Walnut used me to boost her sales performance.

Back at the main gate, several attendants were sweeping, wiping the plaque, replacing broken tiles on the walls, and repainting the faded gate.

The doors, which are usually closed during the day, are now wide open, and there is no longer any eerie atmosphere.

"The sect leader is back!"

"It's been over two months since I last saw you, have you missed me?"

"I thought you weren't coming back for the holiday this year, Master."

"No way, we have to come back no matter what!"

"The leader has grown taller and gotten a tan..."

"I've gotten a bit tanned; the desert sun is just too strong, there's nothing I can do about it..."

Did the sect leader bring us any gifts this time?

"Of course we've prepared! A can of desert sand for everyone!"

"That's going too far, Master!"

"Hahahaha, just kidding~"

While munching on a candied hawthorn, Hu Tao chatted and joked with the ritual attendants, showing off his knowledge of Sumeru.

The relaxation of home completely dispelled the fatigue of the journey.

"I'm not going to say anything more, I'm going to clean the yard now. No one has lived here for more than two months, I definitely can't sleep if I don't clean it."

In order to welcome the New Year and bid farewell to the old year, a thorough cleaning is essential.

Jiang Bai returned to his courtyard, where the gate, which hadn't been opened for months, was now covered in cobwebs.

The weeds in the yard covered the passageway, and withered yellow leaves were scattered all over the ground.

Many of the sweet flowers in the backyard are still alive, and even without Jiang Bai's watering, these tenacious plants are growing very well.

Jiang Bai shamelessly threw Gudu out and they cleaned together.

"Gudong, the cleaning is all yours now!"

Chapter 798 Sending You a Bouquet of Sweet Flowers

A peaceful and leisurely life is not in conflict with a world that is being eroded by danger.

Jiang Bai, wearing a headscarf, was sweeping cobwebs off the ceiling with a large broom.

Although he could use wind to blow all the dust out of the house, cleaning by hand is also an experience.

Returning from a long trip, cleaning up doesn't make Jiang Bai feel tired.

Besides, it's almost the new year, and with the new year comes a new look. After cleaning, he'll put up window decorations, couplets, and lanterns.

Gudu's tiny, wing-like hands were holding a rag and were wiping the window frame with great effort.

"Cough cough..."

There are way too many spider webs here.

Jiang Bai was choked by the dust that was swept down.

"Goo~"

He chuckled to himself.

"Speaking of which, I didn't clean the ceiling last time I brought Ah Mao back on short notice. It's been almost three or four months since the owner left home, and these spiders have completely taken over the ceiling as their territory..."

Jiang Bai swept away all the spider webs without mercy, leaving dust all over the ground.

With the help of one person and one pet, they worked together for a busy afternoon, and the entire yard was transformed.

As dusk fell, Jiang Bai carried the bedding that had been drying outside back into the house. The scent of sunshine lingered on the bedding, carrying a comforting aroma.

After changing the sheets and duvet cover to brand new ones, and picking a few sweet flowers from the backyard to put in the vase, the room, which had been uninhabited for three or four months, suddenly felt full of life.

"La la la la~"

After finishing his work, Jiang Bai took a shower and tidied himself up before heading to Walnut's yard with a bunch of sweet flowers in his arms.

Hu Tao was folding up the quilts. Her yard was much bigger than Jiang Bai's, and her house had several times more rooms.

After a busy afternoon, all I managed to do was clean the inside of the house.

The fallen leaves scattered all over the yard hadn't been taken care of yet; only the bluestone pavement had been swept clean.

"Ta-da!"

Just as Hu Tao took the quilt down from the clothesline, a large bouquet of sweet flowers appeared before her eyes.

The sweet fragrance of flowers wafted to my nose, carrying the unique sweetness of sweetflowers.

Hu Tao's lips curled up, and her gaze moved upwards from the sweet flower, landing on a familiar handsome face.

He seemed to have just taken a shower; his hair was casually swept back, revealing his smooth forehead, which was still slightly damp.

Because they were facing away from the sunlight, their clear golden eyes had turned a deep amber color, but they still shone brightly as usual, like stars in the sky.

His gaze was filled with a smile, both focused and gentle.

Even Hu Tao, who spends every day with him, blushed slightly when he was being stared at like that.

The way this guy could be serious sometimes really made her heart beat a little faster for some reason.

Seeing that Hu Tao didn't react, he moved the flower a little closer.

"These are sweet flowers I carefully selected from my flower garden; each one is beautiful and full. Master, please take them!"

"You must have done it on purpose, knowing that both my hands were busy!"

Hu Tao lifted the blanket she was holding with both hands a little higher and gave him a coquettish glare.

"No way, Master, you're framing me!" Jiang Bai shouted, but his cunning eyes didn't look like he was innocent at all.

"then!"

Hu Tao tossed the blanket to him and took the bouquet of sweet flowers from his hands.

The fragrance of the flowers put her in a pleasant mood.

"It's blooming quite well. No wonder it's called the Sweet Flower; its survival ability is really strong."

Despite being unattended and unwatered for over two months, these sweet flowers are still growing exceptionally well.

She skipped and hopped into the house, holding the flowers, her two ponytails swaying on her head.

Jiang Bai followed behind her, carrying the quilt, watching her put the flowers into the vase and place them on the display shelf, admiring them for a while.

"Great, great! With flowers, it suddenly feels so lively."

Do we need to clean today?

"It's too late, let's talk about it tomorrow."

"Let's go to the night market tonight."

"Alright, let me think about what clothes to wear..."

Hu Tao opened her wardrobe and looked at the various clothes inside, feeling conflicted.

"Wear this," Jiang Bai said, pointing to the outfit.

This is a red and white outfit, quite festive.

The top was a fitted inner garment with Chinese knot buttons, embroidered with white snowflakes.

She wore a short red cloak with white fur wrapped around it and two large fluffy pom-poms hanging from it.

The bottom was a knee-length red skirt, also embroidered with snowflakes, with a white fur trim around the edge.

Paired with a red beret and a white pom-pom hair accessory, it has a special New Year's feel.

"Then let's go with this one."

I bought this outfit last year, but I haven't worn it much.

Hu Tao took her clothes to take a shower, so Jiang Bai didn't have to wait too long.

In addition to the original accessories, Hu Tao also wore white snowflake-patterned stockings and brown leather shoes.

With a hat on, hair ties on, and two low ponytails, the pretty girl's outfit is complete.

"Let's go, let's go, I need to leave quickly!"

Hu Tao grabbed Jiang Bai's hand and ran out impatiently.

It's completely dark outside; it must be very lively.

"Slow down, slow down, it's dark, don't fall..."

There's still some distance between the back door of the shrine and the bustling main street, and this section is quite dim with few streetlights.

“I’ve walked this road at least 1000 times, if not 800, how could I possibly fall?”

Hu Tao spoke with great conviction, and it was indeed true.

She knows every pothole on the road in front of her house perfectly well, so even if there's no light at all, she won't slip and fall.

The streets were bustling with activity, and despite it being nighttime, the lights made it far from dim.

Several children were chasing each other, holding small sparklers that looked like fairy wands.

Various vendors set up stalls along the streets, and the aroma of food wafted through the air.

"Boss, two orders of pan-fried tofu, please!"

"Good Le!"

"One serving of roasted chestnuts, please!"

Hu Tao pulled Jiang Bai through the stalls, and soon they were carrying several kinds of food in their hands.

Walnut picked up a piece of steaming hot pan-fried tofu and put it in her mouth, savoring the spiciness emanating from Jueyun Jiaojiao, and contentedly squinted her eyes.

"It's been so long since I've had this, it still tastes just like the last one!"

I've been eating mostly Sumeru-flavored food for the past few months, and while it tastes pretty good, what I miss most is definitely the food from Liyue.

"Master, come and try this stinky tofu."

Jiang Bai picked up a piece of black tofu and held it to Hu Tao's mouth. It was said that this was the latest style developed by a boss who was good at making tofu. It smelled bad, but tasted very good and was highly praised.

Smelling the aroma, Hu Tao tilted her head back and looked at Jiang Bai warily.

"You take a bite first!"

Jiang Bai held his breath, calmly took a bite, and then offered the rest to Hu Tao's mouth.

"It smells a little strange, but it tastes pretty good."

Chapter 799 Two Childish Kids

Hu Tao stared at his face and took a bite with some skepticism.

"!"

Hu Tao's eyes widened suddenly, and she couldn't spit out the food in her mouth.

"Why is it sweet!"

With a mischievous smile on his face, Jiang Bai put the half of the walnut he had eaten into his mouth.

"Haha, because I added honey to this piece!"

Hu Tao's expression was indescribable.

Jiang Bai picked up another piece and held it to her lips.

"Don't worry, this one is good, there's no additive."

Hu Tao stared at the seemingly normal piece of stinky tofu for three seconds, then stared at his face for a while before finally giving in to her curiosity.

She was quite curious about what stinky tofu without any special ingredients would taste like.

Fortunately, just as Jiang Bai said, he didn't add anything to his portion.