Chapter 606
“Mom and Dad, you’re not as strong as you used to be. It would be best if you let them build their own families and careers,” Gu Xueqin said with a hint of nostalgia.
“Do you remember the child from the old Liu family? He was with the daughter of the Cui family. Old Liu was almost ready to sell everything just to secure that marriage. And here we are, wanting to help our two kids, but it seems we can’t do much...”
Li Dalong wiped the tea off his pants, his expression complicated.
“Son, I’m not a good father.”
“??”
Qian Bufan, already struggling with his finances, felt even more overwhelmed. What were these two talking about?
“There are ways to do things when conditions are met, and there are ways when they aren’t,” he said.
Li Mo comforted his parents, “Well, common folks get married too. The most important thing is to focus on people. As long as our whole family is happy and comfortable, that’s what matters.”
“Exactly, son.”
“Why don’t we make some dumplings today?”
“Sure! I’ll prepare some good stuff for the filling.”
“Great, let’s do it together...”
“???”
Qian Bufan was almost in despair. How did it turn into a joyful occasion so quickly?
Why were they suddenly making dumplings?
With a belly full of complaints, he figured even dumplings wouldn’t be enough to fill the void.
He stood up to leave, not even in the mood to stay for a meal.
“Elder Qian, you’re leaving already?”
Li Mo looked at him in surprise.
“Yeah, I’ve got a lot to discuss with everyone about the preparations. The promotion ceremony has so many details to handle; I need to get busy.”
Qian Bufan wore a serious expression, clearly focused on his duties.
“What a pity.”
“Not really, there will be more meals to share later…”
“Alright, take care.”
Li Mo waved him off, then took out a piece of deep-sea Yuanxi shark from his storage. This type of shark doesn’t eat meat but feeds on rare treasures. This particular one was quite old and had clearly enjoyed many delicacies, its skin glistening with a layer of pink crystal that exuded a refreshing aroma.
For something of this quality, you wouldn’t get it for less than a few pieces of Xuanjing (a type of precious stone).
Just as Li Mo was about to grab his Chixiao sword to prepare the dumpling filling, he noticed Qian Bufan had stopped in his tracks.
“Aren’t you busy?”
“How could I miss out on making dumplings? Who doesn’t know that I’m the best at rolling dumpling skins in the entire Qingyuan Sect? The atmosphere is just right; I’ll help you finish wrapping them before I leave.”
Hmm?
Qian Bufan had his back to him.
How did it feel like, in just a couple of sentences, he had moved closer instead of further away?
Is this what they call a masterful retreat?
---
**Chapter 703: Delicious Without Taking Up Space**
For the sake of the deep-sea Yuanxi shark, Elder Qian held back his complaints and diligently started wrapping dumplings.
As the sun set, the large estate was filled with a sense of peace.
“I’ll help too,” Ying Bing said, rolling up her sleeves, eager to feel involved.
Li Dalong, who had just finished chopping the filling, quickly came over to pull her down to sit.
Noticing her gaze drifting toward the dumplings, Li Mo casually asked, “Bing Tuozi, what have you been doing at home?”
“Waiting for you to come back.”
“..... Besides missing me?”
“Making something delicious?”
Bing Tuozi seemed to have a peculiar obsession with her cooking skills.
To be honest, if we set aside her culinary skills, the thought of her cooking for you was a bit overwhelming.
I’m sure everyone can relate: after a long day at work, you come home to find the coldest empress you’ve ever seen in the kitchen, washing her hands to prepare a meal for you. How could your heart not skip a beat?
Even the famously domineering husband couldn’t handle it.
“Really?”
“Mm.”
Ying Bing squinted her eyes and nodded.
“You really don’t need to cook yourself. The things I love to eat don’t require much effort. You know I love good food, but lately, I can’t eat too much. I can only have some delicious treats that don’t take up space.”
Ying Bing: “?”
“Does such a thing exist?”
Elder Qian’s eyes lit up. He had gained some weight recently but couldn’t control his appetite.
“There is,” Li Mo said seriously.
“What is it?”
“Elder Qian, you’re still young. You’ll understand when you reach my age.”
“Oh, come on?”
Qian Bufan raised his eyebrows, temporarily setting aside his diet plans, deciding today would be his last big meal.
Is it appropriate to talk like this to an elder?
Look, little Bing’er is stepping on that brat’s foot; she must feel the same way.
Before long, steaming dumplings were ready.
Elder Qian’s eyes, like green beans, were fixed on the dumplings, his chopsticks poised to pounce like a wild dog.
“Hey, Elder Qian, what do you think about using all red for the decorations at the promotion ceremony?”
Li Mo suddenly asked, casually grabbing a dumpling.
Qian Bufan paused, “Red is festive, but who has a promotion ceremony decorated entirely in red...”
“We can use it for the engagement banquet right after the promotion ceremony. It’s convenient and saves money.”
As Li Mo spoke, Bing Tuozi also popped a dumpling into his mouth.
Though it was wrapped by Elder Qian, it could also be seen as her feeding him.
Qian Bufan felt that Li Mo was talking a bit too much during the meal, but as soon as the topic shifted to saving money, his attention was diverted.
Soon, Li Dalong and Gu Xueqin joined the discussion about the engagement.
“Hmm, even though the promotion ceremony and engagement banquet are held together, we still need to collect two sets of gifts.”
The more Elder Qian spoke, the more animated he became; it seemed this sect wouldn’t function without him.
“Elder is right. No matter how big the family business is, we need to save where we can and spend where we should...”
“I’m glad you think that way.”
“Alright, Bing Tuozi and I will go for a stroll. Elder Qian, you and my parents can chat while eating.”
“Sure thing.”
Elder Qian waved at the two as they stood up.
He turned back to grab his chopsticks, only to be struck by a bolt of lightning; his smile froze on his chubby face.
The plate... was empty?
What the hell? Who ate them? Li Mo had been talking to him just a moment ago... wait!
Little Bing’er had been feeding him!
No, were they working together? He had wrapped all those dumplings, hadn’t eaten a single one, and they had all gone into Li Mo’s stomach, while he was foolishly planning the ceremony days ahead.
He had always used this tactic before; how did he end up on the receiving end today?
Elder Qian couldn’t figure it out. Thankfully, he had made plenty of dumplings, and Gu Xueqin brought out a few more plates; otherwise, Old Qian might have turned dark.
---
On the other side.
Autumn had arrived, but for some reason, the vegetation in Ziyang Prefecture was still thriving, showing no signs of the season’s change, and even the autumn cicadas were still full of life.
The two didn’t head to the bustling areas but instead made their way to the outskirts of the city.
The evening breeze was gentle, and the usually quiet East City Gate was bustling with traffic.
There were long lines of carriages carrying generous gifts, and young people from various places arrived, filled with dreams of joining the great sect of Zhenzhou.
“Ha... sigh...”
Standing atop the city gate, Li Mo let out a long breath, followed by a sigh.
“Getting sentimental again?”
Ying Bing turned to ask him.
Li Mo was taken aback, then adopted a serious expression, “The wind today...”
“I get it; you’ve eaten too much, haven’t you?”
“...... Yeah, my inner world relies entirely on my mouth and stomach right now.”
Ying Bing’s lowered gaze flickered slightly, as if pondering related martial arts.
Li Mo took the opportunity to wrap his arms around her from behind, encircling her slender waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, deeply inhaling the long-awaited, enticing icy scent.
“Don’t distract me; I’m almost done thinking.”
“But I want to eat something delicious that doesn’t take up space.”
“That doesn’t exist.”
“I don’t believe you, unless you let me look for it.”
Saying this, without waiting for her response, Li Mo stole her hearing.
“Did you find it?” Ying Bing’s fingers curled, a blush creeping up her neck, but her voice remained as clear as ever.
Li Mo tightened his embrace slightly, “Not yet. Did you eat it yourself? Let me check again.”
Ying Bing opened her mouth, but before she could speak, her lips were sealed.
She realized that little Li had seemingly found the delicious treat he mentioned and was savoring it.
But...
That treat seemed to be the one she used to taste other delicacies.
---
P.S.: Dear audience, I’m packing up today and will head back home from the village tomorrow, probably arriving the day after. Then I’ll resume stable updates. Mwah!
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