Translator: 549690339
Before they even realized it, ti had crept towards noon. Finn Lewis hung out with Zoe on an apricot tree while Fay Wells appeared. Seeing the pair on the tree, she chastised them with a smile, “You’re already this old, but you’re still acting like a child! Why did you take Zoe with you? What if she falls? Co down now, Zoe. It’s dangerous up there. Let Auntie carry you.”
Finn handed Zoe over to his mom and then swiftly jumped down from the tree. “Let’s go, lunch ti now! By the way, was Ann a village woman too?”
“Did she ntion it to you?” Finn asked as he shook his head.
“No, I noticed it myself. She’s been helping out with the cooking, and she’s extrely adept at everything she does, even with the household stove. She definitely grew up in a village,” Fay said, shaking her head.
Most of the dishes in northern households are rather simple unless they have guests over. Unlike the southern households, where every al would have a variety of dishes, even if the quantity was massive. What rural areas do not lack, especially in the sumr, are vegetables. Nowadays, they also don’t seem to lack at.
The poor old rooster that Finn had chosen was now part of the lunch nu. A whole chicken was stewed in the pot with added mushrooms that were not artificially grown. These mushrooms were a shade of yellow-brown that grew under large trees following a rainfall, sowhat similar to the wild mbranela species, known for their delicious taste. However, these mushrooms are not found in large quantities and are typically spotted under thick tree roots.
Actually, Finn did not know what these mushrooms were called. Fearing they may be poisonous, he tried to find information online but to no avail. He had no idea what their scientific na was. But one thing was for sure, they were not poisonous. Everyone here had tasted these mushrooms, and they would collect them whenever they found so, sundry them on their window ledge, and used them in their dishes, which tasted incredibly good whether stewed or stir-fried.
When a large dish of mushrooms with orange potatoes, noodles, and light-colored chicken was served, Finn couldn’t hold back anymore, and he started to salivate. Despite having tasted various delectable dishes recently, so of them costing up to 100,000 yuan, the aroma of this simple ‘mom-cooked’ chicken stewed mushroom dish was irresistible not only to him but also to Ann and Zoe.
The naturally bred chicken and the wild mushrooms were items you couldn’t get in cities. Supposedly the so-called ‘farr’s chickens’ sold in the cities were just products of concentrated breeding. They were given no private chats at most. But these chickens caught and raised freely, feeding on bugs, corn, wheat- can their taste be bad at all?
“Well then, I am going to start now.” Finn rubbed his hands together and couldn’t help but say it. He was salivating already at the incredible aroma of the dish.
“Look at your greedy face. I honestly don’t know why you’d want to go so far for your studies. The food in Shining Pearl doesn’t suit us northern folks at all. Look at you, you’ve lost so much weight,” Fay said, feeling a little bad as she saw Finn scarf down a piece of chicken like a starving wolf.
“What kind of nonsense are you talking about? Can’t you see his arms are full of muscles? Where is he skinny?” Hazel Lewis couldn’t help but retort.
On the other hand, Ann couldn’t help but smile. For parents, a child who has been away for long always seems ‘skinny’ in their eyes even if they’ve gained more than a few pounds.
“Co on, Zoe, have so veggies. Let’s see if they suffice your palette.” Fay didn’t bother arguing and started serving food to Ann and Zoe, especially to Zoe whom she liked a lot and had seated her right next to her at the dinner table to care for her directly.
Finn sat there expressionlessly as if Fay was treating Zoe like her granddaughter. “It’s so yummy, thank you, Auntie,” said Zoe politely, and then she wolfed down the food. This little one always had her als in a rush. Finn had warned her several tis that eating this way wasn’t good for her stomach. But, she always shot back at him saying that he ate the sa way. Later, Finn stopped bothering since she seed to be enjoying her food anyway.
By the end of the al, not only was Finn feeling stuffed, Zoe’s stomach was bulging too. Ann hadn’t eaten any less either. Fay was watching them with a
broad smile.
“After y’all are done, go take a nap. I cleaned up the rooms earlier. Ann and Zoe can stay in the next room over. But we don’t have any ACS here so it might get a bit warm,” Fay suggested.
Those northern areas are the hottest during July, especially during the noons. It’s hard to find any cooling appliances like air conditioners in the rural areas. At most, you’d find an electric fan. Not many houses in this area even contain a fan. Both Ann and Zoe seed to adapt well to this environnt.
There was no need to worry about a shortage of rooms in rural areas. Finn’s house was made up of two large rooms, each with a typical heated brick bed that kept the room warm during winters and cool during sumrs. Having had her fair share of playti during the morning and then feasting in the afternoon, Zoe was tired. She started feeling drowsy right after eating, and so did Finn.
It was now siesta ti. The intense afternoon sun and the irritating wasps, appearing in the afternoons, manifesting the sweltering midday temperatures.
When Finn woke up, it was already 3 P.M., and the temperature outside had practically reached a peak. He dropped by the room where Ann and Zoe were. Zoe was still asleep, but Ann had woken up and was scrolling through her phone.
Finn made a sign through the window to Ann then went over to his parents’ room. However, as soon as he stepped out, he saw his parents chatting under the shade of the storage room. He decided to join them. Seeing him approach, Fay smiled and said, “Awake now?”
“Yes, Mom, what are you guys talking about?” Finn nodded, pulled a stool to sit near his parents, and asked.
“What else could we be talking about? We were discussing moving in with you to the big city. Your dad and I have pretty much made up our minds,” Fay said thoughtfully after a pause.
“Okay then, tell what you decided,” Finn said, nodding his head.
“So here’s the deal. We know you’re responsible, Finn. You have your own abilities, and you don’t want us to suffer, so you can’t wait to take us with you to the city. But your father and I have been living here all our lives. We probably won’t be able to adapt to life in Celeston City. We’re not good with Mandarin either. Plus, we don’t know anyone there. So staying there might be an issue,” Fay explained..
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