As for the other dishes, they were fresh vegetables, picked from the garden by the door and immediately stir-fried.
Stir-fried spinach and stir-fried bottle gourd: Perhaps it was because homegrown country vegetables were just that good, but even without any added sugar, they had a light, sweet flavor.
Scrambled eggs with cucumber: Fresh and crisp, soft and tender, it was as delicious as it was beautiful.
Pumpkin with salted egg yolk: Li Xiang sliced the pumpkin very thinly. He coated the slices with the crushed yolks of steamed, salted duck eggs and tossed them into the oil to fry. The sweet pumpkin was evenly coated in the savory egg yolk, and in just a moment, it turned a brilliant gold. The presentation was superb, enough to make one's mouth water.
The salted duck eggs were also homemade, from green-shelled local duck eggs. However, there weren't many left at home. When he had time, Li Xiang planned to help his grandma cure a few more jars.
He scooped the fried pumpkin with salted egg yolk out of the oil to drain it. Li Xiang picked up a piece with his chopsticks, blew on it to cool it down, and brought it to Jiang Cai'Er's lips.
"Mmm~, this is so good! It's crispy and grainy, crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside. It's savory and sweet at the same time. Brother Li Xiang, you're amazing!"
No sugar had been added; the sweetness was the natural flavor of the pumpkin. Jiang Cai'Er was enjoying it so much she almost bit her own tongue.
Aside from the Tier One Exotic Grass Snow Skirt White Jade Mushroom and Pork Rib Soup, this was Jiang Cai'Er's favorite dish.
There were eight dishes in total—a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, each one a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
In truth, Li Xiang's cooking wasn't purely Sichuan style. Since he had attended university and worked in the Jiangnan region, he had been slightly influenced by the local cuisine. His style might have been a fusion, but you couldn't argue with how delicious it was.
Grandma was getting old, so it was better for her to eat lighter food. As for Jiang Cai'Er, she wasn't a picky eater at all and was quite easy to please.
Besides, having a dish that was different from the local specialty every now and then was a nice way to change things up. After all, when people travel, they always make a point to try the local food.
The "family of three" ate in the backyard pavilion, a large table piled high with food, creating a scene of joyful harmony.
Halfway through the meal, Li Xiang suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "I forgot to buy something."
"What did you forget?" Jiang Cai'Er asked suspiciously. Then, with a soft "Oh," she exclaimed, "You forgot the alcohol!"
With such a magnificent spread, it felt like something was missing—the very soul of the meal—if Brother Li Xiang didn't have a drink. Haha.
Jiang Cai'Er exclaimed, "Why don't I go home and get some? My dad has a few jars of good liquor hidden away."
Li Xiang quickly waved his hands. 'No way.' He hadn't even bought Uncle Jiang any liquor, so how could he steal his to drink? Knowing Jiang Cai'Er's personality, she would definitely just go home and grab it.
He wasn't talking about alcohol, but a drink for a girl.
When treating people to a meal in the big city, you had to have juice and milk tea available for the ladies. The countryside was still a bit lacking in that regard.
So, he said apologetically, "I bought the vegetables at the temporary market in the woods this morning, and I forgot to get you a drink."
Jiang Cai'Er squinted. "I don't drink that stuff. It makes you gain weight!"
'Brother Li Xiang is so sweet,' she thought. 'He even remembered to buy me a drink.'
...
「A few days later」
Li Xiang and Jiang Cai'Er filmed a scripted "short drama." Since they both had to be on camera at times, Grandma joined the crew as a videographer.
However, Grandma didn't know how to film, so Jiang Cai'Er had to teach her every little detail. It took several days to finish the short drama. The production cost was basically just the price of a few meals.
The main location they chose was Li Xiang's backyard. He had renovated it to have a quaint, antique charm, and it was right next to a lush green mountain, so there were no traces of the modern world.
Carrying the High-Density Blade on his back, Li Xiang played a Swordsman from the Central Plains. He wore a tattered outfit stitched together from old clothes found at home and a bamboo hat. It had to be said that under Jiang Cai'Er's careful styling, the Swordsman looked the part, exuding a heroic aura. His style was a bit reminiscent of Teacher Yu Chenghui's Yellow River Hero.
But he was genuinely handsome! He looked much more masculine than the men's hanfu sold in stores. A lot of those store-bought hanfu outfits looked a bit effeminate. They were also too ornate and not down-to-earth enough.
Jiang Cai'Er, on the other hand, played a Miao Clan Saintess. The two fell in love at first sight.
After a brief, sweet romance, the Central Plains Swordsman had to leave the Miao Village and return to the Central Plains. A major martial arts tournament was about to be held there, and it was said that the Saintesses from various sects would be in attendance.
Unfortunately, the Miao Clan Saintess could not leave. She was unable to exit the village; this was the fate of every Saintess of her generation.
To prevent the Central Plains Swordsman from falling for someone else, the Miao Clan Saintess... secretly used a Love Flower Gu on her lover, which was also known as a Unity Gu.
This was a type of Gu that every young woman of the Miao Race possessed. It came in a male and female pair, raised within the body since childhood and sustained by the Miao woman's own lifeblood. The Gu could sense the woman's emotions, and when she fell in love, the Unity Gu would manifest its powers for its master to use.
If a Miao woman met a man she loved, she could, if she so chose, transfer the male Gu into the man's body.
The Swordsman, unaware, departed.
And then... there was no "and then."
This was mainly because it was their first time filming such a short drama, and they had no experience. Plus, Grandma was a slow learner when it came to filming, so they ran out of time. Jiang Cai'Er had to go back to school!
And so, only the first episode of the short drama, "Saintess's Heart Stirring, Ten Thousand Gu Devouring Body," was ever uploaded.
Even though everyone knew it was just a story and the acting was very amateurish, you couldn't deny that the man was handsome and the woman was beautiful. The audience still watched it... with great excitement.
On the last day of the National Day holiday, Li Xiang's follower count broke sixty thousand, far exceeding his expectations.
The villagers were also buzzing with excitement, and Li Xiang became one of the main topics of their daily conversations.
Someone joked that Jiang Cai'Er should just marry Li Xiang.
Li Xiang quickly explained, "We're just filming a short drama, it's all for the plot. Please don't take it seriously. Cai'Er is still young, she's in high school. You really shouldn't say things like that."
Everyone was hoping Li Xiang would promote products for them in the future, so they knew when to stop.
Jiang Cai'Er, however, was feeling rather playful. She secretly muttered on the side, "It's not like I can't marry you." She shot Li Xiang a look. 'Look at you, all nervous!'
She sidled up to Li Xiang and whispered, "Brother, are you afraid I'll put a Gu on you? I haven't learned how, so you don't have to worry. Haha."
Li Xiang lightly flicked her smooth forehead, telling her to be serious.
...
「Far away, over a thousand kilometers from there」
When Li Xiang's former colleagues saw his account flourishing, many of them naturally felt a pang of jealousy.
Even Chen Huanhuan, who had been on good terms with him, was feeling sour.
However, Chen Huanhuan's sour feelings were different from everyone else's.
The others felt that Li Xiang had somehow gained so many followers. 'Is he actually going to make it?'
Someone curled their lip. "It's only sixty thousand followers. The big influencers have millions, even tens of millions of followers."
"Exactly. Compared to the super-influencers, Li Xiang is still a nobody."
"Besides, even if he has followers, can he monetize them? Is he going to sell those pickled vegetables from his village? Haha! How much money could that possibly make?"
"Who would ask him to run an ad in that godforsaken backwater? No one, that's who!"
"That Miao Race girl is definitely a fake. She's probably using a beauty filter, too. There's no way she's that pretty in real life!"
"Yeah, how can you trust pretty girls on the internet? She's probably some old lady in disguise. Maybe it's his mom, haha."
As for Chen Huanhuan, she was simply green with envy... and that was all.
Chen Huanhuan fell silent. 'So he has such a pretty girl with him,' she thought. 'No wonder he wasn't interested in me.'