Sprout

A peaceful night passed.

Jiang Jiang got up early. As soon as she came downstairs, she found the long wooden dining table covered with all kinds of breakfast foods.

Youtiao, steamed soup dumplings, soy milk, siumai, scallion pancakes, lean pork porridge, corn mantou, zhajiang sauce, braised sauce, red-braised beef, hand-pulled noodles, and several stir-fried dishes.

Although she was the lord of Tingfeng City, Jiang You's eating habits had never changed much.

Basically, every morning she either had steamed buns and porridge or some kind of noodles.

The last time such a lavish breakfast had appeared was during the New Year.

The kitchen was still filled with clanging noises.

Manager Zhang poked her head out of the kitchen, wearing an apron covered in flour.

"Cult Master, I'm still stewing ginseng chicken soup. I can make dumplings in the chicken soup too. It'll be ready soon! Go ahead and eat first!"

Jiang You: "..."

It wasn't even the New Year today.

Yan Chi came downstairs. Seeing the table full of dishes that looked, smelled, and tasted delicious, the corners of his lips lifted slightly.

At least this little bespectacled girl had a conscience. She knew everyone had not eaten well the night before, so she had specially made up for it today.

Baiyin stared blankly at the table packed with plates. Somewhat puzzled, she poked her head toward the kitchen, then quickly stuffed a steamed soup dumpling into her satchel to feed the little spider.

They had not expected that lunch would follow the breakfast onslaught.

Zhang Shuhui spent almost the entire day in the kitchen, whirling around nonstop like a little spinning top.

Jiang You estimated that she might not be back for some time, so she entrusted Xu Rizhao with the matter of cooperating with Wang Qichuan on the isolation layer.

She told him that as long as Wang Qichuan agreed to her conditions, they would exchange the money for the formula.

When she was leaving that afternoon, she had just started down the mountain when she heard Zhang Shuhui's voice from far away.

"My lord, my lord, wait for me! Hold on!!"

She ran out of the house, panting heavily, with a large bamboo basket in her arms.

Rotting Corpse Captain came running over with her as well.

The captain was carrying two large bamboo baskets too, each filled with various dishes packed into separate portions.

The huge basket in Zhang Shuhui's arms looked especially tiny in Rotting Corpse Captain's hands, like a child's toy.

"Cult Master, I stayed up all night making you lots of meat buns with sauce, as well as the beef buns you like and sesame flatbreads. There's roast chicken and pig's feet too!

"I also prepared some dried meat. You can take it out as a snack when you have nothing to do.

"Underneath these are dishes, all things you like to eat. I divided everything into individual portions, so you can take them out whenever you want to eat. The rice has been portioned too.

"And this—this is the herbal tea I brewed. Remember to drink it.

"The weather is hot, so it's easy to get overheated."

The three huge baskets were piled up like a mountain. One could imagine how Zhang Shuhui had rushed to prepare all this overnight. She probably had not closed her eyes once.

A pair of dark circles hung beneath her lenses.

Gu Mingshi watched everything from the side and suddenly somewhat understood why Jiang You was so tolerant of this little bespectacled girl.

Jiang You put everything into her spatial storage and patted Zhang Shuhui's head. "Keep a good eye on the man-eating tree and wait for me to return. Don't be so jumpy. You're the eldest, so you should be the most steady."

Zhang Shuhui pressed her lips together. Her eyes reddened as she nodded, and when she spoke, her voice already carried a sob.

"Cult Master, you must, must stay safe. Don't worry about us."

Yan Chi covered her face with one hand and pushed it back, then said to Jiang You, "Jiang Jiang, I'll take good care of Tingfeng City. Be careful on the way."

Compared with Zhang Shuhui, he was clearly much calmer.

The "grown-up" Yan Chi had already learned to conceal his emotions.

He never held Jiang You back from doing what she needed to do. He only supported her with all his might.

On the other side, Little Grey hung unwillingly from Da Zhuang's tail, squeaking nonstop.

Da Zhuang impatiently scraped the clingy mouse off with a paw and kicked it away, then held his head high and walked over to Jiang You.

"Meow!"

Are we leaving or not? If we don't go now, it'll be dark soon!

He really was different from everyone else. The boss took no one but him along. Didn't that prove his position in the boss's heart?

His golden vertical pupils proudly swept over the sobbing Zhang Shuhui and the emotionally restrained Yan Chi. A satisfaction that nearly burst filled his heart.

As long as I don't die, you'll all be concubines forever!

╭(╯^╰)╮

Hmph, hmph!

Jiang You held up a black umbrella and leaped from the edge of the cliff.

The mutated leopard cat eagerly charged down along the stone path. Gu Mingshi and September exchanged a glance before hurrying after them.

September no longer intended to return to Dawn Tower. She could not go back even if she wanted to.

Through the kitchen's floor-to-ceiling window, four neatly arranged heads with dark circles beneath their eyes lay staring outside.

Potato yawned.

"We worked with Manager Zhang all night. Why did she make us stay in the kitchen to watch the fire when it was time to claim the credit?"

Bird's Nest Master grumbled along.

"Does one stove need four people watching it? I think Manager Zhang just wanted to take all the credit for herself!"

Square Face said, "Sima Zhao's ambitions are known to everyone."

Chicken Duke said, "Manager Zhang was able to climb all the way to the top because she has some clever tricks, cackle, cackle. Back in the day, I climbed up step by step the same way."

The more the four discussed it, the more furious they became at feeling deceived.

They planned to gang up on her as soon as she returned, but when Zhang Shuhui came back, she was already holding a colorful jar of candies.

Potato hurriedly pressed down Bird's Nest Master's clenched iron fist and said with a grin, "Manager Zhang, this is..."

"These are the lollipops I saved up. Of course I'm giving them to my best friends! Friends share everything with one another. When I have something good, naturally I have to share it with you!"

She smiled with exceptional sincerity.

"Those petty people simply don't understand our relationship, right, His Majesty Potato?"

Potato kicked Square Face, who was itching to move, away with one foot while grabbing Chicken Duke's iron claw.

"Of course. I'm not the sort of petty person who fusses over gains and losses either. If you have anything to do next time, just call on me to help! I'll gladly do my duty!"

Elsewhere.

Gu Mingshi soon brought Jiang You together with the Gu family members.

He had settled the rest of the Gu family deep inside a karst cave.

Jiang You waited at the cave entrance while Gu Mingshi and September entered the cave to bring out the others.

Most of the Gu family had been executed back then, leaving fewer than thirty people in total.

Most of them were women and children.

The women had had their tongues cut out, while the men had had both hands severed. Everyone stood quietly to one side.

There was no joy at being alive, nor any anger. Only fear and unease remained.

Gu Mingshi said, "The elders and the others died protecting these children. They're the Gu family's sprouts. My only hope now is that they can survive."

He pulled over a man who resembled him by six or seven parts. "This is City Lord Jiang. She was willing to lend us a hand this time. You must remember this and repay her if you get the chance."

"City Lord Jiang, this is my useless younger brother, Gu Mingfeng."

Jiang You paid no attention to these polite words.

"There's no need to thank me. This is merely a transaction between us. You don't need to thank me, and I don't want to bear your gratitude."

Her gaze fell on Gu Mingfeng's wrists. Like the other men, both of his palms had been chopped off, leaving only round stumps at the severed ends.

Even the children were the same.

It looked terrible, but Jiang You had no excess sympathy. Seeing this did not stir any pity in her.

There were too many pitiful people in this world. In Four Seasons Valley, which of the test subjects dragging elongated egg sacs behind them did not look even more horrifying?

A little girl of seven or eight led a little boy over and opened her arms in a gesture of embrace.

Jiang You immediately stepped back, avoiding her goodwill.

The siblings' eyes instantly grew moist, and they looked at her aggrievedly.

Like wounded cubs.

Jiang You merely said coldly to Gu Mingshi, "Gu family master, keep your people under control. I don't put on emotional dramas here."

Gu Mingshi pulled the two children behind him, then apologized in a low voice and scolded them both.

When he had seen Baiyin in Tingfeng City, he had recognized her at a glance.

That emotionless little monster had now become round and adorable, though her face still wore a numb expression.

She was dressed in a clean white dress and pretty little shoes.

It seemed she had been raised very well.

She thought Jiang You liked children.

After all, many people were wary of adults, but when it came to children, they would always develop some compassion.

Therefore, when he saw the siblings' actions, he had not stopped them.

If Jiang You really could show compassion toward the children, it would be a good thing for the Gu family.

But he had not expected her to refuse so decisively.

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