The donkey cart continued to move slowly, and the two of them inside were leaning against each other, reminiscing about their childhood stories. Their leisurely journey was filled with laughter and merriment.

The West Mountain, located in the outskirts, had a temple perched at its summit. As the donkey cart couldn’t ascend the steep terrain, they stopped it on a flat area near the West Mountain.

The view of the picturesque mountains and rivers was captivating. Fresh green grass had sprouted, just as long as a little finger, and the leaves had unfurled. The warmth of the sun above cast a comforting glow.

Liao Tingyu suggested, “Zilan, how about we settle by the riverside for a picnic? The view is splendid.”

“It’s a perfect spot. I’ll start setting things up. Do you think there’s anything specific we need for the barbecue? I’m not very familiar with barbecuing,” Huang Zilan said while admiring the scenic surroundings.

He spread a cloth on the ground and arranged pastries on it.

Liao Tingyu set up the barbecue grill and used flint to ignite the wooden sticks, placing them beneath the charcoal. Although the charcoal was of good quality, it wasn’t entirely smokeless, so when it ignited, white smoke wafted upwards. Nevertheless, the spring scenery outside was beautiful, and the lingering white smoke added a certain charm.

Neither of them was particularly inclined towards appreciating beauty; they focused on the difference between things being appealing or unattractive.

Huang Zilan laid out the skewered vegetarian vegetables and meat that had been prepared the night before, and set aside the seasonings.

The two sat on the ground, with Liao Tingyu deftly handling a brush in one hand and a skewer in the other. While cooking, he discussed barbecue techniques.

“See, you need to turn them like this continually. Be cautious to prevent them from burning. They must be evenly heated; otherwise, some parts will remain undercooked,” Liao Tingyu explained. Huang Zilan nodded, finding this to be one of the easiest cooking methods he’d encountered.

To prepare, all you needed to do was keep turning the skewers while brushing them with oil and seasonings.

Liao Tingyu offered a taste of his culinary success to Huang Zilan, who was more interested in making the dishes than eating them.

However, he couldn’t resist good food, especially when it was offered directly to him.

“This is incredibly delicious. The flavor is truly unique. If you were to sell this outside, it would be a big hit. I’ve taken note of everything you’ve explained. Let me try it myself; it doesn’t seem too difficult.” Huang Zilan commented as he took a bite of Liao Tingyu’s skewer and savored the exquisite combination of seasoning and the smoky aroma from grilling.

“Sure, just be cautious not to burn your hands. I’ll show you how to do it, and we can grill together.” Liao Tingyu moved his skewers to the side, giving up his spot.

While Huang Zilan wasn’t as adept at flipping the skewers and coating them with sauces and oil, his overall culinary skills were impressive. The food he prepared for the first time turned out to be delicious.

.

As they continued their picnic and barbecue, Liao Tingyu tasted the food and found it to be genuinely good. He praised, “Zilan, you’re quite talented. This is the first time you’ve tried your hand at this, and it’s excellent. I’m truly fortunate to have married you.”

“You’re just teasing me. Food can’t stop you from talking,” Huang Zilan replied playfully. He handed over more uncooked skewers.

“Let’s not roast all of these now. I’ll keep experimenting. If we roast everything, we won’t be able to finish it.”

Seeing Huang Zilan’s enthusiasm, Liao Tingyu put down his cooking tools, “Alright, I’ll give up my spot. Here, take over. Honestly, I sometimes don’t understand why you’re so keen on cooking.”@@novelbin@@

Huang Zilan didn’t respond and continued working on the barbecue.

Liao Tingyu reflected on the past and remarked, “I remember when you married me, you cooked for me and then went to the chef to ask him to teach you how to make pastries.”

He looked at Huang Zilan seriously. “Zilan, you came from a wealthy family with numerous servants. Though I may not be able to keep up with your family’s standards, it’s still good. I know you had a maid you often played with, named Xiao Liu. You can bring her over; it’ll be more convenient for you.”

As Liao Tingyu spoke, Huang Zilan hesitated for a moment. In a voice as soft as a mosquito, he admitted, “I actually learned to cook on the first day of our marriage.”

Liao Tingyu, with keen hearing, responded, “I know. I saw the food you made that day, and you added too much water. I went to help you with it; otherwise, we would have had porridge for lunch that day.”

Huang Zilan had initially believed that his skills were decent, but he had been mistaken. While he knew nothing about cooking, he had developed a penchant for making pastries. Additionally, he had a pastry master nearby to oversee his efforts, making it less challenging. After his first success, he had become quite confident.

Huang Zilan looked at his husband’s calm expression and admitted, “So, you can cook too.”

“Why wouldn’t I be able to cook? I’m skilled at making braised dishes, and it’s all part of the same skillset,” Liao Tingyu said.

“Ah!” Huang Zilan, feeling frustrated for the first time, exclaimed, “I just wanted to fool around and liven up the mood. I never expected you to be so capable.”

“My father was most concerned that in the future, I might not be able to cook if I marry into another family. I might not know how to mend clothes, and my mother-in-law might think I’m wasteful and idle,” Huang Zilan said, puffing out his cheeks like a goldfish.

Huang Zilan’s playful remark was intended to lift the mood, but Liao Tingyu saw the hurt in his eyes.

“In the future, you don’t have to torment yourself like this. Don’t do things you don’t want to do, and don’t strive to be thrifty with everything. Even if you don’t mend clothes, you won’t be scolded by my mother for being thrifty,” Liao Tingyu assured him. “Anytime the two of us get into trouble, I’ll be there to face it head-on.”

Huang Zilan couldn’t help but smile at Liao Tingyu’s assurance, “You’re quite the prodigal son yourself, you know,” he teased.

He recalled the expression on mother Deng’s face when she found out that Liao Tingyu lent books to others for free, her eyes wider than lanterns. The memory made him laugh.

Liao Tingyu found him inexplicably laughing and asked, “Why are you laughing? Are you laughing at me?”

“I’m not laughing at you,” Huang Zilan clarified. “I’m just thinking about my mother-in-law and how she reacted when our study room opened. She watched people read books for free…”

As he spoke, Liao Tingyu was already transported back to the moment when he witnessed mother Deng’s reaction. Her face clearly written with ‘My money!!!’

The image was so amusing that he had a hard time holding back his laughter. He tried to keep it in but ultimately burst into laughter, taking a bite of barbecue to stifle it.

Huang Zilan observed Liao Tingyu’s struggle to suppress his laughter and found it strange. “If you want to laugh, just laugh. There’s no need to hold it in like that. It looks really weird.”

“Is it weird?” Liao Tingyu asked, thinking he had done well in controlling his laughter.

Huang Zilan nodded and met his sincere gaze.

The two shared a heartfelt conversation as they chatted freely.

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Feeling nearly full, Huang Zilan used a flower cake made the previous day to cleanse his palate. “I think we’ve grilled enough. If we make more, we won’t be able to finish it. After all, we still have plenty of pastries.”

Huang Zilan looked at the remnants of their meal. He didn’t realize he had such a hearty appetite!

Liao Tingyu also noticed this and agreed. They didn’t eat much, considering they had taken their time with the meal. They had been grilling and eating barbecue for three or four hours.

Since they had prepared it the day before and had received it from his mother-in-law, they didn’t want to waste it.

With the warming weather, they couldn’t simply leave it out overnight.

“Alright, let’s stop here today. I can keep grilling the meat, right? But we can save the vegetables and other things for the temple,” Liao Tingyu suggested.

Huang Zilan agreed, “That sounds like a plan. Can you still eat more?”

Liao Tingyu assured him, “Don’t worry, I’m good for a little more. There’s only a small amount of meat left.”

“Alright, just take your time,” Huang Zilan said, relaxed about their pace.

Huang Zilan playfully took over the role of grilling, Liao Tingyu pretended to be upset about being replaced, “You can’t just drive the teacher away after you learn it. It is wrong to cross the river and burn the bridge!”

“How can I burn the bridge? I just want my husband to stay still and enjoy delicious food. Just stay and digest the meal.”

Liao Tingyu wasn’t someone who easily coaxed, “You usually like me the most. Why are you abandoning me now?”

“Stop making trouble. Your loud voice might be heard by someone. Do you still have the dignity as a scholar!” Huang Zilan looked at Liao Tingyu with some dark thoughts. This shameless and thick-skinned husband was a bit unexpected.

Sure enough, all the handsome gentlemen were only in the books.

“Okay, behave yourself. You are so well-known in the town and have an official post, if someone saw you it will be bad. Be more serious.” Huang Zilan said with a sullen face but his eyes were bent into crescents shape.

Liao Tingyu, in response to Huang Zilan’s seriousness, sat quietly and behaved like a well-behaved “uncle,” much to Huang Zilan’s amusement.

Huang Zilan, with a rosy face and a smile playing on his lips, was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the meat on the grill was burning.

In his whimsical ponderings, the idea of getting a cat popped into Huang Zilan’s mind. He considered the appearance of a cat and even saw some resemblance to Liao Tingyu, making him question the idea with a playful and amused tone.