Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

next morning

As soon as it was light, Liu Xiangyang woke up. In his arms, He Xiaoqin slept with a rosy face and a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth. Jiang Xiaowen lay quietly on her side beside him, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes. Zuo Qingqing lay sprawled out, one leg draped over him.

He gently pulled his arm away, got up and dressed. There were already sounds coming from the kitchen; Xue Bingbing was starting a fire.

Liu Xiangyang walked over, the firelight from the stove reflecting on her face, which was calm and gentle.

"Getting up so early?" Liu Xiangyang picked up a water ladle and scooped water from the vat to wash his face.

"I'm used to it." Xue Bingbing added water to the pot, preparing to cook. "They were all tired yesterday, so let them sleep a little longer. Qiqi and Yaoyao haven't gotten up yet either."

Liu Xiangyang splashed cold water on his face, which refreshed him. He walked to the stove and watched Xue Bingbing deftly wash the rice and put it into the pot.

"There's nothing urgent in the team today, so I'm going out for a walk this morning," Liu Xiangyang said.

"Okay." Xue Bingbing responded and added a piece of firewood to the stove. "Leave some hot water for them to use when they get up to wash up."

The two remained silent. The only sounds in the kitchen were the crackling of the firewood and the soft gurgling of the water in the pot, a tacit understanding flowing in the morning light.

Leqi and Leyao also got up one after another. One went to fetch water, and the other helped set the table. When He Xiaoqin, Jiang Xiaowen and Zuo Qingqing came over rubbing their eyes, the aroma of the food had already filled the air.

At the breakfast table, the atmosphere was more relaxed than usual. Zuo Qingqing yawned and muttered about her sore back, He Xiaoqin ate in small bites with her ears still a little red, and Jiang Xiaowen quietly peeled an egg.

Le Yao looked at this and that, smiled slightly, and didn't say anything. Le Qi's expression remained normal, but she showed a beautiful smile when she put salted vegetables on Liu Xiangyang's plate.

Xue Bingbing served rice to everyone: "The weather is nice today. We've almost finished washing and disassembling everything. There's no rush for the remaining needlework. Take your time. Xiangyang has something to do this morning, so we'll give everyone the morning off to relax."

"Finally we can play! Sister Bingbing, let's play cards. Whoever stuck the most cards on me last time, I want revenge!" Le Yao and Zuo Qingqing responded the fastest.

Liu Xiangyang pushed his bicycle out the door. He didn't go to the brigade headquarters, but instead rode along the village road, seemingly casually.

As I passed by the third team's field, I saw Li Jianjun with his hands behind his back, talking to a few villagers. He looked rather unwell. When he saw Liu Xiangyang, Li Jianjun's eyes flickered for a moment, then he turned his head away as if he hadn't seen him, but the muscles in his jaw visibly tightened.

Liu Xiangyang did not slow down. Instead of going straight home, he took a detour and rode towards the secluded area where Gu Xiaoyu lived.

The door to the cottage was closed, but the window was open. Liu Xiangyang parked his car behind the cottage, walked to the door, and knocked gently.

A slight, slightly panicked noise came from inside, followed by Gu Xiaoyu's hushed voice: "Who's there?"

"I."

The door opened immediately, and Gu Xiaoyu stood inside, wearing a faded old coat, but her hair was neatly combed. Her face showed obvious surprise and a hint of shyness, and she held a needle and thread and a piece of plain silk in her hand.

"Brother Xiangyang? What brings you here at this hour?" She stepped aside to let him in, then quickly closed the door.

The room was cleaner than the last time I came. Although it was still simple, the windows were bright and the tables were clean. The old table was wiped spotless. The bed was covered with a neat sheet and the thin quilt was folded into a square. On the table, the jar of malted milk powder was placed in a conspicuous position, and next to it was a clean empty peach ghee paper package.

Liu Xiangyang's gaze fell on the silk in her hand, and he could already make out the general shape of the bodice, with fine and even stitches.

"How's it going?" he asked.

Gu Xiaoyu blushed and held up the item in her hand for him to see. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if she were showing off a treasure: "Almost done... Look, I've finished the hem here with fine cotton cloth, so it won't rub against your skin. It's just... I still don't know if the size will fit..." Her voice grew softer and her face redder as she spoke.

Liu Xiangyang took it and looked at it; the craftsmanship was indeed quite good. "Put it away when you're done." He returned the bib to her, then took out a small paper packet from his pocket and placed it on the table. "I passed by the supply and marketing cooperative and saw they sold these, so I brought you two pieces."

Gu Xiaoyu opened the paper package. Inside were two pieces of fruit hard candy wrapped in transparent candy wrapper, printed with the red double happiness character. In the village, this was a rare treat. Her nose tingled, she clutched the candy tightly, and looked up at him: "Brother Xiangyang, you're so good to me... I... I have nothing to repay you with..."

"Getting well is the best way to repay her," Liu Xiangyang said calmly, but his eyes shone brightly as he looked at her.

"Hmm." Liu Xiangyang looked at her still thin body. "Drink a little malted milk powder every day, and don't skimp on eggs. I like them with a little meat in them."

These words were quite blunt, and Gu Xiaoyu's ears turned red again, but she nodded without hesitation: "I'll drink! I'll eat! I... I'll definitely recover as soon as possible!"

Liu Xiangyang didn't stay any longer. He had been out for quite a while today. Before leaving, he pinched Gu Xiaoyu's cheek, which was a little plumper than before: "Remember to eat the candy."

Gu Xiaoyu saw him to the door and watched him ride away before closing the door. Leaning against the door, she slowly slid down to sit, clutching the two fruit candies tightly. The candy wrappers rustled in her palm, but her heart felt as sweet as if it had been soaked in honey, swollen with sweetness, and so reassuring that she wanted to cry.

With the candy in her mouth, the sweet taste lingered. She stood up, carefully wrapped the other piece of candy and the plain-colored bib together in a clean handkerchief, hid it under her pillow, then picked up a broom and began to clean the simple yet hopeful little house even more diligently.

When Liu Xiangyang rode his bicycle back to his yard, it was almost noon.

Before even entering the courtyard, you can smell a rich and enticing aroma of meat, mixed with the fragrance of stir-fried scallions and ginger—it's definitely not the smell of ordinary people's meals.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, one could see Xue Bingbing carrying a steaming large bowl out of the kitchen. Inside was a glistening, fragrant braised pork belly, each piece a perfect balance of lean and fat, trembling slightly, with a thick, rich sauce. Le Yao followed behind, carrying a large plate of stir-fried eggs with chives, the yellow and green colors distinct, glistening with oil. On the table in the main room, there was already a bowl of white rice, a dish of smashed cucumber drizzled with sesame oil, and a small bowl of fried peanuts.

"You're back? Perfect timing for dinner." Xue Bingbing put down her bowl and wiped her hands. "This morning, Captain Lixin had someone deliver a piece of pork belly, saying it was to thank you for helping to mediate the irrigation issue last time. It looked fresh, so I stewed it."

He Xiaoqin and Jiang Xiaowen were setting out the bowls and chopsticks when Zuo Qingqing helped Leqi bring out a large pot of tomato and egg soup—the tomatoes were bright red, the egg flowers were tender yellow, and the soup was clear and bright, making it look very appetizing.

"Wow! They have braised pork today!" Zuo Qingqing's eyes lit up, and she sniffed hard. "It smells so good!"