I became a movie star at the age of three; Dilraba and I are childhood sweethearts.

The village's hospitality exceeded my expectations.

Almost every household was willing to contribute to the evening's party.

Some of the older women volunteered to perform the Yangko dance, while some of the older men said they could play a piece on the erhu.

The children chattered excitedly, eager to go on stage and recite Tang poems.

Dilraba's notebook was filled with notes, and her face radiated pure joy.

She would steal glances at Xiao Chen beside her every now and then, her heart pounding like a rabbit's.

In her eyes, this older brother she grew up with seemed to be enveloped in a layer of light.

No matter how complicated a matter is, he can always easily resolve it and make it orderly.

Anita Mui saw things even more deeply.

What she saw was the subtle guidance that Xiao Chen gave when he interacted with the villagers.

He never directly tells you "what you should perform," but with just a few words, he can ignite the other person's desire to perform and get them to bring out their best.

This is no longer just simple friendliness.

This is a precise insight into and control over people's hearts.

Mei Yanfang sighed inwardly, thinking to herself, "That woman Wang Jinhua really struck gold."

No, perhaps it should be said that Xiao Chen is the one who made Shiba Culture what it is today.

This young man's future is far more than just an Oscar-winning actor.

"Sister Mei, Xiao Di, have you remembered everything?"

Xiao Chen's voice interrupted their thoughts.

Dilraba held up her notebook, like a primary school student eager to take credit.

"Everything's ready!"

Anita Mui nodded with a smile.

"No problem, it went even more smoothly than we expected."

Xiao Chen looked at the sky; the sun was already high in the sky.

"It's almost time, let's head back."

"They've worked hard all morning, so they deserve a hot meal."

He spoke casually, as if what he was about to do was just a trivial matter.

Back at the Mushroom House, Xiao Chen didn't stop for a moment and went straight into the kitchen.

Dilraba wanted to go in and help, but Anita Mui stopped her.

"Let him do it himself."

"It was Mei Yanfang who said softly."

"Look at his expression, he already knew what was going on."

Dilraba looked through the window at the tall, upright figure busy at the stove.

Xiao Chen skillfully rinsed the rice, washed the vegetables, and chopped the scallions. Every movement was fluid and graceful, with a pleasing rhythm.

Dilraba's heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Mei Yanfang saw everything, but just smiled helplessly and didn't say anything.

A young girl's thoughts are like vines in spring; they cannot be stopped.

A rich aroma soon filled the kitchen.

It's not a complicated dish, but a pure, smoky aroma from the rice noodle soup base.

Xiao Chen remembered clearly that Teacher He and Wang Han were both from Xiangshi, and they loved the joy of slurping rice noodles.

After a morning of physical labor, nothing is more comforting to a tired body and soul than a bowl of hot, fragrant rice noodles.

He specially prepared two kinds of soup bases: one was a light pork bone soup, for Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui, and Stephen Chow, who don't eat spicy food.

Another option is his homemade spicy broth, with its bubbling red oil that makes your scalp tingle and your mouth water just from the smell.

Meanwhile, the four people on the barren slope were dragging their broken bodies back.

Wang Han felt like his back no longer belonged to him; every step he took felt like torture.

"I can't do it anymore, I really can't."

He leaned against a tree, panting heavily.

"I hereby declare that, from this day forward, I sever all ties with the tree-planting movement!"

Teacher He's situation wasn't much better; he used a shovel as a crutch and smiled bitterly.

"Han-ge, hang in there, we'll be there soon."

"Think about Xiao Chen, he'll definitely prepare something delicious for us."

A glimmer of light appeared in Wang Han's eyes, but then dimmed again.

"Food?"

"I'm afraid he'll prepare some cornbread for us to remember the bitter past and appreciate the sweet present."

Stephen Chow, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke, his tone very serious.

"I think he might prepare a Manchu Han Imperial Feast for us."

Everyone was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Leslie Cheung patted the dust off his clothes; although he looked tired, he was in good spirits.

"I actually feel great. It's been a long time since I've worked up a good sweat like this."

He gazed at the smoke rising from the chimneys in the distance, his eyes gentle.

"Let's go back and see what surprise Ah Chen has prepared for us."

As they trudged into the courtyard, the overpowering aroma of spiciness instantly filled everyone's nostrils.

"Oh My God!"

Wang Han's eyes widened instantly, as if a wolf that hadn't eaten for three days had smelled meat.

He threw down his tools and rushed into the kitchen following the smell.

Teacher He was also shocked, and his mouth began to water uncontrollably.

"It smells so good! What is this smell? It's irresistible!"

They saw that several large bowls had already been set on the stone table in the courtyard.

Xiao Chen was carrying the last bowl of noodles out of the kitchen, a few strands of hair on his forehead damp with sweat and clinging to his smooth, full forehead.

When he saw them return, he put on his signature gentle smile.

"Are the brothers back?"

"Hurry up and wash your hands, we'll be able to eat soon."

At that moment, all the accolades faded away: Oscar winner, Grammy winner, entertainment company boss worth hundreds of millions.

He was just a considerate younger brother next door who would cook meals for his older brothers.

Wang Han shouted exaggeratedly, not even bothering to wash his hands, and pounced on the table.

"Ah Chen! You're going to kill me!"

In the bowl, snow-white rice noodles were soaked in bright red broth, topped with pickled cowpeas, peanuts, and chopped chili peppers.

It also has a golden fried egg lying on top, with a few bright green scallions garnishing it, making it simply a work of art.

After washing up, the four of them quickly sat down.

"I'm here first!"

Wang Han picked up his chopsticks, scooped up a pinch of rice noodles, and slurped it into his mouth without even noticing it was hot.

For a moment, he froze.

Immediately afterwards, he closed his eyes, and a look of near ascension appeared on his face.

"Ugh—!"

Seeing this, Teacher He couldn't wait to slurp up a big mouthful as well.

The aroma of chili peppers, the richness of the broth, the smoothness of the rice noodles, the crunch of the pickled cowpeas...

All the flavors exploded in my mouth instantly, creating a strong taste sensation that warmed me all the way down my esophagus to my stomach.

The fatigue and soreness from the morning seemed to be completely dispelled at this moment.

Teacher He gave a vague exclamation of praise.

"It's so delicious!"

"Xiao Chen, what kind of divine skill is this? It's more authentic than any other restaurant I've ever eaten at in Xiang City!"

Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui ate clear soup noodles. The soup was milky white and tasted delicious. They both praised it highly.

Stephen Chow was eating silently when he suddenly looked up at Xiao Chen and asked very seriously.

"Have you considered opening a noodle shop? I think it has more potential than making movies."