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

Fang Yu opened his palm.

In the palm of my hand lay several plump, yellow oval-shaped grains.

It is about the size of a plump peanut, with a hard shell covered with fine lines.

Liu Yifei leaned closer curiously, her gaze falling on his palm.

"Nuts?"

Fang Yu's lips curled into a wicked smile.

"Take another look."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yifei examined the object carefully again.

This time, she realized something was wrong.

The surface of those "nuts" was unusually smooth, and they didn't feel like plants, but rather like some kind of...shell.

A bold guess popped into her mind.

"This...could it be a bug?"

Fang Yu snapped his fingers.

Congratulations, you got it right.

In Northeast China, this is called a "foreign-style can".

"You may have heard of caterpillars, those green caterpillars that sting people really hard. This is the cocoon it spins, and inside is the pupa."

"Children who grew up in the forest farm have always eaten this as a snack since they were little."

To Fang Yu's surprise, Liu Yifei did not scream this time, nor did she take a single step back.

Her beautiful eyes sparkled with pure curiosity.

"Does it taste...like silkworm pupae?"

After asking that question, she laughed first.

That smile carried a hint of self-deprecation and relief.

"To be honest, I've never even eaten silkworm pupae. I used to be physically unable to accept it just by looking at them."

"but……"

She paused, her tone becoming firm.

"Now I realize that many things really can't be judged by appearances alone."

Fang Yu nodded approvingly.

"You have a high level of awareness. It seems like these past few days with me haven't been a waste of time."

"This thing is not in the same league as silkworm pupae; its aroma is much stronger."

Fang Yu shook the thing in his hand.

"The price is what it is; one pound of imported cans can be exchanged for ten pounds of silkworm pupae."

The live stream chat was instantly ignited with comments.

Holy crap! A canned food! This stuff smells amazing!

I was stung by this insect when I was a child; it was painful and itchy. I never imagined that its pupae were edible!

[Over 100 yuan per pound! This is definitely a hardcore snack from Northeast China!]

[This thing scares me just looking at it, would even a celestial beauty like you dare to eat it?]

Fang Yu didn't say anything more and simply threw the few cans onto the scorching hot iron lid of the stove.

"Sizzle—"

The pupa shell made a faint sound when it touched the hot iron plate.

In just over ten seconds, a strange aroma began to fill the kitchen.

That's not the aroma of meat, nor the aroma of oil.

It has a caramelized aroma similar to roasted chestnuts, but it is richer and more mellow, and even has a faint hint of milkiness.

Fang Yu used chopsticks to pick up the baked canned food and weighed it in his hand.

The outer shell is already golden brown and crispy.

He pinched it gently with his thumb and forefinger.

"Click."

With a crisp crack, the hard shell split open.

A small, golden pupa was visible inside.

Fang Yu tilted his head back and threw it directly into his mouth.

He chewed contentedly for a couple of bites, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"Um--"

"It smells amazing!"

Liu Yifei stood right next to her, her nostrils already completely filled with that domineering aroma of burnt food.

This time, she didn't even wait for Fang Yu to start his deception.

He stretched out his chopsticks and picked up a piece.

He imitated Fang Yu, pinched it open, and threw it into his mouth.

She closed her eyes and began to chew slowly.

The next second, an indescribably rich and delicious aroma exploded on her taste buds.

"tasty."

She opened her eyes and uttered two words.

Before she finished speaking, her chopsticks had already reached for the few remaining pieces on the metal lid.

Thus, an extremely strange yet harmonious scene unfolded around the stove.

The two of them took turns eating, and soon finished off the small bag of cans.

Fang Yu smacked his lips, still wanting more.

And Liu Yifei is clearly one of them.

"Fang Yu, what other good stuff do you have?"

Her eyes sparkled, full of anticipation.

"Take it out quickly."

Fang Yu rolled her eyes at her, annoyed.

"Do you think Grandpa's house is a buffet? Where are you going to get so much delicious food?"

Despite saying that, his eyes began to search around the house, both inside and outside.

Suddenly, his gaze passed through the window and settled on the eaves.

There, a row of crystal-clear icicles hangs.

The longest one is half a meter long, and under the afternoon sun, it refracts a diamond-like brilliance.

A brilliant idea popped into Fang Yu's mind.

Have you ever eaten deep-fried icicles?

Liu Yifei looked completely bewildered.

"Deep-fried...what?"

"Icicles! The ones hanging from the eaves!"

Fang Yu pointed out the window, becoming more and more excited as he spoke.

"Knock the icicles off, coat them in batter, and deep-fry them in boiling oil—"

He described it vividly.

"The outside is a piping hot, flaky crust, while the inside is icy cold. One bite, and you experience a sensation of both hot and cold—the texture is absolutely amazing!"

Liu Yifei's eyes widened, unable to tell for a moment whether he was talking nonsense with a straight face or whether the dish really existed.

"Ice...can explode?"

"Of course! That's how I ate when I was a kid!"

Fang Yu was full of confidence and had already rolled up his sleeves, ready to go out.

"Wait here, I'll go knock down the two thickest ones for you..."

"stop."

A voice came from the kitchen doorway.

It's my maternal grandfather.

Fang Yu's steps froze on the spot.

Grandpa leaned against the door frame and watched him.

"The icicles on the eaves, exposed to the wind and sun, are covered in ash and bird droppings."

"It's fine if you make it yourself, but don't ruin other girls' lives."

Fang Yu opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but then thought about it again.

It seems... Grandpa is right.

That thing is really dirty.

He awkwardly touched his nose and slunk away.

"Alright, I'll do as you say."

……

The sun slowly sank behind the western mountains, casting a warm golden-red hue over the pristine white snow.

Fang Daqiang started the bread truck ahead of time to warm up the inside.

The moment of parting has finally arrived.

Grandma held Liu Yifei's hand and kept giving her instructions.

It's nothing more than common-sense advice like "wear more clothes when it's cold" and "don't work too hard."

Liu Yifei smiled and agreed to each one.

Grandpa didn't say a word from beginning to end.

He simply turned around and silently walked into the warehouse.

A minute later, he came out carrying a thick brown paper bag.

The bag was tied tightly with hemp rope.

He walked up to Liu Yifei and, without saying a word, shoved the paper bag into her arms.

"Take it."

Liu Yifei held the bag, which was quite heavy, and she felt somewhat bewildered and at a loss.

Fang Yu leaned closer and explained in a low voice:

"These are all dried snow frogs, Grandpa specially prepared them for you."

"Take this. After soaking, it will last you for about half a year."

"I guarantee that when you go back, your skin will be in even better condition."

Liu Yifei still wanted to decline.

Grandpa had already turned away, leaving her with only his back.

"After you finish eating, have Fang Yu come and get it."

As soon as he finished speaking, he had already reached the courtyard gate, put his hands behind his back again, and looked at the distant forest.

The dry tobacco was lit again.

Liu Yifei stood there, holding the heavy paper bag.

The wind was cold, but the place where the bag was pressed against my chest felt warm.

The bread truck slowly started moving.

Fang Yu rolled down the car window, shouted at the top of his lungs towards the figure standing at the gate of the courtyard.

"Grandpa, Grandma, we're leaving!"

Grandpa didn't turn around.

He simply raised the hand that was behind his back slightly.

I arranged it for a moment.

Then they carried it back.

Grandma kept waving her hand at the car window and shouting, "Drive slowly on the road."

The van drove off the small road and onto the vast forest highway.

Liu Yifei turned around and saw through the rear window of the car that the figure at the gate of the courtyard was getting smaller and smaller until it became a black dot.

The old yellow dog remained lying motionless at his feet.

A person, a dog, and a wisp of smoke.

Like a silent sculpture, it stands amidst the boundless forest and snowfield.

She turned her head back and looked down at the paper bag in her arms.

My nose suddenly felt a little sore.