Although this Lin Youyou differed somewhat from the daughter in Madam Xu’s memories, some of her small habits and gestures had not changed at all. Even the heart-shaped red birthmark on her lower back was identical in both shape and position.
All of this left Madam Xu confused, and the thoughts in her heart slowly began to waver.
Could this truly be her daughter—someone who had traveled a thousand years into the future and then returned?
Of course, no one else knew about Madam Xu’s inner turmoil.
The guards continued chewing their tasteless dry rations while breathing in the rich aroma of roasted meat.
Meanwhile, little Doudou and Master He San ate gracefully, though not slowly at all. The two plates of meat and flatbread rapidly diminished.
The meat was delicious, and the flatbread was equally good—crisp and fragrant, far tastier than any bread they had eaten before. Paired with the roasted meat, it was the perfect combination.
After eating only a little meat and bread, Madam Xu claimed she was full and returned to the carriage to rest.
Lin Youyou herself ate only a small amount before stopping as well.
The remaining nearly three-quarters of the food all ended up in Doudou’s and He San’s stomachs.
Toward the end, Doudou even dared glare rebelliously at her father.
“Father, you’re eating too much! You should cherish the young!”
He San’s expression did not change in the slightest, nor did his hand pause while picking up meat.
In his calm voice, he answered, “You’re too young. Eating too much is bad for digestion. Eat less.”
Doudou ground her teeth in frustration as she watched the final piece of meat disappear mercilessly into her father’s mouth.
Every chew felt like he was eating her flesh instead of the meat.
Lin Youyou silently watched the soundless battle between father and daughter while ladling soup into bowls. Smiling inwardly, she placed a bowl before each of them.
“Drink some soup after eating. It’ll warm your stomachs and soothe your throats.”
Their attention was immediately drawn to the milky-white broth.
Each took a spoonful, gently blew on it, and drank.
The rich, savory flavor instantly filled their mouths.
The soup carried only a faint meat fragrance, light but indescribably smooth. One sip spread warmth from the chest all the way to the stomach, making people want to sigh in satisfaction.
After finishing the soup and eating their fill, the sense of happiness that came from enjoying delicious food to the fullest spread from the tips of their hair to the soles of their feet.
Having eaten such wonderful food, little Doudou happily said to Lin Youyou, “Sister, your roasted meat and soup are so delicious! They’re the best I’ve ever eaten!”
Lin Youyou chuckled softly.
“Cooking is my hobby. I love good food just like you do, and I really enjoy the process of eating delicious things. Over time, I started making the foods I liked myself, and gradually I fell in love with cooking. Turns out I actually have some talent for it.”
Doudou nodded seriously.
“Everything Sister makes is amazing. I really like it.”
She wasn’t being polite at all.
Lin Youyou’s cooking genuinely suited her tastes perfectly.
Even though He San said nothing, the fact that he had cleaned every dish completely showed how much he liked the food as well.
As He San looked at the girl across from him, watching her eyes light up whenever she spoke about food, he felt as though the entire girl was glowing.
A girl who shone so brightly when talking about something she loved was dazzling to look at.
“Thank you for your hard work, Miss Lin. The guards can handle the cleanup here. You may return to the carriage and rest for a while. We’ll set out again shortly.”
Perhaps because he had eaten her cooking, even He San’s voice seemed slightly less cold than before.
“Alright, then I’ll head back to the carriage.”
Lin Youyou did not stand on ceremony. She truly was tired.
Two quarters of an hour later, the convoy slowly resumed traveling.
They did not stop again until reaching an inn in the next small town.
Jiang San’s voice sounded from outside the carriage.
“Madam Lin, Miss Lin, we’ve arrived at the inn. We’ll stay here tonight.”
“Alright.”
Supported by Lin Youyou, Madam Xu climbed down from the carriage.
Nearby, a guard was helping little Doudou descend from another carriage.
The two women stood at the inn entrance waiting for her.
Standing beside them, Jiang San lowered his voice and explained, “Master had matters to attend to and already left ahead of us. He ordered us to remain here and protect you and our young miss. During these next two days, we’ll trouble Madam Lin and Miss Lin to look after our young miss.”
Hearing that He San had left on business, Madam Xu nodded.
“Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of Miss Doudou.”
Although He San had departed, he had left plenty of guards behind. This meant they would not encounter danger.
Lin Youyou was secretly delighted by this arrangement.
Not having to constantly fear for her life truly was a wonderful feeling.
Little Doudou skipped over cheerfully and naturally grabbed Lin Youyou’s hand before tilting her head up.
“Sister Lin, can I sleep with you tonight?”
“Of course.”
Lin Youyou smiled.
She liked adorable little girls like Doudou very much and didn’t mind sleeping beside her at all.
After everyone settled in, the sky was still not dark yet.
Doudou sat on a chair swinging her short little legs while watching Lin Youyou arrange the bedding for the night.
Finally, she said pitifully, “Sister, I’m so bored. Can we go walk around outside? I want to go out.”
Lin Youyou thought for a moment before nodding.
“Sure. But we have to bring guards with us. We can’t put ourselves in danger, and we definitely can’t make your father worry, understand?”
“Mm, okay.”
After today’s assassination attempt, Doudou had learned her lesson and no longer dared refuse guards.
Lin Youyou walked to Madam Xu’s room and knocked on the door.
“Mother, Doudou and I are going out to stroll around town. Would you like to come?”
“You two go ahead. I want to rest for a while.”
Madam Xu’s exhausted voice drifted from inside the room, but she did not come out.
“Alright.”
Lin Youyou nodded before leading Doudou and several guards, including Jiang San, out the door.
Some guards remained behind at the inn to protect Madam Xu and their luggage.
This small town was not wealthy.
Of course, compared to the small towns near Peach Blossom Village, it was much livelier.
The streets were crowded with bustling shops and flowing pedestrians. There were also roadside stalls selling vegetables, snacks, and household goods.
This was the town’s main street and its most prosperous area.
The two girls wandered while buying food along the way.
When two food lovers gathered together, they naturally got along perfectly.
Some snacks tasted quite good, while others were nearly impossible to swallow.
At one point, Doudou spotted a roasted meat stall. The aroma smelled fairly decent, so she happily bought several skewers.
But after taking only one bite, her entire face scrunched up like a giant steamed bun.
The bite was too awful to spit out, yet difficult to swallow as well.
Thanks to her good upbringing, she forcibly suppressed the urge to spit it out and gulped the meat down whole instead.
Then her tiny body collapsed dramatically against Lin Youyou as she said weakly, “It’s over… I just swallowed a mouthful of grease. So disgusting. I never want to eat meat again.”
Lin Youyou burst out laughing at the adorable child.
Helplessly, she poked Doudou’s forehead.
“Was it really that awful?”