RIIDMDR chapter 32

 

Nan Xu appeared to be carrying a sheep, leaving Tingchuan completely stunned. The glutinous rice and red dates that Nan Xu had brought out earlier were fine, but what about this sheep?

Nan Xu strolled out, head held high and chest puffed out, carrying a sheep as tall as his waist. It wasn’t a lamb, but a full-grown white dairy goat.

He looked at Tingchuan intently and watched his expression change from suspicion to surprise and confusion. He found this incredibly amusing. The last few times Nan Xu had transformed the courtyard and cabin overnight, Tingchuan was already surprised when he woke up in the morning. Nan Xu had always thought Tingchuan was quite calm, but now it seemed his emotions could fluctuate. He was still curious.

“How’s our new shop member?” Nan Xu asked, turning back to stroke the sheep’s back. Its wool felt soft and comfortable.

The sheep showed no hostility toward Nan Xu and allowed him to pet it. In fact, Nan Xu was stunned when he first entered the warehouse. Even though he was mentally prepared, he was still taken aback by what he saw. He thought it was a trick of the system and that it was just a sculpture. But he didn’t expect the system to actually give him a live sheep. In the end, it was the lamb’s cry that finally brought him back to his senses.

“Not bad,” Tingchuan replied.

Having watched the excitement for a while, Nan Xu couldn’t help but burst into laughter. He led the sheep around the yard, searching for a place to tie it up. He muttered to himself, “Sheep! I have sheep! Dairy goats, with both milk and wool.”

Tingchuan: …

He watched Nan Xu circle the yard aimlessly with the sheep. After a while, Nan Xu said, “Let’s tie it up by the millstone for now. We’ll build a shelter for them by the vegetable patch later.”

Nan Xu’s joy finally subsided. He nodded, regaining his composure. “Yes, sheep do have a strong odor. Keeping them in the yard is definitely not an option. Let’s build a bigger shelter.”

After tying up the sheep, Nan Xu picked up his sickle and basket. He said he was going outside to find the tenderest grass for the lamb.

After repeatedly reminding Tingchuan to keep an eye on the lamb, Nan Xu finally left with Guan’er. As they left, Tingchuan sat on a recliner, his gaze locked on the goat.

After a moment, Tingchuan looked away. Chickens, puppies, and now a goat—this little yard was truly bustling.

Nan Xu took Guan’er for a stroll through the nearby mountains, mowing plenty of grass and picking mushrooms along the way. Unlike spring mushrooms, summer mushrooms have a different flavor. It’s a good thing it hasn’t rained; otherwise, the chicken mushrooms would taste even better.

Nanxu checked the weather forecast. It would rain in two days, followed by a gradual rise in temperature that would officially usher in the sweltering summer heat.

Nan Xu was already familiar with this section of the mountain path. Guan’er followed him, stopping and starting. Suddenly, its back slumped, its tail drooped, and its ears perked up as if in combat mode. Startled, Nan Xu thought danger was nearby. He quickly opened his electronic map and checked it, but he didn’t see a red exclamation mark. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Not far away, the grass in the forest rustled. Before he could locate the source of the sound, Guan’er shot out from under his feet like an arrow.

“Guan’er!” Nan Xu called out hurriedly.

He was worried that Guan’er, with his limited combat abilities, would get hurt.

He didn’t slow down, so Nan Xu dropped his basket and ran after him.

A sharp cry pierced the stillness of the mountains, followed by Guan’er’s frantic barking. Nan Xu ran closer and saw a pheasant scurrying in the grass. Its wing was already injured from Guan’er’s bite. Guan’er was now trying to intimidate the creature with his sweet barks.

Nan Xu was surprised. “Guan’er, how can you be so amazing?”

A puppy no taller than his calf could actually hunt! Its speed and the precise location of the bite revealed Guan’er’s exceptional hunting talent.

As if understanding Nan Xu’s praise, Guan’er’s stern and fierce demeanor softened. He rubbed against Nan Xu’s legs, wagging his head and tail.

Nanxu patted the dog’s head twice more in approval. Guan’er was still young, so the damage from his teeth was minimal. When Nanxu saw the pheasant struggling to fly away again, he quickly grabbed it and tied its wings with vines.

Man and dog returned to the courtyard. Nanxu tossed the pheasant aside and told Tingchuan, who was still awake, about Guan’er’s accomplishments. He praised the puppy, making it seem as if he had extraordinary abilities.

“It’s just a pheasant. What’s there to brag about? If he’s good enough to catch a wild boar, he could catch three!”

Tingchuan said nothing, but Nanxu assumed he was listening. He was busy feeding the lamb and was oblivious to Tingchuan’s expression.

That night, Guan’er got a large chicken leg and ate it with great satisfaction. Then he acted cute and coquettish toward Nanxu, making him laugh.

Tingchuan’s favorite chicken was missing a leg, but since he hadn’t caught it, he had no reason to complain. However, Nanxu was focused on the puppies and didn’t care about the lamb, which left Tingchuan a little confused.

Why are humans so easily fascinated by new things?

He voiced his concerns, and Nan Xu responded, “That lamb can’t run, so we can feed it tomorrow. Guan’er, on the other hand, looked majestic today. He’s sure to be a skilled hunter. Now’s the time to encourage him to hone his skills. Why delay?”

Seeing that Tingchuan was listening intently, Nan Xu continued, “Besides, even though Guan’er is young, he’s already helping me carry things and catch pheasants. He’ll definitely be a great helper when he grows up. What’s wrong with me being nice to my helper?”

Tingchuan understood. It just means this little pup can work, right?

—

Two days later, just as the forecast predicted, heavy rain fell. Fortunately, Nanxu had brought back all the clay blocks for the clay pots he was going to make. Ningsui took most of the chili sauce and kimchi with him when he left, along with the clay pots. Nanxu had no choice but to make a fresh batch.

The rain fell from mid-morning until dusk, so Nanxu stayed inside all day weaving bamboo baskets and other items.

When it was completely dark, she put down the finished baskets and stood up to close the door. He heard someone calling outside.

She listened carefully, and indeed, someone was calling, “Innkeeper!”

The courtyard door opened, and five or six handsome men walked in. Three or four of them looked young; the remaining two were in their prime.

They had braved the rain and wore hooded hats. Though their clothing was soaked by the downpour, it seemed waterproof and not overly disheveled.

After entering, they removed their hoods. Nan Xu examined them one by one. They looked even more handsome than they had through the drizzle. The young men exuded vitality and vigor. The two middle-aged men had deep eyes, prominent noses, and jawlines more defined than Nan Xu’s inn’s future development plan.

In the human world, they would have been perfect fresh-faced young men and male models. Why are all the demons so beautiful? Oh, except for the two boar demon brothers.

Nan Xu had been observing them for a little too long, and the younger demons were a bit flustered. Tingchuan tugged at Nan Xu’s collar from behind.

Nan Xu regained his composure and looked back. The candlelight illuminated Tingchuan, making him look even more stunning from this angle.

“What are you thinking about?” Tingchuan asked.

Nan Xu sighed, thinking, “Demons are all really good at changing their appearances.” “Nothing,” he said, turning to look at the people who had just entered. “What are you doing here?”

A middle-aged man smiled warmly at Nan Xu and said, “We’re here to stay. Do you have any rooms available?”

Nan Xu was a little surprised. The billboard was really effective, bringing in so much business.

“Three rooms,” Nan Xu replied.

As he finished speaking, he caught a glimpse of another middle-aged man bowing to Tingchuan and saying, “Senior.”

Tingchuan hummed a faint “hmm” in response but said nothing more.

Nan Xu turned to look. The others were stunned for a moment, then, as if realizing something, they all greeted Tingchuan. Tingchuan responded with a seemingly perfunctory greeting.

Nan Xu mouthed, “Who is it?”

It was amusing to see him ask this in front of so many people while trying to hide it. Tingchuan couldn’t help but pat Nan Xu on the shoulder and say, “Get them a room first.”

Nan Xu thought so too. Even though he was curious about the identities of these people, he couldn’t leave them alone. He turned to the group again and said, “We only have three rooms right now. Two hundred a night, including breakfast. Want to stay?”

The middle-aged man who had asked the question earlier hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes, yes! Owner, you can arrange it.”

After paying for the room, Nan Xu saved up and bought a mattress. He was about to carry it upstairs from the warehouse when Tingchuan arrived and took over.

In the past, Tingchuan only helped with this kind of physical work when asked, rarely taking the initiative. Today, however, Tingchuan’s unusual behavior made Nan Xu a little uncomfortable. Still, they had been together for so long that Nan Xu quickly accepted it.

The Inn guests, however, were staring fixedly at the stairs, their expressions dazed. Tingchuan had already gone upstairs; he had no idea what they were looking at.

Nan Xu coughed to interrupt their thoughts. “There’s a simple washroom past the back door, and hot water is in the kitchen. Would you like to rest now or wash up first?”

A fairy’s cleansing technique could easily take care of all this. Nan Xu’s question was merely polite, expecting them to decline. Instead, they all said they needed to wash up and vanished into the main hall.

“No…” Nan Xu had barely finished speaking when they all headed to the kitchen and dashed out the back door. Even the two middle-aged men who looked more composed were no exception.

“The shower room in that little thatched hut can’t hold so many people!” Nan Xu continued, his words unfinished.

Unfortunately, no one could hear him at that moment.

Tingchuan leisurely came downstairs. Nan Xu saw him and said, “Those guests didn’t know how to organize themselves. They all went into the shower room. I wonder if there’s enough room.”

Tingchuan glanced toward the back door and said with a faint smile, “It’s okay. They’re having fun. Don’t worry about them. Go back to your room and get some sleep!”