After the beginning of the dog days, the weather gets hotter day by day.
The grape trellises at Lu Qingjiu's home were covered in clusters of dark purple grapes, their precarious appearance dangling from the branches a delightful sight. Lu Qingjiu had initially worried about attracting birds as the grapes ripened, but now he realized his concern was unnecessary. His home was devoid of mosquitoes and unpleasant birds, and every grape grew perfectly to maturity.
Lu Qingjiu picked some ripe grapes to make wine, and froze some in the refrigerator. Frozen grapes are a great way to beat the heat. The grape juice solidifies into ice chips, and chewing them in your mouth is much better than eating popsicles bought outside.
Yin Xun didn't like the strong sun in summer, but fortunately their yard was mostly covered by grape vines, and the sunlight could only pass through the grape leaves, leaving inconspicuous spots on the ground.
The little fox had fur on its body and was smart. When it was hot, it would stick to Xiaohua's belly. When Lu Qingjiu first noticed it, he saw Xiaohei lying on the ground on his side, exposing his pink belly, and then the little fox rested its chin on Xiaohua's belly.
Unexpectedly, the little fox got along well with the animals at home. Lu Qingjiu wanted to laugh when he saw it and said, "Aren't you hot?"
Xiao Hei said, "My belly is so cold." He seemed to like the furry fox very much. At least the little fox had been very friendly since it arrived here.
Hearing this, Lu Qingjiu walked over and touched Xiao Hei's belly. It was indeed icy and refreshing, and it felt soft, just like a bag filled with ice water. No wonder the little fox liked it so much.
Lu Qingjiu wasn't particularly afraid of the heat; he had a cooler constitution, and winter was harder for him than summer. Yin Xun was the opposite; if he could, he'd cooped up in an air-conditioned room 24 hours a day. But staying in an air-conditioned room for too long would make anyone uncomfortable, so he shamelessly sat in the yard, cradling Xiaohua's younger sister, Xiaohei, to his arms, letting her belly cool him down.
Xiaohua was very dissatisfied with Yin Xun's behavior. According to him, his sister was still the unmarried Xiao Dangkang. Yin Xun was touching the belly of an unmarried Xiao Dangkang every day. Wouldn't he be responsible for his sister?
Of course, because Yin Xun didn't know their identities, he didn't dare to complain to their faces. He just sat beside them and looked at Yin Xun angrily with a dark face.
Yin Xun completely ignored Xiaohua's reluctance and held Xiaohei tightly, refusing to let go. In the end, brother Xiaohua had no choice but to humiliatingly replace his sister Xiaohei's belly with his own cold belly.
Yin Xun didn't understand Xiao Hua's meaning at all. When he saw him leaning into his arms, he suddenly realized, "Oh, I was wondering why you were unhappy. It turns out it's because you wanted me to hold you. If that's the case, why didn't you just say so earlier? Why are you so jealous?"
Xiaohua: “????”
Lu Qingjiu chuckled softly beside him.
In short, Xiaohua and Yin Xun became enemies. The worst thing was that Yin Xun was completely unaware of this. He even shamelessly thought that Xiaohua was so cruel to him because she was jealous of Xiaohei's treatment.
"Alas, being popular is so difficult." Yin Xun said to Lu Qingjiu.
Lu Qingjiu thought, you can just bully him while he is young, and when he grows into a big pig, he will bite you with his fangs and you will be gone.
The July sun is extremely scorching, hanging brightly in the sky, making people lose interest in working.
Yin Xun and Bai Yuehu's appetite was not affected at all, but Lu Qingjiu had a poor appetite these days and ate very little.
"Jiu'er, why don't you eat?" Yin Xun asked.
Dinner consisted of pork ribs and winter melon soup, a cold salad with shredded vegetables, chicken feet stewed with taro, and stir-fried water spinach. All of the dishes tasted delicious, especially the chicken feet, which were perfectly cooked and soft, so glutinous that you didn't even need to chew them; the meat just fell off your teeth. The taro was also soft, glutinous, and sweet, making them both perfect with rice. However, Lu Qingjiu barely touched the food. He simply drank a bowl of porridge and ate some pickles before putting down his chopsticks.
"Well, I'm not very hungry." Lu Qingjiu said, "Eat by yourself, don't worry about me."
"Eat a little more." Yin Xun said, "You didn't eat much at noon."
"I can't eat anymore." Lu Qingjiu said, "I want to drink some more soup." He just pretended to drink the soup and put down the bowl after taking a few sips.
Bai Yuehu paused for a moment, glanced at Lu Qingjiu, but said nothing. Lu Qingjiu heaved a sigh of relief when he saw this. He really didn't want to eat anymore, but he was afraid that Yin Xun and Bai Yuehu would persuade him.
Yin Xun was still a little worried about Lu Qingjiu. After dinner, he went out for a while. When he came back, he was holding a glass jar in his hand and said happily, "Jiu'er, I went to my neighbor to ask for some pickled hawthorns. You can use them to make tea."
"Okay." Hawthorn is good for appetite and spleen. Lu Qingjiu likes it very much. If he has the chance in the future, he can grow some himself.
"You still have to eat your meal well." Yin Xun taught him, "If you can't eat, eat something else. You can't go hungry."
Lu Qingjiu smiled and nodded, listening to Yin Xun's mumbling. It felt good to be cared for, especially since he had been living alone in the past few years.
After Yin Xun left, Bai Yuehu asked Lu Qingjiu to lock the fox cub in the house, saying that she would take him to a place.
"Where are you going?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
"Go find something to eat." Bai Yuehu said, "Aren't you unable to eat?"
"What to eat?" Bai Yuehu's status was not ordinary. Hearing him say this, Lu Qingjiu was a little curious, "Where can I find it?"
"Did you like the fish we ate last time?" asked Bai Yuehu.
"That kind of fish?" Lu Qingjiu asked, "You mean the manta ray?"
Bai Yuehu hummed.
"I like it." Lu Qingjiu nodded. The manta ray was indeed the most delicious fish he had ever eaten. After all, it was a legendary creature from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, so it was naturally much more delicious than the fish he would normally eat.
"Then let's go fishing." Bai Yuehu suddenly said.
"Catch fish?" Lu Qingjiu asked, "Where to go? There's no river nearby, right?" There was a small stream beside the village. Although the water quality of the stream was good, it was too shallow and there were only tiny fish fry. They were not even enough to fill the gaps between teeth.
"Come with me." Bai Yuehu stood up.
The scorching sun had already set, leaving only a patch of crimson sunset glow on the horizon. The sunset glow dyed the sky a brilliant red, as if a dazzling flame had ignited in the sky.
Bai Yuehu led Lu Qingjiu up the mountain.
Although the sun had set, the sky was still bright, with the faint outline of a moon hanging in the sky. The mountain path was a bit narrow, and Lu Qingjiu was afraid of stepping on empty space, so he could only lower his head and look carefully. The White Moon Fox walking in front of him suddenly turned around and stretched out his hand to him.
Lu Qingjiu was stunned when he saw his hand.
Bai Yuehu waved to Lu Qingjiu, indicating that he should hold her hand.
Lu Qingjiu thought about it, and without saying anything, he extended his hand, and the two held hands together.
Bai Yuehu's hands were very cold and very comfortable to hold. Perhaps because the two of them looked too calm, they didn't feel anything was wrong.
Bai Yuehu walked in front, and Lu Qingjiu followed behind.
The surrounding trees grew denser and denser, and the scenery became increasingly unfamiliar. Things that shouldn't be in the forest began to appear. Lu Qingjiu even saw a tall stone tablet on the side of the road, with the words "Shuifu Village" written on it in red font. This should have been the signpost for Shuifu Village, but the atmosphere emanating from the stone tablet made Lu Qingjiu feel as if he had entered a completely unfamiliar place.
The sky didn't change much, and its colors were still as bright as a blazing fire. But when Lu Qingjiu raised his head and looked carefully, he found that there seemed to be something more moving in the clouds above his head. He wanted to stop and watch, but Bai Yuehu pulled his hand and continued forward.
"The view from the top of the mountain is even better," White Moon Fox said, "Come on."
Lu Qingjiu couldn't help but curl his eyes.
The road was rough, but not tiring. The unfamiliar, terrifying scene felt reassuring because of the White Moon Fox holding his hand. Lu Qingjiu continued forward, and soon the scenery before him widened. The trees gradually thinned out, and a vast platform appeared before Lu Qingjiu. It seemed to be a platform carved out halfway up the mountain. The ground was a green stone that emitted a faint glow. Lu Qingjiu said, "This is..."
"This is Shuifu Village." Bai Yuehu replied.
He walked to the side, picked up two pieces of grass from the roadside, and handed them to Lu Qingjiu: "Let's go fishing."
Lu Qingjiu asked, "Fishing, do you want to use this?" He took the grass from Bai Yuehu's hand. This grass looked a little strange, with a cluster of fiery red stamens on the top. The stem was originally hard, but after stroking it hard, it became very soft, like a rope.
"Yes." Bai Yuehu said, "Come this way." He walked forward and walked to the edge of the platform. Then he made a stop gesture and turned to ask Lu Qingjiu, "Are you afraid of heights?"
"I...? I'm not afraid of heights." Lu Qingjiu replied.
"Then come closer." Bai Yuehu waved his hand.
Lu Qingjiu finally reached Bai Yuehu's side. Glancing down, he finally understood what Bai Yuehu had meant when she asked him if he was afraid of heights. Below the platform, a bottomless sea of clouds loomed. The setting sun stained the clouds a crimson crimson, and within them, winged creatures could be seen occasionally darting through the clouds. Lu Qingjiu had excellent eyesight, and he immediately spotted what was swimming within the sea of clouds: the manta ray that Bai Yuehu had brought back that time.
The manta ray had two wings as white as birds. Perhaps because Bai Yuehu was afraid of scaring Lu Qingjiu, she cut off the wings when she brought it back last time. No wonder Lu Qingjiu found two huge wounds on them when she saw the fish.
"Come on." Bai Yuehu sat down on the edge of the platform and threw the grass in his hand into the sea of clouds.
Lu Qingjiu also followed his example and threw the grass in his hand into the sea of clouds.
The scenery here was truly stunning. Looking up, he saw an endless horizon, clouds swirling and rolling like a breeze-swept ocean. Manta rays darted through the clouds, and Lu Qingjiu even spotted some other animals, though their appearances were so bizarre that he couldn't immediately recognize them. The White Moon Fox sitting beside him was even more beautiful, like a painting. Gentle light fell on his cheeks, and his long, half-closed eyelashes cast a faint shadow beneath his eyelids. His dark eyes stared into the abyss before him, shrouded by the sea of clouds. Lu Qingjiu stared at him, lost in thought, until he noticed the grass in his hand begin to tremble. He said, "Hooked!"
"Reel in the line." Bai Yuehu reminded softly.
Lu Qingjiu said: "How to collect?!"
"Just pull it up directly." Bai Yuehu replied.
Hearing this, Lu Qingjiu quickly reeled in the line. When he pulled the grass to the end, he saw a stingray hanging on it, its wings still flapping. Lu Qingjiu grabbed it and said at a loss, "What should I use to catch it?"
Bai Yuehu took out a pocket from somewhere and said, "Put it in there."
Lu Qingjiu reached out and stuffed the fish in.
"Can this fish be made into sashimi?" The chef who caught the fish began to think about how to prepare it. "Has it lived in the clouds since it was young?"
"Yeah." Bai Yuehu nodded.
"Then do parasites exist in your fairy world?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
"That doesn't exist." White Moon Fox said, "We all eat raw meat and have never heard of such a thing."
Lu Qingjiu thought that this was really great. In that case, he could take the fresh stingray back and make some sashimi. And can the wings be eaten? If so, he could make some New Orleans-style chicken wings to satisfy the kids at home.
The manta ray is really good. Not only is the meat delicious, but it also has no bones. Lu Qingjiu smiled with satisfaction.
Fish were caught one after another, and soon the bag was full. Lu Qingjiu asked curiously, "What's under the sea?"
"Want to go and take a look?" asked Bai Yuehu.
"Can you go?" Lu Qingjiu laughed when he asked so seriously, "Aren't you a fox? Can you fly?"
Bai Yuehu said: "Of course, but the moon is full recently and the sea of clouds is unstable. When the moon is waning, I can take you down to take a look." He said it seriously and was obviously not joking.
"Okay." Lu Qingjiu said, "If you have the chance, let's go and have a look."
Bai Yuehu nodded and said, "Let's go back. It's going to rain."
Lu Qingjiu looked at the sky and thought it was quite clear. He didn't understand why Bai Yuehu suddenly said it was going to rain. But since Bai Yuehu said it was going to rain, it couldn't be nonsense.
Bai Yuehu held the fish in one hand and Lu Qingjiu in the other, and continued walking back along the mountain road they had come from. When they reached the stone tablet of Shuifu Village, a shadow passed over Lu Qingjiu's head. At first, he thought it was a dark cloud, but when he looked up, he found that what appeared above his head was a huge black beast.
At first glance, the beast resembled a hornless cow with black skin. Uniquely, it had only one hoof, soaring through the sky. It seemed to notice Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu walking along the mountain path, and let out a thunderous roar that numbed Lu Qingjiu's ears.
Bai Yuehu raised his head in displeasure when he heard the voice and said to the monster, "Shut up."
That strange bull: "..."
Lu Qingjiu saw clearly that as soon as Bai Yuehu said this, the strange bull's mouth closed instantly.
"So annoying." Bai Yuehu said, "It's just that he has a loud voice."
Lu Qingjiu laughed softly.
The strange bull went towards the top of the mountain, while Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu returned home. Almost as soon as they entered the door, it started to rain heavily outside, wetting the dry ground outside.
In the rain, Lu Qingjiu vaguely heard another loud thunderclap, but when he listened carefully, he found that it was just an illusion.
When they got home, Bai Yuehu brought the fish to the kitchen, took some ice from the refrigerator, and sliced a plate of sashimi for Lu Qingjiu.
His knife skills were as beautiful as ever, and the sashimi he sliced was as thin as a cicada's wing, almost invisible when placed on the ice. Lu Qingjiu sat inside the house, watching the heavy rain outside. The rain washed away the unpleasant heat of the past few days, and the air began to be filled with a fresh earthy fragrance.
Bai Yuehu came out of the kitchen and handed the sashimi to Lu Qingjiu.
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
Bai Yuehu shook his head: "Eat it."
Lu Qingjiu picked up a piece with chopsticks and put it in his mouth. He was amazed. The fish was so delicious. There was no fishy smell at all. It was pink and tender, with a hint of sweet and sour. It didn't have the greasy feeling of salmon at all. Lu Qingjiu was not very interested in sashimi, but this fish was so delicious that he couldn't help but eat a little more.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Lu Qingjiu had almost finished eating when he noticed that Bai Yuehu hadn't moved his chopsticks.
"No." White Moon Fox said, "I'm tired of eating it."
Lu Qingjiu laughed and said, "Tired of eating it? How many years have you been eating it?"
Bai Yuehu propped up his chin, his gaze fixed on the pattering rain. He said, "Many, many years."
Delicacies that others have never tasted in their lives become objects of disgust in the mouth of the White Moon Fox. It is also true that no matter how delicious something is, if you keep eating it, you will eventually get tired of it.
The fish meat eased the congestion in his stomach. After eating half a fish, Lu Qingjiu felt full. This was the most comfortable meal he had had since the beginning of summer.
"Yuehu, thank you." Lu Qingjiu said with a smile.
Bai Yuehu stared at Lu Qingjiu for a moment, then said slowly, "No, it should be me who should thank you." His words were somewhat baffling, but he didn't intend to explain. He stood up and left. Lu Qingjiu stared at his back, lost in a brief moment of contemplation.
Summer rain always makes people feel comfortable, violent and fast, washing away the hot air.
After Lu Qingjiu finished his meal, he returned to his bedroom. Before bed, he flipped through the Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas) he had subscribed to online and quickly found the giant beast he had seen in the night sky. The beast's name was Kui (pronounced "kui" in Chinese), and it resembled an ox. Legend has it that whenever it entered the sea, there would be strong light and heavy rain. The Yellow Emperor even used its skin to make drums, which were said to be so loud that the sound could be heard from 500 meters away.
It was a very interesting legend. As Lu Qingjiu tossed and turned, he felt sleepy. He fell on the pillow and soon fell asleep. This time he slept very soundly and slept until dawn without being disturbed by any dreams.
The next day, Lu Qingjiu made pickled fish with the remaining stingrays and used their wings to make a pot of grilled chicken wings. Yin Xun had no idea where the wings came from, but after eating them, he praised their tenderness and deliciousness.
Lu Qingjiu didn't explain, but just watched him eat most of the wings with a smile.
After dinner, Lu Qingjiu briefly explained how the family would be arranged after he left, especially what to eat for lunch each day. Since he'd be gone for several days, Lu Qingjiu simply fried a large pot of crispy pork. Crispy pork is lean meat coated in flour and egg white and fried together. It tastes particularly fragrant and is also perfect for making soup. He told Yin Xun to make a bowl of crispy pork soup tonight, heat up the braised beef in the refrigerator tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow...
"And the day after tomorrow." Yin Xun looked at Lu Qingjiu eagerly, with a pitiful look in his eyes.
Lu Qingjiu said helplessly: "I planned to come back in two days, but plans can't keep up with changes. What if I delay for a day? Are you two going to starve to death?"
Yin Xun: "...I won't starve to death. I can still cook."
Lu Qingjiu thought, okay, if Yin Xun cooks, he will at least get food poisoning if he doesn’t starve to death.
After he explained all these things, he put the little fox cub in Yin Xun's hands and asked him to take good care of it. Yin Xun patted his chest and promised that he would not let the fox cub lose a single hair.
The fox cub sat next to him, listening with his eyes wide open. When he heard Yin Xun's words, he suddenly sneezed, and then the hair in the house flew everywhere - there was no way, all furry pets would have flying hair when summer came.
Yin Xun choked and sneezed, pulling out a hair from his mouth and said painfully, "Come on, just pretend I didn't say anything."
Lu Qingjiu slapped him in the face, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
This time when he went back, Lu Qingjiu still listened to Bai Yuehu's words and drove a small truck. However, the small truck had changed its appearance last night. It had originally turned into a very fashionable supercar, but Lu Qingjiu didn't want to be too conspicuous, so he asked the small truck to change its model.
"Is there any problem with the license plate?" Lu Qingjiu was a little worried about this.
"No problem." Bai Yuehu said lazily, "It's all ready."
"That's good." Don't let it happen that you find out it's an unlicensed car on the road and get stopped before you even get through the city. The worst thing is that Lu Qingjiu won't know how to explain it to you...
"Then I'll be leaving." After putting the suitcase in the trunk of the car, Lu Qingjiu got into the driver's seat and said hello to Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun.
"Go early and come back early!" Yin Xun waved exaggeratedly at Lu Qingjiu.
Bai Yuehu stood there without saying a word, neither saying goodbye nor waving, as if Lu Qingjiu was just going to the town and would be back in two hours.
Lu Qingjiu drove the car and disappeared at the end of the mountain road.
Shuifu Village is quite remote, and the train ride takes about ten hours. However, if you drive on the highway, it will be faster because there are fewer cars here, and you will need to go around other cities along the way. However, even if it is slightly faster, driving on the highway for more than ten hours is still quite tiring, especially for someone like him who is driving alone and has no one to chat with.
However, with a small truck, he doesn't have to worry about these things. After all, when he gets tired of driving, he can let the small truck drive itself. As long as he keeps his hands on the steering wheel, he will not be fined.
Lu Qingjiu called Zhu Miaomiao and told her that she would arrive today, and then she set off.
After a few months, Lu Qingjiu returned to his familiar city again. He couldn't help feeling a little emotional, but since he had made the choice to leave, he didn't regret it.
The author has something to say: Bai Yuehu: I'll hold your hand~
Lu Qingjiu: Just... like holding a dog?
White Moon Fox: …………
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