"You feel like you're going to die?" Lu Qingjiu was a little surprised by what Jiang Buhuan said.
"Yes, I can feel death drawing closer and closer," Jiang Buhuan said. "My nerves are on edge, as if something irreversible might happen if I'm not careful. My friends also have this premonition, so I contacted them and we agreed to go to Shuifu Village together to find out the reason." He shuddered as he said this. "But, but...something happened on the way here. Their car went over a cliff..."
Lu Qingjiu said: "Why did you come to Shuifu Village to find the answer?"
"Because everything started after we left here." Jiang Buhuan became emotional. "You are the only normal person I have met in the village. I want to ask if you know anything about this village, about that old house..."
Lu Qingjiu frowned: “I don’t know anything.”
Jiang Buhuan didn't believe it. "Please tell me, I really don't know what to do. If I can't find the cause and solve this problem, I will really die!!"
Lu Qingjiu thought of something and said, "You said you called later, but your friend didn't come with you at all?"
Jiang Buhuan said, "Yes, they don't even remember agreeing to come here."
"Then have you ever thought about one thing?" Lu Qingjiu said, "The person who asked you to come here is not your friend at all?"
Jiang Buhuan's expression froze.
Lu Qingjiu said: "Perhaps the person who asked you to come here has some purpose... Of course, this is just my personal guess."
Yin Xun was eating strawberries while listening to their conversation. He shuddered at Lu Qingjiu's words and muttered, "This is getting more and more terrifying. There are not so many ghosts in the world."
Lu Qingjiu turned his head and glanced at him, then said, "Go and clean the well in our backyard."
Yin Xun: “…” Damn, how could he forget that there was a female ghost in their backyard who fed all of them.
Jiang Buhuan didn't understand what their conversation meant. In desperation, he reached out and grabbed Lu Qingjiu's arm, saying, "Please save me. You've lived here for so long and you're still okay. You must know something."
Lu Qingjiu said, "Calm down."
Jiang Buhuan, however, couldn't calm down at all, and held onto Lu Qingjiu like he was holding onto his last straw.
Just as the atmosphere was getting worse, Bai Yuehu, who was sitting in the distance, actually spoke softly. Although his voice was very low, Lu Qingjiu still heard it clearly. Bai Yuehu said, "You stay for three days."
Lu Qingjiu was stunned when he heard this, and he and Yin Xun both thought they were hallucinating. Why did Baiyue Fox, who had hated Jiang Buhuan so much just now, want to keep Jiang Buhuan now? Could it be that the thing Jiang Buhuan provoked had something to do with Baiyue Fox?
Jiang Buhuan was also very perceptive. He could tell at a glance that Bai Yuehu held a high position here. Upon hearing this, he quickly expressed his gratitude and expressed his willingness to pay the high cost of accommodation as long as he could stay here and find a solution. In fact, after entering this courtyard, he felt a rare sense of relief. Although being stared at by Bai Yuehu was terrifying, it was much better than the feeling of being in danger of losing his life at any time.
Lu Qingjiu didn't care about Jiang Buhuan staying. He was just curious about the reason. After a few words of conversation, Bai Yuehu actually asked Jiang Buhuan to stay.
"Have you brought your luggage?" Lu Qingjiu stood up. "I'll take you to the guest room. You should have a good rest first." Jiang Buhuan had very obvious dark circles under his eyes. Fortunately, he was good-looking, and the dark circles made him look like he was wearing smoky makeup.
"Thank you, thank you." Jiang Buhuan hurriedly thanked him.
There are many guest rooms in the house. Lu Qingjiu took Jiang Buhuan and carried his luggage to one of them. After entering the room, he briefly explained how to use the bathroom and toilet at home, as well as some precautions, such as not going to the backyard and not teasing the chickens at home.
Jiang Buhuan sat on the bed, listening obediently. Judging from his appearance, he looked only about 21 or 22 years old, and should still be in college at this age. However, after entering the entertainment industry, his growth rate suddenly accelerated, and his face became less childish.
After Lu Qingjiu arranged for him, he was about to leave, but Jiang Buhuan whispered, "Um... I'm sorry..."
"Hmm?" Lu Qingjiu turned around.
"I haven't eaten for a whole day. Can you give me something to eat?" Jiang Buhuan was also asking for food for the first time. He felt a little embarrassed and coughed dryly. "I can pay."
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, "You don't need money. Just wait a moment, I'll get it for you." There was no leftover food at home, so Lu Qingjiu had to go to the kitchen and get two tomatoes for Jiang Buhuan to fill his stomach.
Jiang Buhuan showed a horrified expression when he saw the tomato: "This...is this edible?" He could still vividly remember Bai Yuehu's terrifying look as if she wanted to chop him up.
"It's okay, eat." Lu Qingjiu comforted him. Since Bai Yuehu had kept him, he must eat at home. Although his fox was guarding its food, it was not stingy and was still very reasonable.
"Thank you very much." Jiang Buhuan showed a touched expression, took the tomato and started to eat it in big mouthfuls, looking like he was really hungry.
Lu Qingjiu turned and left the room and returned to the yard.
Bai Yuehu was still sitting there eating strawberries, his lips red from eating. When he saw Lu Qingjiu coming over, his first words were, "Don't let him eat the tomatoes I planted."
Lu Qingjiu: "..." He had just praised Bai Yuehu for being reasonable, "Then what should I give him to eat?"
Bai Yuehu asked, "Isn't Yin Xun also growing vegetables?"
Yin Xun looked up blankly: "Huh?"
Bai Yuehu: "Give the vegetables he planted to Jiang Buhuan to eat."
Yin Xun: "...Are you fucking discriminating against me? What's wrong with the vegetables I grow?"
Bai Yuehu said indifferently: "Eat it yourself."
Yin Xun instantly wilted. He was not like Bai Yuehu who was good at growing vegetables. All the vegetables he grew looked malnourished. The carrots were only as big as his little finger. He didn't know how he had survived all these years by relying on these vegetables.
Lu Qingjiu burst into laughter, and then he remembered the important matter: "By the way, why did you want to keep Jiang Buhuan?" According to Bai Yuehu's attitude towards Jiang Buhuan, he should have hoped that Jiang Buhuan would die sooner, so why did he take the initiative to keep Jiang Buhuan?
Bai Yuehu said, "There's a strange aura about him."
Lu Qingjiu: "Strange smell?"
"Yeah." White Moon Fox said, "It's very special, so I want to observe it for a few days."
Lu Qingjiu nodded, understanding what Bai Yuehu meant. It seemed that the thing Jiang Buhuan had gotten involved in was indeed very special, to the point that it even piqued Bai Yuehu's interest. This was quite interesting.
With Bai Yuehu's consent, Jiang Buhuan successfully moved into Lu Qingjiu's house. However, according to Yin Xun, he finally replaced himself and became the person with the lowest status in their family, perhaps even worse than the chickens in the front yard.
However, although Bai Yuehu said that Jiang Buhuan would not eat the food he cooked, Lu Qingjiu still felt embarrassed to let him stand by and watch them eat. It would be too embarrassing to be stared at while eating.
Jiang Buhuan also knew that he was not welcome, so he sat at the table cautiously. He didn't dare to eat with his bowl in hand, but only picked up the dishes in front of him, for fear that he would eat too much and be driven out by Bai Yuehu, which would really put his life in danger.
The next day, Zhu Miaomiao was coming, and Lu Qingjiu drove a small truck to pick her up from the train station.
Knowing that it was difficult to buy things here, Zhu Miaomiao brought a lot of snacks for Lu Qingjiu, and also picked up two boxes of fresh cherries and mangoes. These were things that Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun had never tasted before, and Lu Qingjiu could already imagine the happy expressions of the two at home when they saw the fruit.
"Oh, there are so many things." Zhu Miaomiao chatted with Lu Qingjiu in the car, "I'm so tired of carrying them. But Qingjiu, the honey you sent me is so fragrant. Next time if you have extra, send me some."
"Okay, no problem," Lu Qingjiu replied. The bees at home were producing honey very quickly. He could get a few more jars for Zhu Miaomiao to take home in a few days.
"By the way, there is a guest at home." When the car was about to arrive home, Lu Qingjiu remembered something and reminded Zhu Miaomiao.
"Oh." Zhu Miaomiao had no idea what this guest meant. She thought it was a relative who came to visit. So what, she wasn't shy about strangers.
After parking the truck, Lu Qingjiu carried the things and went into the house with Zhu Miaomiao. As soon as they walked into the yard, Zhu Miaomiao was stunned by the person who appeared in front of her. She even thought she was hallucinating. She rubbed her eyes hard several times before she was sure it was real: "Fuck, fuck, why did I see Jiang Buhuan? Am I dreaming?"
Not only did he see Jiang Buhuan, he even saw him sweeping the chicken droppings in the yard with Yin Xun using a broom...
"I'm not dreaming." Lu Qingjiu said, "Didn't I just tell you that there's a guest at home?"
Zhu Miaomiao screamed: "But you didn't say the guest was Jiang Buhuan!!"
Lu Qingjiu: "Is it too late to tell me now?"
Before he could finish his words, Zhu Miaomiao rushed out excitedly and began to circle around his idol: "Jiang Buhuan, Jiang Buhuan, it's the living Jiang Buhuan!!"
Jiang Buhuan was embarrassed by Zhu Miaomiao. Honestly, after arriving in this village, he almost forgot his celebrity status. Not only did he not feel welcome, he even feared being disliked and kicked out of the house. He was walking on thin ice. To prove his worth, he even bravely cleaned the yard with others despite a broken arm. Zhu Miaomiao's enthusiastic scream at this moment unexpectedly made him feel a little uncomfortable...
"Are you alive?" Zhu Miaomiao came in front of him.
Jiang Buhuan: "Alive..."
Zhu Miaomiao continued to scream: "Oh my god, it's really alive and can even talk!!!"
Jiang Buhuan: “…”
Lu Qingjiu couldn't help laughing as he watched the interaction between the two. He said, "Jiang Buhuan, you don't have to sweep the floor with me. Isn't your hand injury still not healed?"
Jiang Buhuan said hurriedly: "It's just a minor injury."
Yin Xun, who was standing next to him, had already dropped the broom in his hand and rushed towards the snacks that Zhu Miaomiao had brought. He drooled and asked with shining eyes, "What is this? Is this the legendary mango? I haven't even eaten it."
Lu Qingjiu said, “Come on, I’ll peel two for you.”
Yin Xun nodded repeatedly.
The mangoes Zhu Miaomiao brought were all top-quality large green mangoes, flown in directly from the tropics. They were fleshy, sweet, and juicy. Growing this kind of tropical fruit yourself is impossible, so you have to buy it from outside. Worse still, their city is small, with no expensive imported supermarkets, and the quality of fruit sold online is hard to guarantee.
On this side, Yin Xun buried his head in the mango and chewed it with gusto. On the other side, Zhu Miaomiao continued to chase her idol enthusiastically. Jiang Buhuan was so flustered by her that he almost got chicken shit on his feet.
When Bai Yuehu returned, he saw the bustling courtyard. Lu Qingjiu had initially worried he wouldn't like it, but it was clear that the cherries and mangoes Zhu Miaomiao had brought grabbed most of the attention of the two foodies. Thus, the harmonious scene became one where Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun sat beside each other, enjoying the fruit, while Jiang Buhuan struggled to sweep up the chicken poop, and Zhu Miaomiao wished she could turn into chicken poop herself.
Lu Qingjiu looked satisfied, like an old father watching his children getting along harmoniously.
Since Zhu Miaomiao came to visit, the family had to prepare a big meal as usual. Lu Qingjiu had already prepared fresh ingredients and bought a lot of seafood to make a hearty lunch.
The table was filled with boiled shrimp, stewed beef, Kung Pao chicken, spicy cabbage with pork belly, mushroom stewed chicken soup, cold jellyfish, blanched lettuce, and a big bowl of scarlet braised pork.
Braised pork is Lu Qingjiu's specialty. After stir-frying, most of the fat is removed, making the meat soft, sticky and chewy. Rock sugar, soy sauce and various spices are added and stewed for half an hour until the meat is fully flavored and almost melts in the mouth. Coupled with the rich layering of the pork belly, you can eat several bowls of rice with the meat.
Zhu Miaomiao happily sat next to Jiang Buhuan and chatted with her idol.
Perhaps because of eating Zhu Miaomiao's fruit, Bai Yuehu also gave Jiang Buhuan some face and did not stop him from eating. Jiang Buhuan finally tasted Lu Qingjiu's cooking skills. He took a bite of the braised pork, showing a look of amazement, and praised: "It's really well done."
Lu Qingjiu said, "This meat is the best." The meat was brought back by Bai Yuehu. No one knew what kind of meat it was, but it tasted much better than pork and did not have any peculiar smell of pork.
"No way." Jiang Buhuan thought Lu Qingjiu was being modest. The longer he stayed here, the more he found the people living here to be unfathomable.
There is no need to talk about Bai Yuehu. His appearance is not that of an ordinary person. Jiang Buhuan entered the entertainment industry when he was twelve years old. Everyone in his family is in this business. However, although he has seen so many big-name stars, he has never seen a man with such a delicate appearance as Bai Yuehu. It is conceivable how popular Bai Yuehu would be if he also entered the entertainment industry.
Zhu Miaomiao ate the meal made by Lu Qingjiu with a happy expression. She said, "By the way, Jiang Buhuan, why do you want to live here?"
Jiang Buhuan: "...Vacation." He couldn't say that he was afraid of death.
Zhu Miaomiao: "Do you know Baiyue Fox?"
Jiang Buhuan coughed dryly: "I don't know him. Didn't I do a show here before? It was all a coincidence..." He spoke vaguely.
Although Zhu Miaomiao felt it was a bit strange, she didn't delve into it. After all, every celebrity has some quirks.
After dinner, Jiang Buhuan volunteered to wash the dishes, but was stopped by Zhu Miaomiao, who said she should do it instead. After all, Jiang Buhuan had one hand hanging around his neck, so how could he wash the dishes?
"Go and rest." Lu Qingjiu knew that he was still worried about being kicked out. "At least nothing will happen in the next few days."
Jiang Buhuan smiled bitterly.
Lu Qingjiu said, "I need to go to town again. The owner of the seed shop just said that new saplings have arrived. This time there are mangosteen seeds, which are specially bought for me."
They basically don't grow mangosteen here, and they don't eat it much, but Lu Qingjiu likes this fruit very much. Although there is little flesh, it is sweet and sour and has a refreshing taste.
"Let me go with you." Yin Xun raised his hand.
"That's fine." Lu Qingjiu said, "Let's get some equipment and have a barbecue in the yard tonight." It's fun to have barbecue when there are many people around, and the weather is so good this spring. It's warm during the day and not cold at night. Occasionally, a breeze blows by, and you can smell the faint fragrance of flowers.
If it were before, Lu Qingjiu really didn't dare to leave Bai Yuehu and Jiang Buhuan alone at home, but now with the enthusiastic Zhu Miaomiao, the atmosphere shouldn't be too awkward.
After Lu Qingjiu and Yin Xun bought the saplings, they went to rent some barbecue equipment nearby. After thinking about it, he decided to buy the iron rack from the owner. He thought that since he had room to put it at home, he might as well put it at home. In the future, he wouldn't have to come to town specially when he wanted to eat barbecue.
Yin Xun was thinking about what he would eat in the evening all the way, and his eyes narrowed with joy.
After bringing the things to the yard, Lu Qingjiu began to prepare for the barbecue in the evening. The meat had to be cut and marinated, and the seasonings such as chopped green onions and garlic had to be prepared in advance. However, there were many people in the family, so things were done quickly, so Lu Qingjiu didn't have to work too hard.
Everyone chatted while working and ate the snacks Zhu Miaomiao brought. It was like a spring outing. Spring is a relaxing season. Lu Qingjiu also picked some newly opened peach blossoms near the village, hoping to make some peach blossom wine.
After a busy afternoon, almost everything that needed to be prepared was ready. Lu Qingjiu lit the charcoal and started grilling.
The most common dish prepared is beef skewers. The beef is cut into thin slices, skewered with bamboo sticks, and then roasted quickly on a high fire. After roasting, it is sprinkled with chili powder and chopped green onions. The whole yard is filled with the tempting charcoal aroma after the meat is cooked.
Lu Qingjiu grilled a handful of beef and handed it to them, and grilled some other things that took longer time, such as garlic eggplant and rennet tofu, on the side.
The atmosphere in the yard was particularly pleasant as we enjoyed barbecue and drank some wine.
Jiang Buhuan was injured and couldn't drink alcohol, so he opened a bottle of Coke and drank with Zhu Miaomiao. He seemed to be in a good mood, with a little more smile on his face and less sadness.
Lu Qingjiu also fed the fox cub, Xiaohua, and Xiaohei at home. Jiang Buhuan didn't recognize the fox yet and thought it was a poodle raised by Lu Qingjiu...
Lu Qingjiu had a small appetite and was almost full after just a bite of roasted corn. Zhu Miaomiao was a little tipsy and pulled Jiang Buhuan to listen to his stories from the past. Jiang Buhuan had no choice but to chat with her about gossip in the entertainment industry, such as how Celebrity A had a crush on Celebrity B, and how Celebrity C and Celebrity D had divorced a long time ago...
Yin Xun was also full, rubbing his round belly as he sat down to digest his food. Bai Yuehu continued to eat, and Lu Qingjiu strongly suspected that even if he finished all the food, it wouldn't be enough to fill his huge stomach. Sigh, I wonder when I can finally let Bai Yuehu eat his fill, Lu Qingjiu thought with a bit of regret.
Around ten o'clock in the evening, the barbecue dinner ended. Lu Qingjiu was a little tired after a busy day, so he handed the cleaning work to Yin Xun and Bai Yuehu, took a shower, and prepared to rest early.
Today the moon was crescent, but bright, the sky was dotted with stars, and white clouds could be seen floating in the air. This was a rare sight in the city, and now, sitting by the window, he could see it all.
Lu Qingjiu yawned, walked to the bed and lay down. In less than a few minutes, he fell into a deep sleep.
He thought he would sleep through the next day like he had before, but in the middle of the night, Lu Qingjiu woke up with a start, a rare occurrence. He felt a shudder of fear. After opening his eyes, he didn't even dare to turn on the light, and tried hard to control his breathing, not wanting to make too much noise. It was a kind of sixth sense belonging to living things. He buried his head in the quilt and heard his heart pounding.
"Huff...Huff...Huff..." It seemed like something was walking past the window, making a low panting sound, but when I listened carefully, it seemed like it was just an illusion, and the breathing sound was just a breeze.
Lu Qingjiu was shaking violently. He wanted to know what was going on and whether there was anything outside the window. So, Lu Qingjiu suppressed his fear and slowly, slowly poked his head out of the quilt and looked out the window, but found that it was pitch black outside the window. He could not see anything. There was no moon, no stars, no clouds, only endless darkness.
When Lu Qingjiu saw the darkness, he even wondered for a second if there was something wrong with his eyes, but he quickly realized why it was dark outside the window - something was blocking his window, covering up the moon and stars.
Then, Lu Qingjiu saw the most terrifying scene he had ever seen in his life. The black outside the window flashed slightly. At this moment, Lu Qingjiu finally realized that what was blocking his window was a huge, black eye. The pupil of that eye was enough to cover the entire window. The owner of the eye was peeping into the house at this time, and had obviously discovered Lu Qingjiu making noises on the bed.
Lu Qingjiu held his breath. He didn't know what was in front of him, but it was obvious that no matter what it was, he was like an ant in front of it.
"Ah—" A shrill scream rang out. It was Jiang Buhuan's voice. The scream caused the monster outside the window to slowly shift its gaze, obviously catching its interest. It blinked, then began to move slowly, moving its huge eyes away and returning the moonlight and stars to Lu Qingjiu.
Lu Qingjiu watched it leave, disappearing outside his window. He didn't dare to think about where the monster had gone, or why the White Moon Fox hadn't reacted. Could it be that the White Moon Fox hadn't defeated the monster before it? Would the White Moon Fox be injured? Or had it encountered something even more terrifying? Lu Qingjiu's heart suddenly began to swirl. He gritted his teeth and forcibly resisted the innate fear in his bones. He climbed out of bed, carefully pushed open the door, and stumbled towards the White Moon Fox's residence.
The author has something to say: Lu Qingjiu: I want to protect Baiyue Fox!
Bai Yuehu: Touched.
Lu Qingjiu: No one should try to hurt my son and pets!!
White Moon Fox: ???
Yin Xun: ???
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