Listening to Bai Yuehu's words, Lu Qingjiu really didn't dare to think about how his fox spirit had survived the past. Now that he had finally had a life where he could eat hot meals, he had to eat this corpse with a subtle smell in order to save his life.
The more Lu Qingjiu thought about it, the more distressed he felt. He quickly comforted Bai Yuehu and said that he would make him a delicious meal when he got home, a pot of spicy crab and steamed crab, and eat until he was full. Bai Yuehu felt better after hearing Lu Qingjiu's words. He stood up and said, "Let's go home."
So he took Lu Qingjiu's hand and walked towards the direction they came in. Lu Qingjiu said as he walked, "Will she be very angry if you just eat her like this? And... since we want to eat her, why did we knock on the door first?" The key point was that after knocking on the door, she actually let them both in. Thinking about it this way, he felt a little sorry for Yu Shiqi.
Bai Yuehu said, "It wasn't her who opened the door for us."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Who is that?"
Bai Yuehu said, "Of course it's the person who built the tomb." He briefly explained it, and Lu Qingjiu finally understood what was going on with Yu Shiqi's tomb.
Unlike her husband, the Rain Master, the Concubine is a spirit, while her husband, the Rain Master, is a deity. If the Rain Master controls positive forces, the Concubine controls negative ones. She wields curses and can communicate with venomous snakes. Although she represents the power of the sun, her actions are sinister.
After her death, the sky remained clear for a hundred days, but the people had no harvest. When the Rain Master saw this, he realized that it was the resentment of the Rain Master's concubine that was causing the trouble. To alleviate her resentment, he built this tomb and placed her inside to suppress her resentment.
But later, Pang Ziqi and his companions broke in here, touched the mechanism in the tomb, and were also infected by the resentment of Yu Shiqi's concubine, and their lives were hanging by a thread.
Lu Qingjiu now understood that the person who opened the door for them was not Yu Shi's concubine, but her husband, Yu Shi.
When the two of them arrived at the tomb entrance, they heard the sound of rain outside. Lu Qingjiu was prepared and took out an umbrella from her bag and held it above their heads.
After leaving the stone gate, they followed the slope to flat ground. Lu Qingjiu followed behind, but when he climbed up, he was startled by the person in front of him. A man in green appeared outside the cemetery. He wore a mask that covered the upper half of his face, revealing his beautifully shaped lips. His eyes were a beautiful light green like lake water, and he was quietly watching Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu.
The man also held an umbrella in his hand. Lu Qingjiu had seen this umbrella before—it was the umbrella held by the woman following Pang Ziqi. It seemed that he was the one who buried the Rain Master's concubine, and he was also the Rain Master mentioned by Bai Yuehu.
"Long time no see." The man spoke in a clear and pleasant voice.
"Long time no see." Bai Yuehu said, "You are late." Being late means that your wife's body is gone.
Lu Qingjiu originally thought that after hearing Bai Yuehu's words, Yu Shi would at least show anger, but he blinked and actually smiled: "What did I say at the beginning?"
Bai Yuehu asked, "What?"
"When she died, I asked Ah Ming if I could ask you to come and help me eat her body to prevent future troubles. Ah Ming swore that you would definitely not agree," said Master Yu, "because it looks so disgusting..."
Bai Yuehu interrupted him coldly: "It's not that it tastes bad, it's just that it tastes really bad."
"Then you haven't eaten it yet." The Rain Master laughed. When he laughed, the rain from the sky became heavier, and it fell on the umbrella with a loud noise.
Lu Qingjiu stood by and listened, and he didn't expect things to develop like this. He thought Yu Shi came to seek revenge as a family member, but who knew that he was smiling like a flower and was almost sending a banner to Bai Yuehu.
Seeing Bai Yuehu's unfriendly expression, Yu Shi also knew that the joke should be stopped. He said, "Since you have come all the way to Tanggu, I must naturally do my best to be a good host..."
Bai Yuehu raised his eyebrows.
"Please come this way." Master Yu made a gesture of invitation.
Bai Yuehu took Lu Qingjiu's hand and walked into the rain.
When Master Yu saw the two people's actions, he showed an intriguing expression.
Lu Qingjiu was led forward by Bai Yuehu. The rain curtain was getting heavier as they walked towards him, and he could not even see the surrounding scenery clearly. But what surprised Lu Qingjiu was that the rain did not wet his body. Instead, when it was about to touch his clothes, it seemed to be blocked by something and slid in another direction.
The rain obscured Lu Qingjiu's vision. He could only follow the steps of the White Moon Fox until they crossed a certain limit. The rain, which had been pouring heavily, suddenly stopped.
Lu Qingjiu put down his umbrella and saw another world.
In this world's sky, a vast river floats, its waters clear and azure, like the eyes of a rain god. Small fish swimming in the river are clearly visible, their vibrant colors forming a vibrant rainbow. The river also contains drifting water plants and round pebbles, creating a beautiful scene like a dream.
Lu Qingjiu was completely stunned, and only came back to his senses when Bai Yuehu gently tugged at his hand.
This seems to be the world of the Rain Master, the whole world is covered by water.
There was also water on the ground, and ripples were still forming gently with the breeze, but the water was separated by something, so Lu Qingjiu could walk on it. He saw several huge black fish in the water. These fish were at least five meters long, and the way they stretched out their bodies and swam made people inexplicably feel a little scared.
"Please come in." Sitting next to a stone platform and a stone bench, the Rain Master made a gesture of invitation to the two of them.
Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu sat opposite Yu Shi.
Master Yu placed his hand in front of him, and several exquisite porcelain plates appeared on the stone table. Inside the plates were pure white fish that looked very delicious. In addition to the fish, there were also some things Lu Qingjiu didn't recognize. They looked a bit like jelly and were as transparent as water.
Lu Qingjiu glanced at Bai Yuehu, who nodded to indicate that he could eat, then reached out and picked up the chopsticks, picking up a piece of fish.
Lu Qingjiu was actually more interested in the jelly, but he still tried a piece of fish first. The fish tasted amazing after he put it in his mouth. The meat was delicate and plump, with a hint of sweetness. There was no fishy smell at all, and it was completely delicious.
Lu Qingjiu praised: “Delicious!”
Master Yu arched his brows and said, "If you like it, eat more. It's been a long time since Yuehu went to the Water Palace and haven't eaten here."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Did he come here often before?"
Master Yu said, "He goes wherever there's food, eats it, and leaves. He even got into fights with a lot of people because of this."
Bai Yuehu said, "If you weren't scared of being beaten by me, would you let me in?"
The Rain Master spread his hands: "Didn't I let you in?"
Bai Yuehu: "It's all because of your unpalatable wife."
Rain Master: “…”
Lu Qingjiu felt like laughing as he listened to the two of them talking. It seemed that Master Yu and White Moon Fox had a good relationship and were friends in the past. He swallowed the fish meat and picked up a piece of the transparent jelly and put it in his mouth. Seeing the appearance of this thing, Lu Qingjiu thought it would taste similar to jelly, but after taking a bite, he was a little surprised. It actually had the texture of meat, very chewy in the mouth, and the taste was also very delicious. It tasted a bit like fish, but without the fishy smell.
"It's delicious." Lu Qingjiu praised again.
"It tastes good, doesn't it?" The Rain Master said with a smile, "This thing is called Tai Sui. Eating it can prolong human life."
"Is this Tai Sui? But isn't Tai Sui fat?" Lu Qingjiu asked in surprise.
"That's the Tai Sui after the human world was polluted," said the Rain Master. "Newly born Tai Sui are transparent."
Lu Qingjiu nodded. He knew about Tai Sui. It was also known as Meat Ganoderma in the folk. It looked similar to meat and was said to be produced by fungi, but it was actually very different from fungi. Microscopic analysis revealed that it contained animal-specific proteins. Furthermore, if Tai Sui was placed in a humid environment, it would continue to grow, as if it were alive. There were many folk tales about Tai Sui. Lu Qingjiu had even read one that claimed Xu Fu's voyage eastward was to search for Tai Sui for Qin Shi Huang.
Lu Qingjiu ate another piece and couldn't help but be impressed by the taste, praising it repeatedly. However, Bai Yuehu didn't seem to be very interested. Yu Shi smiled and asked him why he didn't eat it. He said in a very rude way that he was tired of it.
Master Yu didn't care when he heard this, but just advised Lu Qingjiu to eat more, saying that this thing is good for the human body.
Lu Qingjiu nodded and thanked him, but as he was eating, he felt that this thing seemed a little familiar. He paused for a while, thought for a while, and finally remembered where he had seen it. He paused his chopsticks and looked at Bai Yuehu with an incredible expression: "Moon Fox..."
Bai Yuehu said, "Hmm?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "I remember you praised Yin Xun's meat before..."
Bai Yuehu blinked, looking innocent: "I didn't eat him."
Lu Qingjiu said: "I'm not saying you eat him, I mean... Yin Xun won't be covered in..."
Bai Yuehu said, "That's it."
The next moment, Lu Qingjiu put down his chopsticks tremblingly. He said that Yin Xun was obviously made of water, so why was Bai Yuehu interested in him? Now he finally understood that it was not water at all, but meat, and the meat was of good quality. His statement made some sense.
"Where... where did this Ganoderma lucidum come from?" Lu Qingjiu asked weakly, "Can it turn into a human?" He always had the horrifying illusion that he had eaten his good-for-nothing friend.
"What?" Yu Shi looked at Lu Qingjiu's reaction and was not quite understanding. "Do you have a friend who is a meat Ganoderma?"
"Yes." Lu Qingjiu nodded.
"Oh, don't worry about that," said Master Yu nonchalantly. "Ganoderma lucidum is just a food ingredient, but because of its special material, it can be used to rebuild the body. So, if I'm not mistaken, your friend has died once before, right?"
That's true. According to Yin Xun, he died when he fell into the puddle, and it was that strange man who gave him a second life. It seems that the man used the Ganoderma lucidum to rebuild Yin Xun's body, which allowed Yin Xun to survive.
Only after figuring this out did Lu Qingjiu feel relieved.
After the two finished their food, White Moon Fox stood up to take his leave. Rain Master made no attempt to keep them and watched them leave.
Bai Yuehu led Lu Qingjiu out of the rain curtain and left the world of the Rain Master. After returning to reality, he brought Lu Qingjiu back to the old house.
"Yin Xun, we're back." Lu Qingjiu called out at the gate. They had been out for the whole day, and they didn't know if Yin Xun had been watching the meat in the pot properly.
Yin Xun heard the voice and rushed out of the house, "You guys are back."
Lu Qingjiu said, "Is the fire turned off?"
"It's closed." Yin Xun said, "I also tried some meat, it was delicious."
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, "Let's have stewed meat tonight."
After all, the White Moon Fox had worked hard to chew a mouthful of mud, and Lu Qingjiu also wanted to reward his own vixen.
Zhu Miaomiao sent Lu Qingjiu a package delivered overnight, and the next day, Lu Qingjiu went to town to pick it up. Inside was a bundle of hairy crabs, both male and female, tied up with ropes. Just by looking at their size, you could tell they were plump and delicious.
Yin Xun had never eaten crab before, so he stood by and looked at it eagerly, saying, "Is this crab really delicious? It looks like it's full of bones."
"Of course it's delicious." Lu Qingjiu smiled, "Let's have crabs for lunch. I'll steam half and make spicy crabs with the rest."
"Okay, okay." Yin Xun was very happy.
The White Moon Fox didn't seem to be very interested in the crabs and didn't react much.
Dead crabs cannot be eaten, so Lu Qingjiu put them into the pot and steamed them directly after receiving them. The rest were chopped in half to make spicy crabs. He added a lot of potatoes, onions and other ingredients to the spicy crabs, so that when people get tired of eating crabs, they can change the taste.
While Lu Qingjiu was cooking crabs, he also called Zhu Miaomiao to thank her for her gift.
Zhu Miaomiao giggled on the phone and said to just tell her if she wanted to eat, and she would get two more kilograms for Lu Qingjiu. Lu Qingjiu didn't bother to be polite with her and said okay with a smile.
The crabs turned a brilliant golden yellow in the pot. Lu Qingjiu then selected a special seasoning for crabs. He added scallions and ginger to the seasoning, then boiled it in a small amount of hot oil. He then added vinegar, which is used for eating crabs. This seasoning was particularly delicious and was a perfect match with the crabs.
Not to mention the spicy crab, the rich aroma was emitting before the lid of the pot was even opened, which attracted Yin Xun to keep peeking over.
When Lu Qingjiu went to the town to pick up a package, he also went to the store to buy some rice wine brewed by the locals. Crabs are cold in nature, and eating too much is bad for the stomach. Ginger tea and rice wine are excellent drinks to pair with crabs. They were not very interested in tea, so Lu Qingjiu brought rice wine over.
Lu Qingjiu asked Yin Xun to move the table to the yard and eat crabs while watching the moon.
Yin Xun couldn't wait any longer, so he set up the table and chairs, and the three of them sat down at the table.
September crabs are already very plump. When you peel open the shell, you can see the rich crab roe and the oily juices flowing down the shell. Lu Qingjiu licked his fingers and taught Yin Xun how to peel the crab. The crab roe can be eaten directly with the sauce, while the crab meat can be peeled off bit by bit with pliers and placed in the empty shell. When there is enough, you can eat it all in one gulp.
Eating the delicious crab roe and crab meat, drinking a sip of warm rice wine, and the breeze carrying the elegant fragrance of osmanthus, Lu Qingjiu was once again grateful for the choice he had made.
Fortunately, he came back, back to this village called Shuifu.
Bai Yuehu stared at the crab without touching it, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was considering whether to eat it along with the bones. Lu Qingjiu felt sorry for him because he had a mouthful of mud, so he simply helped Bai Yuehu prepare the crab, adding the prepared crab roe and crab meat with the dipping sauce and bringing it directly to Bai Yuehu's mouth.
"Eat." Lu Qingjiu said with a smile.
Bai Yuehu took it and swallowed it in one gulp. His frown instantly relaxed. He opened his mouth slightly and said, "It's delicious."
"Is it delicious?" Lu Qingjiu said, "You eat the spicy crab first, and I'll continue peeling it for you."
Bai Yuehu nodded.
If steamed crabs are about the freshness of the crab itself, then spicy crabs are a bit stronger. The crab meat inside is stained with the flavor of spices, and the taste changes from light to spicy and fresh. Bai Yuehu grabbed one and started to chew it somewhat unskillfully. He seemed to have discovered that the bones would affect the taste of the crab. Although it was okay to eat it, he still spit out the bones obediently.
Yin Xun quickly mastered the trick of eating crabs and ate them very quickly. However, he did not have as big an appetite as Bai Yuehu. After eating six or seven crabs, he was almost full. However, he was obviously not full yet. He looked at Lu Qingjiu eagerly and said, "I want to eat more."
"Eat, there are still so many." Lu Qingjiu cooked all the crabs.
"But I can't eat anymore." Yin Xun said, "This crab obviously doesn't have much meat, but why is my stomach so bloated?"
Lu Qingjiu laughed: "If you like it, I'll ask my friend to send me some in a couple of days. Don't be stupid, you're not the White Moon Fox."
Normal people would be full after eating five or six crabs, but for Bai Yuehu, the meat from five or six crabs was barely enough to fill his teeth. However, he didn't ask Lu Qingjiu to continue peeling them for him, instead motioning for Lu Qingjiu to eat them herself. Bai Yuehu hadn't wanted to peel the crabs before, purely out of laziness, but once he really started, he peeled them incredibly cleanly. He was so strong that he could even crush the meat from inside his claws and break it free.
Lu Qingjiu also did not forget to share some with his little fox and little black pig. The little fox did not need to peel the crab shells when eating crabs. His sharp teeth chewed the shells into pieces with a crunching sound, and swallowed all the meat and bones. It was really similar to the lazy White Moon Fox.
Autumn is the season for moon-viewing. The weather is neither too hot nor too cold, and the half-moon hangs in the sky. Mid-Autumn Festival is just a few days away, and it's time to enjoy mooncakes.
Mooncakes can be bought in town, but Lu Qingjiu decided to make them himself. He had never made mooncakes himself before. He planned to make some lotus seed paste and egg yolk, and some fresh meat mooncakes. His home was still lacking a small oven, so he would go to the city to buy one tomorrow and then check on Pang Ziqi in the hospital.
The life here was much more interesting than his previous one. Lu Qingjiu drank the warm rice wine, and a blush appeared on his cheeks. He felt a little tipsy.
After Yin Xun had eaten, he went home, and only he and Bai Yuehu were left in the yard.
Bai Yuehu lowered his head and slowly peeled the crab meat. His slender fingers were extremely dexterous as he peeled the white crab meat into the crab shell bit by bit.
After peeling it, he glanced at Lu Qingjiu who was sitting next to him with a faint smile, raised his hand and fed the crab meat to Lu Qingjiu's mouth.
Lu Qingjiu was stunned when he saw this: “No need…” He was full.
Bai Yuehu did not move, but raised his arm slightly, indicating Lu Qingjiu to drink.
Lu Qingjiu laughed. He was ultimately grateful for Bai Yuehu's kindness. However, as he took the crab, he suddenly remembered something and turned to look at Bai Yuehu. If he remembered correctly, this was the first time Bai Yuehu had shared food with him. Lu Qingjiu also knew that wild animals were most alert when eating. Coupled with Bai Yuehu's protective nature, he would never share anything in his bowl. This time, Bai Yuehu's movements were so natural that Lu Qingjiu almost didn't notice the difference from usual.
Lu Qingjiu took a bite of the crab meat. Perhaps because it was the crab peeled by Bai Yuehu himself, it tasted particularly good, and Lu Qingjiu laughed.
Bai Yuehu asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Lu Qingjiu said, "I laughed. I never thought that as a breeder, I would have a chance to make it."
Bai Yuehu raised an eyebrow: "Can you survive?"
Lu Qingjiu smiled but said nothing.
Bai Yuehu didn't understand what Lu Qingjiu's smile meant. He didn't notice any deviation in his behavior, and didn't think there was anything wrong with sharing food with Lu Qingjiu.
"Let's go to sleep." After finishing the last crab, Lu Qingjiu felt a little sleepy. It was late at night and the wind was a little cold.
"Okay, you go first." Bai Yuehu said, "I'll clean up the table."
Lu Qingjiu nodded, stood up, stretched, and went into the house to wash up and go to bed. As he lay in bed, he saw through the window that Bai Yuehu was in the yard, head down, cleaning up the dishes. He couldn't help but think of what Pang Ziqi had said to him. "Beasts are beasts. Even if they disguise themselves as humans, they will reveal their vicious nature once provoked." - So what? Even rabbits bite when cornered. Besides, Bai Yuehu is not a beast without self-awareness. He knows who he is and what he is doing. In fact, to some extent, his self-control is stronger than many humans.
Lu Qingjiu yawned as he was thinking, and a strong sleepiness came over him. He closed his eyes and fell into a sweet dream in just a moment.
The next morning, the sky was clear and the air was fresh.
After Lu Qingjiu finished making breakfast, he planned to go to the hospital in the city center to visit Pang Ziqi.
Yin Xun cried and made a fuss like a naughty child, wanting to go with Lu Qingjiu, and Lu Qingjiu had no choice but to agree.
So the two of them got in a pickup truck and headed towards the city. A few hours later, they arrived at the hospital in the city center. When they walked outside the ward, before they even went in, they heard Pang Ziqi roaring angrily again: "I'm fucking dying, can you please stop harassing me? Please, be a human being——"
Lu Qingjiu: "It seems that he is in good spirits."
Yin Xun nodded: "I feel much better than a few days ago..."
Lu Qingjiu said, "Then Yu Shiqi should not have followed him." After he said this, he pushed the door open and walked in. However, after he saw Pang Ziqi clearly in the ward, his expression froze for a few seconds.
Pang Ziqi was seen sitting on the hospital bed, arguing with someone lively. The concubine Yu Shiqi who was originally lying on him was indeed nowhere to be seen, but there was a thumb-sized little man sitting on his shoulder with an unhappy look on his face. That little man... was clearly a smaller version of concubine Yu Shiqi.
Seeing this, Lu Qingjiu and Yin Xun looked at each other and saw the same look of astonishment in each other's eyes.
The author has something to say: Bai Yuehu: I’ll give you half of the food.
Lu Qingjiu ate it with a smile.
Bai Yuehu: Give me half too.
Lu Qingjiu: What? Food?
Bai Yuehu: Give me half of you.
Lu Qingjiu: ...wait...wait?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
