A sophomore in college starts by getting a marriage certificate with a female CEO.

Lu Yang rolled up his sleeves above his elbows and turned on the tap to rinse his hands.

Li Xixue stood to the side, took the noodles out of the sealed bag, and weighed them in her hand.

Is that enough?

Lu Yang glanced at it, nodded, and said, "It's about right for two people."

Li Xixue placed the noodles on the table and then rummaged through the cabinet to find a bottle of soy sauce and a bag of dried chili peppers.

That's all.

Lu Yang glanced at the things on the table.

Noodles, soy sauce, dried chili peppers, and half a head of garlic.

"Where's the pot?"

Li Xixue took an aluminum pot off the wall and handed it to him.

The bottom of the pot was a little black, but it was cleaned.

Lu Yang took it, added water, placed it on the stove, and turned on the fire.

Blue flames leaped up, instantly warming the kitchen.

Li Xixue stood to the side and rummaged through the cabinet, pulling out a few more items.

A small bottle of soy sauce, half a bag of salt, and a packet of dried shiitake mushrooms.

"That's all?"

"Um."

Lu Yang looked at the materials.

Okay, that's enough.

He soaked the dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl, then rummaged through the bottom of the cupboard and found a small jar of peanut oil.

Lu Yang placed the peanut oil next to the stove.

The water wasn't boiling yet, so he leaned against the stove and waited.

Li Xixue didn't leave either; she stood beside him, her hand resting on the table.

The two people were sitting shoulder to shoulder in the small kitchen.

One person was boiling water, and the other was washing dishes.

Did your grandmother cook well?

"tasty."

Li Xixue looked at the fire on the stove: "Her specialty is scallion oil noodles, and she uses this pot."

Lu Yang looked down at the aluminum pot.

The pot has been used for many years, and the handle is worn shiny.

"The top shelf of the cabinet."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang tiptoed and opened the top cabinet door.

There was a small bunch of dried shallots inside, wrapped in newspaper.

He took it out and smelled it; it still had a scent.

"Did your grandma save it?"

"I bought it when I came to have it cleaned last time."

Lu Yang placed the dried scallions on the table and peeled a few with his hands.

The scallions were a little wilted, but they were still green after being cut open.

The water has boiled.

Lu Yang put the noodles in and stirred them with his chopsticks.

Li Xixue wiped the water off her hands and stood beside him, watching his actions.

"Do you cook noodles like this at home?"

"almost."

"Too much water was added."

Lu Yang looked down at the pot.

That's definitely too much.

"If there's too much, just drink more soup."

Li Xixue took a bowl from the side, rinsed it under the tap, and placed it on the stove.

Then I took another one.

The two bowls were placed side by side.

He soaked the shiitake mushrooms until they expanded, then took them out and sliced ​​them.

The knife is a bit dull, so you have to press hard when cutting.

Immediately afterwards, Lu Yang threw the sliced ​​shiitake mushrooms into the pot and poured in some soy sauce.

Li Xixue reached out and took the soy sauce bottle from his hand.

"That's enough, you've put in too much."

"I think it's alright."

"It's too salty."

Lu Yang glanced at her.

The noodles aren't even cooked yet, and you already know they're salty?

But he did not refute it.

After all, this is what she ate since she was a child.

Li Xixue put the soy sauce bottle aside, picked up the salt shaker, and sprinkled a little bit into the pot.

Lu Yang picked up another small pot, poured in some peanut oil, and turned on a low flame.

Once the oil is hot, add the chopped scallions.

With a sizzle, the aroma of scallion oil immediately filled the air.

Li Xixue turned her head and stared at the scallion segments in the pot.

"Turn the fire down."

Lu Yang turned the fire down.

Li Xixue then said, "Even smaller."

Lu Yang adjusted it again.

"That's about it."

Lu Yang picked up the pot of scallion oil and waited for the noodles to cook.

The noodles were bubbling in the pot, with slices of shiitake mushrooms floating on top.

He picked up a noodle with his chopsticks, blew on it, and took a bite.

"How is it?" Li Xixue asked.

"It's alright, but not quite there yet."

"What's missing?"

"It's not as good as your grandmother's cooking."

Li Xixue didn't speak, but the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

Once the noodles were cooked, Lu Yang scooped them into two bowls, divided the shiitake mushroom slices, and then poured scallion oil over them.

When the hot oil hits the noodles, there's another sizzle.

The aroma is even stronger now.

He carried the two bowls of noodles to the dining table outside.

The table is made of wood and covered with a plastic tablecloth; it looks a bit old.

Li Xixue sat on one side of the table, and Lu Yang sat opposite her.

Two bowls of noodles are placed in the middle.

Lu Yang picked up his chopsticks and took a bite.

"Mmm, delicious."

Li Xixue also picked up her chopsticks and stirred the noodles in the bowl, making sure the scallion oil coated them evenly.

She took a bite.

I chewed it twice, then stopped.

Lu Yang looked at her.

"What's wrong?"

Li Xixue lowered her head and took another bite.

"Somewhat similar."

"Like what?"

"Like what my grandma makes."

She spoke very softly, stirred the contents of her bowl with her chopsticks, and didn't look up.

Lu Yang didn't respond.

The two of them sat quietly at the old table and ate a bowl of noodles.

The only sounds in the room were the clinking of chopsticks against bowls and the ticking of the old clock on the wall.

After finishing his meal, Lu Yang collected the bowls and took them to the kitchen to wash them.

Li Xixue followed and stood beside her, taking a rag to wipe the stove.

The two of them, one washes the dishes and the other wipes the stove.

After washing the dishes, Lu Yang wiped his hands on his apron.

The apron was hanging behind the kitchen door; it was floral and must have been used by Li Xixue's grandmother.

Lu Yang took off his apron, hung it back up, and walked into the living room.

Li Xixue sat on the sofa, flipping through a photo album.

The photo album is old, with a dark red cover and worn-out corners.

Lu Yang walked over, sat down next to her, and glanced at the photo album.

The photo is of Li Xixue when she was a child.

She was about six or seven years old, standing under the tree in the yard, wearing a red cotton-padded jacket, with a round face and very short hair.

Did you have short hair when you were a child?

"My grandma cut it, saying it would be easy to maintain."

Lu Yang glanced at the little girl in the photo again, then at the one next to her.

The changes are indeed significant.

The little girl with a round face and short hair from childhood has now become a CEO managing assets worth tens of billions.

Li Xixue flipped through a few pages and stopped at a photograph.

In the photo, she is about ten years old, squatting in the yard, holding a gray cat in her arms.

"You've also owned a cat?"

"My maternal grandmother raised them; they were called 'tuanzi'."

"Dumplings?"

"Because it's fat."

Lu Yang glanced at the cat in the photo; it was indeed fat, like a ball.

"And then?"

"Later, when I went to school in the city, Tuanzi stayed with my grandmother."

Li Xixue turned the page and said nothing more.

Lu Yang didn't press the matter.

He could guess what would happen next.

Li Xixue closed the photo album and put it back in the drawer below.

"Let's go, it's getting late."

Lu Yang didn't move.

He looked at the kitchen, then at the living room.

"Sit a little longer."

Lu Yang followed her back to the living room, and the two sat back down on the sofa.

Li Xixue pulled her legs up on the sofa, leaned against the armrest, and looked at the wall opposite her.

Besides the "Peace and Prosperity" sign on the wall, there was also a calendar, turned to a page from three years ago, which no one had turned to since.

Lu Yang followed her gaze.

three years ago.

It must have been the year the old lady passed away.

He didn't ask.

After a while.

Lu Yang spoke.

"From now on... I'll come with you."