Chu Ming
He slept for quite a long time, and although he had no dreams, he couldn't wake up. Fortunately, after waking up, he regained all the energy he had lost, and only then did Meng Yan remember the nonsense he had been spouting to everyone.
It was dark outside, the moon cast long shadows, and the wind blew the light through the window, which fell on Meng Yan's face, so bright that she couldn't help but close her eyes and then slowly open them again.
As if she had regained her senses, she propped herself up on the bed, stretched her limbs to make sure there were no major problems, and then jumped off the bed and walked to the window to enjoy the cool breeze.
Before long, he was starting to tremble, but as soon as he thought of the “unremembered notes” from that day, Meng Yan felt he could still feel the wind blowing a few more times.
Unfortunately, the wind couldn't blow this memory away from her mind. She picked up her hair, which had been messed up several times from sleeping and being blown by the wind, and absentmindedly combed it.
Where can the takeoff and landing be improved? Can the cockpit mechanism be replaced with the senior's new invention? Can the safety during flight be guaranteed by adding parts? Can the wings of the mechanical kite withstand the repeated tests to come?
The drifting clouds obscured the lonely moon, and Meng Yan, lost in thought, lay in the shadows.
Suddenly, the wind blew and the clouds moved, and light shone through the clouds, falling on the bronze mirror in front of Meng Yan. At the same time, the problems she was pondering were answered. She paused in stroking her hair, and with a smile on her lips, she returned to the table and took out paper and pen.
As dawn broke, she had already gone back to bed and fallen asleep. When Senior Sister Zhang came to check on her, she found Meng Yan unconscious, just like she had been for the past few days.
After one set of footsteps left, an even more lively set of footsteps arrived.
“Master, my junior sister has not woken up for several days. If she continues to lie there without eating or drinking, it may harm her health.”
Li the Cripple was equally worried. He anxiously took Meng Yan's pulse but frowned and called Zhang Shijie over to examine the pulse together.
"This..." Senior Sister Zhang frowned as well, not because her subordinate was weak, but rather... it was all too normal.
"Go ahead and do your work. I'll ask San Leng to get her some of her favorite food. We can't let this little troublemaker go hungry."
The noise around him quickly dissipated, and when Meng Yan regained consciousness, he could only smell a familiar and rich fragrance.
The fresh aroma of mushrooms and the smoky fragrance of meat seemed to circle around her, trapping her in the middle. In a daze, Meng Yan thought this was a sign that she was about to starve to death, until she opened her eyes and saw Li the Trapped and the palm-leaf fan he was constantly using.
"Oh dear, Xiao Yan, you're awake! Have something to eat while it's hot!"
Master, the fan in your hand and the wind don't say that.
Adhering to the principle of not wasting food, Meng Yan threw off the covers, jumped up and sat down, smiled and nodded at Li, the crutch, and picked up his rice bowl.
"Young people are just different from old folks like me. They've been lying down for so many days and they're still jumping around. They're in great shape!"
Oh no, I forgot to do the stretching and then get out of bed with a limp. Will Master think I've been faking illness all these days?
Meng Yan wanted to reply, but with half a bowl of porridge and a piece of meat she had just picked up in her hand, it was as if her mouth was full of food. Without hesitation, she made her decision.
Let's eat first.
He wasn't entirely faking his sleepiness, but he was definitely hungry. After a moment of reflection, Guai Zi Li noticed that Meng Yan had already devoured all the food on the table.
She looked up, about to ask her master if she could finish the porridge, but after glancing around, she suddenly realized there was only one bowl of porridge, which meant that this meal was originally prepared just for her.
While she was lost in thought, Li the cripple handed her a handkerchief. She took it and wiped her mouth. As he cleaned up the dishes, he said leisurely, "It's not good to eat too much right after waking up. If you're hungry, go for a stroll around Sanleng. It's been raining these past few days, so I moved your big bird to the backyard."
The wooden door creaked, light and shadow flickered, and Meng Yan was left alone in the room again.
.
As evening fell, wisps of smoke drifted across the sky as San Leng and several of his fellow disciples bustled about inside and outside the kitchen.
"Senior Brother San Leng, do you have any snacks to fill your stomach?"
Meng Yan leaned out of the window and gestured. The fiery aura emanating from San Leng blended with her red dress, making it difficult to see her hand gestures clearly. Meanwhile, the sound of water sloshing around her filled the air. Following Li the Traitor's instructions at noon, he tossed the wok and called out to the window, "Junior Sister Yan! There are some fried meatballs and candied hawthorns at the door! It's rare for Chu to come back today, so we're having a special meal for her. Take whatever else you think is cooked and edible!"
After gathering half a bowl of both sweet and savory dishes, Meng Yan strolled around the valley while eating.
Two large white geese were fighting by the stream. She found a spot she thought was secluded and sat down to watch from a distance. After several rounds of fighting, she heard Li the Cripple calling out from behind her.
"Xiao Ming is finally back! Everyone has prepared a small feast for you in the backyard. Go and catch up with us."
Chu Ming's voice went hoarse for a moment, then she coughed a few times and returned to normal: "This is too extravagant, Master. There's no need for such trouble. I originally planned to go and find them, but I was in such a hurry on the way that I didn't manage to bring back any small things. I feel embarrassed to go now that you've set up a feast."
“We’re all family, there’s no need to be shy. You should learn from your senior sister Yan. She just woke up, went to the kitchen twice, and then brought out a whole bowl of food in a very obvious way.”
Meng Yan choked on the air, repeatedly weighing the empty bowl in his hand, now only the bottom was left. He regretted hearing the sound, but also felt that his master was too old to see clearly and should give way to him.
Li, the crook, continued, "Besides, they're chopping vegetables, washing dishes, and wielding spatulas with the energy of oxen. How could I stop them with just a few words? Go on, go on. Don't waste the leftovers. Save them for your Senior Sister Yan."
Meng Yan: "..."
The sounds behind her faded away, and strangely, the goose in front of her had also disappeared. Meng Yan had a feeling something was wrong, and the next second, two goose beaks suddenly appeared in front of her.
With quick reflexes, she caught the geese by the neck with one in each hand, and the squawking resumed once again.
"quack--"
The sound was so pitiful it sounded like she was about to put them in a pot.
"Big White and Little White, where are you two stuck?"
Li the Claw's voice followed, and the three seemed to be bound together by some kind of bond. The two creatures in his hands became even more excited after hearing this, flapping their wings and calling for help.
Unable to bear it any longer, Meng Yan pried open the beak of one goose and stuffed the other one inside. The two geese, their beaks stuck together, looked at each other and miraculously fell silent.
Guai Zi Li guessed that he was afraid that his two precious children might accidentally kill him, so he asked more questions and raised his voice.
With their savior nearby, the two geese put aside their past grievances and joined forces to fight the enemy, trying to exchange their struggles for the other's freedom, and then using the other's words to get a way out of the kidnapper Li.
However, when they encountered Meng Yan, they didn't hesitate to say that if she had rope in her hand at that moment, it would have already been tied up to the two geese.
Although it was almost evening when he went to the kitchen to find food, the sudden shadow overhead still made Meng Yan subconsciously look up. He was caught red-handed by the kidnapper Li.
"Oh, it's Xiao Yan. Why aren't you in the backyard for the banquet? Why are you chatting with your senior brother here?"
Do you believe they did it on their own initiative?
Meng Yan released her two senior brothers and was about to explain to Li the kidnapper when goose feathers flew everywhere, instantly leaving several muddy goose footprints on her newly changed pomegranate red dress.
The culprits craned their necks to thank Li the cripple, then walked back to the stream side by side, affectionately.
"Then... I'll go to the banquet?" Meng Yan asked, blinking.
Li waved her away, saying, "I'll have your two senior brothers apologize to you later. Go eat first today. Xiao Ming will probably make you new clothes again if she sees you like this."
Look at what she said, it's as if she conspired with the goose to extort money from people. She patted the mud a couple of times, and a circle of muddy color spread around it. In Meng Yan's eyes, it had faded a lot. So she simply went to the backyard to freeload.
.
Even from a great distance, before Meng Yan could see the crowd clearly, Chu Ming, who was standing by the table taking the plates, recognized him first.
She was wearing a pale yellow dress embroidered with butterflies and flowers. With the slightest movement of her, the flowers and butterflies seemed to come alive.
"Sister Yan Yan, come quick, all of this is your favorite food!"
Feeling embarrassed, she walked over and helped Chu Ming sit down, then took her place and started helping to set the plates.
One after another, people came to deliver the food. Meng Yan was so focused on his work that he didn't have time to look up until a plate was handed to him but he couldn't lift it. When he looked up, he saw that it was Senior Brother San Leng, whom he had met not long ago.
"Junior Sister Yan, are you having a digestive walk?"
Brother San Leng, don't speak. You should go back to the kitchen and start a fire.
Meng Yan was busy, so she could only manage a polite smile in response.
"How does the braised eggplant taste? And the fried tofu? It smells delicious, but I don't know how it will taste. You're the only one in the whole valley who has tasted the dishes."
I know you're worried that the food won't taste good and will affect Xiaoming's mood since she just got back, but could you at least care a little about whether I live or die?
If I keep going, everyone will know that I've devoured tonight's menu.
Meng Yan still couldn't reply, and could only keep smiling and nodding at him.
"Senior Brother San Leng's culinary skills are beyond doubt. Sister Yan Yan is busy, so how should she answer you?" Chu Ming walked over from her seat, took the plate from San Leng's hand, and gently placed it on the table.
"Junior Sister Chu, be careful. The food is fresh out of the pot and you can easily get burned."
San Leng stammered three times before he could finish speaking those few words.
"We really need to be careful. If Senior Brother San Leng takes the food down again, it will get cold. By the time Xiao Ming eats it, it might already be frozen."
Meng Yan finally seized the opportunity to fight back, sending her senior brother back to the kitchen with just three sentences and not asking any more questions.
The dishes were almost all served, and Chu Ming pulled Meng Yan to sit down in a corner. She hadn't been able to see clearly before because of the candlelight, but now that the two of them were sitting hand in hand, the mud stains on Meng Yan's body came into Chu Ming's view.
"Sister Yan Yan, did you just get into a fight with a goose?"
Is it that obvious? Meng Yan thought to herself, but then she realized that her clumsy disguise skills were no match for professionals who dealt with clothes all the time.
Chu Ming was weak and had many ailments. She was one of the few healthy people in the valley. When she first entered the valley, she was depressed and had no complexion. It was San Leng and Meng Yan who gradually made her miserable.
One person knocks on the door every day with a different flavor of sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty. Another person sends a mechanical sparrow to deliver small flowers and grass from time to time. Sometimes, the mechanical sparrow will even bring over some half-finished gadgets. That's how the half-dead person is brought back to life.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
