Chapter 44 - 44 Chen Zhiqing Has No Brains

“They’re blind to how good-looking they are, I didn’t expect their brains to be useless.”

“No wonder Chen Zhiqing bursts into tears whenever anything happens, turns out the brain isn’t all there.”

The villagers gossiped amply, and Chen Yanran was so angry her eyes turned bloodshot as she ran back to the Youth Corps.

Xu Ying burst into laughter upon hearing this, almost out of breath, and couldn’t help thinking the old ladies of Xujia Village were really adorable.

Huo Chen carried a large basket of wild game on his back, originally planning to deliver it to Xu Ying. Since their last parting, he had not seen her again. Old Hui, who had raised him, could be considered his mother. Xu Ying had saved not only him but also Old Hui, and such a life-saving favor certainly could not be easily repaid.

“Xu Ying, this is for you.” Huo Chen pointed at the large basket on his back.

Filled with curiosity, Xu Ying stood on her tiptoes and looked into the large basket on his back.

She saw a basket full of wild game, including pheasants, rabbits, and ducks—a whole basketful of them.

Her eyes instantly brightened, like stars twinkling in the darkness, gleaming.@@novelbin@@

Although Xu Ying was stronger than the average woman, the big basket was even taller than Shitou, and she honestly couldn’t lift it.

Yet this straightforward man was still waiting for her to take it home.

“Huo Chen, I can’t carry it!” Xu Ying’s disheartened voice rose, tickling the very heart of Huo Chen.

His face momentarily stiffened, and after hesitating for a moment, he finally said, “I’ll go back with you.”

Xu Ying eagerly nodded upon hearing this.

Seeing her reaction, Huo Chen breathed a sigh of relief and followed Xu Ying home, one behind the other.

“Mom, I’m back!” Xu Ying called out at the gate.

Mrs. Xu’s voice, full of smiles, cheerily ran out. But when she saw Huo Chen, her smile drooped immediately, “You, what are you doing here?”

Huo Chen’s reputation as a ruthless ingrate was not unfounded; most people said the boy was heartless and ungrateful. Mrs. Xu had only glimpsed him from a distance before.

Now, suddenly standing before her, looking at his towering figure, Mrs. Xu was actually a bit scared.

“Xu Ying saved me and Old Hui before, so I brought these things to thank her,” Huo Chen explained.

Mrs. Xu told him to put down the things and leave quickly.

Huo Chen didn’t realize she was afraid of him and thought she was concerned about Xu Ying’s reputation, so he conscientiously put down the basket to leave.

“Wait, take the big basket away,” Mrs. Xu said, then reached out to take the basket.

“Uh~” Mrs. Xu exerted herself, and the basket didn’t budge, she exerted herself again, still nothing moved; she turned red in the face with effort, yet there was no response.

She looked at Huo Chen, feeling embarrassed, “Huo Chen, right? Bring it into the yard.”

Huo Chen obediently carried the basket into the yard.

Mrs. Xu hadn’t expected him to be so compliant; he was not as terrible as the rumors suggested.

Rumors really do kill!

Mrs. Xu found herself looking at Huo Chen more favorably. He was a poor kid who lost his parents when he was young.

“Huo Chen, stay for dinner later,” Mrs. Xu had just glanced at the basket and realized why it was so heavy—there were at least a dozen wild creatures inside, almost twenty in total.

Goodness, it’s as if he has emptied the entire mountain.

If her own son had such skills, they could eat meat every day.

Mrs. Xu looked at Huo Chen with a sigh of sympathy. If any girl married this boy, she would never be in want of meat.

It’s a pity, though, with all the terrible rumors about him outside, who knows which girl would dare to marry him.

Huo Chen shook his head, thinking of his grandma at home waiting for him to eat, “No, thanks. My grandma is waiting for me at home.”

Mrs. Xu nodded, removed all the wild game from the big basket, and handed the empty basket back to Huo Chen.

After a thought, she picked up several wild animals and offered them to Huo Chen, “Take these back to eat with your grandma.”

Huo Chen refused, “We still have plenty at home.”

These words stumped Mrs. Xu, a sound of surprise escaping her: “This is a family of great means, huh.”

Huo Chen left with a large basket on his back.

Xu Ying entered the kitchen; she planned to try out a new recipe, Mandarin Duck Chicken.

After looking at the recipe, she understood what Mandarin Duck Chicken was all about: the dish was made by steaming. After being steamed, it was thickened with a sauce, drizzled with oil, and arranged on a plate.

The finished dish was crispy, rich, brightly colored, and beautifully shaped, carrying a profound meaning, resembling mandarin ducks, with a taste distinct in two respects.

The red chicken’s belly was stuffed with pork filling, while the white chicken was stuffed with a seasoned barley filling.

It could indeed be called a signature dish.

Once the Mandarin Duck Chicken was ready, the fragrance filled the courtyard.

There were many people in the Xu family, and added to that, the amount of game Huo Chen brought was plentiful; Xu Ying directly made two portions.

In addition, she stir-fried two vegetarian dishes.

“Mom, Dad, dinner’s ready,” Xu Ying called out. Several family members, who had been salivating in the courtyard for quite a while, couldn’t wait to run to the kitchen, bustling to dish up food and grab chopsticks.

“Dad, I’ll take some to Grandma, and send some to Granny Huo’s house too, since they gave us so much game,” Xu Ying suggested with a twinkle in her eye.

Mr. Xu was uneasy about letting his daughter go alone and instructed his two sons, “Eldest Son, Second Son, one of you go to your grandma’s house, and the other to Huo Chen’s house. Right, take these pheasants and hares to your grandma as well—there are too many, we can’t finish them, and they will spoil.”

Mrs. Xu had no objections because she also planned to send some to her parental home, and while there, she would check on her little brother’s marriage arrangements; they had been talking about him getting married since the beginning of the year, and several months had now passed without any news.

Xu Ying enjoyed the Mandarin Duck Chicken, her eyes lighting up. Truly a signature dish, it was as pleasing to the eyes as it was tasty to eat.

The chicken skin was firm, the fat glossy, and the flesh tender and smooth, delectably beyond compare.

With every chew of the eight-treasure stuffing inside, a different flavor emerged, the variety delighted the palate.

Yet there was a distinction between the two chickens: the white one was refreshing, delicate, and elegant.

The red one, however, had a rich flavor that lingered in the mouth, tantalizing the lips and taste buds, leaving one to savor indefinitely.

[Congratulations, Host, goodwill value +1, +1, +1…]

[Congratulations, Host, goodwill value +1, +1…]

[Congratulations, Host, goodwill value +5, +1, +5, +1…]

“System, why is there a sudden increase of five?” Xu Ying asked, her face a picture of shock.

[The system cannot detect the exact reason, but it has detected that it’s Huo Chen’s goodwill value.]

What the heck!

So it’s like that. From now on, shouldn’t I cling tightly to Huo Chen’s thigh? One from him is worth five from anyone else, dang, that’s a lot.

In a short time, I’ve gained dozens of points; I still need two hundred and fifty more to level up for the next time.

The next day, early in the morning, while Xu Ying still clung to her blanket in bed, the sun shone through the window into the room.

Mrs. Xu’s face, magnified, peered through the window: “Daughter, I’m going to your grandma’s house, are you coming?”

She hoped her daughter would come; everyone else in the family had gone off to work, leaving only her and her eldest daughter at home. Riding in a bumpy oxcart was rough, but if her daughter cycled, it would be much more comfortable.

Xu Ying rubbed her eyes. “A daughter knows her mother best,” she thought, immediately understanding Mrs. Xu’s intention.

Yawning, she sat up, dressed with her eyes half-shut, and got out of bed.

“Mom, what’s for breakfast?” Xu Ying yawned multiple times in succession.

Mrs. Xu thoughtfully served her daughter breakfast right in front of her: mixed grain buns with some wheat flour mixed in, tasting much better than when Xu Ying first arrived, her voice hoarse.

There was also a plate of scrambled eggs and a bowl of porridge.

Xu Ying quickly washed up, finally feeling much more alert.

Sitting at the table leisurely enjoying breakfast, Mrs. Xu ran off to borrow a vehicle from the Old Mansion.