Going home for the New Year during the winter break, I encountered a cool school girl on the high-sp

Amidst everyone's laughter and chatter, Chen Chen and his team cleaned the prepared snails and brought them to the stove.

Chen Jianwen was already busy at the stove, the flames in the firebox leaping merrily, illuminating his smiling face.

Chen Chen stood next to Chen Jianwen and said:

"Dad, you should add more ingredients to your secret recipe so that everyone can enjoy it to their heart's content."

Chen Jianwen took the snail and said confidently:

"Of course, I guarantee you'll never forget it after you eat it."

As he spoke, he skillfully poured oil into the hot pan, and once the oil was hot enough, he added scallions, ginger, and garlic to stir-fry.

Instantly, a rich aroma filled the entire kitchen.

Qin Yao and Lin Muxi stood curiously to the side, taking a deep sniff.

"Wow, the snails haven't been harvested yet, but I can already smell the delicious aroma."

"Me too, I want to eat it right now."

Next, Chen Jianwen put the snails into the pot. With a series of crackling sounds, the aroma became more and more intense, making everyone's mouths water.

Qin Yao watched intently from the side and asked with even greater curiosity, "Uncle, do we need to add any special seasonings to these snails?"

Chen Jianwen answered with a smile while stir-frying the snails:

"These seasonings are local chili peppers and perilla leaves. Only with these two ingredients can the flavor be authentic."

As he spoke, he took out some washed perilla leaves and a few bright red chilies from a basket beside him, chopped them up, and sprinkled them into the pot.

The unique aroma of perilla and the spiciness of chili peppers instantly blend into the snails, filling the entire kitchen with this tempting flavor.

Lin Muxi took a deep breath and said with rapture:
"Wow, just smelling this makes me feel like I could eat a whole plate of it."

Soon, the snails were ready to be cooked.

A large plate of tempting, fragrant farm snails was served on the dining table in the yard.

The snails glistened with oil, and the garnish of perilla and chili peppers made them look even more tempting.

Chen Chen called out to everyone, "Come on, don't be shy, have a taste."

The three of them sat down around it.

Chen Chen picked up a snail and put it directly into his mouth to suck on it, while Lin Muxi and Qin Yao picked up toothpicks to extract the snail meat and savored it.

The snail meat is tender and bouncy, with a rich broth coating every strand. The flavors of perilla and chili are just right, adding a unique taste without being too pungent.

Qin Yao's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "It really is delicious! Uncle's cooking is absolutely amazing!"

Lin Muxi also gave a thumbs up: "This tastes so good, Uncle could debut right now and become a famous online chef, haha!"

Chen Jianwen, usually a simple and unassuming man, became somewhat embarrassed by his son's praise, a rare blush creeping onto his face. He waved his hands repeatedly, saying:
"Hey, I'm glad you like it. We still have plenty of snails at home. When you go back to Jiangcheng, I'll cook them and vacuum pack them so you can take them back and enjoy them at your leisure."

"Yeah."

"Thank you uncle."

"..."

Liu Xiuying, with a gentle smile on her face, softly reminded him:
"There are other dishes on the table, so don't just focus on eating snails, remember to try other things too."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Chen Jianwen quickly chimed in, gesturing enthusiastically, "There are other dishes too, all made with fresh local ingredients, everyone eat as much as you like!"

Lin Muxi smiled and nodded in response, "Auntie, Uncle, we know, Yaoyao, try these potato sprouts. Auntie grew them herself, and I picked them."

As she spoke, she picked up a piece of bright green stir-fried sweet potato sprouts with her chopsticks and put it into Qin Yao's bowl.

Qin Yao nodded, picked up the food, put it in her mouth, and immediately showed a satisfied expression.
"Hmm, are these sweet potato sprouts? They're sweet and delicious, really tasty."

"Yes. There's also braised pork; you should try some too."

Following Lin Muxi's advice, Qin Yao took another bite of the tender braised pork. The melt-in-your-mouth texture made her exclaim in admiration:
"Uncle and Aunt, this braised pork is absolutely amazing! It's perfectly balanced between salty and sweet, and it's fatty but not greasy at all. I've never had such delicious braised pork before."

Chen Chen joked from the side:

"Of course, my parents are famous for their cooking skills in this area. You're lucky to have come to my house."

Hearing everyone's praise, Liu Xiuying smiled so much her eyes narrowed into slits, and quickly said:
"Eat as much as you like, it's all home-cooked food."

The meal ended amidst laughter and cheerful conversation.

After eating and drinking their fill, Lin Muxi pulled Qin Yao to sit in the courtyard and enjoyed eating watermelon.

Lin Muxi took a small bite of watermelon, and the sweet juice spread in her mouth.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Qin Yao with a hint of playfulness and smugness in her eyes, and asked:
"See? I told you before, right?"

Qin Yao imitated Lin Muxi, taking a big bite of watermelon, with juice slightly overflowing from the corner of her mouth.

She squinted her eyes contentedly and exclaimed sincerely:

"It's really great! Staying here makes me feel relaxed, both physically and mentally. I almost don't want to go back to Jiangcheng."

Lin Muxi glanced at Qin Yao a few times, and finally asked with a serious expression:

"Yaoyao, now you can tell me honestly, what happened that led you to suddenly come to Yuecheng this time?"

Qin Yao was stunned for a moment, then sighed softly, and the smile on her face gradually disappeared.

However, just a moment later, she quickly regained her composure, her face beaming with a smile again, and said in a seemingly relaxed manner:
"Hey, what could be wrong with me! I've been thinking about the website lately, my brain's been working non-stop, and I'm really exhausted. I just wanted to come here to relax and unwind."

As she spoke, she narrowed her eyes and looked at Lin Muxi with feigned reproach.
"I haven't even said anything to you yet! There's such a great vacation spot, and you just sneak off to enjoy it all by yourself without even taking me with you. That's not very nice of you!"

Lin Muxi was not easily fooled by Qin Yao's words. She gently shook her head, her gaze still fixed on Qin Yao.

"Yaoyao, we've known each other for so many years, do you think I can't tell if you're hiding something?"

Let's stop trying to evade each other. If you really just wanted to relax, you wouldn't be in such a hurry; there must be another reason.

Qin Yao felt a pang of unease at Lin Muxi's words, and her eyes instinctively darted away.

But soon, she forced a smile and said, "There's really nothing else, so don't be so suspicious."

Look how beautiful the countryside is! I just want to enjoy myself and leave all my worries behind.

Lin Muxi tilted her head back slightly, slowly exhaled, her eyes filled with a hint of helplessness, yet also with unwavering devotion to her friend.

"Alright then, I'll let you off this time. But remember this: once we get back to Jiangcheng, I won't let this go so easily."

I need to find out what's really going on with you; don't even think about getting away with this. (End of Chapter)