Come to think of it, Lu Qingjiu hadn't properly celebrated his birthday in ages. While the company would mark employees' birthdays for celebrations, it was usually little more than handing out small gifts and cutting a cake together. Because of her busy schedule, every time Lu Qingjiu remembered her birthday, it was either too late or already past.
The three of them prepared breakfast in the morning. It was a bowl of longevity noodles. From the outside, it seemed no different from other noodles, with three greasy and golden fried eggs on top.
Lu Qingjiu sat down at the table, facing the expectant gazes of Zhu Miaomiao and Yin Xun.
"Happy birthday, Jiu'er." Yin Xun smiled. "It's been a while since I celebrated your birthday. I remember when grandma was alive, she always made noodles for you. Today, I'll personally make you a bowl of the legendary delicious chicken broth longevity noodles!"
Zhu Miaomiao said: "Try it now!"
Lu Qingjiu: "..." Although he was skeptical about Yin Xun's cooking skills, he had to admit that the appearance of the bowl of noodles in front of him was still very tempting. The clear soup was sprinkled with green chopped green onions and exuded the rich aroma of chicken soup. No matter how you looked at it, it was a very normal bowl of noodles.
Coupled with their expectant eyes, Lu Qingjiu still didn't say anything and ate the noodles in front of him. I have to say that this bowl of chicken noodle soup tastes very good, and the fried egg is also a soft-boiled egg. After eating it, Lu Qingjiu felt that his whole body was warmed up.
"It's delicious, thank you." Lu Qingjiu said with a smile.
"We've taken care of today's meal, so you can have a good rest for the day." This was Zhu Miaomiao's plan. She said, "The weather outside looks nice, why don't you take Bai Yuehu for a walk up the mountain?"
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, “No need, let me do it. After all, it’s my birthday, and I want to treat you to a meal.”
Zhu Miaomiao refused to agree, so Lu Qingjiu had no choice but to compromise and go to the fields with Bai Yuehu, leaving the kitchen to the three of them. Of course, before leaving, he reminded them to put safety first and not to set the kitchen on fire.
Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu chatted about the past in the field. They talked about some of their childhood memories. Bai Yuehu was a good listener, so there was no need to worry about others knowing what he said. After all, most of the time, he was too lazy to speak.
The vegetables in the field were lush and green, and the pumpkins that had been planted not long ago had also grown. This was the first time they had planted pumpkins, and each one was very large, weighing about 20 to 30 kilograms. Lu Qingjiu picked one up when he went back, intending to use the pumpkin to make some snacks.
Only halfway through the journey, he felt something was wrong with his stomach.
"What's wrong?" Bai Yuehu asked Lu Qingjiu.
"I... have a little stomachache." Lu Qingjiu's face turned pale. "Hold me, I'll go back first!" After he said that, he put down Pumpkin and ran away, leaving Bai Yuehu stunned.
It turned out that Lu Qingjiu was very prescient, because as soon as he got home, he was about to die and rushed into the toilet like a gust of wind.
Twenty minutes later, Lu Qingjiu came out of the toilet with a face as pale as a piece of paper and legs so weak that he almost fell to the ground.
"What's wrong with you?" Bai Yuehu, who had just sat down in the yard, asked puzzledly when he saw Lu Qingjiu's expression.
"I...I ate what Yin Xun made." Lu Qingjiu said in a trembling voice.
Bai Yuehu: "..." His expression was telling Lu Qingjiu why he was so depressed.
Lu Qingjiu said: "But it obviously looks pretty good!"
Bai Yuehu said, "You said the same thing last time."
Lu Qingjiu was in agony, but the most terrifying thing wasn't that. Yin Xun was still in the kitchen with Zhu Miaomiao, showcasing his culinary skills. Before Lu Qingjiu could say anything, he was forced into the bathroom again. Squatting in the bathroom, he even began to hate why his house didn't have a toilet. He felt like his legs needed amputation after squatting like that...
When Lu Qingjiu came out of the bathroom after feeling better, he was almost dehydrated. Bai Yuehu handed him a cup of hot tea with pity in his eyes. He said, "They prepared a delicious meal for you again."
Lu Qingjiu: “…” His hand holding the hot tea trembled slightly.
Bai Yuehu: "Drink this cup of tea."
Lu Qingjiu: “…Okay.”
Who knew Bai Yuehu's next words would be: "Get on the road soon."
Lu Qingjiu nearly choked to death. He finished his tea and dragged his heavy body into the house, where he saw a table of delicious food prepared by Yin Xun and Zhu Miaomiao. It must be said that if his butt wasn't still hurting, this table of delicious food would have been very tempting. There were meats, vegetables, a large pot of fragrant chicken soup, and even a very beautiful squirrel fish in the middle.
Zhu Miaomiao praised from the side: "Yin Xun, your cooking skills are pretty good."
Yin Xun responded shyly: "I practiced a lot back home. I wasn't this good before. Jiu'er, you're back. Why did you stay in the fields for so long today?"
Lu Qingjiu thought to himself, I didn’t just come back, I had clearly been in the toilet for the entire morning. It was a pity that they were all busy cooking and didn’t notice the person who was about to die in the toilet.
Lu Qingjiu said: "Yin Xun...I have something to do..."
Zhu Miaomiao was completely unaware of this. She waved enthusiastically at Lu Qingjiu, "What are you talking about? Come and eat quickly. Let's talk after we finish eating. It's getting cold."
Lu Qingjiu knew he had to say it, but facing Yin Xun's expectant eyes, he found it difficult to speak the words that were on the tip of his tongue. Yin Xun knew that his grandmother always made him a bowl of noodles on his birthday, so he got up early to make fresh chicken soup and a bowl of noodles. He also knew that Lu Qingjiu hadn't celebrated his birthday for a long time, so he specially prepared a table of delicious food. He didn't have any special birthday gifts for Lu Qingjiu, so he could only give his best... When faced with such a friend, Lu Qingjiu felt a little reluctant when he thought about saying that he couldn't eat the meal.
"What's wrong, Qingjiu?" Yin Xun asked blankly when he saw Lu Qingjiu didn't move.
Lu Qingjiu took a deep breath, and finally said nothing. With a fatherly and kind look, he sat down at the table and said, "Eat."
"I'll go call Bai Yuehu." Zhu Miaomiao went out happily.
Bai Yuehu, who was called in, saw Lu Qingjiu sitting at the table again and picking up the chopsticks. He raised his eyebrows slightly and gave Lu Qingjiu a look to ask what was going on.
Lu Qingjiu couldn't say it in front of Yin Xun, so he simply took out his cell phone and sent a message to Bai Yuehu, saying that this was the result of Yin Xun and Zhu Miaomiao's busy morning, and if he said he couldn't eat it, it would inevitably disappoint them.
Bai Yuehu was silent for a while, and after a long while he replied: You are really not afraid of death.
Lu Qingjiu closed his phone and pretended not to see it.
Pick up your chopsticks and start eating.
The food actually tasted pretty good, at least for Yin Xun, who rarely cooked, it was already an exceptional performance. Everyone drank wine and chatted, and the atmosphere was quite good. However, when Lu Qingjiu thought about the next few hours after this meal, his heart ached, and he even began to think about whether he should go to the toilet next door.
The meal was very pleasant. After eating and drinking to their heart's content, Zhu Miaomiao took out the baba cake from the refrigerator, solemnly placed it on the table, and even took out a candle that she had gotten from somewhere and lit it for Lu Qingjiu.
"Sake, happy birthday!" Zhu Miaomiao smiled brightly, "We made the cake together. It doesn't look very pretty, but it tastes pretty good!"
Lu Qingjiu felt a pang in his heart as he looked at the cake. He thought he might have to sleep in the toilet tonight, but it didn't matter. There were still a few people to accompany him. Thinking of this, he felt relieved in an instant and smiled kindly.
Zhu Miaomiao looked at Lu Qingjiu's smile and asked in confusion: "Jiu'er, why are you smiling so Buddhist?"
Lu Qingjiu: “Is there?”
Zhu Miaomiao: “Yes.”
Lu Qingjiu thought, maybe it's because I know I'm about to become a Buddha. Bai Yuehu sat next to them and watched the two interact. When he heard this, a smile appeared in his eyes.
Zhu Miaomiao didn't know what she had done. Seeing that Lu Qingjiu had no intention of explaining, she focused all her attention on the cake, lit the candles, and sang a birthday song for Lu Qingjiu. Lu Qingjiu made three wishes to the cake, and then blew out the flames on the candles in one breath.
Cut the cake into several pieces and share them. Although the cake looked like a pile of white poop, it actually tasted good. At least it looked like a dessert. Lu Qingjiu quickly finished the cake and turned to walk out. Zhu Miaomiao looked at his resolute back and asked blankly, "Jiu'er, where are you going?"
Lu Qingjiu: "I'm going to the bathroom."
Zhu Miaomiao: "Why are you going to the bathroom?"
Lu Qingjiu: "You'll know in a moment." He paused and gave a warning to the remaining three fools who didn't know what was going on. "My sincere advice to you all is to go to the village and find a toilet right now. Once you go in, don't come out..."
The three of them were all puzzled, but soon they understood the meaning of Lu Qingjiu's words.
"Fuck, fuck, Lu Qingjiu, hurry up and get out, I can't take it anymore--" Yin Xun screamed like a chicken with its neck pinched.
However, Lu Qingjiu, who had just exhausted his fatherly love, was now as hard as iron: "If I can't get out, I'll stay inside today."
"Brother Lu, Brother Lu, please be kind and give me a chance." Zhu Miaomiao decided to play it soft. "I'll give it to you after I'm done."
"Impossible." Lu Qingjiu said, "Don't even think about it." Doesn't he know Zhu Miaomiao? Even though she said it was good, if she really let her in, this toilet would belong to Zhu.
Jiang Buhuan didn't feel comfortable arguing with Lu Qingjiu, so he went to the next door to use the restroom with a red face.
Seeing their plan failed, Yin Xun and Zhu Miaomiao cursed and went to find a toilet somewhere else. Lu Qingjiu finally became the king of the toilet, but he couldn't laugh at all.
So the four people who had become one with the toilet pit simply created a group and started chatting.
Yin Xun asked Lu Qingjiu why he didn't tell them earlier that there was something wrong with the food. Lu Qingjiu said that this was his gift. Yin Xun, the shameless guy, said shamelessly: "Yes, yes, this is indeed our gift, so just eat it, we will watch from the side."
Lu Qingjiu: "You might die if I punch you."
Zhu Miaomiao was whimpering beside him, saying that she was almost dehydrated because of diarrhea. She also explained that she had watched Yin Xun cook the meal and there was nothing wrong with the ingredients, so why did she have diarrhea?
Yin Xun: "Maybe this is a meal that was filled with love."
Zhu Miaomiao: "But your love is such a pain in the ass."
Yin Xun: “…” As a girl, could you please not say such misleading things?
Bai Yuehu was also in the group, but he was not affected at all, so he didn't say anything. Finally, when everyone had finished chatting, he sent a fake smiley expression in the group, which made Yin Xun shiver.
Cooking in the morning, eating at noon, and a group chat in the bathroom in the afternoon—it was a very fulfilling day. When the sun was about to set, everyone gathered in the yard again, but everyone was staggering, looking drained.
"I feel like I'm done," Zhu Miaomiao said. "I'm just an empty shell."
Yin Xun: "Don't think too much, you still have so much meat."
Zhu Miaomiao: "...Please shut up."
Lu Qingjiu lay on the chair next to Bai Yuehu, feeling that he was just a skin and a shell. The worst thing was that his legs were numb as if they had been electrocuted, and he didn't feel a thing when he was slapped.
"What are we having for dinner?" Zhu Miaomiao asked weakly.
Lu Qingjiu said: "You can still eat."
Zhu Miaomiao: "Isn't this a bit hungry? Buhuan, are you hungry?"
Jiang Buhuan said nothing, slumped in the chair beside him, like a dried-up corpse. He'd even thought he was going to die that afternoon when he was squatting in the toilet, but he'd managed to hold on. Facing Zhu Miaomiao's question, he used his last bit of strength to utter two words: "I'm not hungry."
Zhu Miaomiao showed a look of regret. She was really a little hungry. But no one in the room had the energy to cook, so she could only turn around and get some snacks to fill her stomach. Lu Qingjiu really admired her stomach to the extreme. He felt a pain in his stomach just looking at the food.
The power of Yin Xun's lunch was really great.
In the evening, Zhu Miaomiao gave Lu Qingjiu the birthday present she had prepared. It was an expensive mechanical watch. Lu Qingjiu thought it was too valuable and wanted to refuse it. However, Zhu Miaomiao acted as if she didn't consider her a friend if she didn't accept it. So Lu Qingjiu had no choice but to accept it and gave Zhu Miaomiao a hug.
After losing so many relatives, Zhu Miaomiao has become like a family member in Lu Qingjiu's eyes. This girl is considerate and warm, and she will go to great lengths for her friends. Lu Qingjiu is very lucky to have met her. Of course, his luck is not only for Zhu Miaomiao, but also for everyone and every little animal in this house.
Li Xiaoyu from next door, Xiao Hei, Xiao Hua and the little fox Su Xi at home, and even Qin Yuan in the backyard all gave Lu Qingjiu birthday gifts. These gifts were very interesting and it was obvious that they were put a lot of thought into them. Lu Qingjiu accepted them one by one and thanked them with a smile.
Lu Qingjiu likes Shuifu Village. Even though he knows that this village is different from what he imagined, he is still full of love for it.
At night, Lu Qingjiu's body finally recovered. After such a busy day, he was planning to go to bed early, but was stopped by Bai Yuehu.
"I have something to tell you." Bai Yuehu came to Lu Qingjiu's bedroom and knocked on his door.
"What's wrong?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
Bai Yuehu said, "I haven't given you my birthday present yet."
Lu Qingjiu asked, "Birthday present..." He didn't expect Bai Yuehu to also prepare a birthday present for him. He was a little surprised for a moment, "What is it?"
Bai Yuehu didn't say anything, but just waved at Lu Qingjiu.
Lu Qingjiu followed Bai Yuehu out, and the two of them left the yard and headed towards the mountain.
The spring nights were a bit cool, but not freezing. The wind tickled my face, bringing a smile to my face. The sky was clear. Although moonless, it was filled with stars. The noisy chirping of insects in the grass by the roadside added to the night's atmosphere.
Lu Qingjiu and Bai Yuehu walked along the path. Bai Yuehu didn't say where they were going, and Lu Qingjiu didn't ask. The two of them were silent in tacit understanding, but the atmosphere didn't seem awkward. The forest got deeper and deeper. Compared to the daytime, the surrounding scenery was unfamiliar. Bai Yuehu, who was walking in front, suddenly stopped, turned around and held out his hand to Lu Qingjiu: "Come."
Lu Qingjiu held his hand.
Black mist rose up around and enveloped the White Moon Fox. Then Lu Qingjiu felt that he was pulled by the White Moon Fox and sat on a cold and hard object. However, the object was covered by the black mist and its appearance could not be seen clearly. However, Lu Qingjiu touched the object under him with his hand. The object had smooth scales, which were very hard and felt a bit like stone.
This was probably the prototype of the White Moon Fox, Lu Qingjiu thought, a smile in his eyes. The giant beast, shrouded in black mist, carried Lu Qingjiu and began to slowly ascend into the sky. The scenery on the ground shrank smaller and smaller, and the lights turned into fireflies. He was in the sky, shoulder to shoulder with the stars.
The White Moon Fox began to soar through the sky. Although it had no wings, it flew very steadily. A transparent barrier formed around Lu Qingjiu, shielding him from the biting wind and freezing temperatures. He looked down and noticed a strange shift in the scenery below. The familiar village was gone, replaced by a sea of white clouds.
In the sea of clouds, balls of light flickered. Upon closer inspection, he discovered they were fish swimming through the sea of clouds, along with some animals Lu Qingjiu didn't recognize. The White Moon Fox began to dive, flying toward the sea of clouds. Lu Qingjiu was a little worried about sliding off, but he found he didn't feel weightless and could still sit firmly on the White Moon Fox.
As they got closer and closer to the sea of clouds, they saw more and more strange creatures around them, including a fish with six bodies, a big bird as beautiful as a phoenix, and even the giant bull they had seen before.
This is another world, a world that Lu Qingjiu has never seen. He stroked the giant beast under him and felt something fermenting in his heart, so much so that he couldn't help but bend down and put his cheek on the back of the White Moon Fox.
The scales on the back were neither warm nor soft, but at this moment, Lu Qingjiu even felt that they were more charming than the furry fox tail, and even gave him the desire to kiss them for a moment.
Bai Yuehu seemed to notice Lu Qingjiu's movements, and her body stiffened slightly, but because of Lu Qingjiu's gentle movements, she slowly relaxed.
Light shone from under the sea of clouds. The light source was very weak at first, but as the White Moon Fox descended, the light became more and more dazzling, and the clouds around it began to gradually fade. Lu Qingjiu saw the blue sky behind the clouds. Under the sky was a clear ocean. The sea water was different from what Lu Qingjiu had seen before. It was as bright blue as the sky. Various fish and animals could be seen in the sea. They swam back and forth between the sky and the sea, as if the whole world had become one.
The water was so clear that even from a great distance, one could still see the sand and corals on the seabed. A black mist still clung to the White Moon Fox, and the surrounding animals seemed a little afraid of it, dodging whenever they saw it. The White Moon Fox didn't care about the other animals, and leaped directly from the sky into the azure waters.
Lu Qingjiu was startled, but soon found himself enveloped in a transparent bubble. In the bubble, he could not only breathe, but also see the scenery inside the ocean. Lu Qingjiu was stunned.
"Are you scared?" The voice of Bai Yuehu came over.
Lu Qingjiu finally came back to his senses and said with a smile, “Don’t be afraid.”
Bai Yuehu's voice became unusually gentle, as if he was afraid that Lu Qingjiu would worry. He explained, "You won't be drowned. We'll be there in a little while."
Lu Qingjiu said: “It doesn’t matter, it’s beautiful here, I like it very much.”
Bai Yuehu asked, "Like?"
"I like it." Lu Qingjiu said, "Did you live here before?"
Bai Yuehu was silent for a moment, then nodded softly.
"Then are there any of your people here too?" Lu Qingjiu was actually very curious about Bai Yuehu's past. At this moment, he was shocked by the scenery of Bai Yuehu's hometown, so he couldn't help but ask a few more questions.
"Yes." Bai Yuehu said slowly, "There used to be a lot, but now there are very few."
Lu Qingjiu asked: "Very little?"
Bai Yuehu: “Yeah.” But he didn’t explain why. Instead, he changed the subject and began to introduce Lu Qingjiu to the creatures around him that looked very strange.
Many animals here have never been recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Some are ferocious, some are beautiful. They swim in the blue sea, like a bizarre and beautiful dream. The White Moon Fox is the messenger of dreams, and it brought Lu Qingjiu here.
After entering the sea, the White Moon Fox dived deeper and deeper. It seemed that it was swimming towards an abyss. The animals around it began to decrease, and the light gradually dimmed.
The deep sea is a place where even sunlight cannot reach. The surroundings become quiet, with only the subtle sound of the ocean current.
Lu Qingjiu was a little tired from sitting, so he lay on the White Moon Fox, his face pressed against the White Moon Fox's cool black scales, and asked curiously: "How deep is it here?"
Bai Yuehu replied, seeming a little uncomfortable, his tone becoming awkward: "Very deep."
Lu Qingjiu asked, "How deep is very deep?"
Bai Yuehu said, "It's the place connected to the center of the earth."
Lu Qingjiu was a little curious: "My birthday present is right there?"
"Yes," Bai Yuehu said, "it's right there." He could have chosen to take the thing out and give it directly to Lu Qingjiu, but after thinking it over, he chose to bring Lu Qingjiu to get it in person. A strange feeling drove his heart. He inexplicably wanted Lu Qingjiu to see the world he lived in and see his beloved hometown.
"Okay." Lu Qingjiu smiled and reached out to touch the scales. "I'm already looking forward to it."
The White Moon Fox hummed softly, and its long tail slid freely in the water, making a dull sound of water. The increasingly dark light told Lu Qingjiu that they should dive deeper, but at this moment, Lu Qingjiu was not afraid.
The author has something to say: Bai Yuehu: I want to give you a surprise.
Lu Qingjiu: What?
Bai Yuehu: Let you touch the most important part of my body.
Lu Qingjiu: Oh, you took off your pants so I could touch your tail? Hey - wait?
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