Chapter 127

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=4738582

This translation is originally posted on  love4baihe.blogspot.complease read it there. and check out other stories too  

Content Warning: Poultry butchering

______

In a blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival is here again.

This year, Jiang Yu wanted to live in a world of two, so she gave her nanny and personal assistant an early vacation. She and Cheng Suran were the only ones left at home. The house was still so big, and each other's scent was everywhere. The smell of home was no longer as cold and quiet as before.

The two planned to buy groceries together today, cook by themselves, and then go to the park to hang lanterns in the evening.

"Let's go to the vegetable market. Vegetables are relatively fresh in the morning. Also, buy a live chicken to make a dish from my hometown." Jiang Yu stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her collar while speaking. Her fingertips inadvertently lifted the hem of her clothes, revealing a somewhat noticeable scar on her stomach.

"The market, huh..." Cheng Suran embraced her from behind, catching sight of that scar. She gently touched it with her hand. "It's dirty and noisy. How about I go in alone, and you wait outside?"

Feeling the burning temperature of her palm, Jiang Yu stiffened slightly and turned her head to nuzzle against her face.

"Do you think I'm not suitable to go to the vegetable market?"

"Yes, Coco is a fairy." Cheng Suran kissed her ear.

She really couldn't imagine what it would be like for Jiang Yu, with her tall figure of 1.8 meters and the temperament of a supermodel, to appear in a noisy and chaotic vegetable market.

Jiang Yu was so amused that she couldn't stop laughing: "It seems that someone's beautiful fantasy will be shattered today."

"Mm??"

"Let's go."

"Hey, Jiang Coco, I'm serious..."

"Seriousness is ineffective."

Cheng Suran couldn't resist her, pouted, lightly nibbled on her ear, then reluctantly released the scar. Instead, she held Jiang Yu's hand.

They rode the auntie's usual shopping scooter to the market.

At the market entrance, Jiang Yu skillfully put on a hat, locked the scooter, and held Cheng Suran's hand as they went inside. In Cheng Suran's memory, the market was "dirty and chaotic," and she hadn't been here in many years. She didn't know that the market could now be clean, organized, and well-arranged.

Looking around, it was spacious and bright, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Everywhere she looks is full of uncles and aunts.

"Potatoes, bacon, flour..." Jiang Yu took out her phone and read out the ingredients she needed as if talking to herself, then looked around.

At that moment, she smelled the simplest smell of fireworks in life. They were just an ordinary and simple couple, making plans for daily necessities and managing their own little home. It was plain but warm.

"I still need to buy shrimp," Cheng Suran reminded, "I want to make three flavors of dumplings."

"Then, shall we split up?"

"No, I want to watch you."

Pfft.

Jiang Yu couldn't help but laugh, and stretched out her hand to scratch her nose, "Can I still get lost?"

Cheng Suran pursed her lips and said nothing.

Her worries proved to be completely unnecessary.

Jiang Yu is very proficient in picking vegetables and meat. At first glance, she can tell that she often visits the vegetable market. She has rich experience and occasionally haggles for prices.

She was wearing ordinary black long-sleeved jeans, and flat shoes today, without any accessories on her body, casual and simple, but her height and temperament were so eye-catching that people who passed her would always look back at her. It's like breaking into a strange world and being incompatible with it.

After wandering around for about half an hour, the two of them bought a lot. Finally, they came to the live poultry area. Jiang Yu picked a larger rooster, put it in a sack, and left.

"Wait a minute," Cheng Suran stopped her, "It hasn't been slaughtered yet."

There was a long line for the paid chicken slaughtering service next to the stall.

Jiang Yu lifted the big rooster and said, "I'll slaughter it myself when we get back."

"?"

Cheng Suran was stunned, "You? Can you do it?"

She couldn't help but imagine Jiang Yu killing the chicken with a knife.

"Don't worry." Jiang Yu raised her eyebrows.

On the way back, she suddenly remembered something. She changed the direction of the car, bypassed two streets, and came to a dessert shop with a lot of people.

"What's wrong?" Cheng Suran was thinking about killing the chicken. When she came to her senses, she realized that the car was not in their basement.

They are still outside.

Jiang Yu unbuckled her seat belt and smiled: "I'm going to buy something.

"Oh, okay."

Cheng Suran looked down at her phone.

She was searching for a tutorial on chicken slaughtering, worried that Jiang Yu might struggle, and hoping that some last-minute knowledge could be of assistance. The big rooster left in the back seemed to sense its fate and flapped its wings frantically inside the sack.

A few minutes later, Jiang Yu came back and handed over the paper bag in her hand: "What is this?"

Cheng Suran looked at the bag and was stunned.

Strawberry donuts!

She looked up in surprise.

"Didn't you say you couldn't find them yesterday? They're available in the morning. " Jiang Yu casually brushed away a strand of hair from her temple.

This shop is very popular in Jiangcheng. The freshly baked desserts were usually sold out shortly by noon. Ever since Cheng Suran tasted the strawberry donut, she has always kept it in her heart and never forgotten it. She wanted to eat it on a whim yesterday, but she couldn't buy it. She went home and mentioned it casually.

Jiang Yu took a note.

Cheng Suran was stunned, her heart seemed to be scratched and itchy. She put on gloves and took a donut, and handed it to Jiang Yu's mouth: "Ah—"

Jiang Yu took a bite. Soft and fluffy, fruity and sweet.

"You eat and I'll drive."

"Don't move." Cheng Suran stared at her lips nervously.

"What's wrong?"

There were sauce stains on her lips, but she didn't know it. Cheng Suran smiled slyly, leaned forward slowly, kissed her lips carefully, and swept the skin stained with sauce with the tip of her tongue, making a tut-tsk sound as if she was enjoying it.

"Hmm—"

Jiang Yu's hands and feet turned stiff, she didn't know what this woman was trying to do or what tricks she was playing.

"It's so sweet." Cheng Suran took out a tissue and wiped her lips for her, "You have strawberry jam on your mouth."

"Really?"

"You did."

Jiang Yu slandered: She obviously wanted to kiss her.

Someone ate the donut intently.

....

Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=4738582

This translation is originally posted on  love4baihe.blogspot.complease read it there. and check out other stories too  

Back home, they started preparing the ingredients. Jiang Yu put on a complete set of protective gear, covering everything from head to toe. She carried the large rooster into the farthest bathroom from the bedroom, opened a window, and prepared to slaughter the chicken.

Cheng Suran brought her tools and hot water, moved a small bench, and sat at the door to watch.

The rooster flapped its wings, and Jiang Yu reached in, grabbed it from the sack, and swiftly knocked it unconscious with a single blow. She then took a brand new kitchen knife, slit its throat, bled it out... The rooster struggled in her hands for a moment before becoming still. The bathroom quickly filled with the scent of blood.

The toilet was filled with blood for a while.

She scalded it with hot water, plucked its feathers, rinsed off the bloodstains, and then gutted it.

Done in one go.

Cheng Suran was stunned.

The toilet was filled with a stinking smell that could be smelled through the glass door. She couldn't bear it, turned around and backed away, closed the outermost door, and sprayed the air freshener vigorously.

Leaning against the wall, she gasped for air, suddenly realizing that Jiang Yu was so proficient at this because she must have done it many times before.

Just like her, doing chores at home...

In the toilet, Jiang Yu finished handling the big rooster, washed away the blood on the floor and body, came out with a basin, took off her protective clothing, threw it in, and quickly closed the door.

The ventilation system will take the smell away.

"Ranran?"

She saw Cheng Suran leaning against the door in a daze, and walked over in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Could it be that I scared you and shattered your fantasy?"

"Ah, no," Cheng Suran met her concerned gaze, with a somewhat complicated mood, but her face showed shock and admiration, "You are actually so skilled? I was worried that you wouldn't be good at it… Honestly, you must have done this a lot back home, right?"

A gentle smile appeared on Jiang Yu's lips, and she nodded seriously: "Yes, I often caused trouble to chickens, ducks, and fish when I was a child. After all, in the countryside, you always have to help with work."

There didn't seem to be any pain on her face when she mentioned the bad times in the past.

Those memories were just ordinary to her.

Cheng Suran breathed a sigh of relief. "But it's too tiring to do it this way. Next time you want to eat something like this, you should hire someone to do it. You smell..." She picked up the air freshener again and sprayed it on Jiang Yu a couple of times.

Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow. "Are you disgusted by me? You complain even when I'm making delicious food for you."

"No no!"

Knowing that she was teasing her again, Cheng Suran snorted coldly, reached out, and rubbed her head, messing up her hair, and making her look like a fried lion.

"Hahaha!"

Jiang Yu was not annoyed and let her make trouble, "Since we're making this dish, we should see it through from start to finish. It's more sincere when you're hands-on in preparing the ingredients." There was a touch of tenderness in her smile.

"Oh, then... I'm going to knead flour." Cheng Suran turned around and walked away.

....

Jiang Yu's hometown specialty dish has no formal name, only the dialect is called "Tengba". The internal organs of a whole big rooster are hollowed out, and ingredients are filled inside, including glutinous rice dumplings, diced carrots, corn kernels, and more, then brushing the surface with a special sauce and wrapping it in aluminum foil.

The authentic hometown method involved cooking the chicken in an earth pit, but they didn't have the conditions for that, so they had to use an oven instead. To cater to Cheng Suran's taste, she omitted the chili powder.

When the finished product came out of the oven, the aroma filled the entire dining room, making Cheng Suran drool with greed.

Her three flavors of dumplings are also ready.

Shrimp, crab roe, pure meat.

Jiang Yu finally lost two kilograms, but she couldn't resist the "temptation" of her lover's hand-made food. She ate all the food, including the soup. Cheng Suran, who had eaten the whole chicken with Jiang Yu, could no longer walk. They sat at the dining table for a while before deciding to go for a walk to aid digestion in the afternoon.

Before going out, Jiang Yu took a bath. Just after she finished washing, she received a call from her assistant.

The assistant said that Mina was arrested at the customs and has now been handed over to the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

After hearing the news, the big stone in Jiang Yu's heart finally fell to the ground, and the thorns that had penetrated her flesh and blood were uprooted. She felt extremely relaxed as if she was surviving a disaster—she always knew Mina would come back.

However, it's all over.

No matter what happens in the days to come, she will no longer face it alone. She hopes this is the last storm in her life.

....

A full moon rose into the night sky.

Yuhu Park still held a lantern display event. Just after 8 p.m., the parking lot was full, and people came and went in the park both in small groups and families.

Jiang Yu took Cheng Suran and walked in the lantern riddle corridor.

Both sides of the corridor were hung with jade rabbit lanterns, filled with hazy and soft warm light, illuminating one riddle after another on the note. They guessed and guessed all the way, and they all remembered this day many years ago.

[Do you have confidence in yourself?]

[Not really.]

[Sister believes in you.]

It turns out that this is the second Mid-Autumn Festival they have spent together.

"Ranran/Sister..." They both spoke simultaneously, then paused, laughed, and said in unison, "You go first."

Jiang Yu: "You go first."

Cheng Suran: "No, you say it first."

"..."

The warm glow made Jiang Yu's face appear even softer, and her eyes glowed with a fiery light. She gazed silently at Cheng Suran as if struggling to speak but then shifted her gaze to the lakeside. "Let's go and release lanterns."

Cheng Suran was caught off guard, thinking she had something special to say to her. She felt a little disappointed for a moment, so she followed her gaze and said, "Okay."

The words that came to her mouth were swallowed back.

The lake reflected the shadow of the lighted pavilion, and lanterns of various sizes floated on the water. This year, lanterns shaped like mooncakes were added. Jiang Yu didn't even look at them and just bought the jade rabbit lantern like last year.

The two of them found a place with few people along the bank, squatted on the ground, took out a pen and paper, and began to write and draw on the paper. "How about just drawing two rabbits?"

"Okay, but..." Cheng Suran thought for a while and said, "You are not allowed to draw me as a short rabbit. I have to be as tall as you!"

Jiang Yu chuckled. "Forceful growth, never turning over."

"Who do you think will never turn over?" Cheng Suran stared, pretending to be angry.

Jiang Yu quickly coaxed her: "I'll be the one who's never turning over."

Cheng Suran raised her eyebrows proudly.

She took out her mobile phone, turned on the flashlight, and shone it on the paper. Jiang Yu used her phone as a base and began to draw earnestly with the aid of the light. In a short while, two rabbits of the same height appeared on the paper.

Long ears, and big front teeth – they were incredibly cute.

"That's pretty much it." Cheng Suran was very satisfied.

The two rabbits were holding hands with a heart in the middle. Jiang Yu thought about it for a moment, then wrote a blessing next to it: This world's fireworks will last forever.

Then she handed the pen and paper to Cheng Suran: "Here."

Vigorous and energetic, Cheng Suran recited this sentence silently, raised her head, caught a glimpse of herself in the eyes that were brightened by the candlelight, and her heart skipped a beat.

After looking at each other for a long time, she lowered her eyes and added a sentence on the paper: Amidst the sea of people, solitary as a swan, you are the morning and evening.

T/N: Those two lines were taken from the net, I'm not sure if they're from a poem or just posted by a netizen. I'm not sure if it was translated correctly.

Under the lantern carrying beautiful wishes, it was set afloat on the water.

Floating, floating…

Drifting further and further away.

Suddenly, Cheng Suran remembered this time last year when she squatted by the shore, watching the lanterns. A rabbit-shaped lantern, as if destined, floated to her, telling her that someone else was there too.

"Jiang Coco..."

"Mm?"

"I've wanted to ask you a question for a long time." She turned her face, her eyes a little distracted.

Jiang Yu looked at her as if she knew what she wanted to ask. Her lips moved, and she could hardly restrain herself from speaking out, but in the end, she endured it. 

"What?"

"On the Mid-Autumn Festival six years ago, did you go back to the hotel just to accompany me?"

"Yes." Jiang Yu answered without hesitation.

She knew she was going to ask this. It was the day they both remembered, the same event, the same lingering feeling. Cheng Suran's eyes welled up with tears in an instant.

Jiang Yu took a deep breath, and in the darkness where no one could see, she hugged her and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. "I know. I was the one who was tempted first."