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Ming Lexin thoroughly enjoyed being in charge and felt much more relaxed.

Soon, Qing Mengzhu and the others had prepared dinner.

Today's menu includes Gastrodia elata and hazelnut chicken soup, stir-fried beef with water bamboo shoots, meatballs, stir-fried pickled cabbage, and baby bok choy in broth. Ming Lexin sat at the table and took a deep breath. She was already satisfied just from the aroma before even tasting the food.

Ming Lexin picked up a large meatball, took a bite, and instantly exclaimed with satisfaction, "Your cooking skills are amazing, and the ingredients are great too! Mmm, delicious!"

Ming Chunxi glanced at Qing Mengzhu, and seeing that he had no objection, said, "If you like the village food, why don't you move to the village to live?"

Ming Lexin waved her hand. "Let's forget it. If we move to the village, it'll be harder for me to get to work, and I don't want you to keep telling me what to do."

Qing Mengzhu opened her eyes wide, thinking to herself that she had never noticed the discord between the mother and son when they lived together before.

Ming Chunxi remained calm. "I won't interfere; I just care about you occasionally."

Ming Lexin: "I still prefer a free and easy life."

Ming Chunxi looked at her intently. "If anything happens to you, remember to tell us."

Ming Lexin smiled and said, "I understand. I won't force myself if I need help."

Ming Chunxi nodded and said nothing more.

The atmosphere at the table was a bit awkward, Qing Mengzhu quickly Ming Lexin a bowl of soup. "Auntie, please try our soup. It contains gastrodia elata, which has a calming effect."

Ming Lexin took the soup from Qing Mengzhu's hand. "You went up the mountain to dig for gastrodia elata, right? This soup tastes really fresh."

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, we planted gastrodia elata on the mountain. Actually, the ones we dig up now are still a bit small, but they're edible already, and their medicinal effects should be quite good."

Ming Lexin finished the soup in her bowl in one gulp, then stood up and ladled out more. "It's so delicious! You made this especially for me, I'm going to have another bowl."

Qing Mengzhu: "Cheers! Let's eat and drink our fill these next two days, and then we'll go out and have fun after the New Year."

Ming Lexin picked up her soup bowl and clinked glasses with him. "Drink!"

Ming Lexin simply thought the food at Qing Mengzhu's house was delicious, and the soup was also very tasty. As for the medicinal effects, she didn't care.

They finally have a holiday, and their only task is to eat and drink. Under these circumstances, even without taking any health supplements, her sleep quality won't be too bad.

She went up the mountain specifically to dig up gastrodia elata to make soup, it was just a token of her two children's affection, and she didn't want to waste it.

Thinking this, after brushing her teeth that night, Ming Lexin lay down on the bed and, as usual, turned on her phone. She planned to scroll through her phone for two hours before going to sleep.

Unexpectedly, after scrolling for a while, a wave of drowsiness washed over her. She couldn't stay awake any longer and, without even putting her phone down properly, she wrapped herself in the blanket and fell asleep.

She slept from 11 p. m. to 9 a. m. the next morning, almost entirely in a deep sleep.

Because of the Lunar New Year, no one came to call her; only the occasional sound of firecrackers from the village drifted in from afar, carrying the festive atmosphere.

Ming Lexin gripped the blanket with both hands, blinked, and seemed to lose track of time.

After finally coming to her senses, she got up, washed up, and planned to go out to talk to Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi sat in the courtyard basking in the sun.

When Ming Lexin left, Qing Mengzhu was holding and playing with Ming Chunxi's slender fingers.

Seeing her come out, Qing Mengzhu was a little embarrassed. "Auntie, you're awake? There's breakfast in the kitchen, why don't you go in and have some?"

Ming Lexin skipped breakfast, glanced at the sun, and said, "The gastrodia and hazelnut chicken soup is so effective! I haven't slept this well in ages; I feel like I'm under anesthesia."

Qing Mengzhu looked at her. "Are you feeling any better?"

Ming Lexin: "That's so much easier! I feel so light, like I could dance ballet."

Ming Lexin wasn't hungry, so she stood in the sunlight chatting with them. "I knew before that what you grow is good. After eating your white fungus and lotus seed soup, my complexion became rosy. I didn't expect that the effects of growing medicinal herbs are even better than growing other things?"

Qing Mengzhu was also surprised. "Auntie, you were probably too tired recently, so now that you've relaxed and drunk the nourishing Gastrodia elata soup, the effects are very noticeable."

Ming Lexin pulled up a chair and sat down, resting her chin on her hands. "I don't think so. The gastrodia elata you grow is very effective."

Qing Mengzhu: "Then let's go up the mountain later and dig up some more gastrodia elata, and try again today."

Ming Lexin: "Could you cut off a couple more pieces? I have a friend who also suffers from chronic insomnia; I'll send her some to try later."

Ming Lexin rarely asks for things. Most of the time, when Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi send her things, she will reciprocate with gifts. Qing Mengzhu has always liked her, and now that he and Ming Chunxi have confirmed their relationship, he likes her even more.

Upon hearing Ming Lexin's request, Qing Mengzhu agreed without hesitation, "Sure, I'll dig down a few more pieces later."

Ming Lexin quickly said, "You don't need to dig too much. Just a little will do. I'll make some soup for my friend."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "It's alright. We have two such big mountains. If we finish digging them out, we can just sow some seeds in the spring."

Ming Lexin then didn't refuse. "Speaking of which, have you ever considered growing medicinal herbs? I think your herbs have quite good medicinal effects; they should be popular if you grew them."

Qing Mengzhu: "We haven't considered it yet. We don't have much land here, and we don't have enough manpower. We might not be able to manage planting medicinal herbs."

Ming Lexin smiled and said, "So you've considered planting it elsewhere? Where would you like to plant it? Qiongwei City?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Qiongwei City isn't a good option either. It's mostly orchards there, and it might be difficult to manage medicinal herbs as well. We've rented two new farms on the border; the soil there is more fertile, so maybe we can grow some medicinal herbs there."

Ming Lexin: "I heard from you guys that growing it over there seems to be a good option, but if you grow it there, won't you have to travel a lot for work?"

Qing Mengzhu: "No need. We'll send a professional team to manage it, review the reports, and conduct regular inspections."

The family rarely has a chance to sit in the yard and have a peaceful chat.

Qing Mengzhu earnestly explained her work, Ming Chunxi would occasionally chime in. Ming Lexin, caught up in the atmosphere, would also share her work and life with them.

It was only after hearing this that Qing Mengzhu learned that Ming Lexin's insomnia initially stemmed from a breakup.

Ming Lexin shrugged. "There wasn't any other reason, it was simply a matter of personality clashes, and we parted amicably in the end."

Qing Mengzhu breathed a sigh of relief, "Then he's not our destined partner. Let's keep looking; we'll meet our true love eventually."

Ming Lexin smiled and said, "Most couples are prone to conflict. It's rare to find someone like you who has absolutely no conflicts and is perfectly compatible. You should cherish each other."

Ming Chunxi: "Because Mengzhu has been very tolerant of me."

Qing Mengzhu quickly replied, "I don't mean to be tolerant. I just like your personality, and I think everything you do is great."

Ming Lexin understood. "You mean you didn't force yourself to tolerate him, you just love him and there's no need for you to tolerate him. You find every single thing he does adorable, right?"

Qing Mengzhu blushed slightly. "We don't usually say such cheesy things."

Ming Lexin laughed heartily, "Being brave enough to express your feelings is the best thing."

Ming Lexin was a very cheerful and generous person. The topics she talked about made Qing Mengzhu feel a little overwhelmed. After listening for a while, Qing Mengzhu quickly pulled Ming Chunxi up the mountain to dig for winter bamboo shoots and gastrodia elata.

Qing Mengzhu promised Ming Lexin that when she went up the mountain to dig for gastrodia elata, she dug up a few extra pieces. When she got back, she wrapped them in kitchen paper towels, put them in a plastic bag, and specially asked a deliveryman to send them to Ming Lexin's friend.

Qing Mengzhu said to Ming Lexin, "This is fresh gastrodia elata, which spoils easily. Have your friend refrigerate it after receiving it. If it's not going to be used for a long time, it should be dried or frozen."