Edited by Zaki
In order to enter the marketplace, they had to pass through a layer of dense fog. Wu Xiao was already very proficient, leading them all the way forward, soon Lu Qingjiu heard the noisy sound of people.
After the four of them parked the minivan, they approached the place where the voices were coming from. Lu Qingjiu curiously asked whether these non-human beings spoke human language. Wu Xiao said that was the case. In order to communicate, most of them spoke human language, but there were many dialects. He had also heard non-human beings who speak Sichuan dialect, Cantonese, and Hokkien dialect.
The dense fog gradually dissipated, and a bustling market appeared in front of them. In the market, there were strange-looking non-humans in strange clothes everywhere, including birds and beasts, and non-humans of unrecognizable species. Lu Qingjiu saw a lot of beasts that he had seen in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, and even saw a polyurea with a human face. One had to agree that seeing so many strange creatures gathered together was indeed a shocking picture. And among these non-human beings, there were also a few humans. At least from the outside, they should be just ordinary humans. But probably because they were afraid of revealing their identities, almost everyone was wearing props to cover their faces. Under Wu Xiao’s reminder, they also prepared masks in advance, and they were already wearing them now.
Since it was a non-human market, the items sold should be very special. Lu Qingjiu’s eyes were quickly attracted by the things around him, then his gaze fell on a very beautiful mask. The mask seller was a big bird with four eyes, she noticed Lu Qingjiu’s gaze of interest, and immediately introduced the mask enthusiastically, saying that it was very good, as long as you wear it for ten minutes, it would change your appearance, turning yourself into the most beautiful face in one’s mind.
“How long can this last?” Zhu Miaomiao asked curiously.
“It can last a whole day.” Big Bird replied, “and it can be used continuously, but you must take off the mask every night.”
Zhu Miaomiao became interested and was about to pick up the mask, but was stopped by Bai Yuehu. Bai Yuehu said that the mask was a living thing and could indeed change a person’s appearance, but the premise of changing the appearance was that the mask would stick out its tentacles and penetrate into the skin of the person’s face to dilute the blood. If it was used for a long time, it may have a bad effect.
“What bad effects will there be?” Zhu Miaomiao asked with a trembling voice.
Bai Yuehu’s expression was serious, and three words came out of his mouth: “Can become anemic.”
Zhu Miaomiao: “!!”
The boss’s business was disturbed by Bai Yuehu, so she glared over, unhappy, and put her mask back on.
In this market, there were countless props of this kind, dazzling the viewers. A mirror that could reflect what you were most afraid of, something that you couldn’t take off when you put it on, a jade bracelet stronger than a diamond, and a table that could produce food out of nothing.
Lu Qingjiu initially thought that Bai Yuehu would have a strong interest in the table, but who would have thought that after Bai Yuehu glanced at the table, he turned his eyes away without any sign of interest, and went to look at other things. Lu Qingjiu asked him if he didn’t want to have this table.
Bai Yuehu said: “It must be very expensive.”
Lu Qingjiu went to ask about the price, and it was indeed quite expensive. The boss asked for 15,000 yuan, and he wouldn’t take any less.
Lu Qingjiu originally wanted to buy it for Bai Yuehu as a toy, but was stopped by Bai Yuehu, saying that it was not worthwhile to buy it for 15,000 yuan, and with this money, he might as well buy some candied fruits to eat.
After walking through the market for sometime, Lu Qingjiu once again deeply felt that monsters were not doing well in the human world. Most of the goods could be bought for two to three hundred yuan, and if one was thick-skinned, they could bargain with the vendor. And if you were worried about the quality and after-sales service of the product, you could still buy the product with the three-guarantee logo on the bottom. If there was a problem with this product, you could even go to the store and return the product.
Lu Qingjiu was stunned by this situation, he looked at Wu Xiao, and said that since something had gone wrong with the purchase, he could return it.
Wu Xiao whispered, “Not possible.”
Lu Qingjiu: “Why not?”
Wu Xiao was a little embarrassed: “I didn’t get the three-guarantee logo.”
Lu Qingjiu: “…..”
Wu Xiao said: “The boss has already run away.”
Lu Qingjiu didn’t know what to say for a while, so he could only let out a long sigh, lamenting the importance of quality assurance, telling Wu Xiao not to be greedy for petty gains, it would be bad if something really happened.
The market was very long and crowded with people, Zhu Miaomiao finally couldn’t hold back, and bought a set of skin care products that were said to be good for beauty, including face cream, eye cream essence, etc. She opened the package and let Bai Yuehu check to make sure that there were no strange ingredients in it before she purchased them with confidence.
Just this set of skin care products cost more than 2,000 yuan, which could be said to be very expensive in the market. The seller of skin care products seemed to be a “kinsman” of Bai Yuehu, an especially coquettish vixen, with two small furry ears on her head. Lu Qingjiu’s hands were itchy again, and he couldn’t help but glance at Bai Yuehu.
How could Bai Yuehu not know what Lu Qingjiu was thinking, he rolled his eyes, and said: “Do you like hers or mine?.”
Lu Qingjiu hurriedly said: “Of course it’s yours, hers aren’t furry at all.”
Bai Yuehu: “Really?”
Lu Qingjiu: “Really, really.”
Only then did Bai Yuehu show a satisfied look, and the fluffy ears emerged from the black hair, Lu Qingjiu stood on tiptoe and kissed cheekily.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Dbat Ite Zljbwljb jcv Qe Wljb kfgf raeqfolfv ja atlr rmfcf. Qe Wljb’r fsfr kfgf oeii bo vlryfilfo: “Djl Tefte lr jmaejiis j nlzfc, sbe akb…..” Lf qjerfv obg j wbwfca, qgbyjyis cbalmlcu Djl Tefte’r ecoglfcvis fsfr, jcv tegglfvis mbcalcefv ab rjs, “..jgf gfjiis j ubbv wjamt.”
Ite Zljbwljb rlutfv, atlcxlcu atja atf tlut jcv wlutas mbiv Xfcfgji Zjcjufg Qe mbeiv jirb yf rb olmxif.
The shopping was almost done, so Bai Yuehu inquired about the person who sold Wu Xiao’s pillows, but that person didn’t seem to be a frequent vendor of the market. She would come once in a while and leave after selling things. However, from the descriptions of these people, Bai Yuehu’s complexion became more and more serious. Lu Qingjiu also felt that something was wrong, and asked Bai Yuehu if there was any problem.
Bai Yuehu said: “She seems to be my acquaintance.”
Lu Qingjiu: “Acquaintance?”
Bai Yuehu nodded.
Lu Qingjiu said: “She is too?”
Bai Yuehu said: “Probably, but I have to meet her to be sure.”
This was more troublesome. They definitely wouldn’t be able to see that woman now, and the market was held every week. If they didn’t come every time, it would be difficult to find the person. After thinking about it, Lu Qingjiu made a proposal, asking if they could find the person in charge of the market and ask him to keep an eye on her for them.
Wu Xiao said that he had met the person in charge, and he was working in the tent at the end of the market. All people who participated in the market had to pay taxes in advance to be allowed to enter here.
When Lu Qingjiu heard about paying taxes, he immediately thought of a particularly famous proverb: ‘In this world, only death and taxes are eternal’.
Even non-humans couldn’t evade taxes.
Lu Qingjiu let Wu Xiao and Zhu Miaomiao stroll around first, and accompanied Bai Yuehu to the tent to find the person in charge.
As soon as they entered the tent, they saw the person in charge reading a newspaper. There was a pot of steaming tea beside the newspaper. The atmosphere of the whole tent seemed to be full of serenity and leisure after retirement.
“The market is not accepting any more vendors today.” The person in charge thought they were here to sell goods, “Please come early the day after tomorrow.”
Bai Yuehu said: “We are here to ask something else.”
The person in charge said, “What’s the matter?” He put down the newspaper, revealing a very round face. This face could only be described as round. As far as appearance was concerned, it was not ugly, but there was no chin, and no hair, it was almost like a standard circle.
Bai Yuehu saw the face of the person in charge, and frowned: “Why is it you?”
The person in charge said: “You know me?” He saw Bai Yuehu’s ears on his head and said, “You are from the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, why did you come from Qing Qiu to this side; came out to work?”
Before the two of them could speak, the person in charge took out a newspaper that was placed beside him, pointed to the content circled on it, and said that if you want, you can go and see this job, it is a sales job, the salary and benefits are good, and there are also six insurance policies and one pension.
Bai Yuehu remained silent, while Lu Qingjiu showed helplessness.
The person in charge of the situation thought they were not satisfied with the work being offered, and quickly persuaded them that the recent employment situation was not good ah! Since they would be working part-time, they should not be so picky. Find a job first, and then change to a better one when they have work experience. After all, their lifespan was long enough, and they could accumulate work experience. It’s just that it would be tiring in the beginning, and it would pass soon.
Lu Qingjiu was so moved by the person in charge’s persuasion that he even wanted to pick up the newspaper and carefully read the content on it to work hard for his future. These ancient foxes and modern foxes had a stark contrast. In ancient times, the fox spirits would find a handsome young student to marry, and hope that the young student would be the top student in high school to improve family life. Now it was different. Now the fox spirits were relying on their own hard work to improve their quality of life.
Bai Yuehu said: “Are you stupid?”
The person in charge was stunned by the scolding, and was about to roll up his sleeves to teach Bai Yuehu not to speak so aggressively. If he was so impulsive, he would not be able to find a job. But then he was taken aback by the aura emanating from Bai Yuehu’s body and he replied, “You are not from the fox clan, you are a dragon!”
Bai Yuehu snorted coldly.
The person in charge reached out and took the newspaper back, saying: “Then there is no job suitable for you here, just go, dig through the trash can and salvage from it.”
Lu Qingjiu: “……”
Bai Yuehu: “…..”
The person in charge obviously noticed the murderous intent in Bai Yuehu’s eyes, laughed dryly and said that he was joking, sat down obediently with lowered eyebrows, and asked Bai Yuehu ,what he was doing here.
Bai Yuehu said: “Ru Shou, long time no see.”
When Ru Shou heard the name, Lu Qingjiu immediately remembered that it was the name of the Autumn God. He never thought that he could meet one of the Four Seasons God here.
“Ah, how do you know me?” Ru Shou said, “Are you Ao?”
As soon as he uttered a word, Bai Yuehu interrupted him, saying: “My name is Bai Yuehu now.”
Ru Shou: “Bai Yuehu, okay, why did you come here? Weren’t you guarding the other place?”
Bai Yuehu said: “I just came here by chance, do you know the woman holding the Zither?”
Ru Shou looked bewildered, and had no impression of the woman Bai Yuehu described. He said that he had seen eight hundred people if not one thousand, not to mention non-human beings, he would see dozens of humans. So if they weren’t extremely strange that it attracts people’s attention, he wouldn’t pay special attention to them. Besides, the woman had barely come once a month, so it’s normal for him to have no impression.
“Is there something wrong with this person?” Ru Shou said, “If there is, I will help you pay attention next time.”
Bai Yuehu said: “Maybe an acquaintance of you and me.”
Ru Shou: “Our acquaintance, maybe she is too…?”
Bai Yuehu nodded, confirming Liao Shou’s statement. He now suspected that the woman was also a dragon, but he didn’t know whether she was Yinglong or Zhulong. It stands to reason that the number of Yinglong’s clan was very small now. There were almost only a handful of people in the world, and it was impossible to find their traces here, but Wu Xiao’s description made Bai Yuehu doubt this. And if it wasn’t Yinglong, but rather a Zhulong, then the situation may be even worse.
Ru Shou knew that this matter should not be sloppy, and his lazy expression became serious, he said: “Okay, I will pay attention, please leave a contact information, and I will notify you of the result.”
Bai Yuehu took out his mobile phone and also got Ru Shou’s number.
Ru Shou saw Bai Yuehu’s mobile phone and said, “Hey, you are using the latest Lizi mobile phone, where did you get the money to buy it?”
Lu Qingjiu smiled and said that Bai Yuehu was working for him.
“He can’t earn human money, the more he earns, the hungrier he gets.” Ru Shou sniffed Lu Qingjiu and felt that there was no other smell on Lu Qingjiu except the smell of Bai Yuehu. He seemed to be just an ordinary person. “What does he do for you?”
Lu Qingjiu: “Responsible for warming my bed.”
Ru Shou: “Ahhhh”
Lu Qingjiu blinked: “I was joking.”
Ru Shou obviously didn’t believe that Lu Qingjiu was joking, his eyes were full of astonishment, he was obviously thinking how the Dragon Clan could have fallen to this point. Everyone was working with their hands now, only he got more and more confused as he kept thinking about it, but the worst thing was that he did not dare to say it out loud, if Bai Yuehu got angry, it was not impossible for him to bite off his head. After all, these dragons are not generally good-tempered, and the only one with a good temper was seen more than ten years ago.
After handing over the matter to Ru Shou, Bai Yuehu planned to leave. Ru Shou enthusiastically gave them a bag of millet, saying that the taste of this millet was different from ordinary ones, as for the difference, you would know after planting it. He also promised to call Bai Yuehu immediately when he heard about the woman.
It was only after Lu Qingjiu got out of the tent that he asked, “How come he is managing the market here?”
Bai Yuehu said: “I don’t know either, but the Gods of the Four Seasons have some relationship with the human world.” Like Zhu Rong, they were in charge of the non-humans in their area, and this was the land of production and harvest.
Speaking of the God of Four Seasons, Lu Qingjiu thought of the dead God of Spring again, and couldn’t help but feel a twinge in his heart.
After leaving the tent, Lu Qingjiu and the others left the market in the minivan. This time, with Bai Yuehu checking the items, they bought a lot of things. Lu Qingjiu bought a handful of lollipops that were said to have a sweet taste forever, and planned to take them back to coax Yin Xun. Bai Yuehu put one in his mouth, sat in the shotgun seat, closed his eyes and relaxed.
After Lu Qingjiu went to the hotel to pick up his luggage, he planned to return to Shuifu Village. After bidding farewell to Zhu Miaomiao and Wu Xiao, the two embarked on the road back home.
This time the two of them went out for a full seven days, and they didn’t know how Yin Xun was doing at home.
More than 20 hours later, Lu Qingjiu finally arrived at home. He parked the minivan and entered the yard. He was shocked by the scene in the yard. He saw Yin Xun lying on the chair like a corpse, and his body had become pale. It was dry, like pickles that had been dehydrated, and there was only air going in and no air gong out. Lu Qingjiu shouted: “Yin Xun, what’s wrong with you?”
Yin Xun turned his head slowly, his cheeks sunken in, and he said in a trembling voice, “Jiu’er..”
Lu Qingjiu strode forward, originally wanting to help Yin Xun up, but who knew that Yin Xun was so light that only a thin layer of skin remained, and he almost threw Yin Xun into the sky with a pull.
Yin Xun said with difficulty: “Brother, take it easy.” I’m going to be smashed by you.
Lu Qingjiu: “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Yin Xun: “Water, give me water.”
Lu Qingjiu hurried to the house to fetch a basin of water, and put Yin Xun in it.
With water, Yin Xun began to recover slowly. Lu Qingjiu squatted beside him and asked him what happened. He said that it was nothing. He just cooked a few meals by himself and then unfortunately became dehydrated. The worst thing was that he couldn’t go anywhere after dehydration, so he could only slump on the chair and wait for the rain. If Lu Qingjiu hadn’t returned, he would have been paralyzed for several days.
Lu Qingjiu was helpless: “Aren’t there instant noodles? Why didn’t you eat that?”
Yin Xun cried: “I was afraid that I’ll eat it all before you guys come back, so I wanted to save some.”
Lu Qingjiu knew he was wrong, so he quickly took out a lollipop from his bag and stuffed it into Yin Xun’s mouth.
Bai Yuehu was watching from the sidelines while Yin Xun was being dealt with, and when he saw Yin Xun eating his lollipop, the dislike in his eyes practically bled out into substance.
After Lu Qingjiu settled Yin Xun, he went to comfort Bai Yuehu a few more words, saying that Yin Xun was still young, so don’t argue with him.
Bai Yuehu raised his chin, showing a haughty expression, saying that as a noble dragon, how could he care about a small mountain god?
Lu Qingjiu thought that it would have been more convincing if he had taken the lollipop out of his mouth when he said this.
It was already too late today, so Lu Qingjiu decided to sleep in and cook a big meal tomorrow to make up to Yin Xun.
Yin Xun still couldn’t move, it seemed that he would have to stay in the water basin all night.
The next day, Yin Xun, who had soaked in water overnight, finally regained his soft and elastic skin, and regained his vitality.
Lu Qingjiu went to the town to buy a lot of fresh ingredients, planning to cook a big meal. The weather has been getting hotter and hotter recently, and food made with sauerkraut was very popular. Lu Qingjiu planned to make a meal of sauerkraut pork dumplings and stir-fry a few more dishes.
The sauerkraut they made last year was ready to eat this year. Because they used their own cabbage, it was crispier and the sour taste was much stronger than the ones sold on the market and whether it was used for soup or other dishes, it was more delicious. Especially for someone like Lu Qingjiu who lost his appetite when it was hot, sauerkraut vermicelli soup had now become his favorite food.
Vermicelli must be the best Longkou vermicelli. Take out the sauerkraut and wash it, stir-fry it, add water to boil, and then add vermicelli. If you want to eat meat, you can also put meat slices wrapped in starch, making the meat very tender and not very dry.
Eating pork and sauerkraut dumplings, Yin Xun shed tears silently, saying that he finally felt the pain of left-behind children again. Lu Qingjiu coaxed him to stop crying, and what to do if he continued to cry and become dehydrated again. Yin Xun wiped his face with his hand, saying what Lu Qingjiu said was very reasonable. Then he was curious as to why he had been eating the lollipop all day but couldn’t finish it at all.
Lu Qingjiu slowly told Yin Xun the market he saw there, and Yin Xun said that he really wanted to go and see it, but it was a pity that he would never be able to get out of Shuifu Village in his life.
Hearing this, Lu Qingjiu patted him on the shoulder, saying that it was okay, since he still has him by his side.
Bai Yuehu didn’t bother to pay attention to the two of them at all, and quietly ate the dumplings beside him. By the time Lu Qingjiu and Yin Xun finished talking, the dumplings in the pot were almost bottomed out. Yin Xun was so angry that he glared at Bai Yuehu, but he didn’t dare to fight him, so went to the backyard to vent his anger on the eyeballs fruit after being aggrieved.
The weather was hot, and many summer fruits had reached the perfect season of eating. The watermelons in their home were big and round, very juicy, and there were crunchy ones and tender ones, satisfying everyone’s taste in watermelons.
Lu Qingjiu took the leftover melon rinds and fed them to the cows, and that night he drank the legendary watermelon-flavored milk, which tasted pretty good.
This year there was little rain but plenty of sunshine, so the sweetness of the fruit was quite high. Yin Xun also found wild kiwi fruits on the mountain. Unlike the ones grown at home, the wild kiwi fruit was very small, but it was very sweet. Peeling off the furry skin, the fruit was juicy and pulpy and one could swallow it all in one bite.
It was Bai Yuehu’s first time eating this kind of fruit, if Lu Qingjiu hadn’t stopped him, he probably wouldn’t have bothered to peel it, and swallowed the whole fruit with its skin.
Kiwi fruit could also be dried to make dried kiwi. Lu Qingjiu also placed some orders online and bought a lot of nuts and tropical fruits. August was also the season when the longan fruit ripened, and the quality of the longan here was average, so Lu Qingjiu simply bought all of them online and had them delivered by express delivery. The longan in the coastal area was much better in appearance, bigger and sweeter, and the pit was smaller.
Summer was the time to eat fruits, which could not only hydrate the body, but also replenish energy.
The grape racks in his house were also covered with bunches of purple fruits, which were crystal clear and very attractive. The Lady Ghost who lived in the backyard also started to eat grapes, and praised Bai Yuehu’s grape growing skills.
However, Lu Qingjiu didn’t dare to let Bai Yuehu and Lady Ghost meet, after all, he and Yin Xun were two tragic examples, and they also understood that it was not a good thing to get too much love from Lady Ghost.
The hair on a certain part of Lu Qingjiu had finally grown back and it was no longer itching. He would never dare to cut it short again. It felt like a nightmare, he had wanted to stick his hands in it even when he was sleeping.
Summer was really a delightful season. The bright sunshine and endless fruits made people fascinated by this season.
If possible, he really hoped that time would freeze at this moment, without having to think about what bad things might happen in the future.
————
The author has something to say:
Bai Yuehu: Life is getting better and better.
Lu Qingjiu: Yes.
Bai Yuehu: I think it can be better.
Yin Xun: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Don’t kill me. I can be your reserve food, big brother!
Thanks for the update
Thanks for the update!