Rong Lianhu smiled so much that the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out: "So adorable! The little girl's name is Rong Yue, she's four years old this year, and she's very mischievous, just like you were when you were little!"
Rong Jiaojiao disagreed, saying, "Dad, don't wrong me. I remember I was a very well-behaved child when I was little."
"You think you're so obedient..."
The father and daughter bickered as the jeep drove towards the residential area, the scenery along the way both familiar and unfamiliar.
Rong Jiaojiao pressed her face against the car window, observing every change: "The cafeteria has been expanded? A new kindergarten has been built over there?"
Rong Lianhu looked at his daughter with a pang of sadness: "You haven't been back for six years, how could things not have changed a lot? Can you stay a few more days this time?"
Seeing that her father still had white hair at his temples even with the pills and spirit wine she had given him, Rong Jiaojiao couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She nodded and said, "Okay, I'll stay a little longer this time. I'll leave when you're tired of me."
"You'll never get annoyed."
The car was parked in front of a brand new two-story building.
Rong Jiaojiao exclaimed in surprise, "Dad, when was this building constructed?"
“It was built the year before last, and all those at the deputy regimental level and above have moved into the small building.”
Rong Lianhu opened the door for him, left the key with Rong Jiaojiao, gave her a few instructions, and hurriedly went back to his shift.
Rong Jiaojiao rarely comes home, and she's not in a hurry to cultivate. Just like an ordinary person, she takes a stroll around the house and its surroundings.
I looked around the room my dad showed me. It had all the furniture, including a wardrobe and blankets, and they all looked brand new. They must have been furnished after we moved into the new building.
After setting up the formation in the room, I went downstairs to prepare dinner for my parents.
Rong Jiaojiao hummed a little tune as she walked into the kitchen. She opened the cupboard and saw that it had all the grains and oils, but not many vegetables.
The cabbage and potatoes were wilted, along with some green onions and other dried vegetables.
Rong Jiaojiao decided not to use these ingredients and to use all spiritual materials today.
Since they couldn't eat the monster meat, they used fish, shrimp, chicken, rabbit, fresh vegetables, and fruits from the small secret realm.
"Today I'll make braised rabbit and steamed fish..." she said, calculating the menu as she skillfully tied on her apron.
Zi Ling jumped onto the stove and watched her master busy himself with curiosity.
Rong Jiaojiao smiled and flicked its little head: "Don't make trouble, go play in the living room."
Instead of leaving, Zi Ling jumped onto Rong Jiaojiao's shoulder. Rong Jiaojiao didn't have time to pay attention to it and threw it into the little secret realm to find Yue Ling.
After a flurry of activity, just before the last dish was finished cooking, Rong Jiaojiao finally saw her mother enter through the kitchen window.
Fu Ya, wearing a military overcoat, looked towards the kitchen window as soon as she entered the room, and her eyes met those of her daughter.
"Jiaojiao!"
Fu Ya exclaimed in surprise, leaned her bicycle against the courtyard wall, and ran towards the kitchen.
Rong Jiaojiao dropped the spatula in her hand into the pot with a "clatter": "Mom!"
The mother and daughter met successfully at the kitchen door and embraced each other tightly.
Fu Ya stroked her daughter's long hair, her voice choked with emotion: "You've grown taller, prettier, and thinner... Cultivation must be very hard, right?"
Have you been injured in the past few years?
"Mom, I'm fine. I'm not tired, and I'm not injured." Rong Jiaojiao shook her head, then looked up and noticed that her mother's temples were also gray, and her nose tingled again.
How are you feeling?
Fu Ya smiled and said, "We're doing great. With all the good stuff you gave us, we haven't even caught a cold in all these years."
That's good. Just then, a burnt smell wafted over, and Rong Jiaojiao exclaimed, "The food's burnt!"
Noticing the dishes on the stove, Fu Ya took off her coat and said, "Are you cooking? Mom will help you."
"No need, Mom, come inside. This is the last dish; just serve it." Rong Jiaojiao pushed her mother out of the kitchen.
Fu Ya couldn't persuade her daughter otherwise, so she went inside first.
After hanging up the coat and placing it on the table, Rong Jiaojiao brought in the dishes on a tray, and soon there were eight dishes on the table.
"It smells so good!" Fu Ya exclaimed in surprise as she looked at the delicious-looking and fragrant dishes, praising them as she helped out. "Your cooking skills are getting better and better."
Rong Jiaojiao picked up a piece of rabbit meat and gave it to Fu Ya: "Sometimes when I'm away, I'll stop and cook. Mom, try it and see if your cooking skills have gotten rusty."
Fu Ya opened her mouth and ate, nodding repeatedly: "Delicious, your cooking is as good as ever."
"Hehe! Then Mom should eat more tonight."
"Okay, I'll definitely eat more..."
Just then, Rong Lianhu returned, carrying two bottles of liquor: "Old He heard that Jiaojiao was back, so he insisted on giving me two bottles of Moutai."
Rong Jiaojiao asked with a smile, "Is it Uncle He Da?"
Rong Lianhu nodded, and Fu Ya said, "Jiaojiao has already prepared the meal, let's eat first!"
The family of three sat happily around the dining table.
Rong Lianhu poured a small half-glass of wine for his wife and daughter: "I'm happy today, so I'll make an exception and have a little."
After finishing the meal, Rong Lianhu said, "I called Zhigao and Zhiyuan. Zhigao and the others will arrive the day after tomorrow, and your second brother said he will be home on the 28th."
Rong Jiaojiao's eyes lit up: "Great! I haven't seen my brothers in so long."
She was quite curious to see what her little niece would look like.
The three chatted until late before getting ready to rest. Before going to bed, Rong Jiaojiao took out some pills suitable for her parents and gave them to them: "Mom and Dad, don't skimp on these. If you're not healthy, you'll suffer. I'll get you more after you finish these."
The couple nodded happily: "Okay, we won't save money, we'll enjoy life."
...
Two days later, Rong Zhigao and his family finally arrived.
Knowing that her elder brother and sister-in-law were coming back, Rong Jiaojiao also prepared a large table of dishes. As evening approached, Rong Zhigao's family arrived home before their parents.
Hearing the noise, Rong Jiaojiao ran out of the kitchen and the first thing she saw was a little girl skipping in.
Seeing Rong Jiaojiao, he looked at his parents with a puzzled expression, then at Rong Jiaojiao again, and called out uncertainly, "Auntie?"
Rong Jiaojiao quickly stepped forward, squatted down, and looked her in the eye: "My name is Rong Jiaojiao, are you Yueyue?"
Rongyue nodded: "Auntie, why do you look different from the photos?"
Rong Jiaojiao said, "That's because the photo was taken a long time ago. Auntie has grown up now, so she looks different from when she was a child."
Rongyue nodded seriously: "My aunt is very beautiful when she grows up. I want to be as beautiful as my aunt when I grow up."
The child's innocent words softened the sense of distance. Rong Zhigao stepped forward and said, "Jiaojiao has grown so much. If we were on the street, I wouldn't even recognize her."
Rong Jiaojiao smiled and said, "Brother is still so handsome, I can recognize him at a glance."
Zhao Shumeng smiled and stepped forward, saying, "Jiaojiao, you've grown taller and more beautiful."
Rong Jiaojiao greeted her with a smile, "Sister-in-law, it's been a long time!"
Seeing her slightly protruding belly, his eyes lit up and he said, "Sister-in-law is pregnant again?"
Zhao Shumeng nodded shyly: "It's been four months."
Rong Jiaojiao looked at her belly, which was quite noticeable even though she was wearing a cotton-padded jacket, and said, "Is your belly already this big at four months?"
Zhao Shumeng nodded: "It was indeed only a little over four months."
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