Chapter 142

Chapter 142

Xu Yuqing and Xie Junli looked over at the same time. It was He Xiang. "You've arrived just in time. I was about to knead some dough."

She said with a smile.

He Xiang watched her hands quickly move away and pull down her sleeves, speechless. "You could have been a bit slower. I'm not going anywhere."

"Hehe." Xu Yuqing didn't respond and slipped away to Xie Junli's side, joining him in washing vegetables.

Notably, perhaps thinking of how Xu Yuqing had no land to grow vegetables, there were still some vegetables in the basket—cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers. Some looked a bit wilted, but in Xu Yuqing's eyes, these were now exquisite delicacies!

She needed vegetables!

She carefully washed the cucumbers and bean sprouts. Xu Yuqing didn't like the beans in bean sprouts, so Xie Junli removed some and set them aside.

He Xiang finished washing the noodles, while Xu Yuqing prepared to chop meat. The meat, which had been thawing in warm water, was soft on the outside but still frozen inside. She minced it into meat paste, added oil, and tossed in chopped scallions, ginger, and garlic. If spring didn't come soon, she would run out of even garlic and ginger, as they were starting to sprout.

The aroma slowly filled the air as she added the meat paste and fried it until golden brown. Then, she poured in the pre-prepared sauce, omitting chili because He Xiang couldn't handle spicy food.

The meat sauce was rich and fragrant. "It's done; you can turn off the fire."

Xu Yuqing called out to Xie Junli, who promptly moved the fire to another pot.

He Xiang had already kneaded the dough and was rolling it out, albeit slowly but efficiently.

The water was boiling, and Xu Yuqing walked over, taking the rolling pin from He Xiang. "I'll take over."

She quickly pressed the dough, making it even thinner, sprinkled some flour, and He Xiang handed her the knife.

After cutting the noodles, the water boiled just in time. Everything was perfectly timed. The noodles went into the boiling water, and Xu Yuqing took the cucumbers, slicing them without peeling them.

The cooked noodles were rinsed in cold water, then topped with a generous scoop of meat sauce, cucumber slices, and blanched bean sprouts. A refreshing bowl of zhajiangmian was ready.

Besides the zhajiangmian, there were also tomatoes.

These were earthy tomatoes, mostly sour and very flavorful.

She sliced the tomatoes and sprinkled a little sugar on top. "Let's eat!"

Each person had a bowl of zhajiangmian, but Xu Yuqing's bowl seemed tiny compared to theirs.

The smooth noodles, savory meat sauce, paired with crisp cucumber and bean sprouts, and a bite of sweet and sour tomato made her feel incredibly satisfied. She exclaimed, "Too good (too awesome)!"

After finishing the last noodle, she leaned back comfortably in her chair. "How about we have this for dinner tonight?"

On a whim, she suggested, but before Xie Junli or He Xiang could respond, she immediately shook her head. "No, no. I've already taken out the meat; I can't just leave it unused!"

Putting aside the idea of being lazy, Xu Yuqing yawned, feeling a bit sleepy. It was only a little past eleven, not yet noon, but she rubbed her tired eyes and said, "I'm sleepy. I know you won't be, so do what you want. I'll sleep for a bit and then cook again."

She yawned again.

Xie Junli watched her go into the room, a bit worried. With long strides, he followed her, busily fetching water for her before coming out.

He Xiang ate his noodles silently, puzzled. Did all women love sleeping so much? Why did she seem to sleep all the time?

But she did look exhausted, cooking so much and making it taste so good, and she was slim. Her knife skills revealed that she had endured hardships.

Thinking this way, it seemed normal that she slept a lot.

At that moment, seeing Xie Junli come out, he quickly lowered his head, pretending he hadn't been thinking anything, and stuffed more noodles into his mouth.

Xie Junli ignored him, quickly finished his noodles, washed the bowls and utensils himself, and cleaned up the kitchen before entering the main room.

He Xiang sat idly on the long bench, staring blankly, unsure what to do. Not a single snack on the table had been touched.

Xie Junli walked past him, heading to a cabinet beside the bench. Previously empty, it now held some snacks for the New Year. In the upper left corner was a dark blue bundle.

Xie Junli picked up the bundle, and He Xiang watched his movements. When Xie Junli turned around, he quickly looked away, pretending he hadn't noticed.

"Here, put these on." Xie Junli walked over and tossed the bundle to He Xiang.

Surprised by the sudden weight in his hands, He Xiang stared at Xie Junli in disbelief. "What is this?"

"See for yourself," Xie Junli replied indifferently, sitting down.

He Xiang swallowed unconsciously, his mind racing. What could it be? Food? No, he said to put it on.

Clothes?

His fingers trembled slightly as he struggled to untie the knot Xie Junli had tied. By the time he opened it, his back was drenched in sweat.

Inside were clothes—a brand new, fluffy cotton jacket. His knuckles turned white as he clutched the jacket, his whole body trembling.

He lifted it up, revealing another thick piece of clothing—a pair of cotton pants.

Underneath the pants were a pair of military boots.

Silence filled the main room. After a long pause, Xie Junli sighed quietly. "Put them on. Have a happy New Year, and work hard after the holiday. Follow orders."

"Okay." His voice was hoarse, sounding more mature than before.

Xie Junli looked at him and often felt regret, especially when he saw how different he was now compared to just over half a month ago. In the past, he should have been more patient.

But at least he was still doing well.

Standing up, Xie Junli didn't know what to say. "I'm going to rest for a bit. You can go wherever you want to change. Remember to come back and help later."

"Okay!" He Xiang responded, holding his bundle and walking out with large strides.

Ignoring the slippery snow, he ran home in big steps, not even bothering to close the door before stripping off all his clothes.

As soon as he finished undressing, he felt a bit dirty and not clean enough. Quickly, he put on his old clothes and went to heat water to wash himself.

After scrubbing himself red, He Xiang came out, carefully putting on his new clothes. They fit perfectly and were brand new, but he felt a bit of regret that they weren't a little bigger. Larger clothes would last longer.

Feeling the first new piece of clothing he had ever owned, he put on his patched socks and new military shoes, which were green and could only be bought with coupons. When He Xiang was younger, he envied his companions who wore such shoes, but he knew he wouldn't have them.

Later, he gradually distanced himself from those companions.

The shoes were slightly loose, but He Xiang was very satisfied. He tightened the laces and stood up, feeling completely different from before.

His short hair and neat appearance made him look particularly spirited.

He took the key, locked the door, and instead of heading to the Xie family's house, he went to the mountain.

Having just been there in the morning, he knew the way well. However, he looked at the snow on the ground with concern, wiping his shoes tenderly.

When they got muddy, he instinctively reached to wipe them with his sleeve, but quickly regained his senses and pulled his hand back. Looking around hesitantly, he wondered if he should continue.

He had originally wanted to show his father his new clothes, but the mud and snow made him hesitate. He Xiang took a few steps back, thinking perhaps it was better to wait.

It wasn't like he needed to do this right away. He could wear his old shoes tomorrow when going up the mountain and then change into the new ones.

Having made up his mind, He Xiang turned around and walked slowly towards the Xie family's house.

Worried that Xu Yuqing might still be sleeping, He Xiang wandered around aimlessly. But after a while, he couldn't resist touching his cotton jacket and checking his shoes.

He strolled happily for over an hour until it started snowing, then he headed back.

When He Xiang arrived, Xu Yuqing had already woken up and was preparing meals. Xie Junli had tied an apron around her, and she cherished her pink cotton jacket.

Seeing He Xiang approach, both of them were pleasantly surprised. "Wow, He Xiang, you look great!" Xu Yuqing praised loudly without hesitation.

She walked over and adjusted the collar that the young man hadn't noticed was folded inward.

"Yes, you look very good. This color suits you well."

She nodded, admiring her own choice.

Approaching him so closely, He Xiang stiffened, not daring to move. Looking at the smiling woman, his heart suddenly raced, and he struggled to say, "Thank you, Aunt... Thank you, Sister Xu!"

He still couldn't bring himself to call her "Aunt," feeling a bit embarrassed. Xu Yuqing didn't mind; in fact, she preferred it. Hearing someone so much younger call her "Aunt" made her feel old instantly.

Both found it fitting, but Xie Junli, standing behind them, frowned deeply. "Call her Aunt!"

Calling her "Sister" would make them of different generations.

However, no one paid attention to him. He Xiang opened his eyes and saw that Xu Yuqing seemed pleased, so he relaxed and followed her into the kitchen.

In a blink, the main room was left empty. Xie Junli held back his anger, waiting for Xu Yuqing to call him, but inside, the two had grown closer. He Xiang finally showed some of his childhood spirit, talking more.

They were having a lively conversation, completely forgetting about the person outside.

Xie Junli: ...

He sighed in frustration.

Holding back his anger, he walked in. Xu Yuqing was cutting meat and, seeing Xie Junli enter, immediately instructed him, "Chop the ribs later. He Xiang, do you know where the pickled cabbage is? Get one head of it."

"Okay."

"Okay."

They responded simultaneously, meeting each other's gaze for a second before quickly looking away and speeding up their work.

The ribs were in a basin, and Xie Junli picked them up, ready to chop them. Xu Yuqing glanced over unintentionally and quickly called out, "Hey! Your clothes!"

These were new clothes! Getting them dirty on New Year's Eve would surely result in a beating!

Xie Junli paused, realizing he had forgotten to tie an apron. Looking over, he saw his apron on He Xiang.

He sneered, "Take it off and give it to me."