Chapter 14: A Down-to-Earth Woman

Jiang Yuan set the navigation directly to Yuanyi Food Street in the Tunxi Yanghu district. Compared to Liyang Water Street, which was crowded with tourists everywhere, Yuanyi Food Street was free from much of the outsider’s clamor. It was a food street for locals, offering hot pot, barbecue, grilled meat, grilled fish—an array of delicacies in abundance. Jiang Yuan found a hot pot restaurant near the Xin’an River, where she could enjoy the spicy, fresh flavors of hot pot while admiring the riverside view, with Jiangxinzhou shining brilliantly nearby.

Upon arriving at the hot pot restaurant, she secured a window seat and ordered two cups of milk tea through her phone, asking the delivery person to bring them over. She also asked Cheng Yubai what flavor he wanted.

Cheng Yubai said, “You said you’d treat me.”

Jiang Yuan handed her phone to Cheng Yubai, letting him choose, smiling warmly with her hands under her chin as she looked across the table at him. “Next time then. You’re not in a hurry to leave Huangshan, so there’ll be plenty of chances for you to treat me to milk tea, right?”

Cheng Yubai picked a lemon grapefruit tea, while Jiang Yuan chose mango pomelo sago. After placing their orders, they scanned the QR code on the table to order hot pot ingredients.

As two carnivores, they ordered a vegetable platter but everything else was meat. Since they arrived early and there weren’t many customers yet, the dishes came out quickly. They eagerly enjoyed the steaming dual-flavored hot pot.

Suddenly, someone called out, “Jiang Yuan,” with a tone of surprise and uncertainty.

Jiang Yuan looked up, her satisfied smile fading slightly.

Three young men stopped in front of their table. Song Jian, wearing a plaid shirt, stared at Jiang Yuan with a delighted expression. “It really is you. I knew you’d come back for me. I saw your posts on social media. After I came back, you were complaining every day about not wanting to be a workhorse anymore. That’s when I knew you’d return home for me.”

Jiang Yuan tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Where do you get your confidence?”

Song Jian seemed not to hear her sarcasm at all and smiled confidently. “Jiang Yuan, you’re still so contradictory. I know you can’t bear to leave me. Honestly, I can’t bear to leave you either. Since you’re back, I’ll take you to see the house another day. My parents have already bought me a place in the city. We can get married anytime.”

Jiang Yuan was speechless.

Unable to hold back, she snapped, “Song Jian, do you not understand human language? I said my coming back has nothing to do with you. Please don’t disturb me and my friend’s meal.”

Song Jian turned to Cheng Yubai and said, “She’s my girlfriend.”

Jiang Yuan stood up, furious, feeling helpless as if a widow had been slandered. “Song Jian, who’s your girlfriend? We broke up during the New Year.”

Song Jian continued talking to Cheng Yubai, “Are you two on a blind date? Sorry, she’s just sulking with me. Actually, we still have feelings for each other.”

Cheng Yubai found this amusing. This man named Song Jian was clearly looking for trouble, probably suspecting he and Jiang Yuan were on a blind date and deliberately causing a scene. But his methods were tasteless. Cheng Yubai couldn’t stand it anymore and calmly looked up. “Is that so? Jiang Yuan and I have been dating for over half a year. How come I didn’t know she had another boyfriend behind my back?”

Song Jian was stunned, his expression priceless.

Cheng Yubai smiled and said, “Ex-boyfriend, anything else?”

Song Jian fell silent for two seconds, clenched his fists, and said with emphasis, “Impossible!”

Cheng Yubai had a knack for provoking. “Then why do you think she broke up with you back then?”

Song Jian almost punched Cheng Yubai in the face but was held back by two friends. They urged him to calm down and dragged him away. The hot pot restaurant staff, noticing the trouble, came over and guided the three to sit down.

After they left, Cheng Yubai apologized to Jiang Yuan. “Sorry for sullying your reputation. I hope you’re not angry. I just couldn’t stand it and had to step in.”

Jiang Yuan’s anger had long dissipated. She gave Cheng Yubai a thumbs-up. “Boss, well done. Thanks for saving me back there. I was really furious.”

Cheng Yubai pointed to the marbled beef slices resting in the pot. “There’s nothing a hot pot can’t fix. If one meal isn’t enough, I’ll treat you to two.”

Jiang Yuan’s eyes sparkled as she smiled, revealing two sweet dimples. She picked up a slice of marbled beef, dipped it in ginger sauce, and said while eating, “Song Jian and I were high school classmates, but we didn’t date then. We started dating after graduation. We both worked in Shanghai, and our companies were close by. I thought since we were classmates and knew each other well, it would be okay. But after half a year, we broke up. Last New Year's Eve, he invited me to his house, and I thought it was just a simple visit. Turns out, he wanted me to help clean for his mother. He said his mother worked hard and that when I marry in, I should be filial to her. I spent the whole day helping his mom, and then he even expected me to cook dinner. I was so angry I left immediately. My mom was even angrier and told me to break up with him right then, saying someone so rude would only bring endless suffering in marriage. Song Jian kept trying to reconcile, but I ignored him. His company went bankrupt three years ago, and after sending out many resumes in Shanghai without success, his parents told him to come home. Before leaving, he came to find me again, asking me to return home with him. I ignored him. I never expected to run into him here today. What bad luck.”

Cheng Yubai put all the meat in the pot and comforted Jiang Yuan. “A lucky person shouldn’t marry into an unlucky family. Your mom was right to tell you to break up. Any family with manners wouldn’t have the daughter-in-law do all the cleaning and cooking on her first visit.”

Jiang Yuan pouted. “Exactly. And he had the nerve to say I’m his girlfriend just now. I really wanted to splash the hot soup from the pot on his face. It made me so angry.”

“Don’t be mad. Is that the delivery guy coming with our milk tea?”

Cheng Yubai saw a delivery boy carrying a bag of milk tea heading upstairs.

Just then, Jiang Yuan’s phone rang. She answered, and it was the delivery person asking where she was. Jiang Yuan waved at the delivery guy, “Here.”

The delivery boy hurried over and placed the milk tea on the table. “Please give me a good review.”

Jiang Yuan made an OK sign, tapped a good review on the app, handed the lemon grapefruit tea to Cheng Yubai, and took a big sip of the mango pomelo sago, nodding repeatedly. “Kawangka’s milk tea is especially good. They only have stores within the province; you can’t get it outside. Finally, I can enjoy Kawangka freedom here in Huangshan.”

Cheng Yubai smiled. “Is it really that good? Let me try.”

Jiang Yuan said, “Really good. Next time, you treat me to this brand. I love their mango pomelo sago the most.”

Cheng Yubai made a note. After finishing their meal, he drove her back to Yucun. It was already dark, and unexpectedly, Cheng Qingyan was still freeloading dinner at Jiang Yuan’s home.

Cheng Qingyan asked his nephew, “Where did you two go today?”

Cheng Yubai jingled his car keys. “To Chengkan. Second uncle, have you eaten? If you’re full, shall we head back together?”

Jiang Yuan carried some dried goods from her grandmother’s house into the room and greeted Cheng Qingyan warmly. “Uncle Cheng, did you go fishing again today? How was the catch?”

Jiang Lanfang said, “Uncle Cheng didn’t go fishing today. He helped me with the chestnuts, shelling and pounding them, and now his hands are full of prickles.”

Their tea garden had over a dozen chestnut trees, and it was chestnut harvest season. The shells were covered in prickly burrs and hung heavily on the branches. Harvesting was troublesome: they had to use wooden poles to knock the burrs from the branches into sacks. At home, they used tongs to hold the spiky shells on the ground and cracked them with their feet, then peeled the shells by hand to get the nuts inside. Every step risked getting pricked, making it exhausting work.

Jiang Lanfang was also filming the process to gather footage for a short video. She was busy all day, but fortunately, Cheng Qingyan helped, though both his hands suffered. Jiang Lanfang spent half an hour picking burrs from his hands with a needle, and he definitely deserved a delicious meal as thanks.

Jiang Yuan sweetly said, “Uncle Cheng, you worked hard.”

Cheng Qingyan smiled. “It’s a new experience. Living in the countryside isn’t easy. I used to buy chestnuts on the street without thinking about the hardships behind each one. I think this would make a great video to show city kids how hard chestnuts are to come by.”

Jiang Lanfang hurriedly cleared the leftovers. “Once I finish washing the dishes, I’ll edit the video.”

Jiang Yuan rolled up her sleeves and helped with the dishes.

It was getting late, and Cheng Qingyan left the village with his nephew.

In the kitchen, Jiang Yuan told Jiang Lanfang about the encounter with Song Jian at the hot pot restaurant. Jiang Lanfang was furious and rolled up her sleeves, saying, “That brat! If I had been there, I would’ve slapped him. How dare he bully my daughter, acting as if the Jiang family means nothing?!”

Jiang Yuan didn’t tell her mother that Cheng Yubai had helped her out, so Jiang Lanfang thought her daughter had taken a loss and wished to storm Song’s family late at night for an explanation.

Luckily, Jiang Yuan stopped her. “Mom, you still have to edit videos.”

Jiang Lanfang still threatened, “Don’t let me run into that guy!”

Jiang Yuan felt warmth in her heart. After washing the dishes, she stayed to help her mother with the video editing.

Around eight o’clock, Cheng Yubai sent her a WeChat message.

Jiang Yuan opened it and saw photos of Huashan Maze Cave.

Jiang Yuan: “Out late at night? You went to Huashan Maze Cave?”

Cheng Yubai: “Forgot on the way back to the city. Remembered at night and asked second uncle to come along. I’m still exploring.”

Jiang Yuan: “Okay, I’m helping my mom edit videos. Any plans for tomorrow?”

Cheng Yubai: “I’ll study the photos taken in Chengkan today to see if any can be added to the game scenes I’m designing. Probably won’t go out the next couple of days, but not sure. Might visit other places.”

Jiang Yuan: “Call me if you need a guide anytime. Don’t be shy.”

Cheng Yubai: “Okay.”

Jiang Yuan put her phone away and continued discussing with her mother how to edit the video, adding transitions and effects to make it look better. Suddenly, her WeChat notification sounded again. She thought it was Cheng Yubai, but it was from a contact whose profile photo she barely recognized.

[Is that man really your new boyfriend?]

Jiang Yuan: “Who are you?”

[You, Jiang Yuan, playing with my feelings—is that fun?]

Jiang Yuan: “Song Jian?”

Jiang Yuan had meant to type “Song Jian” but typed it incorrectly as “Song Scoundrel.” She didn’t bother deleting it, thinking the nickname suited him better.

She had blocked Song Jian’s main WeChat account after their breakup and was puzzled how he saw her posts. It turned out he had a hidden secondary account lurking in her contacts without her knowing.

The feeling of being watched by an ex made her deeply uncomfortable.

Jiang Yuan didn’t wait for a reply and immediately blocked and deleted the number. She imagined Song Jian sending more messages and then seeing the glaring “!” in the chat window, picturing his furious reaction, which finally gave her a sense of satisfaction.

***

Meanwhile, at Huashan Maze Cave.

Cheng Yubai asked Cheng Qingyan, “Second uncle, are you interested in Jiang Yuan’s mother?”

Cheng Qingyan raised an eyebrow. “Trying to talk me out of it again? Don’t. Xiaofang is hardworking, capable, and a great cook. Meeting her is my good fortune. I don’t expect you to teach me how to pursue a woman, but don’t always be a wet blanket. Weren’t you supposed to go to Chengkan with your online friend today? How come you came back with Aunt Xiaofang’s daughter?”

Cheng Yubai smiled awkwardly. “Jiang Yuan is the online friend I met in the game. We’ve known each other for a while but never met in real life.”

Cheng Qingyan clicked his tongue. “What a coincidence.”

Cheng Yubai said, “It’s fate. Her mom’s cooking really tastes like grandma’s, but if you’re chasing her just because of that, it’s a bit unfair.”

Cheng Qingyan retorted, “Who said I’m only interested in her cooking? I like her fiery personality, full of life’s warmth. I’m in my forties and want a woman with that kind of spirit to build a simple, ordinary life with. What’s wrong with that?”

Cheng Yubai walked through the maze, admiring it while saying, “Suit yourself.”

As long as it wasn’t a young woman, Cheng Yubai had no interest in interfering with his uncle’s love life. He had been wary before, fearing his uncle might be fooled by a young internet celebrity, but Jiang Yuan’s mother was nothing like that.

She had the vibrant energy of a middle-aged woman, kept her home tidy, especially the small courtyard with various autumn crops drying—a charm that deeply attracted someone from the city. The idyllic rural life they envisioned was contagious.

Cheng Yubai had always thought his uncle preferred an urban elite woman—stylish, elegant in a café, sophisticated, and a powerhouse at work, a spiritual companion. But his uncle desired a down-to-earth woman who embraced life, tied on an apron, shared everyday stories, and laughed heartily.

Actually, it wasn’t a bad thing.

In the end, being together was simply about the daily necessities of life.

Since his uncle was enamored with the rustic charm of rural life, Cheng Yubai had no reason to oppose it. Besides, he had no standing to do so and could occasionally enjoy a free meal. Not bad at all.