Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

Liu Yifei fell into deep self-doubt.

She felt as if she had been "possessed" by something strange.

Liu Yifei, who used to have to calculate the angle even when drinking water and could only show eight teeth when she smiled.

It seems he died on his very first day in Northeast China.

The one who is alive now is... a female bandit reserve.

Just as Liu Yifei was contemplating the ultimate meaning of life and wondering where she had gone astray.

Zhao Guifang's loud and energetic shouts came from the kitchen.

"Dinner's ready!"

That shout instantly pulled Liu Yifei out of the abyss of philosophy and back into the everyday world full of life.

Soon, the dishes were served in a continuous stream.

The first dish was the one Fang Yu had previously explained, something like "son-in-law's dish" or "chicken that has lost its soul"—chicken stew with mushrooms.

As soon as the dishes were served, their rich aroma filled everyone's noses.

Large chunks of free-range chicken are stewed until tender and fall off the bone; they easily separate with a gentle touch of chopsticks, revealing the meat inside, which is soaked in broth.

The wild hazel mushrooms, having absorbed the savory flavor of the chicken broth, become plump and juicy, bursting with flavor with every bite.

The best part is the glass noodles inside; each one is crystal clear, smooth, and coated with rich broth.

Liu Yifei's saliva started flowing uncontrollably at that moment.

Next up is braised pork slices.

The outer skin is fried to a golden brown and crispy, coated with a layer of glossy sauce. When you gently pick up a piece, you can hear a faint "click" sound.

When the stir-fried tofu with green peppers was served, it was still steaming hot.

Thin, paper-thin dried tofu is cut into wide strips and stir-fried with bright green chili peppers over high heat. The aroma of tofu and chili peppers blend together, simple yet direct.

Finally, there was the braised carp, presented whole on an oval-shaped platter. The skin was fried until slightly wrinkled, then soaked in a thick, reddish-brown braising sauce, with scallions and ginger slices supporting it. The aroma was irresistible.

The dishes were crammed onto the table, so close together that there was barely enough room for them to fit on the edge.

But today's staple food is not rice.

Fang Daqiang cheerfully brought out a huge bowl from the kitchen.

The bowl was twice the size of Liu Yifei's face, and inside lay a steaming, plump, white hand-pulled noodle.

"Come on, let's eat noodles!"

Fang Daqiang placed the large bowl in the middle of the table, causing the entire table to shake.

Liu Yifei asked Fang Yu, who was sitting next to her, in a low voice, out of curiosity.

"Why isn't there rice today?"

Fang Yu was holding chopsticks, his eyes scanning back and forth among the several main dishes on the table, looking for the best time to start eating.

Upon hearing the question, he casually provided some basic information:

"Dumplings on the first day of the Lunar New Year, noodles on the second."

"Eating noodles on the second day of the Lunar New Year is a way to wish for good fortune, as each noodle is smooth and long-lasting. It is a special treat for daughters and sons-in-law who come back to their parents' home."

Liu Yifei nodded. She realized that there were so many different interpretations of a bowl of noodles.

The meal was quite lively.

Grandpa even had a rare opportunity to clink glasses of baijiu with Fang Yu.

However, Liu Yifei today displayed an astonishing "celestial will".

Faced with a table full of incredibly delicious dishes, she only cautiously took two bites of each dish before resolutely putting down her chopsticks.

It's not that I don't want to eat.

She's been eating way too much lately.

If we keep eating like this without any restraint, we'll have to wait until the show is finished and we return to the capital.

What awaits her is a three-month-long grueling training program.

The thought of eating only boiled chicken breast and broccoli every day, and having to run on the treadmill until I'm exhausted, is unbearable.

Liu Yifei suddenly felt that the chicken stew with mushrooms in front of her no longer smelled appetizing.

She forced herself to look away and sipped her tea slowly, using the tea to quell the cravings in her stomach.

This scene was naturally witnessed by the viewers in the live stream.

[This is hilarious! What happened to the celestial beauty? Did she change her personality?]

Look at her eyes, she's practically drooling, but she just doesn't dare to pick up her chopsticks.

[Fairy Sister: If I eat any more, Sister Hong will drag me to the dark room!]

[Sister Hong: I'm watching you on the screen. I've written down every single piece of meat in your bowl in my little notebook!]

After the meal, Zhao Guifang and Fang Daqiang took turns clearing the dishes.

Grandma then pulled Liu Yifei to sit down on the kang (a heated brick bed) and began to chat.

Older people and young people don't really have much in common.

Grandma asked Liu Yifei about her family situation, her health, and whether her work was tiring.

Liu Yifei answered them all obediently.

As she spoke, her gaze fell upon the old-fashioned glass photo frames that were crammed full on the headboard.

The interior is covered with photos from various eras, densely packed, like a family history compressed into a small space.

Liu Yifei glanced at it a few more times and naturally found a new topic to talk about.

"Grandma, how many years have you lived here?"

Once Grandma was asked this question, she immediately started talking non-stop.

"I entered the forest farm when I was eighteen, and after I married your maternal grandfather, I have stayed here ever since."

She touched the wall of the kang (a heated brick bed) next to her.

"This house was built by your maternal grandfather himself."

Liu Yifei was somewhat surprised.

"You built it yourself?"

Grandma was delighted.

"Yes, back then your grandpa could carry a big log like it was nothing."

Liu Yifei followed up the conversation, asking curiously, "So what did you do in the forest farm before?"

"We cut down trees," Grandma said casually. "Back then, the country needed timber for construction, and we were the ones supplying timber to the country."

"Aren't you going to cut them now?"

"We're not allowed to cut anymore. Even if we've cut it all down, we won't be allowed to cut anymore."

Grandma glanced out the window.

"Now we need to nurture this forest and let it slowly grow back."

Liu Yifei followed her gaze and looked out the window.

Birch and red pine trees, one after another, stretch to the horizon, merging with the gray-blue sky to form a vast expanse of white.

"What a huge forest," she said softly.

"Yes, she's the eldest." Grandma nodded, paused, and her voice deepened. "She raised us her whole life, but she was also very fierce."

Liu Yifei turned around and looked at her grandmother's expression, realizing that there was something hidden in her words.

She didn't ask any further questions, but simply waited quietly.

"Especially in the earlier years, when fire prevention awareness was not so strong, a serious accident could happen if you were not careful."

Grandma paused, her voice lowering.

"Take the fire of 1987, for example..."

"Oh, that was really...like the sky falling down."

Liu Yifei's heart skipped a beat; she could feel the heaviness of the past in the air.

She knew that her grandmother was about to tell a very, very long story.