"Don't say anything, he's coming," Yi Xiaochuan whispered.
Xiang Yu immediately put on a serious expression.
Cao Yi brought over a small iron tray with three cups of peach blossom tea—one for Xiang Yu, one for Yi Xiaochuan, and the third placed on the table—before returning to the kitchen.
"What's this cup made of? It's so soft and squishy," Xiang Yu asked, puzzled as he touched the cup.
"It's a disposable paper cup; I haven't seen one in ages," Yi Xiaochuan said, gently caressing it as if it were a lover.
"Another thing from your hometown," Xiang Yu realized.
"Yeah," Yi Xiaochuan nodded.
He didn't elaborate further, knowing that explaining would only make Xiang Yu think he was talking nonsense.
"Peach blossom tea is something only women drink," Xiang Yu frowned at the tea in the paper cup.
"I think it's quite good," Yi Xiaochuan said, lifting his cup.
Footsteps approached.
Cao Yi returned.
"How's the peach blossom tea?" he asked.
"I was just about to drink it," Yi Xiaochuan replied with a smile.
"Xiang came and drank quite a bit of water; he's not thirsty," Xiang Yu found an excuse to refuse the drink he thought was only for women.
"That's a pity," Cao Yi said with some regret. He had specifically added jade marrow to the tea, which is very beneficial for people.
What's there to regret? Xiang Yu thought, secretly mocking him.
"Oh, it's delicious, really delicious... I've never had tea this good," Yi Xiaochuan exclaimed, looking refreshed.
Is it really that good? Xiang Yu felt a bit swayed.
"Brother Yu, just take a sip, and you'll know," Yi Xiaochuan nudged the paper cup in front of Xiang Yu.
Xiang Yu again decided to go along with it, picked up the paper cup, took a sip, and was stunned: "It's really fragrant!"
"It can clear your mind and boost your energy," Yi Xiaochuan added.
Xiang Yu downed the entire cup, his expression reflecting his unexpected delight, completely forgetting how disdainful he had been about the peach blossom tea moments ago.
"I need to do my morning prayers; you two wait for a while," Cao Yi said, putting down his cup and heading to the shrine.
"What's morning prayers?" Xiang Yu asked Yi Xiaochuan.
Yi Xiaochuan, only half-understanding Taoism, replied dismissively, "It's probably like chanting scriptures like a monk."
"What's a monk?" Xiang Yu asked with a look of endless curiosity.
Yi Xiaochuan glanced away, not wanting to continue this never-ending topic.
"I get it; it's something from your hometown again, right?" Xiang Yu said with a blank look.
You don't get it at all! Yi Xiaochuan thought to himself.
"I never expected to visit a recluse and meet someone from your hometown; isn't Mr. Cao from Chu?" Xiang Yu mumbled to himself.
Yi Xiaochuan rubbed his forehead, and suddenly he spotted something.
A bronze cauldron!
The idiom "to bear the weight of the world" was created by Brother Yu. With nothing else to do, this was a perfect distraction.
"Brother Yu, can you lift this bronze cauldron?"
"How hard can it be?" Xiang Yu replied confidently.
He stood up and removed his new robe to avoid getting it dirty.
Yi Xiaochuan also stood up to hold Xiang Yu's robe.
Xiang Yu approached the bronze cauldron, took a deep breath, grabbed the rim with one hand and the foot with the other, and with a low roar, lifted the three to four hundred-pound cauldron effortlessly.
"Brother Yu, wait a moment," Yi Xiaochuan said as he pulled out his phone and activated the camera.
Click!
The imposing scene of Xiang Yu lifting the cauldron appeared on his phone screen.
With a thud, Xiang Yu set the cauldron down smoothly.
Setting it down wasn't simple; it was a matter of being skillful with heavy weights. The famous Qin Wuwang Ying Dang, known for his strength, had once crushed his legs and died because he didn't do this step properly.
"You're so cool, Brother Yu!" Yi Xiaochuan said with admiration.
Xiang Yu exhaled the breath he had been holding, rubbed his somewhat numb hands, turned around, and walked back to put on the robe Yi Xiaochuan had handed him, panting, "After all these years wandering with my uncle, I've never seen anyone stronger than me."
"Of course, who in the world can compare to Brother Yu..." Yi Xiaochuan flattered him wildly.
Just then, a door in the Daoist temple creaked open, and Howlingsky came out.
Yawning and about to go outside to bask in the sun, he froze upon seeing two strangers.
"A wolf!" Xiang Yu stood protectively in front of Yi Xiaochuan.
Seeing Xiang Yu's serious demeanor, Howlingsky felt a surge of pride and stepped forward, chin raised, looking down at the trembling "ants."
"This is a husky; it just looks like a wolf!" Yi Xiaochuan quickly went over and playfully tugged on Howlingsky's ear, smiling.
Damn it, I've been recognized!
Howlingsky instantly broke character, wagging his tail and plopping down, sticking out his bright red tongue in a silly manner.
"Not a wolf," Xiang Yu relaxed at the revelation.
"I used to raise dogs like this; they're known for being stupid and useless. If a thief came, they'd welcome him with open paws. Go on, shake its hand," Yi Xiaochuan laughed.
Skeptical, Xiang Yu approached and bent down to extend his thick, calloused hand from years of martial arts training.
Howlingsky immediately raised his right front paw, looking obedient to the point of being ridiculous.
Xiang Yu grasped Howlingsky's right paw, puzzled: "What's the point of raising a dog like this?"
Yi Xiaochuan held Howlingsky's left front paw and shook it: "It's fun!"
Xiang Yu examined Howlingsky for a moment and praised, "I haven't seen such a fat dog in ages; if you cook it, you could eat for days!"
Howlingsky stiffened, then in a flash, retracted his two front paws and dashed into one of the rooms in the Daoist temple.
Xiang Yu stood there, stunned for a moment, puzzled: "Can it understand human speech?"
Yi Xiaochuan was also at a loss. The huskies he knew were smart, but not to the point of understanding human language.
"Forget it, let's not worry about it; let's go for a walk," Xiang Yu said, unable to sit still.
"Okay," Yi Xiaochuan nodded.
The two walked outside.
In the shrine, Cao Yi shook his head and continued his prayers.
More than twenty minutes passed.
Cao Yi came out of the shrine, then back into the kitchen, retrieving some dog food he had bought in New York before leaving.
"Howlingsky, it's time to eat!"
"Howlingsky, it's time to eat!"
...
He called several times without getting a response.
Cao Yi was about to check the room.
The door cracked open, and Howlingsky dashed out, diving under the bronze cauldron, trembling.
"Look how scared you are," Cao Yi said, speechless.
Just then, footsteps were heard outside.
Soon, Xiang Yu and Yi Xiaochuan walked back in.
"Hey, dog food," Yi Xiaochuan, familiar with dog food, noticed it.
Xiang Yu looked as clueless as usual.
Cao Yi squatted down next to the bronze cauldron and said in a coaxing tone, "If you come out, I'll double your rations today."
Howlingsky glanced nervously at Xiang Yu nearby, trembling even more.
"Brother Yu, look what you've done to the dog," Yi Xiaochuan teased.
"How was I supposed to know he was so timid?" Xiang Yu shrugged, feigning innocence.
"Brother Yu, you can't...," Yi Xiaochuan winked.
Xiang Yu realized and walked closer: "Daoist Priest, I—"
Before he could finish, he froze.
"Now, how are you going to hide?" Cao Yi taunted, holding the three to four hundred-pound bronze cauldron like a stick, smirking at Howlingsky.