Rong Lianhu nodded, put Rong Jiaojiao on the carpet, and said to Rong Zhigao and Rong Zhiyuan, "Come and play with your sister, I'm going to cook."
The two brothers nodded, took off their shoes, climbed onto the blanket, and made all sorts of funny faces to make the little girl laugh.
Qing Xuanzi remembered the cucumbers he had given them and instructed, "Don't eat cucumbers in front of your sister, or you'll make her cry."
The two replied in unison, "Uncle, we understand!"
Rong Lianhu then picked up the bag he had brought, gave the clothes to Qing Xuanzi, and then took the dried chicken, dried rabbit, and a few cucumbers into the kitchen.
Qing Xuanzi looked at the clothes in his hand. Although he had enough, he felt a little warm inside because someone had thought of him.
Upon entering the kitchen, Rong Lianhu quickly got to work, first soaking the dried chicken and dried rabbit in water to soften them slightly.
Then they opened the grain jar and saw two cloth bags inside, one containing rice and the other containing flour, not much of either, about ten pounds each.
As he busied himself, he kept thinking about what Qing Xuanzi had just said, "I have something to tell you," and he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Although Qing Xuanzi sometimes seems quite naive, he is more often unpredictable, and no one knows what will happen this time.
Not long after, Qing Xuanzi walked into the kitchen and saw Rong Lianhu staring blankly. He said, "What are you staring at? Hurry up and cook. Your wife will be back soon. Make more so the two boys can have some nourishment too."
Rong Lianhu snapped out of his daze, looked up, and asked, "Master..."
Qing Xuanzi's aura suddenly changed: "Call me brother."
In Rong Lianhu's mind, he held a very high level of authority. The moment his aura changed, Rong Lianhu remembered the ruthless way he had taught him martial arts and immediately cowered.
He pouted and said, "Brother is brother, why are you being so fierce?"
Qing Xuanzi snorted and said seriously, "It's best not to bring Jiaojiao back to the compound."
Rong Lianhu asked in surprise, "Why?"
Qing Xuanzi sighed and recounted the events that had occurred before their arrival, saying with a hint of helplessness, "Now I'm about 80% certain that Jiaojiao possesses a celestial treasure, but I don't know if it's just a fragment or something else."
Rong Lianhu, still in a daze, said, "Master, no, brother, can you please explain your guess properly?"
Qing Xuanzi said, "I suspect that those nearly dead melon vines that you pulled out back then survived in Jiaojiao's immortal artifact and even produced melons. I just don't know if there are any others."
He thought to himself: "If it's really as I imagine, then how incredibly powerful is this celestial artifact? If I plant some precious medicinal herbs inside, wouldn't it be an inexhaustible source of resources in the future?"
This child is very fortunate, but now we need to figure out how to protect her.
Seeing Rong Lianhu standing there blankly, lost in thought, Qing Xuanzi sighed and said, "Let's cook first. You and your wife can think about what to do tonight."
This child is good, but he was a lot of trouble when he was little.
Rong Lianhu regained his composure and quickly started washing the rice and cooking. An hour later, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of meat.
If the courtyard hadn't been shrouded in Qing Xuanzi's array, the fragrance would have already attracted the neighbors.
Just as the food was ready, there was a knock at the door. Qing Xuanzi used his divine sense to tell that it was Fu Ya, so he told Rong Zhiyuan to open the door.
Upon hearing the shout, Rong Zhiyuan immediately scrambled up from the carpet and dashed towards the door.
He ran while excitedly shouting, "Mom's back!"
Fu Ya stood outside the door, sweating profusely. She was quite surprised to see Rong Zhiyuan opening the door and her eldest son sitting on the carpet playing with their daughter: "What are you doing here?"
Rong Zhiyuan grinned and said, "Mom, Dad came back. He brought us to Uncle's house."
Fu Ya was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Really? Where is that person?"
Rong Zhiyuan gestured towards the kitchen with his chin: "They're cooking in there, and Uncle Qingxuan is too!"
Rong Lianhu came out of the kitchen when he heard the noise. Their eyes met and they both saw the longing in each other's eyes.
Qing Xuanzi coughed and said, "Let's set the table and eat. If you have anything to say, you can talk about it at home."
Distracted by Qing Xuanzi's words, the two sheepishly withdrew their gazes from each other.
Looking at the sumptuous meal, Rong Zhigao and Rong Zhiyuan's eyes lit up. They hadn't had a proper meat meal in a long time, and they kept swallowing their saliva.
Qing Xuanzi placed a piece of meat in each of their bowls and said, "Let's eat."
The two quickly ate their rice. Fu Ya felt sorry for the children. However, in this day and age, let alone having good food, even if there was, it was impossible to cook it in the family compound. The slightest smell would attract a whole bunch of children.
Thinking of this, she remembered that Qing Xuanzi cooked for himself every day, didn't the neighborhood committee care?
Thinking of her, she asked, and Qing Xuanzi smiled and said, "I set up an array in the courtyard so the smell can't get out. When the neighborhood committee came to ask about my work and meals, I said I wasn't feeling well and couldn't work, so I came to help you take care of your children. All the food you provided was brought to me."
Rong Lianhu's eyes lit up: "Then when I get some good stuff, I'll bring the two boys over to your place to cook it for us."
Qing Xuanzi said noncommittally, "Sure, but you'll have to do it yourselves."
"Of course, it won't trouble you."
In his heart, even if he couldn't call Qing Xuanzi "Master," he was still someone he respected, and he would still address him with the respectful "you" (formal).
Qing Xuanzi was satisfied and said, "You should have a vacation after returning from your mission, right?"
Rong Lianhu looked up: "Yes, three days. Is there anything you need me to do?"
Qing Xuanzi shook his head and looked at the two brothers who were enjoying their meal: "Tomorrow, let's take the two boys to the deep mountains and get some wild game to nourish them."
Rong Lianhu was very tempted, but said, "Bringing two boys is out of the question. There's no food in the mountains right now, and the wild animals are ferocious. If we encounter wild boars or wolves, I can't protect them."
Qing Xuanzi lifted his eyelids slightly, as if to say, "What's there to be afraid of? I'm here, aren't I? How could I not protect them?"
But he changed his mind before he could say it: "Are you going or not?"
Rong Lianhu hesitated: "What will happen to Jiaojiao if you go?"
Fu Ya, however, sensed the underlying meaning: "Brother Qingxuan is taking Jiaojiao with him?"
Qing Xuanzi gave Fu Ya an approving look and nodded: "You don't need to worry. The tigers and bears in the mountains can't hurt me. I have my reasons for taking Jiaojiao there."
Since he had already said that, Fu Ya couldn't say much more. She could only look at her husband expectantly, hoping that he would persuade Qing Xuanzi.
To everyone's surprise, Rong Lianhu's eyes lit up: "I'm at ease with Jiaojiao being with you."
Qing Xuanzi nodded: "Then we'll set off first thing tomorrow morning. Little Fu, bring the baby carrier with you tomorrow."
Fu Ya had no choice but to nod.
The two boys went from initial excitement and anticipation to disappointment and dejection in just two minutes.
Rong Lianhu wasn't going to tolerate them. After finishing his meal, he left with his wife and children.
On the road from the town to the military compound, a 28-inch bicycle was moving forward.
The person riding the bicycle was Rong Lianhu, with his two sons lying in front and Fu Ya holding Rong Jiaojiao sitting behind. The bicycle carried the entire family of five; it must be said, it was really sturdy.
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