Zhao Qingyun chuckled softly, not exposing her. Just then, the wine pot was empty, so he took it to the kitchen to scoop some out.
Xu Lai watched him leave until he was out of sight before turning back to continue eating.
Zhao Qingyun quickly returned after getting the wine. Xu Lai snorted, "Tell me, you're so adept at coming and going now, have you observed this several times before?"
Zhao Qingyun patted her head lightly. "Yes, I climb over the wall every night to observe."
After finishing the meal, it was already past eight o'clock. After Grandma and the others finished eating, they went to their room to watch TV. There was an electric heater in the room, and a charcoal fire was lit.
Xu Lai finished the last bite of mutton, took a tissue to wipe her mouth clean, then slumped back in her chair, rubbing her stomach, "I'm stuffed."
Zhao Qingyun smiled, stood up and cleared away the dishes. Xu Lai wanted to stand up to help, but he immediately said, "No need, you can just sit down. This will be cleaned up quickly."
Since he had already said that, Xu Lai stopped moving. She was too lazy to move anyway, and she felt sleepy after eating.
Zhao Qingyun took the bowl to the kitchen and washed it using the leftover hot water from steaming vegetables in the wood-fired pot.
He wiped the stove clean, wiped the table, and arranged everything before closing the kitchen door.
When Zhao Qingyun was in City B, he often cooked for himself. He was quite busy with work at that time, but he would go back every week to cook a meal and clean the kitchen. He felt that this was also a way to release stress.
When he returned to the main room, Xu Lai was already lying on the armchair, half asleep and half awake. Xiao Hei and Lai Fu were lying at her feet, next to the brazier, which they knew was where it was warm.
Zhao Qingyun took two tissues to wipe the water off his hands, then put his hands under Xu Lai's knees and picked her up in one go.
She woke up instantly and asked groggily, "Are you done?"
Zhao Qingyun nodded, her voice trembling as she spoke, "Yes, I'll carry you back to your room."
A sliver of light peeked out from the grandparents' room downstairs, and the sounds of a family drama could be heard.
He gently carried her upstairs. Xu Lai was already sober, but she had drunk quite a bit that night, and her head was a little dizzy.
Xu Lai yawned, took her pajamas, and went to take a shower. Zhao Qingyun wanted to follow, but she explicitly forbade it.
"No, no, the water temperature you're using is too low. I almost froze to death last time."
Previously, when she turned the shower to the hottest setting, Zhao Qingyun's skin was scalded red.
His lips tightened. "Then I'll go back and wash up."
He went downstairs and knocked on Grandpa Xu and Grandma Xu's door. Grandma Xu turned around and looked back. He asked, "Grandma, when are you coming back?"
Grandma Jiang turned her head and said, "After I finish watching this episode, I will go back by myself. Soon she will find out that the girl she used to look down on is her biological daughter."
Zhao Qingyun sighed. He felt this kind of family drama was a bit melodramatic. A biological mother and daughter are bound to be similar, right? After humiliating someone, they find out she's their biological daughter, and then there will definitely be a plot to make amends later.
He went back and took a shower. When he went next door, Xu Lai hadn't come out yet.
Now that it's cold and the railings are slippery, he doesn't climb over the balcony anymore; he just goes straight through the front door.
Xu Lai took almost an hour to shower before coming out. The bathroom was steamy, and it was hard to see clearly inside.
On a whim, she used a body scrub and then did a skin care treatment. After that, her skin felt incredibly smooth.
Zhao Qingyun was already leaning against the headboard reading a book, while Xu Lai took a jar of body lotion and slowly applied it.
He smelled the rose fragrance and leaned closer, saying, "What did you buy? It smells so good."
Xu Lai scooped out a large dollop and rubbed it on his neck, saying, "Here's some body lotion for you."
She applied it and then ignored it, continuing to apply it to her hands. Then Zhao Qingyun pointed at that spot and said, "You're just going to ignore it?"
Xu Lai was incredibly annoyed. "Ugh, why don't you just spread it evenly? Don't you have hands? Why do I have to do it?"
Zhao Qingyun curled his lips. Although he had been scolded, he was not angry at all.
...
Taking advantage of the good weather, Xu Lai and her grandfather planned to go to the field to dig up all the sweet potatoes, while her grandmother stayed at home washing them.
She and her grandfather spent almost the entire morning digging before they finished digging up all the sweet potatoes. She squatted down, smashed the mud off, and then put the potatoes into a snakeskin bag.
Grandpa carried two baskets back on a shoulder pole, while Xu Lai carried the remaining half-bag back on her back.
Grandma washed the sweet potatoes in the little pool where the ducks drink and swim; it was already about a third full.
Next to it are the washed sweet potatoes. Some of these will be set aside to be roasted or steamed, or eaten however you like.
The rest are taken to a starch mill, where people specialize in making potato starch.
My grandparents make this every year, and we still have some leftover powder from last year at home.
She and her grandmother were washing up here, while her grandfather was chopping firewood not far away. Making rice noodles required cooking the noodles, so they needed to bring firewood.
She borrowed Xu Shen's tricycle. Her grandfather and the factory owner had agreed that the pressing would begin tomorrow, and the truck would be loaded over this afternoon.
She packed all the washed sweet potatoes into a basket and carried it to the car with her grandfather, stacking them in two layers, otherwise there wouldn't be enough space.
After dinner, she drove her grandfather over. They had already started making rice flour there, and there was a smell of fermenting sweet potatoes.
Grandpa went over and said a few words to someone, and then someone came over to help unload the truck. They even made a mark so that people wouldn't mistake the items for something else.
Making rice noodles requires someone to watch over it; if there's no fire in the middle of the night, you have to add more firewood. Their family won't start making rice noodles until tomorrow; Grandpa will come over tomorrow.
Xu Lai initially said she would come and keep watch over him, since her grandfather was getting old and couldn't stay up all night. But her grandfather said, "It's mostly men keeping watch over him in the factory. I'm worried about you being the only girl. I can manage on my own. I've been doing this for so many years. Why would I be worried this time?"
Xu Lai had no choice but to give up. The next day, her grandfather went to the rice noodle factory during the day, and Xu Lai delivered his lunch and dinner to him so he could eat at the factory.
That evening, she planned to go again to check on the progress, but Zhao Qingyun took her hat and said, "I'll go. It's late and the dew is heavy. You can just wait at home."
He rode away on his electric bike. His grandfather was chatting with someone at the factory when he saw him. He was a little surprised: "Qingyun, what brings you here?"
Zhao Qingyun handed his grandfather a cigarette and said, "Xu Lai was worried, so I came to check on her."
Grandpa lit a cigarette: "What's there to worry about?"
Zhao Qingyun handed another cigarette to the others who were guarding the area, and they all lit up and chatted while smoking.
Zhao Qingyun held the cigarette in his hand the whole time, without putting a single puff in his mouth. After the pleasantries were over, he prepared to take his leave.
Grandpa saw him outside and said, "Tell Xiao Lai that the rice flour will be ready tomorrow, and I'll be back by noon tomorrow."
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