Many years later, Lu Qingjiu would still recall the afternoon when Bai Yuehu had infused him into his physical body. At that time, he recalled some memories, but he was unable to connect the pieces together, so he was fooled by Bai Yuehu into his physical body.
And when Lu Qingjiu woke up from his physical body, he saw that everything around him was smaller, especially this beautiful daughter-in-law who smiled at him so gently.
" Bai Yuehu " Lu Qingjiu called his name blankly.
Bai Yuehu stretched out his hand and touched Lu Qingjiu's cheek, then lowered his head and placed a tender kiss on his forehead. Yin Xun also stood next to him, tears in his eyes, and finally said to Lu Qingjiu the words he had been waiting for: "Welcome back."
Lu Qingjiu had no time to react to Yin Xun's words of welcome back before Bai Yuehu took him by the hand and led him into the bedroom, not realising at that moment what being led into the bedroom meant until three days later, when his memory returned and he even thought he was going to die in bed.
Bai Yuehu, the fake fox spirit, has been holding back for three years, and now that she has finally tasted meat again, she is not willing to give up so easily. Lu Qingjiu's body is no longer human, and he is so good that he can go without food or drink for three days without any trouble, so once again, the conditions are perfect for Bai Yuehu.
Lu Qingjiu's memory was scattered at first, but later, under the stimulation of Bai Yuehu, he managed to recall all the past events, but the more he thought about them, the more angry he became.
Three days later, Bai Yuehu emerged from the bedroom refreshed, while Lu Qingjiu was lying in bed, looking like he might die at any moment.
"I'm dying," Lu Qingjiu said breathlessly, "you tell Bai Yuehu not to come in."
Yin Xun said, "Brother, I can't do it."
Lu Qingjiu: "If you still recognize me as a brother, help me".
Yin Xun thought for a moment and then went out and told Bai Yuehu that Lu Qingjiu was angry, that he should be sustainable and take it easy, and that it had been three days since he had eaten. It was true that they hadn't tasted Lu Qingjiu's food for a long time, and they missed it, and there was something to be said for not pushing Lu Qingjiu into rebellion and sustainability.
So Lu Qingjiu finally got a chance to catch his breath. He had thought that he would have to rest for at least a week before his body, which seemed to be falling apart, would recover, but he didn't know what Bai Yuehu had used to construct his physical body, and after one night's sleep, the aching feeling had disappeared.
So Lu Qingjiu got up early and went around the house.
It's amazing that the house hasn't changed much in three years - the backyard is full of honey and no one has fetched it, and the front yard is about to become a disaster with chickens and rabbits. The kitchen is not in use, but it is still clean and dust-free, so someone must have been cleaning it all along. What touched Lu Qingjiu most was that the fridge was full of food, so Yin Xun and Bai Yuehu had been preparing for his return for a long time.
Lu Qingjiu took a lot of things from the fridge and made a hearty breakfast. By the time the food was served, it was almost ten in the morning and Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun were waiting in front of the table with chopsticks and bowls.
Lu Qingjiu brought plates of food to the table and it wasn't until the last of the food was served that everyone moved their chopsticks together.
Tasting something he hadn't tasted in a long time, Yin Xun's eyes moistened again, but he reached out to wipe it away and pretended not to think about it as he talked to Lu Qingjiu about what had happened in the past few years.
He said that Zhu Miaomiao had been very anxious after Lu Qingjiu's disappearance, and that he himself had visited her and travelled through most of the country, seeing many sights that he had not seen before. Lu Qingjiu ate and listened intently, feeling that he had indeed missed a lot, but now, thankfully, he was back.
Bai Yuehu was quiet throughout, having spent the last three years with Lu Qingjiu, so he had nothing to say.
After hearing this, Lu Qingjiu said to both of them, "Thank you for your hard work.
Yin Xun couldn't hold back her sobs, while Bai Yuehu took Lu Qingjiu's hand, their fingers interlocked, and they both saw a tender look in each other's eyes.
Lu Qingjiu did not have many memories of these three years, but he knew that Bai Yuehu must have gone to great lengths to bring him back to life.
In that case, let's live the rest of our lives well.
So Lu Qingjiu set about getting his life back on track. First he called Zhu Miaomiao to inform her that he was okay. Over the phone, Zhu Miaomiao cried and scolded Lu Qingjiu for not being conscientious enough to come back, but then smiled and said that she would bring Lu Qingjiu back with her when his godson was born. Lu Qingjiu then learned that Zhu Miaomiao had gotten married last year and was pregnant this year, and to his surprise, he told Zhu Miaomiao to take good care of her baby and that he would go to see her sometime.
After settling the Zhu Miaomiao matter, Lu Qingjiu opened his Tao Bao shop again and was almost scared to death by the messages on Wang Wang. He had never seen so many messages before, so many that his head was about to explode. When he clicked on two of them, they were all customers crying with sadness, saying, "Boss, I'm counting on your hairspray to work and get married.
Lu Qingjiu: ""It's terrible.
Lu Qingjiu thought about it and did not rush to the item, but went to the backyard to check the condition of the well. The circle of light above the well was still there, and it took him a while to call out to the lady ghost, who greeted Lu Qingjiu and asked him how his health was, and seemed to have learned of Lu Qingjiu's death.
"I'm fine, how are you now" Lu Qingjiu said, "Are there enough believers? I'll offer you incense and candles tomorrow."
"It's fine fine, it's fine." The lady ghost said, "It's just that if you're free, just keep selling the hairspray, my faith has faded quite a bit over the past few years since you went out of business"
Lu Qingjiu says it's OK.
The two men agreed on this and Lu Qingjiu decided to open the shop again in a few days.
Three years is a short time for a long-lived species like the dragons, but for humans, it is not a short time apart. Lu Qingjiu arrives in town and asks for information, he learns that Hu Shu and Pang Ziqi have both been promoted and are now police officers in the city.
"It feels like so much has changed around me." Lu Qingjiu exclaims as he buys vegetable seeds.
The owner of the seeds said, "That's not true, the town is getting a high speed train, where have you been for the last three years, you haven't seen anyone."
Lu Qingjiu says with a smile, "I went for a walk everywhere, but in the end I found that home was good, so I came back."
"Yes." The owner of the seed shop sighed, "It's better to be at home, all these city people are starting to run to the suburbs saying that our air and water here are good for people."
Lu Qingjiu smiles and says yes.
Since the fusion of the boundaries, Yin Xun no longer has to guard the contaminated souls, and the most amazing thing is that the villagers of Shuifu Village have not disappeared, but continue to live as if they were alive. Lu Qingjiu asked Bai Yuehu why this was so, and Bai Yuehu said that they were also considered non-human, but they did not know they were non-human, as if they were dead but did not realise they were dead, so they continued to live as if they were alive.
Although Lu Qingjiu was a little worried, he saw that no one else had noticed anything unusual about the villagers, so he thought he would just let it go and live for a day, until something happened.
Xiao Hua's beloved Li Xiaoyu finally got into his favorite junior high school, which is said to be one of the best in the city, and Li Xiaoyu got into it with the top ten grades. Xiao Hua was so moved that he burst into tears, saying that his hard work had finally paid off and that it was the first time he had ever seen such a hardworking child.
Because the junior high school in the city was quite far away, Li Xiaoyu would only come back on weekends, and Xiao Hua would take Li Xiaoyu home in her minivan, although every time Lu Qingjiu was worried if Xiao Hua would be caught by the traffic police.
"It's okay, I'll be a good man again after a few days of driving without a license. Xiao Hua said.
Lu Qingjiu criticised Xiao Hua's thinking, saying that the point is to drive without a licence, don't you realise you're a pig?
Xiao Hua: "It's time to take shape." In the days that followed, he began to struggle with just how quickly he could become human.
As the days resumed their quiet rhythm, Bai Yuehu reclaimed the land he had longed for and planted it with many of his favourite fruits and vegetables. The fruit trees they had planted a few years before had grown, apples and pears, peaches and plums, in short, everything, and were planted on both sides of the yard and around the path, shaded by trees that would be full of all kinds of fruit in the autumn.
When he saw the summer, Lu Qingjiu remembered the dead Zhu Rong and the other two Four Seasons Gods and said, "Oh yes, I forgot, have Zhu Rong and the others come back to life?"
At Zhu Rong's name, Bai Yuehu's expression rose subtly.
Lu Qingjiu thought it was because Zhu Rong had not come back to life that Bai Yuehu was in this state.
Lu Qingjiu: "It's alive, how come I don't see it"
Bai Yuehu: "You want to see it"
Lu Qingjiu is bewildered, not understanding the meaning of Bai Yuehu's subtle tone and expression, until the next day, when Bai Yuehu brings in three small, crying dolls from outside the door.
"Where did you steal the kids?" Lu Qingjiu said in horror, "What if the parents find out."
Bai Yuehu lifted the little dolls by the back of their collars and said, "It's okay, they don't have parents."
Lu Qingjiu took a closer look and realised that the dolls were clearly not human, as no human parent would dye their children's hair colourful and give them strangely coloured contacts.
Lu Qingjiu took a closer look and realised that the dolls looked a bit familiar. He immediately thought of something and said incredulously, "They are the Gods of the Four Seasons"
Bai Yuehu nodded and flung the dolls in front of Lu Qingjiu.
The three white ball-like dolls cried and hugged each other, looking at Bai Yuehu as if they were looking at a great demon.
Lu Qingjiu's expression twisted for a moment, "What, has it become like this."
Bai Yuehu said, "It's alright, it will be fine next year." He explained that the God of the Four Seasons would change back into the form of a toddler when he died, but that it was not a big problem, and that after a few years of the baptism of the seasons, he would be back to his previous form.
Lu Qingjiu said, "And do they still have their memories?"
Bai Yuehu: "In ah, unless there's an accident like the gods of winter."
Lu Qingjiu: "No, I mean do they still have their memories at this moment"
Bai Yuehu said, "Yes."
Lu Qingjiu: "So they will all remember how you bullied them"
Bai Yuehu said calmly, "So what if I remember? Come and beat me up if you don't like it."
Lu Qingjiu: ""You're actually only three years old, aren't you?
Lu Qingjiu began to regret his request to see the gods of the four seasons. Bai Yuehu wanted to pick them up and throw them out, but Lu Qingjiu couldn't bear to look at their pitiful faces and took a lollipop and stuffed one into each of their mouths. Looking at their chubby white cheeks puffed up as they held the lollipop, Lu Qingjiu couldn't resist and pinched their cheeks.
Zhu Rong was the boldest and whispered thank you, the God of Autumn was a bit confused by the pinch, and Ju Mang was the shyest, hiding behind Zhu Rong after the pinch.
Lu Qingjiu said, "It's so cute."
Bai Yuehu was a little disgruntled: "You were much cuter than them when you were a kid."
Lu Qingjiu: "Really"
Bai Yuehu: "Of course it's true."
Lu Qingjiu: "Even if I don't catch you when I catch you during the week"
Bai Yuehu :""
When Lu Qingjiu saw Bai Yuehu's expression was not right, he immediately reassured him that he was joking and that the fox spirit was not as good looking as our black dragon, whose shiny scales were much better looking than the fox spirit.
Bai Yuehu: "Stroke the tail?"
Lu Qingjiu; "Touch."
Bai Yuehu: "Tsk."
Lu Qingjiu laughed awkwardly, but his hand went to Bai Yuehu's fluffy tail at the back of his buttocks, it had been almost three years since he had touched such a soft tail, he really missed it.
The pagoda at Shuifu Village is no longer guarded and Yin Xun can move around. Lu Qingjiu went to the city to buy him a car so that Yin Xun could get around. When he bought the car, Bai Yuehu asked if he wanted to get another one for himself, but Yin Xun ruthlessly refused.
The last one brought back slugs, who knows what the next one will bring back, and Yin Xun doesn't have a heart as strong as Lu Qingjiu's.
Lu Qingjiu's health has improved since he changed his body, and he hardly ever caught a cold or wind, and when he did, his skin healed quickly. What makes Lu Qingjiu happiest is that whenever he wants to eat a lotus root, all he has to do is go to the kitchen, roll up his sleeves and chop off a piece. The chopped part immediately turns into a lotus root, fresh and fragrant with dew. He doesn't feel any pain, and the severed limb recovers quickly.
The roots used for the body are different from those sold in the market, as they are crunchy and sweet when half raw, but become soft and sweet when cooked, and even the bone broth has a light sweetness to it, making it very tasty. Lu Qingjiu can be served cold, stewed with pork bones, or deep-fried in a pan with a meat filling.
Of course, Yin Xun, who was eating the lotus root, said it would have smelled even better if it hadn't come from Lu Qingjiu, who said quietly, "It came from me, shouldn't it taste better? Come on, have some more."
Yin Xun :""
Because they had given each of the Four Seasons Gods a lollipop, they had given Lu Qingjiu a goody-two-shoes card and were thinking of their family. But they were afraid of Bai Yuehu, so every day when Bai Yuehu went out to the field in the morning, they would knock on the door on tiptoe and look at Lu Qingjiu with round eyes, asking Brother Lu in a low voice if he had any candy to eat.
Lu Qingjiu's heart was softened by their question, and he filled all their pockets with sweets from home.
up, pinching each of them again on their little cheeks, and with a smile of immense kindness, watched them disappear at their doorstep.
Yin Xun stood back with a broom and asked Lu Qingjiu with a complicated expression why he could accept them so easily, without any psychological shadows.
Lu Qingjiu was puzzled by Yin Xun's comment: "What psychological shadows?"
Yin Xun said helplessly, "Haven't you ever thought that if they recovered their memories and remembered that they came to our house every day to ask for sweets, wouldn't that be horrible?" He shivered at the thought of Zhu Rong's tough-looking face and serious expression.
Lu Qingjiu didn't see anything wrong with it and said openly, "What's wrong with that? I'll be their eldest from now on and I'll be watching them grow up."
Yin Xun: ""He was actually unable to refute it.
As the days went by, things got back on track and the usual peace returned.
Once the autumn harvest was over, it was time for another snowy winter, a season that Lu Qingjiu was slightly worried about because of his experiences that year. As in previous years, he had stocked his cellar with food and all the necessities of life in anticipation of the harsh winter.
But what he didn't expect was that this year's winter wasn't harsh and it was much milder than previous years, so to speak.
After the first snow fell, the temperature began to drop slowly until the second snowfall, when Shuifu Village closed its roads.
After Lu Qingjiu changed his body, he found that he was no longer afraid of the cold at all. He could even roll around in the snow in a single coat like Yin Xun, and although he felt a little cold, he didn't get sick with a cold at all. So the whole winter became interesting instead.
Falling straight into the soft pile of snow, leaving the first human-shaped marks on it, grabbing snowballs and stuffing them into the collars of their friends, the family plus two pigs, laughing like a bunch of several-year-old fools.
When you've had enough, take a hot bath, put on a thick jumper and hide under a warm blanket, or if you're bored, get out your jumper needles and work on your knitting.
This year Lu Qingjiu's goal is very ambitious, he plans to knit Bai Yuehu a black jumper and a scarf, although the shape is not good, but it is real wool, very warm. Lu Qingjiu can't help but smile when he thinks about it.
Bai Yuehu had gone to dig sweet potatoes in the field and Yin Xun had not yet come over. He heard a thud from the window and thought it was someone's naughty child hitting the window with a snowball.
This year Shuifu Village has had a very busy winter and instead of disappearing again, the villagers have continued to live as normal human beings. Xiao Hua Xiao Hei is quite popular with the children in the village and many of them come to his house to play with the two little piggies.
Lu Qingjiu was looking around when he heard a soft laugh from above his head. He looked up and actually saw the God of Winter sitting in the top of his family's apple tree, looking down at him with a smile on his face.
"Xuan Hei," Lu Qingjiu was startled, "what are you doing here."
"Why can't I be here." Xuan Hei said, "It's been a long time, Lu Qingjiu ."
"It's been a long time." Lu Qingjiu said.
In that battle, the God of Winter had given him a cold and unfeeling feeling, but strangely enough, he could see that warmth of Xuan Yu in the expression of the God of Winter in front of him, who curled his eyes and smiled at Lu Qingjiu: "How have you been"
Lu Qingjiu hesitates, "Not bad, are you Xuan Hei, or Xuan Yu "
The God of Winter said, "It doesn't matter who I am, you just have to know that I am the God of Winter."
Lu Qingjiu said, "So, what do you want?"
The god of winter raised his hand and threw an object to the window as he said, "This is what your grandfather left you."
Lu Qingjiu took the item and realised it was a pair of ear cuffs.
"He said he loves you very much, but he can't help it because the person he loves most is your grandma." The God of Winter said in a warm voice, "Only when the two worlds merge will he have a chance to resurrect your grandma, so you shouldn't blame him too much."
Lu Qingjiu tightened his grip on his ear-cups: "I don't blame him."
The God of Winter smiled, "That's good, I'm off."
Lu Qingjiu said, "Wait."
The God of Winter says, "Hmmm"
Lu Qingjiu said, "Don't you have anything else you want to tell me?"
The God of Winter said, "The other things," he cocked his head, "no, it's not really a good thing to know too much, besides, who doesn't have a few secrets."
Lu Qingjiu froze, and then saw the god of winter turn into a butterfly and go away. Unlike spring, the butterfly he turned into was crystal clear, a beautiful azure colour, and, riding on the wind, he disappeared into the curtain of snow.
Lu Qingjiu heard the sound of the door being pushed behind him, probably Bai Yuehu had returned, and at this moment he felt that the God of Winter was right.
He had a warm house, good food, good friends and lovers to keep him company. Lu Qingjiu lifted his hand to close the window and put the earcups carefully in the drawer with his grandmother's diary, as if to seal up a piece of history.
Lu Qingjiu smiled as his body was hugged from behind and said, "Welcome back."
He came back and, never wanted to leave again.
Author's Note: End of story, thank you all so much for the months of companionship!