CHAPTER 1637: CHAPTER 1459: EPILOGUE

After Xia Dabao got home, she first washed the rice and started a fire, and while preparing to cook, she suddenly saw the preserved duck inside the house.

People in Guang Province all liked preserved flavors, whether it was pork or duck. In autumn, they made preserved meat that could be stored in a jar for a long time.

Remembering how Long Aixi had mentioned, before her return, that he wanted to eat preserved duck, Xia Dabao couldn’t help but curl her lips.

She wouldn’t make it, making it would seem like she cared too much about him.

But the village usually had simple lunches, and without making it, Xia Dabao didn’t know what else to cook. The only meat she had was a piece of pork bought in the morning, and Long Aixi had after all come from afar; not cooking another dish would seem like they didn’t know how to treat a guest.

Thinking about when she stayed at his place, he had been meticulous, worried that she might go hungry.

Fine, she would just cut half a preserved duck and stir-fry it with the flat beans picked last night.

As soon as a dish was ready, Xia Dabao heard Long Aixi’s voice from outside the courtyard, "Dabao, I’ve brought back the fish grass. Should I feed it now or in the evening?"

"Feed it in the evening," Xia Dabao also shouted back from outside.

Long Aixi soon came in and saw the freshly stir-fried preserved duck on the table, his eyes lit up with a smile, "You really remembered what I said, huh?"

"There were no other dishes," Xia Dabao said.

"I’m not fussy about food," Long Aixi continued laughing, "I just wanted preserved duck, thank you for indulging me."

"You’re a guest!" Xia Dabao emphasized.

"You’re about to stir-fry the pork, right? Can I watch the fire for you?" Long Aixi asked, having learned to do so during his previous stays here.

"Sure," Xia Dabao was indeed looking for help to mind the fire so she could focus on stir-frying the pork.

Long Aixi sat in front of the stove, fiddling with the firewood inside and teasing Xia Dabao, "Aren’t we just like a little married couple living our daily lives together now?"

Xia Dabao glared at Long Aixi while stir-frying the pork, "I remember you had lots of assignments when you were part of Longya clan, needing to practice martial arts and attending cultural classes. Look at you now, your mind is filled with vulgarities."

"Even saints get married and have children. Besides, I’m a Jianghu person. Dabao, you grew up in the village and even had matrimonial links, how can you think of a little couple living their daily life together as something vulgar? We’re just cooking together, not asking you to do anything else," Long Aixi kept smiling, the firelight casting a reddish glow on his face.

Xia Dabao paused, as Long Aixi hadn’t quite made his point clear, yet her imagination started to enrich.

Yeah, if they really got married, surely they’d do more than just cook together. There might also be...

Ptui, ptui, not even close to that yet, too early to talk about this.

"Dabao, why aren’t you speaking?" Long Aixi noticed her sudden silence.

Xia Dabao couldn’t help but say, "Just cut the chatter and mind the fire."

Long Aixi indeed stopped talking.

However, with both of them silent, the kitchen felt stuffy, only the fire crackling. Xia Dabao then shooed Long Aixi away, "You help set up the table. I’ll stir-fry some greens, and oh, let’s eat outside in the courtyard today."

"No need to keep the fire going?"

"No need, the remaining firewood is enough to stir-fry a pot of greens."

"..."

Before long, Nan Feng and Ye Ge also returned.

"Is this a dish you two cooked together?" Nan Feng asked as he put down his hoe and also removed his bamboo hat.