Actually, you can buy firewood... and some families have already started using coal or gas.
Beside him, Gu Qingyi had already skillfully opened the small room behind the kitchen, took out some dried pickles, and even brought out the rice bag.
Chen Yan glanced and couldn’t help rolling his eyes: "You sure are familiar with where my stuff is kept."
"Yes, last time when I came here alone, I even cooked a meal. These pickles are quite tasty," Gu Qingyi replied earnestly.
Gu Qingyi washed the pot, and Lu Sisi rolled up her sleeves to help wash the dishes.
Not long after, Chen Yan saw Lu Sisi running back with a stack of dishes and chopsticks, her small hands red from the cold, and a look of guilt on her face: "Sorry Chen Yan, I accidentally broke a bowl."
Chen Yan frowned, took the dishes and chopsticks from her, then helped the girl roll down her sleeves and held her frozen hands, sighing: "We don’t have hot water in the faucet here, must have been cold."
"It’s fine, just the bowl..."
Chen Yan shook his head and smiled: "Breaking a bowl is no big deal, it’s a sign of peace. I’ll clean it up later. You go take a rest. Hmm, there’s an air conditioner in my grandma’s room, you can turn it on to warm up."
The old lady wasn’t poor, actually the conditions at home were quite good. There were all kinds of household appliances, and the passage behind the main hall even had a washing machine.
Standing by the stove, Young Lady Gu watched her eldest son holding the girl’s hand, glanced briefly, then looked away, slightly pulling the corners of her mouth in a somewhat indifferent manner.
After coaxing Lu Sisi out of the kitchen, Chen Yan went to the main hall to bring the food among the New Year’s goods back into the kitchen—most of which were previously sent by Boss Fang, like frozen seafood and sausages filled with Maotai wine.
Cooking was done with a rice cooker, and water was put on the stove. Chen Yan chopped some sausages and other things, while Gu Qingyi prepared some dried pickles.
Chen Yan took a sip of water, then walked out to the main hall, but saw that Lu Sisi wasn’t in the old lady’s room, and the air conditioner was off.
The girl was squatting by the courtyard gate, and in the broom and dustpan beside her, she had already cleaned up the broken bowl pieces.
Chen Yan walked over, seeing the girl squatting at the gate, petting a small dog.
The dog looked small, probably less than a year old, likely a local dog from someone in the village. These dogs don’t look great when they grow up, but most animal pups are cute.
The young girl squatted there, the puppy circling in front of her, allowing her to pet its head as she pleased.
Chen Yan stood behind Lu Sisi watching for a while, then smiled and said: "You like puppies?"
"Hmm?" Lu Sisi looked up at Chen Yan shyly: "My family wouldn’t let me keep one, and... I didn’t dare to before."
Chen Yan nodded and then smiled: "Remember to wash your hands after petting the dog. It’s not like in the city. In the city, owners often bathe their pets. In the countryside, local dogs might not even get bathed once a month."
Lu Sisi was stunned and instinctively withdrew her hand—after all, as a girl raised in the city, even though she wasn’t spoiled by her parents growing up, she still had a decent life and developed a habit of cleanliness.
Yet, she looked conflicted at the silly, cute puppy in front of her, hesitated for a moment, and then reached out to pet it again.
Anyway... I’ll wash my hands later.
While the two chatted at the gate idly, Gu Qingyi had come out, carrying a small stool. She sat by the doorway, took out a pack of sunflower seeds from her pocket, and began eating them while looking up at the sky.
"The weather doesn’t look good, it will snow soon," Chen Yan said casually.
"Snow?" Gu Qingyi and Lu Sisi both looked at Chen Yan, their eyes filled with a hint of excitement.
"Yes, the weather forecast said it will snow in a couple of days."
After saying that, Chen Yan slapped his forehead and went back into the house.
He went into the old lady’s room, put the photo of her back into the photo frame, and hung it on the main hall wall again.
Lu Sisi and Gu Qingyi both followed him back. Watching Chen Yan’s actions, Lu Sisi became serious, walked up to Chen Yan, and whispered: "Chen Yan, this is your grandma, right?"
Lu Sisi carefully studied the photo frame—the old lady in the photo had a righteous and confident smile.
After a while, Lu Sisi said softly with a hint of pity in her voice: "Did you... grow up with your grandma?"
"Yes, she raised me for twenty years." Chen Yan sighed and then took out a bundle of incense from the drawer.
"Ah, offering incense? I’ll go wash my hands first!" Lu Sisi quickly ran to the sink.
Gu Qingyi had already walked up beside Chen Yan, looking at the photo with a solemn expression. After tidying her clothes, facing the "photo" of the old lady, Gu Qingyi took a deep breath and solemnly said: "Lord Venerable, I am Gu Qingyi, paying respects to you."
Chen Yan thought for a moment, then lit three sticks of incense and bowed before the old lady’s photo.
After all, she was "not in this world"... right?
Lu Sisi, having washed her hands, returned, quietly stood behind Chen Yan, waited for him to finish bowing, then mimicked him, lighting three sticks of incense and bowing.
The young girl looked devout, murmuring softly: "Hello, Grandma, I’m Chen Yan’s friend, my name is Lu Sisi. I hope your spirit will bless Chen Yan, allowing him to be safe, healthy, and free from troubles..."