CH 4

This fool is unable to take care of himself in daily life.

After about a quarter of an hour, he started to regain some strength from his fingertips. After about half an hour, the fatigue in his body wasn’t as strong, and Cheng Yun was finally able to sit up by supporting himself.

This backlash scared him, and luckily it happened in his own home. If it had happened outside, he didn’t know what would have happened if someone saw him.

He shook his arm and gradually regained his strength. Slowly, he was able to stand up with support. The whole process took about two quarters of an hour, but after the backlash effect had completely disappeared, he was able to move around normally again.

From another perspective, this was much better than he had expected. At least it wasn’t a backlash effect that caused serious harm to his body. When his body went weak, his mind was clear, and he knew what he was doing.

After all the commotion, it was already late in the day. Even Cheng Yun, who had only moved a little, felt exhausted, not to mention Yang Hongjin, who had been busy all day.

Thinking about how the fool had eaten like a wolf at noon, Cheng Yun decided to cook him a good meal for dinner.

However, although he wanted to cook, there were not many ingredients left at home. Cheng Yun finally understood the saying “you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” Fortunately, he had participated in a few summer camps during high school, and he had some practical skills. He carefully planned his cooking plan by searching through all the cupboards in the house.

Now they only had less than twenty pounds of rice, two ducks, three eggs, two ounces of salted fish, three slices of smoked meat, and two steamed buns and some greens that Cheng Bao had brought over in the afternoon. This was basically all they had left.

Calculating the amount of rice needed for one person per day, even if they split everything in half, this leftover food would only be enough for them to eat for half a month. However, it was still a while before the autumn harvest, and there was still a whole month before he could use the power of language again. They needed to make money.

Cheng Yun scooped out a bowl of rice, which was about one and a half people’s portion, and washed it with well water. He then drained the water and poured the used washing water onto the soil in the backyard. Next, he scooped two large bowls of well water and mixed them with white rice before putting them in a large pot to cook.

Although there isn’t much leftover food at home, there are plenty of seasonings. In this era, people buy seasonings in barrels. Except for expensive official salt, families can only prepare simple ones like sugar and vinegar. Just a few ingredients can fill up a small kitchen.

Cheng Yun originally wanted to cook something delicious for Yang Hongjin tonight, but looking at the situation at home, he couldn’t afford to be extravagant. He decided to go to the town tomorrow to see if there are any money-making opportunities. He had an idea in mind, and he could plan it out when he comes back.

After adding firewood to the stove twice, the pot was boiling. The aroma of the rice filled the air, and Cheng Yun couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

He cracked an egg into a bowl and whisked it. When the porridge in the pot thickened, he opened the lid and poured the egg mixture into the porridge. He stirred it until the egg and the porridge mixed well.

When the porridge became thicker, he added two spoons of soy sauce. The soy sauce aroma immediately filled the room. The thick egg porridge was now lightly colored with soy sauce, making one’s mouth water.

As it was getting dark, Cheng Yun brought the pot out of the kitchen. Yang Hongjin had just walked in with his tools.

“Wife!” Yang Hongjin saw Cheng Yun and exclaimed with excitement. His movements became quicker, and he put down his tools before washing his hands and face in the backyard.

Cheng Yun put the pot on the dining table and scooped two bowls of porridge, each filled to the brim. He couldn’t resist taking a sip first.

The aroma of soy sauce and rice mixed together, coupled with the fragrance of the egg, the porridge tasted slightly sweet and salty. All the ingredients were natural, without any preservatives. It tasted even better than any porridge Cheng Yun had eaten in the future.

Yang Hongjin came in after washing his hands and ate with Cheng Yun. After taking a bite, he said happily, “It’s delicious, wife!”

Cheng Yun was quite surprised to hear this. He thought he found the porridge delicious because he seldom ate this kind of rural food. But he didn’t expect that even Yang Hongjin would enjoy it so much. He then recalled his memories of the original owner and quickly found the reason.

Most people here believe that rice should only be cooked and eaten plainly. Those who make porridge are poor families who cannot afford to eat rice. Moreover, they only make porridge by simply boiling water with rice. They do not add any seasoning, and even adding some pickles is already considered good.

While he ate, he thought about how there were so many delicious dishes in the world that could turn simple ingredients into a beautiful creation. Even if he had never made them before, he could guess how they were made after eating them so many times. Although he might not be able to cook complex dishes, he could certainly study and perfect some common home-cooked meals that could potentially lead to a profitable business.

The porridge made from half a portion of rice was enough for two people. Cheng Yun ate a bowl and felt satisfied, so he gave the rest to Yang Hongjin. Seeing how happy he was eating, Cheng Yun also felt content.

“Is it delicious?” Cheng Yun finished the last bite, licked his lips, and held his cheek as he looked at the person across from him.

“Very delicious!” Yang Hongjin put down his bowl and seriously answered Cheng Yun’s question.

Cheng Yun smiled with his eyes narrowed and asked, “Are you hungry this afternoon?”

“Yes, I am.” Yang Hongjin swallowed the porridge in his mouth, smacked his lips a little hesitantly, but didn’t hurry to take another bite. He focused on Cheng Yun, waiting for his answer.

“What should we do if we’re hungry?” Cheng Yun asked.

This question stumped Yang Hongjin. He scratched his head and thought for a while. After a moment, he furrowed his brows, looking like he was pondering some ancient problem. Seeing this, Cheng Yun was stunned for a moment, then raised his hand to rub his head to comfort him, saying, “It’s okay, hurry up and eat. After you finish, wash up and rest early.”

Hearing this, Yang Hongjin breathed a sigh of relief and obediently nodded his head. He continued to lower his head and ate the porridge until the pot was empty. Cheng Yun found it amusing, but was happy that his cooking was appreciated.

After the meal, it was completely dark outside. Cheng Yun lit the oil lamp, but the room was still very dim. He quickly cleaned up the kitchen, boiled a pot of hot water, and washed up with some well water. When he returned to the room, he saw Yang Hongjin sitting quietly on the edge of the bed. As soon as he saw Cheng Yun, he grinned and said, “Wife.”

Cheng Yun paused for a moment and then his face turned red.

This silly guy forgot to bathe himself, how could he forget about this?!

Yang Hongjin handed Cheng Yun a towel, and Cheng Yun was speechless for a moment. A few seconds later, he lowered his shoulders as if he had accepted his fate and turned around, saying, “Come on, hurry up and wash, then rest.”

Cheng Yunchang had never given anyone a bath, let alone the fact that he was a natural homosexual. Yang Hongjin had grown up doing tough work and had developed a muscular body from it, tanned perfectly under the sun, which happened to be the type that Cheng Yunchang liked the most.

As soon as Yang Hongjin arrived, he quickly took off his clothes. Cheng Yunchang’s heart was pounding and even his eardrums were about to burst from the sound of his own heartbeat. He took a deep breath, faced Yang Hongjin’s bright and innocent eyes, and began to wash him with a wet towel.

After this experience, when the two of them lay on the bed at night, Cheng Yunchang no longer felt embarrassed. He was tired from the day, and he fell asleep quickly listening to Yang Hongjin’s breathing.

The next morning, before dawn, Cheng Yunchang got up. He was a little confused when he woke up and sat on the wooden bed for a while before rubbing his eyes and fully waking up.

Yesterday afternoon, when he borrowed seeds from the neighbor Aunt Wang, he found out that she was going to town today. So he asked her to take him along, and after washing his face, he quickly put the two steamed buns given by Cheng Bao on the steaming basket to heat them up. When the water boiled, Yang Hongjin also got up.

Cheng Yunchang let him wash his face and brush his teeth by himself, while he helped Yang Hongjin organize the things he needed to use in the field in the morning. They each ate a steamed bun, and it was almost daylight.

After Cheng Yunchang got up, he opened the door, and when Aunt Wang came, she walked straight in. Seeing that the two husbands had almost finished their breakfast, she was a little surprised and then laughed, “I was afraid you would forget, these steamed buns are not good things, you can have them.”

Cheng Yunchang stood up quickly and was about to refuse, but he thought of their situation and swallowed his words. He took the steamed buns, thanked her, and turned to Yang Hongjin, saying, “I’m going to town with Aunt Wang today. If you can’t see me when you come back, just eat the steamed buns by yourself, okay?”

Yang Hongjin blinked and then stood up with a sigh. He walked up to Cheng Yunchang, took his hand, and looked pitifully at him, “Wife, are you leaving?”

Cheng Yunchang was stunned for a moment, and then he heard Aunt Wang “puff” and laugh next to him. After he reacted, his face turned red, and he squeezed Yang Hongjin’s hand hard. He then met his innocent and bright eyes and suddenly felt overwhelmed.

“I’m not leaving, I’ll be back.” Cheng Yunchang tried to reassure him under the enormous pressure of Aunt Wang watching beside him. “Be good, and I’ll be back early.”

Cheng Yunchang looked back at Yang Hongjin, who was standing pitifully at the door like a left-behind child. He sighed in his heart, feeling like he was such a scumbag for leaving him behind.

Author’s Note: Standing at the door and looking helpless…