Douluo Continent: Gourmet Prisoner

Shi Yu accompanied Jiang Nannan on her journey westward, eventually entering an old city on the border of the Douling Empire.

"My home may be a bit run-down, and I don't have much to offer you, Shi Yu, please don't mind." Jiang Nannan walked ahead, her pace slowing slightly, her tone slightly hurried.

Over the years, her mother's medical expenses have almost depleted all of the family's savings. The old house that can provide shelter from the wind and rain is all she can give her mother.

"Sister Nan, don't worry, I never care about these things." Shi Yu quickly caught up, her tone sincere. "Take me there quickly, the sooner we can see your aunt, the sooner we can help stabilize her condition."

Jiang Nannan nodded, a warm feeling welling up inside her. She led Shi Yu through several bustling streets and alleys, finally turning into a quiet old town area.

The houses here are mostly low and dilapidated, with peeling paint and a faint smell of smoke and dampness in the air.

Jiang Nannan stopped in front of an inconspicuous little wooden house and pushed open the creaking wooden door: "This is my home."

The wooden door slowly opened, revealing the simple furnishings inside—an old wooden table, two chairs with peeling paint, and some miscellaneous items piled up in the corner. The only decent thing was the wooden bed in the inner room covered with a coarse cloth sheet.

"Please forgive me for the poor hospitality." Jiang Nannan lowered her head somewhat embarrassedly and reached out to brush the dust off the table.

"It's alright, Sister Nan, this is already very good." Shi Yu walked into the house, her gaze sweeping over everything inside, and a pang of sadness welled up in her heart.

He could imagine how Jiang Nannan had managed to study while shouldering the burden of her family in such an environment all these years.

"Is that Nan Nan? Nan Nan, you're back?"

A weak yet gentle voice came from the inner room, and then a beautiful woman, supporting herself against the wall, slowly walked out.

She bears a striking resemblance to Jiang Nannan, with a gentle and refined air about her. However, the long-term torment of illness has left her pale, thin, and her eyes filled with exhaustion and weariness. Even her gait appears somewhat unsteady.

"Mom! Why did you come out? The doctor said you need to rest more and shouldn't walk around!" Jiang Nannan quickly stepped forward, carefully supporting her mother's arm, her voice full of heartache.

Jiang's mother smiled, a hint of helplessness in her smile: "Nannan, I know my own body. You don't need to spend money on my medical treatment anymore. It would be better to save that money for your tuition or to buy you some good food."

"Mom..." Jiang Nannan's nose tingled, and she couldn't help but hug her mother, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Don't say that. As long as your illness can be cured, any amount of money is worth it!"

"Silly child." Jiang's mother gently stroked Jiang Nannan's back and comforted her softly, "Mom is already very satisfied to see you grow up to be this big and get into Shrek Academy. Your future has unlimited possibilities. I can't let my health hold you back."

"Mom..." Jiang Nannan choked back tears, burying her face in her mother's shoulder, her suppressed sobs echoing in the small room.

Shi Yu stood aside, quietly watching this scene, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He could feel the love and reluctance in Jiang's mother's words, and he could also feel Jiang Nannan's helplessness and resilience.

Jiang's mother gently patted her daughter's back, her gaze inadvertently falling on Shi Yu.

Once Jiang Nannan had calmed down, she withdrew her gaze, looked at Shi Yu with loving eyes, and asked her daughter, "Nannan, is this your classmate?"

Then, she turned to Shi Yu with an apologetic smile: "I'm sorry, child, we really don't have much to eat or drink at home. I'll get you a glass of water. Please forgive us for not being hospitable enough."

"Auntie, no need to trouble yourself, I'm not thirsty," Shi Yu quickly said.

"Mom, let me pour it!" Jiang Nannan quickly stopped her mother and helped her sit down in a chair. "You sit and rest for a while, I'll do it."

"Nannan, Mom isn't that fragile." Jiang's mother shook her head helplessly, but still obediently sat down.

After a while, Jiang Nannan came out with two glasses of water. She handed one to her mother and the other to Shi Yu, saying, "Shi Yu, have some water."

As for why there are two cups?

The number three is considered unlucky in the Douluo Continent.

Of course, this was just a joke. Over the years, Jiang Nannan had already reduced unnecessary expenses to a minimum in order to treat her mother's illness. So, she only had these two cups in her house, and there were no more cups. The cup that was handed to Shi Yu was obviously the one that Jiang Nannan used herself.

Shi Yu took the cup, his fingertips touching the cool surface of the cup. It was an ordinary, coarse porcelain cup, with a small crack on the rim, clearly indicating that it had been used for many years.

Shi Yu tilted his head back and took a sip of water; the clear spring water had a faint sweetness.

Jiang Nannan watched him drink the water she handed him, and a blush involuntarily rose to her cheeks. She quickly turned her head away, pretending to tidy up the clutter on the table, afraid that her mother and Shi Yu would find out.

"Nannan, who is this child?" Jiang's mother took a sip of water and asked softly.

"Mom, his name is Shi Yu. He's Xiao Ya's younger brother and also my companion," Jiang Nannan introduced, her tone tinged with pride.

"He's Tang Ya's younger brother." Jiang's mother nodded, her gaze towards Shi Yu becoming even gentler. "This child is so handsome, with a bright and intelligent look in his eyes."

She paused, as if making a decision, and looked at Shi Yu, asking, "Child, thank you and Xiaoya for taking care of Nannan. Auntie wants to ask you, what do you think of Nannan?"

Jiang's mother knew in her heart that her body probably wouldn't last much longer.

Shi Yu is Tang Ya's younger brother. Tang Ya is a good girl, so her brother must be just as good.

If she could find a reliable person for her daughter to entrust her life to, she could finally rest easy.

"Mom! Please stop!" Jiang Nannan's face flushed instantly, like a boiling steam engine, even her ears turning bright red. She quickly interrupted her mother, "What are you saying!"

"Alright, alright, Mom won't say anymore, Mom won't say anymore." Jiang's mother couldn't help but laugh as she looked at her daughter's shy appearance, her eyes full of doting affection.

Shi Yu scratched his head awkwardly and quickly changed the subject: "Well, Auntie, I came here specifically to help Sister Nannan treat your illness."

"Nannan, you really don't need to do this." Jiang's mother thought her daughter was making an excuse to avoid worrying her, and looked at Jiang Nannan helplessly. "Mom knows you want me to feel that there is hope for my recovery, but please be more serious next time, okay? Inviting Xiaoya's younger brother is not really appropriate."

In her opinion, Shi Yu was so young, how could he possibly cure her chronic illness that she had suffered for so many years?

"Mom, Shi Yu really can cure your illness! It's true!" Jiang Nannan exclaimed anxiously, looking at her mother with exceptionally earnest eyes. "His ability is very special; he can even cure congenital diseases!"

Seeing the determination in her daughter's eyes, Jiang's mother felt a slight stirring in her heart. She knew her daughter never lied; perhaps this child truly possessed some extraordinary talent? Not wanting to disappoint her daughter, she decided to cooperate: "Alright, alright, then please, little miracle doctor, examine me."

Upon hearing this, Shi Yu no longer hesitated, stepped forward, and gently placed his hand on Jiang's mother's wrist.

The moment their hands touched, Jiang's mother's expression changed drastically.

A warm energy, like the warm sun in spring, slowly flowed into her body through Shi Yu's palm, coursing through her limbs and bones.

The energy was gentle and pure. Wherever it went, stiff and painful joints became relaxed, the tightness in the chest gradually dissipated, and even breathing became much smoother.

This is unbelievable!

Jiang's mother stared wide-eyed at Shi Yu in disbelief.

The child in front of her was clearly only a teenager, yet he truly possessed such miraculous power! That warm energy felt like returning to her mother's embrace when she was a child, making her feel incredibly at ease.

In Shi Yu's perception, Jiang's mother's physical condition was worse than he had imagined.

Her heart had a congenital defect, making it like a broken water pump that had great difficulty operating.

In addition, years of overwork and malnutrition have left her body riddled with hidden ailments, with varying degrees of damage to her bones and internal organs. Her entire body is like a sieve full of holes, and she is only able to hold on by a strong will.

"Hey, she's practically a superhero," Shi Yu thought to himself.

Despite her physical condition, she single-handedly raised Jiang Nannan and even supported her to get into Shrek Academy. This mother's resilience and greatness earned his sincere admiration.

Shi Yu concentrated his mind, urging the life force within his body to carefully repair the damage to Jiang's mother's body. That warm energy was like the finest needle and thread, stitching up the defects in her heart, repairing her damaged organs and bones, and nourishing her parched body.

Jiang's mother closed her eyes, feeling the changes within her body. The paleness on her face gradually faded, replaced by a faint blush, and her breathing became steady and strong. The torment of illness over the years melted away like ice and snow at this moment, making her feel a sense of relief she had never experienced before.

After an unknown amount of time, Shi Yu slowly withdrew his hand and let out a soft sigh of relief: "Phew, Auntie's health has been cured, but you have been malnourished for a long time and your body is still very weak. You need to eat more nourishing foods and recuperate for a while."

"Thank you, Shi Yu! Thank you so much!" Jiang Nannan could no longer hold back and hugged Shi Yu tightly, tears of emotion welling up in her eyes again.

The huge weight that had been pressing on her heart for years finally lifted completely at this moment.

Jiang's mother looked at the two embracing each other and a relieved smile appeared on her face.

She could clearly feel that her body had fully recovered; the tightness in her chest was gone, and her limbs were full of strength. She hadn't felt this healthy feeling in a long time.

Once Jiang Nannan calmed down, Shi Yu looked at the mother and daughter and made a suggestion: "Nannan, why don't you take your aunt to the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest? There are plenty of ingredients there to nourish your aunt's body, and the environment is safe with many powerful soul beasts protecting her. It will definitely allow your aunt to recuperate properly."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble for you?" Jiang Nannan hesitated.

She had already troubled Shi Yu too much and really didn't want to add any more burden to everyone.

"No trouble at all!" Shi Yu waved his hand and said with a smile, "Our place is like a big family, it's more lively with one more person. Besides, if Auntie comes, she can try some new dishes with us, isn't that great!"

Jiang's mother didn't know why they had to go to such a dangerous place as the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest, but looking at Shi Yu's sincere eyes and her daughter's expectant gaze, she nodded gently: "Then I'll trouble you, Shi Yu."

"Mom!" Jiang Nannan looked at her mother in surprise.

"Nannan, we'll listen to Shiyu." Jiang's mother held her daughter's hand, a long-lost bright smile on her face. "Seeing you happy makes me feel at ease. And, my child, I believe in you."

Jiang Nannan's eyes welled up with tears again as she looked at her mother's smile.

This time, however, they were tears of joy and happiness.

After packing their simple luggage, Jiang Nannan helped her mother and walked out of the old house where they had lived for more than ten years with Shi Yu.

The sunlight shone on them, warm and bright, as if illuminating their path to a new life.

The three walked side by side on the bluestone path. Jiang's mother's steps became lighter and lighter, and her smile became brighter and brighter.

Jiang Nannan held her mother's hand tightly, her heart filled with hope. She knew that a brand new life was just around the corner waiting for them.