CH 24

“Have you become smarter?”

While waiting for the sour plum soup to cool down, Cheng Yun was idle and had nothing to do, so he pulled a chair and sat beside Yang Hongjin, watching them work on the wood.

Usually, this was the most idle time for Cheng Yun. Occasionally, he would try to cook a new dish in the kitchen or talk to Yang Hongjin like this.

Cheng Yun always felt that for intellectually disabled people, family members should give them more love, chat with them more, let them open up, and even if their intelligence cannot be restored, they can at least live a happier life.

But in the past, no one in the Yang family talked to Yang Hongjin. Everyone was busy with work, and only the second brother would treat him a little better. However, Yang Hongcai was also a person who was not good at expressing himself. Originally, Yang Hongjin had been criticized by the people in the village and despised by Li Fengjiao. Over time, he became even more closed off.

Now, Cheng Yun chats with Yang Hongjin every day. At first, it was mostly him talking while Yang Hongjin listened, and if he didn’t understand something, he would ask a question or two. But recently, Cheng Yun found that Yang Hongjin was gradually learning to express his own opinions and talk about everyday trivial matters. The two could even have a back-and-forth conversation.

Cheng Yun didn’t know whether it was the result of the witty bean or the positive influence of persistently talking to Yang Hongjin, but regardless, this incident gave him great encouragement and made him more willing to stick with it.

Today, Wang Liang is also here, so Cheng Yun tries to guide Yang Hongjin to talk about making furniture.

“What are you cutting these into?” Cheng Yun picked up one of the cut pieces of wood, which were scattered on the ground.

Yang Hongjin glanced at the wood in his hand, thought for a moment, and said, “Cut and then put them together.”

Cheng Yun didn’t really understand, but he still nodded in a pretense of understanding. “And then what? What do you want to do after cutting them?”

Yang Hongjin hesitated again, as if he was thinking, and after a while, he said, “Powder, soak in water, and sun-dry.”

“Huh? What kind of powder do you want to soak it in? Do you have it at home?”

“Yes.” Yang Hongjin nodded, then put down what he was holding and walked into the hall. After a while, he came out with a bag of powder and handed it to Cheng Yun. “Powder.”

Cheng Yun was stunned when he saw it. Wasn’t this the powder he borrowed from Aunt Wang earlier to kill white ants?

After asking for more details, he learned that in the past, when Yang Hongjin made furniture, he would first mix the powder with water, then soak all the wood, and then sun-dry it before officially making the furniture. This way, the furniture made would be less likely to be damaged by insects.

But when they got married, they changed a batch of furniture. Then, time was tight, Yang Hongcai originally wanted to arrange everything nicely for them, but Li Fengjiao took the initiative to take care of it.

He didn’t know where she got a batch of furniture from to fill the house with . Later, it was bitten by termites, Cheng Yun thought that all wooden furniture would suffer the same fate, but he didn’t expect the difference to be here.

Learning about this matter, Cheng Yun felt helpless and dissatisfied with Li Fengjiao. He asked some questions because he knew nothing about making furniture. He asked the most basic questions and almost sorted out the entire process of making furniture. Yang Hong’s answers were very concise but precisely summed up the core of the question.

Wang Liang listened carefully on the side, and Cheng Yun occasionally looked at him and found that he was very focused. Occasionally, he muttered a few words in his mouth, as if he wanted to remember what Yang Hong had said.

At that time, he didn’t dare to agree easily to Aunt Wang’s request, partly because he was afraid that Yang Hongjin would not teach Wang Liang well in this situation, and it would also waste the other party’s time. But now, it seems that the situation is still optimistic.

He touched Yang Hongjin’s head and asked him, “Are you hot?” Yang Hongjin shook his head and smiled, “Not hot.” “Is it hard work?” Seeing Yang Hongjin shook his head again, Cheng Yun pinched his face and pointed to Wang Liang, saying, “Wang Liang is now your apprentice. If you have anything to do, you can work with him and let him learn something. Neither of you should tire yourselves out.”

Yang Hongjin looked at Wang Liang thoughtfully, and Cheng Yun and Wang Liang both looked at him together, feeling inexplicably nervous, not knowing what he would do.

In the morning, Yang Hongjin’s stubbornness towards Cheng Yun, even if he mentioned someone else’s name, he could be unhappy. At lunch, if it wasn’t for Cheng Yun coaxing him, this big fool could still have a black face all the way.

Who knew that Yang Hongjin only stared at Wang Liang for a while, then said with a proud face a sentence that shocked Cheng Yun and Wang Liang: “You are my apprentice, and I am your master. You have to listen to me.”

After hearing this sentence, Cheng Yun was shocked and couldn’t react when Yang Hongjin turned his head and asked him, “Is that so, wife?” His mind flashed through many thoughts, thinking whether Yang Hongjin had really become smarter? Are those drugs really effective? But he also denied his own idea. No, this little smug look is clearly still the little kid with a few years of IQ.

In a second, six or seven thoughts flashed through his mind. Cheng Yun’s mouth moved a few times, wanting to say something but stopped. Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration, and Yang Hongjin’s words coincided with a familiar scene.

After figuring it out, Cheng Yun smiled helplessly and knocked on his head, saying, “You, this guy, actually learned from Chef Ye!”

Previously, Cheng Yun took Yang Hongjin into Yueqiong Tower every day, and everyone didn’t avoid talking in front of him. What Yang Hongjin just said was what Chef Ye of Yueqiong Tower said to his own apprentice. Unexpectedly, this fool quietly remembered this sentence and used it on Wang Liang!

Cheng Yun’s mood fluctuated, but he had already been disappointed several times, and his emotions quickly dissipated.

After this experience, Yang Hong officially recognized Wang Liang as his apprentice. The questions Cheng Yun asked indirectly gave Wang Liang a lesson. Although Yang Hong still worked silently on his own, Wang Liang would not be completely clueless anymore.

Cheng Yun sat with Yang Hong for a while, estimated that it was almost time, and went back to the room to see how the sour plum soup was coming along.

The ice-cold well water had already lost its coolness after soaking for a while, while the temperature of the sour plum soup in the jar had cooled down. Although it was not as refreshing as adding ice cubes, it was still cool to the touch.

He scooped a small cup and tasted it. Before it entered his mouth, the fragrance of sweet-scented osmanthus came, dispelling the fatigue of the whole day.

The slightly cool sour plum soup was sour and sweet, which was really a refreshing and relieving drink in the hot summer. After drinking a cup, Cheng Yun felt much cooler.

He went to the backyard and filled a new basin with well water to continue cooling it down, and then scooped two cups of sour plum soup to give to the two people who were working hard in the front yard.

“Here, take a break.” Cheng Yun handed the sour plum soup to the two of them, then went to wet a towel and wiped the sweat off Yang Hongjin’s face.

Yang Hongjin obediently let him wipe, and when Cheng Yun asked him if he was tired or hot, and he answered with a happy smile.

After Cheng Yun wiped his hands and face, Yang Hongjin finally took a sip of the sour plum soup. Under Cheng Yun’s expectation, he was about to express how delicious it was, but Wang Liang beside him had already exclaimed, “It’s really delicious!”

Yang Hongjin frowned and turned his head to glare at him, but Wang Liang didn’t notice and looked at Cheng Yun with shining eyes, saying, “Brother Cheng, is this the soup you made at noon today? It’s so delicious!”

Cheng Yun was taken aback. This was the first time he had heard Wang Liang’s excited voice. However, receiving such positive feedback, even Wang Liang, who was usually reserved and shy, couldn’t help but exclaim, proving that the sour plum soup was a success and very much in line with the taste of the people in this area.

He nodded and said, “Yes, the recipe is not difficult and the ingredients are simple. When you go home later, bring some back for your parents to try. I plan to make more and sell them in town.”

Wang Liang had just been thinking about whether he could bring some back for his mother to try. This drink was so good that he wanted everyone to have a taste. It was just too delicious.

He had originally planned to learn the recipe at noon and tell his mother so that he could make it for himself as well. However, when he heard what Cheng Yun said, he dismissed the idea. These money-making methods were something that Cheng-Ge’er would not mind being seen by others, but Wang Liang would never do anything to harm someone’s livelihood.

Wang Liang glanced at Cheng Yun quietly again. He had never really thought much of Cheng Yun before, at most, he felt that he was a somewhat pitiful person. When he and Yang Hongjin got married and moved next door to their house, Wang Liang had silently grumbled to himself, thinking that his mother was too nosy.

But after spending the whole day with Cheng Yun, Wang Liang’s opinion of him had completely changed. Cheng-Ge’er was really amazing. He was obviously just a Ge’er, but he had such great skills. He took care of the house in an orderly manner and even came up with ways to make money.

If Wang Liang had only been a little jealous of Yang Hongjin before, now his envy was written all over his face.

Wang Liang looked at them again. He didn’t know what had happened earlier, but Yang Hongjin was coquettishly leaning against Cheng Yun, who was gently patting his head and whispering a few soothing words.

Wang Liang thought to himself, it would be great if he also had such a good Ge’er.

Author’s note:

Cheng Yun: “I actually have one.”