The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

Fortunately, Chen Rong appeared at this time holding the sleeping children and broke the silence at the right time: "Sister, you are really back late today. You are not at home, and brother-in-law did not go out to buy vegetables, so it is simple, stir-fried shredded potatoes with pumpkin soup, but brother-in-law's cooking skills are not bad."

After saying that, Chen Rong winked at Xie Tianyi, conveying a silent message: "I can only help you up to this point, the atmosphere from now on depends on you."

Xie Tianyi understood and used chopsticks to lightly pick up a handful of potato shreds and gently placed it on the edge of Chen Xi's bowl: "Try it, Xiaoyang and Xiaochen both said it's delicious."

When talking about the two children, Chen Xi's heart immediately softened.

"Hmm." Chen Xi responded softly, carefully took the shredded potato, and chewed it slowly with the rice. The taste of home came from the tip of his tongue, simple but full of happiness.

For a moment, she thought to herself that maybe she could rely on him occasionally in the future so that she could be lazy, but this thought was like ripples on the lake, fleeting and never expressed.

"By the way, tomorrow is Xiaoyang and Xiaochen's birthday. You go to town to buy some good food, and I will cook for them myself. We will prepare a sumptuous dinner to celebrate for them." Xie Tianyi suddenly remembered this.

"Xiaoyang and Xiaochen's birthday is tomorrow?" Chen Xi was a little surprised.

"Yes, I don't know the exact date. I regard the day I met them on the road as my birthday. In the past few years, the children were still young and I was not mobile, so I didn't really celebrate. But this year is different, with you by my side. We should give the children a real birthday party."

"Okay, leave the grocery shopping to me. As for cooking, that's your specialty. I look forward to tasting your exquisite cooking skills. Oh, by the way, I'll make a cake for them to add a touch of sweetness to this evening."

Chen Xi's words were gentle, making Xie Tianyi's heart feel warm and bright as if it were illuminated by the warm spring sun.

He couldn't help but hold Chen Xi's hand tightly, which made her stunned for a moment, and an inexplicable emotion surged in her heart.

Chen Xi responded softly: "We should support each other."

After dinner, Xie Tianyi took the initiative to take on the task of washing the dishes, while Chen Xi walked towards the east room which was under construction.

Looking at the frame of the new house that had been built in just two days, under the moonlight, it seemed to exude a breath of new life.

Chen Xi secretly calculated in his heart that when this hot summer passed and the smell of new wood dissipated, when winter came, the family would be able to live in this warm little house.

Yesterday's conversation with Xu Lihong echoed in Chen Xi's mind, and she decided to go up the mountain to see if she could come and pick mushrooms smoothly.

The mountain road was winding, and the air in the forest was mixed with the freshness of soil and leaves. When Chen Xi looked around, he did not find Xu Lihong. For a moment, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, worrying that her strong mother-in-law Yu Qiongying was interfering.

But on second thought, although Yu Qiongying is strict, she should not overly discourage things that can benefit the family.

Therefore, Chen Xi continued to go deeper into the forest, carefully searching every possible corner.

Just when Chen Xi was feeling a little anxious, a clear call came from not far away, "Chen Xi, I'm here!"

Along with the call was Xu Lihong's slightly hurried wave.

Chen Xi turned around following the voice and saw Xu Lihong squatting behind a dense bush, holding a basket full of fresh mushrooms in her hands, with a satisfied smile on her face.

Seeing this, Chen Xi felt relieved. It turned out that Xu Lihong really came as promised. She prayed secretly that this harvest could help Xu Lihong's family temporarily get rid of some difficulties.

The sun shone obliquely on the winding mountain road, and Chen Xi's figure appeared and disappeared among the mottled shadows of the trees.

When she appeared in front of Xu Lihong, Xu Lihong's eyes lit up instantly.

"Chen Xi, why did you come to the mountain?"

Chen Xi's lips formed a faint smile, looking directly into people's hearts.

"I came up to see if you were sneaking around to pick mushrooms again today. It seems my guess was right. How could your mother-in-law miss such a good opportunity to let you stay at home idle?"

Xu Lihong couldn't help but smile bitterly when she heard this.

"Yes, at first she suspected that we were colluding to fool her, but later she heard that I had given her all the money from selling mushrooms, and she reluctantly agreed to let me out."

There was a hint of helplessness in her tone, but more of pride in this small victory.

"Within expectation." Chen Xi said these four simple words.

Xu Lihong blinked her big eyes and looked at Chen Xi in confusion, as if she was trying to figure out the mystery in her deep thoughts.

"How can you be so sure that she will let me go? I have been trying to figure out her intentions for so many years, but I still haven't figured it out completely."

Chen Xi smiled slightly, his tone gentle but confident.

"It's not easy to understand her. She is naturally greedy for small gains. When she heard about such a good thing, how could she sit still? Naturally, she followed the good thing."

Xu Lihong suddenly realized and looked at the mushrooms in her basket. Although the number was not as many as others, she still felt satisfied.

"I'm too slow. They are much faster than me." There was a hint of shyness in her words.

Chen Xi's eyes gently swept over the mushrooms, with encouragement flashing in his eyes.

"It's the first day, so it's normal to lack experience. You'll be able to catch up with them after two more days of practice. Anyway, the daily limit is 50 kilograms, so we'll call it a day when we're done. There's no need to rush."

Her words quietly nourished Xu Lihong's heart.

"Then I'll go back first. Take your time. When you've picked enough, take them to my house to be weighed. If you can't find the way, just follow them. It's okay if you pick less today, just pick more tomorrow. I'm leaving now, otherwise you'll be distracted from picking mushrooms."

Chen Xi said as he waved his hand towards Xu Lihong.

Xu Lihong waved her hand and watched Chen Xi walk away, with complicated emotions surging in her heart.

Deep down in her heart, Chen Xi's clear-cut attitude towards life made her both envious and yearning.

She dreams that one day she will be able to break free from the shackles, live freely and firmly, no longer be burdened by the shadow of her family, and no longer need to constantly observe people's words and expressions and live cautiously.

Chen Xi returned home. The mushrooms and fungus drying in the yard were glowing golden in the sun, emitting a natural fragrance.

Those that were dried in the first two days have already dried thoroughly and have been carefully collected into baskets, waiting to become delicacies on the table.

Those that have just been picked need another day of sunshine to complete their transformation.

At this moment, Mrs. Xiong, who had just returned from the fields, had a full bundle of vegetables in her arms. When she saw Chen Xi, she gave half of them to him.

"Mrs. Xiong, I feel so embarrassed to keep eating the fresh vegetables you grow. You must have worked so hard to grow them yourself, and yet you always share them with us so generously."