Abandoned daughter reborn, legitimate son is resourceful

Nan Jinming came to the kitchen and started to get busy, washing rice and cooking.

Nan Jinming is the only one living here, so she can easily make ends meet on a daily basis. She can get by by eating corn bran and pickles.

Now that there was one more person, Nan Jinming was not stingy and took out a bag of new rice from the utility room.

It’s from last year, and I couldn’t bear to eat it.

This man should be taken care of. He is so pitiful. His clothes are tattered and he was picked up by me. I wonder if he has ever eaten rice...

Thinking of this, Nan Jinming couldn't help but feel a little sympathy.

I was weeding in the corn field today. The corn looked like it was growing well. I might as well pick some tender corns tomorrow and cook them. That should be good.

This man is very thin and seems a little malnourished. If he were to live in my house and be seen by others, I'm afraid they would nag me again.

Nan Jinming looked at the boiling water in the big iron pot, mixing with the new rice, which was almost cooked, and walked into the utility room.

There are two or three pieces of bacon hanging on the beams of the utility room, which were pickled during the Chinese New Year last year.

I remember that the rice in my family was sold at a good price and exchanged for two taels of silver.

Food is the most important thing, so Nan Jinming cut a few pieces of fresh meat without hesitation, and marinated them with secret seasonings after returning home. Last time when guests came, he steamed a piece of bacon.

Now there are two large pieces and one palm-sized piece left.

Two ropes fell from the beam, with a bamboo pole hanging in the middle, and the bacon was hung on them.

Nan Jinming took down the palm-sized piece of bacon and looked at the salt stains on it.

This thing is well-seasoned, and the longer it is stored, the saltier it gets. The bacon is dry and has been dried by the wind for a long time. If you want it to be less salty, you have to rinse it with water.

The slender fingers with some calluses rubbed on the bacon, scrubbing away the salt stains on it. The cool water soaked the bacon and it soon turned grayish white. At this time, the rice in the pot was also cooked.

Nan Jinming stopped what he was doing, reached out and lifted the wooden lid of the pot. The aroma of rice wafted into his nose. He usually had three meals of corn bran and one meal of dry rice, so the aroma of rice was particularly rare.

Nan Jinming picked up a spoon and used a bamboo sieve to drain the rice grains, then poured it back into the pot, added some water and started steaming over low heat. The process was troublesome, but the rice grains tasted distinct, soft, greasy and sweet.

Then come back and wash the bacon, and rub the salt off with a loofah so that it won’t be too salty.

Perhaps because he had waited in the room for too long and no one came back, Chu Xiaoran walked to the door and looked at the small courtyard in front of him.

What comes into view is a clean and tidy fenced yard, neatly stacked firewood, and unchopped firewood. To the left of the door is a woodshed connected to a simple kitchen built with a few wooden boards.

The figure was busy in the kitchen, and Chu Xiaoran's originally cold heart gradually regained some warmth.

Nan Jinming felt someone's gaze. She was sometimes more cautious. She looked up and saw Chu Xiaoran standing at the door. He looked like he could fall down with a gust of wind. His face was pale. For a moment, she didn't know how to persuade him to go back and continue lying down.

"Wait a little longer, the meal will be ready soon."

Nan Jinming spoke loudly, and when he saw Chu Xiaoran nodded in response, he felt relieved. He thought he was hungry and that was why he came out in such a hurry to find food.

Chu Xiaoran was indeed a little hungry. He had been tricked out yesterday and had not eaten any rice. Also, he had used too much energy to kill the bad guys, so his steps were now weak and he was a little unsteady on his feet.

The two fell into silence again. Nan Jinming lowered his head and concentrated on the work in his hands, wondering whether to steam the bacon directly or cook it in some other way.

"Xiao Ran, do you like steamed bacon or fried bacon?"

"what?"

Chu Xiaoran saw that she didn't even raise her head when she asked him. In the Chu family, he ate the same light vegetarian dishes as the servants. He could only eat meat once a month, and it was a big lump of fat meat.

What kind of meat is bacon? I have never seen it before.

Seeing that he had no response, Nan Jinming was about to raise his head and ask him again, but he had already washed the bacon in his hands.

Nan Jinming raised his head and found that the man had come in front of him without him knowing when. His handsome cheeks were slightly flushed. He looked at the piece of meat in his hand with some curiosity, but did not dare to get too close.

"Is this... bacon?"

"Well, you haven't eaten it?"

"never seen it."

"Every household prepares Chinese New Year dishes, including Chinese sausage. Haven't you ever eaten it?"

Nan Jinming was a little curious about the identity of the person in front of him, but then he thought, if he was willing to tell, he would tell it too.

"Maybe I ate it when I was a kid, but maybe I don't remember the taste now."

"Did you eat it when you were a child?"

"When I was five years old, my father fell seriously ill and passed away. My mother helped her concubine to take over. I have a half brother who is two years younger than me. My mother was busy with her business and was rarely at home. Without anyone to rely on, my life was..."

"It's okay, it's all over. You'll be here from now on. Although I can't provide you with all the delicacies from land and sea, I can at least provide you with enough food and clothing."

"Thank you."

Chu Xiaoran originally looked a little helpless, and didn't want to use his life experience to gain sympathy, but seeing that Nan Jinming had a calm face and acted indifferently, there was no sympathy or pity.

"Why don't we fry the bacon? What do you think?"

"also."

Nan Jinming put the bacon on the chopping board, picked up a sharp knife and started slicing it.

"Please help me go to the vegetable garden outside and pick some chives."

Chu Xiaoran nodded. Although he was not sure what leeks were, he still walked out of the yard and came to the fence. He just happened to run into the neighbor's brother, Nan Chenliang, who was returning from the fields.

"Who are you? Why did you come out of my cousin's yard?"

"..."

Chu Xiaoran looked at the man in front of him who looked pure, innocent, cute and had some baby fat, and didn't know how to respond to him. Should he say that he was the man picked up by his cousin?

"I'm asking you a question! You're a mute!"

Nan Chenliang would visit Nan Jinming every now and then. Seeing that there was suddenly a man in her originally empty yard, he used to like Nan Jinming, but now his face and words were full of hostility towards Chu Xiaoran.

"I'm not mute."

Chu Xiaoran's tone was not very good either. He used to be tolerant but was almost bullied and insulted. Now, no one has the right to bully him.

"Then I asked you who you are, why don't you speak?"

"I just came out to help Jin Ming pick leeks. I don't know you, why should I talk to you?"

Chu Xiaoran raised his eyelids and just glanced at him. Nan Chenliang was furious, and when he heard that Nan Jinming needed leeks, he hurriedly picked two handfuls of leeks from the field beside the path, pushed open the fence of the courtyard gate and walked in.

"Cousin, what delicious food are you going to make tonight? Do you want leeks?"

Nan Chenliang walked past Chu Xiaoran and came in, and saw Nan Jinming busy serving rice in the kitchen.

"It's Chenliang! How come you have time to come to my place?"

"I just came back from the fields and passed by here. I saw my brother said he didn't know leeks, so I helped him pick them and brought them to you."

As Nan Chenliang spoke, he shook the chives in his hand, which were covered with fresh soil.

"Would you like to eat fried leek and bacon tonight?"

"Yes, you should stay and have dinner before leaving."

"Then... it's better to obey than to be respectful!"

Nan Jinming looked at Nan Chenliang with some doting. This little guy was very clever. He was much younger than himself and was the only child of the family next door, but he was not spoiled. This child was very capable and worked in the fields like a woman.

Nan Jinming and Nan Chenliang have no blood relationship, but Chenliang's name was given by Nan Jinming's mother. Nan Chenliang recognized Nan Jinming's mother as his godmother, so it is not an exaggeration for him to call her cousin.

Chu Xiaoran felt like he didn't fit in. There was a hint of loneliness in his beautiful eyes. He felt indescribably uncomfortable. He was an outsider to begin with and didn't even recognize leeks.

Nan Jinming was busy in the kitchen and didn't notice Chu Xiaoran who was standing not far away, watching the two of them and listening to their laughter.

"When I went hunting in the mountains a few days ago, I caught a pheasant and gave it to Father Nan to nourish his body. Is Father Nan's illness better now?"

"Don't worry, my dad was so happy to see your pheasant, it's so fat and big, he couldn't sleep for several days."

Nan Chenliang was chatting and laughing as he picked and washed leek leaves, and his words were lively and funny.

"If your father knew you were so good at teasing people, he would have agreed to those marriage proposals sooner or later."

"No way! I'm only seventeen, and I won't be eighteen until next year. My dad said that no matter how much I want to get married, I have to wait until I turn eighteen."

"Yes, yes, you are still young, so I have to give in to you."

Nan Jinming heated the oil in a pan, holding a spatula in one hand and bacon in the other.

"I haven't eaten the bacon made by my cousin for a long time. The last time Sister Yan Qiu came, you cooked a lot of dishes, and my favorite was the bacon you made."

"Okay, okay, you stay and eat more today. Have you told your father?"

"Not yet. I'll go back and tell you."

After Nan Chenliang finished cutting the leeks, he turned around and was about to leave the hospital. When he passed by Chu Xiaoran, he raised his chin provocatively.

Chu Xiaoran: "..."

"He is my mother's godson."

"Oh."

Chu Xiaoran walked closer and looked at Nan Jinming waving his arms while cooking, looking a little absent-minded.

"His name is Nan Chenliang, you can just call him Chenliang. He should be younger than you. By the way, I haven't asked you how old you are?"

"Just turned nineteen."

"Oh, I'm a few years older than you too."

The two chatted casually, and soon the dishes were ready. Nan Chenliang went home, changed into clean clothes, and came back.

The sky is high in the summer. Now the sun has set, but the red glow in the sky remains.

The three of them sat at a small table in the yard. Nan Jinming fried two more vegetarian dishes, the middle one was fried leeks with bacon, and there was just enough rice for each person.

"Chenliang, if you come to eat for free, please come early. Look, I don't have enough rice to cook."

Nan Jinming pretended to complain, picked up the chopsticks, picked up a handful of leeks and put them into his mouth. The taste was okay, not much salt, and it was full of the aroma of bacon.

"I know, I know."

Nan Chenliang spoke in a coquettish tone. He picked up the flat-top rice bowl, picked up a piece of bacon with chopsticks and put it into his mouth.

"Cousin, your cooking skills are really good. If I could marry you, I would be satisfied for the rest of my life."

Nan Jinming thought he was joking, so he took the chopsticks and tapped Nan Chenliang's forehead lightly with the end of the chopsticks.

"You like to think about all these things every day. My cousin's family is very poor, so I will be single for the rest of my life."

"How can that be possible? I was thinking of coming to see you next year with my dowry."

"Do you think your father will break your legs?"

Nan Jinming had a smile on his face and his eyes were curved. The atmosphere at the table became lively as the two of them joked.

Chu Xiaoran looked at Nan Chenliang, who seemed to be joking but was actually serious, and he began to have some doubts in his heart.