As dusk began to fall, Zhao Lin took out the food he had brought back at noon. He had planned to eat it cold, but then he remembered his junior sister, Bai He, was on her period and should avoid cold foods. With that, he carried everything to the woodshed.
Inside the woodshed was an earthen stove with a neat pile of firewood beside it. Everything was covered in dust and cobwebs, a clear sign it hadn't been used in a long time.
"This will do."
Zhao Lin nodded to himself, fetched a bucket of water from the rain barrel under the eaves, and cleaned off the stovetop. He lit a fire, put a pot of water on to boil, and then set the food box and steamer basket on the pot's rim, letting the steam warm them through.
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the woodshed. Li Sancai pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing the room filled with steam, he asked in surprise, "Senior Brother, need any help?"
"I'm almost done. Just help me carry this."
