After the two reunited, they also exchanged the things they had encountered.
Regarding her childhood sweetheart being entangled by a group of young girls, Su Miaomiao burst into laughter. That's right, in their eyes, thirteen or fourteen-year-olds were indeed just young girls, not worth any jealousy. They only found it amusing.
Cheng Hao also expressed his helplessness.
He straightened his expression and spoke of serious matters, "Is Gao Dashan really going to find the Jin family head?"
Su Miaomiao giggled and said, "Not necessarily, but it wouldn't be bad if he went."
The Jin family's convoy was currently a paper tiger, with few who could resist. Although the people in Shaan'ao Village were thin, they were stronger in terms of martial prowess.
Everyone wanted to reach the other side quickly, so the Jin family couldn't expect a free ride.
Shaan'ao Village was the first to refuse, and it was expected.
Cheng Hao pondered inwardly, then let it go, "Let's see if they cause trouble first. We'll mind our own business and make lunch."
Someone had said they would "show off their skills" at noon.
Su Miaomiao immediately became interested and said, "Let's use this jar of sauce! Do you want to test for poison first? There shouldn't be any mistakes. They don't seem like bad people, and this thing is wrapped layer by layer, very precious."
She also stated that it was just made of spices and vegetables to create a fragrant sauce.
Cheng Hao nodded and said it wasn't necessary, as Gao Dashan's character was trustworthy.
He tried to open the sauce and could smell a simple, rich aroma, with a hint of mushroom. It was likely that mushrooms were added to enhance the flavor.
"The smell is good, no problem. We'll stew meat this afternoon."
"That's great! Let's have those two aunties make flatbread today! Their flatbread is soft and easy to eat. Served with stewed meat, it will be like a hearty stew!"
The flatbread dipped in the soup would surely be delicious.
Su Miaomiao strongly stated that this meal would definitely boost everyone's happiness. Since neither of them had to do heavy labor, they would help in other ways, mainly because Ji Bo wouldn't let Cheng Hao do it.
Otherwise.
Cheng Hao also said he could help out, which greatly frightened the elder, who insisted that he couldn't possibly do manual labor. He added that there were already enough things for him to worry about, and his mind was already tired, so his body shouldn't suffer as well.
Furthermore.
How could a young master, a suave gentleman, do rough work?
Ji Bo also felt it was impossible.
If he really made him work, how could he face the madam?
Cheng Hao then relented.
He followed Su Miaomiao to the temporary makeshift stove.
Above, a layer of oilcloth was still stretched high, and two stoves were built with stones below, holding two large pots, where hot water was being boiled.
Not far away, Mrs. Cai and Mrs. Xi were bathing children one by one. Seeing the young couple approach, they quickly stood up, wiped their hands, and said, "Young… no, Miaomiao? Why are you here? Is something wrong?"
Su Miaomiao greeted them and stopped them from coming over, "It's nothing. You continue with your work. While it's still light, finish bathing quickly. It's dark, not to mention cold."
She said that lunch would be their responsibility, and they should focus on their tasks.
Mrs. Xi and Mrs. Cai listened, completely bewildered. They thought they had only finished breakfast not long ago, and now they were preparing lunch? But upon hearing that meat would be stewed, they understood, "Yes, the wild meat in the mountains is tough, it should be stewed early, otherwise it'll be impossible to chew, especially since the rabbits you catch are bigger each time!"
Bigger meant older, while smaller was tender, but bigger meant more meat and more flavor.
Mrs. Cai and Mrs. Xi took advantage of the topic to praise Su Miaomiao a few times, bathing the children and chatting casually, without wasting any time.
Initially, they were quite afraid of these two young people, mainly because they weren't familiar with them and couldn't relax.
Now that the young couple appeared before them frequently, they had become somewhat familiar, to the point where they dared to speak.
Mrs. Cai and Mrs. Xi, near the riverbank, had simply hung up two pieces of cloth as makeshift bathing areas, which were sufficient for bathing the children.
Meanwhile, at the temporary kitchen, Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao began to prepare the meal.
Someone was rubbing his hands together, full of excitement.
Cheng Hao prepared to help throughout the process. He watched Su Miaomiao's happy expression, as if she were out playing, not escaping hardship, completely carefree.
Sometimes, he envied her optimism. As long as her body was fine and he was there, she would always appear invincible.
It was indeed not bad.
It also made those who followed her unconsciously infected by her.
They would feel that the current difficulties were nothing.
They would always pass.
Cheng Hao watched her space out for a few seconds, and Su Miaomiao had already picked up the wild rabbit, startling him. He quickly stopped her, "Be careful with your hands!"
Su Miaomiao grinned and waved her hand, indicating she was fine, "Don't worry!"
Then she began to chop, looking quite professional.
Cheng Hao watched with trepidation.
These wild rabbits and bamboo rats had already been processed; they only needed to be cut into small pieces. Other seasonings were completely absent.
Fortunately.
Su Miaomiao picked some wild peppers, saying she would add a little to enhance the flavor later, and also to help everyone sweat and warm up their bodies.
Cheng Hao mentioned that chili peppers were very spicy and asked her to be gentle, especially since children would be eating.
Su Miaomiao naturally replied that it was no problem, it was all on her. Then she vigorously chopped the meat, wielding the large cleaver with great momentum and excellent rhythm.
This display stunned Mrs. Cai and Mrs. Xi, who didn't know she could cook. Just as they were about to praise her, they saw Cheng Hao light the firewood stove, and before the pot was even hot, she was about to throw the meat in. They instantly understood, so she could only chop meat? And knew nothing else?!
Fortunately.
If someone wanted to play at cooking, her childhood sweetheart could accompany her and assist throughout.
The meal was prepared relatively smoothly.
Su Miaomiao herself was not very proficient, but she listened to Cheng Hao's instructions diligently. After the whole process, she felt exhausted, more so than hunting, and her enthusiasm waned significantly. The latter half relied on her childhood sweetheart to take over.
Cheng Hao knew how to cook.
Especially after they lived together, he would occasionally cook.
But he didn't know much.
However, he could always cook by either looking at recipes on his phone or reading cookbooks.
Each time, he made very good dishes.
Su Miaomiao also praised his cooking. Occasionally, when she was in the mood, she would also cook a few times.
But it was hard on Cheng Hao.
A few times, he almost passed away. The taste was truly indescribable.
The same recipe and the same process, yet her cooking was always worse.
One of the reasons.
Cheng Hao strongly suspected that Su Miaomiao's whimsical nature made it difficult for her to adhere to recipe standards when cooking. A slight slip of the hand could make a world of difference, whereas he always preferred to be meticulous and follow the steps.
Logically speaking.
Su Miaomiao's free-spirited personality shouldn't have liked someone as "boring" as him, but she was indeed extremely fond of him.