Chapter 49: Wanting to Call Her Godmother

The voice was a bit loud.

Mu Chenze was relieved no one was passing by.

“Keep your voice down! She and I are just buddies! She went to your house to cook as a thank you for you and me supplying her. That’s all. Don’t talk nonsense about romance or anything like that again.”

His tone carried a warning.

But the more he warned, the more curious Ji Ping became.

He stopped the cart.

Lowering his voice on purpose, he asked, “But you’ve kissed her—didn’t you feel anything?”

As soon as Mu Chenze heard the word “kiss,” his heart skipped a beat and the hairtail fish in his hand almost slipped to the ground. He looked annoyed. “What could I feel? I like skinny girls! She’s so fat—do you really think I’d feel anything? I went to propose because I wanted to take responsibility! Now that she doesn’t need me to, I’m honestly grateful to her!”

Ji Ping raised an eyebrow. “You really like skinny girls?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar figure approaching.

“That’s right! I like skinny girls!” Mu Chenze said firmly.

He didn’t notice Chu Xuan in the distance, carrying a basket on her back.

Chu Xuan heard everything clearly. So this guy likes skinny girls. In her past life, he really wronged himself by marrying her when she was such a big fatty. Even though she slimmed down a lot later, she was still huge at first.

How much courage and sense of responsibility did it take for him to marry her back then?

“Mu Chenze, Ji Ping, are you two delivering fish to my house?” Chu Xuan called out.

Mu Chenze recognized her voice and felt a little guilty.

He told himself: What’s there to feel guilty about? I really do like skinny girls! I didn’t lie!

Since Mu Chenze didn’t answer, Ji Ping replied, “Yeah! Chu Xuan, what a coincidence.”

“It is a coincidence. Since we’ve run into each other, Mu Chenze, could you carry this basket to your place? There are ingredients inside. Ji Ping, you keep pulling the cart, I’ll push from behind.”

Chu Xuan set her basket down and shoved it into Mu Chenze’s arms.

She made as if to go push the cart.

Mu Chenze stopped her. “Chu Xuan, I’ll push. Just have your brother pick up the goods later. You go cook at Ji Ping’s house. Ji Ping, give her the key.”

The basket ended up back in Chu Xuan’s hands.

Mu Chenze put the hairtail fish into the basket.

The message was clear: this kind of heavy work should be done by men.

Ji Ping quickly took the key from his waistband and handed it to Chu Xuan.

Chu Xuan took it, tossing it lightly in her hand, and teased, “Mu Chenze, you’re bold enough to go to my house in broad daylight? Aren’t you afraid your mom will get the wrong idea?”

Mu Chenze looked totally unconcerned. “If my mom can arrange for us to take the truck to the city together, why can’t I go to your house to tell you, right in front of her, what time we’re leaving early tomorrow morning? If you’re not home, I can just tell your brother.”

Earlier, before Chu Xuan left the house, Gao Meijuan had mentioned this.

Chu Xuan felt grateful to Qin Mahua.

Qin Mahua didn’t hold a grudge and, thinking of her safety, had invited her to ride with Mu Chenze. Once the villagers heard, they’d surely gossip, but Qin Mahua’s attitude would settle things quickly.

“Mu Chenze, your mom is so good to me! I almost want to call her my godmother!”

If she did, she could openly show filial respect to Qin Mahua and repay her for her kindness in her past life.

Mu Chenze refused flatly. “No way! A fortune teller once said my mom isn’t destined to have a daughter, and she can’t take a goddaughter either. Whoever she takes as a goddaughter will have bad luck.”

Ji Ping racked his brains—he’d never heard Aunt Mahua mention that.

But he didn’t say anything.

Chu Xuan didn’t remember hearing that in her past life and muttered, “I’ll ask Aunt Qin myself…”

Mu Chenze looked unbothered. “Go cook at Ji Ping’s house! Ji Ping and I are starving.”

Ji Ping’s stomach rumbled right on cue.

With that, Chu Xuan said no more, waved, and headed to Ji Ping’s house.

Ji Ping’s place was remote and rarely visited, and since Chu Xuan took a side path, she didn’t run into any villagers.

When Mu Chenze and Ji Ping brought the fish into Chu Xuan’s house, Qin Mahua and Liu Zhaodi also arrived.

They helped unload the fish.

Afterward, Mu Chenze explained, “We just set the time for tonight’s trip to the city, so I came to let Chu Xuan know.”

Chu Feng, remembering Chu Xuan’s instructions not to mention that they’d already been sharing a truck, said, “Thanks for letting my sister ride with you, Brother Chenze. What time are you leaving tonight? My sister just went out for a walk and to the shore. I’ll tell her when she gets back.”

Mu Chenze smiled, “No need to thank me. I should thank your sister for splitting the truck fare! We’re leaving at 1 a.m. The truck will pick her and the goods up then.”

“Okay! My sister made some red bean and barley soup. I’ll bring some out for you and Brother Ji…”

Before Chu Feng could finish, Ji Ping cut in, “I’ll get it myself, you go do your thing! Thanks!”

Every time he came, he’d have a big bowl of soup—sometimes mung bean, sometimes red bean and barley. It was always so comforting.

He went into the kitchen, scooped out two big bowls of soup, and handed one to Mu Chenze. “I’ve always had soup made by Xiao Feng, but this is the first time I get to taste Chu Xuan’s cooking.”

Mu Chenze took the bowl calmly, but inside he was a little excited. Did Chu Xuan somehow know he’d be coming this afternoon and make the soup just for him?

The soup was a beautiful reddish color and smelled fragrant.

He gulped down a few mouthfuls, then slowed down to savor it. It was great for strengthening the spleen and removing dampness.

As he drank, he quietly leaned over to Qin Mahua and whispered a few words.

Qin Mahua looked puzzled and muttered, “That fortune teller? Is that really believable?”

Mu Chenze replied confidently, “Better safe than sorry!”

Qin Mahua looked resigned. “Alright, I get it.”

Ji Ping, as usual, finished his bowl in one go…

Ten minutes later, Mu Chenze and Ji Ping pulled their cart over to Ji Ping’s house.

The smell of braised pork filled the air.

Ji Ping set down the cart and headed to the kitchen.

Mu Chenze went to bolt the courtyard gate, so no one would wander in, lured by the smell of meat.

There really were shameless people like that in the village.

Besides, he didn’t want anyone to know Chu Xuan was there.

An hour and a half later, the food was on the table.

Braised pork, eggplant braised with hairtail, moo shu pork, tomato and egg stir-fry, cucumber salad, wild mushroom and egg soup, and white rice.

The three of them sat at the Eight Immortals table in the main room.

At first, Ji Ping suggested eating at the kang table, but Mu Chenze immediately vetoed it.

His excuse was that Chu Xuan was too fat, and the kang table would be inconvenient.

In reality, he just didn’t want Chu Xuan using Ji Ping’s kang table.

To use the kang table, you had to get up on the kang—and that wasn’t something just anyone could do.

Before eating, the three of them raised their bowls of water in a toast.

Chu Xuan spoke first, “Thank you both for supporting my family’s grilled fish workshop! Cheers! Let’s get rich together!”

Her tone was bold and heroic.

Mu Chenze and Ji Ping exchanged a smile and said in unison, “Let’s get rich together!”

They downed half a bowl of water and started eating.

Chu Xuan’s cooking was delicious, and Ji Ping and Mu Chenze dug in, too busy eating to talk.

Chu Xuan ate slowly, sampling every dish except the eggplant and hairtail, and had a bowl of rice and a bowl of wild mushroom and egg soup.

By the end of the meal, nothing was left but fish bones.

Ji Ping couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s been ages since I’ve had such good home cooking.”

Mu Chenze burped. “Better than my mom’s or my sister-in-law’s.”

Chu Xuan beamed with confidence. “Thanks for the compliment! If I’m cooking for you, it has to be delicious! The tide’s going out now, I’m heading to the shore. Are you two coming?”

She had her basket with her tools for foraging.

Ji Ping yawned. “I’ve been working at sea all day, I’m tired and want to rest early. Why don’t you two go? The flashlight’s on the windowsill.”

Chu Xuan looked at Mu Chenze, hoping he’d say yes, so they could take the mountain path together to that secret spot for foraging."