei?"

As they were talking, Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei finally came out.

Grandma Xie asked, "What are you doing in the kitchen?"

Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei looked at each other and blinked, looking mysterious.

Grandma Xie shook her head and said, "Let's eat."

The egg pancake is fluffy and soft, and you can taste the sweet and sour tomato cubes and sweet vegetables. It is so fragrant that you don’t want to swallow it.

The egg noodles are salty and tasty, and when you take a sip of the thick millet porridge, the taste is indescribable, and your stomach will feel warm and full.

The smashed cucumber has a crisp texture and a crunchy sound when chewed, but it does not have the raw taste of mixed cucumber.

In the past, eating breakfast was just to fill the stomach, but a breakfast like this is a triple enjoyment of vision, taste and smell.

The Xie family was used to going hungry, so they valued food very much and were able to enjoy and savor the deliciousness of the food. Xie San, in particular, ate with big mouthfuls and with great care.

Cheng Yaoyao secretly watched Xie San and saw him chewing the bread in big mouthfuls. His brows relaxed as he swallowed it, and he looked very satisfied. He was almost more satisfied than if he had eaten it himself.

After dinner, Xie Fei cleared the table and Xie San got up to pick up the basket.

Cheng Yaoyao stopped him and asked, "Where are you going?"

"I'll collect some pig grass for you." Xie San also put on his fighting hat.

Cheng Yaoyao snatched the basket back and said proudly, "I told you not to worry about it. Someone will do it for me."

"..." Hearing this from Cheng Yaoyao for the second time, Xie San's brows gradually furrowed, and a strong sense of uneasiness and anger rose up, "Who?"

There was a knock on the door.

Cheng Yaoyao said with a smile: "Speak of the devil!"

She snatched the basket from Xie San's hand and ran briskly to open the door.