The day before yesterday's pork rib soup was still left. Si Nian washed an eggplant and cut it into small pieces, sprinkling a little salt evenly over the surface of the eggplant.

Once the seasonings were ready, she fried the eggplant in hot oil until they turned soft and fully cooked. She then drained the excess oil and set the fried eggplant aside on a plate.

Next was the soul of the dish, the sauce. It was simple. Si Nian took out a small bowl from the cupboard and added a little salt, MSG, and two tablespoons of white sugar. She then added two tablespoons of vinegar, two tablespoons of soy sauce, and an equal amount of water. After stirring them well, she added a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken the sauce.

She also bought a bottle of doubanjiang, which was particularly fragrant these days. Just the aroma of it made one's appetite increase. She heated the doubanjiang over low heat until the oil turned red, then added some chopped scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili to flavor it. Next, she added the pre-fried eggplant, stir-fried until the color changed, and then poured in the prepared sauce. She stir-fried it over high heat...

Finally, she garnished it with chopped scallions, making it incredibly appetizing.

Considering Zhou Yue Shen had a big appetite, Si Nian cooked two large eggplants and also made a tomato and scrambled egg dish.

After feeding Yao Yao, she sprinkled some of the eggplant sauce over her rice and mixed it, eating a big bowl herself.

All she needed now was some pickled spicy radish to balance out the flavors.

On hot days, Si Nian's appetite wasn't great, so she liked to make pickled radish as a side dish, which was especially appetizing.

Whether it was spicy pickled radish or pickled radish strips, they were both very appetizing.

Si Nian swallowed, her mouth watering at the thought.

Thinking of bringing some pickled radish for Zhou Yue Shen, Si Nian decided to head to the market. She carried the lunchbox and walked towards Zhou's livestock farm.

She arrived early today and encountered other women delivering meals on her way. They greeted her warmly and showed concern.

Compared to Si Nian's lunchbox, theirs looked quite plain. They carried a large bowl filled with rice and covered with various dishes, holding a pair of chopsticks as they walked...

As long as they could eat, no one was too particular.

"Si Nian, what a coincidence! You're also here to bring lunch to Zhou Lao Da. I heard Aunt Liu stole something from you yesterday and even hurt you. Are you okay? Haven't you rested a bit more?"

"Yeah, Aunt Liu is really malicious. I've heard she's not clean, often sneaking into people's vegetable gardens to steal. Didn't expect it to be true."

"She probably noticed you're from the city and brought good stuff, so she targeted you."

"So scary! I heard the police came too."

"Such people, in the past, would have been sent to labor camps."

Si Nian looked at the indignant group and laughed, "It's okay, just a little bruise, I'm almost healed."

"You're so optimistic. If it were me, I'd have already confronted the Liu family."

"You're new here and got bullied. We feel really sorry for not being able to help."

Earlier, they had assured Si Nian that although their village was poor, the people were good-hearted. Now, just a few days later, their words felt ironic.

The prejudice from city folks towards the rural areas was given a new life with this incident.

"It's okay, it's all in the past. Aunt Liu also received the punishment she deserved," Si Nian comforted the group, even though she was the victim.

The group felt even more sympathy towards her. Thinking about Aunt Liu's fate, they all felt she got what she deserved.

"I heard she screamed loudly when bitten!"

"I heard she was so scared by your dog, Big Yellow, that she wet herself."

"Hahaha, serves her right..."

The women chatted and laughed, quickly arriving at the livestock farm.

At the entrance of the farm was a large truck, used by Zhou Yue Shen specifically for delivering goods. But now, since everyone had finished work, there was no one around the truck except a man sleeping soundly in the driver's seat.

Li Mingjun had planned to take a short nap. He arrived early today, having to deliver goods in the afternoon, leaving him with some free time.

Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he heard the voices of the ladies chatting.

Li Mingjun was twenty-seven, having recently gone through a divorce. He was feeling lonely and empty. Working daily, shuttling between the countryside and the city for deliveries, it had been a while since he had any romantic encounters.

At that moment, the laughter of the women, like wind chimes, startled him awake. He couldn't help but fix his gaze on them, his eyes seemingly glued to their figures.

Among these women, one stood out like a dazzling flower, radiant and breathtakingly beautiful.

Having worked here for a while, this was the first time Li Mingjun had seen such an attractive woman in Happiness Village. She had a slender waist, long legs, and skin like porcelain. Her beauty was not the frail kind but full-bodied, with curves in all the right places, a slender waist, and long, straight legs. She was simply top-notch.

Li Mingjun, originally from the city, was the younger brother-in-law of Zhou Yueshen, the owner of the farm. Since no one in the village knew how to drive and Zhou Yueshen was too busy, he was recommended to help out.

Initially, he was not too thrilled about it, but now he was beyond excited. Seeing the beauty approaching, he quickly wiped away his drool, sat up straight, and reached for his leather jacket to put on.

In his younger days, Li Mingjun was quite handsome, fancying himself as a local heartthrob resembling Zhu Shimao, a popular star of that time. With his hair styled in a 3:7 ratio and wearing a leather jacket with jeans, many women fell for his type.

Things got better after marriage, but not long after tying the knot, unable to resist temptation, he cheated on his wife, leading to a divorce. Now, being older and divorced, finding a new partner wasn't as easy. On top of that, years of heavy drinking had given him a beer belly, making him less attractive than before.

Yet, Li Mingjun remained confident in himself.

He fancied himself the most stylish man for miles around. Plus, he could drive a truck and make money wherever he went. In the eyes of Li Mingjun, who fancied himself the "Zhu Shimao" of the southern city, he was a charming man that no woman could resist. Especially the village women, with their limited horizons, they were easy prey for his sweet talk.

He had flirted with a few before and hadn't been caught. Of course, he was only playing around with them and had no intention of anything serious. But with this woman's appearance, while others might only see her beauty, Li Mingjun saw his future.

As the woman approached, he quickly rolled down his window and coughed nonchalantly as they passed by. Sure enough, his act caught their attention. Everyone turned to look at him.

Seated in the driver's seat was a rather handsome man who greeted them with a "Hello, ladies, delivering food?" He tried to impress with his English accent that he had picked up from somewhere, and ran his fingers through his hair before flashing what he thought was his most charming smile at Si Nian.

The women recognized him since he often came around. "Ah, Mingjun, here so early today?"

Only then did Li Mingjun redirect his gaze from Si Nian. "If I didn't come early, how would I have run into you lovely ladies?" He quipped, then glanced at Si Nian again.

His oily, overly eager eyes made Si Nian furrow her brows. She took a closer look at him. He didn't seem like a local; in this village, having a bicycle was already considered quite a luxury.

Wait a minute... Li Mingjun? It suddenly clicked in Si Nian's mind.