Chapter 96 Cradle Ballad

The stage ends, the music ends and the crowd disperses.

After watching the final rankings announced on the show, several people dispersed and returned to their rooms.

The courtyard fell silent in the night.

When Xu Hongdou went upstairs, she could vaguely hear Chen Mo's singing coming from the room.

[Starry sky, pick some chicken mushrooms
The chicken mushrooms are full, and the pen tubes are full

The pen tube is leaking, what can I say?

[Gray Green Beans]

Xu Hongdou pushed open the door and entered the room.

Chen Mo stopped playing the guitar and asked with a smile, "You're back. How was it? What's your ranking in the article?"

“Fourth, right in the middle.”

Chen Mo nodded. "That's not bad. It's a good start for a newcomer."

Chen Mo had paid attention to this program before. The singers are all very talented, and there is also a veteran who is the most powerful performer. His strength is beyond doubt and is incredibly strong.

The song "Lie" cannot reflect the explosive power of singing skills. In that kind of competitive stage, singing high notes is still an advantage.

If I go up to sing folk songs, I will probably be eliminated from the show.

"Why are all the songs you wrote for Congwen like this?" Xu Hongdou thought for a moment about the adjective, "tragic characters."

"This is just a coincidence. I just happened to have this inspiration, and Congwen happens to be quite suitable for singing." Chen Mo said.

"You get your inspiration from Wen, right? How can he not be suitable?" Xu Hongdou complained.

Chen Mo laughed dryly and explained, "Love songs must be sad and unforgettable, which resonates with people."

“And don’t put yourself into this artistic creation.”

Xu Hongdou couldn't help but give Chen Mo a light look. You wrote it based on other people's experiences and told others not to put themselves in their shoes.

"Go take a shower, it's not too late."

"Ah."

After taking a shower, Xu Hongdou changed into a nightgown and walked out with a bath towel wrapped on her head. She was steaming hot, and her skin was white with a rosy glow, as smooth as a baby's.

When Xu Hongdou sat down in front of the dressing table, Chen Mo stood up naturally, took the bath towel, and helped Xu Hongdou wipe her wet hair.

After wiping it briefly, Chen Mo took the hair dryer and helped Xu Hongdou dry her hair.

Xu Hongdou seemed to have gotten used to this. She looked up at Chen Mo with a gentle and charming smile.

Chen Mo couldn't help but lower his head and smacked his lips.

"After coming here, your whole body is much better."

Chen Mo said as he gently helped Xu Hongdou dry her hair.

"The scenery here is beautiful, the air is good, and most importantly, I don't have to work. How can it be bad?" said Xu Hongdou.

"Just take a rest when you're tired in the future. You don't have to work so hard." Chen Mo said softly.

"What? Do you want to support me?" Xu Hongdou raised her eyebrows.

"I want to marry you." Chen Mo's eyes were gentle.

Xu Hongdou snorted, "Even if you marry me, I will still be self-reliant."

Chen Mo smiled and shook his head, "I didn't ask you to be a housewife, I just hope you don't put too much pressure on yourself."

Xu Hongdou knew that Chen Mo just felt sorry for her. "Don't worry. It was a special job before. Even during my breaks, I had to reply to clients' messages at any time. I couldn't relax. I won't look for such a tiring job in the future."

"Well, health is the most important." Chen Mo reminded.

"I know~~"

Xu Hongdou half leaned on Chen Mo, closed her eyes, and smelled the faint fragrance of shower gel.

"It's great to have you." Xu Hongdou murmured.

"Just help you blow dry your hair?" Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Yeah, but I have to brag about it for the rest of my life." Xu Hongdou nodded.

Chen Mo thought about it and said, "I may not be able to help you blow dry your hair for the rest of your life."

"Hmm?" Xu Hongdou opened her eyes.

Chen Mo said seriously: "People will lose their hair when they get old. If all the hair falls out, there is no need to blow dry it."

Xu Hongdou rolled her eyes and said unhappily, "Unless I become a nun in this life, there is no way my hair will fall out completely."

"Become a nun?" Chen Mo raised his eyebrows slightly, "You love me so deeply?"

"What does this have to do with loving you?" Xu Hongdou asked curiously.

"Isn't it usual for the heroine in this plot to be hurt by love, no longer believe in love, and shave her head to become a nun?"

Hearing this, Xu Hongdou couldn't help but laugh and said, "Do you think too highly of yourself, or do you underestimate me?"

"I believe in the weight of love between us." Chen Mo said with a smile.

"Okay, the hair is done."

Xu Hongdou stood up and hugged Chen Mo's neck, "'Love is important, but it's not everything in life'. I think you told me this."

"Really? Did I say that?" Chen Mo blinked.

"Well, when Congwen said goodbye to his ex-girlfriend, we discussed this topic side by side." Xu Hongdou said.

"You also said, 'If a person only has love in his eyes, he will easily lose himself over time.' You were very rational when you said these words."

Chen Mo thought about it and nodded: "Then I am indeed in love now."

"Ok?"

"Love makes people blind, and now I am blind."

"Don't give me that." Xu Hongdou didn't believe it.

Chen Mo hugged Xu Hongdou's slender waist, "Weren't you curious about what it would be like for me to fall in love? Would there be someone who would make me less rational?"

"What did I say then?"

"forget."

Chen Mo hugged Xu Hongdou tightly and whispered in her ear: "Sink voluntarily."

The moonlight is like silver, shining on the windowsill, covering this perfect couple with a layer of gauze.

"Close the window, so mosquitoes don't fly in again."

"it is good."

Chen Mo walked to the window and was about to close it when he glanced out the window and was stunned for a moment, "Huh? No matter how small this village is, can it be this small?"

"What's wrong?" Xu Hongdou also walked to the window.

Chen Mo pointed to the yard next door outside the window, and Xu Hongdou followed Chen Mo's gaze.

In the next yard was Xie Zhiyao, whom I met twice today.

At this time, Xie Zhiyao was helping his grandmother wash her hair, and the two of them were talking and laughing.

When Xu Hongdou saw this heartwarming scene, she was stunned for a moment.

"What's wrong?" Chen Mo noticed that Xu Hongdou was a little strange.

"I miss my grandma."

"Your grandma"

"He passed away." Xu Hongdou was a little depressed for a moment.

"My grandma was actually in good health. Three years ago, it was snowing in the winter and the road was icy. My grandma fell and fractured her pelvis. She stayed in bed for a week and developed a blood clot."

Chen Mo hugged Xu Hongdou gently and accompanied her quietly.

After closing the windows and turning off the lights, the two of them lay on the bed hugging each other, and Xu Hongdou whispered about her grandmother.

"When I was a kid, my favorite thing to do during holidays was to go to my grandma's house, feed the chickens, climb trees to pick fruit, and go to the creek to fish for shrimp."

"At night, my grandma would fan me and tell me stories to put me to sleep. I said at that time that I wanted to open a small shop when I grew up and earn money to buy her roast chicken."

"What story?" Chen Mo asked softly.

"Cowherd and Weaver Girl." Xu Hongdou felt a little nostalgic.

"Then let me tell you about it?" Chen Mo said.

Xu Hongdou burst into laughter and buried her head in Chen Mo's arms.

Chen Mo said seriously: "I really remember how I said it."

Xu Hongdou smiled happily, "Sing a song for me."

"What song is it?"

"It's the song you sang when I came back just now."

"it is good."

Chen Mo gently patted Xu Hongdou's back and sang softly:

[Mung beans are fragrant, fresh ginger is
The new ginger is spicy, the pagoda is high, and the waist is twisted
My baby is going to sleep】

The night sky is boundless and filled with stars. The evening breeze blows, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers and sending you into dreamland.

The windy courtyard is quiet and peaceful. From time to time, a breeze blows and the wind chimes on the treetops sway.

At this time, the only people left in the courtyard were Ma Ye, who was meditating under a tree, and Chen Mo, who was sleeping in a small shed on the second-floor terrace.

Just now, Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing made their own cat toys and were playing with the cat in the yard.

Aunt Agui passed by and saw that the two had nothing to do, so she invited them to make milk fans and flower cakes.

Da Mai, who happened to be going downstairs, was also dragged along by Aunt Agui.

The three of them followed Aunt Agui to the home of Xie Xiaochun's mother, Aunt Baoping.

Xu Hongdou was making flower cakes with Aunt Agui in the kitchen.

"Are these made from fresh roses?" Xu Hongdou asked, looking at a large basin of rose petals in front of her.

"Yes, there are two ways to make flower cakes. One is to use fresh roses directly, and the other is to use rose jam." Aunt Agui introduced.

"We are using fresh roses today, and we will make rose jam with the extra roses later."

Xu Hongdou nodded, rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair arms, and started to work under the guidance of Aunt Agui.

The main ingredients of flower cakes are rose, sugar and lard. You can also add sesame seeds, peanuts and walnut kernels according to your personal preference.

Flower jam is made of roses, sugar and lemon juice. Knead them until they turn red, put them in a sealed jar, pour a layer of honey on the top to seal it, and then wait a few days.

Rose jam is easier to preserve, so most flower cakes sold outside are made with rose jam.

"Aunt Agui, you suddenly made flower cakes and milk fans today. Is there any festival?" Xu Hongdou asked while making them.

"No, it's Baoping's son Xia Xia who is going to Shanghai to visit his friends, so Aunt Baoping wanted to make some local specialties for Xia Xia to bring over." Aunt Agui explained.

"Is that so?" Xu Hongdou nodded.

The Xia Xia that Aunt Agui mentioned should be Xie Xiaoxia whom they met in the wood carving workshop yesterday.

On the other side, Chen Nanxing and Damai were making milk fans with Aunt Baoping in the yard.

"Aunt Aquarius, what do you add with the milk?" Chen Nanxing asked curiously.

"This is sour water, which is made by heating our local sour papaya and milk, separating the whey and fermenting it." Aunt Aquarius introduced.

"Come, let me show you."

I saw Aunt Baoping adding sour water into the pot and heating it, then pouring milk into the pot.

The milk coagulates rapidly under the action of acid and heat, and Aunt Aquarius stirs it quickly to turn the milk into stringy clots.

Aunt Baoping picked up the curd with bamboo chopsticks and kneaded it into a pancake with her hands. She then rolled its two wings onto a stick and stretched one end of the stick outward to make the curd roughly fan-shaped. Finally, she hung it on a fixed rack to dry.

"When hanging it to dry, you have to loosen it with your hands so that it will be easier to take down after it dries." Aunt Baoping explained.

"So that's how it is. Can I try it?" Chen Nanxing was eager to try.

Although Da Mai didn't say anything, his expression clearly showed that he was very interested.

"Of course, come, put on the gloves and try it." Aunt Aquarius said with a smile.

Back in the courtyard, Chen Mo was making tea and discussing philosophy at the invitation of Master Ma.

"Black tea or Pu'er."

"black tea."

Uncle Ma nodded, and then he started to heat the pot, add tea, wait for the water to boil, brew, scrape the foam, heat the cup, and sift the tea. The whole process was smooth and pleasing to the eye.

"Are you feeling bored?" asked Master Ma.

"Patience shows one's ability." Chen Mo said.

Ma Ye's eyes lit up, "It's rare to meet a tea friend."

Chen Mo nodded, "Sit in front of the courtyard, drink tea and meet friends."

"Please." Master Ma gestured with his hand.

"Please." Chen Mo nodded in thanks.

The two of them drank tea and chatted.

"Why don't you go out and have fun instead of coming here just to sleep?"

"Is it not good?"

"Can't you sleep anywhere?"

“So sleep here.”

"Don't you think it's a waste of time?"

“Is meditation a waste of time?”

“Meditation can help you get rid of distracting thoughts and calm your mind.”

"Even when sleeping."

When you sleep, you have no thinking consciousness and don’t think about anything, which means your mind is free of distractions.

Master Ma shook his head and said, "No, meditation is actively controlling your mind, it is cultivation, while sleeping is unconsciously emptying your mind, it is just rest."

Chen Mo asked: "What level of cultivation can one reach? Can one become an immortal?"

Master Ma was stunned. "You are joking. Of course not. There are no immortals in the world."

Chen Mo smiled and said, "I am sleeping alone at noon. Who is the immortal? I am the immortal."

After sipping a cup of tea and conversing about philosophy, everyone left.

Those who were meditating continued to meditate, and those who were sleeping continued to sleep. It was obvious that no one had convinced anyone else.

Sunset at dusk, the sun sets in the west.

Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing and Damairen returned to the yard carrying two or three bags.

The time was communicated in advance and Chen Mo had just finished cooking.

After eating out for a few days in a row, Chen Mo went shopping this morning to cook for himself.

Seeing the few people, Chen Mo couldn't help but joked: "Aren't you going to help? And you're eating and taking things with you."

"This is the result of our labor." Xu Hongdou boasted.

"Let me try one." Chen Mo said.

"No, I want to send these to my family and to my uncle and aunt." Xu Hongdou said.

"My parents are both in the capital, and I can't even get one when I'm in front of you?" Chen Mo widened his eyes.

"I had no choice but to take three copies, one for my parents, one for my sister, and one for my uncle and aunt, that's all." Xu Hongdou counted on her fingers.

"You don't have your own either?" Chen Mo asked.

"I ate there after I finished making it. Freshly baked ones are delicious." Xu Hongdou smiled embarrassedly.

"Anyway, there are a lot of them for sale here. You can buy them anytime you want."

"Can the ones you make yourself be the same as the ones you buy outside?"

Chen Mo turned his gaze to the bag in Chen Nanxing's hand.

"I only took the money to send home." Chen Nanxing hid the bag behind him.

There's no way, they went there to help, how could they take so much?

You can also buy this kind of thing outside, but the intention when sending it home is different.

"Why don't you take it from me? I have an extra portion prepared for Nana." Da Mai said.

Chen Mo cast his gaze behind Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing, "You are Damai, right? This is the first time we meet."

Just now, Da Mai seemed to be standing behind Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing intentionally, so even though Chen Mo noticed it, he couldn't say hello.

After a few days, Chen Mo finally met Damai.

"Hello." Barley nodded stiffly.

"I cooked, let's eat together." Chen Mo invited.

"No, no." Damai quickly refused.

"If you don't eat the food I cook, I'd be embarrassed to eat your flower cakes." Chen Mo said "embarrassedly".

"This" Barley hesitated.

"Let's eat together, Damai. Didn't we also eat the rice noodles you made last night?" Xu Hongdou said.

"Yes, we have a friendship of having midnight snacks together and making milk fans together." Chen Nanxing held Damai's hand.

"Well, that's troublesome." Barley said in a low voice.

"It's just a meal." Chen Mo smiled.

After the meal, Chen Mo had a general understanding of barley.

It was indeed similar to what I heard from Xu Hongdou before, a reserved and thoughtful girl next door.

(End of this chapter)