Rebirth of Bloody Romance

In a green field, the sunlight shines through the gaps in the leaves, sprinkling on the bare yellow land, forming patches of golden light.

Zhong Yuemin, with a smile on his face and a small shovel in his hand, was digging attentively in a carefully selected flat area. His movements were skillful and powerful, and every time the shovel entered the soil, it would stir up a small piece of soil.

Soon, a pit 80 centimeters long, 30 centimeters wide and 40 centimeters deep appeared in front of us. The regular outline seemed like a small secret base in nature. The bottom of the pit was flat, and the soil around it was carefully dug out and piled aside, exuding a fresh scent.

Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen, two lively and cute little guys, gathered around like two curious kittens, with exploratory light in their eyes. They approached the big pit cautiously, trying to understand their father's behavior.

"Dad, why are you digging a hole?" Xiao Haichen's childish voice was full of doubts, and his little face was full of curiosity about the unknown. He held his sister's hand tightly, as if he needed some comfort to face this new thing.

Hearing this, Xiao Shihua glanced at her brother cleverly, with a smug smile on her lips. "Brother, you are so stupid, you must be roasting sweet potatoes!"

Xiao Shihua's tone was a bit authoritative, but her eyes could not hide her inner excitement. She couldn't wait to imagine the delicious sweet potatoes being roasted in the fire, and her mouth was watering.

"Ah? How do you bake this?" Little Haichen widened his eyes and looked at the not-too-big pit in disbelief, as if he was full of doubts about this "oven". His little head was full of questions, wondering how such a simple facility could bake delicious sweet potatoes.

Seeing this, Zhong Yuemin raised his lips and a sly light flashed in his eyes. He knew the children's curiosity about unknown things and understood that they needed some guidance and encouragement. So he continued to work, looking for a few thick branches from all around and skillfully placed them on the pit, as if he was building a primitive grill. These branches were carefully selected by Zhong Yuemin, with moderate length and uniform thickness, and looked very strong and durable.

Then, Zhong Yuemin gently placed the ten or so sweet potatoes he had just exchanged from the big brother on the tree branches. The red skin shone attractively in the sun.

These sweet potatoes were just dug out and still had the smell of soil, making people feel the gift of nature. Zhong Yuemin carefully placed each piece of sweet potato to ensure that they were evenly heated and baked to the most delicious taste.

"Girls, sons, you can start roasting sweet potatoes now." Zhong Yuemin's words were full of anticipation, as if he was inviting the children to participate in an interesting adventure. He knew that roasting sweet potatoes was not only a delicacy, but also a way for parents and children to interact and enhance the relationship between family members.

When Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen heard that they were going to start roasting sweet potatoes, their eyes lit up and their faces were filled with excited smiles. They jumped up happily, clapping their hands and shouting, "Dad, Dad, let's do it!"

The voices of the two little guys are clear and sweet, as beautiful as the singing of birds in the early morning, full of anticipation and desire for the new thing of roasted sweet potatoes.

Zhong Yuemin couldn't help laughing at the children's eagerness. He said softly, "Don't worry, I'll leave it to you after I light the fire."

As he spoke, Zhong Yuemin skillfully picked up a match and lightly struck it, lighting the hay under the branches. In an instant, the fire was blazing, the hay was burning with crackling sounds, the flames danced happily, and exuded a warm breath.

"Okay!" Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen responded in unison, their eyes fixed on the jumping flames, their eyes flashing with excitement. They knew that it was time for them to show their skills.

As the fire grew bigger, Zhong Yuemin gently placed the sweet potatoes on the fire, and then carefully moved them with a branch to ensure that each sweet potato was evenly heated. Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen stood by, nervously watching their father's movements, afraid of missing any details.

Finally, Zhong Yuemin felt that the fire was about right, so he handed the branch to Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen, and said with a smile, "Okay, it's your turn now."

Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen excitedly took the branches and turned the sweet potatoes carefully, fearing that they would break them. Their expressions were serious and focused, as if they were performing a sacred ceremony.

The flickering firelight illuminated the focused and excited eyes of Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen. Their faces were filled with satisfied smiles, enjoying this rare parent-child time. On this quiet night, they sat around the campfire, enjoying the fun of roasting sweet potatoes together, leaving behind beautiful memories.

Slowly the air began to be filled with the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes, mixed with the smell of wood smoke, creating a warm and fun picture.

"Dad, when do you think the sweet potatoes will be ripe?" Little Haichen couldn't help but ask, saliva already swirling at the corners of his mouth.

"Be patient, little ones. Once the flames turn into gentle charcoal, the sweet potatoes will become soft and sweet." Zhong Yuemin explained patiently, his eyes sparkling with love for the children.

At this moment, time seemed to freeze, leaving only the family sitting around the fire pit, enjoying this simple yet extremely precious happy time.

Chen Yijun on the side laughed even more happily, with a hint of mockery in his eyes. "Yuemin, I didn't expect you to use such a 'down-to-earth' method to roast sweet potatoes. If Xiaobai knew about this, he would definitely say something to you."

Chen Yijun's laughter was as clear as a silver bell, echoing in the air, as if adding a touch of color to this autumn.

Zhong Yuemin smiled, his eyes full of confidence and calmness. "Mom, this is the wisdom of life. With more experience, you will naturally know a little bit about everything."

Zhong Yuemin's words carry a sense of years of accumulation and pride in past experiences, as if he is announcing to the world that he has gone through countless storms and accumulated endless experience.

Just as the two were chatting excitedly, the voices of Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen suddenly penetrated the quiet air, with a bit of anxiety. "Dad, Dad, come quickly!" There was a hint of panic in their calls, like two frightened little birds, eagerly seeking the protection of their father.

Zhong Yuemin went there upon hearing the noise, only to see that the "grill" he had carefully built had broken because the branches could not withstand the heat of the fire, and several sweet potatoes were helplessly rolling into the fire, splashing bursts of tiny sparks.

"Dad, the sweet potato fell down, what should we do?" Little Haichen looked at his father anxiously, tears flashing in his eyes. His little hands tightly grasped the corner of Zhong Yuemin's clothes, as if this would be the way to find a solution to the problem.

Zhong Yuemin squatted down and checked the situation carefully. He saw that the fire was burning fiercely, and the sweet potatoes that had been put in had disappeared, leaving only some burnt marks. Zhong Yuemin shook his head helplessly, but then smiled again.

"Don't worry, kids, we still have a chance," Zhong Yuemin comforted.

"But..." Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen's faces were still full of worry.

"It's okay, let's try again." Zhong Yuemin said, picking up a branch and gently poking the fire, trying to find the fallen sweet potatoes. But as he moved, more sweet potatoes fell into the fire, splashing dust.

Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen's eyes were as big as copper bells, and tears were swirling in their eye sockets, like two crystal clear gems. Their little mouths were trembling slightly, and their appearance made people feel distressed, as if they would burst into tears at any time.

"Dad, why did they all fall down?" There was a hint of despair in Xiao Shihua's voice, and her eyes revealed the regret for losing the delicious food.

"Dad, can we still eat roasted sweet potatoes?" Xiao Haichen's voice became low and depressed, and his face was full of disappointment and helplessness.

Zhong Yuemin looked at the children's expressions and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He gently patted the two children on the head and comforted them, "It's okay, Dad still has a way." His tone was firm and gentle, as if giving the children a reassurance.

After that, Zhong Yuemin picked up the shovel and began to fill the pit with soil, his movements were skillful and steady. Each of his movements seemed so natural and smooth, as if he had done it countless times.

"Sweet potatoes will be more fragrant if they are stewed in soil." Zhong Yuemin's voice was full of confidence and tenderness. Those words seemed like a warm current that warmed the children's hearts. They also seemed to tell the children that the difficulties in life are like these sweet potatoes. After some tempering, they will always become better.

"Dad, are you telling the truth?" Little Haichen blinked his big eyes and asked curiously.

"How can I lie to you? Just wait another 10 or 20 minutes." Zhong Yuemin replied with a smile, his eyes full of love and doting.

After hearing this, the two little guys immediately found a comfortable place to sit down and began to wait patiently. Sometimes they smiled at each other, and sometimes they whispered, as if they were discussing how delicious the baked sweet potatoes would be.

20 minutes later, Xiao Haichen couldn't wait to ask Zhong Yuemin, "Dad, can I eat the baked sweet potatoes now?"

"You little greedy cat, that's enough." Zhong Yuemin responded with a smile, his tone full of pampering and helplessness.

"My sister asked me to ask." Xiao Haichen smiled and tried to push the "responsibility" to his sister beside him.

"Okay, I'll dig it out for you right away." Zhong Yuemin said, and found a branch and began to carefully dig the sweet potatoes in the pit. As he moved, an alluring aroma gradually spread, making people salivate.

When Zhong Yuemin took the first sweet potato out of the pit, Xiao Shihua couldn't help but frowned and said with a little disgust, "Dad, this sweet potato is so black, can it be eaten?" Her tone was full of doubt and confusion.

Zhong Yuemin smiled and shook his head. "Girl, don't be fooled by its black appearance. It's fragrant and sweet inside. This is called crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Do you understand?"

Zhong Yuemin smiled and shook his head, explaining: "Don't be fooled by its black appearance. It's soft and sweet inside. This is because the skin is burnt, forming a protective shell that locks in the sweetness of the sweet potato. Come, let me peel it for you to see."

As he spoke, Zhong Yuemin gently peeled off the skin of the sweet potato, revealing the golden yellow potato flesh inside, with a fragrant aroma. Seeing this, Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen immediately forgot their previous disdain, excitedly took the sweet potato and took a bite.

"Wow, it's really sweet!" Xiao Haichen exclaimed while eating.

"Dad, you are right, sweet potatoes stewed in soil are really more fragrant!" Xiao Shihua also agreed, with a satisfied smile on her face.

Zhong Yuemin smiled, pulled out another sweet potato from the fire pit, and handed it to Chen Yijun. "Mom, how does it taste?"

"Okay." Chen Yijun took the sweet potato and carefully peeled off the skin, revealing the tempting golden color inside. She took a bite and savored it carefully. "Hmm? Yuemin, this sweet potato is baked dry and soft, and it's also very sweet. It's delicious."

Just as they were enjoying the delicious roasted sweet potatoes, Zhou Xiaobai came over. She saw that Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen's faces, hands, and mouths were all covered with black charcoal ash, and she was immediately furious. "How did you two do this? Why are you so dirty?"

He turned around and complained to Zhong Yuemin, "Yuemin, you are such a fool. You don't even care about them."

When little Haichen saw his mother coming, he immediately ran over to show her his treasure, "Mom, the sweet potatoes my sister and I baked are delicious! What's more, I dug the sweet potatoes!" He looked very proud, as if he had done something great.

Xiao Shihua followed closely behind. Although her face was dirty, her eyes were shining with excitement. "Mom, try it. It's really delicious!"

Zhou Xiaobai looked at the two children and felt angry and amused. She shook her head helplessly, but her heart was infected by this simple happiness. She took the sweet potato handed to her by the children and tasted it. It was just as they said, sweet and delicious.

"Okay, since you've worked so hard, I'll forgive you this time." Zhou Xiaobai said with a smile, his eyes full of tenderness and pampering.

The family sat together, enjoying this rare parent-child time and delicious roasted sweet potatoes. The air was filled with happiness and warmth.

The happy time passed quickly like flowing water, and in the blink of an eye, Zhong Yuemin was about to take Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen back to Beijing. The two little guys were like eggplants hit by frost, pouting their little mouths and looking unhappy, as if the whole world had lost its color.

Xiao Haichen looked up at Zhou Xiaobai, his eyes full of anticipation and reluctance. "Mom, can you go back with us?" There was a tremor in his voice, as if he was afraid to hear a negative answer.

Little Shihua also stared at her mother closely, without saying a word, but her big eyes were filled with endless attachment and pleading. Her little hands tightly grasped the corner of her mother's clothes, as if her mother would disappear if she let go.

Zhou Xiaobai looked at the children's expectant eyes, and an indescribable sadness welled up in her heart. Her eyes were red, and tears began to fall involuntarily. She tried to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more tears came, as if she was telling of her inner reluctance and helplessness.

Seeing this, Zhong Yuemin came over and gently picked up Xiao Haichen, using his broad shoulders to comfort the child. "Mom has to work. Can I bring you here next time?"

Chen Yijun also held Xiao Shihua's hand and gave her strength with her loving eyes. "Yes, Mommy has work to do, but she will always miss you. Let's come to see Mommy together next time, okay?"

With the comfort of Zhong Yuemin and Chen Yijun, Xiao Shihua and Xiao Haichen gradually calmed down. Although they were still reluctant to leave, they understood that separation was a part of life and was also for a better reunion.

As the train slowly started, they waved goodbye to their mother reluctantly. Zhou Xiaobai also stood there, watching the train go away until it disappeared from sight.