Ning Rongrong: I'll Cover All the Food Expenses from Now On

Jiang Yunzhou looked at the glittering gold coins, and his mind began to stir again.

He took out ten gold coins, intending to have Ning Rongrong run errands and purchase supplies herself, but then he remembered how wealthy this little rich girl was...

So, with perfect naturalness, he slipped those ten gold coins back into his own pocket. A kind smile spread across his face. "Rongrong, your teacher suddenly remembered that I have some other matters to attend to. I'll leave the arduous task of purchasing supplies to you! Remember to buy a few sets of bedding and daily necessities, as well as enough ingredients for three days."

He added casually, "Oh, right. Front the money yourself for now, then come to me for reimbursement when you get back!"

As for whether he would reimburse her, and how much, that could be discussed later.

Ning Rongrong was instantly dumbfounded.

What? Her teacher wasn't going? Then what was the point of her going into the city alone to buy supplies? If she couldn't stick close to her teacher, wouldn't this money be spent for nothing?

She had truly shot herself in the foot!

She wished she could take out another hundred gold coins and give them to Zhu Zhuqing so her senior sister could purchase the supplies instead.

But when she turned around, she found that Zhu Zhuqing had already very conscientiously picked up a broom and started cleaning, leaving her no chance for a second bribe.

"Humph!"

Ning Rongrong stomped her foot in anger, pouting with an expression that said she had suffered a huge loss as she grudgingly headed toward the city.

After confirming that Ning Rongrong had gone far away, Jiang Yunzhou moved over to Zhu Zhuqing, who was cleaning. Rubbing his hands together, he grinned as he negotiated, "Good disciple, how about your teacher helps you clean, and you split the hundred gold coins you just got with me? Fifty-fifty. Very fair!"

Zhu Zhuqing's lips twitched slightly.

This teacher of hers truly loved money like his life. He would not even spare this little bit of hard-earned money.

She sighed, but was quite straightforward as she handed all one hundred gold coins back to Jiang Yunzhou. "Teacher, you can have all of it. I still have a few dozen gold coins on me, so I have enough for now."

After all, how could the cultivation technique her teacher had given her be measured in money?

Jiang Yunzhou's eyes lit up. He accepted them without the slightest hesitation and tucked them into his robes, though he still spoke righteously. "Ahem, your teacher will keep them for you first! Whenever you need money in the future, just come ask me for it!"

After pocketing the money, he kept his word and picked up another tool. "Hurry and clean up! I'll handle the courtyard outside, while you take care of the rooms inside."

He did not put on any airs as a teacher. Once he finished speaking, he briskly got to work.

Naturally, Zhu Zhuqing would not fuss over such things with him. There were only four or five rooms inside, so it did not take long to clean them.

The master and disciple worked together, and by the time the inside and outside had been tidied until they looked brand new,

the sky had already begun to darken, and the setting sun cast a layer of warm golden afterglow over the courtyard.

Just then, light footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, and Ning Rongrong came bouncing back.

She looked at the freshly cleaned little courtyard and the young man and young woman sitting across from each other beside the stone table.

The sunset's glow fell over them, painting an unusually warm and tranquil scene.

For some reason, Ning Rongrong's heart felt sour. How wonderful would it have been if she were the one sitting beside her teacher?

"Teacher! I'm back!"

She called out loudly, shattering the harmony that made her somewhat jealous.

Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, she raised the Sword Grass Bracelet on her wrist and exclaimed dramatically, "Oh, right, Teacher! Why didn't you tell me that this storage bracelet has a full hundred cubic meters of space inside?"

Blinking her large eyes, she said in utter amazement, "If this were put up for auction, it would be worth at least a million gold coins! Teacher, you're far too generous. You just gave away something this precious..."

Her words were like little knives stabbing repeatedly into Jiang Yunzhou's heart.

Did he not know the bracelet was valuable?

He simply had not expected it to be valuable to this extent!

And if that damned tracking function were added in, its value would be practically immeasurable.

Unfortunately, the system had said that it was exclusive, so no one else could use it.

"Humph!"

Jiang Yunzhou snorted irritably and forcibly changed the subject. "You took so long that we're nearly starving to death! Where are the supplies?"

A trace of nervousness flashed across Ning Rongrong's face.

She really had wandered around the city for too long. She had even secretly bought a lot of snacks and eaten her fill before returning.

"Um, I-I'm new here, so I wasn't familiar with the roads. I wandered around for ages before I found the place selling things."

She hurriedly made an excuse, then laid the groundwork in advance. "Teacher, considering how hard I worked, even if you're angry, you can't hit me!"

Jiang Yunzhou rolled his eyes at her. Who had the time to get angry over something like that?

"Stop babbling. Put all the ingredients in the kitchen. Today, your teacher will cook personally and show you what I can do."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Jiang Yunzhou with some surprise. She had not expected her teacher to know how to cook.

The image of this man in her heart gained another warm shade, becoming even more substantial.

Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, tilted her head as a strange thought arose in her mind. Show them what he could do? Was it some kind of sticky thing?

To see for themselves whether Jiang Yunzhou truly knew how to cook, all three of them eventually squeezed into the kitchen.

Fortunately, the village house was spacious and the kitchen was not small. Otherwise, they would have been too cramped to even turn around.

"Are you two here to help?" Jiang Yunzhou asked, looking at the two girls who had followed him in.

The two nodded in unison, feeling that it would be nice to work together.

"Fine, then we'll divide the work. One of you peels the garlic, the other washes the vegetables, and I'll cut the meat and handle the cooking!"

Soon, the kitchen was filled with the rapid clatter of chopping and the sounds of spatulas striking the wok.

Smoke from the cooking fire rose in curling wisps outside, while enticing aromas of food drifted continuously from the kitchen.

Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong both stared in slight daze. Jiang Yunzhou's movements flowed like water as he tossed the wok and added seasonings. Every movement carried an indescribable skill and elegance. He did not look like a novice at all.

"Teacher, you're amazing!" Ning Rongrong could not help exclaiming.

Jiang Yunzhou merely smiled without speaking, inwardly enjoying his disciple's admiration.

Zhu Zhuqing was more observant. She asked softly, "Teacher, your cooking doesn't seem like that of a beginner. Did you have a hard life when you were young?"

Her words inadvertently stirred Jiang Yunzhou's memories.

"Ah, it's too painful to look back on. Being poor forced me to learn," he answered vaguely.

These cooking skills were survival skills he had brought from his previous life and had nothing to do with this one.

In this life, he had spent almost all his time cultivating and traveling about, without any fixed residence. Aside from Shenma Village, which he had not returned to in five or six years, he had barely had a permanent home.

Before long, four dishes and a soup were brought to the table.

The dishes, complete in color, aroma, and flavor, gleamed enticingly. Even Ning Rongrong, who had secretly eaten her fill in the city, found her appetite stirred.

"Stop staring. Your drool is about to drip into the dishes. You're all hungry, right? Then dig in!" Jiang Yunzhou said.

Looking at the steaming home-cooked meal before her, Zhu Zhuqing suddenly felt her nose sting, and she had the urge to cry.

Though the man before her was her teacher, at this moment he felt more like a warm and dependable family member.

She had been born into nobility, yet had never experienced such simple, pure warmth.

She realized that she was becoming more and more attached to this feeling.

Ning Rongrong had been pampered with fine food and clothing since childhood, but when she tasted Jiang Yunzhou's cooking, her eyes lit up as well.

This unique flavor was something she had never experienced before.

She suddenly regretted eating so many snacks earlier. Her stomach was painfully full now, but she could still manage another bite or two.

"Teacher!"

Ning Rongrong suddenly called out, her eyes sparkling. "Will you cook for us every day from now on? I love this flavor so much!"

She immediately brought out the power of money. "Teacher, I'll pay! I'll cover all the food expenses from now on!"

Jiang Yunzhou had wanted to refuse, but the moment he heard the words "I'll pay," the words at his lips were immediately swallowed back.

This was hilarious. He simply could not refuse such temptation!

"No problem."