Chapter 149 - 141: Out of Rice

Chapter 149: Chapter 141: Out of Rice

Zhao Lan didn’t have the heart to call her again. But who would have guessed that this "little while" would turn into another hour passing.

Hu Feng came again. This time, he didn’t knock, just stood outside the door and shouted, "Zhi, we had a deal about the dumplings! You’re not trying to back out of it, are you?"

Bai Zhi’s eyes flew open. Zhao Lan was sitting by the bed, watching her. She quickly asked, "What time is it?"

Zhao Lan glanced at the sunlight outside the small window. The sun was no longer as harsh as it was at noon. "It must be around 3:45 PM. Did you really promise to make dumplings for Hu Feng?"

Bai Zhi sat up. "Yes. He saved my life again today. To repay him, I promised to make dumplings for dinner tonight. I can’t believe I slept so late."

Zhao Lan said, "Since you made a promise, you’d better get up. Making dumplings takes time, so you need to get an early start."

Just then, Hu Feng’s voice called from outside again, and the embarrassing incident she had put out of her mind came rushing back... She sighed, got out of bed with a sense of resignation, and opened the door. "Stop shouting, I’m up," she said to Hu Feng. "Um—you head back first. I’ll come over after I wash my face."

She acted as if nothing had happened, looking just like her usual self, but Hu Feng could still detect a flicker of awkwardness in her eyes.

The corners of his mouth lifted in a slight smile. Without a word, he turned and left.

Bai Zhi took the damp cloth from Zhao Lan, wiped her face haphazardly, and sighed, "If only you could gather up spilled water."

Zhao Lan was confused. "What silly thing are you saying? How could anyone possibly gather up spilled water?"

Bai Zhi handed the cloth back to her with another sigh. "Exactly. You can’t take it back. So all you can do is—pretend it was never spilled!"

Watching Bai Zhi’s retreating back, Zhao Lan couldn’t help but wonder, ’What’s gotten into this girl today? Why is she talking so strangely?’

When she arrived at the Hu Family’s main house, she found Hu Feng had already put flour in a basin—even more than last time, it seemed.

Acting as if nothing was amiss, she walked forward, took the basin from Hu Feng, and pointed to the chives and potatoes in the corner. "You wash the vegetables. I’ll knead the dough."

Hu Feng pointed to some chives on the stove. "They’re already washed. Those are the extras." He had bought an extra bunch on purpose today. ’We can eat the rest tomorrow,’ he thought. ’Perfect.’

Bai Zhi ladled out a bowl of water and started kneading the dough. "Then chop them," she said without looking back. "Chop them the way I did last time." Hu Feng shook his head. "I can’t. I don’t know how." He could butcher a chicken and hack through bone, but he couldn’t chop chives...

She shot him a look over her shoulder, her eyes full of disdain. "What are you even good for? You can’t even chop chives."

Hu Feng shrugged. "It’s not like there’s a rule that says everyone has to know how to chop chives, is there?"

She casually pointed to a small cabinet in the kitchen. "Then crack the eggs. You know how to do that, at least."

Hu Feng took two eggs from the cabinet and asked, "Is two enough?"

"Of course not. That’s not even enough for you alone. Five," she ordered briskly, her earlier awkwardness gone, as if truly nothing had happened.

But a smile never left Hu Feng’s face—faint, almost imperceptible, yet truly there.

It was a pity that Bai Zhi, absorbed in kneading the dough, never saw it.

「Bai Family」

Ms. Zhang stared at the empty rice crock, her frustration about to boil over. She simply carried the crock out to the main room, plopped it down in front of Old Mrs. Bai and Liu, and said, "Mother, the family is out of rice. What are we going to eat tonight?"