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"Do you have any pickled cabbage at home? We can make a pickled cabbage fish tonight, and we can cook those wild vegetables in it too." Chen Dong squatted down to take out the fishing hook and looked up at Ye Wanwan.

"There's pickled cabbage, the kind that's been soaking for a long time," Ye Wanwan nodded.

"The pickled cabbage from the old altar tastes more authentic."

That's exactly what I wanted. Then Chen Dong pointed to the bucket, "We can put a few crucian carp in the water tank, and we can coat those strips in flour and deep-fry them."

"Okay," Ye Wanwan replied.

"I see a vegetable patch next to the house, it must be yours, right? I think planting some more all-natural vegetables would be enough," Chen Dong continued to make arrangements.

Sauerkraut fish, a hearty main dish, fried rice noodles, plus a vegetable dish—that's it!

"I think it's a good idea. We can have some barbecue tonight anyway." Liu Yumo agreed, and Han Ning'er and the others had no objections. The fish was quite big, and there were so many wild vegetables.

"Do you want to go fishing?"

Chen Dong glanced at the sky and asked Liu Yumo and the others.

It's just past five o'clock, not yet dark, and the evening breeze hasn't picked up along the river yet, so they can fish for another half hour or so and have some fun.

"Brother Dong, aren't you going fishing anymore?" Liu Yumo asked.

"I'll kill the fish."

Chen Dong smiled and handed the fishing rod to Liu Yumo, "Hurry up, catch some more minnows. These minnows are crispy when deep-fried, they're absolutely delicious."

"Okay."

Liu Yumo excitedly squatted down to bait the hole. Han Ning'er and the others were a little scared when they saw that the earthworm Liu Yumo pulled out was still moving, so they didn't rush to fish for it.

"I can kill fish," Ye Wanwan whispered to Chen Dong.

"You wash the vegetables first, I'll squeeze out the rice strips first, and we'll kill the grass carp when we get back." Chen Dong smiled and made the arrangements forcefully. How could he let Ye Wanwan cook for seven people by herself?

He squatted down by the river with a bucket in his hand and used the river water to squeeze out the entrails and other parts of the rice noodles. The oily fumes floating on the surface attracted many rice noodles.

"It's a pity it's winter now. If it were summer, we could put these entrails in a basket, stand in the water, and put them underwater to attract a lot of minnows without even having to fish."

Chen Dong chuckled and said that he had done it before.

"Simple, come back after graduation. The cabins in the woods with the gentle flow of the river are definitely a great place to escape the summer heat," Liu Yumo suggested.

"I think it's okay."

"I agree."

Jiang Lina and the others thought the suggestion was good.

Ye Wanwan hesitated for a moment before welcoming him.

She had heard that university tuition was very expensive, and her original plan was to work a summer job after the college entrance examination to earn tuition fees, but if Dong Ge and the others wanted to come to the countryside to play, she would definitely accompany them.

Chen Dong could tell what this silly girl was thinking just by looking at Ye Wanwan, but she didn't need to worry about the tuition; he would find a way to persuade her.

"Hey, something's happening."

As they were chatting, Liu Yumo suddenly gripped the fishing rod tightly and jerked it up with a whoosh. A small fish was thrown behind him, clearly the work of a novice.

"Brother Mo, do you think you've caught a big fish?" Jiang Lina teased with a chuckle.

The big tabby cat next to him was even faster than Liu Yumo, rushing towards the fish. Liu Yumo hurriedly raised his rod, and the fishing line, along with the fish, drifted towards him, with the big tabby cat chasing after it.

"Go away, I'll save you bones for tonight," Liu Yumo said disdainfully, it was unclear whether he was disgusted by the big tabby cat or responding to Jiang Lina.

……

Before six o'clock, an evening breeze began to blow along the river, chilling to the bone. Liu Yumo chose to pack up his fishing rod, while Chen Dong and Ye Wanwan busied themselves preparing dinner, and Han Ning'er and the other two girls prepared barbecue ingredients.

The kitchen was filled with joy.

Grandma sat outside the main room, looking towards the kitchen. Watching the joy of the young people, especially Ye Wanwan's radiant smile, she also smiled with satisfaction and a touch of emotion.

She hadn't seen the girl so happy in a very long time. Now, with a group of friends taking care of her and even protecting her, she, who was already in her fifties, could finally feel much more at ease.

"Grandma, come to the kitchen and warm yourself by the fire. It's getting windy and cold outside tonight." Chen Dong saw his grandmother sitting outside and prepared to help her into the kitchen.

Everyone was in the kitchen, and there was a brazier.

"It's alright, children, Grandma's health is still good." Grandma smiled and politely declined. She preferred watching the children rather than being among them.

Chen Dong didn't insist, but simply brought out the brazier.

Dinner was ready quickly. Ye Wanwan's pickled fish was delicious, and the fried rice noodles were crispy and tasty. Jing Shanshan, a seasoned foodie, praised it highly.

She made a decision: in addition to Chen Dong, Ye Wanwan would also be chosen as the head chef. Next semester, she would definitely buy more good dishes for them to cook to fill her stomach.

After dinner, Ye Wanwan started making the beds and approached Chen Dong and Liu Yumo somewhat apologetically, "Brother Dong, there are only two beds in the house, so you might have to sleep in the storage room tonight."

Ye Wanwan's house wasn't big to begin with. Besides the main room and kitchen, there were only two bedrooms and a room for storing grain and other odds and ends. She could share a bed with her grandmother, while Han Jie, Lina, and Shanshan slept in her big bed.

Dong Ge and Mo Ge had no choice but to make do and were placed in the storage room, which was not as well-ventilated as the kitchen and the main room.

"It's fine, I can sleep anywhere." Chen Dong smiled faintly.

Liu Yumo also said that it didn't matter, as he was mentally prepared before coming.

"Also, there aren't many cotton quilts and blankets at home, so it might be a bit cold at night. We'll have to bring a brazier in at night." Ye Wanwan lowered her head slightly and her voice gradually became softer.

I'm a little embarrassed and ashamed. Dong Ge and his family came to visit, but we didn't even have an extra bed, and the amount of cotton quilts and blankets was limited. We could only keep warm by using a brazier.

She felt somewhat guilty.

"It's alright, we young men are hot-blooded and not afraid of the cold. Besides, I'm wearing thick clothes. I'll just put my coat on top of me. It'll be just as good as a quilt," Chen Dong said with a smile.

"Haha, I also specially wore a thick coat, so I can cover myself with it later." Liu Yumo lifted his long down jacket, which was big and thick and would definitely keep you warm.

Ye Wanwan was touched by Chen Dong and the others' understanding.

It's so good to have friends like them.

……

The nights in the countryside are very quiet. In the past, after Ye Wanwan put her grandmother to bed, she might have lit a kerosene lamp to read or do some homework.

But tonight, the streetlights were on in the courtyard, and several young people were chatting and laughing around the brazier. They started having a barbecue around nine o'clock.

Grandma is too old to join them for the barbecue; she washed up and went to bed first.

Chen Dong asked Ye Wanwan to bring the brazier inside to warm up the room. Ye Wanwan smiled and said that there were several more braziers and iron buckets, and each room had one.

After settling Grandma down to sleep, the six of them had a barbecue and chatted in the courtyard. They talked about their studies, what would happen after graduation, and life in general, filled with wonderful dreams for the future.

They chatted until midnight before everyone finally got ready to go to sleep.

"Dong-ge, Mo-ge, I brought you a bucket. You don't need to go out tonight if you need to use the restroom. Han-jie, Lina, Shanshan, you too."

This is how people relieve themselves at night in the countryside, especially in winter, when almost every household does it this way.

"I'll put the kettle on the table in the main room. If you're thirsty at night, you can come out and drink. The light switch is here." Ye Wanwan was very thoughtful.

"Okay, everyone go to bed early."

Chen Dong smiled gently, and after everyone said goodnight to each other, they went back to their rooms to sleep.