Getting up from the ground, patting the dust off his body, Ye Qiu couldn't help but smile wryly as he listened to the complaints and curses from inside the house.
After all, it was a rabbit that hadn't seen much of the world; it didn't even know how to curse, only to hit or bite.
He put the fragrant rabbit meat from the pot into a jar, extinguished the embers in the stove, and lit a few incense sticks under the peach tree, offering a sacrifice.
Then he shouted inside, "Xiao Wu, I'm going out for a bit! You tidy up the dining table properly!"
"I hate you... Xiao Wu Jie doesn't want to listen to you!"
"Alright then~"
Hearing her reply, Ye Qiu felt a bit disheartened, but he understood her feelings and didn't insist.
'Looks like I'll just have to do it when I get back.'
Shaking his head, he carried the rabbit meat and some money, heading towards Zhang Laotou's house.
Xiao Wu, who was still punching the pillow, heard the silence outside and immediately ran to the door, peeking her head out.
Looking out, his figure was already gone.
"Ye Qiu~!"
"You're infuriating! Hmph!" Xiao Wu, with red eyes, angrily pounded on the door, making a thudding sound.
"He didn't even come to comfort me." Pouting her rabbit lips, she was very displeased with Ye Qiu's irresponsible behavior.
She turned back and gave the table a cold glance, flicked her scorpion braid, and with a kick of her rabbit leg, she returned to bed.
'Hmph! Xiao Wu Jie isn't happy, let whoever wants to do it, do it!'
Her recently closed eyes fluttered, and she opened them several times, looking at the table repeatedly, wondering what she was thinking.
On the other side, Ye Qiu was already close to his destination.
The rabbit wasn't killed for nothing; there was only one quilt at home, and that silly rabbit was still using his clothes as a substitute.
He was supposed to leave for the Spirit Master Academy tomorrow, so getting some things ready was very necessary.
Listening to the chirping birds on the road, he looked up at the sky, wanting to say something poetic, but he was powerless, only able to sigh inwardly:
One regrets not having enough knowledge when it's needed, so many branches, so many birds!
Bending down, he put down the things in his hand and picked up a few pebbles, his eyes glowing crimson.
"Let's test the results of my recent training!"
He held three pebbles between his fingers in each hand, adjusted his breathing slightly, concentrated, and threw them.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!" He threw them out with both hands, one after another.
"Clatter clatter." The sound of pebbles colliding.
"Thud thud." Four birds fell.
His movements were fluid, but Ye Qiu was not very satisfied with the result.
"Missed two."
He frowned, then relaxed.
"The Sharingan still has a lot of room for improvement, and besides... I'm about to meet Tang San, right? Tang Sect's ultimate skills? My Sharingan is already famished and eager."
He casually pulled two handfuls of Blue Silver Grass from the roadside and simply tied up his spoils.
...
"Zhang Shen! Is the village chief home?"
"Oh, Xiao Qiu, your Grandpa Zhang went to borrow an ox, but everything is already prepared. You can just take it back."
Zhang Shen, who was still washing clothes, wiped her hands on her apron twice while speaking, inviting Ye Qiu into the house, then brought out the prepared items and placed them on the table.
"Borrow an ox?" Ye Qiu stood there, a bit confused.
Zhang Shen answered promptly, "Oh, renting a carriage is expensive, so to save some money, we had to trouble you two kids to ride in an ox cart."
"That's really troubling Grandpa Zhang." Ye Qiu nodded; he understood these situations quite well. Life for the common villagers on the continent was indeed not easy.
"What trouble? As long as you two future Spirit Masters don't feel wronged!"
Although he knew this was Zhang Shen's teasing, Ye Qiu didn't dare to speak carelessly, continuously waving his hands to indicate,
"Zhang Shen, what are you saying? Everyone has already taken great care of me. There's no talk of feeling wronged. When Xiao Qiu makes something of himself in the future, he won't forget everyone!"
He placed the jar he was holding and a few small birds on the table. "Oh, Zhang Shen! This is the rabbit meat I cooked. When Grandpa Zhang comes back, tell him this is Xiao Qiu's filial respect to him."
"You child, no wonder your Grandpa Zhang always says you're so clear-headed." Zhang Shen glared at him reproachfully.
Ye Qiu didn't mind; compared to the care he had received over the years, this jar of meat was nothing.
He also didn't want to owe them too much.
After chatting with Zhang Shen for a while, Ye Qiu left. If he stayed longer, the copper coins in the jar lid might fall out, leading to more nagging.
Not daring to linger, he agreed to set off with the village chief at the village entrance tomorrow morning, then picked up his quilt and scurried home.
As he neared the stone house,
He had thought Xiao Wu would have calmed down by the time he returned, but he hadn't even entered the house when he heard her cursing again.
"!"
Just as he was about to enter, Ye Qiu was particularly surprised to see the clothes drying outside.
He lightened his steps, tiptoeing stealthily into the door.
Inside, all the bowls and chopsticks on the table had already been tidied up.
Xiao Wu was riding on the wooden horse Ye Qiu had made for her in his spare time, patting its head, while incessantly muttering,
As Old Ye Tou's grandson, Ye Qiu had also inherited quite a bit of carpentry skills, ensuring that even without a Spirit, he could still eat three meals a day.
During this time, he had also made many small toys for this silly rabbit.
Perhaps she was too engrossed in cursing, as Ye Qiu had gotten quite close to her without her noticing, her tender and clear voice entering his ears:
"Stinky Ye Qiu, dead Ye Qiu! Why isn't he back yet after so long!"
"I've already tidied up, and even washed the clothes. If he doesn't come back, Xiao Wu Jie will—ah!"
Before she could finish, she was startled by a sudden voice.
"Will what? Will you ignore me?"
Ye Qiu curled his lips, looking at her with amusement.
"Ah! Ye Qiu, you're back!" A look of joy flashed across her face, and she crossed over the wooden horse, about to run towards him.
Midway, she seemed to remember something, her expression stiffened, her body paused, and she swung her scorpion braid, turning her face away.
"Hmph!" She snorted coldly, her mouth still quite stubborn, "Don't want to talk to you!"
'Didn't expect this rabbit to be a bit tsundere.'
Ye Qiu looked at her behavior, his eyes curving into a smile. "Haha."
"What are you laughing at?" Xiao Wu's crimson eyes glared at Ye Qiu. "The matter with Xiao Bai isn't over yet!"
"Cough cough." Ye Qiu coughed twice, avoiding the subject of that rabbit, and stepped forward, placing his hand on Xiao Wu's head.
"Nothing, I'm just happy. Thank you for helping me wash the clothes."
With that, he also rubbed it a bit; it felt nice.
"How many times have I told you! Don't touch my head!" Xiao Wu's small face flushed, and her voice lost its fiery edge. She simply mumbled, not resisting too much.
It was clear that her two pink rabbit ears, swaying in the wind, proved that the head patting had a good effect.
It was strange, every time there was a conflict, through some intimate contact, all conflicts seemed to resolve themselves. Such a well-behaved rabbit made Ye Qiu feel somewhat unreal.
'Is the influence of the Sharingan long-term? Or is it just a side effect?'
Ye Qiu pondered in his heart.