The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

I heard that he is good at identifying various herbs and can skillfully combine ordinary ingredients with herbs to cook amazing delicacies.

Mrs. Xiong had secretly fantasized countless times that if she could learn a thing or two from Chen Xi, wouldn't the dining table at home be filled with fragrance all the time?

But every time this thought came to her mind, she would hesitate, worried that her request would seem abrupt and that Chen Xi might refuse.

Meetings between neighbors in the future would inevitably be a bit more awkward, so this desire to learn skills was suppressed in my heart day after day and never expressed.

However, for several days in a row, whenever the afternoon sun was at its gentlest, the tempting aroma of meat would always slip out from the Chen family's window lattices on time, unscrupulously invading every inch of the air around them.

That day, Mrs. Xiong finally couldn't hold back her desire and decided to take that step.

She carefully selected several of the best-growing vegetables from her own garden, washed them with clean water, wrapped them carefully, held them in her hands, and set foot on the path leading to the Xie family.

Arriving at the door, she raised her hand a little nervously and knocked gently on the old wooden door, feeling both expectant and nervous, as if she was waiting for not only a visit but also an invitation from the heart.

Inside the door, Chen Xi was lying in a rocking chair bored, playing with a few shriveled herbs in his hands, muttering to himself about the frequent interruptions from Chen's relatives recently.

When she heard the knock on the door, she was startled at first, then frowned slightly, thinking that another uninvited relative had come to cause trouble.

She stood up lazily, slipping on her shoes, and muttered as she walked: "Here it comes, here it comes, in broad daylight, why are you knocking, is there a god hiding in the house who's in a hurry to go out?"

Although there was a hint of displeasure in his tone, his pace did not slow down. He walked towards the door step by step, ready to face another "encounter" that might be happy or sad.

The door opened slightly, and the person who came into view was not the expected member of the Chen family, but the kind-faced and slightly plump Mrs. Xiong.

She stood outside the threshold, her figure outlined with a soft golden edge by the slanting sunlight outside the door, forming a warm picture with this everyday scene.

"Oh, Mrs. Xiong, it's you. What a rare guest! What brings you to my doorstep? Are you short of any condiments at home?"

There was a hint of surprise and enthusiasm in Chen Xi's words, and his eyes were full of kindness and welcome to this neighbor.

Hearing this, Mrs. Xiong's face broke into a warm smile. She gently turned sideways and looked carefully into the house, as if attracted by the faint smell of meat.

"Stew meat again? Oh, when I was arranging the flowers and plants in the yard, this fragrance sneaked into my nose and made me hungry."

Her eyes sparkled with desire for delicious food and admiration for Chen Xi's cooking skills, and her tone was full of the warmth and fun of home life.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xi's mouth corners unconsciously lifted up, revealing a bit of complacency and pride.

"Yes, thinking that the weather is getting colder, I bought some fresh ribs and specially slaughtered a free-range chicken from Uncle Wang's house at the village head. I am now slowly braising it with my ancestral secret brine. By the time the meat is done, it will be tender and fragrant, and I guarantee that you will want to eat more after you have eaten it."

As she introduced, she tapped lightly on the big pot lid next to the stove with her fingers, as if she could see through the thin iron sheet and feel the subtle changes in the ingredients in the steaming pot.

After hearing this, Mrs. Xiong rubbed her hands, with a look of embarrassment.

"Well, Chen Xi, I came here today to ask for a favor. I thought it was only natural for neighbors to help each other..."

Her voice gradually lowered, and her eyes contained both expectation and a bit of uneasiness, as if she was worried that her request would cause inconvenience to the other party.

The warm atmosphere in the house is filled with the flavor of a little secret that is about to be revealed, which arouses people's imagination.

Chen Xi stared at Mrs. Xiong. There was an indescribable expression on her face, as if there were thousands of words stuck in her throat, and she was struggling to get them out.

The cloth bag in her hand was heavy, with a few hints of fresh green faintly visible, revealing that it was full of vegetables that she had painstakingly grown in her own garden.

Looking at this simple gift, Chen Xi couldn't help but feel a warm current welling up in his heart, and he had a premonition of the plot that was about to unfold.

Having roughly guessed the purpose of Mrs. Xiong's visit, Chen Xi pursed her lips and did not react for a while.

"These," Mrs. Xiong began slowly, her voice gentle and a little shy, as if what she held in her hands were not just vegetables, but the warmth of her neighbors, "all grew little by little on this land, bathed in the morning dew and evening glow. Thinking that you have just moved to the Xie family and haven't had a good taste of the authentic countryside, I thought, why not bring these little guys here so that you can also taste this gift from nature."

As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly and gently pushed the cloth bag forward, as if she was offering a precious treasure.

At that moment, Mrs. Xiong's eyes inadvertently swept across the half-open door and captured the scene on the dining table inside.

A pot of steaming braised meat with attractive color and fragrant aroma was like a warm family picture, quietly touching her heartstrings.

There was a barely perceptible desire in her eyes, her throat moved unconsciously, the slight swallowing sound echoed softly in the air, and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, which was the yearning and envy for a better life.

"Hey, Chen Xi," her tone became relaxed, with a glimmer of cunning and expectation in her eyes, "As neighbors, we should help each other, right? If you find any tricks to get rich one day, don't forget to ask me for help. It is said that 'a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative'. Our two families live next door to each other, so we should be like a family, looking after each other and advancing and retreating together."

These words are not only a sincere expectation, but also a natural expression of the simple emotions between neighbors, making this simple scene full of warm human touch.

Chen Xi's heart was originally as calm as water. He did not have too many waves in accepting the heavy feelings of Sister Xiong, and he never expected that he would pass on his unique skill of identifying herbs to outsiders.

However, the drizzle in spring always seems to evoke the softest corner of people's hearts. The raindrops drip gently along the eaves, reminding her that the story in the mountains and forests is about to open a new page.

At this time, the mountain top is shrouded in clouds and mist, and the fresh air after the rain seems to carry an irresistible call. The inconspicuous mushrooms and wood ears in the mountains are growing vigorously in this humid season, plump and tempting, waiting to be picked by those who are interested.

Thinking of this, the balance in Chen Xi's heart tilted quietly, and an idea quickly took root in her heart like a sprout breaking through the ground.