Chapter 160: Pear Paste
"Since Ah Chen made it, you should definitely try it. Xiao Zhang went to order food and will be back in a bit. You two can bear with it for now."
When she got busy, she forgot the time. When she looked up, it was already 2 o'clock. There were still guests at home. She hurriedly called Xiao Zhang to order food, but she did not expect the kitchen to be in such a mess. The trash can was full of pear cores, the stove was full of pear juice, and the air was filled with the strong smell of pears.
Mix two spoonfuls with a cup of warm water, and hand it to your mother with both hands. "Mom, you go and rest in the living room first. I'll clean up the kitchen."
It's sweet and sour, and once the juice enters your stomach, you feel a warm current flowing through your whole body, as if every pore on your body has been opened, leaving you feeling exceptionally refreshed.
"Tsk tsk, it tastes even better than what they sell in stores. Ah Chen's cooking skills are improving more and more. Don't worry about the kitchen, let the auntie clean it up. Come out and rest for a bit. Look at all the sweat on your forehead, it's heartbreaking to see."
"Xiaxia made the pear syrup; I just assisted her."
As they spoke, they made two more cups of pear syrup water. The three of them left the stuffy kitchen and came to the cool living room, where they chatted casually about everyday things.
Upon hearing that the girl had won first prize in an English speech contest, she nudged her own son and said, "Look at her, she just casually participated in a competition and won first prize. You can't even do that for me."
Yun Xia, who refused to be "someone else's child," quickly interjected, "Aunt Liu, everyone has something they're good at. Coincidentally, my English is pretty good. If there were a dessert competition, Li Chen would definitely win first place."
"Desserts are fine as a hobby, but they can't interfere with your studies!"
Li Chen had a dream of becoming a pastry chef, but being born into such a family meant he was destined to inherit the family business and become a businessman. Even his university major had been decided long ago. Upon hearing this, he lowered his head dejectedly, and the pear syrup in his hand suddenly lost its sweetness.
The perceptive Yunxia noticed the change in the boy, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him, "It's fine to have a hobby. Many people go through their whole lives without finding what they love. If you're good at making desserts, you can become an internationally renowned chef! Besides, if your hobby becomes your career and you make a living from it, you'll lose the joy of doing it."
The girl's words successfully comforted Li Chen. Hearing this, he smiled sweetly, took a sip, and immediately felt that the pear syrup in the cup was even sweeter. Liu Yunjuan watched the interaction between the two with a smile, shook her head helplessly, and thought to herself that her son was no longer under his mother's control. Her own mother's words were becoming less and less effective.
During the conversation, Brother Zhang returned with the food, and soon a steaming meal was laid out on the table, including roast duck, crispy pork soup, stir-fried vegetables, and other dishes, a balanced mix of meat and vegetables.
"Xiaxia, it's my fault. I was so busy that I forgot the time and had to go out to buy something. This restaurant serves very good food, so please don't complain!"
"Oh, not at all, I'm the one who's bothering you too much. Oh, the roast duck is especially delicious, Aunt Liu, you should try it."
As he spoke, he picked up a duck leg and placed it in her bowl. The woman smiled gently and gracefully tore the duck leg meat apart.
After lunch, the clock struck 3 p.m. We chatted for a while longer, took a few coconuts, and then got up to say goodbye to the two of them.
"It's a long way, let Xiao Zhang take you there!"
Upon hearing this, the girl shook her head. "No need, I can take the bus. Besides, I need to go to Bai Ye's house to deliver a jar of pear syrup to him."
Since the girl said that, Liu Yunjuan didn't know what else to say. She led Li Chen to the door.
Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
When Uncle Zhang opened the door and saw that it was Yun Xia, he was a little flustered, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Uncle Zhang, is Bai Ye home?"
"Yes...oh, no!"
His speech was incoherent and strange. Just then, a boy's cheerful voice came from inside the house, "Uncle Zhang, who is it? Why won't you let them in!"
The girl's eyes lit up at the sound of Bai Ye's voice. She ducked and slipped inside, not waiting for Uncle Zhang to react. She quickly ran into the house. "Bai Ye, I brought you and Coal Ball some cans... Hey, Gu Xun, what are you doing here?"
They were also playing around with Coal Ball, pinning the child down and holding his limbs. Little Flower stood on his back, wagging her tail tip, her round eyes fixed on... the uninvited guest.
Meow meow meow! Meow meow meow!
It let out a few sweet calls, then jumped to the ground, ran to the girl's legs in a few steps, and rubbed its head against her repeatedly, its coquettishness was all too obvious.
"Yunxia... Sister, what brings you here?" The young man swallowed hard and asked.
"Oh, I just made some pear syrup, it's still warm. I brought a bottle along. Where's Bai Ye? I think I just heard his voice."
"Brother Bai... Brother Bai went out at noon and hasn't come back yet!" Coal Ball, who was straightening his clothes, answered with his head down.
"How strange, I clearly heard his voice just now."
"Hey, you misheard. That's my voice. Autumn pear syrup, my favorite, Yunxia, everyone who sees it gets a share!"
As he spoke, he strode forward, stood on tiptoe, and peered into the basket, almost reaching out to grab it.
The girl smiled helplessly, took off her basket, and took out two jars of pear syrup. She placed one jar on the table and stuffed the other into the boy's arms. "Here, one jar for each of you. Don't say I'm being biased. By the way, Bai Ye isn't here. What are you doing at his house?"
The boy blinked slightly, feeling guilty, and said, "I hit it off with Coal Ball at first sight, so I came to play with him, right?"
"Yes, absolutely! Sister Xiaxia, I have a gift for you to give to An'an!"
After saying that, he ran into the house and brought back a big bag of candy.
Goodness, nougat, fruit candy, chocolate...
The candies were of all kinds, clearly collected over a long period of time. After thanking him, I stuffed the candies into the basket, took out a small jar of pear syrup, and put it into his arms. "I specially used a small jar for you. Take one spoonful at a time, mixed with warm water. Remember... don't overdo it!"
Coal Ball clutched the small glass jar as if it were a priceless treasure, its black grape-like eyes shining brightly. "Thank you, Sister Xiaxia, I will definitely drink it slowly."
After delivering the goods, there were only two cans left in the basket, enough for the family to drink. He put the basket on his back, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then said goodbye and left, but the boy blocked his way.
"Is there anything else?"
“If word gets out that a girl carrying heavy things and going home alone, people will say I, Gu Xun, am ill-mannered!”
"Oh, Mr. Gu is actually afraid of these rumors? It's alright, I'm in great shape. I can carry a full basket on my back. Besides, taking the bus is so convenient!"
"That won't do. Come on, I'll take you home on my bike."
Although the boy's face was expressionless, his eyes were firm. Yun Xia knew she couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she nodded in agreement and followed him out of the residential area. After turning into a small alley, she finally saw Hong Chi.
"Why didn't you park the car in front of the Bai family's house or in their yard?"
Upon hearing this, the young man blinked slightly and raised his voice guiltily, "Hey, the red car is too conspicuous. If we park it in a crowded place, it might attract unwanted attention. The car is already started. Get in, I'll take you home."
Yunxia didn't believe his nonsense. She pursed her lips, sat on the red horse, put on her helmet, and tugged at his clothes, "Hey, ride slower."
The only response she received was the roar of the engine. After a sudden surge of acceleration, the cool red car sped away from the alley. Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in an alley on Huaimin Street. Yunxia took off her helmet, got out of the car, and handed it to the boy.
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