Although they had paid far above market price for the vegetables, overall, the only dish they had spent money on for lunch was the okra. All the other dishes were "free."
Xue Ranran and Wang Chengran returned before the meal. Both were a little surprised to see the extra guests, but they were lively people with a bit of social butterfly in them, so they were not shy. After greeting everyone cheerfully, they started helping in the kitchen.
Fu Yunyi looked at Wang Chengran, whose head was drenched in sweat. "In the middle of summer like this, thank goodness it's relatively cool indoors. Otherwise, this earthen stove would give someone heatstroke sooner or later."
Xia Zhiyi happened to pass by and hear him. He remarked casually, "I made some herbal tea to help beat the heat. Want some?"
Before Fu Yunyi could speak, Wang Chengran raised his hand at Xia Zhiyi's words. "I'll have a cup!"
Although the morning was cooler than midday, and the mountains were actually a little cooler than the city, working was still unbearably hot. Wang Chengran felt a little dizzy and really needed a cup of herbal tea to cool down.
Not to be outdone, Xue Ranran said, "Me too!"
So Xia Zhiyi turned around and poured each of them a large ceramic mug of the herbal tea he had just brewed.
Just then, Chen Yun came out of Zhou Kai's room. Seeing this, she asked, "What are you drinking?"
Xue Ranran said enthusiastically, "Teacher Xia made us some herbal tea. Would you like a cup, Sister Yun?"
At this, Chen Yun smiled and politely declined. "None for me."
What she was thinking, however, was, Who knows what he put in that herbal tea? Those men might not be afraid, but Xue Ranran is a woman. Isn't she worried something might go wrong if she drinks it?
But none of them could read minds, so they did not know what she was thinking and paid it no mind.
Xia Zhiyi did not go out of his way to promote his herbal tea, either. Even if he really could hear Chen Yun's thoughts, he would only have smiled without saying anything more.
When it was time to eat, Qin Yue was quite bashful as the head cook, but she really did know her way around a kitchen. Her dishes looked good and tasted decent, too. They could not compare to a five-star chef's cooking, but they could certainly be called tasty.
Besides, apart from Fu Yunyi and Zhou Kai, who had worked together before, everyone could be said to be unfamiliar with one another. With everyone deliberately cooperating, the atmosphere at the meal was quite pleasant.
During the meal, Chen Yun made tentative attempts to talk to Xia Zhiyi or Fu Chi. She had set her sights on Xia Zhiyi because she wanted to sign a seemingly promising newcomer and nurture a new money tree. Besides, Xia Zhiyi was young. People his age were still students with little experience of society, which, in Chen Yun's eyes, made him easier to control.
As for Fu Chi, although Chen Yun had never met him before, she had vaguely heard a few things about him. She had not found an opportunity on the way over, so now she wanted to see whether she could build some connections with this man who seemed to be the current head of the Fu family.
Unfortunately, Xia Zhiyi, who looked innocent and easy to control, seemed to be very popular. Someone was always striking up a conversation with him during the meal, and every time Chen Yun was about to speak, she was interrupted.
As for Fu Chi...
He practically had "stay the hell away from me" written all over him. Even knowing they were livestreaming, he sat with his back to the camera, his expression cold, with no intention whatsoever of joining the conversation. He ate unhurriedly, elegantly and reservedly.
He hardly looked as though he were eating farmhouse dishes in a mountain village. Even a plate of stir-fried tomatoes and eggs looked like a sumptuous delicacy when he ate it, creating a stark contrast with everyone around him.
Apart from Fu Yunyi, the other guests all avoided him, consciously or otherwise, and did not disturb him.
Under these circumstances, Chen Yun's tentative attempts to strike up a conversation were bound to stand out.
After several attempts, Chen Yun finally settled down. With Qin Yue smoothing things over, she turned to chatting with her instead.
The only people who truly enjoyed this meal without a care might have been Xia Zhiyi, Fu Chi, Wang Chengran, and Xue Ranran.
Fu Yunyi ate with a bit of a stomachache. He kept carefully watching Fu Chi eat, as though worried about something.
But right up until the meal ended, Fu Chi remained impassive and made no particular comments about the dishes. Only then did Fu Yunyi finally breathe a sigh of relief.
To maintain her figure, Qin Yue deliberately controlled how much she ate and what she chose, so naturally, she could not eat entirely as she pleased.
As for Chen Yun, that went without saying.
Zhou Kai still did not come out at noon. The guests had gone in to invite him twice, but after being turned down both times, they gave up.
Once Chen Yun had eaten enough, she went to take Zhou Kai his meal. Wang Chengran wanted to help, but she turned him down as well.
"Sister Yueyue, thanks for all your hard work cooking. You, Ranran, and Wang Chengran should get some rest first." Seeing everyone grow sluggish after eating and drinking their fill, Xia Zhiyi smiled. He stood up and began clearing away the dishes as he said, "I'll tidy these up and wash them after you wake up, so I won't disturb your nap."
Wang Chengran burped and followed his example, getting up to help clear the table. But he had just eaten five bowls of rice and was a little stuffed, so he said nothing.
At that moment, Fu Chi, who had been sitting there quietly all along, stood up.
Seeing him move, Fu Yunyi grew nervous, several thoughts flashing through his mind.
What is he going to do?
Oh, does he want a nap too? Where will he sleep? In my bed? Then what about me?
Wait, he's such a busy man. It's already rare for him to have stayed this long. Is he going back?
Then Fu Yunyi watched as this youngest uncle of his, who had never done housework, reached out and began clearing the table alongside Xia Zhiyi and the others.
Fu Yunyi: "!!!"
Fu Yunyi broke out in a cold sweat. Having been sitting still, he suddenly jumped up and stopped Fu Chi, saying, "Oh! You're a guest. How could we let you do this? I'll do it, I'll do it!"
Good heavens!
His youngest uncle was actually going to help clear away the dishes!
How could those hands of his youngest uncle's do work like this!
If he just stood by and watched, would his youngest uncle start making trouble for him again once he got back?
No, he had to stop him!
Xia Zhiyi noticed Fu Yunyi's sudden panic and turned to glance at him, confusion flickering in his eyes.
Fu Chi said coolly, "There's no reason I can't."
Then he began clearing the table with practiced movements, looking nothing like someone who had never done it before.
Fu Yunyi: "..."
Stunned.
Qin Yue was still a little embarrassed, but Xue Ranran was much more decisive. She pulled Qin Yue to her feet. "Whoever cooks doesn't wash dishes, and whoever washes dishes doesn't cook. Since Sister Yueyue is cooking, just leave the washing-up to them."
As she spoke, she winked at Qin Yue and said with a grin, "It's also a chance for Wang Chengran and the others to set an example for all the men out there."
Hearing this, and seeing no reluctance on their faces, Qin Yue went along with Xue Ranran and agreed with a smile.
The two women went to rest first, and Xia Zhiyi soon shooed Wang Chengran away as well, considering that he and Xue Ranran had done real physical labor that morning and needed a nap to recover some HP.
Once everyone had left, Fu Chi spoke. "Teacher Xia, I hear the herbal tea you brewed tastes quite good. I wonder if you could let me take some to drink on the road later?"
Fu Yunyi: ????