Chapter 30 p2
The sound of the main room could easily be heard in the kitchen. When Lu Ze went in, it was filled with smoke, and both stoves were burning. And Xu Qingyan was standing in front of the chopping board, looking at the chicken, a little at a loss.
Since his father had spoken, the chicken and the rabbit were both left behind, so tonight, he had to choose one to serve the guest. Otherwise, without a decent meat dish, it would not look good.
But in the past, when the family could afford to eat chicken, it was not Xu Qingyan’s turn to do this. Now that he needed to do it, he didn’t know how to handle it for a moment.
He thought that he didn’t know when his mother would be back.
Lu Ze glanced at it and said, “Let’s keep the chicken for Uncle to stew in a soup. It will supplement his body.”
Xu Qingyan blinked, let out an “oh,” and then said, “Then let’s have rabbit tonight.”
But a rabbit was even harder to handle. It had to be skinned. Xu Qingyan looked at the rabbit that was as dead as a doornail, and his eyelids twitched. Not to mention skinning it, he didn’t even want to touch it.
Lu Ze noticed his embarrassment, picked up the rabbit, and said, “Let me do it.”
Xu Qingyan was a little embarrassed. It was not right to let a guest do the work when he was being treated to a meal. He said, “Just put it there. Let’s stir-fry the other dishes first. We’ll deal with it when my mom comes back.”
Lu Ze didn’t listen to him. He picked up a knife from the side and skinned it in a few strokes, completely and intact.
Lu Ze said, “The rabbit skin can also be kept. You can sell it or keep it as a foot mat.”
Xu Qingyan looked at his nimble movements and numbly agreed.
He then saw him gut it. Only then did Xu Qingyan come back to his senses and quickly said, “Let me do it.”
Lu Ze glanced at him and didn’t speak, but his meaning was clear.
Xu Qingyan looked at the bald rabbit and indeed had some goosebumps, but he couldn’t let the guest do all the work. So he held the rabbit’s hind legs with two fingers, gritted his teeth, and after washing it, he placed it on the chopping board and cut it into pieces by feeling.
Seeing his movements, Lu Ze didn’t say anything more and sat down to light the fire.
They were both men. With a little practice, they would get used to it. How could they be so delicate?
The firewood was crackling in the stove. Xu Qingyan was busy, first stir-frying a dish of cabbage and tofu, then stir-frying the radish with the leftover cured meat from home, which could barely be considered a meat dish. Finally, he put the rabbit in the pot and stewed it with potatoes. It was bubbling, and the steam filled the air, obscuring the view.
Lu Ze looked up and was in a daze for a moment.
The young man was thin, and his features were not very clear through the steam. Disregarding the surrounding environment, Lu Ze actually had the feeling of seeing Lin Zhiyan.
The young man’s crisp voice sounded in his ear. Lu Ze paused, his expression a little confused.
“See if it’s cooked.” Xu Qingyan repeated, holding a piece of rabbit meat with his chopsticks and holding it to his lips.
Lu Ze subconsciously wanted to turn his head away, but he felt that it would be a bit strange to do so. He stiffly bit it, chewed a few times, and said, “It’s cooked.”
Xu Qingyan had never cooked a rabbit before and was not sure about the heat. He had originally wanted to taste it himself, but it was obviously not appropriate with a guest here. Hearing this, he asked, “How does it taste?”
Lu Ze said, “It’s good.”
“That’s good.” Xu Qingyan put down his chopsticks, stir-fried it a few more times, put the lid on to continue simmering, and said to Lu Ze, “You don’t need to light the fire anymore. Just let it simmer with the remaining heat.”
Hearing this, Lu Ze threw the dry corn cob in his hand back into the pile of firewood next to him, got up, and clapped his hands.
Xu Qingyan, on the other hand, opened the large pot next to him, and the aroma of the steamed rice also wafted out. He took a few bowls and filled each with some rice. Lu Ze watched him from the side. Being so close, the young man’s features could also be seen clearly.
It couldn’t be said that he was very delicate, but he was the type that became more and more pleasing to the eye the more you looked at him. His features had a gentle and refined air. It might be a bit inappropriate to use this word to describe a man, but after thinking about it, it seemed that this was the most suitable word.
No wonder the original host had taken a fancy to him after just one look and had used all kinds of tricks to win him over.
This was completely different from the men that the public was currently familiar with. With a scholarly air that had been cultivated for a long time, and a charm in his eyes, a young man like him was indeed easy to attract the attention of those people.
Lu Ze’s eyes shifted slightly. No matter how good-looking he was, it had nothing to do with him.
He helped carry the food to the main room. It was getting dark, and just at this time, Xu’s mother also came back. She was stunned when she saw Lu Ze, and then she smiled.
When she saw the pot of rabbit meat on the table, she was stunned for a moment, then she remembered the sheep outside the kitchen, but she didn’t ask much and just enthusiastically invited Lu Ze to eat.
“There’s nothing good at home. We just made something simple. I didn’t know you were coming today, Auntie, otherwise I would have come back earlier! But Qingyan’s cooking is not bad either. You should try it!”
Lu Ze was indifferent to Xu Qingyan, but his attitude towards this kind of elder was gentle. Hearing this, he smiled and said, “Qingyan learned from you, Auntie. His cooking can’t be bad. These dishes are better than what I eat in the city.”
Xu’s mother’s face immediately broke into a smile. “It’s good that you like it. If you like it, you should come to my house more often in the future. You can’t cook by yourself. It’s just a matter of an extra pair of chopsticks at my house. Don’t be polite.”
At this time, Lu Ze naturally couldn’t say no and spoil her mood. He just smiled and agreed, “As long as you don’t find me annoying in the future, Auntie.”
The meal was a happy one for both the host and the guest. During the meal, Xu’s father asked him about his future plans. Lu Ze said, “I’ll go to the city tomorrow and see if there’s any work. I can’t just mess around like this anymore.”
Xu’s father nodded and said, “It’s good to go to the city. Your parents left some connections there. You can go and visit those uncles and aunts. You might be able to find a good job.”
Lu Ze smiled. “I’ll just see if I can try my luck.”
Xu’s mother said, “You’re smart, and you have a foundation. It shouldn’t be hard to find a job.”
The foundation naturally referred to the foundation of working in the factory before.
Lu Ze just smiled and didn’t speak. Xu’s father thought for a moment and then said, “If you go to the city, how do you plan to go? It’s so cold. Are you still riding a bicycle?”
Lu Ze was naturally unwilling. It would take more than an hour to ride to the county town. It was fine in the summer, but it was really cold in the winter. He asked, “I’ll see if there’s an ox cart going to the city in the village tomorrow. I can hitch a ride.”
Xu’s father smiled and said, “That’s a coincidence. You don’t need an ox cart. The village chief’s family is going to the county town tomorrow and will be back at night. You can just take the village chief’s tractor tomorrow.”
He looked at Xu Qingyan again and said, “Qingyan, you can also go tomorrow. Take the mountain products your mother has collected and the few baskets I’ve made with you. It will save you a trip in the future.”
Xu Qingyan swallowed the food in his mouth. “Okay.”
Xu’s father said, “Then tomorrow morning, I’ll have Qingyan go and call you.”
Lu Ze just said, “Thank you, Uncle.”
Xu’s father waved his hand. “What’s there to thank?”
After dinner, Lu Ze was about to get up and leave. Xu’s father quickly propped himself up and said, “You take that sheep back yourself! I understand your kindness, Uncle, but I can’t take advantage of you…”
Lu Ze interrupted him. “If you really understand, Uncle, then don’t say these things to me. It’s just a sheep. If my parents were still alive, no amount of thanks would be too much. Just don’t think I’m young and don’t know my manners.”
“What are you talking about!” Xu’s mother also said, “One thing is one thing. Anyone who saw that situation couldn’t have ignored it…”
“But it was Qingyan who pulled me out.” Lu Ze smiled. “If you’re so polite, Auntie, I won’t dare to come to your house again in the future.”
Xu’s father and mother were silent for a moment.
Lu Ze said, “It’s getting late. I’ll go now. See you another day, Uncle and Aunt.”
Xu Qingyan silently got up. “I’ll see you out.”
Xu’s father watched the two children walk out one after another. He looked at Xu’s mother, and he didn’t know what he was feeling.
The dirt road in the village was dark, and only the light from the houses could provide some sporadic illumination.
The two walked together, their shoulders staggered, and they were relatively silent.
Xu Qingyan pursed his lips and took the initiative to speak, “The village chief’s family is leaving early tomorrow. We have to leave at dawn. I’ll go and call you then.”
Lu Ze agreed.
Xu Qingyan added, “I still have some of the firewood I gathered today, and there’s also some water I fetched in the jar. It’s cold. Remember to boil some water to warm up before you go to bed when you get back.”
Lu Ze said thank you.
The village was only so big. In a short while, they arrived at Lu Ze’s house.
Lu Ze stood in front of the door and looked down at the person who only came up to his nose. The young man was only seventeen years old. He had not been well-nourished these past few years. If he was well-nourished in the future, he should be able to grow a little taller.
Lu Ze thought to himself without any thoughts, and then suddenly felt that what did it matter to him whether he was tall or not?
Xu Qingyan had to look up at him. Only then did he realize how much taller he was than him.
The corners of his mouth were flat. After a long silence, he finally explained his purpose for coming today. “That sheep… thank you.”
Lu Ze had said it simply, that it was just a sheep. But it was an adult ram, weighing at least two hundred jin. If it were sold in the city, the money earned would not only solve the Xu family’s difficulties, but at the very least, it would allow them to have a good New Year, and even the next year would be a little more relaxed.
Most importantly, his mother would no longer have to worry about his father’s medicine money.
Lu Ze looked at him and said slowly, “I think my life should be a little more precious than a sheep.”
Xu Qingyan pursed his lips and didn’t speak.
Lu Ze said, “A sheep made you and your uncle and aunt say thank you countless times. Then you saved my life. How should I repay you?”
Xu Qingyan pursed his lips and said in a small voice, “That’s not what I meant.”
Lu Ze’s eyelids lowered slightly. Seeing his expression, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
It wasn’t because of anything else, but because when his Yanyan was feeling guilty, he would have this kind of obedient appearance, and he would speak in a small but serious voice.
Lu Ze secretly sneered at himself for thinking that everyone looked like him. It had only been a day since he had come to this world.
He said, “I don’t mean anything either.”
“No matter how much of a scoundrel I usually am, I still know the principle of repaying kindness.” He turned around and opened the courtyard door and said to him, “Alright, it’s getting late. Go back first. Don’t you have to get up early tomorrow?”
Xu Qingyan opened his mouth. Lu Ze directly pushed the door open and entered, turned around and held the door, and said to him, “There’s nothing in the house, so I won’t keep you.”
Xu Qingyan confronted him for a moment, then finally took a step back. “Then I’ll go now.”
Lu Ze watched his retreating back and, after a moment, decisively locked the door.
777 asked in his mind, “Host, aren’t you going to see him off?”
“See him off for what?” Lu Ze walked towards the kitchen. “It’s just a short walk. What could happen?”
