After a few rounds of mahjong, it was almost time for lunch. Shaohao said he had prepared a private room and invited everyone to go.
Lu Qingjiu, deeply interested in what Shaohao and his friends usually ate, didn't refuse. However, Shaohao led them directly out of the bird park and back to the human world. He then greeted them and drove them to a stylish restaurant in the city center.
Lu Qingjiu was dumbfounded sitting in the car: "Aren't we eating at your house?"
Shaohao said, "I don't know how to cook, and we rarely cook at home."
Lu Qingjiu was a little surprised: "So you eat out every day?" Although the food outside tastes good, you will get tired of it if you eat it every day.
Shaohao said, "I'm not outside every day, but most of the time, if I find it troublesome, I just eat it with the bird."
Lu Qingjiu: "What does the bird eat?"
Shaohao smiled and said, "Anything." He glanced at Yin Xun meaningfully, causing Yin Xun, who was sitting next to him, to shrink his neck, trying to make his presence less noticeable. Shaohao retracted his gaze and continued, "For example, ripe fruits or some small mammals."
Lu Qingjiu: “Eat raw?”
Shaohao nodded.
Lu Qingjiu sighed in his heart that Baidi was too hardcore.
When they arrived at the hotel entrance, Shaohao parked the car and led them in. He was obviously a regular here. Even the waiter at the door greeted him with a flattering call of "Mr. Bai".
This place was called Wanniao Pavilion. Lu Qingjiu had never been there, but he heard it was a membership-only restaurant. Ordinary people couldn't eat there unless they were introduced by an insider. Based on Shaohao's identity, Lu Qingjiu suspected the owner of this restaurant was Shaohao himself.
The dishes had been ordered in advance, and they were served after everyone sat down. However, as soon as Shaohao sat down, his face looked a little strange. Lu Qingjiu was about to ask a question when he saw him stand up and hurriedly said, "I'm going to the bathroom." After saying that, he turned around and left, and his back looked quite embarrassed.
Lu Qingjiu initially thought Shaohao was just taking care of a physiological problem, but who knew that over the next hour, he would barely sit on the bench for two minutes before standing up again, his face turning increasingly pale, and finally he simply refused to return to the box. Lu Qingjiu felt a strange familiarity in this scene, so he cast a suspicious gaze on Yin Xun, who looked very guilty.
"What on earth were you doing just now?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
Yin Xundao: "No...I didn't do anything."
Lu Qingjiu: "Then why does he have diarrhea?"
Yin Xun pretended to be calm: "Maybe it's because he's weak."
If Lu Qingjiu believed it, it would be strange. He observed his friend's expression, sure he was hiding something. "Tell me the truth, when you and Shaohao were out just now, did you cook for him?" He was deeply impressed by Yin Xun's cooking skills. He was so good at eating that he could poop all day. It was a good thing that the toilet in this place was a toilet, otherwise he would feel like his leg could be amputated after such a mess.
"No." Yin Xun said, "Why would I cook for him if I have nothing to do?"
Lu Qingjiu: "Really?"
Yin Xun said, "No." He turned his gaze to the sumptuous dishes in front of him and swallowed.
Seeing Yin Xun's resolute answer, Lu Qingjiu stopped asking. He obviously didn't expect Yin Xun to not cook anything for Shaohao. He just timidly cut a piece of his own and gave it to the other person to taste. Of course, such a large piece would naturally be very potent. Shaohao might have to live in the toilet for several days.
Shaohao's toilet life didn't dampen their appetite for delicious food. Admittedly, the dishes were truly worth the price. Each one was meticulously prepared, unlike home-cooked meals. Each step was meticulously refined to perfection. Take the boiled cabbage in front of them, for example. The broth was clear, the flavor was delicious, and the cabbage was sweet. The moment they took a bite, they knew it wasn't ordinary. Lu Qingjiu knew the general recipe for this dish, but it was too complex to prepare. Just this small bowl of clear broth required at least eight or nine complex steps and simmering techniques.
Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun were so happy eating that they completely forgot about their host. Lu Qingjiu still had a little bit of conscience left. When he was almost done eating, he went to the bathroom and considerately asked Shaohao if he needed some more toilet paper.
Shaohao squeezed out a "No, thank you" from between his teeth.
"Did you eat something wrong?" Lu Qingjiu couldn't help but feel pity for him when she saw his miserable condition. "Do you need me to buy some medicine for you?"
"No need." Shaohao said, "Ordinary medicine has no effect on me."
Lu Qingjiu: "Oh... then we've almost finished eating, you see..."
Shaohao: "...The bill has already been paid."
Lu Qingjiu: "Great, thank you for your hospitality."
Shaohao: "..." He knew it. He had been wanting to poop for so long. Why did Lu Qingjiu suddenly come to ask about the situation? It turned out that he had almost finished eating and was worried that he hadn't paid the bill. Shaohao, sitting on the toilet, took a deep breath and was about to stand up and walk out. As soon as he opened the door, he felt his stomach churning and was forced to sit back down. He supported his knees with his hands in despair, carefully recalling what he had eaten that day, and finally inexplicably remembered the soft touch of Yin Xun's fingers... Could it be...
Shaohao covered his face and sighed deeply.
Yin Xun, who was sitting at the dining table with a round belly, suddenly sneezed. He rubbed his nose and muttered that he might have a cold.
"Can mountain gods catch colds?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
"Of course not," Yin Xun said. "To be honest, I think other than being able to eat, I'm no different from ordinary people."
Lu Qingjiu: "..." Put away that proud expression on your face. Is being eaten something to be proud of?!
Although Shaohao was still trapped in the toilet and couldn't get out, he still treated them to such an expensive meal. The three of them discussed it and went into the toilet together to say goodbye to Shaohao.
"Mr. Bai, we're getting ready to go back." Lu Qingjiu said, "Come and visit us more often next time when you have time."
Shaohao's voice sounded a little muffled through the toilet door: "Okay."
Yin Xun followed Lu Qingjiu and whispered, "Welcome to play."
Shaohao: "I will definitely come." He uttered these three words with a tone of gnashing teeth, which made Yin Xun shrink his neck involuntarily.
The three of them left satisfied after eating and drinking, then took a taxi back to Shaohao's villa and drove home happily in their own small truck. However, Shaohao's housekeeper was a little confused, obviously unable to understand why the guests had returned but the host was nowhere to be seen.
After seeing the beautiful bird garden and having a delicious meal, Lu Qingjiu was in a very good mood. After taking a nap in the afternoon, he got up from bed and planned to make some steamed buns, steamed bread, and flower rolls for dinner. However, when checking the ingredients, Lu Qingjiu found that he had run out of green onions.
Bai Yuehu was also taking a nap in the yard at this moment. Lu Qingjiu thought that the field was not far away, so he did not disturb him and planned to go to the field to pick the fruits himself.
Scallions are a common ingredient and can be used in all dishes, so they are consumed quickly. Fortunately, they have grown a lot of them at home, so when they want to eat them, they can just take a pair of scissors and cut a handful. They are very fresh.
While walking on the road, Lu Qingjiu thought about transplanting the green onions into the yard like leeks, so that it would be more convenient to pick them.
Today the weather is still very good, with sunshine. This kind of weather is very comfortable for ordinary people, but it is not good for farmers who rely on the weather for their livelihood. There is too little rain, and the crops in the fields grow slowly. They have to carry water for irrigation every day, otherwise the harvest will be affected.
It's been months since spring, and there have only been three or four rains. If it weren't for the White Moon Fox at home, Lu Qingjiu would probably be struggling with his vegetables. Their irrigation water comes from a distant reservoir. If the reservoir level is too low, they have to find another source. However, there's only one small stream within a few dozen miles of Shuifu Village, and they don't know how to get it. Lu Qingjiu had never farmed before, so he didn't understand these things. It wasn't until he heard the sighs of the old Li family next door that he realized the importance of spring rain to farmers.
When Lu Qingjiu came to his senses, he realized that he had thought too far. He had already walked into the field and saw a row of lovely little green onions.
This onion is much more fragrant than the onions sold on the market, especially when used to make scallion tofu, it is even more delicious. The tofu is also made at home, and it is full of bean fragrance. After cutting it into pieces, mix it with scallions and mix it with cold food, add a little sesame oil and some salt, and it is refreshing and delicious.
Lu Qingjiu took out a pair of scissors, bent down and cut a bunch of green onions, picked a ripe pumpkin, pulled out two bunches of small cabbages, picked some bright red peppers, put them all into the bamboo basket he was carrying, and then began to walk back slowly.
Every time Lu Qingjiu came to the fields, he would be shocked by Bai Yuehu's talent for farming. These neat patches of green seedlings, interspersed with red peppers and yellow pumpkins, were so neat and beautiful that at first glance, they looked like a flower garden.
The pumpkins in their house are a bit big, so Lu Qingjiu specially picked a small one. One pumpkin can be eaten for two meals. If there is time in the afternoon, he can also make some pumpkin cakes with red bean paste filling to satisfy his craving.
Lu Qingjiu was walking forward, but noticed a black object in the middle of the road. After taking a closer look, he found that it was a black umbrella lying quietly on the side of the road.
Whose umbrella is it? Lu Qingjiu stopped in his tracks. The umbrella was right in front of him, and he could pick it up by bending down. The umbrella looked very ordinary, just the kind of black umbrella you can buy on the market. Lu Qingjiu originally planned to pick it up and ask if anyone in the village had lost it, but before he reached out his hand, he noticed a detail on the umbrella.
The black umbrella was damp, with traces of rain on its surface. It had been almost a week since it rained in the Water Palace, so who would go out with such a black umbrella? Lu Qingjiu had a bad feeling. He thought of Yu Shiqi, so he slowly took a step back and stepped around the strange-looking umbrella in front of him.
After Lu Qingjiu walked a distance, he looked behind him, only to see that the umbrella was still lying there obediently, as if it had no reaction at all. He breathed a sigh of relief, and was wondering if he was too sensitive because he had seen so many of these things, when he saw the black umbrella slowly, slowly stand up from the ground, as if someone was holding it up. Then, with a swish, the black umbrella opened directly. Lu Qingjiu clearly saw that there were countless eyeballs hanging inside the black umbrella, and these eyeballs still had blood-red nerves hanging from them. The black pupils looked directly at Lu Qingjiu.
"Ah!!" Lu Qingjiu was frightened by this scene and screamed. He reacted very quickly, threw the basket of vegetables away, turned around and ran away.
A strange sound came from behind him. Lu Qingjiu turned his head and found that the black umbrella was rolling towards him like a wheel. The nerves of his eyeballs were stuck inside the black umbrella, forming a circle as the black umbrella rolled.
"White Moon Fox, White Moon Fox! Help, help!" Driven by the desire to survive, Lu Qingjiu rushed faster than a rabbit. Fortunately, their land was very close to home. Lu Qingjiu sprinted a hundred meters to the door of his house, and rushed into the yard panting. After seeing the White Moon Fox, his heart was instantly relieved.
"What's wrong?" Bai Yuehu asked when he saw Lu Qingjiu gasping for breath.
"I saw an umbrella on the side of the road—" Lu Qingjiu said with difficulty, "The umbrella was full of eyeballs, and it was chasing me."
Bai Yuehu asked, "Eyeball?" He thought for a moment, then frowned slightly as if something had occurred to him. "Where is it?"
Lu Qingjiu: "It's outside."
Bai Yuehu stood up and walked to the door, but saw nothing. There was no black umbrella or eyeball that Lu Qingjiu mentioned on the empty country road.
Lu Qingjiu stood behind Bai Yuehu and tilted his head: "Why is it gone?"
Bai Yuehu turned his head and glanced at Lu Qingjiu: "Do you want to go and take a look?"
Lu Qingjiu: "Go... take a look, the vegetables I just picked are still on the way."
Bai Yuehu walked out of the yard, but what puzzled Lu Qingjiu was that the black umbrella that had been chasing him just now had disappeared, along with the vegetable basket he had thrown on the roadside.
"No more." Lu Qingjiu said, "What was that thing?"
Bai Yuehu shook his head: "I don't know."
Lu Qingjiu: "Why is he chasing me?"
Bai Yuehu sighed, "Chasing you will never be a good thing."
That's right, looking at the horrible appearance of that umbrella, it doesn't look like a good thing at all. Although the umbrella is gone now, Lu Qingjiu still has lingering fears.
Bai Yuehu said, "You go back to the yard. I'll pick some vegetables. What do you need?"
Lu Qingjiu said, "I'd better go back with you." Don't see that thing again on the way back.
After picking the vegetables they wanted again, the two walked back. Lu Qingjiu kept paying attention to the surroundings, but it was obvious that the creature did not want to meet the White Moon Fox. Until they entered the yard, Lu Qingjiu did not see the creature again.
"Don't go out these days." After arriving home, Bai Yuehu told Lu Qingjiu.
Lu Qingjiu nodded, as if he had accepted Bai Yuehu's advice. He did not have the same powerful fighting ability as Bai Yuehu. If he really encountered something strange, running was the only way to survive.
In the afternoon, Yin Xun also heard what Lu Qingjiu had encountered. He was a little worried, but he still spoke to comfort Lu Qingjiu, saying that with Bai Yuehu there, there would be no problem.
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, “I know, I’m just curious about what that thing is and what the eyeball inside is.”
Yin Xun said: "It definitely won't taste good anyway."
Upon hearing this, the corners of Bai Yuehu's mouth twitched slightly.
With nothing to do in the afternoon, Lu Qingjiu steamed the pumpkin she'd brought back and pulled out the salted duck eggs she'd preserved over the winter, planning to make pumpkin and egg yolk pastries. Yin Xun helped knead the dough, mixing the pumpkin and flour. The pastry itself is quite complex to make, with the number of folds and the heat crucial. Since it was Lu Qingjiu's first time making it, the pastry came out a bit thick, but thankfully, it was crispy enough. The fat from the egg yolk oozes out with each bite, complementing the sweet bean paste for a deliciously salty and alluring flavor.
Yin Xun and Bai Yuehu have always been very enthusiastic about snacks. The three of them ate the sweet food and quickly forgot the unpleasantness of the morning.
Lu Qingjiu had originally planned to go to town tomorrow to buy some lemons and passion fruit to make lemon chicken feet, but because of what happened just now, he had to postpone it. He told Bai Yuehu about this. Bai Yuehu thought about it and said that he would go to town to buy it for Lu Qingjiu, and Lu Qingjiu would just stay at home.
Lu Qingjiu was still very relieved about Bai Yuehu. After watching him get on the pickup truck, he returned to the yard.
Yin Xun had just eaten several egg yolk pastries and was now sitting in the yard to rest. Lu Qingjiu looked up at the sky and found that the sky, which was sunny in the morning, was now covered with dark clouds. It looked like it was going to rain.
Spring rain is as precious as oil, and this is a heavy rain that everyone has been looking forward to for a long time.
Lu Qingjiu put away the things drying in the yard. Taking advantage of the good spring weather, he bought some cowpeas, kelp and other things, planning to store them after drying. As long as these things are well preserved, they can be kept for a long time, and they are also good ingredients for making soup in winter.
Tangerines are ripe this season, and Lu Qingjiu bought some to eat at home. After eating, the peels are dried and can be used to make tangerine peel. Tangerine peel can be soaked in water or used as a spice. Adding a little to food can remove most of the fishy smell and greasiness.
Lu Qingjiu had almost packed up his things when the rain started to fall.
Unlike the fierce rain in summer, the spring rain is as soft as silk, and even the sound is gentle, falling slowly on the ground, making a rustling sound.
The air began to be filled with the smell of earth. Lu Qingjiu and Yin Xun sat at home, chatting and watching the rain outside.
"Didn't Bai Yuehu bring an umbrella?" Lu Qingjiu suddenly remembered something.
"Doesn't he need to hold an umbrella?" Yin Xun said.
"No way." Lu Qingjiu said, "He is buying things in the town. We can't block the rain like before." If this was seen by humans, the White Moon Fox would probably be surrounded by onlookers.
"Yeah, that's right." Yin Xun hadn't thought of this. He reached out and touched his head. "But the rain is light, so it doesn't matter if I get wet."
Lu Qingjiu didn't say anything, but got up and went to the bathroom to get a dry towel, put it on the table, and thinking that Bai Yuehu was back, he wiped his hair directly.
The rain gradually got heavier, and the dry land turned moist. Puddles formed in the low-lying areas. Lu Qingjiu suddenly remembered something: "Hey, did you forget to cover the beehive in the backyard with the tarpaulin?" He had previously removed the tarpaulin from the beehive to clean it, but had forgotten to put it back up. Now that it was raining, the wooden beehive would easily get wet.
"I'll go." Yin Xun said, "Is the oilcloth in the kitchen?"
"Yeah." Lu Qingjiu said, "By the way, take out a box of honey to make cakes tomorrow."
Yin Xun nodded, grabbed an umbrella and went out. Lu Qingjiu was still wondering if there was anything else he had forgotten to take back, when he heard Yin Xun's miserable scream from the backyard.
Lu Qingjiu was startled and shouted, "Yin Xun!" He didn't even have time to open an umbrella and rushed directly to the backyard. As he rushed over, he picked up a wooden stick in the corner as a weapon for self-defense.
"Ahhh——" Yin Xun was still screaming miserably.
When Lu Qingjiu saw Yin Xun in the backyard, he took a breath of cold air. He saw that Yin Xun's head was wrapped in a black umbrella. The umbrella seemed to have life, completely wrapping Yin Xun's head inside. No matter how Yin Xun struggled, he could not get out of it.
Lu Qingjiu put down the wooden stick and began to help Yin Xun tear off the black umbrella, but no matter how hard he tried, the black umbrella was firmly stuck to Yin Xun's head. Yin Xun struggled violently at first, but then the amplitude of his movements gradually became smaller, as if he had no strength left.
Lu Qingjiu was so anxious that he almost went crazy. He rushed to the kitchen to get a pair of scissors, but found that the material of the umbrella could not be pierced by scissors.
"Yin Xun, Yin Xun, hold on a little longer. I'll call Bai Yuehu right away. Just hold on a little longer." Lu Qingjiu's face was wet, and it was unclear whether it was rain or sweat from anxiety.
"Wait." Yin Xun's muffled voice came from inside the umbrella, "I find that this thing doesn't seem to have any effect on me."
Lu Qingjiu: “…Huh?”
Yin Xundao said, "Except for the fact that I can't see anymore." He instinctively wanted to scratch his head, but he touched the surface of the black umbrella. "I don't need to breathe anyway, so it seems that it will be fine if I wrap myself like this."
Lu Qingjiu: "...Are you really okay?"
Yin Xun stood up from the ground: "It's really nothing."
Lu Qingjiu: "But you can't see it, can't you?"
Yin Xun: "I am a mountain god after all. In fact, as long as I want, I can see without using my eyes. It's just that I don't like to use this ability usually. After all, I always see things that I shouldn't see."
Lu Qingjiu: "Then what other feelings do you have?"
Yin Xun: "...Feeling? I don't feel anything." Not painful or itchy.
Lu Qingjiu took a deep breath: "Then why the hell are you screaming like a slaughtered chicken?"
Yin Xun said embarrassedly, "Isn't this because I was scared?" He then said confidently, "If you were suddenly hugged by something like this, wouldn't you scream?"
Lu Qingjiu thought to himself, I don’t have much chance to scream, I’ll be suffocated to death in two minutes at most anyway.
Yin Xun said, "What should I do now? Just leave it on my head?"
Lu Qingjiu sighed: "Just make do with it. When Bai Yuehu comes back, let him get it for you."
Yin Xun said: "Okay, it's still raining, you go in first, I'll put the oilcloth on and come back."
Lu Qingjiu said, "No, let's go in together." His heart really couldn't take any more stimulation.
Yin Xun quickly covered the oilcloth, proving that he could indeed see it. After fixing the beehive, he and Lu Qingjiu went into the house together. Lu Qingjiu wiped his face with a towel and glanced at Yin Xun, whose head had turned into an umbrella.
Yin Xun: "Why are you looking at me? Does this umbrella look good?"
Lu Qingjiu: “…” Friend, why is your focus always so clear and unique?
After Bai Yuehu finished shopping, his expression froze as he entered the house. He looked at Lu Qingjiu, and then at the person next to Lu Qingjiu with an umbrella on his head.
Lu Qingjiu seemed to know what Bai Yuehu was thinking and introduced him: "This is Yin Xun."
White Moon Fox: "...What kind of look is this? Are you crazy enough to use an umbrella?"
Lu Qingjiu: “…”
Yin Xun: “…”
Bai Yuehu, you are such a talented person.
The author has something to say: Yin Xun: Woo woo woo woo, I have given too much to this family.
Lu Qingjiu patted his shoulder silently: Thank you for your hard work.
Bai Yuehu: ??? What are you doing at home while I'm out?
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