Xiang Xi was the first to reach the kitchen, his voice preceding him. Before he even entered, he boomed, "What's for breakfast today! It smells so good! It smells like meat buns, and there's a sweet wine aroma too."
Pushing open the slightly ajar kitchen door, he saw Chen Lan and said, "I knew it! Little Lanzi, so it's you making breakfast! Hmm, this is a bit unusual. Did the sun rise in the west? Why are you so diligent today!"
Seeing Chen Lan ignored him and continued to gently scrape the bottom of the pot with her spatula.
He continued without minding, "Usually we eat in the big kitchen, with porridge, steamed buns, or noodles every morning. It's been a long time since I smelled meat buns."
As he spoke, he sniffed the air and peeked into the pot. Suddenly, he exclaimed happily, "Little Lanzi, you even made wine-fermented eggs and glutinous rice balls, my favorites!"
Chen Lan nodded grudgingly and retorted, "Yeah! So what? Am I good enough? I don't know why you big men like sweet things so much?"
Xiang Xi immediately fired back, "It's all your fault I like sweets. When we were little, you were so bossy, you always wouldn't let me drink milk. My mother had to feed me rice cereal. Seeing that I refused to eat it, she added a little foreign sugar to the rice cereal. I only ate it when it had a bit of sweetness! That's why I love sweets so much now."
Chen Lan, not to be outdone, retorted, "Little Watermelon, why do you always bring up the past! Weren't you satisfied with foreign sugar back then? Do you know how expensive foreign sugar was at that time?
I remember foreign sugar was not only precious but also very difficult to buy. Sometimes, when I craved it, I had to beg my mother for a long time before she'd give me a small piece." She then used her thumb and index finger to show how small a piece it was.
This time, Xiang Xi was completely silenced and mumbled, "I'm not talking to you anymore. Anyway, I've never won an argument with you since childhood. You always have the right reason, and I always don't. Little Lanzi, is the meal ready? Let's eat, let's eat, it's time for breakfast!"
With that, he picked up bowls and started serving rice wine soup balls for everyone.
As Xiang Xi served the wine-fermented rice balls, Chen Lan took two large plates and put the steamed buns and flower rolls on them.
At this moment, Mother Liu and Hu Yuzhen entered the kitchen one after another.
Mother Liu said in surprise, "Xiao Lan, you made breakfast? Why are you up so early! Why didn't you sleep in a bit longer!"
Chen Lan quickly replied, "I didn't make much. It was all ready-made, I just steamed it. There are many things to do today, so I got up a little earlier."
The group carried the breakfast to the table. Except for the three children, all the adults were present, and they immediately began to eat.
Xiang Xi ate with a look of bliss. He took a sip of the sweet rice wine and said, "Delicious! It's been more than half a year since I've had wine-fermented eggs and glutinous rice balls. They're so fragrant."
Mother Liu chuckled and said, "What doesn't taste delicious to you, you rascal? I've never seen you eat anything that didn't taste good!"
Mother said, "It is fragrant! Xiang Xi is right. It's not a craving-induced fragrance, but a deep-seated liking. Am I right, Xiang Xi?"
After Mother finished speaking, she looked at Xiang Xi.
Xiang Xi repeatedly agreed, "Right, right, that's exactly it. Auntie understands me, she knows me best!"
Xiang Xi's antics made everyone burst into laughter.
Chen Lan quickly finished her meal and ran upstairs to change into the clothes and shoes she had just bought from the system that morning. She then grabbed the five chainsaws she had purchased from the system before going to bed last night and went downstairs.
She handed the chainsaws to Uncle De. Seeing everyone looking at her, she immediately said proudly, "What do you think? Handsome, right? Good-looking, right? Beautiful, right!"
Mother nodded and said, "Beautiful, heroic!"
Mother Liu said, "Beautiful, spirited!"
Chen Lan looked at Xiang Xi.
Xiang Xi immediately said fawningly, "Handsome, stylish! Beautiful! Little Lanzi, can you get me an outfit too?"
Chen Lan nodded arrogantly and said, "I have urgent business to attend to now. When I get back tonight, I'll ask if they have anything you can wear. Is that okay?"
Xiang Xi immediately replied happily, "Yes, yes, absolutely!"
Chen Lan bid farewell to everyone and told Uncle Fu, "Uncle Fu, please tell Uncle De that I won't be going to the tremella shed today. I'm going up the mountain first."
Uncle Fu replied, "Mm! I know. Be careful then. Don't stay on the mountain alone for too long. I'm worried it might not be safe."
Chen Lan replied as she walked, "I know! Don't worry!"
As she walked out of the house, a gust of cold wind blew, and she couldn't help but sneeze. She sniffled and quickly walked out of the yard. Habitually, she checked the system time. It was only 7:30 AM. It was too early to go to that valley. She might as well go to the woods over there and get some branches to bring back, to give Uncle Fu and Uncle De something to account for.
Since she had decided to go to the valley where she hunted wild goats today, Chen Lan didn't delay. She quickly ran to the woods where she had sawed pine trees and branches yesterday. She quickly took out the new chainsaw she bought last night. It was the same as last time; as long as the branches could be sawed, she sawed them all off. This time, however, as she sawed off the branches, she also put them into the system warehouse, saving time and effort.
She worked hard alone, sawing and putting them into the system warehouse. She didn't know how long she had been working until she felt her head starting to ache, and only then did she stop putting things into the system warehouse. She knew this was caused by overusing her mind.
She dared not use her mind to check the system time. She looked up at the sun in the sky, estimating it was around nine or ten in the morning.
Holding the chainsaw, she quickly walked back. She took the same route back to the yard. Hearing the children's laughter inside, she guessed Mother had taken the children to the pavilion to play. She didn't have time to go in and delay any further.
She quickly took out all the branches she had sawed today from the system warehouse. Looking at the piles of branches on the ground, they completely blocked the entrance to the yard.
Oh my heavens! No wonder her head was aching so much. She was startled when she saw it. She had unknowingly brought back so much. If she made one more trip like this, it would be enough to burn for the entire winter.
She had no time to lament. She moved the branches from the entrance of the yard one by one, then spread them out to dry, leaving a path for people to walk. After finishing these tasks, she was covered in sweat.
She checked the system time. It was already ten in the morning, which was quite late. She had to hurry back up the mountain again, to the valley where she hunted wild goats, to see if the wild goats were still there.