When Shen Yanshan returned, a group of people in the compound were sitting under the tree chatting.
They noticed the wound on Shen Yanshan's hand and were startled.
A crowd surrounded them and bombarded Li Chuchu with questions all at once. "Oh, what's going on? How did Yanshan get hurt like this?"
Shen Yanshan was a solitary man who didn't like to talk much to others. When something happened, few people dared to inquire. But now that Li Chuchu had become familiar with everyone, they dared to ask a few questions.
Li Chuchu explained what had happened at the railway station.
Sister Ge's eyes lit up. "This is doing a great good deed! Human traffickers are so rampant these days. How many families have been destroyed by them? They really need to be dealt with!"
The others nodded in agreement.
As the topic developed,
everyone started chattering about which family's child had been stolen. The issue of children had become a heartache for many families. Nowadays, human traffickers not only stole children but also women, selling them to poor men in remote mountainous areas as wives.
The green and lush tree shade outside rustled in the wind. Shen Yanshan stood by the window of the house.
He saw Li Chuchu say something to the neighbors, and then their looks at him changed. Those looks were something like... admiration.
Such looks were strange to Shen Yanshan.
He slightly curved his lips. He could easily guess how Li Chuchu had described him to them. But she didn't know that the opinions of those people didn't matter to him.
He only cared about what she thought of him.
As time passed, Li Chuchu was still chatting with the others outside. She showed them a bright smile and chatted with them enthusiastically.
Shen Yanshan's fingers tapped on the windowsill more and more forcefully, and his mood became inexplicably anxious.
Did they have so much to talk about?
Why hadn't they finished chatting after so long?
She smiled so beautifully. Why couldn't she smile only for him?
...
Just when Shen Yanshan's emotions were getting out of control, Li Chuchu suddenly opened the door and came in. He immediately masked his almost-lost composure.
After putting on a calm look, Shen Yanshan turned his head and saw Li Chuchu coming in excitedly with a bunch of things in her arms. She said to him excitedly, "These things were given by the neighbors. Aunt Wang heard that you were injured and gave us a fresh pig liver to help you replenish your blood."
Shen Yanshan looked at the full load in Li Chuchu's hands and listened to her chattering. The turmoil in his heart gradually subsided, and he softly responded, "Okay."
A little something could make her so happy.
She was really easy to satisfy.
Li Chuchu noticed Shen Yanshan staring at her all the time. Not knowing why, she smiled brightly and said, "Let's have stir-fried pig liver with chili peppers for dinner tonight!"
"Sure."
Her beautiful eyes were full of smiles and expectations, and she was looking at him so intently. Even if Li Chuchu said they were going to drink pesticide tonight, Shen Yanshan would probably give the same answer.
Li Chuchu found several green and red chili peppers beside the kitchen and prepared to make stir-fried pig liver.
She first sliced the pig liver, rinsed it several times with water from a ladle, and then drained the water. She added a spoonful of cooking wine, half a small spoonful of dark soy sauce, as well as shredded ginger and starch. After mixing well, she marinated it for more than ten minutes.
This step could remove the fishy smell and add flavor, making the pig liver tender and non-fishy.
She poured some hot oil into the pan, then poured the pig liver into the pan to stir-fry until cooked. Then she added the sliced green and red chili peppers, ginger, garlic, and scallions and stir-fried them together. Finally, she dished it out.
A plate of delicious and fragrant pig liver was ready.
While Li Chuchu was cooking, Shen Yanshan stood on the steps in front of the house and stared at her intently.
The smoke from cooking rose from the pan.
Li Chuchu stood in front of the half-person-high stove. Even the way she cooked was as beautiful as a performance.
No wonder so many people said that with a good wife, life could be full of flavor.
Shen Yanshan had never known before that it could be this wonderful.
...
Aunt Wang stood on the steps and watched the couple from afar. Her eyes sparkled with gossip. She quickly pulled Uncle Wang over to watch. "Look at this couple. They used to fight so fiercely that it was terrifying. But now, look at Shen Yanshan's look... Oh my, I'm almost too embarrassed to look."
Uncle Wang glanced outside.
That look,
was just the same as the look of the old bachelor in their village who had been single for forty years when he saw a woman.
Shen Yanshan wasn't like this usually, was he?
"You used to say that this couple would definitely get divorced within two years. But look, they're doing fine." Aunt Wang raised her eyebrows at Uncle Wang. "I see that they can't even bear to be apart when cooking. Maybe she'll get pregnant this year."
A couple without a child couldn't have a stable relationship.
Uncle Wang frowned slightly. "This... We can't really tell..."
Aunt Wang glared at him. "You don't understand anything! A man is only in his prime for a few years. This is the time when he's full of passion. If she can't get pregnant now, then there's no hope for the rest of their lives."
Uncle Wang: ... It seems so.
...
As the sun set in the west, every family started to cook.
Li Chuchu put the stir-fried pig liver on the table, picked up a chopstick of pig liver, and put it in Shen Yanshan's bowl. "Hurry up and have a taste. It's my first time making this. I don't know if it's good or not."
Under Li Chuchu's expectant gaze, Shen Yanshan picked up a piece of pig liver and put it into his mouth.
The fishy smell he had imagined didn't appear. The crispy and tender taste was better than he had expected. But his stomach started to churn habitually, and he felt a wave of nausea in his heart.
Shen Yanshan swallowed the pig liver in his mouth without changing his expression and smiled slightly. "It's delicious. You did a great job."
Li Chuchu felt self - satisfied.
Sure enough, the title of culinary genius belonged to her.
Shen Yanshan watched the girl's proud look carefully. She seemed like a little cat, excited because of a simple smile of encouragement.
After eating for a while, Li Chuchu noticed that Shen Yanshan didn't pick up much pig liver but kept eating vegetables. "Hey, why aren't you eating? Pig liver can replenish blood. Don't be picky. Eat more."
Saying so, she picked up three or four pieces of pig liver and put them in his bowl. She stared at him intently, as if she wouldn't let him go until he ate them.
Shen Yanshan couldn't help but laugh. This was actually the first time in his life that someone had forced him to eat.
She was so small but looked quite fierce.
Under Li Chuchu's gaze, Shen Yanshan yielded to her "authority" and ate up all the pig liver in his bowl. His voice was as gentle as spring water flowing over stones. "Is this okay, my little leader?"
Li Chuchu nodded and said proudly, "It barely passes."
Not everyone could have the chance to eat her cooking. Of course, he couldn't leave any leftovers!
After dinner, Shen Yanshan cleaned up the dishes and said that he felt sticky and would go to the public bathhouse outside to take a shower. Before going out, Li Chuchu told him again and again to be careful not to let the wound get wet.
Shen Yanshan smiled. "Okay, I know."