If June is just a prelude to the hot weather, then once July arrives, the temperature will quickly soar to 37 or 38 degrees Celsius.
When Lu Qingjiu woke up, he saw Bai Yuehu, who always liked to sleep with him in her arms, lying next to him. Her sleeping T-shirt was half rolled up, revealing her white belly. Bai Yuehu's belly didn't feel soft or fat, and felt ordinary, not as good as Lu Qingjiu's own.
Hearing the sound of Lu Qingjiu getting up, Bai Yuehu yawned and got up from the bed in a daze. He kissed Lu Qingjiu's chin naturally, and then the two went to wash up.
The dawn was too early, and the animals in the yard became more active. White Moon Fox took advantage of the sun before it rose to go to the fields, gather the vegetables, and water them thoroughly. Lu Qingjiu prepared a hearty breakfast. The warmer weather made the food feel more refreshing. He chopped the lettuce stalks into thin strips, blanched them in hot water, and then added chili peppers, sesame oil, and other seasonings to a cold dish. The dough that had fermented last night was ready to use today. The filling, also prepared last night, was pork and cabbage, with some diced lotus root added for a nice texture.
Then, he wrapped the filling in the fermented dough and baked it in an electric griddle. The hot sesame cakes were ready. Lu Qingjiu also cooked a large pot of mung bean porridge and five salted duck eggs. He had originally planned to make some tea eggs, but time was running out, so he decided to do that at lunchtime.
Bai Yuehu finished tending to the vegetables in the field and returned to the yard with a basket of them. Rain had been scarce this year, so the vegetables weren't growing as well as last year, but they still looked good. The eggplants and tomatoes were ripe. The tomatoes, needless to say, were just as delicious as last year, juicy and moist, perfect for fruit. The eggplants were also quite large, and Lu Qingjiu had specifically instructed Bai Yuehu to pick them. He planned to use the leftover pie filling to make some eggplant boxes.
When Yin Xun arrived, breakfast had just been prepared. Several people sat down at the table and began to feast on it.
There were plenty of pies and porridge, along with sizzling salted duck eggs, which were both refreshing and refreshing. The pies were delicious this time, and the diced lotus root was the key. The thin crust opened up into the sizzling gravy, and the crispy skin and soft filling perfectly balanced the greasiness of the pork. There was also a salad of shredded lettuce, spicy, crisp, and particularly appetizing. Lu Qingjiu ate two pies and drank two bowls of porridge, until he was completely stuffed. Yin Xun and Bai Yuehu also looked very satisfied.
After breakfast, Yin Xun said that the hawthorns west of the village were ripe and they could pick some.
"Aren't those hawthorns grown by Aunt Liu's family?" Lu Qingjiu remembered this.
"Yes." Yin Xun said, "But isn't Aunt Liu dead..."
Lu Qingjiu: "...but you died too."
Yin Xun: “…” It seems to be true.
Lu Qingjiu looked at Bai Yuehu and said, "What's going on with the people in the village?"
Bai Yuehu took a sip of tea to moisten his mouth: "They don't know they are dead, and they are still living like normal people."
Lu Qingjiu asked, “Are they still alive in the eyes of outsiders?”
Bai Yuehu said, "Yeah."
Lu Qingjiu thought about it and felt that it was right, because at least in the eyes of Hu Shu and Pang Ziqi, Shuifu Village was a village of living people, and sometimes the villagers of Shuifu Village would communicate with the outside world to buy and sell goods, and the outside world had not noticed anything unusual in Shuifu Village.
Xiaohua, who was lying next to him, asked, "Will Li Xiaoyu go to junior high school?"
Bai Yuehu glanced at Xiaohua and said, "That depends on whether he can pass the exam."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Qingjiu saw a blazing fire in Xiaohua's eyes. He said, "I understand. I will definitely work hard to get Li Xiaoyu into college. Even though he died, he had a dream!"
Lu Qingjiu: “…” Okay.
Yin Xun didn't care about the villagers' future or education at all. He blinked and asked, "Then let's go pick hawthorns?"
Lu Qingjiu said, "Go!" The hawthorns at home were almost gone. They were sour and sweet and were a great way to beat the heat, so having fresh ones was perfect. But we couldn't just pick them like that. We had to find a new way...
So after lunch, Lu Qingjiu went to find Yin Xun's neighbor Aunt Liu, and discussed with her about buying the hawthorns at the market price.
Aunt Liu originally wanted to refuse, saying that she was giving it to Lu Qingjiu to eat, but when she heard that he wanted a large quantity, she finally agreed.
After getting Aunt Liu's permission, Lu Qingjiu and his family went to pick hawthorns happily.
This hawthorn tree was quite good. Its lush branches and leaves held clusters of bright red fruits. Unlike dried hawthorns, fresh hawthorns were particularly sour. Lu Qingjiu tasted one and his face wrinkled. He also stuffed one into Bai Yuehu's mouth, but Bai Yuehu remained calm.
"Isn't it sour?" Lu Qingjiu asked.
"Not bad." Bai Yuehu replied.
Lu Qingjiu didn't think much of it and continued picking fruit. Bai Yuehu silently lowered his hand from the tree trunk, leaving several obvious fingerprints on the smooth trunk. Humph, a dragon isn't afraid of sourness. Whether it's sour oranges or sour hawthorns, they can't defeat him.
Yin Xun ran around in the tree like a monkey, picking a full basket and bringing it down to Lu Qingjiu, who then handed him an empty basket.
Lu Qingjiu planned to pickle most of these hawthorns and use them as tea. The rest could be used to make hawthorn cakes and candied haws. Speaking of candied haws, had Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun ever eaten this snack? Lu Qingjiu remembered that they didn't sell it in the town. Besides, even if they did, they didn't have the money to buy it...
Lu Qingjiu thought of this and planned to buy some other fruits to make it together.
After picking several baskets full of hawthorns and paying Aunt Liu for them, the three of them happily returned home. Lu Qingjiu had them clean the hawthorns and remove the cores. This was a big project, but it was still early, so there was no rush.
After feeding Niu Niu some chocolate, Lu Qingjiu squeezed out half a bucket of milk, intending to make some popsicles to cool down. He boiled the milk, added sugar and honey, then poured the milk into a special popsicle mold and put it in the freezer.
The weather was extremely hot, and even Lu Qingjiu was sweating after doing all these things. He went to wash his face and then planned to cook dinner.
They had braised beef for lunch, so Lu Qingjiu decided to keep it simple for dinner. She fried a few plates of eggplant boxes, made garlic pork and cold chicken, and stir-fried bitter melon. The staple food was noodles with a tomato soup base, which was also topped with fresh lettuce leaves and a poached egg. It was very refreshing.
Everyone was a little hungry after a busy afternoon. Lu Qingjiu slurped his noodles and said that he was going to the city tomorrow and asked them if they had anything to bring.
"Why are you going to the city when it's so hot?" Yin Xun chewed the tender chicken.
"Go buy some fruit," Lu Qingjiu said. "I'll make you some candied haws. Have you ever tried them?"
"No." Yin Xun gave a sad answer.
Bai Yuehu shook his head and after a pause added, "But I saw others eat it."
Lu Qingjiu almost wanted to cover her face when she heard this, thinking that it would be better if you didn't add anything, as this addition sounded even more sad.
After dinner, Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun washed the dishes while Lu Qingjiu put the hawthorns he had peeled that afternoon into a pot and boiled them with sugar, making a sweet and sour hawthorn jam. This hawthorn jam was a perfect match for summer, or it could be added to water and frozen into popsicles.
After finishing all this, it was already getting late. Lu Qingjiu took a shower and hid in the air-conditioned room. Because of Zhu Rong's previous instructions, Lu Qingjiu didn't dare to use the air conditioner all day. He even drank beer at room temperature while eating skewers. For people with hot bodies, not being able to eat ice in the summer is the most terrible torture. Fortunately, Lu Qingjiu himself has a cold body, so not eating it will not affect him too much. Of course, he still misses it occasionally.
In the abundant air conditioning, Lu Qingjiu, who was tired after a day, fell asleep with his head resting on Bai Yuehu's arm. He had completely adapted to the slow pace of rural life and no longer had the thought of returning to the city. Besides, there were people here who needed him. He just didn't know why his grandfather repeatedly reiterated that he wanted him to leave here.
The next day, Lu Qingjiu went to the city as planned, intending to buy some fruits that he didn't grow at home to make candied haws. The original candied haws were made with hawthorn, but in recent years, with rising living standards, the variety has also increased. Fruits like strawberries, grapes, and kiwis all make delicious candied haws. Lu Qingjiu's favorite is candied haws made with strawberries. Strawberries are a bit sour, but after being coated in a layer of crispy sugar, they become sour and sweet, perfect for entertaining children.
Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun did not come today. Lu Qingjiu assigned them a task to remove the weeds in the yard. As the weather got warmer, the weeds in the yard became more and more lush, especially near the ancient well, which was almost overgrown with weeds.
At the supermarket, Lu Qingjiu bought fruits like strawberries and grapes. He also picked up a box of mangoes and various snacks, hoping to replenish the childhood memories of Bai Yuehu and Yin Xun. However, while he was shopping, he felt that the atmosphere around him was a little off. He looked around carefully but couldn't find anything wrong.
Lu Qingjiu felt a little wary and quickly left the supermarket, intending to leave. But when he was about three or four meters away from the truck, he noticed a strangely dressed woman standing next to it. It was a scorching summer day, but she was wearing a thick down jacket, her long hair tied up in a silver bun, and exaggerated earrings. Her eyes fell on Lu Qingjiu, as if assessing something.
This person is obviously not an ordinary person. If a normal person wore this down jacket, he would probably pass out from heatstroke within half an hour. But looking at her, she didn't sweat a single drop and had a strange smile on her lips.
Lu Qingjiu stopped and did not walk towards the truck. Instead, he turned around immediately and planned to leave the sparsely populated parking lot. However, as soon as he turned around, he heard hurried footsteps behind him.
"Wait." The woman called out, "Don't go."
Lu Qingjiu wouldn't listen to her. Instead of stopping, he took off running. But before he'd taken two steps, a powerful force came from behind, pushing him. Everything in Lu Qingjiu's hands fell to the ground, and he barely managed to hold onto the wall to avoid falling.
He turned his head and saw the woman standing not far from him. She said, "Don't go..."
Lu Qingjiu knew that he was no match for her, so he could only stagger back a few steps. He asked, “What do you want to do?”
The woman asked, "How do I get to the underworld?"
Lu Qingjiu: “…” He knew it.
Seeing that Lu Qingjiu didn't answer, the woman became impatient and asked again in a calm voice: "I'm asking you how to get to the underworld?"
Lu Qingjiu gritted his teeth and said, “I don’t know.”
The woman said, "Don't you know? Aren't you from Hades?"
While talking to her, Lu Qingjiu observed the surrounding situation. There were not many people in the garage just now, but now there was a slight ding-dong sound from the elevator, as if someone was getting off. Lu Qingjiu said, "Go up from that side and turn a corner and you'll be there." He casually pointed to the escape passage.
The woman's face darkened when she heard this. She said, "You lied to me."
Lu Qingjiu: “Ah?” Was he exposed just like that?
The woman said, "That's where I came from."
Lu Qingjiu looked embarrassed, but at this moment, a human figure came around the corner. It seemed that he was also driving from the supermarket. Seeing this, Lu Qingjiu turned around and ran. This time he risked his life and didn't even dare to look back.
Rushing to the elevator in one breath, Lu Qingjiu punched the up button without a second thought, but luckily, he missed the elevator door by just one step, and it closed right in front of him. Hearing footsteps behind him, Lu Qingjiu broke out in a cold sweat. Just as he was about to run towards the stairs, a pair of hands pressed heavily on his shoulders.
Lu Qingjiu turned around stiffly and saw the person behind him. The person seemed to have just gotten off the elevator, with a look of surprise on his face. He said, "Brother, what's wrong?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "Run!"
"What?" Before the man could finish his words, a hand went straight through his chest and pressed on Lu Qingjiu's arm.
Lu Qingjiu was stunned. He wanted to run, but he was held tightly by two hands, unable to move. However, he soon noticed that the man in front of him was obviously not human. After being pierced through the chest by a hand, he did not bleed or fall down. Apart from frowning, he showed no reaction at all.
"What are you doing?" The man in front of him turned his head and complained to the woman behind him in dissatisfaction, "Didn't I tell you to stay in the car?"
The woman snorted coldly: "How long have you been gone?"
The man said, "I'm just buying something." He lifted the plastic bag in his hand and nodded at the stunned Lu Qingjiu, "Why are you scaring me?"
The woman said, "I just wanted to ask for directions."
The man asked, "Why do you ask?"
The woman said, "I want to know how to get to the underworld."
The man's face was filled with pain. He took a few deep breaths and finally managed to control his emotions. Then his tone was filled with helplessness: "Okay... Can you please take your hand away from my chest first?"
The woman snorted again: "I'll take it back, but don't let him get away."
The man said, "Even if you let it go, don't scare ordinary people."
The woman finally let go. After she withdrew her hand, Lu Qingjiu saw a large, empty hole through the man's torn T-shirt. This man actually had no chest at all; his entire chest cavity was a large, empty hole.
Lu Qingjiu’s eyes widened and he blurted out: “You don’t have breasts?!”
The man said, "Yeah, she doesn't have one either."
The woman angrily said, "Who said I don't have breasts? I'm not Fangfeng."
The man said, "Anyway, I didn't notice you had breasts."
The woman then realized that she was being teased and was furious. But it must be said that when you look closer, she is still quite pretty. If she wasn't dressed so strangely, it would not be difficult to ask for directions.
When Lu Qingjiu heard the name Fangfeng, he immediately remembered something and said, "Are you from... Guanxiong Country?" Guanxiong Country is a race in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Its biggest feature is that it has a big hole in its chest.
The man was stunned. He didn’t expect Lu Qingjiu to recognize his identity. He was surprised and a little surprised: “Are you going to attend the meeting too?”
Lu Qingjiu: “Huh?” What meeting?
The man frowned and looked at Lu Qingjiu: "Are you human?"
Lu Qingjiu was about to say that of course he was human, but the woman behind the man took over and said, "Of course he's not."
The man said, "You're not?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "Brother, can you let go first? I feel like my shoulder is going to be broken by you."
He had expected the man to refuse, but he politely excused himself and let go of Lu Qingjiu. He certainly didn't seem to have any ill intentions. Lu Qingjiu rubbed his painfully grabbed shoulder and carefully observed the man and woman. The man was dressed like a human. If it weren't for the large empty hole in his chest, no one would have thought he was anything but human. The woman, on the other hand, was completely out of place, especially in her thick down jacket.
"I'm just passing by, and I don't know where you're going." Lu Qingjiu said, "Can I leave now?"
The man said, "Oh...I see. Then you're not going to the meeting?"
Lu Qingjiu shook his head, indicating that he had no idea what the meeting the man was talking about was. The man pondered for a moment and said, "Then do you know how to get to the underworld?"
When Lu Qingjiu heard him mention the underworld again, she immediately became alert: "What underworld? I'm a human being. I can only live in the human world. I definitely can't go to the underworld."
The man was silent for a moment, then said helplessly, "It's not that underworld, it's whether there's a place called Yinjian nearby..."
He then explained how to write the two words "Yinjian".
Lu Qingjiu understood immediately: "Are you talking about Yinjian Building? It's nearby... What are you doing there?" Yinjian is an office building built by the government. It is quite famous locally. Many government agencies have set up offices there. He didn't expect that the woman was asking about this place.
"Oh, we're going there for something." The man said, "My last name is Wang, Wang Rumeng, and she... you can just call her Miss."
The woman frowned when she heard this, and seemed to want to say something, but when she saw Wang Rumeng's expression, she stopped.
Lu Qingjiu was cautious and didn't dare to say his name. He said, "Where are you going? Let me tell you." He was about to describe it in detail, but Wang Rumeng pressed Lu Qingjiu's shoulder again and said, "Brother, I'm sorry, but could you please take us there? You drove here, right?"
Lu Qingjiu deliberately looked embarrassed.
Wang Rumeng said, "Look, my clothes are torn too. If others see it, they will be scared. She can't face others like this. Please help me." Although his words were gentle, there was no hint of negotiation in his tone. He held Lu Qingjiu's hand with no intention of loosening it. It seemed that he had no intention of letting Lu Qingjiu go.
Seeing this, the woman said, "He has the breath of a dragon."
Wang Rumeng's expression changed slightly when he heard this: "He is a dragon?"
The woman shook her head. "Have you ever seen a dragon with such weak combat power? He's probably not a dragon, but he's lived with dragons for a long time."
Now, Wang Rumeng looked at Lu Qingjiu with an even stranger look. Lu Qingjiu couldn't escape after being caught by him, so he could only ask, "Have you finished reading it?"
"I've finished reading it." Wang Rumeng said, "Do you know Long?"
Lu Qingjiu said: "What does it matter whether I know him or not?"
Wang Rumeng chuckled: "If you know me, you should be polite to me. After all, I don't want to offend them..."
Lu Qingjiu said: “Okay, I know you, can you let me go?”
Wang Rumeng shook his head: "No, if we let you go we won't be able to find the way. Brother, help them to the end, send us there first."
Lu Qingjiu knew that he would not give in, so he had no choice but to agree. The three of them walked towards Lu Qingjiu's van, but after only a few steps, a strong burnt smell emanated from the surroundings, as if something was burning. Lu Qingjiu smelled the smell, but before he could ask, Wang Rumeng, who was standing next to him, had a changed expression and said, "Not good!" Then he rushed to the side and began to rummage through the black bag in his hand. He had been holding this bag when he got off the elevator. It looked like it was filled with a lot of things, and it was bulging like a big bag. Lu Qingjiu quickly found the source of the fire. He was stunned to see black smoke coming out of the girl standing to his left, and red flames began to spread. Most people would have been rolling on the ground in panic, but the girl looked at Lu Qingjiu calmly. Their eyes met for a moment, and the girl threatened, "What are you looking at? Have you never seen someone on fire?"
Lu Qingjiu: “…” I’m sorry, he really hasn’t seen it.
The girl's hair and skin remained intact under the scorching flames, but her down jacket began to carbonize rapidly, emitting a pungent burnt smell and billowing black smoke. Lu Qingjiu stood by helplessly, wondering whether to help her put out the fire, when Wang Rumeng rushed back again, threw two pieces of clothing to the ground, then grabbed Lu Qingjiu's shoulders and twisted him aside: "Don't look at her, don't look at her, her clothes will be burned."
Lu Qingjiu thought that he should take Bai Yuehu with him when he went out in the future. This world was really too dangerous. If he met someone, he would be on fire before he could even say a few words.
Fortunately, the girl burned quickly. After about a minute, a voice said "OK" came from behind. Lu Qingjiu and Wang Rumeng turned around and saw the girl standing on the wreckage, like a phoenix reborn from the ashes.
Speaking of which... Lu Qingjiu suddenly remembered that he didn't seem to have seen a phoenix in Shaohao's house. Could it be... that the person in front of him was...
The author has something to say: Lu Qingjiu rolled up his sleeves: Who used lollipops to deceive my poor fox?
Bai Yuehu rolled up his sleeves and said: Who used force to suppress my weak Jiu'er?
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