translator: baumkuchen  editor: ellabells

In the next moment, Lu Qingjiu put down his chopsticks, trembling . He just knew it, if Yin Xun was made of water, why would Bai Yuehu be interested in him? Now he finally understood, it turned out that it wasn’t water at all, it was meat, and the quality of the meat being good was actually a little true .  

“This… how did you get this meat Lingzhi mushroom?” Lu Qingjiu asked weakly, “Can it become human?” He felt a little like he had eaten that useless best friend of his .

“What?” The Rain Master didn’t quite understand Lu Qingjiu’s reaction . “Could it be that you have a friend made out of meat Lingzhi mushrooms?”

“Yes . ” Lu Qingjiu nodded .

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” The Rain Master said casually, “Meat Lingzhi mushroom is just a kind of food, but because it has special properties, it can be used to recreate a body . So if I haven’t guessed wrongly, that friend of yours has died once, right?”

That was true, from what Yin Xun had said, when he fell into the puddle that year, he had died . It was that strange man who had given him a second chance at life . It seemed that that man had used meat Lingzhi mushrooms to recreate Yin Xun’s body in order to let Yin Xun live again .

Having thought it through, only then could Lu Qingjiu relax .

After the two finished all the food laid out before them, Bai Yuehu stood up and said his goodbyes . The Rain Master didn’t try to get them to stay, simply sending the two off with his gaze .

Bai Yuehu led Lu Qingjiu out of the Rain Master’s world through the rain . After returning to reality, he then brought Lu Qingjiu back home .  

“Yin Xun, we’re back,” Lu Qingjiu called out from the door to the courtyard . They had been out for a day, he didn’t know if Yin Xun had properly watched the meat in the pot .

Hearing his voice, Yin Xun eagerly rushed out of the house, “You’re back?”

Lu Qingjiu said, “Did you turn off the flames?”

“It’s off, it’s off,” Yin Xun said, “I even tasted a bit of the meat, it’s really good . ” 

Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, “Then we can have stewed beef tonight . ”

After all, poor Bai Yuehu had to swallow down a mouthful of mud, Lu Qingjiu wanted to give his family’s fox spirit a feast for his efforts .

Zhu Miaomiao had chosen next-day delivery, so the next day, Lu Qingjiu went to town to collect his package . In the package were hairy crabs tied up with rope, with both males and females . Just from their size, it could be seen that they were definitely plump and luxuriant .

Yin Xun had never had crab . He stared with wide eyes from off to the side and asked if these crabs would really taste good, they looked to be entirely made of bone ah .  

“Of course they’re delicious,” Lu Qingjiu smiled and said, “Let’s have crab for lunch today . I’ll steam half, and use the rest to make chili crab . ”

“Yes yes yes . ” Yin Xun was extremely happy .

Bai Yuehu didn’t seem to have much interest in the crabs, so he didn’t have any reaction .

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As Lu Qingjiu cooked the crabs, he casually called Zhu Miaomiao to thank her for her gift .

On the phone, Zhu Miaomiao giggled . She said if he wanted to eat crab, he should just say so, she could get him another two jin . Lu Qingjiu didn’t stand on formalities with her, saying okay with a smile .

In the pot, the crabs became a golden yellow . Lu Qingjiu then picked out seasoning used specially for crab . He added scallions to the seasoning, fried it in a bit of hot oil, then added the vinegar one would use when eating crab into the oil . That way, the seasoning would taste especially delicious, and would simply be a perfect match for the crab .  

Not to mention the chili crab, before the lid of the pot was even taken off, it gave off a strong fragrance, enticing Yin Xun to keep looking over from off to the side .  

When Lu Qingjiu had went to town to pick up his package, he had also went to the s.h.i.+ps to buy some locally made huangjiu . Crabs were cooling, so eating too much was bad for the stomach . Ginger tea and huangjiu were the best drinks to pair with crab . They didn’t really like ginger tea, so Lu Qingjiu brought huangjiu back home .

Lu Qingjiu got Yin Xun to set the table . They were going to eat crab as they admired the moon .

Yin Xun already couldn’t wait . He obediently set up the chairs and table . Then, the three sat .  

September’s crabs were already very fat . Pulling upon the sh.e.l.l, one could be able to see the abundant crab roe and watch as oily juices flowed down the sh.e.l.l . Lu Qingjiu pinched his fingers together, teaching Yin Xun how to peel the crabs .  Crab roe could be dipped in sauce and directly eaten, while crab meat could be peeled out bit by bit with tongs, and placed in the empty sh.e.l.l . When a lot was acc.u.mulated, one could eat it all in one bite .

As he ate the delicious crab roe and crab meat, and drank a mouthful of warmed huangjiu, smelling the light fragrance of osmanthus in the slight breeze, Lu Qingjiu once more felt thankful for the choice he’d made .

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Thankfully, he’d come back, come back to this village by the name of Shuifu .

Bai Yuehu just stared at the crab, not making a move . His eyebrows were slightly creased, as if he was considering whether to eat it all along with the sh.e.l.l . Lu Qingjiu, heart still hurting for him having to eat that mouthful of mud, simply helped Bai Yuehu deal with the crab, dipping the crab roe and crab meat into the sauce, and sending it straight into Bai Yuehu’s mouth .  

“Eat,” Lu Qingjiu said, smiling .

Bai Yuehu moved over, swallowing it all in one go . His creased eyebrows instantly smoothed . He opened his mouth slightly and said, “Delicious . ”

“Isn’t it?” Lu Qingjiu said, “You eat the chili crab first, I’ll keep peeling the crab for you . ”

Bai Yuehu nodded .  

If one were to say that steamed crab let one taste the fresh taste of the crab itself, then chili crab’s flavour was a little heavier . The crab meat within took on the taste of the spices, changing its flavour from light and fresh to spicy and fragrant . Bai Yuehu grabbed one, and began to eat a little unskillfully . He seemed to too have noticed that the bones would affect the taste of the crab . Even though he could eat them, he still obediently spat them out .

Yin Xun quickly mastered the trick of how to eat crab . He ate fast, but he didn’t have Bai Yuehu’s big appet.i.te . After six or seven crabs, he was just about full, but he still clearly hadn’t eaten enough . He stared with wide eyes at Lu Qingjiu and said, “I still want to eat . ”

“Then eat, isn’t there still so much here?” Lu Qingjiu had cooked all the crabs Zhu Miaomiao had sent over,

“But I can’t eat anymore,” Yin Xun said, “These crabs clearly don’t have any meat, so why are they so filling?” 

Lu Qingjiu smiled . “If you like it, I’ll ask my friend to send some more over . Don’t eat yourself sick, it’s not like you’re Bai Yuehu . ”

An ordinary person would be full after five or six crabs, but to Bai Yuehu, the meat of five or six crabs wasn’t even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth . However, he didn’t make Lu Qingjiu keep peeling them for him, rather expressing that Lu Qingjiu should eat them himself . Before, Bai Yuehu being unwilling to make a move had been because of laziness . When he really started acting, he could peel the crabs extremely cleanly . He had a lot of strength, so he was even able to pinch the claws between his fingers and directly break it, pulling out the meat that way .

Lu Qingjiu also hadn’t forgotten to give his little fox and little black pigs some . The little fox didn’t need its crabs peeled, a few crunches with its sharp teeth enough to crush the sh.e.l.l to pieces . It swallowed the meat down along with the bones, really somewhat similar to the lazy Bai Yuehu .

Autumn was the season for moon-gazing . The weather was neither too hot or too cold . The crescent moon hung high in the sky . In a few more days, it would be the Mid-Autumn Festival, the time to eat mooncakes .  

Mooncakes could be bought in town, but in the end, Lu Qingjiu still decided to make them himself, something he hadn’t done before . He planned to make some lotus egg yolk mooncakes, as well as some meat mooncakes . His home still lacked a small oven, so he was going to go to the city to buy one the next day, visiting the hospital to check on Pang Ziqi while he was at it .

After eating his fill, Yin Xun went home, leaving only him and Bai Yuehu .

Bai Yuehu’s head was lowered as he slowly peeled off the crab meat, his long, slender fingers incomparably nimble, peeling off the white crab meat little by little until he reached the base of the sh.e.l.l .

After peeling everything, he glanced at Lu Qingjiu who was sitting next to him with a faint smile on his face, he lifted his hand, and brought the crab meat to Lu Qingjiu’s mouth .  

Seeing this, Lu Qingjiu was stunned for a moment . “No need…” He was full .

But Bai Yuehu didn’t move . He raised his arm slightly, indicating that Lu Qingjiu should eat .

Lu Qingjiu couldn’t help but smile . In the end, he accepted Bai Yuehu’s good intentions, but as he moved to take the crab into his mouth, he suddenly thought of something, turning his head to face Bai Yuehu . If he hadn’t remembered wrong, this was the first time Bai Yuehu had shared food with him . Lu Qingjiu knew that it was when wild animals were eating that they were most on guard . Adding on Bai Yuehu’s nature of being protective over his food, as long as it was food that his bowl, it was impossible for him to give it to others . This time, Bai Yuehu’s actions had been far too natural, Lu Qingjiu almost hadn’t noticed how it was different from usual .

Lu Qingjiu took a bite of the crab . Probably because it was crab that had been personally peeled by Bai Yuehu, it tasted especially good . Lu Qingjiu laughed .  

Bai Yuehu asked, “What are you laughing about?”

Lu Qingjiu said, “I was just laughing because I’d never thought there would come a day where I, this animal keeper would have made it . ”

Bai Yuehu raised his eyebrows, “Made it?”

Lu Qingjiu just smiled, not answering .  

Bai Yuehu didn’t understand the meaning of Lu Qingjiu’s smile . He hadn’t noticed any abnormalities in his actions, not feeling like there was anything wrong with him sharing food with Lu Qingjiu . ”

“Let’s go to bed . ” After finis.h.i.+ng the last crab, Lu Qingjiu was a little tired . Currently, it was already late at night, and the wind had become a little cold .

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“Alright, you go first,” Bai Yuehu said, “I’ll clean up the table . ”

Lu Qingjiu nodded . He got up and stretched, then went into the house, washed up and went to bed . When he laid down on the bed, through the window, he saw Bai Yuehu in the courtyard, his head currently lowered as he cleaned up the bowls and chopsticks . He couldn’t help but think of what Pang Ziqi had said to him: “Wild beasts are wild beasts, even if they disguise themselves as humans, once they are agitated, they’ll show their ferocity . ” — So what about that? Even rabbits would bite when cornered . Besides, Bai Yuehu wasn’t some beast without any self-awareness, he knew who he was, he knew what he was doing . One could even say that to some extent, his self-control was even stronger than many humans .  

As Lu Qingjiu thought, he yawned . A strong wave of sleepiness rushed over him . He closed his eyes . Not even a moment later, he fell into the sweet world of dreams .

The next morning, the weather was clear and refres.h.i.+ng, with clear skies as far as the eye could see .  

After making breakfast, Lu QIngjiu planned on going to the central hospital in the city to visit Pang Ziqi .

Like a bear child, Yin Xun cried and kicked up a fuss about wanting to go with Lu Qingjiu, so out of helplessness, Lu Qingjiu could only agree .  

Hence, the two people got onto the pickup truck and went off in the direction of the city . After a few hours, they reached the central hospital . Upon walking to the ward, before even going in, they could hear that Pang Ziqi was once more roaring in rage, “I’m already about to die, can you stop hara.s.sing me? Please act like a proper human—”

Lu Qingjiu, “He seems to be quite spirited . ”

Yin Xun nodded . “He’s a lot better than he was a few days ago…”

Lu Qingjiu said, “The Rain Master’s Concubine shouldn’t be following him any more, right?” Upon saying this, he pushed open the door . However, when he got a good look at Pang Ziqi, his expression stiffened for a few seconds .  

He saw Pang Ziqi sitting on the hospital bed, engaged in a lively argument . The Rain Master’s Concubine who had been lying over him was indeed gone without a trace, but now there was new thumb-sized person sitting on his shoulder, an unhappy look on their face . That person… was clearly a chibified Rain Master’s Concubine .

Seeing this scene, Yin Xun and Lu Qingjiu exchanged looks . In the other’s eyes, each could see the same surprised expression .