At the turn of spring into summer, wildflowers blanketed the hillsides and foliage flourished. Lin Yue gazed upon the mountain locust blossoms, the gorse blooming at the field’s edge, the emerald-green elm seeds, the fragrant and sweet Chinese toon, and the tender, slippery bracken ferns, his heart filled with delight.

For a whole month now, he’d been planning exactly how to eat them.

He mixed locust blossoms and elm seeds into wheat rice. The blossoms offered a sweet, floral fragrance, while the seeds added a crisp, refreshing sweetness. He coated the mixture with freshly ground wheat flour and steamed it over high heat.

The moment the lid lifted, the pure fragrance filled the air. Using chopsticks to separate the sticky grains released an even more enticing aroma. A sprinkle of salt followed, then chopped scallions, minced garlic, five-spice powder, and chili flakes. Hot oil was poured over, releasing a burst of fragrance. The blend of seasonings and the steamed wheat rice aroma intertwined, and Lin Yue could easily devour a large bowl.

Goldenrod flowers are far more common than locust blossoms. Since the flowering shrubs are easy to harvest, goldenrod is consumed much more widely.

Lin Yue’s favorite preparation is goldenrod omelette—simple to make. Freshly picked broom flowers were sorted, washed, and placed in a bowl. Two eggs were beaten into the bowl and mixed thoroughly. A hot pan with oil was heated, and the egg mixture was slowly poured in. Once both sides turned golden brown, a plate of fragrant broom flower omelette was ready. This dish was also one of the rare ones Zhou Wenlan showed genuine fondness for.

Neither Lin Yue nor his mother cared much for Chinese toon buds. He found their taste peculiar, but since Lin Yuan and Lin Yang enjoyed them, Lin Yue learned to prepare them. After all, the edible season for Chinese toon was short, coinciding with the busy farming period, so they could only eat them once or twice a year. Thinking this way, Lin Yue didn’t mind them quite so much.

There were many ways to prepare toon buds. Lin Yue planned to make a toon shoot and tofu salad, since the whole family loved tofu. Diced tofu tossed with the shoots would absorb their flavor without becoming overpowering—perfectly within his and his mother’s tolerance.

While washing his face, Lin Yue finalized today’s menu. After rinsing, he called Lin Yang to head out.

“Bro, what are we going out for?”

Lin Yue replied, “To pick some locust flowers and Chinese toon for cooking.”

Lin Yang perked up instantly. “Great! I’ll go get the bamboo basket and sickle.”

“And grab a bamboo pole too—we’ll go forage for locust blossoms.”

Lin Yang was already sprinting toward the backyard when he abruptly stopped. “Bro, no need to bring it! There are bamboo poles under those two locust trees—I saw them yesterday. Just grab some hemp rope and a sack.”

Lin Yue nodded in agreement. “Alright, that way if they’re not there, we can look nearby. Carrying a bamboo pole is a hassle anyway.”

Before leaving, Lin Yue stopped by the kitchen. “Mom, is the fire still going?”

Zhou Wenlan turned around. “It’s burning. Why?”

“Mom, there are red beans I soaked last night on the table. Boil them first, then cook half a pumpkin. I’ll use them for snacks later. I’ll make dinner when I get back.”

Zhou Wenlan scolded him with a smile, “You’re such a handful. You finally get a day off and still can’t sit still.”

Lin Yue lifted his chin. “How am I not sitting still? It’s precisely because I have free time that I can think about food. I promised Lin Yang.”

“You just indulge him.”

Lin Yue chuckled. “Mom, we’re off.”

Zhou Wenlan waved them off. “Go ahead. Come back early.”

As soon as Lin Yue and Lin Yang stepped outside, they headed straight for the locust tree on the back mountain. While Lin Yue was still tying his sickle to the tree, Lin Yang had already scrambled up the trunk. “Brother, I don’t think we need the bamboo pole. Just hand me the sickle. I’ll hook it over and cut it down. You catch it from below.”

Lin Yue looked up just as Lin Yang tossed down a branch of locust blossoms. He caught it with a quick grab. “What’s the rush? I’m still holding the sickle!”

“This branch was right at my fingertips. I just snapped it off.”

“Be careful you don’t fall. Take the sickle first.”

“Got it, don’t worry, bro.”

Working in perfect sync, they soon filled the basket with branches. When Lin Yue judged they had enough, he called down, “Lin Yang, stop picking! We’ve got plenty. Come down and start stripping the flowers.”

Lin Yang gave a quick reply and scrambled down. The more Lin Yue watched him, the more he resembled a monkey swinging through the mountains by vines.

Lin Yang, oblivious to his brother’s mental rant, skipped over cheerfully. “Bro, you sort them. My hands are too heavy. I’ll go pick some elm seeds over there. Come find me when you’re done.”

“Alright, go ahead. I remember there’s a Chinese toon tree over there. Pick the toon first, then we’ll gather the elm seeds together when I get over.”

Lin Yang beamed. “Bro, you’re cooking Chinese toon again today? That’s awesome!”

Lin Yue stretched out his words. “Yep, yep. We’ll grab some tofu on the way back and make stir-fried Chinese toon with tofu.”

Lin Yang was already bursting with excitement. “Bro, I’ll go pick them now. Let’s head back early!”

“Hahaha, then run faster!”

“Got it!”

About half an hour later, Lin Yue and Lin Yang each carried a large bamboo basket, returning home laden with their harvest.

Back at home, Lin Yang eagerly took the bamboo basket from Lin Yue’s hands and urged, “Bro, I’ll wash these. You go rest.”

Lin Yue looked skeptical. “Are you trying to get me to rest, or to get me to cook?”

“Hehehe.”

Lin Yue snorted lightly before strolling off to the kitchen.

Freshly cooked red beans and pumpkin sat steaming on the table, while Zhou Wenlan sat quietly in the corner.

“Mother, didn’t you say you’d rest today? Why are you working again?”

Zhou Wenlan didn’t even lift her head. “What’s the big deal about soaking rice seeds? Your father’s gone back up the mountain to chop firewood.”

Lin Yue frowned. “Father really is something. He promised to rest today. We have plenty of firewood at home. Why the rush?”

“He just can’t sit still. He’ll probably be back soon. Hurry up and cook.”

“Got it, Mother.”

Judging it was still early, and with the stove fire and hot water ready, Lin Yue covered the rice pot and began preparing snacks.

The red beans were cooked soft, crumbling easily under a light squeeze. Lin Yue ground some powdered sugar into them for flavor, then divided the beans into two portions.

He brushed oil on the bottom of a clay dish, poured in one portion of red beans, then added glutinous rice flour and some of the bean cooking water, mixing it all together. He steamed it for about half an hour. Once cooked and cooled, he cut it into pieces—a sweet, soft, and sticky red bean cake.

With the remaining portion, Lin Yue made bean paste pastries. The method was similar to regular pastries: knead flour with hot water and a bit of soybean oil into the dough. Cut into equal-sized pieces, wrap the ground bean paste inside like dumplings, then roll each piece into a tongue-shaped strip with a rolling pin. Sprinkled sesame seeds on both sides, brushed oil in a hot pan, and fried them over low heat until lightly golden.

The fried bean paste pastries were best enjoyed hot, and Lin Yang had been eagerly waiting by the table.

Lin Yue carried the plate over and called out, “Mother, come taste these! They’re perfectly fried today—crispy and flaky.”

Zhou Wenlan took a bite. “They are good. Not too sweet. Delicious.”

Lin Yang first offered one to Lin Yue before tucking into his own.

The stove still burned hot. Lin Yue finished his pastry quickly and returned to his tasks.

Zhou Wenlan followed him over. “Are we steaming locust flowers and elm seeds with wheat rice? I’ll handle that.”

Lin Yue nodded. “Yes, Mother, you steam them. I’ll finish these pastries and then come stir-fry the vegetables. We also picked goldenrod flowers today—we’ll have goldenrod flower omelette later.”

Zhou Wenlan shook her head. “Only you two have the leisure for this. Picking flowers is such a hassle, and you don’t even mind the effort.”

“It’s not a hassle if it tastes good. If we don’t eat them now, the flowers will wither in a few days. That would be such a waste.”

“You always have your own twisted logic.”

While they spoke, Lin Yue had already mashed the pumpkin into a smooth paste. He chopped several red dates into it, then gradually added glutinous rice flour in small batches until it formed a non-sticky dough. He rolled small portions into balls and coated each with a layer of glutinous rice flour.

He placed a steamer basket directly atop the pot that had just finished steaming the red bean cakes. The pumpkin cakes cooked quickly, finishing just as the red bean cakes were done.

Next came stir-frying the vegetables. Besides the dishes he’d planned earlier, Lin Yue also stir-fried bracken with cured pork. As the dishes and pastries were served one by one, the entire room seemed to brighten. Vibrant reds, golden hues, emerald greens, and tender whites—a feast for the eyes and the palate.

Lin Yuan smiled at the sight of the dishes. “I knew why they asked what we were having today—the aroma wafted out already.”

Lin Yue thought his father was exaggerating. Today’s dishes weren’t particularly flavorful—they weren’t stewed meat or boiled chicken, after all—so how could the scent have drifted out? Still, he felt quite pleased that his family enjoyed his cooking.

After a day’s rest, there was no more time to waste. Though the fields had been plowed, they still needed flooding and another thorough tilling. Only then would transplanting the seedlings be easier.

The rice seeds only needed soaking for two days, but they had to be promptly sown in the fields for seedling cultivation. During this phase, the water level in the fields required daily attention—hardly an easy task.

The corn and soybean seedlings in the fields had grown taller, signaling it was time to weed. Recent rains had accelerated the growth of the weeds, which in some spots looked much sturdier than the seedlings themselves. If not removed promptly, the corn wouldn’t thrive.

After finally finishing this round of work, over ten days had passed, yet the Lin family couldn’t catch their breath. Lin Yue’s wedding was only three days away.

Zhou Wenlan and Lin Yuan had hired the wedding banquet chef over a month ago. Early that morning, they brought gifts to the chef’s home again, just in case he had forgotten.

The tables, chairs, pots, and bowls needed for the banquet had also been borrowed during spare moments these past days, waiting only for the day to be moved.

The officiator, the guests to be invited, and the villagers to be enlisted for help—Zhou Wenlan and Lin Yuan had discussed all these matters well in advance, afraid of overlooking anyone.

Lin Yue, however, found himself completely idle. Even cooking duties had been taken over by Lin Yang, leaving him only to retrieve the embroidered pouch he hadn’t finished and continue stitching.

He’d thought he could finish it ahead of time, but the busyness had left no room for embroidery. Lin Yue felt somewhat relieved that he hadn’t encountered Shen Huaizhi again these past days; it would have been awkward to present an unfinished gift.

The pouch was made from cotton fabric Lin Yue had bought earlier for handkerchiefs. He’d specially chosen pale blue thread to embroider a bamboo leaf on it—fresh and elegant. Unfortunately, the outermost leaf hadn’t turned out well; upon closer inspection, it looked a bit wrinkled.

After much deliberation, Lin Yue decided to overlook it. After all, redoing it offered no guarantee of perfection. Better to make do for now and leave room for improvement.

The day before the wedding, the Lin household bustled with activity. The courtyard was filled with uncles, aunts, and cousins arriving early to help.

As soon as Lin Yue stepped outside that morning, he was bombarded with playful teasing. Even someone as unflappable as him couldn’t withstand it, retreating to his room by afternoon.

But then, the husbands and wives of his cousins and cousins-in-law pushed open the door and walked right in.

Lin Yue was dumbfounded. “Sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, how did you all get in here?”