Don't get married if you're reborn.

Chapter 492 Little Mu has gone completely crazy (10K)

Of course, Mu Qingyang was once again the one being fed at this meal.

Grandma cooked a lot of dishes, and everyone vied to urge Mu Qingyang to eat, piling her large bowl high, like the top of Arno's head.

Yes, Mu Qingyang always ate from a large bowl in Baishui Town.

On the bottom of the large bowl is engraved the character "曾" (Zeng), which was carved by my grandfather himself.

Because every household in the town holds banquets, sometimes there aren't enough bowls, so people often borrow them. As a result, everyone carves words on the bottom of their bowls so that it's easy to return or ask for them back later.

Mu Qingyang exclaimed, "Grandma, that's enough, that's enough! I can't hold any more!"

Even her grandfather picked up a few pieces of beef tendon for her and said with a smile, "You've lost a bit of weight since the New Year. You need to eat more."

Mu Qingyang was a little embarrassed. Of course she knew she had gained weight over the New Year and had gone through a lot of trouble to lose fat after returning home.

But she couldn't bear to refuse her elders' kindness, nor would she. Anyway, she could eat quite a lot, so she might as well show off!

Zeng Wenjie ate his meal expressionlessly, already used to being ignored.

Mu Qingyang placed a large pork rib into his bowl and said, "You should eat more too, otherwise I won't have the motivation to lose weight when I go back!"

Zeng Wenjie couldn't help but smile and glance at her. This girl, while finding happiness for herself, also carefully observed him, worried that he might be neglected, and offered emotional support when appropriate.

Because she knows all too well how painful it is to be left out in the cold and watch others be happy.

After Zeng Wenjie finished eating, he smiled at Sanbai and said, "Come on, Third Brother, let's go out and chat for a while."

Sanbai was full, patted his stomach, and said, "Alright, Boss Zeng!"

Mu Qingyang was holding a bowl, and there was still more than half left to eat.

"Boss Zeng, what's the matter?" Once they reached a secluded spot, Sanbai couldn't help but ask.

"Hehe, I called you over to have a smoke with me." Zeng Wenjie grinned, took out a cigarette case, and handed one to him.

Sanbai was both amused and exasperated. He thought something serious had happened, but it turned out to be just smoking! It's quite funny that such a big boss doesn't dare to smoke at home.

This instantly brought back memories of when Sanbai used to sneakily smoke during his school days.

Around nine o'clock in the evening, Zeng Wenjie asked Mu Qingyang to change into his swimsuit and go swimming in the river with him.

Grandma said, "It's too late, it's dangerous to go to the riverbank."

Zeng Wenjie said, "What's the danger? I'm watching her, nothing will happen."

Mu Qingyang also expressed his strong desire to swim in the river, which is how he managed to get to the riverbank with Zeng Wenjie.

Having grown up by the Baishui River, Zeng Wenjie knew the river like the back of his hand. He led Mu Qingyang along the bank for a while until they reached a secluded spot with a deep, slow-moving body of water, perfect for swimming.

As soon as I got here, I heard a noise in the water, and a guy popped out of the water.

Zeng Wenjie then said, "There are girls!"

"Fuck!"

The guy exclaimed in surprise and quickly shrank back.

Mu Qingyang turned his back, afraid that he might accidentally see something.

“It’s Andy Lau,” Zeng Wenjie said.

"You brat, you didn't even tell me you were coming back, I had no idea!" Hu Guohua couldn't help but curse.

Zeng Wenjie saw the clothes piled up on the shore, picked up the underwear and threw it over, and then the guy put the underwear on while submerged in the water.

Zeng Wenjie grinned at Mu Qingyang and said, "That's the downside of swimming in the countryside; you often see naked penises."

Mu Qingyang was both amused and exasperated. What kind of wording was that? It was incredibly strange!
"How the hell would I know someone would come this late at night, and a woman at that?" Hu Guohua cursed.

Zeng Wenjie kicked off his slippers and went into the water. Then he reached out to Mu Qingyang and guided her into the water, saying, "Take it slow, it's deeper here."

It's so hot right now; even staying at home without a breeze feels unbearably stuffy. Jiangli is truly an excellent place to escape the heat.

Mu Qingyang helped Zeng Wenjie take a few steps forward. The water was just up to halfway up their necks, and it wasn't very cold, so soaking in it gave people a very comfortable feeling.

Hu Guohua said, "You've brought Xiao Mu here again!"

Mu Qingyang then said, "I came here voluntarily, I wasn't kidnapped."

Zeng Wenjie clicked his tongue triumphantly at him and said, "Did you hear that? It was voluntary!"

Then, quite smugly, he gently patted Mu Qingyang's head and said, "This is my girlfriend. What about yours?"

"Your mother!"

Hu Guohua rolled his eyes, drowned, and then started blowing bubbles like crazy.

Mu Qingyang said, "Okay, let me go now, I've gotten used to it."

Zeng Wenjie said, "You swim here first and let me see; the water is deep."

Mu Qingyang agreed and then swam a lap smoothly, her swimming style graceful and agile, clearly showing that she was a very good swimmer.

"Swimming so well?" Hu Guohua popped up and asked.

“Growing up by the sea, how could it not be good?” Zeng Wenjie said, then became smug again.

Hu Guohua couldn't stand his smug look, so he rushed over and splashed water on him, and the two brothers started fighting in the water.

However, Zeng Wenjie still kept a close eye on Mu Qingyang, preventing her from swimming too far.

Little Mu was quite obedient, and since it was dark at night, she really didn't dare to swim too far, so she just swam in circles.

"You're always chasing girls, aren't you? Where's your girlfriend? What about Wang Xuelian?" Zeng Wenjie asked.

"I'll take your advice. It's just for fun, I won't take it seriously!" Hu Guohua sneered.

He also discovered that Wang Xuelian, whose online name was "Doesn't Eat Cilantro," was no pushover. She was close to many male classmates and seemed to have a lot of friends, but in reality, she was being a bit ambiguous and deliberately pulling and tugging at them.

These words put Zeng Wenjie at ease, lest his good friend "fall in love" again and then see that the baby with dark skin was born and the sky fell down.

But Zeng Wenjie thought it was interesting. If this were true, he would go into farming, specializing in cotton and watermelons. He could make money while also getting paid. Perfect!

“Now that your business is booming, my life is getting harder. People keep calling me asking me to pull strings, wanting to work for your company, or asking you to help them find some kind of job,” Hu Guohua said.

"Ha, so you can show off like crazy?" Zeng Wenjie said.

Hu Guohua cursed, "What's the point of pretending to be a second-hand expert? If you're going to pretend, pretend to be a first-hand expert!"

Zeng Wenjie said, "Then you should work hard, and I'll invest in you."

Hu Guohua, however, lazily lay down on the water, his whole body floating up, and said, "I'm too lazy. It's so good to be a salted fish. I just spend my days chasing girls and surfing the internet. When I feel tired, I go for a foot massage!"

Zeng Wenjie asked, "Are you just going to drift through life like this?"

Hu Guohua thought for a moment and said seriously, "It's not impossible to live a life of mediocrity, anyway, the family has enough money."

Zeng Wenjie was both amused and exasperated. He never expected that this guy had already grasped the true meaning of "lying flat" at such a young age!

He recalled that the "lying flat" trend started when those born in the 2000s began entering the workforce. This generation was more clear-headed, seeing their predecessors struggling to make ends meet, housing prices skyrocketing, bride prices exorbitant, food delivery services toxic, and wages ridiculously low...

They might as well just lie down and not listen to their boss's calls for overtime. They might even be happy to be fired, and if they are fired, they'll go to labor arbitration. If there's any favoritism, they'll just use Douyin (TikTok) to boost traffic and make the company suffer.

Zeng Wenjie couldn't help but feel that he might be moving too fast. He decided to slow down after finishing this year's work.

Before I knew it, my freshman year was over.

This is the last of my student life, so I need to create some wonderful memories with Mu Qingyang that belong to this era.

Mu Qingyang kept swimming around, probably trying to use the time to exercise and burn off the excess calories he had eaten that day.

Zeng Wenjie and Hu Guohua sat on the shore and started smoking.

"It's really a curse to work for you, Niu Bai. I can't even go home for summer vacation. I just started dating and was forced into a long-distance relationship," Hu Guohua lamented.

"Nonsense! They're just too eager to improve themselves. Do you think everyone is as well-off as you, able to just lie around doing nothing?" Zeng Wenjie said dismissively.

After chatting for a while, Hu Guohua received a call from home. Wearing only wet boxer shorts, he grabbed his clothes and left to find a secluded place to change.

Zeng Wenjie tore open the shampoo bottle, rubbed his hair, and then submerged in the water to clean it. He found it much more convenient than taking a shower.

"Is that enough? We should head back," Zeng Wenjie said to Mu Qingyang.

"It's so hot on the shore, let's soak for a bit more," Mu Qingyang said.

She was tired from swimming, so she and Zeng Wenjie went to the shallow water area to sit down, soaking in the cool river water, listening to the cicadas chirping and the flowing water. She felt incredibly happy.

Mu Qingyang suddenly asked, "Grandpa Xie hasn't contacted me since he went on vacation. Has something really happened to him?"

Zeng Wenjie said, "He lives a carefree life and has gone abroad. At his age, can't he enjoy life? Besides, he trusts me completely and knows I can take care of you."

Mu Qingyang smiled, feeling equally grateful for Zeng Wenjie's care.

I used to be in a rather depressed state, but now I'm happy every day, and even when I'm alone, I don't overthink things anymore.

Because when I'm alone, all I can think about is him.

Looking at her feet splashing in the water, Zeng Wenjie couldn't help but say, "They're all wrinkled from being soaked. Let's go home."

Mu Qingyang also felt a bit chilly, so she readily agreed, "Okay!"

Zeng Wenjie was about to get up with her, but after soaking in the water for too long, his legs went weak and he lost his footing, so he fell back down, dragging Mu Qingyang down with him.

"You're so stupid!" Mu Qingyang laughed loudly and jumped into his arms.

Zeng Wenjie was about to say something when he heard the smiling girl say gently, "Don't speak."

The water was cold, but my lips were warm.

On a clear, moonlit summer night, amidst the cool, flowing river, Mu Qingyang offered perhaps the most passionate kiss of his life.

Her eyes sparkled, showing no shyness, only a sweet joy.

Back home, the elders were finally relieved to see them.

Zeng Wenjie was used to being wild, but Mu Qingyang was, after all, a child raised in the city, and they were afraid that Zeng Wenjie wouldn't be able to take good care of her.

Swimming in the river at night is quite dangerous.

Zeng Wenjie did not lock his bedroom door when he went to sleep that night. Sure enough, a thief sneaked in when he was half asleep.

He grabbed the smelly little thief and laughed, "Why bother running back later?"

Mu Qingyang hugged his neck tightly and hummed softly, "I just want to be with you."

"That will come at a price!" Zeng Wenjie said maliciously. "You woke me up, and I'm going to get revenge on you."

Mu Qingyang's fair skin is truly amazing, especially after skin-to-skin contact, it feels like being enveloped in that delicate, silky smoothness.

Around four or five in the morning, Mu Qingyang yawned and got up, tiptoeing back to his room to sleep.

Zeng Wenjie found it somewhat amusing, but also a little helpless, because this was a constant source of anger for him.

Grandma opened the noodle shop at six o'clock and started doing business.

Zeng Xiangdong also got up early today. After eating a bowl of noodles, he drove to Fengzhou.

Zeng Wenjie woke up Mu Qingyang, who had been a thief the night before, and they washed up together. He helped her comb her hair and felt that everything was wonderful, as if time had slowed down.

So this is what a slow-paced life is all about – spending time with the people you love and doing ordinary things!

"Come on, let's go eat rice noodles! It's been so long since I've had Grandma's rice noodles! The rice noodles in Fengzhou are all slippery, not as delicious as these bumpy ones." After combing her hair, Mu Qingyang urged them hurriedly.

“The rice noodles that are dried by hand do taste better than those made by machine,” Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

But he insisted on hugging Mu Qingyang and kissing her fiercely for about five minutes.

Mu Qingyang's face was flushed, and she looked at him strangely, asking, "What are you doing?"

Zeng Wenjie said smugly, "I've already taken you home, so I can kiss you whenever I want, right? I didn't do anything, I just wanted to kiss you!"

Mu Qingyang was taken aback. Zeng Wenjie thought she was going to be shy, but she whispered, "Then do you still want to kiss me?"

“That’s enough,” Zeng Wenjie said.

"No, you definitely still want to!" Mu Qingyang pouted and leaned closer.

Then, Han Yu appeared out of nowhere and said, "Breakfast is ready!"

She happened to see Mu Qingyang pouting and leaning close to her dog son's face, and she was taken aback for a moment. Then she smiled, pretended not to know anything, and turned to leave.

Mu Qingyang was struck dumb and died on the spot.

Seeing her adorable appearance, Zeng Wenjie burst into laughter and said, "Yes, yes, I definitely want to!"

"Hmph! I knew it!" Mu Qingyang stomped her foot, lowered her head, turned around, and scurried away.

Zeng Wenjie found what he just witnessed to be truly wonderful.

Upon arriving at the noodle shop, Mu Qingyang was already seated at a table with two bowls of noodles in front of him. The portions were generous, with poached eggs and meat added, and topped with a lethal amount of chili peppers and houttuynia cordata.

Zeng Wenjie calmly went over and sat down, smiling, "Eat up, what are you waiting for?"

"I'll wait for you to come together," Mu Qingyang said.

After breakfast, he greeted his grandmother and took Mu Qingyang to visit his maternal grandparents in Xinjie.

My maternal grandfather leased a plot of land next to the middle school in town to grow oranges, and Zeng Wenjie and Mu Qingyang went to the orange grove to help with farm work.

However, he received several phone calls during that time, all of which were work-related.

It seems unlikely that one can have a carefree and leisurely summer vacation.

Although he had many things to do in Fengzhou, he decided to stay with Mu Qingyang for a week before going back, taking her around to play, touch crabs, catch loaches, and so on.

Mu Qingyang also received a call from Yang Li.

“I’m in the orange grove, come find me!” Mu Qingyang replied readily.

Before long, Yang Li arrived at the orange grove and greeted Zeng Wenjie very warmly.

Yang Li asked, "Xiao Mu, when did you arrive?"

"yesterday."

"Oh, I arrived the day before yesterday and came back early," Yang Li said with a smile. "I guessed you would be back in the next couple of days as well."

During the winter break, the town often held banquets, and Mu Qingyang met Yang Li a few times at these banquets. They gradually became acquainted.

Moreover, Mu Qingyang is clearly the boss's wife. As Zeng Wenjie's business grows bigger and bigger, it is only natural that she is someone worth currying favor with.

Yang Li said to Zeng Wenjie, "Did you see that our old class monitor Zhao Qiang organized a class reunion in the group chat?"

Zeng Wenjie said, "Oh? I didn't notice."

Yang Li then asked, "Are you going or not? Everyone's been asking you if you're going."

Zeng Wenjie thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I'm not going. I just want to rest at home for a few days and then go back to Fengzhou to work like a slave."

Yang Li was immediately disappointed and said, "If you don't go, the class reunion will be missing its soul!"

Mu Qingyang was quite curious about what Zeng Wenjie's classmates were like, but since he said he wouldn't go, she naturally wouldn't force him.

Moreover, she was well aware that Zeng Wenjie had been running around and was very tired this year, so he needed to rest and recover his energy.

"How about this, you ask Zhao Qiang and the others, why don't we just have a get-together in Baishui Town? We could have a barbecue by the river, that would be great. I'll charter a car and pick them all up," Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

If someone else had made such a suggestion, they would definitely have been ridiculed and mocked, so Yang Li would never have mentioned it in the group chat.

But she did as Zeng Wenjie said, immediately taking out her phone, finding the group chat, and using up her precious data to send a message in the group.

Yang Li watched Zeng Wenjie hoeing the ground and felt that the real world was really magical. Such a big boss, who was not only her high school classmate, was now doing farm work!

Moreover, the fairy-like Mu Qingyang was also sweating profusely, working excitedly and happily alongside him.

"I'm planning to take her to the stream to catch crabs after lunch. Do you want to come?" Zeng Wenjie asked, glancing at Yang Li.

“Come on, I’m bored at home during summer vacation anyway, but you can’t discard me after I’ve served my purpose and not even take me to dinner,” Yang Li said with a smile.

While catching crabs, Yang Li received a call from Zhao Qiang, who said that his classmates near Shizhu County were willing to come to Baishui Town for a gathering.

After telling Zeng Wenjie the news, Yang Li called his cousin Wu Jun in the county town and asked him to help arrange a bus.

Yang Li thought to herself that this meant the whole class was making do with one person, something Yang Jingqi had never done before!

Mu Qingyang found the process of catching crabs in the stream novel and enjoyable, but getting pinched by a crab was not so pleasant and painful!
Her fingers were pinched open in several places, but she didn't make a sound.

Zeng Wenjie saw it but pretended not to see it; he had been pinched by crabs many times when he was a child.

The three of them worked together to catch a crab in a bucket, their backs aching from the effort. Yang Li glanced at Zeng Wenjie and suddenly realized that Yang Jingqi had probably been completely forgotten by him. But then again, with a girlfriend like Mu Qingyang, what status did Yang Jingqi have?

Moreover, Mu Qingyang and Yang Jingqi have a rather strained relationship.

This time, Yang Li didn't find the same satisfying feeling as reading a tragic novel; instead, she felt a little sorry for her best friend.

"So many cute little crabs, they must taste delicious stir-fried!" Mu Qingyang asked, looking at the bucket in Zeng Wenjie's hand.

"These little crabs are so cute, you have to add lots of dried chili peppers when you stir-fry them to make them more fragrant!" Zeng Wenjie said with a smile.

Yang Li was both amused and exasperated. When did cuteness become associated with food? What's going on with these two?
Zeng Wenjie said, "Let's go back. We'll have dinner at my maternal grandparents' house today."

Yang Li said, "Okay!"

After washing and rinsing the crabs, Grandma started frying them.

Mu Qingyang stood by and watched, his mouth watering as the cute little crabs were fried to a golden brown.

Zeng Wenjie sat next to Yang Li and took a phone call. Yang Li heard him say, "150,000 in revenue in a single day? That's impressive, considering it's not selling gold, it's a restaurant business! Don't worry, if no one invests when you're raising funds, I'll lead the investment. I'll get you at least 30 to 50 million..."

Yang Li was already secretly amazed by the daily revenue of 150,000, but when she heard the data that Zeng Wenjie reported later, she felt that unreal feeling of being on the verge of collapse.

Just then, Mu Qingyang came out with a bowl of fried crabs, fresh out of the pan, sprinkled with Sichuan peppercorn powder, chili powder, and salt.

"I asked Grandma to fill a bowl, and I'll save the rest for stir-frying," Mu Qingyang said with a smile, grabbing a crab and stuffing it into Zeng Wenjie's mouth.

The crabs in this stream are relatively small. They are deep-fried and eaten with the shell on, which is very crispy. Local drinkers love to eat them with their alcohol.

Zeng Wenjie chewed on a crunchy crab as he spoke to Yan Peng on the other end of the phone.

Mu Qingyang said to Yang Li, "Try it! The cute little crab has turned into cute fried little crab, it's so delicious!"

Yang Li was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by 'delicious'?"

"Oh...it's our hometown dialect, I just blurted it out without thinking," Mu Qingyang explained.

Yang Li picked up a small crab and threw it into her mouth; it was indeed very fragrant and crispy.

Yang Li casually asked, "Where are you from?"

“Tiannan Province, I was also in the town at the time,” Mu Qingyang said.

"No wonder you're so comfortable with rural life?" Yang Li said suddenly.

“No, my hometown is more modern, with factories and companies everywhere,” Mu Qingyang said, shaking his head.

Her memories of her hometown were actually quite vague; she only remembered these few things.

After Zeng Wenjie finished making the phone call, he immediately came over to grab the crabs and the three of them divided the bowl of crabs up clean.

Mu Qingyang, still savoring the taste, licked his fingers and said, "It seems the cuter something is, the tastier it is?"

Zeng Wenjie looked at her thoughtfully and asked, "So, do you prefer it steamed, fried, or sashimi?"

Yang Li burst out laughing immediately.

"I'm soft and fragrant, I taste good no matter how you eat me!" Mu Qingyang hummed softly, then happily skipped back to the kitchen to put the bowls away.

The three of them sat together in the living room watching TV, waiting for dinner to be served.

Mu Qingyang happened to tune into the Chongshan Provincial Radio Station, where a news program was broadcasting. The program showed Zeng Wenjie wearing a suit being interviewed at a conference.

"Uh!"

Yang Li was taken aback, then didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Zeng Wenjie practically monopolized the television in the school cafeteria, broadcasting news related to him at mealtimes to entertain the students.

Even after getting home, I still couldn't escape this ordeal?
Mu Qingyang, however, watched with great interest, repeatedly saying, "So handsome, so handsome! You look so handsome wearing my tie clip during the interview!"

Then she said, "I wonder if this news video will be uploaded online?"

She often downloads news videos of Zeng Wenjie online, and if she finds one she likes, she watches it repeatedly, completely smitten.

It's lunchtime.

The three of them had been busy all afternoon catching adorable little crabs, which had become even cuter, filling an iron bowl to the brim.

"I think this is the best crab I've ever eaten!" Mu Qingyang exclaimed.

She thought these crabs were amazing; you didn't even need to peel them, you could just eat them one bite at a time—fragrant, spicy, and crispy, so incredibly satisfying.

Grandma smiled and said, "Eat more if you like it. There's also some soft-shelled turtle here that you want."

The turtle was used to stew chicken, and the taste was extremely delicious.

During the summer, many people come to the street to sell river delicacies, most of which are caught from the river.

Mu Qingyang ate a bite of crab and a sip of soup, thoroughly enjoying his meal.

The two elderly people's teeth were not very good at all. After chewing two crabs with great effort, they stopped eating and left the rest for the three young people to gnaw on.

"Uh……"

Mu Qingyang suddenly paused, then hurriedly shoved his head into the trash can and spat wildly.

Grandma was startled, and Zeng Wenjie laughed and said, "You must have eaten sand."

Although these crabs had been washed and rinsed, there was bound to be some mud and sand left behind, which unfortunately happened to be eaten by Mu Qingyang.

"Tomorrow we'll go to the fields to catch loaches and eels. If we're lucky, we might even catch a couple of water snakes," Zeng Wenjie said to Mu Qingyang.

Yang Li felt a chill run down her spine at the thought of the snake's slippery appearance and said, "Stop talking, or I won't be able to eat anymore!"

Mu Qingyang's eyes lit up, and he said, "Snake meat is good! It can be used to make delicious soup!"

Zeng Wenjie was taken aback for a moment, then said, "You, a man from Tiannan, are you still taking advantage of Hu Jianren?"

Yang Li couldn't help but look at Mu Qingyang and said, "Please stop talking."

"Huh? You don't like it?" Mu Qingyang was stunned.

Yang Li got goosebumps and said, "I'm afraid of that thing. I get chills just looking at the dead ones."

Zeng Wenjie originally wanted to scare Mu Qingyang, but it obviously didn't work. She wasn't afraid and even wanted to catch her to make soup.

"Tomorrow we'll go catch loaches and eels, and the day after tomorrow I'll take you to the riverbank to catch stink bugs," Zeng Wenjie said.

"You can eat stink bugs?!" Mu Qingyang asked in surprise.

"Crunchy." Zeng Wenjie thought for a moment, then nodded slightly.

The variety of ingredients from Chongshan is equally impressive. Every summer, people use plastic Coke bottles to catch stink bugs, which can be sold for more than 100 yuan per kilogram.

Yang Li looked at Zeng Wenjie strangely and said, "Can you please stop doing these weird and strange things?"

Zeng Wenjie laughed and said, "Since it's about experiencing rural life, we definitely want her to experience it fully! I've made all the arrangements... After catching stink bugs, we'll go catch grasshoppers."

Yang Li said with a chill, "You guys go by yourselves, I'm not going!"

So Zeng Wenjie took Mu Qingyang on a wild adventure in the countryside. They caught snails, loaches, and eels in the fields. They didn't catch any water snakes, otherwise little Mu would have given them to his grandmother to make soup.

The next day, he went to the riverbank to catch stink bugs. As the weather got hot, many stink bugs would fly to the rocks by the river. Once caught, they would release a foul stench, which almost made Mu Qingyang faint.

The smell was strange; it had a greasy, pungent odor that seemed to hit you right in the head.

Then, she stuffed tissues up her nostrils and she and Zeng Wenjie grabbed two large bottles full and went back.

Mu Qingyang has developed a strong immunity to these bizarre dishes because she discovered a pattern in Chongshan: the more bizarre the dish, the more delicious it is.

Sure enough, after being stir-fried with chili peppers, there was no unpleasant smell at all, and she was happy with the food. Moreover, this stuff is extremely high in protein and apparently it's also a Chinese medicinal herb.

Some people are allergic to these insects, but Mu Qingyang has eaten many strange and unusual foods since childhood, so this is not a problem for him at all.

On the third day, he took Mu Qingyang to catch locusts. Their equipment was also a cola bottle. After catching them, they would stuff them inside, and they basically couldn't escape.

When Grandpa saw Zeng Wenjie and Mu Qingyang return with yet another batch of strange and unusual ingredients, he couldn't help but laugh and say, "Can't you take the girls to do something more refined? Why do you have to go catch bugs!"

Mu Qingyang looked at Zeng Wenjie, gesturing for him to translate.

“She wants to try it.” Zeng Wenjie couldn’t help but smile.

Grandpa smacked his lips, unsure how to comment on Mu Qingyang, this little foodie. He instinctively felt that girls would be very resistant to these things, but Mu Qingyang was happily grabbing them.

He took the Coke bottle filled with locusts and said, "You guys go wash it, I'll take care of it."

They had been out in the wild all day, and they were covered in dirt, with their clothes torn in several places by the grass and trees.

Zeng Wenjie checked the time and said to Mu Qingyang, "Why don't we go down into the river and take a bath?"

Mu Qingyang said happily, "Great! Great! Let's go to the riverbank and catch some crabs and water centipedes!"

Grandpa was both amused and exasperated. He waved his hand helplessly and took the two bottles of locusts to deal with them.

Zeng Wenjie took Mu Qingyang directly to the riverbank. Too lazy to change his clothes, he went straight into the water and played around for a while. After catching two Coke bottle-sized centipedes by the river, he finally returned home, soaking wet, to change his clothes.

Mu Qingyang said, "Now I know why you love drinking cola so much! So that's why!"

Zeng Wenjie rolled his eyes at her and said, "What do you know! Hurry up and change your clothes, or you'll get all wet and my mom will scold you later."

"Mom won't scold me, she'll scold you at most," Mu Qingyang replied, making a face.

Grandpa had just finished processing two bottles of locusts when the two men brought back two more bottles of water centipedes. It was truly a speechless feeling.

He took the water centipedes into the kitchen to process them; these things are also extremely crispy after being deep-fried.

Then I heard Grandma yelling, "Don't put it in my pot!"

Grandpa said angrily, "Little Mu wants to eat!"

Grandma's anger subsided immediately, and she said slowly, "Oh, why does she always want to eat these strange and unusual things? Alright, alright, you can cook them."

Grandpa rarely cooks, but he's quite skilled at making these strange and unusual things. After all, he used to be an alcoholic and his favorite snacks to go with his drinks are spicy and crunchy.

Grandpa kept shaking his head as he cooked, muttering, "Sigh, the business is so big now, and he still takes Xiao Mu out to catch bugs to eat all day long..."

Mu Qingyang had been playing all day, and when he sat on the sofa with Zeng Wenjie, his eyelids were drooping so much that he snuggled into Zeng Wenjie's arms and fell asleep.

Zeng Wenjie held Mu Qingyang in his arms and gently stroked her face. Sure enough, no one can avoid getting a tan. She had been playing around in the scorching sun these past two days and had gotten a little tanned.

However, the color does not affect the feel.

Mu Qingyang couldn't remember the last time she had played so wildly recently, and she even had some wonderful dreams.

But Zeng Wenjie, oblivious to her feelings, shook her awake while she was having a sweet dream and called her to eat.

Mu Qingyang rubbed his eyes and sighed, "I'm so tired!"

Zeng Wenjie laughed and said, "My classmates are coming for a gathering tomorrow. We'll have a barbecue by the river and relax a bit."

Mu Qingyang nodded and said, "Okay."

During the meal, there was a plate of stir-fried locusts, a plate of water centipedes, and two other plates of home-style dishes with a soup. This combination looked rather strange.

Mu Qingyang picked up a crispy water centipede and put it in his mouth, exclaiming excitedly, "Amazing! Grandpa cooked it so amazingly!"

A smile crept onto Grandpa's face. He glanced at Zeng Wenjie and asked, "The dishes today are perfect for drinking with alcohol, how about... a couple of drinks?"

"Okay, two cups then!" Zeng Wenjie thought for a moment and readily agreed.

After saying this, he was taken aback.

I don't know when it started, but Grandpa began asking for his opinion...

He understood once he thought about it.

Grandpa is getting old, and I've grown up.

When he went to bring out the Moutai, Grandpa frowned and said, "Isn't it unnecessary to drink such good stuff?"

Zeng Wenjie smiled helplessly and said, "If you're going to drink, you have to drink the good stuff! Homemade wine has a lot of impurities and is very harmful to your health."

"Pour some more, pour some more..."

Grandpa watched Zeng Wenjie pour the wine, his eyes wide as he urged him on.

Mu Qingyang couldn't stand it anymore, so she said in a coquettish tone, "Pour Grandpa's cup full!"

Grandma found the scene amusing.

Grandpa hardly drinks alcohol anymore except during holidays, and with his regular exercise, his health has improved considerably.

Out of respect for Xiao Mu, Zeng Wenjie filled the old man's glass with wine and then drank with him.

"Once the new house is built, we'll move there first, and then we'll renovate this place," Zeng Wenjie said.

"Just build one building," Grandma said, her mind already made up. She was used to being frugal and wanted to change her mind.

After receiving a signal from Zeng Wenjie, Mu Qingyang immediately started to act coquettishly, and then got her grandmother to change her mind and agree.

Zeng Wenjie said, "We'll be celebrating the New Year in our new house this year!"

Mu Qingyang said, "Yes, it feels very auspicious."

The two men, speaking in unison, left the two elderly people speechless.

They comforted themselves, saying that their grandson was all grown up now and making a lot of money, so there was no need to save up for his future wife. Besides, Xiao Mu liked it, so they could spend it as they pleased.
While we were eating, the mayor of Baishui Town came to our door.

Grandpa invited him to the table to eat with him, and then he took the opportunity to explain his purpose.

They came specifically because of Zeng Wenjie, hoping he could contribute some money to repair some of the dilapidated roads in town.

Zeng Wenjie thought about it and agreed without making any demands. He said that if those dilapidated roads were repaired, it would be much more convenient for the villagers.

Overjoyed, the town mayor toasted Zeng Wenjie three times.

This made Zeng Wenjie very suspicious that he might have done it on purpose!
That night, as usual, Mu Qingyang sneaked into Zeng Wenjie's room in the dead of night to steal.

However, I was so tired from playing these past two days that I fell asleep and didn't wake up until four or five in the morning, and it was already broad daylight!
"Oh no, it's already eight o'clock!" When Mu Qingyang opened his eyes and looked at the clock, he was completely stunned, feeling like the sky had fallen.

Zeng Wenjie was also startled awake and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh, how come this thief is still in my room?"

Mu Qingyang hurriedly covered his dog's mouth, crying, "I...I'm so tired! I accidentally overslept, what am I going to do?"

Zeng Wenjie thought for a moment and then said, "Why don't you say you wet the bed in the middle of the night and then came to my room to sleep?"

"..."

Little Mu's eyes could kill.

Zeng Wenjie chuckled and said, "Let me find out for you. Right now... my mom should have gone to help out at my grandparents' place. My grandfather might have gone out for a stroll and hasn't come back yet. My grandmother is busy at the noodle shop."

Mu Qingyang breathed a sigh of relief after opening the door and scanning the area, finding no one there.

She sneaked back to her room like a thief, changed her clothes, and then came out again.

Just after Zeng Wenjie finished washing up, he received a call from Yang Li, who said that his classmates had already boarded the bus in Shizhu County and were about to leave.

Just after the phone call ended, the materials that Zeng Wenjie had asked Sanbai to prepare arrived. He paid someone to move them to a big tree by the river, where he and Mu Qingyang busied themselves with the preparations.

Hu Guohua was the first to arrive at the riverbank and said, "You've got a lot of influence, bra! You managed to move the class reunion here with just one sentence!"

Mu Qingyang turned her head away, covered her mouth, and chuckled. She couldn't help it; the nickname was just too funny, and she couldn't help but laugh every time she heard it.

"Sigh!" Zeng Wenjie couldn't help but sigh. This lousy nickname, he'll never be able to shake it off in his lifetime.

Yang Li arrived quickly, and Hu Guohua asked, "Isn't Yang Jingqi coming with you?"

Yang Li said, "She said she'll come back later."

As she said this, she couldn't help but glance at Mu Qingyang, only to see that she remained unmoved and continued to work on her task.

Once the preparations were complete, Zeng Wenjie's high school classmates arrived.

Not only my high school classmates, but even my homeroom teacher and subject teachers came...

Hu Guohua couldn't help but give Zeng Wenjie a thumbs up and say, "I'm impressed!"

Zeng Wenjie hadn't expected this kind of scene, and reluctantly went to greet them.

"Hey, Teacher Liu, you're not going to punish me for smoking now!"

As soon as Zeng Wenjie went up, he started acting cheeky, taking out a cigarette, lighting it, and handing it out to everyone.

When the homeroom teacher, Lao Liu, saw him like this, he shook his head with a helpless smile, and the students burst into laughter, instantly enlivening the atmosphere.

Hu Guohua looked at it, couldn't help but click his tongue, and slowly said, "Awesome."

(End of this chapter)