Chapter 176: Chapter 176: Fragrant Roast Meat
Grandpa Jiang Xia’s invitation was very tempting to An Ning.
’But is that really okay?’
For once, An Ning paused to think for a second.
"You can eat, but you have to work for it."
Jiang Xia suddenly spoke, giving An Ning the perfect excuse. Her eyes lit up as she looked at him.
"Alright! What do I need to do?"
Jiang Xia squatted on the ground and said to An Ning, "Go up the mountain and get some pine. We’ll use it to grill the meat when you get back."
"Okay!"
An Ning turned and left. She made a quick stop at the An family home to let them know she was heading up the mountain.
An Ning was back before long.
When she appeared in the courtyard of Jiangxia’s house, Jiang Xia, who was already grilling the meat, bit the inside of his cheek, trying to hold back his laughter.
But he just couldn’t hold it in.
"AHAHAHAHAHA—this meat smells incredible!"
Jiang Xia was laughing like a lunatic, yet he still managed to find an excuse that only enhanced his mad behavior.
An Ning, standing at the entrance, ignored Jiang Xia’s idiotic laughter. Her arms were spread wide, and in each hand, she held two live, squirming squirrels.
"Jiang Xia, I don’t think these things have much meat on them. They can’t be very tasty."
An Ning’s deadpan seriousness made Jiang Xia laugh so hard he collapsed onto the ground, covering his face.
"What are you laughing at?"
An Ning still hadn’t figured it out.
Once he’d mostly laughed himself out, Jiang Xia held up a branch in his hand and said, "I said pine—*pine branches*, not squirrels!"
"Besides, where did you even catch these squirrels? Aren’t they all supposed to be holed up in trees right now?!"
Jiang Xia got up from the ground, walked over to An Ning, and took one of the little squirrels from her.
The little squirrel’s beady black eyes stared blankly at Jiang Xia, as if wondering how it had ended up here when it had been sleeping so soundly in its home.
An Ning finally realized her mistake.
She shot Jiang Xia a threatening look and raised a small fist.
"This is half your fault! Who says ’get some pine’? You should have said ’get some branches,’ understand?"
"When I got to the mountain, I figured you couldn’t possibly want an entire pine tree. And since you said it was for grilling meat, squirrels were the only logical option."
"I had a hell of a time finding them, and they’re all so pathetically small. I was wondering how you could be so shameless as to eat them."
It was the first time An Ning had said so much at once. When she was done, she lifted her chin defiantly at Jiang Xia.
"Give me back the squirrel. I’m taking them home."
The whole mix-up sent An Ning on another trip.
After returning each squirrel to its hole in the tree, she snapped off a few pine branches and headed back down the mountain once more.
She had barely gotten back down the mountain when the aroma of grilled meat hit her.
The savory scent of meat mingled with the fragrance of unknown spices and a hint of something sweet.
An Ning shouldered the branches and ran past the main gate of the An family home, arriving at Jiangxia’s house.
"I brought you the branches! Is the meat ready?"
Jiang Xia, his back to An Ning, was using a long wooden skewer to poke the meat, checking to see if it was cooked through.
"Almost ready!"
An Ning stood beside the earthen oven in anticipation. Da Huang was there with her, its front paws in the air as it hopped anxiously on its hind legs.
Even Li Chengze was tempted, shuffling a little closer one small step at a time.
The smell was so good that An Guoping couldn’t help but climb the wall to see. When he saw his sister was there, he just came over completely.
In the end, Grandpa Jiang Xia went to invite the An family personally. An Sancheng couldn’t possibly refuse, so his whole family ended up gathered at Jiangxia’s house.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Jiang Xia shouted, "Time to eat!"
"It’s ready! Come and get it!"
An Ning held a large wooden plank, waiting for Jiang Xia to place the meat on it.
The two worked together, carrying three planks loaded with meat into the Jiang family’s house.
Everyone gathered around a single round table.
On the table was a large pot of hot lamb soup, two cold side dishes made by Lin Cuihua, and finally, the three types of grilled meat.
There were grilled lamb ribs, grilled pork belly, and grilled lamb skewers.
Grandpa Jiang Xia sat at the head of the table, beaming, his eyes crinkled with joy.
He was happy.
’It’s been so long since the Jiang family home was this full of people.’
Grandpa Jiang Xia raised his bowl and addressed everyone.
"They say you can buy a house for a fortune, but a good neighbor is priceless. We two have certainly found one. A close neighbor is better than a distant relative, so from now on, let’s treat each other like family."
"Cheers."
Everyone raised their bowls and lightly clinked them together.
Grandpa Jiang Xia put his bowl down and beckoned for everyone to eat.
Jiang Xia took a knife and began carving the lamb ribs. He served his grandfather first, then An Sancheng and Lin Cuihua.
Next, he gave a piece to An Ning, followed by everyone else.
The moment An Ning received her lamb rib, she eagerly picked it up and took a bite.
The skin was crispy, with a layer of fat in the middle that had absorbed the aroma of some unknown herb. The meat inside was tender and just as fragrant.
An Ning didn’t hold back her praise, giving Jiang Xia a big thumbs-up.
"Amazing. I’m impressed."
Jiang Xia was ecstatic on the inside, but he maintained a calm expression, offering only a mild, humble reply.
"I’m just glad everyone likes it."
As she ate her lamb rib, An Ning shot Jiang Xia a curious glance. ’He’s so strange.’
’He talks like he’s putting on an act. It was the same way last time when he brought her a gift and had to face Lin Cuihua.’
It was just a passing thought for An Ning. She went back to eating the lamb rib in her hand.
After finishing the lamb rib, she tried the pork belly and the large lamb skewers as well.
They had only been eating for a little while when the sky grew dark.
Jiang Xia simply stacked a few bricks by the doorway and started a bonfire, providing warmth and light for the people eating inside.
It was the first time An Ning had ever eaten a meal like this. She gazed out at the star-filled sky, the Milky Way stretching across it like countless diamonds crushed to dust and scattered across a black canvas.
"Sis, that’s the Big Dipper, the one that looks like a ladle."
An Guoping, holding a skewer of meat, squatted by the doorway, putting him at eye level with Da Huang.
"Oh... it’s beautiful."
"What’s that one?"
An Ning pointed at the night sky. An Guoping glanced up and gave an embarrassed smile.
"I don’t know."
"That’s Orion. See how it looks like he’s wearing a sword?"
Jiang Xia chimed in. An Ning looked closely, using her imagination.
"It does look a little like that."
Watching the stars at night, eating barbecue with family around a bonfire... it was probably the most romantic and heartwarming thing one could do in times like these.
After the meal, Lin Cuihua insisted on helping clean up before she left. Grandpa Jiang Xia couldn’t stop her, so he let her be.
The An family left Jiangxia’s house under the starlight. After only a few steps, they realized Li Chengze wasn’t with them.
"Li Chengze, are you staying behind?"
Li Chengze shook his head, looking a little dazed.
"Teacher An Ning, I’m planning to stay at Brother Jiang Xia’s house. I’ll come over during the day to study with you."
An Ning’s gaze shifted between Li Chengze and Jiang Xia.
"Are you sure?"
’It kind of feels like Li Chengze is being coerced, doesn’t it?’
"I absolutely want to!"
Li Chengze shouted his reply. An Ning just shrugged and said, "Alright. See you later."
