Reborn to Make Games: My Girlfriend is a Game Streamer

Chen Bainian took the trash from Jiang Yiting's hand and threw it into the trash can on the side, then continued, "It's a small place, so the habit of going to the market is still preserved."

The town's market is usually held around the 2nd and 7th of each month, such as the 2nd, 7th, 12th, and 17th...

My parents also grow some vegetables in front of and behind their house, so they don't go to the market often, since the prices at the regular stalls are usually higher.

"That is, during these market days, we go to buy some produce that we haven't grown at home, or to buy some meat and vegetables."

Chen Bainian, just like Jiang Yiting had just done, was lost in memories: "When I was in elementary school, I went to school in the next village."

For students going to and from school, several relatives or neighbors in the village would take turns sending one adult to pick them up and drop them off.

When I got to junior high school, I had to go to the school in town, so I started living at school.

Around the turn of the millennium, conditions were generally not very good. My family lived on the coast and could only get some seafood. We didn't eat much meat on a regular basis.

But in my memory, the food in my junior high school cafeteria was exceptionally bad... It wasn't because the ingredients were bad, it was just that it was cooked terribly...

As Chen Bainian spoke, he started laughing first.

"How bad does it taste?" Jiang Yiting asked curiously.

Chen Bainian thought for a moment and made a comparison: "The vegetables I usually stir-fry are bland, but they taste pretty good."

Back in my junior high school cafeteria, the amount of salt was inconsistent, sometimes too much and sometimes too little.

Moreover, the chef who cooked the communal meals probably didn't have much experience. In order to cook the vegetables thoroughly, he often added too much water, which caused the vegetables to turn yellow and taste nothing like fresh vegetables.

"Hmm... it's like reheating leftover vegetables for the next meal. My middle school cafeteria was even more extreme than that."

Jiang Yiting nodded, then suddenly added, "That's probably similar to how my mom cooks."

"Hmm?" Chen Bainian uttered a soft, curious sound.

"We already had a great chef at home. Oh, and later my brother didn't do very well in school, so he also learned to cook from my dad," Jiang Yiting explained.

"So my mom basically never cooks."

Years ago, when my dad went away to compete, my mom cooked for my brother and me. After eating it twice, my brother, who wasn't even much taller than the stove at the time, decided to stand on a stool and cook for us himself...

My brother probably inherited my dad's talent; you could tell he was a good cook even when he was little.

"So, Teacher Jiang inherited her mother's talent for cooking?" Chen Bainian joked.

"How can you be so annoying!" Jiang Yiting rolled her eyes at him, then retorted, "My cooking isn't bad, is it?"

"Indeed." Chen Bainian nodded, a smile in his eyes. "It's all thanks to Uncle's chili sauce."

Jiang Yiting wasn't annoyed at all. Instead, she proudly raised her chin slightly and said, "That's right, it's my dad's secret recipe, unbeatable. But... today I'll make you two without chili sauce, so you can see my skills."

"Then I look forward to Professor Jiang's performance," Chen Bainian replied with a smile.

Jiang Yiting hummed twice and didn't reply.

Chen Bainian smiled and continued to share: "However, the town's vegetable market is right outside the big iron gate at the back of our junior high school."

"Every time there's a market day, the back gate and the iron fence area by the playground get packed with people during breaks, and the teachers can't keep up with them all..."

As Jiang Yiting listened to Chen Bainian's recollections, her gaze unconsciously drifted to his wrist hanging at his side.

She moved closer to Chen Bainian's right hand and tentatively extended two fingers, gently tapping his left wrist twice.

"Teacher Jiang, what are you doing?" Chen Bainian asked with amusement as he felt a slight touch on his wrist.

"I'm trying to see if I can shock you," Jiang Yiting responded to his earlier teasing, but her words sounded a bit childish.

Chen Bainian smiled, twisted his left wrist, and took her right hand, which was acting up.

It was as if he was responding to her earlier implication of "marking the boat to find the sword" with his actions.

He took her hand and walked forward naturally: "Come on, Teacher Jiang, that bamboo shoot stall over there should be the one Grandpa Ye mentioned. Let's go take a look."

Jiang Yiting was stunned when Chen Bainian took her hand.

Then, looking at him walking slightly ahead of her, Jiang Yiting gave him a bright smile.

Why is my heart beating faster?

What does it feel like to be electrocuted?

It doesn't exist...

A touch of crimson subtly tinged the tips of her beautiful ears.

Her high ponytail, tied up, bounced like a victory flag in the sunlight as she followed Chen Bainian's steps.

Chen Bainian led Jiang Yiting to the bamboo shoot stall before letting go of her hand and squatting down.

As the two approached, the shopkeeper called out, "Young men, look at these bamboo shoots! They're all from our own forest, incredibly tender! Only a few left, ten yuan a pound, take them all!"

The local residents all get up early and have gathered here by now. There are only about ten bamboo shoots left on the bamboo shoot stall.

Chen Bainian symbolically picked through the items.

He didn't actually know how to choose bamboo shoots to see if they were fresh or tender. He just imitated how he used to go grocery shopping with his parents and said, "Boss, there are only two of us, we can't eat that much."

"You can put it in the refrigerator. If you want to buy bamboo shoots from our own fields again, you'll have to wait until the next market day," the shopkeeper said, deftly opening a plastic bag and handing it over.

"Just take two or three, I see there are some baby bok choy and other things over there. We usually cook dinner ourselves." Jiang Yiting squatted down next to Chen Bainian, then looked up at the shopkeeper and asked, "Boss, is it the same price even if we take fewer?"

The boss hesitated for a moment, then nodded and agreed: "Okay, I'll sell it to you."

However, after seeing Chen Bainian's amateurish way of picking bamboo shoots, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "Young man, you don't pick bamboo shoots like that. First of all, you have to look at the bud..."

While instructing the two on how to choose, the vendor picked out two medium-sized bamboo shoots from the stall, which he considered to be of the best quality. He added, "These are tender. If they're not tender, come back to me next time you go to the market, and I'll give you a refund!"

Chen Bainian and Jiang Yiting exchanged a glance and smiled awkwardly.

The shopkeeper weighed it, and Jiang Yiting paid.

The two then went to the vegetable stall she had mentioned.

"Little brother, this baby bok choy is delicious. Let's buy some, and I'll stir-fry some for you later," Jiang Yiting said, pointing to the baby bok choy in front of her. Chuan Yin unconsciously blurted out.

"From Sichuan?" The stall owner was a middle-aged woman who looked to be in her fifties or sixties. Hearing Jiang Yiting's accent, she also revealed her own local accent.

"Yes!" Jiang Yiting immediately looked up and replied with a smile in her hometown dialect.

It always feels especially warm to meet someone from your hometown in a foreign land, so the two chatted for a few minutes in Sichuan dialect.

The boss pulled out a cloth bag from beside him, opened it to reveal slender, white vegetables covered in water droplets.

"Hey boss, you even have houttuynia cordata?" Jiang Yiting was pleasantly surprised.

"Yes, we grow them here ourselves. The locals don't eat these." The owner shared with them in a tone that only someone from his hometown would understand.

Jiang Yiting pinched a section of skin and asked, "You've already washed it, huh?"

"It's been washed, it's very clean." The boss nodded.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yiting immediately stuffed the small piece into her mouth, chewed it, and said, "It's quite tender, take some."

Watching the shop owner start putting things on the scale, Jiang Yiting pinched off a small piece and handed it to Chen Bainian, a mischievous smile in her eyes:

"Try it, little brother. I'll make you some houttuynia cordata with chili sauce for lunch. It's a delicacy that can only be found in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan."

Chen Bainian looked at the "delicious food" she handed over.

Short videos are not yet well-developed, and self-media bloggers have not yet penetrated into lower-tier markets.

Thus, the "Yunnan-Guizhou-Sichuan cuisine" that will become a viral sensation online is not yet known to people in other regions.

However, Chen Bainian from later generations had already heard of its great name.

Seeing Chen Bainian hesitate, Jiang Yiting pushed the food forward further, her smile widening as if she were genuinely recommending it to him: "Try it, little brother."

Chen Bainian couldn't refuse any longer. With a smile that seemed to indicate she was looking forward to a good show, he put the piece of houttuynia cordata into his mouth and began to chew it.

Houttuynia cordata, also known as fish mint, has a strong and unique fishy smell, as its name suggests.

Chen Bainian's face instantly changed color.

"Hahaha." Jiang Yiting laughed in a low voice beside him.

After swallowing with difficulty, Chen Bainian looked at him and said, "Teacher Jiang, I'm afraid I'm not fit to enjoy this houttuynia cordata."

"Hey, little brother, this is nothing," Jiang Yiting laughed. "I heard that in Yunnan and Guizhou, a lot of dipping sauces have chopped houttuynia cordata in them. If you ever come to visit us, you'll have to learn how to make it too."

Chen Bainian could only respond with a wry smile.

After buying baby bok choy and houttuynia cordata, the two stopped at several other vegetable stalls and bought some fresh vegetables, meat, and eggs.

As Jiang Yiting bought the vegetables, she casually planned, "This green vegetable can be stir-fried tonight..."

Shredded pork can be eaten with green peppers...

"I'll save the potatoes for the day after tomorrow..."

Listening to her simple arrangements for dinners over the next few days, Chen Bainian suddenly felt a strange sensation.

It was as if they weren't planning a meal, but rather depicting some shared, anticipated daily routine.

The spring sunshine was warm and gentle. The two of them carried heavy plastic bags full of everyday life and walked side by side toward home.