Ning Yuan glared at him, annoyed: "Let go, stop hugging me!"
That person has a foul mouth!
Rong Zhaonan released his grip and sneered, "You think I wanted to help you? Grandma Xia is watching. You don't want them to worry, do you?"
After saying that, he took the vegetable basket and went to wash the vegetables.
Ning Yuan then noticed that Grandma Xia was indeed standing at the doorway with a duck in her hand, seemingly talking to Grandpa Tang.
Seeing her arrive, Granny Xia came running over with the duck in her arms: "You little brat, you're here! Perfect timing! Go wash the vegetables and ask Nan to help me kill the duck!"
Ning Yuan looked at the duck, somewhat puzzled: "Where did this duck come from? Didn't you only raise two chickens?"
Grandma Xia said righteously, "Last night, I went to Aunt Wang's house and stole it. Who told that shameless woman to bully you! I'll make soup with her duck to vent my anger for you!"
Ning Yuan choked on her saliva: "Cough cough cough..."
You're such a thief, can you please not use her name? You clearly just want some old duck soup!
She said with a hint of helplessness, "Didn't I give you the 150 yuan for that Yongzheng porcelain bowl? If you really want to eat duck, just go and buy it from the villagers."
The regulations aren't as strict now. Even when they were cutting off the capitalist tail, it was still possible to secretly buy chickens and ducks from someone.
Grandma Xia rolled her eyes in annoyance: "Those people wouldn't sell to me, what could I do?"
Ning Yuan was stunned: "..."
That's true. Grandma Xia's identity is sensitive and special, unlike those of the educated youth, so the villagers are somewhat wary of her.
Grandma Xia chuckled dismissively, "I heard you slapped that gossipy, shrewish Aunt Wang with the sole of your shoe?"
Ning Yuan nodded, and the old lady proudly gave her a thumbs up: "Very good, very good, just like me! You've truly learned from me! It wasn't in vain that I taught you!"
Ning Yuan: "Uh... really?"
You're not teaching me to hit people with the sole of my shoe, are you? You're teaching me how to appraise treasures and antiques, aren't you?
"That must be my credit!" Grandma Xia sniffed.
She turned her head and shouted at Rong Zhaonan, "Alright, I'm going to kill Aunt Wang's ducks—Nan boy, Nan boy, go check if the boiling water is ready, and bring it over when it's done!"
Rong Zhaonan walked over and, following Grandma Xia's instructions, shoved the vegetable basket directly into Ning Yuan's arms and went to fetch the boiled water.
The wet water splashed all over Ning Yuan's face. She glared at him irritably. Was this some kind of personal vendetta?
She could only tie Xiaobai to the gate of the yard first, and then carry the vegetables to wash them.
Grandma Xia squatted on the ground, deftly picked up the duck neck in her hand, and used a cleaver to slit the blood from the neck into a bowl: "Hey, tonight we're having duck blood and vermicelli soup!"
Rong Zhaonan carried a large pot of boiling water from the house and placed it on the ground: "The water is boiling, be careful."
Grandma Xia threw the convulsing duck, after draining its blood, into the boiling water and instructed, "You and Xiaoyuan are in charge of cleaning it and plucking its feathers. I'll go help the old man with the fish!"
Grandma Xia went inside, leaving only Ning Yuan and Rong Zhaonan in the courtyard.
Ning Yuan placed the washed vegetables in a winnowing basket, then turned to look at Rong Zhaonan gutting a duck, hesitating whether to go over and help pluck its feathers.
For the past two or three days, she and Rong Zhaonan have been giving each other the cold shoulder, barely speaking to each other in the cowshed.
Rong Zhaonan didn't even glance at her, and while deftly cleaning the ducks, he said, "I don't need your help."
Seeing his aloof demeanor, Ning Yuan gritted her teeth and said, "Why would I want to help you? I'll go cook!"
With that, she tossed her braid, turned around, and left the yard, heading towards the cowshed.
What a big man! His heart is as small as a pinhead!
An hour later, the aroma of old duck soup filled the room.
The newly made bamboo table was laden with a table full of dishes: pan-fried sea bass with perilla, stir-fried snails with hot and sour bamboo shoots, stir-fried eel strips, fragrant duck blood vermicelli, braised taro with cured pork, and stir-fried river shrimp with chives.
The rich, fragrant aroma wafted through the air, making one's mouth water.
Ning Yuan was very satisfied. Living off the land and water, she caught snails and shrimp, fished, and smoked her own cured meat. Hmm, plus the duck she stole, this meal was just as good as her previous life!
On New Year's Eve, even the usually stingy Granny Xia lit a few more candles and brought out two extra coal braziers to keep warm and roast sweet potatoes.
Outside, the howling north wind chilled to the bone, but inside, the aroma of food filled the air, and a warm, yellow candlelight bathed the room.
The family sat around the dining table eating.
Ning Yuan felt a pang of sadness.
This is the first time she hasn't gone back to Ningnan for the Chinese New Year.
For half a year, apart from a letter sent by her older brother who was serving in Shanghai and included fifteen yuan, her family had ignored her completely.
Even if you know that your biological parents are someone else, how can you not have any feelings after more than 20 years?
How could she not be sad?
Fortunately, there's Grandpa, Grandma Xia... and Rong Zhaonan.
Old Tang touched the new cotton-padded coat that Ning Yuan had bought for him with great care, his old eyes reddening slightly: "It's been so many years since I've eaten such food and worn such nice clothes. Thank you, girl."
Ning Yuan composed herself and smiled with her big eyes: "Grandpa Tang, don't worry, there are still many good days ahead."
Grandpa Tang used to wear wool coats, which cost seventy or eighty yuan each. She can't afford them now, but she definitely can in the future!
Rong Zhaonan was speechless: "..."
Has the old man forgotten that he has been bringing them vegetables and chopping firewood all these years? How could he be so easily fooled by Ning Yuan's few dishes and become so biased?
The little spy's sugar-coated bullets are not very harmful, but extremely insulting!
Just then, a duck leg suddenly fell into his bowl.
Rong Zhaonan looked at Grandma Xia sitting next to him.
The old lady was holding a bowl and gnawing on a fish tail, looking distressed: "What are you looking at? The old man dotes on the girl, while the old woman favors the boys over the girls. She only dotes on you, her good eldest son. Hurry up and eat!"
Rong Zhaonan looked at the few sparse teeth marks on the duck leg and fell into deep thought.
So, the preference for sons over daughters means stuffing an old duck leg that he can't chew into his mouth.
The next moment, another duck leg was put into his bowl.
Ning Yuan gave him a forced smile and her big, curved eyes: "Hey, here's something good. According to the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, good things should be reserved for the husband."
He noticed that there were several bite marks on the duck leg, clearly indicating that it was difficult to bite through.
Rong Zhaonan narrowed his phoenix eyes and chuckled... This short-legged, long-haired rabbit's provocation is quite interesting.
He readily accepted the offer, picked up the duck leg that Ning Yuan had insisted on giving him with his chopsticks, brought the part with her teeth marks to his thin lips, and slowly bit down: "Hmm, it tastes alright."
Ning Yuan watched helplessly as he simply ate the parts of her body that he had already eaten.
It's like the meat of an old duck that has been raised for several years and cooked for a long time is neither tough nor dry.
Shameless!
For no apparent reason, her ears burned. She bit her lip, feeling a little flustered, and quickly lowered her head to eat, trying not to let anyone see her blushing face.
Eating a duck leg with such wickedness—that's provocation, absolute provocation!!
Grandma Xia didn't notice his little actions and was busy cooking.
Old Master Tang's gaze swept over the two young people, a mixture of amusement and helplessness in his eyes.
The two little ones are sulking.
Rong Zhaonan suddenly looked up and raised an eyebrow at the old man—what, my girlfriend ate it, and I ate it too?
Is it okay for me to eat what your partner has already eaten?
Old Master Tang said with a stern face, "Pah! You wish! Don't even think about taking advantage of my wife!"
He reached out his chopsticks and directly took the duck leg that Grandma Xia had given him from Rong Zhaonan's bowl.
The silent conversation between the men ended.
Grandma Xia lifted her face from her rice bowl and watched as Grandpa Tang gnawed on a duck leg with his old teeth.
She frowned: "Old man, why do you like to eat this?"
If we hadn't had enough to eat a few months ago, this old duck leg would have been a delicacy, but today there are so many good dishes!
Rong Zhaonan poked at the old duck leg in his bowl, his smile gentle: "Hehe, Grandma even knows about this old, tough, and tasteless thing, which is not only unpalatable but also bad for your teeth?"
Grandma Xia was stunned for a moment. Oh dear, she had forgotten that there was a little brat next to her who had been given an unwanted old duck leg by her.
She coughed and said, "That's because your mother-in-law loves you and wants to strengthen your teeth. Young people should be frugal and hardworking!"
Grandma Xia glanced at Rong Zhaonan's bowl and rolled her eyes: "Besides, weren't you enjoying eating Xiaoyuan's saliva? Why be so repressed!"
Rong Zhaonan choked on the duck meat: "Cough cough cough..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
