Aunt Gu only later found out that it had been Jiang Ning who cycled Tongtong to school these past few days.
So she had been busy in the countryside until today, when she finally rushed back.
Now seeing her own girl, obediently staying by Jiang Ning's side, she felt quite good about it for a moment.
Ever since she rented a room to Jiang Ning, she felt that the child was honest and polite, though he seemed a bit frail physically. Who would have thought that after just a few days of not seeing him, he had grown taller, and his face also appeared much more spirited.
"Jiang Ning, just wait a bit, I still have one dish to stir-fry," she said yesterday, telling Tongtong to invite Jiang Ning over for a meal.
Jiang Ning didn't decline and politely said, "Thanks for the trouble, Auntie."
"No trouble at all, no trouble at all."
As Xue Yuantong watched the two exchange pleasantries, she interjected:
"Mom, stop chatting, go cook, I'm starving."
Aunt Gu gave Xue Yuantong a stern look, but Xue Yuantong wasn't afraid at all and dragged Jiang Ning off to wash his hands, then pulled him into the main room and sat him down on a small stool next to the folding table.
Xue Yuantong sliced a plate of watermelon and chatted idly with Jiang Ning while sitting at the dining table.
"Isn't it pleasantly cool? Have you noticed?" Xue Yuantong asked curiously.
Jiang Ning nodded, "Indeed, it is very cool."
He had used his Spiritual Power to cool down the surroundings. For Xue Yuantong, he wouldn't be stingy with that bit of Spiritual Power. He quite liked this lively and cheerful girl.
"Yeah, maybe it's because of the shade from the trees," Xue Yuantong thought.
Many trees had been planted near the bungalow, providing shaded areas that prevented the temperature inside from rising too high. Although it was still hot in the summer, it was bearable with the electric fan blowing.
Given her modest living conditions, only her mother could earn money. These days, installing an air conditioner could cost thousands, and the electricity was expensive, so they didn't have an air conditioner at home. Every summer was passed somewhat miserably, yet they got by.
Jiang Ning smiled. Nowadays it really wasn't that hot, unlike a certain year in the future when there was a significant heatwave across the country. During that summer, one could hardly bear it without the air conditioner and even had to keep it on all night long to be able to sleep.
"Super cool!" Xue Yuantong took a bite of watermelon, shook an orange-flavored drink bottle with fruit particles, and as she was about to twist open the cap, Jiang Ning said, "Let me do it."
"No need, I can manage." Xue Yuantong put in a lot of effort and opened it.
She boasted proudly, "I'm a tough girl, just a bottle cap, nothing I can't handle easily."
"Amazing, amazing," Jiang Ning kindly praised her as if he were complimenting a child.
"Hmph," Xue Yuantong hummed, "Eat the watermelon, it's from the countryside that my mom brought back. My grandpa found the seeds for us to grow ourselves, it's very sweet. Later, I'll grab a couple for you to slowly enjoy."
Saying this, she looked expectantly at Jiang Ning, hoping he would taste it.
Jiang Ning tried a piece, and indeed it was quite sweet, slightly better than the usual melons sold on the streets. Though he had eaten various rare Spirit Fruits in the Cultivation World, he still ate happily, consuming several pieces in front of Xue Yuantong.
How good something tastes sometimes depends on who you're eating it with.
Jiang Ning was a left-behind child, with parents who could only come back to visit during the New Year, staying for less than twenty days before heading once again to the Coastal Region to work.
Leaving him alone at home, his grandparents had passed away early on, and his meals were mostly bought, which was still safe in the village, with a few neighboring relatives occasionally looking after him.
In the past, Jiang Ning had resented his parents, but as he grew up, he gradually understood.
Hui Province was underdeveloped. If he stayed in his hometown, people like his parents, with little education, could either farm, earning perhaps less than ten thousand a year, or start a business.
Because the local factory wages weren't high and were far behind those of the Coastal Region, going there, two people could save up to seventy or eighty thousand a year, to later buy a house and a car for their child.
Therefore, in Jiang Ning's village, the adult men had mostly gone out to work, and many children of Jiang Ning's age had not even finished junior high before moving away with their parents.
Jiang Ning had spent years dining alone; after graduating from university and drifting through society, he was still eating alone, and to be honest, it was quite unappetizing.
He preferred eating with his family, talking about everyday matters over a meal, but such opportunities were rare. Life in society always seemed to dictate one's actions.
Now, sitting in Xue Yuantong's house, chatting and eating with Xue Yuantong, he experienced a sense of relaxation he hadn't felt for a long time. Though he had been at his uncle's house a few days earlier, he always felt an invisible barrier between them.
Even though he had done much better in this life than in the previous one, those memories were forever buried deep in his heart. A Cultivator, though possessing nearly Immortal means, is after all, human.
By contrast, he felt exceptionally relaxed with Xue Yuantong.
"Delicious," he said.
Xue Yuantong's smile was radiant. When Jiang Ning praised the melons from her garden, it made her feel as if her bones had stretched out comfortably.
Aunt Gu came over carrying a pot, its fragrance spreading and making one's mouth water.
Xue Yuantong stood up with her hands on her hips, excitedly introducing the dish to Jiang Ning,
"Look, this is a chicken my mom brought from the village, fresh and paired with dried green beans. It's cooked in an Earth Pot fired by wood. Seeing how sweaty my mom got cooking, you'll know just how delicious this chicken is!"
"There's also dough cakes dipped in the broth later. I won't even mention how great they taste. I guarantee that after one bite, you'll want to come over for meals every day!"
"You're in for a treat today, haha."
Aunt Gu gave her daughter a disapproving look, not understanding how she had raised such a simpleton.
Jiang Ning took over the pot and put it on the table, simultaneously activating his Spiritual Power, and a wave of coolness spread out.
"The main room is so cool!" exclaimed Aunt Gu in surprise.
"I noticed it too. It's especially cool today!" agreed Xue Yuantong.
Dish by dish, Aunt Gu served up the meal. Besides the Earth Pot Chicken, there were two vegetable dishes, stir-fried edamame and a cold dish of tomatoes, topped off with watermelon cut by Xue Yuantong, which just about made for four dishes in total.
"Our meal is quite simple today; I hope you don't mind, Jiang Ning," said Aunt Gu with a hint of embarrassment.
"It's already very lavish," Jiang Ning replied.
Aunt Gu brought over a rice cooker filled with mung bean soup, perfect for quenching thirst and beating the heat in summer.
"Let's eat," Xue Yuantong said, grabbing a piece of cake, only to withdraw her hand quickly after being scalded, giving a look of aggrieved innocence.
Jiang Ning couldn't help but laugh at her antics.
Aunt Gu served Jiang Ning a piece of the cake, placing it on his bowl.
The cake had been cooked with the chicken, half drenched in the broth while the other half remained crispy.
Taking a bite, Jiang Ning praised, "Auntie, your cooking skills are truly excellent."
Xue Yuantong's face beamed with pride as if basking in reflected glory.
"If it tastes good, eat more. I see you've grown a lot taller recently, and now's the time you need nutrition to keep that growth going," Aunt Gu said.
Jiang Ning behaved as if he were taking her advice to heart.
Listening to this, Xue Yuantong felt a sense of sourness in her heart. She thought that if she kept listening, she might start to drool out of envy, so she quickly changed the subject:
"Mom, how did you get here today? Did you take the bus?"
Aunt Gu nodded, "Yes, I changed buses twice, but there weren't many people."
The thought of her mother carrying so much stuff and having to change buses, not to mention the hardship along the way, made Xue Yuantong feel a little uncomfortable.
Yet she was helpless to do anything about it.