The kitchen had a small stove that was always lit, but the fire wasn't large, with embers gently glowing. A kettle of boiled water sat on top.
Shen Xiaoyan picked up the kettle and poured the water into two teapots she had brought.
One teapot contained tea leaves and the other floral tea. As soon as the hot water entered, the tea leaves and flowers instantly steeped, unfurling completely, and two distinct fragrances wafted out.
Shen Xiaoyan refilled the empty kettle with water and then removed the plug from the ventilation opening beneath the stove, allowing the fire to reignite. She then carried the two teapots out of the kitchen.
She made her way to the main house and placed the teapots on wooden trays, each holding a few ceramic cups. She then picked up one of the trays and entered the west room.
On the heated brick bed in the west room, Zheng Wei and Sima Han sat facing each other, both smiling, clearly engaged in pleasant conversation.
Zheng Wei saw Shen Xiaoyan enter with the tea and said with a smile, "You've worked hard."
Shen Xiaoyan smiled gently. "It's not hard."
It was just pouring tea; what was there to be tired about?
Shen Xiaoyan placed the wooden tray on the heated bed and then turned to leave the west room, closing the door behind her.
She picked up the remaining wooden tray from the table and entered the east side room.
On the heated bed in the room, Yue Qingxin sat with her chin resting on her hands, her eyes fixed on the doorway. Seeing Shen Xiaoyan enter, she immediately sat up straight.
Shen Xiaoyan poured a cup of tea for Yue Qingxin and handed it to her. Then, she took out sunflower seeds and pastries from a drawer of the low table.
The two sat opposite each other, drinking tea in a moment of quiet.
Shen Xiaoyan looked closely at Yue Qingxin's face and then asked, "How old are you?"
Yue Qingxin replied, "17."
Shen Xiaoyan smiled. "I'm 16."
Yue Qingxin's eyes lit up. "Really? Then you have to call me 'Jie' (older sister)."
Shen Xiaoyan looked at Yue Qingxin, finding it amusing. Yue Qingxin looked like a well-bred young lady, but after only a few words, her true nature was starting to show.
Still, Shen Xiaoyan liked it this way. If she had encountered a truly refined young lady, she probably would have kept her distance.
"Hello, Jie."
"Hello, Mei zi (younger sister)."
They greeted each other and then both burst into laughter.
"Sister Yue Qingxin, you live in a cave. Isn't it cold at night?" Shen Xiaoyan asked curiously.
After all, even though they no longer needed to heat the brick bed, they still needed thick quilts at night, or they would certainly fall ill from the cold.
"It's okay. A' Han holds me, so I'm not cold," Yue Qingxin said, blushing.
After saying this, Yue Qingxin playfully stuck out her tongue at Shen Xiaoyan.
Shen Xiaoyan also blushed, thinking to herself that in her past life, she had seen adult films. How was it that now, hearing such a simple statement made her blush?
Perhaps she had accepted this, accepted these customs, deep down?
After thinking for a long time and unable to figure it out, Shen Xiaoyan simply put it out of her mind.
"A' Han isn't very good at cooking, and I'm not either. I haven't eaten enough for three days," Yue Qingxin said, her face turning even redder.
"Snore!"
Before Shen Xiaoyan could recover from Yue Qingxin's statement about not eating enough for three days, she heard a snoring sound.
Looking at Yue Qingxin's expression, which was as red as a cooked crayfish, she suddenly understood.
"Sister Yue Qingxin, are you hungry? Come on, I'll make you something good to eat." As Shen Xiaoyan spoke, she pulled Yue Qingxin off the heated bed, and they walked out together.
When they reached the main house, the door to the west room was still closed. Shen Xiaoyan didn't mind. She pulled Yue Qingxin out of the main house and walked along the corridor toward the courtyard.
Arriving at the kitchen, Shen Xiaoyan looked at Yue Qingxin and asked, "What do you want to eat?"
"Anything is fine, as long as it's cooked..."
Before she could finish, Yue Qingxin clapped her hand over her mouth and smiled sheepishly at Shen Xiaoyan.
Shen Xiaoyan didn't mock her, but inwardly, she was delighted. It seemed that Sima Han wasn't just bad at cooking; he simply couldn't cook at all.
Just then, a few coughs were heard from outside the door. Then Shen Xiaoyan saw who it was as they entered one after another with Zheng Wei.
"If you're cooking, why didn't you call me?" Zheng Wei walked directly to Shen Xiaoyan and asked in a low voice.
Shen Xiaoyan just smiled at Zheng Wei without speaking. Since the two of them had followed, Shen Xiaoyan naturally wouldn't be polite.
The four of them worked together, chatting and laughing. Half an hour later, lunch was ready.
Shen Xiaoyan looked at the sky and asked Zheng Wei, confirming that Shen Xiaoming would be back in a while. So, she set aside Shen Xiaoming's portion, kept it warm in the pot, and the others took their meals to the main house.
During the meal, although the two of them tried their best to maintain an elegant demeanor, the speed at which they ate clearly indicated that they were truly hungry.
The four of them finished this meal in half the time it usually took Shen Xiaoyan and the others to eat. The food was completely gone.
After the meal, Zheng Wei and Sima Han voluntarily stood up and took on the task of washing the dishes. Shen Xiaoyan was happy to pull Yue Qingxin onto the heated bed to rest.
"Xiaoyan, your cooking is really delicious," Yue Qingxin said, looking at Shen Xiaoyan with admiration. "Can you teach me?"
Shen Xiaoyan replied, "Of course, if you want to learn."
Not long after, Shen Xiaoyan heard the bell in the courtyard and knew that Shen Xiaoming had returned. However, she didn't get up, as Zheng Wei would surely go to open the door.
"What's that sound?" Yue Qingxin asked, puzzled.
"It's the bell in the courtyard. It must be my little brother, Shen Xiaoming, returning from school," Shen Xiaoyan explained.
Just as Shen Xiaoyan finished explaining, Shen Xiaoming walked in.
"Big Sister, I'm back."
"This is your Sister Yue Qingxin," Shen Xiaoyan introduced Yue Qingxin to Shen Xiaoming.
"Hello, Sister Yue Qingxin." Although he didn't know who Sister Yue Qingxin was, Shen Xiaoming still greeted her with a sweet smile.
"Hurry up and eat. I've saved some for you in the kitchen," Shen Xiaoyan added.
Shen Xiaoming agreed, turned, and walked out.
After Shen Xiaoming ate lunch, he joined Zheng Wei and Sima Han. They chatted for a while, and then Shen Xiaoming left. He needed to go back to sleep, as he had classes in the afternoon.
Yue Qingxin covered her mouth with her hand and yawned, her eyes immediately becoming watery.
Shen Xiaoyan said, "Why don't you and Sister Yue Qingxin go to the inner room of the west room to sleep for a while? We usually take naps at noon."
Shen Xiaoyan, fearing Yue Qingxin might feel embarrassed, explained that they had a habit of napping.
As expected, Yue Qingxin didn't refuse upon hearing this. She stood up and walked ahead with Shen Xiaoyan.
They entered the inner room of the west room together. Shen Xiaoyan took out bedding and pillows from a cabinet and helped Yue Qingxin set them up. Then she said, "Sister Yue Qingxin, please rest well. I'll go out now."
Yue Qingxin nodded and smiled as she watched Shen Xiaoyan's retreating figure.
When Shen Xiaoyan reached the main house, she saw Zheng Wei and Sima Han sitting together in the main room, not speaking.
Seeing Shen Xiaoyan come out, Sima Han nodded to Zheng Wei and then stood up, heading towards the west room.
Zheng Wei also stood up, took Shen Xiaoyan's hand, and led her into the east side room, closing the door behind them.
They went to the inner room and sat on the heated bed. Zheng Wei then looked at Shen Xiaoyan and said, "Don't you have anything you want to ask Mi Mi?"
Shen Xiaoyan glanced at Zheng Wei and said, "I'm waiting for you to confess and be lenient."
After saying this, she couldn't hold back and started laughing.
A doting smile appeared on Zheng Wei's face. He reached out and lightly patted Shen Xiaoyan's buttocks. "Nonsense."
Shen Xiaoyan leaned on Zheng Wei, laughing uncontrollably. After a while, she recovered.
"Tell me, why are you treating this Sima Han so differently?" Shen Xiaoyan sat up straight and asked seriously.