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After the plaza, we decided to go back for lunch. My mother had prepared wolf meatloaf, alongside a side of mashed potatoes and a lot of salad to go with it.
The meatloaf was tasty, despite wolf meat being rough and rather smelly, she managed to make it delicious by cutting it down until it became like paste, and then replacing the bad scent with the spices and the lemon, these ended up making the meat very tasteful.
She had even added whole boiled eggs inside, which combined well with the meat. The mashed potatoes were creamy and had a bit of goat milk on them, and the salad was refreshing.
In my previous life I never had the motivation to sit down and enjoy such a meal before. I often satiated myself by just drinking blood. Now that I had a human body, I can understand the greater pleasures of eating food, especially if it is carefully cooked by my mother and grandmother.
Eleanora, despite being rather vampiric, was a spirit, and her weaknesses as a Vampire were mostly all lessened or negated. She also didn't had much appetite in our previous life, but now, surprisingly, she was enjoying the food a lot.
Spirits do eat, I've investigated enough by asking my parents, they often have a preferred meal. For my mother and grandmother's spirits, they like eating grass for the most part, meanwhile, my father's rat can eat meat, bones, roots, and also plants, and anything, pretty much like rats.
However he had stated that the rat's preferred meal is raw potatoes and carrots.
And Eleanora? I guess her palate might be more complex. But she probably has a taste for blood. When we hunted down the wolves, she enjoyed their blood a lot, even though she left most of it for me to convert into Blood Qi.
"Make sure to sleep early today, son, tomorrow morning we are going to go sell the wolf pelts." Said my father.
"Oh, that soon?" I asked.
"Yeah, it is better to do it now. There's no need to delay the money we can get right now, right?" asked my father.
"I suppose you're right." I said.
This is a good thing. I will be able to see what the prices of wolf pelts are and calculate the prices of other things this way. I can also sneak around and perhaps even sell the spirit orbs I had accumulated from the wolves. This might be the first time I am allowed to go to the markets, so this brings great and new opportunities that I cannot possibly miss.
"Can I go too?" asked Erika.
"Well? If you want to, Erika. But Blake has told me you're a heavy sleeper, so I don't think you'll be able to wake up early… Haha." Laughed my father, while gently petting her head.
"Muhh… I will sleep early today, right after dinner then!" she said.
"No need to push yourself so hard, but sure." Said my father.
"How has your father been, Erika? Has he eaten the meals we sent to him?" wondered my mother.
My mother had recently been sharing our meals with Erika's father. She had made some small wooden boxes using her Crafter Talent and has been using them to store meals and leave them hot for several hours, she gives them to father most of the time while he's out in the fields or hunting with the rest of the village.
She had recently begun to give meals to Erika and her father whenever she's not here. My mother is a very good woman to think so deeply of others wellbeing. She has restored my faith in humanity.
"Yes, miss Mary, he said they were very yummy. He had recently been feeling quite well… Since Blake's visit he has felt healthier and has more energy than before." Said Erika.
"I see, he must have gotten a second wind then!" laughed my grandmother.
"I am glad he's feeling better. Despite his age, he's a strong man." Said my father.
"Indeed, take care of your father, alright, Erika?" asked my mother.
"I will… T-Thank you for being so nice to us." Sighed Erika, as little tears began to pour out of her eyes.
"Aw, don't cry, dear." Said my mother, hugging her.
"(My lord your friend is quite the crybaby)" said Eleanora through telepathy.
"(Yes, she's very emotional, but her will is very strong.)" I answered.
"(I suppose… Will we go hunt tonight as well? We must gain EXP as fast as possible to level up, my lord…)" said Eleanora.
Eleanora was also able to level up like me, although she was just summoned, and had little attachment to anyone here, so the only thing she had in mind right now was spending time alone with me and leveling up to grow stronger.
I understand her mindset, but I would like if she could have other things in mind than that. Life is more than just growing stronger, now that I've been reborn, aside from such a goal, I also have begun to enjoy the little moments. Perhaps because I had never done so in my previous life, so I never realized how precious every little thing can be.
"(Yes, we'll go. Don't worry about it, for now, try to get accustomed to the people here.)" I told her.
"(V-Very well…)" she sighed.
That Erika's father had been feeling better was obviously thanks to me. I had used my Qi to stimulate his Pressure Points and open his Core, making him naturally generate and accumulate Qi across his body.
Qi is said to be able to increase the lifespan of a person, and even give them new youth and energy. Although her father is still in his last years, he might be able to hang out with Erika for a bit longer.
I am glad I was able to do this, and I might as well do it with grandmother as well, she's slowly feeling more and more lethargic… Human lives are so fleeting, even when I know this very well, I cannot help but feel a sorrow each time I think my grandmother might soon pass away… I want her to stay with us as much as possible.
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