Inviting the Moon to the Farmhouse

Chapter 82 1 Bowls of Fried Rice

Summer nights are long, and Xia Yao returned when it was still barely light.

Xia Yao pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in. There was no one in the courtyard, but regular snoring could be heard coming from the west room.

Xia Yao went straight back to his room.

As if she had heard him, Xia Huifang soon pushed open the door and came in. "Pangao, have you eaten? I'll make you something to eat."

"No need, Mother, I'm not hungry," Xia Yao, who had been sitting by the window reading a book, stood up.

"What did you talk to Village Chief Zhao about?" Xia Huifang asked.

"He didn't say anything. I heard that Village Chief Zhao was going to move to the government residence in town, so I went to take a look."

"Okay, it's good that you're alright. Go read your book," Xia Huifang said, turning and walking out.

Before long, Xia Huifang pushed open Xia Yao's door and came in, holding a bowl of fried rice. She said happily, "Pangao, look, Ayue left you some fried rice. It's still warm to the touch. Eat it quickly."

Upon hearing Xia Huifang's words, Xia Yao's gaze unconsciously drifted toward the wall next door, which was the room of Xia Lanyue.

"Go on," Xia Huifang urged.

Xia Yao snapped out of his reverie, took the bowl of fried rice, placed it on the small table, and fell into deep thought.

……

The next morning, the five people did not sit around the table to eat.

"The fried rice that A-Yue left for me was delicious. Thank you, A-Yue," Xia Yao suddenly said to Xia Lanyue across from him.

Xia Lanyue was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

"Oh, I asked Sister Yue for a second bowl yesterday, but she told me there weren't any left. I thought I was saving some for you," Ah Niu said, sounding somewhat complaining, before glancing at Xia Lanyue.

Xia Lanyue was a little embarrassed and lowered her head without saying a word.

Xia Huifang nudged A Niu with her elbow, signaling him to stop talking, while she herself couldn't suppress her smile.

Xia Lanyue kept her head down, completely unaware that Dai You's expression was not very good at that moment.

"Is Xia here?" Wang Cui's voice came from the doorway.

Upon hearing this, Xia Huifang stood up excitedly and said to A Niu, "Stop eating and come out with me quickly," before hurrying towards the door.

The person who came to the gate was Wang Cui. As soon as Wang Cui entered the courtyard, she shared the good news with Xia Huifang, saying that Fan He's family had agreed. She had come today to bring the draft to the Xia family so that they could consult the oracle and proceed with the next step.

Xia Huifang was overjoyed to hear this and held Wang Cui's hand, unsure of what to say.

"Go to town and find someone to take a look. If it's suitable, send a note and let me go back," Wang Cui said.

"Okay, I understand. I'll go today." Xia Huifang took the note, opened it, and saw that it contained Fan He's birth date, the names of his father's three generations, and information about his family's assets.

Although Ah Niu and Ah Cheng's family has been struggling financially in recent years, they still received some schooling when they were young. He craned his neck to look at the words on the draft paper.

Xia Huifang was very pleased to see this.

After delivering the letter, Wang Cui didn't want to linger. She chatted briefly for a few minutes and then headed out. Xia Huifang quickly escorted her to the front gate.

When Xia Huifang returned, A Niu, Xia Yao, and Xia Lanyue were studying calligraphy in the courtyard.

When Ah Niu saw Xia Huifang return, he anxiously asked, "What should we do next, Aunt?"

"I'll talk to your father about it, so don't worry about it," Xia Huifang said, taking off her apron, grabbing the straw mat, and turning to leave. She was so anxious that she didn't even eat.

Xia Lanyue glanced at A Niu, whose face was flushed, and couldn't help but tease him, "A Niu, now that you're married, how many little cows are you planning to have?"

Upon hearing this, A Niu blushed even more and said that Xia Lanyue was shameless. Then he lowered his head and went to the kitchen to continue eating.

Xia Lanyue followed him to the kitchen, only to find that Dai You hadn't come out yet. She wanted to share A Niu's story with him, so she sat down next to him, but as soon as she turned her head, she saw his dark face. This made Xia Lanyue swallow back what she was about to say and immediately suppress her smile.

But out of concern, Xia Lanyue still asked him, "Brother, what's wrong? You don't seem too..." Xia Lanyue didn't finish the word "happy" because she was scared off by Dai You's glare.

"How could you cook for him?!" Dai You said, suppressing his emotions.

"Ah Niu asked me for it yesterday, and I made a little too much," Xia Lanyue didn't dare to tell the truth. "It's just a bowl of fried rice, there's no need to get angry, is there?!"

"I didn't mean..." Dai You hadn't finished speaking when A Niu walked in.

Dai You didn't want to continue, so he looked away and got up to go chop firewood in the yard.

Even the usually careless Ah Niu noticed that something was wrong with him. "What's wrong with Dai You?"

“He’s fine,” Xia Lanyue said.

On the way to town, Xia Lanyue spoke cautiously to Dai You. Dai You didn't put on a sour face anymore, but she could tell that he was still not in a good mood.

Influenced by Dai You, Xia Lanyue wasn't in the best mood to set up her stall today.

After selling the last bag of rice cakes, Xia Lanyue went to Manager Wang's candied fruit shop, as she had been thinking about the salt.

"Young man, is Manager Wang here?" Xia Lanyue asked as she entered the shop.

“That’s me,” said Manager Wang.

Xia Lanyue was somewhat surprised. This Manager Wang was different from what she had imagined. He was very young and looked to be the same age as her.

"Let me guess, you must be Miss Dai!" Manager Wang spoke first.

Xia Lanyue nodded.

"Please come inside, young lady," Manager Wang said, leading Xia Lanyue upstairs.

The place wasn't large; it seemed more like a storage area. There were two chairs near the stairwell. Manager Wang brought Xia Lanyue here and poured her a cup of tea.

Xia Lanyue sat down opposite Manager Wang. From this spot, she could see the market through the window next to her.

"What can I do for you, young lady?"

"I want to find Jiang Di," Xia Lanyue stated directly, revealing the purpose of her trip. "I want to ask him to bring me some things."

Shopkeeper Wang nodded. "What does the young lady need?"

“We need eight catties of salt, and some sugar as well, but he knows about the sugar,” Xia Lanyue said.

"Alright, when does the young lady need it?"

"Hmm...is it alright later today? I need this salt urgently."

Manager Wang thought for a moment and then agreed.

After finishing her conversation with Manager Wang, Xia Lanyue hurriedly took her leave.

Xia Lanyue ran to the pharmacy, left the basket with Dai You, and carefully said to him, "I made an appointment with Jiang Di to pick up salt today, and I want to go back early." After saying that, she looked at the floor, not daring to look Dai You in the eye.

Dai You remained silent at first, so long that Xia Lanyue thought she hadn't explained herself clearly. Just as she was about to repeat herself, Dai You slowly spoke, "I understand. Go back now, and be careful on your way."

Xia Lanyue's eyes lit up, and she looked up at Dai You and said, "Okay, let's go back together tomorrow. I'll head back first today."