The passage under the snow was dug along the village road that used to connect the households.
The group walked along the passage and soon arrived at the entrance of the cafeteria, where a rich aroma of food mingled with the steaming air.
Despite being called a canteen, this place is actually a real cave.
The cave was very large, and the entrance was completely sealed off by a snow wall, leaving only a small door for people to enter and exit. At this moment, on the small door...
A plastic curtain hangs in the air to insulate the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the cafeteria.
Whenever someone enters or exits, the plastic curtain sways gently, bringing a touch of fresh air from the outside world and a warm atmosphere from inside the cafeteria. On one side of the curtain, a small blackboard is carefully tied with a rope, on which today's menu is written crookedly in chalk: Today's main dish - stewed mushrooms, staple food - boiled potatoes, soup - rice porridge.
"Rice porridge can be considered a soup?" Lin Lele muttered under her breath with a look of disdain.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yu glared fiercely at Lin Lele.
Upon seeing this, Lin Lele's displeasure vanished instantly, and she exclaimed excitedly, "Your meals are so lavish!"
"Sigh! Look how excited this child is. You two must have had a tough time out there, right?" Aunt Wu sighed. "But since you're here, eat as much as you want later!" Aunt Wu's words were filled with concern and affection, as if she could read the hardships Lin Lele and Chen Yu had endured on their journey from their eyes.
"Sister Xiaoqing, we have porridge today!" Aunt Wu and Zhao Zhang's son, Zhao Yang, said excitedly to Xu Qing. He swallowed hard as he spoke, his eyes fixed on the small door with the plastic curtain hanging on it, as if he could see the steaming bowl of rice porridge inside.
"Haha, let's go in." Zhao Zhang laughed heartily, reached out and pulled open the plastic curtain. A stronger wave of heat, along with the aroma of food, wafted out, making one want to take a deep breath.
"Oh my, it smells so good!" Zhao Yang was the first to rush in, heading straight for the long table with bowls and chopsticks set out. His eyes were fixed on the stewed mushrooms, boiled potatoes, and rice porridge on the table, as if he were starving.
"Chen Yu, Lele, you've arrived. Please sit down and don't be shy," village chief Xu Anbang greeted them warmly.
Chen Yu and Lin Lele smiled and nodded in response, then walked to the long table and found an empty seat to sit down.
They looked around and saw that the cave canteen was dimly lit and cozy, with several paintings depicting pastoral scenery hanging on the walls, adding an artistic touch to the simple space.
The villagers sat or stood, eating and chatting, their laughter filling the canteen with a warm, homely atmosphere and a festive feel.
"Village chief, I never expected that your village would have potatoes and mushrooms. It's truly amazing in this extremely cold environment!" Chen Yu exclaimed in surprise.
"Hehe, these mushrooms and potatoes were all grown by my dad and everyone else," Xu Qing interjected, a hint of pride on her face.
"Oh~?" Chen Yu raised an eyebrow.
“Hehe, you two young friends must have noticed that the temperature in this cave is much higher than outside. To be honest, this is because there is a hot spring inside the cave, and the cave’s special structure makes it a natural greenhouse. We’ve taken advantage of this and built simple planting racks in some areas of the cave, where we place various cold-resistant crops, including mushroom and potato seedlings. Although the yield is not high, it’s remarkable that we can be self-sufficient in such an environment,” Village Chief Xu Anbang explained in detail. Although he spoke modestly, his eyes revealed an undisguised pride.
"It's truly amazing, Village Chief! To be able to create such a miracle in such an environment is truly admirable," Lin Lele exclaimed sincerely.
“Wenshui Village, Wenshui Village, no wonder!” Chen Yu murmured. “Village chief, your wisdom and diligence are truly admirable.”
Upon hearing this, village chief Xu Anbang smiled humbly and waved his hand, saying, "Not at all, our village is just lucky to have the protection of this natural hot spring."
"You two should eat quickly and nourish yourselves." The woman next to Xu Anbang said as she ladled two bowls of stewed mushrooms from a steel basin on the table and handed them to Chen Yu and Lin Lele respectively.
Chen Yu took the bowl and first expressed his gratitude to the woman. Then he gently smelled the bowl of stewed mushrooms. A rich mushroom aroma instantly filled his nose, and memories of his past life flooded his mind, making him feel somewhat dazed.
"Thank you, Aunt Wang," Chen Yu said gratefully.
"Hmm~?" The people around Chen Yu all cast suspicious glances at him, and even Lin Lele stared at Chen Yu with a puzzled look.
Chen Yu immediately realized he had let something slip, so he quickly added, "I think I just heard someone call you Sister Wang, that should be right, right?"
"Haha! That's right, I didn't expect you to be such a thoughtful person!" Xu Anbang laughed and patted Chen Yu on the shoulder. "I forgot to introduce you, this is Xiao Qing's mother, Wang Hui."
"Thank you, Aunt Wang." Lin Lele took the other bowl of stewed mushrooms from Wang Hui and quickly followed Chen Yu's lead in addressing her.
A hint of doubt flashed through Wang Hui's mind: "Did someone call me just now?"
However, she quickly put this doubt out of her mind and showed a kind smile: "You're welcome. Now that you've come to Wenshui Village, we're family from now on."
Then, she picked out a few boiled potatoes for Chen Yu and Lin Lele and placed them next to their bowls, saying softly, "Eat more, you're both so thin."
Chen Yu and Lin Lele expressed their gratitude to Wang Hui again, their hearts filled with warmth.
They picked up their chopsticks and began to savor the simple yet heartwarming meal.
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