Xiaodie is petite, so she has to stand on a stool to make tea. She wears a light yellow dress and her hair is tied in a bow.

Hua Ying saw Xiao Die brewing tea, so she took out three tea bricks and said, "Xiao Die, we bought these teas on the way here. They taste pretty good, so we're giving them to you."

"Thank you, Sister Zi."

Xiaodie nodded with a smile. Last night she felt that Huaying was very scary, but now she felt that she was much gentler.

Qin Luo, holding a watermelon, said, "Xiao Die, go tell Dou Dou to get busy, we'll cook."

"Master Dao, this won't do."

Xiaodie's eyes widened.

"obedient."

"I'll go tell Sister Dou Dou."

Xiaodie ran out happily.

Qin Luo spat out a watermelon seed, "Let me show you a couple of tricks."

Would you like some porridge?

Hua Ying joked with a smile.

Qin Luo said seriously, "Of course not. They're quite busy at noon, so it might be inconvenient for them to eat together. I'll make them a rice bowl."

What is a rice bowl?

You'll find out soon enough!

There were many ingredients in the kitchen. Huaying took out various ingredients she carried with her, including cured meat and sausages.

Qin Luo skillfully processed various ingredients, Hua Ying was in charge of washing rice and cooking, and Xuan Qing sat by the stove, holding a Buddhist scripture in his hands, reading the book while tending the fire.

...

"So this is what rice bowls are like."

A large bowl of rice is topped with braised pork ribs, steamed sausage, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and Mapo tofu.

Why don't you try some first?

"Let's take it to DouDou and the others first. They've been busy all day and they must be exhausted."

Qin Luo and Hua Ying brought the rice bowls they had made out of the kitchen. When Wang Guiyi saw the food, he was the first to run over. "Wow, it smells so good! Before, when Sister Dou Dou didn't have time to cook, she would just make one pot of porridge a day. I was so tired of drinking it."

"Wang Guiyi?"

"Sister DouDou, you eat first!"

Wang Gui handed the rice bowl in front of Dou Dou, saying, "Sister Dou Dou, I'll go and take some food to Lao Zhao first."

"Old Zhao, dinner's ready."

Wang Guiyi brought the rice bowl upstairs.

Two middle-aged men were playing chess upstairs. The one in white swallowed hard and said, "Xiao Wang, your new chef is quite good."

Wang Guiyi laughed heartily, "These aren't our newly hired chefs; they're the owners of Qinghe Restaurant."

The middle-aged man in white was shocked to hear this. He had heard that the owner of Qinghe Restaurant was a big shot who actually cooked for them, who were just doing odd jobs. The two of them burst into laughter, thinking that Wang Guiyi was bragging. He used to brag all the time and had been exposed.

"I can't go on now, Lao Wu. I was planning to finish this game of chess with you before going home for dinner, but I'll go home for dinner first. We can continue this game later." The middle-aged man in white left Qinghe Restaurant, drooling.

"Second brother, wait for me, I want to come to your house for a free meal."

At lunchtime, Qinghelou was not very busy; everyone was eating inside with their bowls in hand.

Old Zhao squatted alone in the corner, while Xiao Tao rarely showed herself in order to maintain her mystery.

Xuanqing and Xiaodie were eating in the kitchen.

Seeing Xuanqing wolfing down his food, Xiaodie looked at the rice bowl Qin Luo had made. Although she was a little reluctant, she still offered him the rice bowl she had never eaten before, saying, "Little brother, I can't finish this. Can you eat some for me?"

"no problem!"

Xuanqing grinned foolishly.

Wang Guiyi held a bowl while watching customers play chess upstairs, sometimes offering advice as a gesture.

DouDou sat behind the counter, eating her rice bowl with gusto, a happy smile on her face. "The food is so delicious. Sister Azi's cooking is really good."

Hua Ying smiled gently and looked at Qin Luo, saying, "The rice bowls you all ate were all made by him."

Qin Luo looked at Hua Ying and chuckled, "A Zi is a better cook than me. She'll cook for you tonight."

Dou Dou was both surprised and delighted, tears welling up in her eyes. "Master Dao, you are all so kind. Sister Xiao Tao often tells me that we can never repay your kindness in several lifetimes."

Qin Luo shook his head and said earnestly, "What I want to see most is for you all to live well."

"Uh-huh."

DouDou was on the verge of tears.

"Eat quickly."

"You need to be well-fed to have the energy to work."

"With Master Dao's encouragement, I'm full."

"Hahaha."

After everyone finished eating, Qin Luo volunteered to wash the dishes in the kitchen, while Xiao Die could only stand aside feeling wronged.

While Qin Luo was washing the dishes, he suddenly asked, "Xiao Die, what are your plans for the future?"

Xiaodie shook her head. "Master Dao, my greatest wish is to be your servant and serve you."

If she hadn't met Qin Luo, Xiao Die might never have had the chance to become a spirit and take human form.

“Your thinking is wrong. Repaying kindness doesn’t require being a slave or servant. Just having a grateful heart is enough. You should have things you want to do. Xiao Tao and Dou Dou want to live in the city, so they work hard from dawn till dusk at Qinghe Tower. You should also have your own dreams, whether it’s traveling around or cultivating immortality. You should always have a small goal.”

"Xiaodie wants to follow Master Dao."

Qin Luo was somewhat amused and exasperated. "The reason you were able to get opportunities by following me back then was because I still had great fortune. Now my luck has run out, and I will probably be plagued by misfortune in the future. If you follow me, you will suffer."

"Xiaodie is not afraid of hardship. Even if I am shattered to pieces, I still want to follow Daoist Master." Xiaodie looked up at Qin Luo, her bright eyes shimmering.

Qin Luo didn't know what to say.

Hua Ying looked at Xiao Die, smiled gently, and said softly, "Let Xiao Die stay by your side. Once she suffers, she'll know how to run away."

"No, no."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!