The table was covered with a variety of dishes—
Chicken stew with mushrooms, poached chicken, steamed chicken, heavy-duty chicken soup, stir-fried bamboo shoots, five-color glutinous rice, stir-fried potatoes with pork slices, hot and sour shredded potatoes, steamed egg custard, and cucumber salad.
Everything was made by Grandma Lin herself, authentic farm-style dishes.
The vegetables were also picked by Grandma Lin from her own garden; they were all fresh, pollution-free, and organic.
Grandma Lin gestured for Shen Shiqing and Lu Jingchu to sit down, muttering to herself.
“When we have guests, we usually prepare eight or ten dishes, but Grandma was in a hurry and didn’t have any fancy dishes, so we didn’t entertain them well.”
"No, Grandma put in so much effort, I can't wait to start eating." Shen Shiqing chimed in.
“Yes, Grandma did a great job. On the contrary, we didn’t do anything. We just ate and drank here for free.” Lu Jingchu added, continuing Shen Shiqing’s words.
"Oh, come on, come sit down and eat! Don't be shy, eat as much as you want! It's been so long since we've had such a lively atmosphere!"
[This looks so delicious...it makes my mouth water, even though I just ate, hahaha]
The instant noodles I was about to eat suddenly didn't taste good anymore...
[While others were hungry, some drank spring water, some picked wild fruits, and some ate lychees... the two of them, on the other hand, were eating big meals of meat and fish, better than I did during Chinese New Year, sob sob]
[Hahaha, Brother Lu and Sister Shi, they actually seem to have a wife-and-husband dynamic!]
Grandma looks so happy! Her complexion is rosy, and she looks so energetic!!!
Every time I go home, my grandma makes a huge feast like this. I really want to go home, sob sob.
My grandma is the same way; every time I come home, she kills a chicken and piles up a mountain of vegetables for me.
...
"Try this, and this too..."
"This one isn't bad either..."
"This is a local specialty, please try it..."
"This Tujia chicken is home-raised, and it tastes great..."
"And remember to drink plenty of chicken soup, it's good for your health..."
"Try this shredded potato; it might be a little spicy..."
"And this, steamed egg custard, it's so smooth and tender, my granddaughter always loves this when she comes over..."
Grandma Lin kept piling food into their bowls, and by then there was more food than rice.
Not wanting to disappoint the elderly woman, the two accepted everything offered, much to Grandma Lin's delight, her face crinkling with smiles.
The dinner table was filled with happy and relaxed laughter, which also infected the men, women, and children watching the live broadcast.
"After filming is over, I'll go home to see my grandma," the fearless director declared confidently.
"I want one too!!!" The assistant beside her was already silently shedding tears.
"Wait, where does the director live? It's really hard to go home when you're so busy with work."
"My home... um, is less than five miles from here."
"Alright, stop talking." The assistant rolled her eyes.
The reckless director: Hmm, I know, being targeted is my fate, I understand.
When Xia was little, she was picking lychees on another hilltop.
She cut a tree branch as thick as her arm to use as a carrying pole, hung clusters of lychees that she had broken off on both sides of the pole, and used vines to secure them in case they fell off.
I put the carrying pole on my shoulder to test its weight, and it was okay, so I picked a little more.
Xia is so smart! She's truly my wonderful daughter!
[Hahahaha, this is the first time I've ever seen someone pick lychees like this! Hahahaha]
[Little Xia, still picking them? I'm really worried you can't carry that many...]
[It feels quite heavy, will it really be able to be carried out of this mountain? ...]
She probably has a huge bag in her backpack... Oh no, my daughter probably can't carry it all!
Shi Xia continued picking lychees regardless of the distance, even climbing up to pick the ones she couldn't reach from higher places.
So she practically pulled the trees bare.
She enjoyed it immensely, like a little child.
As for Du Hewen, he was still outwitting and outmaneuvering his straw-woven animal, determined to fight three hundred rounds.
Every failure was met with merciless ridicule from netizens online.
However, he did not give up and finally managed to make one. Although it was a bit ugly, it did not stop him from happily pressing on with his success.
Around 5 p.m., Lu Jingchu and Shen Shiqing helped Grandma Lin finish most of the chores around the house. They were all easy and not dirty or tiring.
The group then chatted happily in the courtyard.
When it was time to leave, Grandma Lin prepared a lot of things for them.
A large bunch of dried plum vegetables, freshly picked eggplants and tomatoes from the garden, and large potatoes that were just dug up from the ground were washed, cleaned, and put into a bag.
There were some longans that had ripened early in the backyard, and Grandma Lin picked a large bunch for them to pack and take back.
They even filled a whole basket with eggs.
...
Grandma Lin wanted to catch a few chickens for them to take back, but then she thought it was difficult to raise chickens in the city, so she gave up and told them to come back when they wanted to eat free-range chicken.
Lu Jingchu and Shen Shiqing originally only carried a backpack, but when they returned, their hands were full of things.
They understood the old woman's thoughts; she truly treated them like family. She would only be happy if they received these things.
Grandma Lin had somehow made a flower wreath for Shen Shiqing. Shen Shiqing lowered his head, and Grandma Lin put the wreath on Shen Shiqing's head with satisfaction.
Lu Jingchu also had one, but it didn't have any flowers on it; it was just made by twining willow branches from the riverbank.
The two, one a flower and the other a leaf, look like a uniquely matched pair.
"It looks beautiful, it looks beautiful. Wearing this wreath and willow branch, your future will be filled with happiness."
"Just follow this pebble path along the river, keep going straight, and you'll basically be out of there. But I haven't been out for a long time, so the path is probably overgrown with weeds," Grandma Lin said with a smile, giving them directions.
"I hope you two have a smooth and successful career after you go back," Grandma Lin said, holding their hands, still a little reluctant to part with them.
"Yes, Grandma too, take care of yourself." Shen Shiqing bent down and whispered in Grandma Lin's ear, "Grandma, we will come to see you again when we have the chance."
Grandma Lin was happy to hear this, but she was also even more reluctant to part with them. She really liked these two young people.
Following Grandma Lin's words, Lu Jingchu and Shen Shiqing walked back home, occasionally turning back to wave to Grandma Lin, feeling a pang of sadness in their hearts.
[Sobbing, this scene is just like every time I leave my hometown after the New Year.]
I miss my grandma so much. Even when we're apart, she always looks back at me constantly. I'll go see her this weekend...
When my grandma saw us off before, she always gave us lots of bags and packages to take back with us...
What's going on? This is making me want to pee my eyes...
I think Sister Shi was almost in tears... and so was I...
This segment elevated the entire program—I'm not kidding...
...
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