[Huo Lian]
Hehe, I win, I think to myself, walking back to the kitchen, leaving the statue of Zhen Jian behind.
The kitchen is a small, rustic room filled with the warm scent of morning attempts at cooking. Wooden cabinets line the walls, their surfaces worn from years of use. The window above the sink lets in soft rays of sunlight, casting a golden hue over the chaotic scene of pots and pans.
The wooden counters are cluttered with remnants of my morning cooking attempts.
I spent most of the time in the morning trying to make something, anything, edible. The first attempt was eggs, but every time I tried them, I ended up with eggshells in my mouth. Frustrated, I moved on to porridge, but, I mean, what the fuck is porridge? My last effort was applesauce, but it tasted like crap. The messes kept stacking up, each failed dish adding to the chaos.
The afternoon sunlight streams through the small windows, casting warm golden hues on the rustic furniture. Finally, after hours of cleaning, I wipe my brow, satisfied with my work.
Returning to the main room, I find Zhen Jian deeply engrossed in a book.Jian sits on the couch facing the fireplace, his brow furrowed in concentration. His dark hair falls over his eyes as he studies the text with a frown, even closing his eyes occasionally as if trying to memorize the content.
"Hmm, what is it?" I wonder aloud.
[Zhen Jian]
She leaves me completely stunned as she happily walks away, her slender form swaying gracefully. Her long, dark hair flows behind her, and her eyes sparkle with mischief. I want to stun her like she did to me. I didn't realize I was so competitive. Hahaha.
But how to do it? I'm not really smart; I just have a lot of book knowledge. That's it. I place my fist on my palm. In the bag I carry around when I take Lian on walks, along with emergency supplies, I have my mom's novel. Surely that is the answer.
I begin rereading it. I've read it so many times, but now I am actually studying the contents like my medical books. Okay, let's focus on this one: the female lead says, "What do you see?" and the male lead says, "The most beautiful woman in the world." Yes, I can use this.
I will repeat it in my head a hundred times. Opening my eyes, I see Lian right next to my face. Her breath tickles my skin, and her luminous eyes are filled with mischief. My face burns up; I feel like I got caught cheating on a test.
I swallow dryly and say, "Hi, Lian."
Lian smiles and asks, "What are you reading?"
I quickly put the book back into the bag and change the topic. "Do you know how to handle that?" I point at the large snake.
She follows my finger and asks, "What do you see?"
"I—" I bite my tongue hard to stop myself. "Ahem, the snake."
[Huo Lian]
The book he is reading is called The Princess and the Proper. I begin reading the book with my perception ability, the words floating into my mind. Ah, he wants to win, does he? Hahaha, my Jian, you won already. You don't need to study. But this would be fun. Let's play a bit.
"What do you see?" I ask, just like the passage.
"The—" He almost calls the carcass of the snake beautiful. Hahaha.
But looking at the Azure Serpent, he is right; we need to handle it properly. The serpent's scales shimmer with an otherworldly light, its lifeless body still exuding an aura of majesty. It is a high-cultivation beast. Its whole body is a treasure.
Closing my eyes, I recall all the information about cultivation beasts. The farmhouse, with its rustic charm, seems to fade as I focus inward. "Okay, this may be good for my recovery. Jian, how much do you know about cultivation beasts?" I ask him while still standing directly in front of him.
[Doctor Zhen Jian]
I frown at the question and reply, "Actually, Lian, the only thing I know is that Master left some books about their dissection at the clinic, but I myself don't really know anything. We use some snake gallbladder to increase the constitution of the sick while boiling it into some soup. I was gonna just pull that out and burn the rest to prevent scavengers."
[Huo Lian]
"Burn?" I grab both his ears in my hands, the firmness of my grip conveying the seriousness of my words. "Jian, a cultivation beast of the fourth golden core is like a god-given treasure. The gallbladder is a good medicine, but the scales make armor, the skin makes leather and clothes. Hell, even its organs can be refined into pills that would make a dying old man feel like a young horse."
I release his ears and look at him, his wide eyes reflecting the gravity of my words. The afternoon light bathes us in its warmth, promising a future filled with possibilities.
[Zhen Jian]
"Oh, no way!" I jump up, excitement coursing through me. "This is amazing! I can restore some of the health of Old Man Yun and Mrs. Bing Yun. Even Mr. Fang Jun, who has back problems."
I look at Lian like she is a treasure herself. "Thank you so much, Lian. The villagers have treated me as their own kin for so long, and if there's a chance to heal them, it would be wonderful."
[Huo Lian]
When he jumps up, I can't help but laugh. That's the third time today. His enthusiasm is contagious, and I find myself smiling brightly. I place my hand gently on his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin.
"If they are your kin, that would make them my in-laws, so of course, we must do our best for them."
He nods in my hand, his eyes full of gratitude and determination. I tap his cheek lightly and say, "Let's get to work. You and Grandpa have to do all the heavy lifting. My cultivation is still not back yet."
[Zhen Jian]
"Wow, you are a cultivator? That's amazing."
[Huo Lian]
I look at him, shocked for a moment. Then I recall that he's never cultivated; he simply swung his sword just for the exercise.
"My dear Jian, we must have a long conversation later," I say to him, my voice full of affection and curiosity.
He nods, and together we head towards the serpent