"Alright, let's eat." Dashuang grabbed one and stuffed it into Xiaoshuang's hand. "Ooh, it's so hot!" Dashuang blew on his hand, then, not caring about anything else, grabbed another bun and began to gobble it down, huffing with exertion.
Xiaoshuang did not hesitate either.
After everyone had eaten two buns each, they tacitly stopped eating, leaving the rest to take home for their parents and for dinner that night.
As Dashuang rubbed his not-quite-full stomach, he swore to himself that he would eat these delicious meat buns every day, for every meal, from now on.
Gu Qingli looked at the little boy; he was very cute and adorable.
After poking his little belly, she put the remaining buns in her basket and said, "Let's go home."
"Mm-hmm."
Both boys automatically held Gu Qingli's hand.
Gu Qingli smiled and led them towards the outskirts of the town.
As they left the town, a tall man hurried towards them, not paying any attention to the approaching trio.
The siblings, on the other hand, noticed Xiao Yunjing.
Both looked up at Gu Qingli.
Gu Qingli looked at the man, her feelings complicated. She couldn't understand how a man like him could have married her.
The man walked hurriedly, his head slightly lowered, obscuring his face. His ink-black hair flowed elegantly in the wind. He wore a long blue robe and was empty-handed. His slender legs moved with a powerful and steady gait; at first glance, he didn't resemble a common villager at all. If he had a sword strapped to his back, he would look just like a heroic swordsman from the martial arts world.
Xiao Yunjing was walking when he suddenly sensed a gaze on him. He looked up and was momentarily stunned.
Gu Qingli was standing with her two younger brothers a short distance away, looking at him.
He met her bright, large eyes, and a sense of guilt made him unconsciously avert his gaze.
"Xiao... Third Brother Xiao," Dashuang timidly called out, breaking the awkwardness.
Xiao Yunjing nodded at Dashuang. "Dashuang, Xiaoshuang."
After greeting both boys, he faced Gu Qingli once again and nodded at her.
Gu Qingli also nodded at him, but she caught a trace of guilt in his eyes, which made her suspicious.What was he guilty about? Was he afraid of bringing her misfortune? Or was he the one who had assaulted the Original Host?
When Gu Qingli thought about that incident, a wave of anger surged within her. If it was him, she would definitely make him pay.
Gu Qingli gave him a meaningful glance before striding away with her brothers.
Xiao Yunjing froze. What did that look from Gu Qingli mean? Had she recognized him? He was sure he had worn a mask that day.
With a growing sense of unease, Xiao Yunjing went to the tailor shop, ordered clothes for both Gu Qingli and himself, then left and headed into the mountains again.
When Gu Qingli and her two younger brothers reached the village entrance, Dashuang took the medicine and two buns back home, and was to bring back a hoe.
Once Dashuang returned with the hoe, Gu Qingli led the two boys up the mountain. The two boys clearly sensed that Second Sister had been in a bad mood since meeting Third Brother Xiao.
They spoke less as well, focusing on digging up medicinal herbs once they were in the mountains.
At noon, Gu Qingli pretended to have dug up some sweet potatoes. She found a place with water to wash them, and the three siblings began to eat them, skin and all.
"Second Sister, what is this? It's delicious—so sweet and crisp!" Dashuang couldn't help but ask.
After finishing a sweet potato, Gu Qingli washed the sticky residue from her hands. She ruffled her inquisitive little brother's head and said, "I don't know. Its skin is red, so let's just call it a sweet potato."
As far as she could remember, there were no sweet potatoes or regular potatoes in this place. The main crops were rice, wheat, soybeans, Hongdou, and black beans. There weren't many vegetables either; the most common were Napa cabbage, radishes, lettuce, and bok choy. As for seafood, the people here had never even heard of it. Even fish and shrimp from the rivers were rarely caught and eaten by the locals. Most fish caught by the villagers were sold to the restaurants in the County Town, as they themselves didn't know how to cook them deliciously.
Gu Qingli thought that once she earned some money in the future, the first thing she would do was open a restaurant. She would utilize all the local resources and let the people here taste modern-style cuisine. The people would get to enjoy delicious food, and she would earn silver. Of course, she couldn't abandon her medical skills. However, she wouldn't treat people as openly as before. Wouldn't it be wonderful to become a mysterious, elusive divine doctor in the martial arts world, one who is rarely seen? That way, she could continue her true calling without exposing herself.
Thinking this, Gu Qingli's mood brightened.
After the two boys finished their sweet potatoes, they washed their hands, wiped them on their clothes, and then headed deeper into the mountains with Gu Qingli.
RUSTLE...
SHH...
Upon hearing the sound, Gu Qingli immediately signaled for the boys to stop. They hadn't heard the noise and didn't know what was happening, but they stopped immediately and nervously watched her.
Gu Qingli waved her hand to signal that everything was alright. She then immediately put down her basket, crouched low, and stealthily approached the source of the sound.
Drawing closer, her heart leaped with joy. It was a plump hare, nibbling on a medicinal herb! The rustling sound earlier was it scratching the dry leaves on the ground. But rabbits are clever and timid; they're hard to catch. How could she catch it? She didn't have any tools on her. Ah, an idea! Gu Qingli's mind raced. With a flick of her wrist, a carrot appeared in her hand. Another flick, and a packet of anesthetic powder materialized.
She sprinkled some anesthetic powder onto the carrot and tossed it in front of the rabbit.
THUD.
The rabbit, frightened, scampered away and disappeared.
Gu Qingli stayed crouched, not moving.
After a while, as if drawn by some unseen force, the hare returned. It twitched its nose, sniffing, and hopped closer to the carrot.
A smirk touched Gu Qingli's lips. No animal could resist food from her Space.
As expected, the hare hopped over and started to nibble, its small mouth moving happily. Unfortunately, not even a hundred breaths had passed before the hare suddenly fell to the ground, its short legs kicking a few times before it lost consciousness.
HEHE.
Gu Qingli darted over, retrieved the carrot, storing it back in her Space, then grabbed the unconscious rabbit and headed back.
The two boys had seen her crouching in the grass for a long time and waited obediently by the basket. When they saw her return carrying a rabbit, they were ecstatic.
"Second Sister, what a fat rabbit!"
"Mhm, let's grill it this afternoon before we head back."
"Are we going to eat it?" Dashuang asked, his eyes wide with joyful surprise.
"Yeah, did you want to keep it?"
"No, I just thought Second Sister was going to sell it." They barely had enough food for themselves; how could they raise a rabbit?
Gu Qingli shook her head. "We're not selling it. A rabbit we got for free? Of course, we're eating it ourselves."
"Second Sister, should I go back and get a flint, a knife, and some salt?" Xiaoshuang, who had been quiet until now, piped up.
"Sure." Gu Qingli was surprised by Xiaoshuang's quick thinking. They needed tools to roast the rabbit, and the little one had figured it out immediately. Although her Space contained everything they could possibly need, past experiences had taught her to be cautious about using it.
Once he got Gu Qingli's approval, Xiaoshuang informed her and then hurried down the mountain.
She and Dashuang continued to dig for herbs nearby.
"Second Sister, come look! What's this?" Dashuang's excited voice suddenly called out.
"What's wrong?" Gu Qingli hurried over.
"Second Sister, look."