Lin Yue usually cooked with Lin Yang assisting him, and today was no exception. The moment Lin Yue stepped into the kitchen, he called Lin Yang in to tend the fire, seemingly oblivious to having just complained about the boy being a nuisance.

When it came to clearing heat, Lin Yue’s first thought was mung bean porridge. Unfortunately, they still had to work in the fields that afternoon, and porridge wouldn’t be filling enough for lunch. Besides, it was still spring, and mung beans were cold in nature—best saved for the sweltering heat of summer.

After weighing his options, Lin Yue decided to make something more suitable for daily meals. Spinach and egg soup would be perfect. Spinach also has heat-clearing properties. Paired with rich, savory scrambled eggs, the resulting soup would be flavorful, refreshing, and incredibly appetizing—perfect for washing down rice.

With soup on the table, stir-fried dishes were a must. The family loved spicy and sour shredded potatoes. Then there was last year’s aged pumpkin—whether steamed or boiled, it turned out wonderfully, golden, soft, and sweet with a delicate texture.

The cupboard held freshly ground fine pea flour—perfect for making pea jelly. Mix a few spoonfuls with water and a pinch of salt, then simmer in boiling water until thickened. Once cooled and set, it turns a pale yellow, rich with bean flavor yet free of any fishy taste. Soft and smooth to the touch without stickiness, it slices effortlessly into long strips with a knife.

Place the sliced pea jelly in a bowl. Sprinkle with freshly chopped scallions and cilantro. Mix minced garlic with water to make garlic water. Add soy sauce, chili oil, and crushed peanuts in sequence. Finally, pour in two spoonfuls of pickled radish brine—this is Lin Yue’s secret sauce tweak. The brine enhances the jelly better than vinegar.

Lin Yang had been eyeing the bowl greedily. As soon as Lin Yue finished adding the seasonings, he strode over to the stove. “Brother, I’ll serve it! I’ll serve it! You go sit down.”

Lin Yue glanced at him but didn’t say anything. He shifted slightly to make room for Lin Yang.

“Remember to bring the dishes. I’ll get the bowls and chopsticks.”

“Got it, bro. Don’t serve me rice yet—I’m eating the cold noodles first.”

Lin Yue nodded in agreement. While fetching the utensils, he turned and called out to the courtyard, summoning Zhou Wenlan and Lin Yuan to dinner.

“Dad, Mom, would you like to eat the cold noodles first or the rice?”

Zhou Wenlan peered at the table. Three bowls of cold noodles drenched in chili oil sat at the edge, alongside a bowl without chili—clearly set aside for Lin Yuan.

“Cold noodles first. Why did you suddenly decide to make these? It’s been ages since we had them.”

Lin Yue passed the chopsticks to each of them in turn. “It’s hot today, and this really whets the appetite.”

Zhou Wenlan took a bite and praised, “The sour broth is spot-on, and the jelly noodles are delicious. We’ll plant buckwheat again this year. Once it’s harvested, I’ll make buckwheat jelly noodles. Then we can pair them with peas.”

After eating, the family immediately grabbed their farming tools and headed out to work the fields.

Early the next morning, Lin Yuan didn’t stay home. They’d already lost several days, yet the farmwork wouldn’t diminish on its own. Seeing villagers already planting corn, the Lin family’s fields had only been dug into ridges yesterday. Today they needed to fertilize and sow. If rain washed away the freshly dug ridges, they’d have to start over.

Fearing she might lose track of time in the rush, Zhou Wenlan didn’t follow them. Carrying a bamboo basket and wielding a bamboo rake, she headed to the back mountain. Raking loose moss and small brush wouldn’t take long; she could be home by the fourth hour. Half an hour later, the Shen family’s youngster would arrive—perfect timing.

Lin Yue and Lin Yang weren’t idle either. They carried sickles to the field ridges to cut pig grass. The rain from the previous two days had made the grass grow luxuriantly. Lin Yue placed his bamboo basket in a spacious spot, squatted down, grabbed the grass with his left hand, and held the sickle handle with his right. Snip-snip-snip—in moments, he’d gathered a small pile. But by the time he finished one ridge, the bamboo basket was already full.

On the other side, Lin Yang worked just as swiftly. His bamboo basket overflowed with grass, but luckily it was tied with a hemp rope. He pressed down firmly to secure it, then dug the sickle diagonally into the pile to prevent any grass from spilling out.

They arrived home early. Lin Yue set the bamboo baskets by the pigpen door, hooked the sickle into a hole in the courtyard wall, then called to Lin Yang, “Leave it. I’ll handle the cleaning. Go change your clothes and comb your hair. Mother should be back soon.”

Lin Yang scratched his head. “Brother, aren’t you going?”

Lin Yue didn’t even turn his head. He bent down, picked up a bundle of pig grass, and tossed it into the pen. “I don’t need to go out. Just wiping my face will do.”

Lin Yang thought it over and agreed. He needed to go wait at the gate, so he should tidy up properly—otherwise he’d look unpresentable.

“I’ll go boil water first. Hurry over, Brother.”

“Mm, go ahead.”

By the time they were both presentable, Zhou Wenlan had returned. Seeing that it was nearly noon, she hurriedly tidied herself up, paying no mind to the firewood she’d just placed in the backyard. Grabbing Lin Yang, she began instructing him on what to say later and how to respond if they encountered others. She repeated the instructions several times until Lin Yang pounded his chest and promised he wouldn’t say the wrong thing. Only then did Zhou Wenlan let him leave, turning immediately to give similar instructions to Lin Yue.

“Remember, you must not go out. And don’t speak unless I call you.”

Perhaps feeling mere words wouldn’t restrain Lin Yue, Zhou Wenlan pulled him to the courtyard gate. She pushed open a crack in the door and said, “Stay here and watch.”

Lin Yue stared blankly at the two-finger-wide gap. What could he possibly see through that?

He pushed the door open a bit wider, now about a hand’s width. “Mother, think about it—if you see them later, shouldn’t you say hello? Just staring awkwardly would be so embarrassing. I promise I won’t leave.”

Sure enough, Zhou Wenlan stopped watching the door. She began pacing around the courtyard, muttering to herself, “What’s the point of meeting? If meeting people worked, why would they say you can’t judge a book by its cover? What if we meet and it’s not a good fit? Making them come all this way for nothing seems rude, but settling for less isn’t right either…”

Seeing his mother so troubled, Lin Yue didn’t dare approach and risk annoying her. He strolled back to the kitchen. Since his father wouldn’t be home for lunch, his mother had made assorted flour buns that morning—convenient for his father to take with him. A few remained, perfect for lunch, saving the trouble of cooking.

Speaking of steamed buns, Lin Yue remembered the shepherd’s purse in the vegetable patch. He’d planned to make buns this morning—one with pickled mustard greens filling, the other with shepherd’s purse filling. The tangy aroma and the fresh fragrance would have been delightful. But rushing this morning left no time for buns, so he’d just stir-fry the shepherd’s purse to serve with the steamed buns instead.

Zhou Wenlan paced the courtyard twice before growing restless. She pushed open the gate and stepped outside, colliding head-on with Lin Yang as he returned running.

After leaving home, Lin Yang had been pacing along the road outside the courtyard. After waiting for quite some time, he spotted only one person. Seeing the figure in the distance, he went to meet them. Upon approaching, he realized it was the scholar he had encountered before, likely heading to Xiucai Gao’s house. He silently backed away.

By the time the hour of the Snake had passed, he still hadn’t seen anyone else. Only the scholar at the corner remained. The more Lin Yang thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Could it be him?

Lin Yang stood frozen in place, unsure whether to approach and ask. What if it wasn’t him? Asking out of the blue would be terribly awkward.

Better to go back and ask Mother.

The thought flashed through his mind, and Lin Yang found himself already turning back. First striding, then running, he reached the doorway just as his mother emerged.

“What’s the rush? Didn’t I tell you to wait?”

Lin Yang took a deep breath and recounted the encounter to his mother, omitting the part about having met the man before with his brother. For that omission, he received a slap across the face.

“What can I say about you? With such a wide road, he practically came right up to you, and you just stood there like a dummy…”

Zhou Wenlan’s scolding was cut short when she spotted someone approaching. She swallowed the rest of her words.

At a glance, Zhou Wenlan recognized the visitor—none other than Scholar Shen, whom she’d often encountered before. The matchmaker had mentioned that Shen Huizhi was a student of the distinguished Xiucai Gao. She’d thought it a coincidence, but now she realized it was indeed the same man.

Shen Huizhi stopped about five or six steps away from Zhou Wenlan and her companion. Bowing his hands, he said, “Auntie, I am Shen Huizhi. I beg your forgiveness for this bold intrusion today.”

The entrance was open to all directions, and one never knew when someone might suddenly appear. Shen Huizhi deliberately avoided certain topics in his speech to prevent anyone from overhearing and damaging Lin Yue’s reputation.

Zhou Wenlan had initially held a favorable impression of him, finding him gentle and courteous. Yet now, standing before her, that positive view vanished entirely. Her tone remained amiable, though a faint trace of displeasure lingered.

“So it’s you. This is rather unexpected.”

The doorway wasn’t the place for questioning. Zhou Wenlan asked only the two most crucial questions before stopping. She turned her head to check on Lin Yue’s movements and was startled by the half-open door. When had this little rascal pushed it open?

Lin Yue dared not meet his mother’s gaze. He fixed his eyes on Shen Huizhi for a moment, said nothing, bowed respectfully, and turned back into the house.

Shen Huizhi gazed at the person before him—the one he longed for yet knew he was unworthy of—his heart pounding like a drum.

He knew he was taking advantage of the situation, daring to come propose marriage only after Lin Yue’s betrothal had fallen through. He hadn’t expected it to work out, but yesterday, when he received word from the matchmaker to come meet, that uncontrollable, extravagant hope had surfaced once more.

Noticing Shen Huizhi intently staring at the retreating back of her ger Lin Yue, Zhou Wenlan swiftly pulled the door shut. She cleared her throat twice before finally drawing his attention back.

“Whether it is agreed or not, you shall receive an answer tomorrow. The hour is late. Please take your leave. Lin Yang, accompany him out.”

Shen Huizhi snapped back to reality, bowed respectfully to Zhou Wenlan, thanked her for her kindness, and declined the escort before turning to leave.

Inside the house, Zhou Wenlan had barely stepped through the door before she began scolding Lin Yue. “You clearly ignored my advice! What did I tell you?”

Lin Yue muttered a feeble defense, “Mother, I didn’t speak to him, did I?”

Zhou Wenlan’s voice immediately sharpened. “And you still have the nerve to argue?”

Lin Yue remained silent, then asked, “Mother, what do you think of him?”

Zhou Wenlan had misjudged her son before, leading him to break off a marriage. Now she feared another mistake. After a long silence, she said, “I’ve met him a few times. He seems gentle and well-mannered, and he’s an educated man. If it weren’t for what happened before, I might have agreed. Even if his family’s circumstances are modest now, it wouldn’t matter. Ah…”

Lin Yue waved his hand and smiled. “Mother, why bring up that man? Last time was bad luck, but this time our fortune should turn. Who knows, maybe this one is just right. Setting aside other matters, just in terms of physique and looks, he surpasses Shang Wencheng by a mile.”

Zhou Wenlan sighed, half-amused, half-exasperated. “You! When will you ever outgrow this obsession with looks? How can you judge someone solely by their face? Well, it’s still early. I’ll discuss it with your father when he returns. You should think it over, too. If this doesn’t work out, there will be other opportunities. Marriage isn’t like choosing clothes—you can make do with someone slightly taller or shorter. You must choose carefully.”

“I understand, Mother. I’ll give it serious thought.”