CH 91.1

Translated by Xiaowu

Edited by Yuki 

There used to be Lu Qingjiu, but now, Zhu Miaomiao was the only pure human left in the household. It was only reasonable that she would be on the losing end of this ruthless eating competition. She could only watch the chopsticks of the two people around her pick up the last pieces of rabbit meat. Zhu Miaomiao looked at the green vegetables in her bowl, and couldn’t help but shed a tear in sadness.

Lu Qingjiu had already stood up to digest his food. He went to the yard to refill the water in the water basin in the chicken coop, and then helped the rabbits change feed. The weather was warm these days, so food spoiled faster. If the chicken feed is not finished, it must be quickly disposed of, otherwise the yard will start smelling weird.

After finishing all these chores, Lu Qingjiu went to take a nap again. He planned to fulfill the promise he made to Zhu Miaomiao and make some desserts she liked after he got up.

The cheese he bought previously came in handy. Lu Qingjiu was going to try making a cheese tart. 

He would also deep-fry some chicken breasts and make some cheese chicken steaks. As these desserts had more complicated instructions, Lu Qingjiu never tried to make them before and didn’t know if it would be successful this time.

Fortunately, since he often made desserts, Lu Qingjiu was very precise in controlling the heat and making the fillings. The freshly baked cheese tart also exuded a strong milky flavor. When you bit into it, the smooth cheese would flow down the edge. The sides of the cheese tart was crispy, and it’s filled with rich liquid cheese inside. The milky aroma is strong, and there is a sweet and greasy taste that is unique to cheese.

To cut through the greasiness, Lu Qingjiu planned to make spicy fried chicken cutlets. They were coated with a thin layer of bread crumbs, then large pieces were directly placed in the pan and fried slowly in low heat, before being fried again for a second time. This was so that most of the grease inside would be discharged, reducing the greasy feeling when eating. After that, all he had to do was cut these into long strips. When the sharp knife sliced through the breaded outer layer, the rich chicken juice flowed from it, revealing the white and steaming tender chicken meat.

Three pairs of eager eyes didn’t leave the kitchen for a single moment. Lu Qingjiu told them to wait in the yard, then made some ice-cold hawthorn water.

The hawthorn had been processed last year and thus they had eaten almost all of it. It tasted sweet and sour, and was even more refreshing after adding ice. On this slightly hot afternoon, it was simply the best for cooling off. Lu Qingjiu planned to make more this year when the hawthorns ripened, so there would be enough.

Of course, he could not eat ice, so he only prepared a glass of milk for himself. Since Zhu Miaomiao discovered that the cows here could produce various flavors of milk, she opened the door to a new world and began to feed cows all kinds of weird things, resulting in things such as the egg-flavored milk in Lu Qingjiu’s hand… which actually tasted pretty good.

The three of them had already been impatiently rubbing their hands waiting for the food in the yard, but they still endured with the last bit of self-control. Once Lu Qingjiu sat down and saw the expressions on the three of them, he couldn’t help but laugh and said with a little helplessness in his voice: “Okay. Eat up.”

Swish, as soon as Lu Qingjiu’s words fell, three black shadows flashed in front of him, and the food in front of him was reduced by half. 

Zhu Miaomiao had learned from her experience, and this time, reached out with both hands. She needed to put the food into her bowl first so that she wouldn’t fall behind.

Lu Qingjiu sat beside her, quietly drinking milk as he watched them fight for food.

Afternoon tea was originally a leisurely time, but the three people forcibly made it feel like a battle of the fittest. In the end, Bai Yuehu, who was not afraid of being scalded or chewing bones, was the winner. Yin Xun and Zhu Miaomiao suffered a bitter defeat.

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“I’ll come again next time.” Zhu Miaomiao bid Lu Qingjiu goodbye before getting on the train.

“En, come again next time.” Lu Qingjiu waved his hand and watched her leave, until she completely disappeared, before turning around to head home.

He was driving his small truck back to Shuifu Village, but halfway, he saw a familiar figure. At first, Lu Qingjiu thought he had seen it wrongly, until he stopped the car in front of the person, and confirmed that he did not recognize the wrong person.

“Master Xuan Yu, why are you here?” Lu Qingjiu called out as he got out of the truck. 

Standing on the side of the road was a monk in a robe. He wore a hat and held a stick in his hand. Hearing Lu Qingjiu’s voice, he turned his head slightly and bowed. Although his face was mostly covered by the hat, Lu Qingjiu recognized him because of his unique attire. This man, Xuan Yu, was the monk who suddenly visited his house last winter.

According to Xuan Yu, he and Lu Qingjiu’s grandmother were old acquaintances, and he also vaguely told Lu Qingjiu how to use that black box.

“Benefactor Lu, long time no see.” Xuan Yu showed a faint smile, his appearance was also very handsome, different from the handsome and aggressive Bai Yuehu. Xuan Yu revealed a gentle and tolerant demeanor like jade. His temperament was somewhat similar to Lu Qingjiu’s.

“Long time no see.” Lu Qingjiu said, “Is there anything wrong?” 

Xuan Yu smiled and said, “I’m just here to inform Benefactor Lu not to go out these few days.”

Lu Qingjiu said, “Don’t go out?”

Xuan Yu said, “It’s going to snow in Shuifu Village.”

Lu Qingjiu was stunned: “Snow? It’s only June, how can it snow…” 

Xuan Yu did not answer, he only stared at Lu Qingjiu with gentle eyes. Lu Qingjiu was under the illusion of having his soul be seen through. “Great Master, do you have something you want to tell me?”

“Has Benefactor Lu ever been to the ancestral hall of the mountain god?” Xuan Yu asked.

Lu Qingjiu said: “I have been there.”

“Did you see anything?” Xuan Yu continued to ask. 

“Saw…” Lu Qingjiu said, “are you talking about my mother’s tablet?!”

Xuan Yu said, “It seems that Benefactor Lu knows about it.”

Lu Qingjiu nodded: “Mostly.”

But Xuan Yu’s words reminded him of something. At that time, Xuan Yu suddenly turned Yin Xun into a straw man. If it hadn’t been for Bai Yuehu’s return, something may have happened to the things sealed in the ancestral hall. Xuan Yu obviously knew what’s going on in that ancestral hall. In that case, why did he turn Yin Xun into a straw person? Could it be that he had an ulterior motive… 

Before Lu Qingjiu could figure it out, Xuan Yu sighed, regret appeared in his compassionate eyes: “Then why hasn’t Benefactor Lu left Shuifu Village?”

Lu Qingjiu frowned and said, “Why must I leave…”

Xuan Yu said: “Your mother died because of Shuifu while your grandma was trapped in Shuifu for a lifetime. Now, you still have a chance to escape, why are you still hesitating?”

Lu Qingjiu stopped smiling. “Hesitate? No, I’m not hesitating, I won’t leave Shuifu Village.” His words were clear without a trace of hesitation. 

Xuan Yu’s smile disappeared when he heard the words. Those black jade-like eyes, quietly watched Lu Qingjiu.

Ordinary people’s pupils had veins, but his eyes were like the deep lake, black and refreshing.

“Why won’t you leave?” Xuan Yu asked.

Lu Qingjiu replied, “I like Shuifu Village.” 

Xuan Yu: “Do you like Shuifu Village? Or the people in Shuifu Village?”

Lu Qingjiu’s brows tightened, and he said, “I don’t understand what Master Xuan Yu means nor what you are trying to tell me.”

Xuan Yu didn’t continue this topic. He shook his head and sighed again: “It’s fine.”

Lu Qingjiu intuitively felt there was something Xuan Yu wanted to say. 

Sure enough, Xuan Yu raised his hand and put his hat back on. He turned around and walked slowly towards the mountain, his voice was as faint as the mist in the mountains: “It will snow in June, be prepared.”

Lu Qingjiu wanted to stop him, but in the blink of an eye, he had disappeared right in front of his eyes.

Though there was only one road here, Lu Qingjiu drove all the way until he reached home but didn’t see Xuan Yu again.

After returning home, Lu Qingjiu quickly told Bai Yuehu about it. 

He didn’t expect that Bai Yuehu’s face would change a lot when he heard it. Then, he got up and left.

Before leaving, he told Lu Qingjiu to buy some coal from town tomorrow. Within seven days, no matter what happened, he couldn’t leave the house.

As for Yin Xun, he had to guard the tablets that suppressed the souls at home.

Lu Qingjiu hurriedly asked what was going on. 

Bai Yuehu shook his head and said that he would explain in detail once this matter was over. After speaking, he turned into a cloud of black mist and disappeared in front of Lu Qingjiu.

Lu Qingjiu intuitively felt that the situation might be very dangerous, so he quickly told Yin Xun about it, and then took Yin Xun to town that night to buy coal and other winter items Bai Yuehu mentioned.

When the boss in the town saw Lu Qingjiu buying these things, he was a little curious and asked him why he was preparing for winter now. Lu Qingjiu smiled and gave a few cursory answers.

After buying clothes, coal and food, Lu Qingjiu rushed back home. The weather was still clear, with white clouds floating in the sky. The jade-like moon hung in the sky, while the sound of insects could be heard. Everything was the same as usual. 

“What’s going on?” Yin Xun looked blank.

As Lu Qingjiu cleaned up the house, he told Yin Xun what had happened in the afternoon. When he heard that Bai Yuehu hurriedly left, Yin Xun also felt something was wrong. He asked in a panic, “Isn’t Xuan Yu that monk who turned me into a straw man? Why did he say it’s going to snow, it’s only June, how can it snow…”

Lu Qingjiu shook his head and signaled that he didn’t know, but Bai Yuehu’s nervous expression was definitely not a joke. Something was definitely going to happen.

He distributed some of the things he bought to Yin Xun, and asked him to take it home, so that in the event of an accident, he would not be trapped at home with nothing to eat.