That evening, upon returning home to Xinghua Village, Mother You eagerly asked, "Qinghe, how is your body? Do you still feel unwell? Did You Rong call a doctor for you?"
"Uh..."
Lin Qinghe looked embarrassed. She hadn't understood why Mother You had repeatedly instructed her to be careful this morning, but now she understood.
Mother You had assumed she was pregnant.
"Why aren't you speaking? Is your body still uncomfortable?" Mother You asked. "Then hurry back to your room and rest. I'll make tonight's dinner, let You Rong handle the pork offal himself."
"Mother, it's not mine. My body is fine, I don't feel unwell, it's just..."
Looking at Mother You's expectant eyes, Lin Qinghe truly didn't know how to explain. She could only glare fiercely at You Rong, as if to say, you caused this misunderstanding, you resolve it!
The corners of You Rong's mouth curved slightly. Receiving Lin Qinghe's gaze, he pulled Mother You over and said, "Mother, let Qinghe go busy herself for now. I have something to tell you."
Seeing this, Lin Qinghe quickly said, "Mother! I'll go check the stove fire!"
After speaking, Lin Qinghe hurried away, leaving You Rong alone to explain to Mother You.
In the kitchen, after a while, You Rong arrived. Lin Qinghe hesitated for a moment and asked with a hint of worry, "You Rong, did you tell Mother? What was her reaction? Will she... be very disappointed?"
You Rong smiled. "Mother was a little disappointed, but I managed to coax her back to happiness."
Hearing this, Lin Qinghe breathed a sigh of relief. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? How did you coax Mother to be happy?"
You Rong's eyes flickered. He moved closer and whispered into Lin Qinghe's ear, "I told Mother that we would let her hold her grandson soon."
Lin Qinghe's cheeks flushed, and she playfully glared at You Rong, "Who said I'm going to... you promised, you'll have it yourself then!"
"Without you... how could I have one?"
You Rong was stating a fact. Coupled with his deep voice, it inexplicably felt like a feather stroking Lin Qinghe's heart, making her tingle and itch, unsure of how to describe the sensation.
Lin Qinghe instinctively took a few steps back, putting more distance between herself and You Rong. She suppressed the panic in her heart and pretended to be calm and composed, saying, "Stop messing around! I... I wanted to discuss the hot pot with you. I just bought two large pork bones to make broth, and we can try making it at home tonight to let you taste it first."
You Rong's gaze was gentle, and he nodded, "...Okay, I'll listen to you."
Lin Qinghe washed the ingredients she had specifically bought that day, along with the mushrooms and vegetables given by Aunt Li and Aunt Zhang.
Aunt Li said her children had collected them from the mountain and they weren't worth much. She was concerned that Lin Qinghe had given them so much food, so she insisted on giving them to her, otherwise, she wouldn't feel at ease.
Lin Qinghe accepted them, and now they were perfect for the hot pot.
Lin Qinghe used pork leg bones and half a chicken to make the broth. Once the broth was ready, she added the pre-fried hot pot base, and then the ingredients.
Since they hadn't brought back a specially made pot, Lin Qinghe said with some regret, "We should have brought one of the custom pots from the blacksmith's today. We could have cooked and eaten at the same time, adding slices of meat and vegetables. Now, we can only cook them first and then scoop them out..."
You Rong heard this and said, "Why don't we have dinner in the kitchen tonight? We can keep the fire going, and we can cook and eat at the same time. It's getting cold, and eating in the kitchen will be warmer."
Lin Qinghe: "That works too. Then you go and call Mother over, and I'll get the dipping sauces for the hot pot ready."
"Okay."
A quarter of an hour later, Lin Qinghe had You Rong bring over a long bench. They sat by the stove and ate. She cooked the slices of meat and vegetables, and then served the dipping sauces to Mother You.
"Mother, it's ready. Please try it."
It was the first time Mother You had seen food eaten this way. She picked up a piece of vegetable from her bowl with great novelty and took a bite. Her eyes lit up, "It tastes so good! Qinghe, as expected, anything you make is delicious!"
"Mother, this is called hot pot. It's perfect for eating in the cold weather. We can cook and eat at the same time, which warms the body. In a couple of days, we'll be selling this dish at the small restaurant."
"With such a good taste, others will surely like it too!"
Lin Qinghe's eyebrows curved slightly, her eyes full of smiles. She picked up some food dipped in the spicy sauce and placed it in You Rong's bowl, "You try some too."
You Rong nodded, picked up a few slices of meat, and put them in Lin Qinghe's bowl. "You eat too."
Lin Qinghe hummed and they looked at each other and smiled. Mother You watched from the side, her face filled with relief.
It seemed the day she would hold her grandson was indeed not far off.
After dinner, You Rong came back after washing up. Lin Qinghe was tidying the bed. Seeing him enter, she turned back and said with a smile, "You Rong, come quickly. When Aunt Li brought the vegetables today, she also brought the cotton quilt and clothes she was asked to make a while ago. Try them on to see if they fit."
You Rong nodded and walked over, cooperating as Lin Qinghe helped him put on the clothes.
After he was dressed, Lin Qinghe tidied his collar. You Rong, dressed in green, was tall and slender, with a handsome face, indescribably attractive.
Lin Qinghe nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, this outfit suits you very well. Wear it to the small restaurant tomorrow."
You Rong's heart stirred. He held Lin Qinghe's hand and gazed at her, "It's getting cold. You have to run between home and the docks every day, and you're prone to catching a chill. I'll take you to the ready-to-wear shop tomorrow to buy you a thick outfit."
Her face was delicate and beautiful. If she were to wear an exquisite dress, not this coarse cloth attire, she would surely be even more beautiful.
Lin Qinghe, however, was dismissive, "Buying directly from the ready-to-wear shop is too expensive. When I have time, I'll buy a bolt of cloth and find a skilled auntie in the village to make me another one."
You Rong insisted, "Buy it! Making one would take several days. I'll take you to buy it, otherwise, if you catch a cold in these few days, you'll fall ill again."
Today, he had seen a wealthy lady in an exquisitely made dress, and he immediately thought that she would look just as beautiful in one.
Lin Qinghe saw You Rong's persistence and smiled, saying helplessly, "Yes, yes, yes... As you wish. We'll close early tomorrow, and I'll go with you to the ready-to-wear shop to have a look, okay?"
You Rong smiled with satisfaction. "Okay."
"It's getting late, let's rest soon."
"Okay."
As soon as they lay down on the bed, Lin Qinghe asked to be held tight. Leaning against his warm chest, Lin Qinghe smiled and said nothing, falling asleep in You Rong's embrace.
You Rong, however, was not asleep. He kept replaying Lin Qinghe's words of liking him today in his mind. The corners of his mouth turned up involuntarily, and his mood was exceptionally joyful.
After a long while, You Rong lowered his head and placed a light kiss on Lin Qinghe's forehead, then held her as they drifted off to sleep.
Two days later, the hot pot introduced by Lin Qinghe and You Rong's small restaurant was very popular due to its novel taste and deliciousness. The small restaurant was fully booked from the moment it opened, with everyone eager to try this now famous dish.
In less than half a month, the small restaurant had become quite renowned in the county town. Lin Qinghe and You Rong were busy every day. Their business grew, and naturally, their earnings increased.
Unexpectedly, one day, an unwelcome guest arrived.