Chapter 203: The Hand That Feeds
Zhou Qian straddled his long legs over the bicycle. The rear rack had already been neatly removed. Once Huai Yu carefully sat on it, holding a large basket, he finally spoke:
“We can bring a bit of meat over too.”
They were preparing such a nice spread, and though those guys had their flaws, their capabilities were top-notch.
If you take someone’s food, it’s only natural to return the favor—like bringing back meat or fruits found during missions, right?
Besides, those highly mutated foods weren’t something they ate anyway.
Now, what reason should he use… Zhou Qian pedaled the bike, wind in his face, deep in thought.
It was quite a walk between the two homes, but Zhou Qian was way stronger than Huai Yu on a bike, so it didn’t take long at all.
Huai Yu carefully got off the seat with the heavy basket, almost dropping it again with a shake of her hands—
Oh no! Too much yam and old cucumber—it was so heavy!
Zhou Qian parked the bike and quickly grabbed the basket, chuckling:
“You eat quite a bit every meal. When will those skinny arms and legs finally fill out?”
Then, the usual old tune: “Why not run 10 kilometers with me tonight?”
They had to dig in the vegetable plot in the morning, so there was no time then—running at night was the only option. Not far either, just down the main road to Jinyuan Community. Safe and steady.
Huai Yu turned pale, shaking her head furiously: “No no no!”
She was panicking, since Zhou Qian didn’t seem to think ten kilometers was a big deal. Her face dropped:
“Brother Zhou Qian, look—I farm, cook, pick wild herbs, clean wild animals—I do everything. Doesn’t that prove I’ve had it really rough in the past?”
“I’ve suffered for so many years. Isn’t it fair to enjoy some comfort now? Running? I absolutely can’t.”
Why was everyone so into convincing others to run?
Even Lin Xuefeng tried back then, telling her to run more so she could escape better if needed…
Honest words really do hurt!
She looked so pitiful—what could Zhou Qian say?
He could only carry the basket inside with long strides: “Forget it. Come help wash the vegetables.”
Although he said “help,” this task fell to Zhou Qian, the one with more strength.
He poured the veggies into a basin, filled a bucket from the well with a few quick cranks, and with a loud splash—poured it in!
Then, with all his brute strength, he scrubbed and rinsed. Everything except the leafy greens nearly got a layer peeled off—especially the old cucumbers, which were almost scraped with a straw broom.
Huai Yu’s eyelids twitched at this rough way of washing veggies.
Still, as long as she didn’t have to do it, she pretended not to see it.
As he worked, Zhou Qian reminisced: “I remember when guests came over, we’d start preparing at noon. Now look at us, only getting started at sunset.”
Simple logic!
Huai Yu gave him a glance: “We had to stew meat back then.”
Meat had to be blanched, stewed in advance, or marinated—needed several hours of prep.
Now… looking in the basket—veggies, veggies, and more veggies. Nothing to stew.
Zhou Qian froze, then regretted aloud:
“Should’ve told them to bring the meat earlier. By the time they bring it tonight, we won’t have time to cook it.”
Sighing, he suddenly remembered something. Dropping the half-washed veggies, he ran out to the garden.
Outside, Huai Yu had transplanted plenty of scallions, garlic, and ginger.
She’d overused a growth accelerator—now the ginger sprouts were over a meter tall and lush.
Seizing the moment before anyone saw, Zhou Qian quickly pulled them all out. The young ginger could be pickled at Huai Yu’s place if they didn’t finish it.
The scallions and garlic weren’t as eye-catching, so he only picked what he thought they’d need.
Back in the kitchen, Huai Yu had already planned tonight’s dishes.
“I’ll boil water. You clean the peanuts.”
Time was tight. The peanuts were fresh, so boiling them in salted water was the easiest option.
Zhou Qian agreed, dumped the peanuts into a bucket, and stirred them with his arm like a washing machine agitator.
Next up: yam—
“You’re not allergic to this, right? If not, wash and peel it. If you are, just wash it and I’ll steam it first, then peel after.”
Zhou Qian stared at the iron-stick yam, not sure if he’d ever handled one in his life—he’d spent half of it eating at different canteens.
But he wasn’t the type to act tough. Since he wasn’t sure, he took the safest route.
“Better steam it,” he said.
While the yams steamed and the peanuts boiled, he didn’t rest. Huai Yu, with a few simple words, had him bustling around.
Slicing old cucumbers, smashing and cutting tender ones, prepping leafy greens, mincing garlic, ginger, scallions, washing tomatoes as fruit, slicing eggplants half one way, half another…
Thick-skinned green peppers were cleaned for “tiger skin” style, while others were cut for stir-frying…
Her plans were orderly, and before 5:30, the kitchen was packed with bowls and basins, all prepped and ready.
Zhou Qian looked at Huai Yu in genuine surprise, wanting to sigh: “You planned for so many people so smoothly…”
He was more convinced now that she really had suffered a lot in the past.
But Huai Yu blinked in confusion: “Me?”
It sounded like she’d done a lot, but aside from boiling water and peeling steamed yams, she hadn’t done anything.
Zhou Qian had done it all.
Even the yams were easy—once steamed, the skins peeled off effortlessly.
Still, since he thought she had it rough, then she must’ve had it rough.
So she softly nodded, voice gentle: “Yeah… Luckily, you’re here, Brother Zhou Qian.”
“What would I do without you?”
Visible goosebumps immediately rose on Zhou Qian’s arms, hair standing on end.
Wiping his face, he earnestly suggested: “Next time, if you need me to do something, just say it. Don’t talk like that.”
He couldn’t take it.
…
Huai Yu was crushed!
Her spiritual nourishment—the female leads from her three favorite novels—all had different personalities, but in key moments, every one of them would act all soft and coy!
Even that line—she copied it exactly!
Had she not mastered the essence? Wasn’t Zhou Qian supposed to respond with a firm—
“Don’t worry. From now on, I’ll do all this work.”
Or:
“With me here, you’ll never suffer again.”
…Wasn’t that the expected reply?
She blinked, now a bit unsure herself.
