A hand suddenly stretched out from the room, white and with a faint fragrance like jasmine, and hooked on the front of Xie San's jacket.
Xie San's heart was beating wildly as if it was being nagged by a kitten. His Adam's apple moved as he pressed down the mischievous hand on his chest: "Stop it."
A half-elvesque face appeared from behind the crack of the door, with bright peach blossom eyes, and she whispered, "Why did you take so long?"
The house was so quiet in the afternoon that you could hear a pin drop. Grandma and Xie Fei were taking a nap, and I wondered if they were asleep. Xie San felt his heartbeat was like thunder, waking up everyone in the village, so he lowered his voice and said, "It took a while."
Cheng Yaoyao said: "Then come in."
"..." Xie Sanxian's long eyes suddenly dimmed, and his breath was burning, "You...you have a good rest, I'll go back to the room."
Cheng Yaoyao raised his eyebrows and opened his rosy lips slightly: "Come in."
He hooked his fingertips on the pipa buckle and pulled lightly, with the strength of a cat, Xie San involuntarily stepped into the house, and the wooden door closed immediately.
Cheng Yaoyao was held around the waist by a pair of strong arms. She turned around abruptly and pressed against the wooden door. The man's hot chest pressed against her and he breathed softly in her ears.
"What are you doing?" Cheng Yaoyao was startled by him. Xie San's body was covered in sweat, and a scent mixed with sunlight and grass was booming in her nose.
Cheng Yaoyao couldn't help but gently rub the sweat on his neck, and Xiao Heye trembled with pleasure. She said with disdain: "You are all sweaty."
Upon hearing this, Xie San immediately let go of her hand and looked at her with a little embarrassment, like a big dog who had made a mistake.
Cheng Yaoyao walked to the shelf. The white enamel basin was half full of water. It looked very cool. Cheng Yaoyao took the pink towel and threw it in to wash it, then took it out and squeezed it dry.
The splash of water made by her slender hands was particularly pleasant to the ears in the room in the afternoon. Xie San stood at the door and could not help but look around the room.
The room was empty this morning, and now it was filled with many things that girls would wear. The quaint big bed was covered with a quilt with a pink background and white flowers, a small bamboo pillow, and a cool mat.
This is the room he has lived in for 20 years, and this is the bed he has slept on. From today on, Cheng Yaoyao will sleep on it every night.
Heat rose in his lower abdomen, and Xie San pinched his palms, forcing himself to divert his attention before losing control. He raised his eyes to see what Cheng Yaoyao was doing.
Cheng Yaoyao came over with a wet towel and put his hand on his face.
The cold temperature stimulated him to hiss and wrinkle his long eyebrows.
"Does it hurt? You're running around the village with a sign on your head." Cheng Yaoyao pressed the wound hard.
Only then did Xie San realize that the area on his face where his grandmother had spanked him was swollen. He held back any further sound, and stared at Cheng Yaoyao, who was so close to him, with his dark eyes, feeling the gentle touch of Cheng Yaoyao wiping his face.
Cheng Yaoyao pursed his lips, but his hands involuntarily became lighter: "Next time grandma hits you, just run away. Otherwise, I won't care about you anymore."
Listening to Cheng Yaoyao's serious bad advice, Xie San couldn't help but curl his lips: "Hmm."
Xie San's tan cheeks were hot, and the towel was soon warmed up. Cheng Yaoyao pushed Xie San to sit on the edge of the bed, changed the water again, and pressed the towel on his face.
He put a cool towel on his cheek, and the wound felt a slight sting at first, and then he felt a cool and comfortable feeling. Xie San said, "It's very cool. Is it fresh water?"
"... from the water tank." Cheng Yaoyao felt guilty for a moment, then said calmly, "Your face is too hot. Why are you blushing?"
Cheng Yaoyao turned the tables and Xie San indeed looked a little embarrassed, with his two big hands neatly placed on his knees, looking like a primary school student being questioned by a teacher.
Xie San's skin was a beautiful wheat color, and the long, red, swollen scar had gradually subsided, so it would not have been noticeable if one had not looked closely. Cheng Yaoyao added a small cup of Lingquan to the basin, and it seemed that applying it externally would also be effective.
Cheng Yaoyao breathed a sigh of relief and taught Xie San: "Aren't you going to learn how to drive a tractor? If you go there with the wound on your face, people will think you are a little hooligan who fights every day."
Xie San said: "I seldom fight."
"I don't believe it. You look so fierce." Cheng Yaoyao chose to contradict him.
"..." Xie San's narrow eyebrows were slightly wrinkled, reflecting his usually stern face, as if confirming Cheng Yaoyao's words.
Cheng Yaoyao said proudly: "Yes, that's the expression! I was scared to death when we first met! Did you hate me at that time? You looked like you wanted to kill me."
"I just want you not to go into the mountain. It's very dangerous." Xie San hurriedly explained, but he saw Cheng Yaoyao with his peach blossom eyes curved, with a cunning look.
Xie San finally realized that Cheng Yaoyao was joking with him, but he couldn't do anything about her sharp tongue, so he simply reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Cheng Yaoyao lost her balance and sat directly on Xie San's thigh, but suddenly she felt something pressing against her.
Both of them were stunned.
After a moment of daze, Cheng Yaoyao jumped up as if he was scalded and sat next to him.
Xie San's long legs changed their positions. His summer pants were loose but thin, and they couldn't hide the bulge of hot blood. The two of them sat side by side on the edge of the bed, not looking at each other, and the air became very strange for a while.
Cheng Yaoyao coughed lightly and tried to calm himself down: "There is some cool water on the table, would you like to have a sip?"
"No need!" Xie San lowered his voice, revealing a hint of embarrassment that was difficult to conceal.
Cheng Yaoyao was fine at first, but after being embarrassed by Xie San, his cheeks couldn't help but turn red.
The two of them sitting side by side like this looked like a shy newlywed couple.
The room is warm in winter and cool in summer. Sunlight shines in from the carved window panes. The hot sunlight has lost its heat when it filters into the room, and it splashes on the ground, leaving patterns. The room is filled with the unique old smell of an old house and the freshness after cleaning, which makes people feel soft and drowsy.
Cheng Yaoyao felt a little sleepy, but she didn't want to ruin the peaceful atmosphere. She covered her mouth and yawned softly, and unknowingly leaned on a strong shoulder.
Cheng Yaoyao said vaguely: "Wake me up later and I'll make dinner."
"Grandma and Xiao Fei can do it."
"I want to do it." Cheng Yaoyao's eyelids drooped, his long and curly eyelashes trembled, and he murmured softly like a kitten, "I want grandma to like me..."
“…Okay.” The deep voice exuded a hint of tenderness, like the strings of a cello being plucked.
The room was spacious and bright, with a cool and soft mat and a large bed all to himself. Cheng Yaoyao had not had such a comfortable sleep in a long time.
Cheng Yaoyao rolled onto the bed barefoot, holding a blanket, and stretched himself across the bed from the head to the foot.
When the wooden door was knocked gently, she groaned and rubbed her cheeks on the mat: "Who is it?"
"Sister, it's me." Xie Fei's soft voice rang out.
Cheng Yaoyao stretched comfortably and said loudly, "Come in."
Xie Fei walked in with a bowl of peaches in her hand and smiled: "Brother asked me to wake you up."
Cheng Yaoyao twisted on the bed like a beauty snake, and finally sat up slowly after a while. Her cheeks were red from sleep, and she looked even more charming. Her black hair was scattered on her shoulders like silk. Xie Fei's cheeks were red when she saw this. She lowered her head and fiddled with the peach on the table: "This peach has been hanging in the well for a day. It's just right to eat it now. It's cold. Sister, hurry up and eat it."
Cheng Yaoyao stuffed his white little eyes into his slippers and walked to the shelf to wash his face.
I poured half a basin of spiritual spring water into the basin, scooped it up and splashed it on my face. The coolness was refreshing and I felt refreshed immediately. The water drops rolled down my cheeks, and my skin became white and tender with a glow.
Cheng Yaoyao wiped the water off her face and then walked to the table to eat a peach. The peach was only half the size of a fist, with a bright red tip. She took a bite and shivered at the sweet and sour juice. It was so cool!
"Why is it so cold?" Cheng Yaoyao was thirsty after sleeping and was happily eating a peach.
Xie Fei said with some pride: "Our well is very deep. In the summer, we hang food in the well to keep it in the fridge. It can keep for several days."
"It's really cool. Put it in the refrigerator quickly." Cheng Yaoyao praised sincerely.
She ate two peaches, her hands full of sweet and sour juice. She put her fingertips into her mouth and sucked them. From the corner of her eye, she saw Xie San walking towards her. He made eye contact with her in the hall, and suddenly turned around and ran away as if he had seen a ghost.
Cheng Yaoyao: “…”
It was already five o'clock, the sky was still bright, but the heat of the sun had faded. The ground was filled with an especially dry air, and there was the smell of cooking smoke wafting from every household.
Xie Fei said that Grandma Xie had a headache today and was resting in the house. Cheng Yaoyao knew in his heart that Grandma Xie must have had a headache because she was angry.
The two of them walked into the kitchen together. Although my brother said that Cheng Yaoyao would cook today, Xie Fei still accompanied him to help.
Xie Fei opened a rice jar in the corner. Inside was half a jar of buckwheat noodles and a bag of cornmeal. Xie Fei first scooped out about half a pound of cornmeal and put it in the basin. Then he picked up a gourd ladle to scoop out buckwheat noodles, but was stopped by Cheng Yaoyao.
Cheng Yaoyao asked in confusion: "Why separate?"
Xie Fei said, "My brother said that cornmeal and rice are your staple food, so they should be cooked separately."
"Nonsense! I've already moved in, so what's the point of distinguishing between yours and mine?" Cheng Yaoyao suddenly got angry and bit his lip.
"But..." Xie Fei looked at Cheng Yaoyao in embarrassment. She was afraid that her sister would be angry, but she didn't dare to go against her brother's wishes.
Cheng Yaoyao grabbed the ladle and said, "No more coarse grains tonight! Let's eat white rice!"
The white rice was put into another small jar. Cheng Yaoyao hadn't seen white rice for a long time. The white rice these days was not polished, with a slightly yellowish and rough color, and a fragrant smell.
Cheng Yaoyao also found a small bag of mung beans, which were a bit flat and not very plump. Cheng Yaoyao had an idea: "Let's make mung bean porridge tonight."
Cheng Yaoyao scooped two cups of white rice and a handful of mung beans, washed and soaked them with well water, and went out to pick vegetables.
There were many vegetables planted in the Xie family's yard, including loofah, cucumber, tomato and green pepper. In addition, there were green and tender wood ear vegetables climbing on the wall. Cheng Yaoyao picked a few green peppers and tomatoes, and also picked a handful of wood ear vegetables.
Xie Fei was very quick and diligent. She fetched water from the well and washed the vegetables one by one with Cheng Yaoyao.
The well water was icy cold, and it was very comfortable to soak your hands in it. The cucumbers were crisp and juicy, and the ice floated in the water. The local tomatoes were pink in color. After washing them clean and breaking them open, the flesh inside oozes out juice. Cheng Yaoyao and Xie Fei each ate half of each, and the sour and sweet taste quenched their thirst.
After draining the water from the green peppers, Xie Fei brought a small stone mortar and said, "I'll teach you how to make chili paste."
Cheng Yaoyao remembered that Xie San loved to eat this, and he immediately became excited and watched Xie Fei carefully to see how she made it.
The laughter of the two people echoed in the yard like silver bells. The yard, which had been silent for twenty years, was so lively for the first time, as if the prosperous times many years ago were reappearing.
Grandma Xie looked out the window, with a hint of sadness in her eyes.
The author has something to say:
Yaoyao: Someone is very wild in his dreams, but shy in front of others.
Xie San Ge: ...
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