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Today's birthday banquet was a great success.
Those who were well-known in the village and had a good relationship with Old Man Qi were all invited over.
Everyone wished Old Man Qi good health and a long life.
Grandma Qi was also very happy for Old Man Qi. So many people were respecting and honoring him, which made his kindness to the villagers all worthwhile.
It's estimated that most of Old Qi's allowance was used to support children in the village who couldn't afford to go to school.
His hard work paid off, and he has few regrets in this life.
As the music ended and the crowd dispersed, Old Man Qi, his face slightly flushed, saw He Tiantian and Qi Zhengmin and was very pleased, saying with a smile, "Thank you both for your hard work today."
"It's not hard work," He Tiantian said with a smile. "It's what we juniors should do. Grandpa Qi, you should go back inside and rest. Don't stand outside."
"Alright, you all should rest now." Old Qi smiled and went upstairs happily.
The men who came to the banquet drank alcohol and then went home to drink more.
Women who did not drink alcohol helped with washing dishes and cleaning after the banquet, and only left after everything was tidied up.
Everyone who came brought some gifts, as a token of their appreciation.
However, Old Man Qi didn't care about these material possessions. Since they were sent, he would keep them and give away any unused ones to others.
It wasn't until 3 p.m. that the house quieted down and everyone went their separate ways.
Huo Ruihua and Huo Ruifeng were sleeping, while Huo Ruimin and Huo Ruihua went out to play with Niu Da and Niu Er.
He Tiantian was worried if they were all children, but luckily Zhang Ning followed them to protect them.
Upon arriving in the village, the two children were like birds released from their cages, running wildly all over the mountains and villages.
"You should rest for a while too," Huo Yingjie said softly. "Come on, take a nap."
Although He Tiantian was a little tired, she had something on her mind and couldn't sleep.
"Brother Yingjie, I heard from Daniu that hot springs reappeared in those big pits behind the mountain this spring," He Tiantian said. "Do you know what happened? Did the Snake King get crippled again?"
"Hehe!" Huo Yingjie chuckled. "Don't overthink it, there must be something else going on."
Huo Yingjie had already sensed a faint heat in the cave behind the mountain. This was because there was a magma vein underground, from which heat seeped out, causing the water in that area to heat up.
“But I still feel uneasy,” He Tiantian said. “I hope nothing bad has happened to the Snake King.”
He Tiantian had long regarded Snake King as a friend and family member, and did not want him to be hurt.
Huo Yingjie frowned. That little spirit snake shouldn't be that bad, right?
"Alright, you get some rest. I'll take you to see a doctor tonight," Huo Yingjie comforted her, gently patting He Tiantian's back to help her fall asleep quickly.
Even though she had something on her mind, He Tiantian got up early and was really tired after a busy day, so she fell asleep quickly.
When Huo Ruifeng woke up and saw his mother, he wanted her to hug him.
Huo Yingjie quickly carried Huo Ruifeng out so he wouldn't disturb He Tiantian's sleep.
Huo Ruifeng looked aggrieved, his big, watery eyes gazing at his father as he accused him of his "abuse."
But when she saw her older brother and sister running back from outside with flowers and a rabbit in their hands, her attention shifted to them.
They've only been here three or four days, and the two children have gotten tanned on their faces and skin from playing outside.
"Are you hot?" Huo Yingjie asked, placing Huo Ruifeng on a mat under the tree and wiping the sweat from his daughter and son with towels.
"Dad, it's not hot, not hot at all." Huo Ruimin lied through her teeth. Her face and body were covered in sweat. She actually said that she wasn't hot at all. She lied so that she could go out and play.
"You've all gotten so tanned," Huo Yingjie said with concern. "You can't go out to play anymore."
"It's okay, Dad. Mom says I'm pretty no matter what, and I'm not afraid of getting a tan." Huo Ruimin smiled proudly and confidently. Although she already had a concept of beauty and ugliness, she could put it out of her mind when it came to going out to play.
“Yes, my sister is beautiful,” Huo Ruihua chimed in. “And if you get tanned, you can get your skin white again. Mom says we should play more and run around more so we can stay healthy.”
"Uh..." Huo Yingjie admitted that he had been persuaded by his son and daughter. "Okay, then you must be careful and stay within Uncle Zhang Ning's sight."
"Yes, yes, we've got it." Huo Ruimin and Huo Ruihua nodded.
By five o'clock, the heat had dissipated, and everyone was eating watermelon in the yard.
Tang Qian did all the small chores, like washing and cutting watermelons.
In order to perform well, Tang Qian always volunteered to do things.
Fortunately, Qi Zhengmin stayed by Tang Qian's side the whole time, which made Tang Qian even happier and more willing to work.
When night fell, all three of them went to sleep.
Huo Yingjie set up a barrier and took He Tiantian to the back mountain.
First, take a look around those big pits on the back hill, reach in and try it. It's not as bone-chillingly cold as before, but rather warm. You can definitely take a bath or soak in it.
However, it hasn't reached the level of a hot spring yet.
"Brother Yingjie, this water is warm," He Tiantian said. "Where is all this heat coming from?"
"Of course it comes from underground. I've investigated, and there's magma down there, which dissipates some heat," Huo Yingjie explained. "So the water is warm, but not hot enough for a hot spring."
He Tiantian was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Is there a volcano down there?"
“Uh…” Huo Yingjie frowned, not knowing how to explain. It wasn’t a volcano. It was actually a furnace of alchemical fire that he had drawn up from underground when he was refining pills. Even if it leaked out, it wouldn’t cause a volcanic eruption.
"You don't know either?" He Tiantian asked anxiously. "Shouldn't we call an expert to take a look?"
"It's alright, it's just heat seeping from underground, not a volcano," Huo Yingjie said with a smile. "I assure you, this place has nothing to do with the little spirit snake."
"Really?" He Tiantian was slightly relieved.
“Of course it’s true,” Huo Yingjie said with a smile. “I never lie to you. If you don’t believe me, I can take you down to see for yourself.”
"Down?" He Tiantian was taken aback. "Where to?"
"The place where the hot water was formed back then was actually a cluster of underground fire drawn up from the ground a long, long time ago, used for alchemy, but I sealed it off. Over time, there may have been a slight leak, but it would never have formed a volcano," Huo Yingjie explained. "Trust me, I won't lie to you."
He Tiantian was very interested and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Okay, if there's no danger, take me to see it."
That night, He Tiantian had that dream. She felt that she was not only a spectator, but also the woman named Yun'er.
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