Teacher by day, Farmer by passion - Chapter 231

Chapter 231: Mei’er & Yifeng [2] (NEW!)
Aunt Hong shook her head slowly as she watches Liu Mei down another piece of pork, a resigned smile pulling at her lips.

This was her baby… her graceful, elegant flower. The one she had not give up on despite her weird quirks during her childhood days.

And here she was.

Grease on her nose, sauce dripping down her chin, cheeks bulging like a squirrel. It brought back memories, memories she wished were buried.

Aunt Hong sighed. She’s happy… and healthy. That’s what matters. Probably.

But that wasn’t enough, she needed someone to tell that for her. She turns and look at Ace.

“Well… at least she’s healthy. That’s what matters, right, Little Zhi?”

Ace chuckled, folding his arms. “Absolutely. Your daughter is amazing… though, to be fair, she does have an amazing master.”

“Next! I want more, Mother!” Liu Mei called out, waving her chopsticks like a queen summoning her court.

Her cheeks were still full, her voice muffled but brimming with bliss. “This pork is heaven! Huhu—gimme the biiig piece this time! But no head! I hate heads.”

Aunt Hong blinked again, then laughed, this time more genuinely. The sound was rich, warm, and full of affection.

Her heart melted just a little at the joy in her daughter’s voice.

“Well,” she muttered, ladling more meat onto a fresh plate, “she’s a cultivator. Maybe this is how they all are… bottomless pits with pretty faces. Oh how long we’ve come, from worrying about what to feed you to worrying about you eating too much.”

She set the platter down in front of Liu Mei, who gasped like she had been presented a divine treasure.

Ace pulled out a chair and sat down with a content sigh.

Aunt Hong set a plate of steaming pork in front of him as well.

The savory aroma wafted up, rich with herbs and grease, and Ace’s stomach rumbled in response.

He picked up his chopsticks, but paused, glancing over at Aunt Hong.

“Aunt Hong, how is my little sister doing?” he asked casually.

“Ruby?” Aunt Hong smiled as she ladled more soup into a nearby bowl.

“She’s working on her calligraphy and literature again. Day and night, barely takes any breaks. It’s always like she’s being possessed… but of course,its in a good way.”

Ace raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

“What a coincidence, someone who actually writes” he muttered, chewing thoughtfully on a tender slice of pork.

“Oh, Little Zhi,” Aunt Hong said with a sparkle in her eye, “you have no idea how talented and hardworking she is. That girl has all of us wrapped around her little finger with those stories of hers. Even Elder Mati stays up late just to hear the next chapter.”

Ace blinked, surprised. “That’s… amazing to hear,” he said, a soft warmth blooming in his chest. “I’m glad she’s doing something she loves.”

He glanced around, curious. “Where is she now?”

Before Aunt Hong could answer, Liu Mei, cheeks puffed out and still chomping away at her food, leaned in and mumbled through a mouthful of pork, “Mmmf—in da mining areash!”

A thin string of meat nearly flopped from her lips before she slurped it back up like a noodle.

Ace blinked, half laughing, half concerned.

“In the what now?” he asked, staring.

“Mining! She saidh—gulp—da rocks help her concentrate!” Liu Mei beamed, proudly pointing her chopsticks like a compass.

Ace looked to Aunt Hong, who just shrugged, clearly used to the eccentricities of her family by now.

“She said it’s peaceful down there. No distractions. Just her, her ink, and the sound of pickaxes,” Aunt Hong said, shaking her head fondly.

Ace leaned back in his chair, savoring the last bite of his meal.

The lingering warmth of the pork still danced on his tongue as he glanced up and asked again, “What about Shan Yifeng? How’s he doing?”

Aunt Hong raised an eyebrow, folding her arms with a soft huff. “That boy? Hmph. So busy with his alchemy that he hasn’t even paid me a single visit. But… I suppose it’s a good thing. At least he’s learning earnestly.”

Liu Mei looked up from her half-finished pork with bright eyes, her mouth still slightly puffed. “Junior Brother is amazing, Mama!”

she said between chews. “He may not have any of his parents anymore… but he thinks of you as a mother too. He told me! You are a mother for the two of us, mama.”

Aunt Hong’s stern face melted into a tender smile, her eyes crinkling with affection. “I see, dear… that’s good to hear. You two really are a wonderful pair of siblings even if not by blood.”

She reached over and gently brushed a stray piece of pork fat from Liu Mei’s cheek. “Even if one of you is an unstoppable pork vacuum and the other is a bookworm.”

Liu Mei giggled, cheeks puffed again.

Finishing his plate and setting his chopsticks down, Ace looked at Aunt Hong thoughtfully. “Say, Aunt Hong… have you ever thought about trying cultivation yourself? It’s a dangerous world out there, even if it’s safe here, one day you will one to see the world outside again.”

The room fell momentarily quiet, until Liu Mei, still munching, turned to him with wide eyes.

“Mmmf—Master!” she said, almost choking on her food. She hurriedly swallowed and pointed a chopstick at him. “You’re not thinking of beating up my mother like you did to us, are you?!”

Ace burst into laughter, nearly falling out of his chair.

“Hey! I didn’t beat you two up, that was probably to train the two of you! There’s a difference!”

“Trained us until we couldn’t walk straight for three days!” Liu Mei declared dramatically, clutching her stomach like she was reliving the trauma while still reaching for more pork.

Ace watched Liu Mei devour meat after meat, a helpless smile tugging at his lips. Looks like I still have to be living with your legacy, Xiao Zhi.