Tan Bing, sensing the fragrance in the air, found that the usual sensation of acid reflux in her stomach was gone, and instead, she actually felt a bit of appetite.
With a firm resolve, she decided to eat the golden kumquat in one bite.
"Hmm!" Tan Bing's expression changed as she chewed the kumquat and said, "Sweet! Delicious!"
Gu Ning'an picked up a piece of egg and put it in his mouth, continuing, "Swallow it down and then eat. You shouldn't feel nauseous now."
Gurgle!
Suddenly, Tan Bing's stomach made a loud noise.
Blushing slightly, Tan Bing lowered her head in embarrassment and said, "Husband, could you help me get a bowl of rice? I'm a bit hungry…"
"Rice!" Zheng De's tone rose several octaves. "Wait here, I'll go get it for you!"
In no time, Zheng De returned with a large pot of steaming rice. After serving a full bowl for Tan Bing, he looked at Gu Ning'an and asked, "Sir, would you like some rice?"
Gu Ning'an nodded. "I'll serve myself."
"Alright." After handing the rice scoop to Gu Ning'an, Zheng De turned his attention back to his wife.
Tan Bing first took small bites of rice, but soon, it seemed she no longer cared whether there were others around. Her eating speed could now only be described as "gobbling."
Zheng De watched from the side, helping her with refills of rice and soup, his smile radiant.
It wasn't until Tan Bing had eaten three large bowls of rice that he finally snapped back to reality and looked at Gu Ning'an with a smile. "Sir, my wife hasn't had a proper meal in over a month. We took her to see a doctor, but they couldn't figure out why she had no appetite."
"I originally thought it was the lingering effects of some evil spirit, and I wanted to ask you to take a look. But the moment you came today, you opened up my wife's appetite… Now tell me, how should I thank you?"
Gu Ning'an pointed to the food on the table and smiled. "Isn't this just me freeloading on your food?"
"One meal is not enough!" Zheng De patted his chest. "If you ever don't want to cook or don't want to eat out, you're always welcome to come to our house for a meal!"
Gu Ning'an smiled. "Alright, with those words, I'll definitely come over the next time I'm around."
"Next time you come?" Zheng De furrowed his brows and asked, "Sir, are you leaving?"
Gu Ning'an nodded. "There are some things I need to take care of. I'll be leaving the compound for a while and won't be back for a while, so I'm just letting you know I came by for a meal."
Upon hearing this, Zheng De immediately got up and hurried out. When he returned, he was holding a large package.
He handed the package to Gu Ning'an, smiling. "Sir, these are some steamed buns my wife just made. She originally intended to bring them to me at my stall, but since you're leaving, I'll give them to you."
Looking at the package, which had some weight to it, Gu Ning'an smiled. "Then I won't be polite."
"Oh, no need to be polite. They're just steamed buns, nothing fancy. They don't even have any meat filling," Zheng De scratched his head and grinned.
"Well, the meal's finished, I'll be on my way now so as not to disturb your rest," Gu Ning'an said as he stood up with the package in hand.
Tan Bing, now full, was about to get up, but Gu Ning'an gently pressed her hand down. "Let Zheng De see me off. Your appetite will return to normal soon, but remember to eat smaller meals more often, don't overeat at once."
Upon hearing this, Tan Bing's cheeks turned red again. "I understand, thank you for your concern, Sir."
"Mm." Gu Ning'an nodded, and together with Zheng De, he walked outside the courtyard.
At the gate, Gu Ning'an raised his hand and said, "Stay here. Your wife's pregnancy is stable now, so you don't need to worry too much."
Zheng De called out, "Sir, when will you be back? I'd like to invite you to my child's full moon celebration."
"Full moon celebration?" Gu Ning'an calculated the time and smiled. "It should be around the beginning of next spring. If I can make it, I'll definitely come back for the feast."
"It's a promise! I'll be waiting for you!" Zheng De, as if not hearing the "if I can make it" part, immediately sealed the agreement.
"Alright, you'd better head back now," Gu Ning'an said with a helpless smile and quickly left.
From behind, Zheng De stood at the gate and shouted, "Safe travels, Sir! I'll be waiting for you to come back for the feast!"
Gu Ning'an raised his left hand and waved. "Go back now!"
Bang!
As Gu Ning'an raised his left hand, a strand of Worldly Qi emerged, responding to his motion. With a casual wave, the thin thread of Worldly Qi transformed into a shape resembling a rattle drum.
As it swayed, a faint "dong~dong~dong" sound could be heard.
The crisp autumn air made it the perfect time for a journey. Gu Ning'an, dressed in a green robe, carried a moderately sized, well-packed bundle on his left shoulder. A cloth strip secured a wooden sword to his back.
After locking the old gate, he turned and walked towards the alley.
As he passed by Butcher Liu's house, the latter took the pipe out of his mouth and cupped his hands in greeting. "Mr. Gu, are you going on a long journey?"
Gu Ning'an cupped his hands and returned the greeting. "Just going out to take care of some matters."
Liu smiled and nodded. "I wish you a smooth journey and hope you return home soon."
"Thank you for your kind words… By the way, you should smoke less of that dry tobacco. It's not good for your health," Gu Ning'an said with a smile.
Liu waved his hand. "Ah, I've been smoking this all my life. Quitting it now wouldn't make any sense… This treasure, I'll be taking it with me to the grave."
Seeing that Butcher Liu wouldn't be persuaded, Gu Ning'an didn't say more. He just smiled, bid him farewell, and walked away with quick steps.
As Gu Ning'an made his way out of Lexiang County, he purposely took a detour to visit Carpenter Zhao, Ma Mingcai, and others. After confirming they didn't need any help, he told them he was heading out of town and quickly left.
By the time he had walked several miles out of the county, the sun was high in the sky.
From his pack, he took out a white steamed bun and ate it as he walked, indistinguishable from the traveling merchants on the road.
In the distance, the green mountains and clear waters met the clouds in the sky, drawing a distinct line between them. Gu Ning'an gazed at the picturesque landscape, and his pace unconsciously quickened.
He climbed the green mountain in one breath, reaching the summit just as the sun began to set.
As he reached the cliff's edge, he faced west and sat down.
The setting sun was fiery, painting the sky a brilliant red. The afterglow gradually stretched, turning into a beautiful ribbon hanging across the sky.
Such a scene was rare for Gu Ning'an to witness in his later life. After all, in the future, he wouldn't have the opportunity to enjoy such views, nor would there be such ideal environmental conditions that allowed the sky to display its natural, untainted colors.
Thus, he sat at the edge of the cliff, appreciating the view as the sun set behind the mountains, only to be replaced by the bright moon hanging in the sky.