It could be even longer...
An Jing was silent for a long while before suddenly asking, "Then how about, one day we find an opportunity to kiss a little longer?"
Xiao Changyi, although showing no expression on his face, agreed immediately, "Good."
"Pfft~" An Jing couldn’t hold back and laughed out loud, "I was just joking."
Xiao Changyi looked intently at her, "But I took it seriously."
His eyes were deep, focused, resolute—once she met them, it was as though she’d be sucked in; eventually, she conceded, "Alright then, we’ll find an opportunity to kiss a little longer one day."
Xiao Changyi immediately nodded, "Mm."
An Jing was silent again for two seconds before saying cheerfully, "Today is our housewarming celebration after all. Even if we don’t throw a banquet, we should still celebrate."
"How do you want to celebrate?"
An Jing immediately began thinking, but before she could think of a way to celebrate, she heard one of the chickens in the coop suddenly cluck as if it had laid an egg. An Jing’s eyes immediately brightened, "Let’s kill a chicken, and I’ll make you beggar’s chicken to eat!"
The chicken destined to be slaughtered: "..." You want to kill me just after I laid an egg, how innocent I am...
"Beggar’s chicken? The name sounds like something a beggar would eat," Xiao Changyi asked.
An Jing patiently explained, "It’s said in our region that a beggar invented this method of cooking chicken, hence the name ’beggar’s chicken.’ It’s not that only beggars can eat it while we cannot. Let me tell you, beggar’s chicken is really delicious, it’s just a bit troublesome to make. But today we’ve moved into our new house, so the trouble doesn’t matter, as long as we’re happy, right?"
As she spoke, An Jing sought agreement with a smile while gazing at Xiao Changyi.
Xiao Changyi, of course, wouldn’t disappoint An Jing and immediately nodded in agreement, "Mm."
"Then we’ll make beggar’s chicken!" An Jing was very happy. "However, to make beggar’s chicken we need lotus leaves, which seem to be by the river. Let’s go gather some."
After that, An Jing and Xiao Changyi went together to the riverside to gather lotus leaves.
Actually, one person could have done it, but neither wanted to part from the other. Even though they were together most of the time, neither felt fed up with it, and it even seemed not enough.
Although neither of them had spoken of this, they shared the same thought in their hearts: they wanted to be with each other every single moment!
Thus, they went everywhere together.
Thus, wherever she went, he went.
Thus, wherever he went, she went.
When they returned from the riverside with the lotus leaves, Xiao Changyi began slaughtering the chicken, while An Jing held a bowl to catch the chicken blood—no waste was allowed, as it was edible.
Only after Xiao Changyi finished processing the chicken according to An Jing’s instructions did she wrap the chicken with the blanched lotus leaves. After wrapping the chicken, An Jing asked Xiao Changyi to help her cover the lotus leaves with mud.
Then, they set up a fire pit in the yard and placed the chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and mud on the fire to bake.
Only when the mud was dry and the chicken was cooked did Xiao Changyi take it out of the fire.
An Jing, wielding a mallet, watched as Xiao Changyi placed the baked beggar’s chicken on the table, and she began to knock with the mallet, causing the mud shell to fall off.
Once the mud crust broke open, the fragrance filled the room, and An Jing immediately praised, "It smells so good!"
Although Xiao Changyi hadn’t expected it to be so aromatic, there was no expression on his face. However, seeing An Jing so exhilarated, the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved upward.
An Jing then placed the beggar’s chicken on a plate along with the lotus leaves, and began to slowly peel back the lotus leaves.