Soon, everyone shoved a pile of items at her and hurried off, terrified that Qiao Suluo might bring up what they had said earlier.
Qiao Suluo looked at the gifts. Though there wasn’t much, it represented everyone’s goodwill. She knew that the Cat Clan Village was located in a remote area. The villagers were quite poor and rarely had enough to eat on a normal day, so being able to offer these items was already a grand gesture.
She hadn’t expected such sincere gratitude just for teaching them a first aid method that many might not even end up using. At this moment, she felt a long-lost warmth that made this world feel a little less foreign.
Touched, she murmured, "This place is actually quite nice."
The system said, "Of course. The people here are honest and simple-minded. They are sincere and passionate, without any scheming or hidden agendas. You will definitely like it here in the future, Host."
Looking at the items left by the door, a smile graced Qiao Suluo’s face. "I was just wondering what to have for dinner. We can’t just eat Konjac. Now, dinner is sorted."
Just then, Que Hongjin returned, carrying a bundle of chopped firewood on his back. After finishing his chores in the afternoon, he had gone up the mountain to chop wood, otherwise they would run out of fuel at home. Although his shoulder blades ached while working due to his broken wings, he had grown numb to the pain over time. He could endure it.
As he arrived, he happened to catch the radiant smile on Qiao Suluo’s face. It was as if she was brimming with sunlight, dyeing the surrounding shadows in warm hues. It was as though her smile alone could brighten the entire world, evoking the image of a rainbow after a fresh rain and breathing life back into the damp grass. She had never shown such an expression before, and at this moment, her eyes were as clear as a pool of pristine water.
Sensing his gaze, Qiao Suluo looked up and spotted Que Hongjin standing at the door with a sickle and firewood on his back. She froze in surprise, her expression shifting into a slight daze—not out of oddity, but because carrying firewood seemed so incongruous with Que Hongjin’s picturesque beauty and gentle temperament. She felt he should be a young master of a noble household, not someone doing such menial labor.
Rumor had it that he was once the most esteemed heir of the Peacock Family, growing up in an environment of immense wealth and privilege, receiving teachings backed by the family’s finest resources. Yet here he was, working with a frail and sickly body while struggling to even get a full meal. It was truly lamentable. She wondered if he harbored feelings of resentment and bitterness over it.
Watching Qiao Suluo, Que Hongjin naturally noticed the change in her gaze. Her eyes were so expressive they seemed to speak, making it incredibly easy to read her current thoughts. He scoffed inwardly. He didn’t need her pity or sympathy.
Finding the staring a bit awkward, Qiao Suluo broke the silence first. "These are things everyone in the village brought over.
"Now our dinner is sorted.
"The multigrain flour and scallions can be made into scallion pancakes, and the coarse rice can be cooked and used with eggs and scallions for egg fried rice..."
It was wonderful to have these ingredients; they could finally eat their fill.
Que Hongjin’s gentle expression shifted slightly. She could effortlessly name a recipe for every single item, seeming to possess an extensive knowledge of food. He wondered what her true origins were.
After Qiao Suluo started bringing the items into the house, Que Hongjin set down his firewood and pitched in to help.
The door to Bai Qianluo’s room was slightly ajar. Qiao Suluo guessed he was probably sleeping inside; after taking the cold medicine she had given him, one typically needed to sleep for a long time.
Seeing that the sky was about to turn dark, Qiao Suluo set aside the idea of making more plush toys and focused on preparing dinner first. She washed the coarse rice and placed it in the pot. Que Hongjin took the initiative to grab some dry grass and firewood, entering the kitchen to help start the fire.
Qiao Suluo hurriedly picked out the dried mugwort. "Don’t use this for firewood. I have a use for it."
Que Hongjin didn’t ask what she needed it for. He automatically picked out the mugwort and set it aside, then grabbed another handful of dry grass. "I’ll use this as kindling then."
Qiao Suluo was about to nod when she suddenly spotted a few stalks amidst the dry grass. "Is this lampwick grass?"
She took a closer look and confirmed it was indeed lampwick grass. "Where did you get this?"
Seeing her excited expression, Que Hongjin explained, "It’s just some grass I cut from the riverbank." He had casually harvested it, intending to dry it out for kindling. He mused that ’lampwick grass’ was quite a peculiar name. She always seemed to know things that others didn’t.
After a brief pause, he added, "There’s a lot of it by the river down in the valley."
Qiao Suluo’s eyes lit up. "Then you keep the fire going. I’m going to cut some and bring it back." She figured she could weave some grass handicrafts with the lampwick grass tonight and take them to the county market to sell tomorrow. Most woven goods here were made of bamboo. If she wove things with lampwick grass, people might find them novel and beautiful.
Seeing Qiao Suluo rushing off like a whirlwind toward the riverbank, Que Hongjin instinctively grabbed her wrist. "Don’t go yet. If you need it urgently, I’ll go cut some for you after the pot boils."
Only after speaking did he snap back to reality and realize he had actually grabbed her wrist. Strangely enough, he didn’t feel the expected revulsion or aversion. Just now, he actually hadn’t wanted her to go to the river. What was he worried about? He scoffed inwardly. How could he possibly be worried about her slipping and falling into the water?
He quickly retracted his hand and pressed his fingers against his brow, forcing himself to rapidly calm down.
Naturally, Qiao Suluo was entirely oblivious to the shift in Que Hongjin’s thoughts. Her mind was wholly occupied with figuring out how to weave beautiful grass crafts.
"Alright, I’ll leave it to you then."
Since Que Hongjin volunteered for the task, she could free up some time to check on the resting Konjac. Stepping into the courtyard, she found that the Konjac had finished setting perfectly. She returned to the kitchen to fetch a knife, slicing the Konjac into small blocks so they would be easier to boil. She poured water into the second pot on the stove and tossed the Konjac blocks in, while Que Hongjin tended to the fires for both pots simultaneously.
Immediately after, Qiao Suluo began washing and chopping the scallions.
Once the Konjac was boiled, Qiao Suluo sliced it and stir-fried a dish, then whipped up a batch of egg fried rice using the coarse rice, eggs, and scallions.
After finishing the cooking, she washed her hands and knocked on Bai Qianluo’s door. There was no response. Hesitating for a moment, she decided to open the door and take a look inside. Entering the room, she found Bai Qianluo lying quietly on the bed, fast asleep.
"Bai Qianluo?"
When calling his name yielded no response, Qiao Suluo couldn’t help but reach out to check on him. Feeling his steady breath, she confirmed he was fine. She then reached out to touch his forehead, wanting to see if he was running a fever. But as coincidence would have it, right at that exact moment, Bai Qianluo suddenly opened his eyes. Her hand was still resting on his forehead, making it look as though she was attempting something indecent.
"Um, ahaha, I... I didn’t do it on purpose. I wasn’t trying to do anything to you... It’s just that I called out to you, but you didn’t wake up. I was worried you might have a fever, so I wanted to check..."
Qiao Suluo tried her best to explain, but beneath Bai Qianluo’s quiet, unblinking gaze, the more she talked, the more awkward it became. His expression suggested he didn’t believe a single word she said. Qiao Suluo felt so depressed she wanted to hide in a hole. It was all the original owner’s fault for leaving such a terrible impression. Even if she claimed she had turned over a new leaf, they wouldn’t believe it.
Watching her flustered state, a subtle, fragmented light seemed to flash through the depths of Bai Qianluo’s eyes, though it vanished in an instant. He spoke in a cold, clear tone. "Wife, you don’t need to explain. You are my wife; whatever you wish to do, it is my honor. I will naturally cooperate.
"Wife, you may continue."