After the divorce, he went on a motorcycle trip, and his ex-wife and daughter were filled with regre

"The food is served!"

With a long shout from the person in charge, the kitchen helpers carried large iron platters and brought out one steaming dish after another to the table in a continuous stream.

Unlike the elaborate plating of city hotels, which uses carved radishes as garnish, this place emphasizes practicality.

Large chunks of braised pork, served in a large bowl, are stewed to a glossy red color and tremble with oil; a whole free-range chicken is stewed in a large iron pot, paired with locally picked wild dried mushrooms, and the broth is golden and rich; and there are also fresh and tender river fish that have just been caught from the river at the entrance of the village, simply steamed and drizzled with hot oil, with a fresh and fragrant aroma.

Although it looks rustic, the ingredients are absolutely fresh and natural.

With the chef's decades of experience in controlling the heat, the flavor is rich and authentic, full of a comforting, homey taste.

Han Qingru had completely abandoned her usual aloof and cold female CEO persona.

She rolled up her sleeves, took disposable chopsticks, and ate with great relish. The braised pork, in particular, was rich but not greasy, melted in her mouth, and perfectly balanced between sweet and salty – just what she wanted.

When she was enjoying the meal, she even had a "secret contest" with Jiang Ye over the last piece of braised pork belly, which was perfectly marbled with fat and lean meat and looked the best. The two pairs of chopsticks "fought" in mid-air, and in the end, Jiang Ye deliberately let go and gave her the meat, which made her show a victorious smile.

The sounds of the villagers' hearty laughter, their casual conversations, and the lively chatter of the bride and groom toasting each other at the table all blended together.

All of this allowed the two of them to completely relax and perfectly immerse themselves in this simple and pure joy.

They ate heartily at this rural feast, their mouths greasy with oil, feeling more satisfied and happy than ever before at a Michelin three-star restaurant.

After finishing the meal, the two were so full they kept rubbing their stomachs.

They originally planned to return to town or take care of business after giving their gift and having lunch, but the hospitable Grandpa Liu insisted on keeping them from leaving.

"Oh dear, city kids always have so many rules! In our village, how can you just eat one meal and run away? There's another big meal tonight, you have to stay for dinner!"

Grandpa Liu grabbed Jiang Ye's arm, making it clear that he would lie down on the ground if Jiang Ye didn't agree.

The villagers joined in the clamor to persuade him to stay, making it impossible for him to refuse.

The two exchanged a wry smile and finally agreed to wait until after dinner before leaving. After all, the food at this banquet was indeed delicious, so having another meal wouldn't be a loss.

Since we couldn't leave in the afternoon and time seemed to stretch on endlessly, we had to find something to do to pass the time.

Jiang Ye's eyes lit up, and he ran to the next table to borrow a set of simple fishing tackle that was a bit old.

He led Han Qingru along the village path, slowly arriving at the crystal-clear stream behind the village to prepare for fishing.

The river is not deep, and it is full of aquatic plants. You can also see schools of small fish swimming in and out of the crevices of the rocks.

Jiang Ye found a good spot under the shade of a weeping willow tree and set up his stool. He skillfully hooked the red earthworms he had bought onto the fishing line, flicked his wrist, and cast the line with flair. Then he sat on the stool, crossed his arms, and struck a pose of an extremely professional angler, staring intently at the float on the water's surface.

On an early autumn afternoon, although the sun is not as scorching as in summer, sitting by the river for a long time, the bright sun is still a bit dazzling, making one's skin feel hot.

Before long, Han Qingru arrived.

At this moment, Han Qingru was wearing a wide-brimmed straw hat that she had just bought from a small shop, and she was also holding two bottles of chilled mineral water with water droplets on them and two mung bean-flavored popsicles.

The brim of the straw hat was large, casting a shadow that covered most of her face, revealing only her smooth chin. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the straw, dappling her chin and delicate collarbone.

A gentle breeze blew by, causing strands of her hair to flutter in the wind. Coupled with the popsicle in her hand and her pure and ethereal smile, the scene was as beautiful as a meticulously composed pastoral landscape painting, leaving Jiang Ye speechless.

Han Qingru walked over and handed Jiang Ye a bottle of water and an ice cream.

Then she moved a small stool over and sat down next to Jiang Ye. While happily licking her popsicle, she peered over the water, watching the still float on the surface.

After watching for a long time, the float didn't move an inch.

She couldn't help but start mocking Jiang Ye's technique without holding back.

"Ono, Ono, you're putting on quite the show, looking like a master. How come you haven't caught a single shrimp after all this time? Are the fish in this river just turning their backs on your bait and refusing to take the bait?"

Han Qingru smiled so hard her eyes curved into crescent moons, her tone full of teasing.

As a man, especially in front of a woman he likes, how can he stand this kind of "technical" questioning?

Jiang Ye's competitive spirit exploded instantly after being provoked by her.

He straightened his back, patted his chest confidently, and said, "Sis, don't underestimate me! The baiting just now hadn't worked yet. You watch, today I'm going to catch a big fish and show you!"

I wonder if the gods in the river heard Jiang Ye's bold words.

Just as Han Qingru's mocking words had faded away, before the sound of her voice had even dissipated...

The float that had been as steady as a mountain on the water surface suddenly seemed to be pulled down by something and sank into the water in an instant!

"They're here!"

Jiang Ye's eyes narrowed, and he reacted extremely quickly. He gripped the fishing rod with both hands, exerted force with his waist, and swiftly lifted the rod.

"Buzz—"

The previously slack fishing line instantly taut, cutting a splash in the water and making a taut sound that makes your heart race.

A tremendous pulling force came from underwater, bending the tip of the fishing rod into a large bow, almost causing it to slip from my grasp.

"Wow! There really is a big fish!" Han Qingru was startled. She even forgot about eating her popsicle and quickly stood up, took two steps back, and nervously looked at the water.

After a fierce battle between the mermaid and the human.

Jiang Ye played with the fish from side to side for a full ten minutes, finally exhausting the big guy underwater.

He jerked the fishing rod sharply, and a large grass carp, weighing five or six pounds and with scales shimmering in the sunlight, was dragged ashore.

The large grass carp struggled desperately on the grass, its tail slapping the ground with a "plop, plop" sound, splashing water everywhere.

Jiang Ye was smug, his tail practically wagging in the air.

He grabbed the fish by the gills, lifted the still-wriggling fish, and strode up to Han Qingru to show it off, deliberately bringing the fish closer to her.

"See?! I said I could catch a big fish, and I caught one! You got it?"

Han Qingru grew up in the city and was naturally afraid of these slippery, fishy-smelling creatures that would wriggle around.

Seeing the large fish less than half a meter from her face, splashing water from its tail onto her clothes, she screamed in fright, threw down her popsicle, jumped up from the stool, and ran away.

"Jiang Ye! Get away from me! You're disgusting!"

"Haha, why are you running away? This is a completely natural, wild big fish!"

Jiang Ye laughed heartily, his wicked intentions awakened, and he chased after the fish relentlessly.

The two of them, on the grass by the river, chased and played around like two carefree, immature children.

Clear, melodious laughter and exclamations echoed back and forth in the open valley.

Han Qingru was not as physically strong as Jiang Ye, and she was panting heavily and her face was flushed after running for a while.

Finally, she couldn't run anymore, so she stopped, turned around, grabbed a handful of grass covered in mud, and threw it at Jiang Ye without any hesitation.

"You dared to bully me!"

Jiang Ye didn't dodge, he just stood there grinning foolishly, letting the muddy grass clippings fall all over his head and face.

After this unrestrained and exhilarating playful fight, the last trace of awkwardness between them, stemming from the uncontrolled kiss the previous night, finally vanished completely with the autumn breeze.

. . . .