Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

It was afternoon when Liu Xiangyang told Zhao Xiaoman that he had to go out for some business and asked her to go eat by herself.

Zhao Xiaoman nodded, didn't ask any further questions, and simply said, "Then come back soon."

Liu Xiangyang responded, went to the bike shed to get his bicycle, and slowly rode it out of the hospital gate.

Just as I turned the corner, I saw Lin Xue standing there prettily under an old locust tree by the roadside.

She changed into a light blue polyester shirt, with one button still undone at the collar. Her hair was loose and a little messy from the wind. When she saw Liu Xiangyang riding over, her eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth turned up.

Liu Xiangyang rode up in front of her, put one foot on the ground, and raised his chin towards the back seat.

Lin Xue paused for a moment, looking at the empty back seat behind him, then at him, her eyes filled with surprise.

"You still have a bicycle? Did you buy it yourself?"

Liu Xiangyang shook his head: "My godmother bought this for me because she saw me studying here. Come on up and show me the way."

Lin Xue's eyes lit up. She sat down sideways and said, "Xiangyang, your godmother is so good to you." As she spoke, she sat down and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Liu Xiangyang glanced down at the hands, a slight smile playing on his lips, revealing a determined look.

"Yeah, my godmother is so good to me, she gives me everything." He patted her hand again: "How are you getting there?"

Lin Xue tightened her grip on his waist, and her voice came from behind him, tinged with amusement: "Go straight, turn right at the second intersection."

On the road, Liu Xiangyang rode his bicycle, the wind whistling past his ears.

"Lin Xue, what delicious food are you taking me to eat?"

Lin Xue's arm was around his waist, and her voice came from behind him, tinged with amusement: "Have you eaten at Bei San Casserole Restaurant?"

Liu Xiangyang shook his head: "Never heard of it."

"Then you wasted your training." Lin Xue giggled. "It's so delicious. When I was little, my mom would bring me here for a meal every time she got paid."

As she spoke, a hint of nostalgia in her voice lingered: "Back then, a bowl of tofu casserole, a plate of braised tofu, and two sesame seed cakes were enough to fill me up completely. My mom would just watch me eat, not wanting to touch a single bite herself..."

Liu Xiangyang didn't turn around; he just listened.

Lin Xue continued, "Their clay pot tofu, the broth is made with bones, and the tofu is as tender as steamed egg custard. And the braised pork belly, with its perfect balance of lean and fat, is stewed until it's so tender it melts in your mouth..."

As she spoke, her voice lowered a little: "Later, I went to the countryside and never went back."

Liu Xiangyang chuckled: "So, you're actually benefiting from my help, reliving the flavors of your childhood."

-

After riding for about ten minutes, Lin Xue called out from behind, "We're here! Turn into that intersection ahead."

Liu Xiangyang turned into an alley and, after riding not far, saw a row of bungalows with several wooden tables set up in front of them, all full of people. A rich aroma of meat wafted over, mixed with the smoky fragrance of sesame cakes, making people's mouths water.

This is Bei San Sha Guo Ju, a two-room interconnected hall. The storefront is small, with peeling paint on the walls and chipped paint on the wooden door frames. A wooden sign hangs at the entrance, with white background and red characters that read "Bei San Sha Guo Ju," the lettering somewhat faded. Through the open door, you can see seven or eight square tables crammed together inside, filled with the noise of people.

Liu Xiangyang parked the car at the door and locked it. Lin Xue jumped out and stood there looking at the sign, her eyes shining.

"Still the same as always..."

The two lifted the curtain and went inside. A wave of heat hit them. The waitress, a woman in her forties wearing a white apron and carrying two clay pots, called out to them, "Find a seat yourselves. If you have guests, you'll have to share a table!"

Liu Xiangyang glanced around and found a table that had just become available against the wall. He pulled Lin Xue over and sat down.

A small blackboard hangs on the wall, with vegetable prices written in chalk:

Clay pot tofu: 0.15 yuan/pot

Braised pork belly in a clay pot: 0.35 yuan/pot

Braised pork belly: 0.50 yuan/bowl (This is a main dish, with a good balance of lean and fatty meat, stewed until very tender)

Rice: 0.05 yuan/bowl

The waitress walked over with a small notebook in her hand, and asked with a stern face, "What would you like to eat?"

Liu Xiangyang glanced at Lin Xue: "You order."

Lin Xue didn't stand on ceremony: "One clay pot of tofu, one bowl of braised pork, and two bowls of rice."

The eldest sister quickly jotted down notes in her notebook, then shouted at the top of her lungs towards the kitchen: "One casserole of tofu, one bowl of braised pork, and two bowls of rice!"

-

While waiting for the food, Lin Xue rested her chin on her hand and looked at Liu Xiangyang with bright eyes: "Xiangyang, where are you from?"

Liu Xiangyang leaned back in his chair: "From Beijing."

Lin Xue's eyes lit up: "A Beijing native? Then why did you come all the way to the Northeast to work in the countryside?"

Liu Xiangyang laughed: "Just responding to the call, what else could it be for?"

Lin Xue pursed her lips, clearly not believing her. Her eyes darted around, and she asked again, "How many people are in your family? What do your parents do?"

Liu Xiangyang looked at her with a slight smile: "What, you've taken a fancy to me? Are you checking my background?"

Lin Xue blushed slightly, but didn't flinch. Instead, she said matter-of-factly, "I was just asking. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Liu Xiangyang shook his head, speaking casually: "There's nothing I can't say. My dad works in a factory, my mom works in the neighborhood committee, and I have an older sister. I'm the second oldest."

Lin Xue nodded and then asked, "How old are you?"

"Twenty."

Lin Xue blinked: "I'm also twenty, I was born in November."

Liu Xiangyang laughed: "Then you should call me good brother."

Lin Xue choked for a moment, her face turning even redder, and she muttered softly, "Who wants to call you 'good brother'?"

The waitress shouted, "Hey, you two, stop being so sour and come get your food yourselves." People around looked over.

Lin Xue blushed and got up to bring the dishes over. The casserole tofu was bubbling hot, the soup was milky white with a layer of golden oil floating on top, and the tofu was so tender it trembled. Next to it was a bowl of braised pork, bright red, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, stewed until it was very tender and mushy, and it would fall apart with the touch of chopsticks. The rice was regular white rice, steaming hot.

Lin Xue picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of tofu, blew on it, and put it in her mouth, her eyes narrowing: "It still tastes the same..."

Liu Xiangyang picked up a piece of braised pork with his chopsticks. It melted in his mouth, filling his mouth with a rich, oily aroma. He nodded and said, "The taste is indeed quite good."

After they ate for a while, Lin Xue looked up at him again and asked, "Xiangyang, do you have a girlfriend in the village?"

Liu Xiangyang put down his chopsticks, leaned back in his chair, and said slowly:

"My mom said she won't let me get married here, or she'll break my legs."

Lin Xue paused for a moment, then her eyes lit up: "So you don't have a boyfriend?"

Liu Xiangyang looked at her and smiled: "There are plenty of people who like me, I'm still choosing."

Lin Xue's smile deepened, but then she remembered something and stared at him, asking, "What about Zhao Xiaoman? Is she your girlfriend?"

She looked directly at Liu Xiangyang when she asked this question.

Liu Xiangyang did not deny it: "Yes."

Lin Xue was stunned.

She opened her mouth, but after a long pause, she managed to stammer out, "Then...then you still promised to treat me to dinner?"

Liu Xiangyang leaned back in his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Wasn't this to thank me for lending you my clothes? Why aren't you treating me this time since I have a girlfriend?"

"You admitted it so quickly; I thought you would deny it," Lin Xue said, looking at him.

Liu Xiangyang leaned forward and whispered to her, "What's so hard about admitting it? You can't just date one person, right?" He then raised an eyebrow.