211
Xiaoxiao and his uncle had a quarrel again. In the middle of the night, Xiaoxiao rushed into Du Heng's room. He hugged Du Heng and cried so hard that the hair on his face was wet. Du Heng wiped his tears for a long time and asked him why he quarreled with his uncle. He cried so hard that he refused to say anything. Later, he fell asleep because he was tired of crying.
Du Heng felt bad after hearing Xiaoxiao cry like this. He knew the contradiction between Fenggui and Xiaoxiao. Fenggui hoped that Xiaoxiao would transform as soon as possible and hoped that Xiaoxiao would be no worse than other little phoenixes.
But Xiaoxiao has tried very hard. He is the most self-disciplined child Du Heng has ever seen. Sometimes when Du Heng went to see him, he would see Xiaoxiao holding a parchment book thicker than a brick and reading it.
Du Heng asked Xuan Yu in a low voice: "Can Feng Gui not be so harsh on Xiaoxiao?" Xuan Yu touched Xiaoxiao's fur, he turned over and got out of bed and opened the barrier.
Feng Gui, wearing a long gown, stood outside the barrier. Feng Gui asked softly, "Did you fall asleep?" Xuan Yu replied, "Yeah, I cried for a long time. What happened this time that made you cry like this?"
Feng Gui said: "I wanted him to stay in Dongji Mountain or let Mao Buyan take him back to the Southern Phoenix Clan. I just mentioned it, and he became like this."
Xuan Yu thought about it and understood what Feng Gui meant. Xiaoxiao could not transform, and there were many demon cultivators in the demon world who knew Xiaoxiao. Feng Gui and his men's disappearance could be considered as a result of their being attacked and killed by demon beasts while protecting the Saint Temple, but if Xiaoxiao disappeared, something was indeed wrong.
This time when they went to the human cultivation world, they were still able to change their appearance. However, Xiaoxiao had a special physique, and the illusion cast on him would be broken inadvertently, which would cause unnecessary trouble.
Feng Gui gave Xiao Xiao two choices: either stay in Dongji Mountain with Yun Zheng Zhonghua, or let Mao Buyan take him to the Phoenix Clan. Just these two options made Xiao Xiao cry.
Feng Gui looked at Xiao Xiao, who was crying in Du Heng's arms, and said slowly, "No matter whether he can transform or not, at least he is a phoenix. When he was in the Phoenix Clan, he had a few good friends. I thought he could accept it, but I didn't expect him to react so strongly."
Du Heng carefully put Xiaoxiao on the bed. He tucked Xiaoxiao in and got out of bed. He said to Xuanyu and the others, "Don't bother the child. Let's talk somewhere else."
Feng Gui under Ye Ming Zhu was quite distressed: "It would be best if Xiao Xiao could stay in Dongji Mountain. This way, even if they find Xiao Xiao's trace, they can't see us and won't do anything to him. It's also good to go back to the Feng Clan. Although without me, they may bully Xiao Xiao, but his life won't be in danger."
Du Heng and Xuan Yu listened quietly, and Jing Nan joined in at some point. The three adults just watched Feng Gui in distress. Feng Gui sighed, "I always want to give him the best, but I always make him feel so uncomfortable. The child must be blaming me in his heart."
Jing Nan stretched out an arm and hooked it around Feng Gui's neck: "Hey, I know you mean well, but Xiao Xiao is not stupid. If the child doesn't want to, we shouldn't force it. Just stay with us. Can't the three of us protect a child? Besides, if we find the Chaos Bead, we can immediately mend the child's spiritual veins. Don't bother with it."
Feng Gui lowered his head and spoke in a low voice: "His parents are no longer with us. If something happens to him again, how can I face them?"
Jing Nan comforted him, "It's okay, just take him with you. Xiaoxiao and Du Heng get along well, and he won't run around with Du Heng around, and he's also a sensible child."
It would be fine if Du Heng was not mentioned, but Feng Gui was helpless when Du Heng was mentioned. Feng Gui raised his head and looked at Du Heng deeply. He looked at Du Heng with deep eyes.
Du Heng was frightened by his gaze: "Why are you looking at me like that?" Oh no, Feng Gui wouldn't come to hold him responsible, what if Feng Gui accused Du Heng of being too pampered with Xiao Xiao, causing him to have trouble educating the child now? Du Heng was really right but couldn't explain himself.
Feng Gui shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Each of them is really worrying."
Du Heng smiled awkwardly: "Hehe."
Feng Gui suddenly said to Du Heng: "Xiao Xiao and I are not actually related by blood."
Du Heng was stunned for a moment: "Huh?" No blood relationship? Aren't they uncle and nephew?
Feng Gui said: "His parents were once my subordinates, but unfortunately they both died while on a mission, leaving Xiaoxiao behind as an egg. I originally wanted to give him to a childless couple in the tribe to raise, but when I was looking for a suitable match, trouble broke out in the tribe. In the chaos, Xiaoxiao's spiritual roots were taken away by a greedy person. Even if the little phoenix without spiritual roots can break out of the shell, it will become the target of everyone's bullying."
Talking about sad things, Feng Gui's eyes were slightly red: "The little phoenix has already gained consciousness in the eggshell, and can communicate with its parents. I know nothing about raising children, and I was afraid that he would not be able to break out of the shell, so I could only hold him all night long. Listening to the child crying in the eggshell, I thought more than once, if he can't break out of the shell, how can I face his parents?"
Jing Nan patted Feng Gui's shoulder gently: "Don't say anything, it's all in the past."
Feng Gui shook his head in pain: "No, his parents are such excellent phoenixes, with pure blood and strong strength. But I can't even protect their offspring, what kind of clan leader am I?"
Du Heng felt mixed emotions. He had always thought that Xiaoxiao and Fenggui were just ordinary uncle and nephew. How could there be such a hidden story? Xuan Yu reached out and held Du Heng's hand. Du Heng felt the warmth on the back of his hand, and he felt a little better.
Feng Gui said in a hoarse voice: "It was very difficult for the child to break out of the shell. The moment he broke out of the shell, I made a vow: As long as I, Feng Gui, am alive, I will protect him. I want him to be the happiest child and the best phoenix.
"The first thing Xiaoxiao said was to call me daddy. I thought more than once that it would be great if he was really my child. I could use the secret technique of the Phoenix Clan to give him half of my spiritual roots, but he is not. I can never replace his parents, so I can only tell him that I am his uncle.
"When I named him, my full name was Fenglin, hoping that he would rule the world one day. My nickname was Xiaoxiao, hoping that he would smile and be happy every day. But it is too difficult for a child without spiritual roots to be happy. The demon cultivators respect strength. Even though they were polite to Xiaoxiao for my sake, they were laughing at him behind his back.
"When he was young, he was ignorant and I was busy, so I sent him to live with the Phoenix family. Every time I went out, he would stand by the door and look at me. None of the little phoenixes with him could compare to him. Really, I could spot him among a bunch of little phoenixes at a glance.
"When he was in pain or sick, he never cried or made a fuss. Every time he heard that I was coming back, he was the first one to wait for me on the Fenglin Terrace. The little phoenix beside him slowly transformed, but he still couldn't."
Feng Gui's tears just fell. "I know I am too harsh on him. He is just a child, but I want him to remember the mental method that even the great phoenix cannot remember. I used my authority to find all the mental methods that are useful to the Feather Clan in the world, just hoping that he can have another way to go. If I am gone in the future, he can also rely on these mental methods and his understanding and cognition of the Feather Clan to have a way out.
"Every time I teased him and made him hate me, how could I bear it? You don't know the look in that child's eyes when he saw me in the early years. Every time I left, his eyes made me unable to leave. And every time I came back, the light in his eyes was brighter than the stars in the sky. For a hundred years, no matter what kind of danger I was in, as long as I thought of Xiaoxiao, I told myself that I could not die.
"After all, I am not his parent. I have too many responsibilities and there are too many dangers around me. I can't let him rely on me, but I don't want to see his eyes full of hatred and disappointment in me... Over the years, I have been carefully trying to find a balance, but I always fail to do it well."
Jing Nan held Feng Gui in his arms and let Feng Gui lean on his shoulder: "You have done very well. Although Xiao Xiao cannot transform, he is better than other children. He is kind and brave. You have taught him very well."
Feng Gui shook his head: "That's not my credit, that's your and Xiaoyu's credit. Over the years, the child has spent too little time with me. Jing Nan, I find it too difficult to raise a child. I want to put him under my wings and protect him from the wind and rain, but I'm afraid that if I protect him too much, he will lose the ability and courage to face the wind and rain.
"But I can't completely let go of him. I have thought more than once, what will happen to Feng Lin if I am gone one day? Will he be able to survive? He is so stupid that he has to help others to make money after being sold."
Xuan Yu said slowly: "That day will never come."
Jing Nan also comforted him: "Yes, the most important people are here, don't worry."
Feng Gui wiped his tears and said with a sob: "Tonight I told him to stay in Dongji Mountain or return to the Feng Clan. He was talking to me peacefully, and then he just...just looked at me straight, and tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Since this child was born, he would cry when I teased him, but he never cried so sadly. Do you know what? In my opinion, I did it for his own good, but in his eyes, it seemed like I had done something unforgivable. I knew he was sad.
"I tell you, if Jinghong was in front of me right now, I would ruthlessly crush her soul and make her never reincarnate. If it weren't for her, Xiaoxiao would have stayed in the Phoenix Clan, would have become an outstanding little phoenix, and would have become a powerful demon cultivator like his parents. But Jinghong, she destroyed all of this for a man."
Jing Nan stroked Feng Gui's golden hair and said comfortingly, "Think about it the other way around. If there was no Jing Hong, you wouldn't care so much about Xiao Xiao. You have so many subordinates, and so many Yu Clan demon cultivators die every year. They will also have offspring. The reason why Xiao Xiao is special is because his spiritual roots are ruined. If his spiritual roots were intact, you would foster him in an ordinary Feng Clan family, and when you saw him playing in the clan, you would at most say to the people around you: Ah, that's so-and-so's child, and he's already this big."
Jing Nan smiled and said, "Hurry up and wipe your tears. If Xiaoxiao wakes up and sees you crying, he will definitely laugh at you. In fact, I think Xiaoxiao is really like you. She is worthy of being the child you raised."
Feng Gui wiped his tears and cleared his throat: "Can you tell that I cried?"
Jing Nan and Xuan Yu gave a thumbs up at the same time: "No, he is still as handsome as ever."
Du Heng felt that the filter of Feng Gui in his heart had been completely shattered. The cool and domineering Feng Gui who was so awesome when they first met first became a willful and domineering foodie who loved spicy food, and then a good elder who endured humiliation and worked hard for the children. Monsters, like people, really have many faces. Du Heng felt that Feng Gui revealed his true nature in front of everyone.
Feng Gui sniffed and said in frustration: "This child is usually easy to coax, but this time he is so angry that it will be difficult to coax him." Feng Gui was very depressed: "It's also my fault for taking it for granted. The child has grown up and has his own ideas. He ran away from home last time and wanted to go to the world of human cultivation. Who knows what he is thinking about me this time."
It was too painful to be misunderstood by the one you love. Xiaoxiao was sad because Feng Gui's words were like abandoning him again. But Feng Gui didn't mean any harm. The most troublesome thing in the world is probably this - good intentions lead to bad results.
212
Seeing Feng Gui looking dejected, Du Heng said, "Xiao Xiao actually loves his uncle very much. Whenever he has something delicious, he will think of Feng Gui. Every time he finds something delicious, he will save it up and bring it back for Feng Gui. Feng Gui, you just need to apologize and explain it clearly."
Feng Gui also felt quite aggrieved. The way he shrank his neck looked like a defeated rooster. He didn't look even one-tenth as energetic as usual.
Du Heng smiled and said, "I will make some snacks tomorrow. Feng Gui, you can bring them to Xiao Xiao and say some soft words. I promise Xiao Xiao will be back to normal." Feng Gui raised his head doubtfully, "Really?"
Du Heng gave a thumbs up: "Watch it!"
Uncle Fenggui and his nephew had been making a fuss for most of the night, which made Du Heng lose his sleep. He lay on the bed, hugged Xiaoxiao who was sleeping soundly, and then whispered to Xuanyu: "Fenggui loves Xiaoxiao so deeply. I didn't expect he would be like this."
Xuan Yu responded to Du Heng softly: "Feng Gui is just a little impatient. Xiaoxiao is his weakness, even though he won't admit it." Du Heng narrowed his eyes: "I always thought he was straightforward and domineering, but I didn't expect he had such a delicate side."
Xuan Yu laughed quietly, "Feng Gui is not at home all year round, so you have little contact with him. In fact, he is a very picky person, he likes to imagine things and he is stubborn. He often gets angry at the slightest thing, but he has a fragile heart. I often made him cry when he was a child."
Du Heng pricked up his ears suddenly: "Eh? Crying out of anger?"
Xuan Yu's smile deepened: "Can't you tell? When he was little, he was a crybaby, with a loud voice and lots of tears. Once he started crying, he would cry non-stop. Qing Heng would hide as soon as he saw him about to howl."
Du Heng's mouth twitched: "Hey? Really? I can't tell at all! Tell me about your childhood."
Xuan Yu smiled and said, "Okay, when he was a kid, Jing Nan was a bad boy. He always encouraged Feng Gui to do bad things, and then he would blame me after they were done..."
The next morning, Du Heng kneaded the dough and smiled: "Is this true?"
Jing Nan was furious: "Who is the bad one? I'm telling you, you can't listen to Xuan Yu's nonsense, he is the worst one! Hey, he is the best at pretending to be pitiful and obedient in front of Qing Heng, you must not be fooled by him!"
Du Heng shrugged: "I don't know, I just heard what you said. If you have any opinions, go and fight."
Jing Nan snorted angrily: "How dare you ruin my reputation. Ah, I'm so angry..." After a while, Jing Nan sniffed: "It's not over yet? I've been waiting for a long time."
Du Heng looked at Jing Nan in surprise: "That's strange, didn't you sleep in before? Xiaoxiao didn't get up today, why did you get up?"
Jing Nan sighed, "It's Feng Gui. She kept nagging me all night. I thought I couldn't sleep anyway, so I came to watch over you. Didn't you say you were going to make some snacks? Is this the snack you were going to make? What is this? It's yellow."
In the wooden basin in front of Du Heng was a yellow rice flour ball, and he was splitting it in half. Du Heng said, "This is a mixture of pumpkin and rice flour. It will be ready in a frying pan."
Jing Nan pointed to a plate of yellow crumbs next to him and asked, "What is this?" Du Heng smiled and said, "Bread crumbs."
Jing Nan blinked: "What? What bran?"
Du Heng explained: "Actually, I dried the solid steamed buns and then crushed them. When I fry the food, I coat it with this. It will form a crispy shell on the outside and taste better."
Jing Nan pinched a little and tasted it. It really tasted like a solid steamed bun: "There are so many varieties."
Du Heng smiled and said, "To appease children, you have to make it a little fancy." As Du Heng spoke, his hands did not stop. He divided the dough into even portions.
Jing Nan stood beside Du Heng and circled around: "Hey? Where's the noodles? Why is it this color?" Du Heng looked at Jing Nan's constantly probing claws. He took out the small branch next to him that he used to scare Xiaoxiao and shook it. Jing Nan tactfully withdrew his hand.
Du Heng smiled and said, "This is easy. The yellow one is pumpkin. Yun Zheng and his friends brought back a lot of pumpkins. Peel the pumpkins, steam them, and then add rice flour in a ratio of five to three. That is, if you have five kilograms of pumpkin paste, you can add three kilograms of rice flour."
Jing Nan looked at Du Heng helplessly: "Do you think... I look like a fool?" Du Heng dared to talk about the ratio to a person who played with pills? Was he kidding?
Du Heng chuckled: "There is also a portion of starch and a portion of sugar in it. Adding them will make the taste better. Then knead them like this and knead them into a ball."
Jing Nan still stretched out his paw towards the dough and pressed it: "Did you add water?"
Du Heng patted Jing Nan's paw and said, "No need, because there is moisture in the pumpkin paste. After kneading it, it will become a rice flour ball like this. Then you can make pumpkin pie."
Du Heng kneaded the dough into a ball, and then pressed it on the chopping board until it was as big as a palm. He rolled the pressed pancake in the bread crumbs, and sure enough, some bread crumbs were on both sides of the pancake. Du Heng also pressed the pancake lightly to make the bread crumbs stick more tightly.
After sticking the bread crumbs on it, he slid the pancake along the edge of the pan into the oil pan. After the pancake entered the pan, it sank to the bottom of the pan temporarily, but after a while it floated up from the bottom of the pan.
The yellow pumpkin pancakes had not yet expanded. Du Heng threw a pair of chopsticks to Jing Nan and said, "Help me watch the pancakes. If you see any pancakes floating up, help me turn them over. Each pancake needs to be turned over four or five times, so that it can expand and become round."
Jing Nan raised his chopsticks: "What about you?"
Du Heng said: "I make pancakes. After I fry them, I also steam them in a steamer."
While he was talking, another five or six pancakes were put into the pot. Looking at the yellow floating in the pot, Jing Nan felt helpless: "The early bird catches the worm... Hey, the early fox gets to work."
Jing Nan turned the pancake over while muttering to himself. The pumpkin pancake expanded after being heated. Soon, the basket on the stove was filled with round pancakes. Jing Nan turned the pancake over while asking Du Heng, "Where's Xiaoyu? Isn't she still asleep?"
Du Heng rolled his eyes at Jing Nan and said, "Do you think Xiaoyu is you? He went to pick persimmons for me."
Jing Nan scanned the forest with his spiritual sense and saw Xuan Yu releasing geese and picking persimmons in the nearby forest. He sighed, "What a sin! What a good dragon is doing. Oh, why are you picking persimmons? The persimmons are not ripe yet. We have to wait for more than half a month."
Du Heng just threw the last pumpkin pie he needed to fry into the frying pan, and he took the other half of the rice flour dough from the wooden basin. He grabbed the dough and said, "Pick them and make crispy persimmons and persimmon cakes. Otherwise, if so many persimmons ripen at the same time, we won't have time to eat them all."
Jing Nan raised his eyebrows: "Hey, it's something I haven't eaten before, not bad."
After Jing Nan took out all the pancakes from the pot, a dozen palm-sized golden pumpkins were placed in the steamer in front of Du Heng. These were all pumpkins made by Du Heng with dough. Du Heng kneaded the dough into a ball skillfully, and then pressed the ball into dough.
Du Heng put a spoonful of candied red beans in the middle of the dough, then rolled it into a ball. He took a bamboo stick and pressed along the edge of the dough. Six shallow grooves appeared on the small dough, and the shape of a pumpkin was formed.
The pumpkins Du Heng made were much prettier than the ones Yun Zheng and his friends had brought back. The pumpkins he made were of uniform size and were placed neatly in the steamer. Du Heng also pressed a long red and white strip in the center of the pumpkin. Jing Nan took a look and saw that it was a red date cut into long strips!
Jing Nan reached out and took a fried pumpkin pie and nibbled on it: "It's really good looking... Mm! Delicious!"
The fried pumpkin pie had a crispy crust and a soft inside. It was fragrant and crispy. When you bite a hole, you can see the cavity inside the pie. Although it was fried in oil, it didn't taste greasy at all. Jing Nan couldn't help but eat one.
Du Heng said to Jing Nan, "You can ask Feng Guilai to bring some cakes to make Xiaoxiao laugh."
Jing Nan took another cake and said calmly: "Let me coax myself first." Jing Daxian was very thick-skinned and Du Heng was helpless.
After a while, the pumpkin cakes for steaming were also put into the steamer. After the water boiled, it took a cup of tea to steam the cakes, and they would be cooked!
When Du Heng was about to call Feng Gui, Feng Gui had already walked onto the platform. Feng Gui turned into the majestic and calm monster again. He took the pumpkin pie that Du Heng handed to him and nodded gratefully.
Du Heng looked at Feng Gui turning around and sighed: "Xiao Xiao is very happy to be cared for by someone like Feng Gui."
Jing Nan said casually: "Yes, Feng Gui seems to care nothing, but he is actually very thoughtful." Du Heng couldn't help but think of what Xuan Yu said. He asked Jing Nan in a mean way: "Hey, Nan Nan, was Feng Gui really a crybaby when he was a child?"
Jing Nan raised his eyebrows: "Hey, that voice is endless when it starts crying, anyone who has heard it will know."
Du Heng ate the cake and sighed: "Don't judge a person by his appearance..."
After a while, the cakes in the steamer were cooked. Du Heng took out the steamer and cooked tofu soup in the pot while it was still hot. He liked to eat some salty and fresh tofu soup in the morning, which was delicious with fried dough sticks or pan-fried buns. It was a pity that the oven was gone, otherwise he could have baked some cakes.
When Du Heng poured the starch into the soup pot, he heard Xiao Wonton's cry. He turned his head and saw Xuan Yu coming in the morning dew, with a basket of yellow persimmons on his back: "I'm back."
Du Heng put down the bowl in his hand: "Ah, the pumpkin pie is ready, come and eat it!"
213
It turns out that Xiaoxiao is easy to coax. Before the tofu soup was ready, Xiaoxiao flapped his wings and followed his uncle to the platform. Du Heng showed Xiaoxiao the pumpkin cake in the steamer. Xiaoxiao's hair shook three times and he chirped in surprise.
Du Heng smiled and said, "What you just ate was fried pumpkin pie, and this one is steamed. Try it and see which one you like?"
Xiaoxiao couldn't let go of the pancakes in the steamer. He carefully picked one up and gave it to Fenggui, then picked another one up to try. Xiaoxiao patted his belly and told Du Heng that he liked both kinds of pumpkin pancakes!
The uncle-nephew crisis ended with the uncle and nephew shaking hands and making peace. Xiaoxiao no longer had to worry about being abandoned by his uncle, and Fenggui would never again ask Xiaoxiao to stay. Fenggui, who had relaxed, looked at the persimmons in the backpack: "Hmm? Persimmons? Not ripe yet?"
Du Heng smiled and said, "Yes, it's not ripe yet, but it's just right for making crisp persimmons." It was the first time Feng Gui heard of crisp persimmons. He ate a pumpkin pie and said, "Crispy persimmons? Is that what you mean?"
Xuan Yu said: "Du Heng said that if you smear persimmons with white wine and put them in a windless place, you can eat crisp and sweet persimmons in three to five days, without any astringency."
Feng Gui was excited: "Really? There is such a method? I like to eat persimmons, but I have to wait until there is frost every year to eat them. The persimmons of the Southern Feather Tribe are much larger than those of Dongji Mountain, and they are flat."
Du Heng looked at the persimmons that Xuan Yu had picked. These persimmons were not small in size, and each one weighed one or two taels, and they felt heavy in his hand. The slightly yellow persimmons were hard, and if they were hit on Xiao Wonton's head, they would definitely make a bulge.
Du Heng picked out half a frame of persimmons and trimmed the flower-shaped fruit stems on the persimmons with his spiritual energy. Then he found a pottery jar, rolled each persimmon in the white wine bowl, and then Du Heng carefully stacked them in the jar.
Du Heng closed the lid with satisfaction: "Wait three to five days and you can eat the crisp persimmons!"
He planned to make the remaining persimmons into dried persimmon cakes. The process of making dried persimmon cakes was rather complicated and required continuous drying and sealing for a long time. It would take a while to make them. Du Heng was not in a hurry. He planned to make them slowly after breakfast.
When he took a steamed pumpkin pie and tasted it carefully, he saw Xiaoxiao chewing a peeled raw persimmon. Du Heng was stunned: "Hey? Xiaoxiao, where did you get the persimmon?"
Xiaoxiao turned around and pointed in the direction of the table. Du Heng looked back and saw Feng Gui and Jing Nan had already opened the lid. Feng Gui was peeling the persimmons, while Jing Nan was chewing them without hesitation.
Du Heng understood it at a glance. It must be Feng Gui who used the heaven-defying time-flowing technique again! It was too easy for the monks to eat. Du Heng was jealous.
Xuan Yu snatched the freshly peeled persimmon from Feng Gui's hand and handed it to Du Heng: "It smells good."
Du Heng was helpless: "You eat persimmons right after breakfast, you don't have to worry about diarrhea because of the sudden change from hot to cold." Not to mention, crisp persimmons are crispy and sweet, they taste like apples, but sweeter than apples.
Persimmons with unripe seeds inside taste more tender and crisp. Du Heng immediately fell in love with the persimmons from Dongji Mountain. He exclaimed: "So sweet, even sweeter than the persimmons from my hometown."
Yun Zheng and his friends woke up too. They tasted the persimmons. Yun Zheng asked how to make them and said he would pick more persimmons to make crisp persimmons. Persimmons are much sweeter than other wild fruits. If they can be kept until winter, they will be great fruits.
Feng Gui seemed to be thinking: "Come to think of it... Every year when the persimmon season comes, another delicacy comes on the market. I wonder if there is any in Dongji Mountain."
Xuan Yu miraculously took over Feng Gui's topic: "Are you talking about crabs?"
Chonghua said casually, "Is it the kind of crab with fuzz on its claws? They are really getting fatter this season, and they should be turning yellow."
Du Heng was stunned for a moment: "Are you talking about... hairy crabs?" There are hairy crabs in Dongji Mountain? ?
Yun Zheng said, "I don't know what the hairy crabs Mr. Du is talking about are, but the kind of crabs that Feng Jun is talking about can be found in Dongji Mountain, in the ditches at the foot of the mountain. If Feng Jun likes them, I will go catch some and bring them back."
Feng Gui nodded: "Yes, we want the big ones. The small ones are boring to eat." While chewing on a persimmon, Feng Gui ordered Yun Zheng and the others domineeringly: "We will steam them when we catch them."
Du Heng said dimly, "I'm afraid you won't be able to eat it even if I catch it."
Feng Gui was puzzled: "Why?" Du Heng said: "Persimmons and crabs are incompatible. Eating them will cause poisoning."
Feng Gui was extremely calm: "Oh, I am immune to all poisons, don't worry."
It took Yun Zheng and his team the whole morning to go back and forth, and it only took them a few breaths to catch the crabs, but they didn't stop on their way. This shows that Dongji Mountain is really huge, so huge that defenders like Yun Zheng have to travel a long distance.
However, the crabs Yun Zheng and his friends brought back surprised Du Heng. As he expected, the basket was filled with dark blue hairy crabs, each weighing 30-40 grams. The largest crab had a shell bigger than Du Heng's fist. The water and soil of the demon world nourished people and crabs. Du Heng had never seen such big crabs in his hometown.
What is the most delicious way to eat crabs? Steaming or boiling can retain the original flavor, while drunken or pickled crabs can add a layer of deliciousness to the original flavor. Braising or deep-frying with some seasonings can be a great dish to go with rice or wine.
Looking at the large basket of crabs, Du Heng's mind was already filled with countless crab dishes. However, he was not going to make these crab dishes for lunch. Don't ask him why, or he'd blame Feng Gui and the others.
Feng Gui and his friends had no restraint and ate half a basket of persimmons in the morning. They were not afraid of being poisoned, but Du Heng was afraid that they would collapse! To be on the safe side, the crab dishes were cooked at night. If Du Heng saw anyone secretly eating persimmons again in the afternoon, he would beat them!
Du Heng and Xuan Yu soaked the remaining persimmons in salt water to clean them. After they were dry, they peeled them and then tied them by the stems with thin ropes and hung them on the highest platform of Yun Zheng's house to dry.
The peeled persimmon peels were not wasted. Du Heng placed them on the bamboo stalks to dry.
From the highest platform, you can see most of Dongji Mountain. Du Heng stood at the highest point and took a deep breath: "Ah, the scenery of Dongji Mountain is really beautiful!"
Xuan Yu was casting a barrier on the persimmons on the platform. Du Heng was not going to put the persimmons away, so he needed a barrier to protect them. Hearing Du Heng say this, Xuan Yu turned his head and looked at Du Heng, who was looking into the distance with one hand over his eyes.
Xuan Yu said, "This place used to be barren." Du Heng blinked, "Huh? Really?"
Xuan Yu said: "Dongji Mountain used to be where the Heavenly Steps were located. The cultivators who obtained them could ascend to the upper realms through the Heavenly Steps. However, the Heavenly Steps broke, and the Taixu Realm sank into the Chaos Sea. Since then, no one in the Taixu Realm has ascended. The fallen Heavenly Steps smashed into the ground and formed Dongji Mountain. This mountain spans thousands of miles from north to south, separating the two worlds of human cultivators and demon cultivators. For today's cultivators, Dongji Mountain is still an insurmountable natural barrier."
Du Heng's eyes sparkled: "Really? Can I really ascend to the upper realm?"
Xuan Yu smiled and nodded: "Yes. According to legend, in ancient times there was a Dao tree that could carry tens of millions of small worlds. At that time, all the small worlds were attached to the Dao tree."
Du Heng interrupted Xuan Yu: "Dao wood? Are you talking about the Dao wood at the entrance of our village?" Xuan Yu thought for a moment and said, "Maybe? But I don't know, and I've never seen such a huge Dao wood."
Du Heng said embarrassedly: "You continue."
Xuan Yu said: "The Dao tree grew on the Chaos Sea for hundreds of billions of years. Later, because of its age, it began to decay. The Dao tree carrying the Heavenly Dao eventually collapsed, and the small world attached to the Dao tree also crashed into the sea. The small world that fell into the Chaos Sea will be swallowed up by the Chaos Sea. Perhaps you already know that the Taixu Realm was also destined to sink into the sea. It was just that the Saint Qingheng used his own power to fill the channel for the Chaos Sea to erode the earth."
Du Heng nodded. He had read this passage in history books. When he read it at that time, Du Heng did not have a deep feeling. However, after listening to Xuan Yu's words, he suddenly felt heavy.
Xuan Yu said, "I, Jing Nan, and Feng Gui, the three of us were picked up by Qing Heng." Du Heng felt that Xuan Yu's voice was full of nostalgia. He thought for a long time and could only come up with two words: "My condolences."
Xuan Yu smiled slightly: "He has been gone for ten thousand years. Even though his name is recorded in history books, not many people remember who he was."
Du Heng didn't know how to comfort Xuan Yu, so he said, "You must miss him a lot."
Xuan Yu nodded: "Yes, I miss him very much. He didn't spend much time with us, only a few hundred years. When he died, he didn't even see us transform." Du Heng's nose was a little sour, and he thought of the thatched hut in the cave.
Xuan Yu said slowly, "To the cultivators in the demon and human worlds, he is a saint. But to us, he is a family member, irreplaceable. He was silly and naive, and believed everything others said. He didn't have to die, but everyone said that his cultivation was the highest, so he jumped. He said that there are some things in the world that have to be done by someone, and his death can keep us alive, which is enough."
Seeing Xuan Yu's sad eyes, Du Heng hugged him and said, "Don't be sad. I think he must have felt it was worth it when he saw you guys when he jumped."
Xuan Yu hugged Du Heng with his backhand: "I missed him very much. And then I waited for you, and that's enough."
Du Heng said hesitantly: "But... I can't compare with Saint Qing Heng." Xuan Yu smiled and kissed his forehead: "In my heart, you are the same as Qing Heng. You are my Taoist partner. Thinking of this, I can wake up with a smile even in my dreams."
Du Heng chuckled: "Silly." Du Heng felt that he had one good point. He didn't care who the other person was before or what happened to him. He only cared about the present. Now this excellent man was his Taoist partner, and that was enough. Instead of thinking about things that gave him a headache, it was better to live his life steadily.
Xuan Yu looked up at the bunches of persimmons hanging in front of the cave entrance. He asked Du Heng, "It's still early. Do you want to pick some more persimmons and make more persimmon cakes?"
Du Heng refused and said, "Leave some for the birds in the mountains? When the mountains are covered with snow, the birds can't find food."
Xuan Yu smiled. He pulled Du Heng to the west of Yunzheng Cave and said, "You underestimate the Feather Clan and Dongji Mountain."
Du Heng looked around and saw a large orchard facing the western platform. Everywhere he looked, there were fruits of all kinds. Du Heng scratched his head.
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