With the dumpling filling ready and the dough kneaded, she cleaned two fish thoroughly, marinated them with salt, garlic, and scallion ginger, and brushed the crabs clean.

She pulled two stalks of lettuce from the vegetable garden, removed the leaves and peeled them, sliced them into fine strips, and marinated them with salt, light soy sauce, fragrant vinegar, and sesame oil for cold dishes.

She cut a handful of garlic shoots from the garlic field, found two relatively red tomatoes, and pulled a small handful of green beans from the greenhouse...

At 1:30, she started making dumplings, rolling out the dough and wrapping the dumplings herself, not waiting for them to arrive. She made two tray screens, nearly two hundred dumplings, enough for the three of them to eat, and even the staff could try them. By the end, she used up the filling, leaving a bit of dough, which she rolled super thin, sprinkled a little sesame on top, and made four Sesame Crackers.

Upon receiving news that they were arriving soon, she started a fire outside, placed a big steaming pot, steamed the crabs and marinated grouper.

The coal stove in the kitchen was slower to heat up and less powerful than the outside stove, so she set up a wok to stir-fry a dish of tomato and garlic shoots. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

She initially planned to make soup, but later decided the amount was about right and didn’t make any, considering if she cooked too much and couldn’t finish, it would be a waste for the crew.

As soon as she set the table, she heard they were at the harbor, quickly took off her apron, washed her face and hands, and rushed to greet her sisters.

Just as she imagined, her sisters seemed easy to get along with. Although first meetings can be awkward and unfamiliar, Hua Yan greeted them warmly, helped carry their luggage, was enthusiastic and friendly, and immediately relieved their burdens, especially when they heard she had worked solo all morning to welcome them.

Entering the house, seeing the dining table with a sumptuous lunch, the two sisters looked at her in surprise: "Did you make this by yourself? It’s so good!"

Tian Bei especially: "Are you sure you invited me to cook? How come I feel like Little Sister Xiao Hua cooks better?"

Xiao Ya couldn’t help but exclaim: "It’s very light, not spicy. Looks like this little girl did her homework. Little Sister Xiao Hua, this name suits you well, it’s so cute. Come, let sister give you a kiss, well done, thank you for your hard work. No need for extra words, let’s get along well this half month, learn from each other. I’m clumsy, maybe I can take this opportunity to learn a few signature dishes from you both!"

After the dumplings were boiled, two plates were brought up, and once the cameraman captured enough footage, Hua Yan let the crew enjoy the leftovers, and then enjoyed the first lunch with her sisters. Regardless if it was dumplings, steamed fish and crab, or cold lettuce, stir-fried garlic shoots, all were perfectly seasoned.

Since there weren’t many seasonings here, there wasn’t much room for creativity, yet under such conditions, she managed to earn praise from the entire crew. The sisters also gained a new understanding of her, seemingly far from the exaggerated reports in the news.

Later, they discovered not only could she cook, but she was also proficient in various farm tasks. Despite her young age, she was strong enough to take on the heavy chores at home, even knowing how to fix things, use a saw, hammer nails, and utilize tools. The title "Almighty Little Hua" became her persona in the show.

The half-month filming cycle quickly came to an end, post-production editing was out of their hands, but they gathered enough material for a weekly episode stretched into June’s next shoot. In this half month, Hua Yan became the sisters’ and crew’s darling, so impressive was her performance that the crew rewarded them with five jin of beef and pork each—quite a generous gift.

Since all three were returning to Beijing, they traveled together, on the same flight. On this trip, they didn’t bring assistants or agents, so Hua Yan actively helped with check-in procedures, luggage storage, and other matters, the more independent and capable she was, the more it made them feel for her.

At the Beijing airport, before they parted ways, the sisters specially added her on WeChat, creating a group chat for the three, making it convenient to discuss while watching episodes during this period. In all, the atmosphere was very pleasant, making Xiao Hua truly feel the genuine bond.

With years of people-watching, she naturally had an eye for such things. Whether it was Xiao Ya or Tian Bei, they were both much older, especially Tian Bei, old enough to be her mother. Perhaps it was the age and experience that added an unexpected sincerity in how they viewed her.

This half month was her biggest gain, the harmony with the crew and temporary colleagues made her feel the next three episodes will be less difficult to endure.