Chapter 276: Chen Ye Chu’s Grandma’s Special Noodles
“Stop saying I’m showing off, I’m just checking my hair.”
Chen Ye Chu scolded playfully, putting down her mirror, then turned happily to look at Ning Xiyue.
“Xiyue, the ginger-black sesame pills you made really work. My hair has darkened quite a bit, not as yellow as before. The little hairs on the sides of my forehead are growing too. Look, these little sprouts are growing so well. Now I won’t have to worry about overusing my brain again.”
Recently, she had been studying day and night, overworking her brain, which caused her hair to fall out more than usual and her hairline to recede, which worried her.
After eating the ginger-black sesame pills Ning Xiyue had prepared for a while, she was surprised that they really helped.
Chen Ye Chu leaned closer to Ning Xiyue, pressing the newly grown hair on her head toward her.
Ning Xiyue looked at the sides of her forehead and saw the new hair: “It’s growing, that’s good. That proves it works. Keep taking it.”
“I haven’t taken mine yet today. I’ll take one now. These ginger-sesame pills also nourish the blood, moisten the intestines, strengthen the liver and kidneys, and help with bowel movements. Taking them consistently has many benefits.”
While listing the benefits, Ning Xiyue took a jar of ginger-black sesame pills, poured one out, and ate it.
Now she took one pill daily to maintain her hair — a health supplement she made specifically to keep her hair long, black, and shiny.
The black sesame was sourced through connections in the brigade — wild, natural, and pollution-free.
This sesame was more fragrant and nourishing than the cultivated sesame Chen Ye Chu had exchanged through Ning Xiyue’s “golden finger.” Ning Xiyue ground it with other herbs according to her secret formula to make highly effective ginger-sesame pills.
She even saved some sesame seeds to plant in her personal space so she would have her own supply in the future.
“I’ll take one too.”
Chen Ye Chu saw this and took out the black sesame pills she had previously exchanged with Ning Xiyue, eating one herself.
Ning Xiyue smiled and ate another. These pills were basically a candy-type snack — they could be eaten anytime without worry.
Both of them treated them as little treats. Apart from the spiciness of the ginger, the rest was sweet and fragrant from the sesame — very tasty.
After finishing her pill, Ning Xiyue stopped eating, washed up, and went to bed. Before sleeping, she mischievously called out:
“Yechu, go to bed early. Staying up late makes you lose hair and harms the little new hairs. Not even extra sesame pills can save them!”
“I’ll go to bed too.”
Hearing this, Chen Ye Chu immediately closed her book, quickly got onto her bed, fearing that any delay would cost her hair.
Ning Xiyue laughed when she saw Chen Ye Chu scramble onto the bed like a monkey.
“Oh, you’re teasing me,” she said.
Chen Ye Chu heard the laugh and leapt over to tickle Ning Xiyue.
They wrestled and laughed together.
“I’m sorry! Yechu, I’m sorry, stop tickling me, hahaha, so ticklish, hahaha!”
Ning Xiyue begged for mercy, wriggling on the bed like a little worm to escape.
“You’ve learned your lesson, huh! Hmph!” Chen Ye Chu paused, hands on her hips in a tsundere pose. “As punishment, you have to give me another bottle of black sesame pills as compensation.”
“Alright, alright, even two bottles are fine, but give me your grandma’s special noodles and seasonings in exchange — give me two extra packs.”
Ning Xiyue nodded eagerly. She was talking about the instant noodle cakes and seasoning packets. Previously, Chen Ye Chu had exchanged unwrapped instant noodle cakes with her for medicine.
Chen Ye Chu raised her hand, gave Ning Xiyue a high-five:
“Deal, it’s settled. My grandma sent a lot of noodles last time; I’ll give them to you tomorrow.”
“Fine, I’ll give you the sesame pills when I get back tomorrow. Now go to sleep — early to bed, early to rise. I have things to do tomorrow.”
Chen Ye Chu climbed back onto her own bed. Ning Xiyue felt delighted — she could get some modern instant noodles. She fondly remembered their flavor.
She especially missed the instant noodles cooked in hotpot, spicy malatang, and chicken stew — the aroma was irresistible.
Ning Xiyue didn’t enter her personal space to study that night. Her mind was filled with imagined dishes using instant noodle cakes, and she drifted to sleep while dreaming of eating them in hotpot and chicken stew all night.
The next morning, she woke even hungrier.
If she could catch wild ducks today, she planned to make duck stew and add the instant noodles as a side dish. Just thinking of the noodles soaking up the broth made her mouth water.
Dressing, she licked her lips in anticipation.
She knew she had to get ready quickly — the earlier they went, the earlier they’d return. She was eager to make duck stew.
At 6:30 a.m., Ning Xiyue had already arrived at the brigade headquarters to meet the captain and set off toward the Da Rong team.
By 7:30 a.m., they reached Da Rong.
The Da Rong team members were already waiting at the brigade entrance. Someone spotted familiar figures in the distance and shouted excitedly:
“They’re coming! Captain, look! The leader of the Da Liu team is here. That must be the person coming to castrate the pigs!”
“Where? Where? Let me see.” Captain Huang adjusted his reading glasses and looked in the direction indicated. Seeing them, he immediately smiled:
“It’s them, definitely.”
Some people noticed Ning Xiyue and doubted:
“She looks so young — a girl? Can someone this young castrate pigs?”
Old Liu, who was close to the veteran veterinarian, snorted disapprovingly:
“This captain is even more foolish than my old man. He didn’t invite the old vet’s son, but a blond little girl? She won’t be any help, and what if the pigs die? And she wants the best three chicks I painstakingly hatched?”
Captain Huang turned and glared at the murmuring crowd, focusing on Old Liu:
“Everyone, shut your mouths! I don’t want Ning doctor to hear anything negative. The chicks are under our team’s care. Anyone who causes trouble during castration won’t earn points.”
He had worked hard to invite her; he wouldn’t let these stubborn people offend her.
The others quickly shut up, and Old Liu stood silently to the side, not daring to speak.
“Everyone, put on a good face.” Captain Huang growled. Except for Old Liu, everyone smiled and quieted down. Then he turned forward with a cheerful expression to greet them:
“Old Zhang, Doctor Ning, welcome to our team. Please come in.”
