Ji Xia felt a heat at the tips of her ears, which then flushed her cheeks.
She slammed the sketchbook shut, then turned and pinched his waist: "You're my man, what's wrong with me wanting your body? Is that a problem?"
"Sure, of course, just say the word if you're craving something, your man will make sure you get plenty."
Chen Jing chuckled, and with a forceful push, her slender waist pressed tightly against his lower abdomen. He then leaned close to her earlobe and gently nibbled on it.
The scorching breath made her earlobes burn, and Ji Xia shyly slapped his hand away: "Stop fooling around, it's broad daylight, and there are nephews and nieces outside."
As Ji Xia put away her sketchbook, she suddenly turned back with a shy smile and said, "Behave yourself back home. You may not care about your reputation, but I do."
"What about going back to the city? Would you still have any shame if you went back to the city?"
"Going back to the city and staying at home is shameless, all I want is you, are you satisfied?"
Ji Xia said as she scrambled out of his arms and rushed to the door, then chuckled, "Be my model when we get back to the city. You'll listen to me this once, and I'll listen to you this once too."
She finished speaking and ran out. Chen Jing felt a surge of heat in his lower abdomen and wanted to do something big, but she was nowhere to be seen.
He glanced down at his pants, sighed silently, and simply lay down on the bed.
A faint fragrance lingered in the soft blankets—it was her scent. Chen Jing took a deep breath.
Oh well, I'm already his woman anyway. I'll go back to the city as soon as the three-day homecoming ceremony is tomorrow.
Back in the city, with only the two of them living in such a big house, wouldn't he be able to do whatever he wants?
Craving it? I'll make sure she's well-fed, so she won't overthink things later.
Chen Jing chuckled and then had a good nap.
When he got up, he found that Ji Xia had tidied up the game he had hunted, prepared gifts for the three-day homecoming ceremony the next day, and was chatting and laughing with his sister-in-law while preparing a sumptuous dinner.
During the meal, Chen's mother talked to Ji Xia about dried goods from the mountains and fields. She had spent an afternoon walking around and a few yuan to get seven or eight catties of dried fungus, various mushrooms and other dried goods from the families in the village, as well as a lot of chestnuts.
Upon hearing that they wanted chestnuts, Chen Zhang said, "Why would I need to buy chestnuts from others? Tomorrow I'll bring a sack into the mountains and get you dozens of pounds of them, guaranteed to be fresher."
Ji Xia glanced back at Chen Jing, who shook his head: "Just take some home and eat it ourselves. Chestnuts will spoil if left for too long, there's no need."
"But how much cured meat is there? Mother, is it thirty catties?"
“Where would you get so much? After the cured meat is dried, it will weigh at most about twenty catties,” said Chen’s mother.
"That's too little. I'll go to the slaughterhouse another day and get a few dozen more kilograms of meat. Mother, get more; I have a lot of people to give gifts to."
Ji Xia waved to Xu Yufen and whispered, "Sister-in-law, roasted chestnuts are selling very well outside the movie theater. A bag sells for three or five cents. Have your brother pick more, make them, and sell them so he can earn some pocket money."
"That can be sold too?" Xu Yufen was taken aback. "Does anyone eat that stuff?"
"Of course we have it! This tastes delicious and is perfect for your sweetheart to eat while watching a movie. It's fragrant and sweet."
Roasted chestnuts are a delicacy. In her past life, she worked in the city with her children and only dared to buy them a few to enjoy during festivals.
When she heard about it, Xu Yufen was immediately interested. She wanted to try any job that could earn money.
But: "How do you make those roasted chestnuts? I don't know how!"
"I know how to make it. Do you have any at home? I can teach you."
Xu Yufen immediately brought back four or five catties of fresh chestnuts, while Ji Xia took the two children to the river outside and sifted through half a bag of coarse sand and gravel.
Wash the coarse sand and stones with water, select the chestnuts, discard the unfresh and discolored ones, wash and dry them.
A group of people sat in the courtyard, watching with great interest as Ji Xia made sugar-roasted chestnuts.
Ji Xia stir-fried coarse sand in a large iron wok over medium heat. Once she could feel the heat in the wok, she poured the chestnuts, which had been scored with cross-shaped cuts, into the coarse sand and then stirred them continuously.
After stirring the food a few times, Ji Xia couldn't help but shake her arms and wipe the sweat from her forehead, only to have the spatula snatched from her hand by Chen Jing.
"Let me do it. Look at your skinny arms and legs, how do you even know how to stir-fry it? Tell me."
He sat down next to Ji Xia, took the shovel from her hand, and flipped it over. His movements were indeed easy and effortless.
Xu Yufen couldn't help but tease, "My second brother really knows how to care for people. Mother, look, they look so well-matched sitting together."
Ji Xia blushed, lowered her head, pursed her lips, and smiled shyly. The brigade leader and his wife sat behind her, chuckling and feeling quite pleased with themselves, thinking of the sour words that had been circulating outside about Granny Lin.
After stir-frying evenly for more than half an hour, Ji Xia slowly added sugar water made from maltose to the sand. The sand gradually became shiny with oil, and the aroma of chestnuts slowly spread.
After adding sugar water three times, Ji Xia picked a chestnut, squeezed it hard from the direction of the cross-shaped cut, and the golden chestnut came out.
Ji Xia blew on it, took a small bite, and the two children watched her expectantly.
"Second Aunt, is this delicious?"
"It's so delicious, so fragrant, and so sweet."
Ji Xia tasted half of it and found that it was already fully cooked. She patted Chen Jing's arm and said, "It's ready. It's fully cooked. Let them have a taste too."
Chen Jing took out the firewood from under the stove, picked out the chestnuts one by one with a shovel, and handed them to the two children, then the old man, and then the adults.
Before long, a group of people sat in the courtyard, breathing on chestnuts and eating them, nodding repeatedly.
"It's delicious and fragrant. Ah Jing, pack some and send it to your parents so they can try it too."
Chen Jing readily agreed and used a sieve to sift out the chestnuts.
Xu Yufen sat down next to Ji Xia: "Xia, is this really selling well?"
"Sister-in-law, ask the children if they like it."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xu immediately exclaimed happily, "I love it, Auntie! I love to eat it, it's so delicious!"
Xiaohua smiled shyly, but she held the several hot chestnuts tightly in her hands, which showed how much she liked them.
Ji Xia whispered again, "Whether it's good or not, the market decides. Find some kraft paper, cut it up and glue it into paper bags, and try it in front of the movie theater another day? Make a small portion, three or five cents a piece, how many young couples can't afford that?"
Xu Yufen thought it made sense, and turned to discuss with her husband about going into the mountains to collect chestnuts the next day.
Chen Jing picked out a plate of large chestnuts, told his parents, and then took Ji Xia out to the Ji family home.
Secretary Ji was lazily sitting in a wicker chair in the living room, drinking tea, while his mother was busy in the kitchen.
Because he had to go to work, Ji Zhijun accompanied Zhang Hong and her sister and child into the city early this morning and hasn't returned yet.
When Ji Xiangjun returned from hunting in the afternoon, he also took Sun Xiaoyu back to the city. Of the whole family, only the two elderly people were left in the house, which was cold and quiet.
Seeing the deserted courtyard, Ji Xia felt a pang of sadness: "Dad, Mom, we're back."
Upon hearing Ji Xia's voice, Ji's mother and the village secretary rushed out of the house: "Xia, why are you back? (Did Jing bully you?)"
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