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Chapter 550: The Warmth of Flames

The newly purchased stove required special attention for its first use, a process known as ‘ignition.’ This was a common practice among rural folks.

Su Shen thought that doing a day’s housework in exchange for a kiss was a fair deal. As for the stove, he had planned to ignite it that day anyway. He nodded in agreement, turned, and entered the kitchen. He fetched the stove that Gu Zi had bought last time and placed it in the yard for ignition.

The stove was cylindrical, with a ventilation hole at the bottom. When a large fire wasn’t needed, an iron lid would cover the hole, maintaining a small flame inside the stove. During winter, this setup would keep the room exceptionally warm.

The first use primarily involved burning off the residual moisture inside the stove.

Su Shen kindled the fire with dry firewood. The bright flames reflected on his face, drawing the attention of Gu Zi and Su Le. Gu Zi thought that if she had a camera, she could capture a highly artistic portrait at that moment.

Su Le, on the other hand, was captivated by the bright flames. She reached out to touch them, only to realize she was being held by her mother and couldn’t reach.

Su Shen fetched a piece of honeycomb coal and placed it on the burning firewood. Gu Zi, holding Su Le, moved closer. Su Shen took Su Le from her, freeing Gu Zi’s hands.

She placed her hands slightly above the honeycomb coal, feeling the warmth of the flames. She imagined how cozy it would be in the colder days ahead, with the family huddled around the stove, warming themselves.

They could even place a pot on the stove and enjoy a hot pot meal together. The mere thought filled Gu Zi with a sense of bliss.

As the fire burned, the bottom of the honeycomb coal began to glow red, indicating that the coal had ignited. The cement part of the stove’s edge darkened a bit, a sign that the moisture was being baked out. In a while, the color should lighten as the moisture inside would have dried up.

“Fairy Sister, are you making a fire? We have lots of sweet potatoes at home. Can we roast some?” Aunt Zhang’s grandson, Shi Tou, had come to the entrance of Su’s courtyard and greeted Gu Zi with his usual enthusiasm.

Gu Zi peeked outside the gate and waved at Shi Tou, “Of course, but you have to ask your grandma first if you can bring them to roast. You can’t just take them without permission!”

Su Shen’s gaze remained fixed on Gu Zi. He felt a pang of jealousy. Gu Zi’s voice seemed even softer when she spoke to children.

“Okay, I’ll be right back!” Shi Tou’s voice echoed as he disappeared from sight. In no time, Aunt Zhang, leading Shi Tou by the hand, arrived. Aunt Zhang was carrying a basket filled with clean, beautiful sweet potatoes. Su Shen, holding Su Le, went to open the gate and invited them in.

Seeing Shi Tou, Su Le no longer wanted her father’s embrace. Su Shen put her down, allowing her to play with Shi Tou.

Aunt Zhang placed the basket on the ground and accepted the stool Gu Zi offered. She sat around the stove and chuckled, “You two are quite sweet. Despite being busy, Su Shen still finds time to stay home with you. I’m envious!

“By the way, your restaurant, Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop, is really popular now, isn’t it? I heard that even newspapers have come to interview you. I heard people talking about it early this morning. Those who said you wouldn’t last long must be eating their words now! These are homegrown and very sweet. They’ll taste even better roasted!”

As Aunt Zhang spoke, she took out the sweet potatoes. Gu Zi took them and asked Su Shen, “Could you get me some tin foil? It’ll taste better roasted that way. Also, get some honey.”

Su Shen had wanted to ask about the interview. If Aunt Zhang hadn’t mentioned it, he wouldn’t have known about it. Gu Zi was truly capable. However, since Gu Zi had asked him to do something, he decided to ask later.

Seeing Su Shen silently go inside, Zhang gave Gu Zi a thumbs-up, “Su Shen is so capable, yet he’s willing to listen to you. Gu Zi, you’re the truly capable one!”

Gu Zi didn’t think much of it and replied, “No matter how capable Su Shen is outside, he’s still my husband at home. He cherishes me, so naturally, he’ll do more at home. Aunt Zhang, you need to change your mindset. Housework isn’t just for women. Men can do it too.”