The Bad Man Who Tricks Children

This wasn't Liu Chang'an's first time taking the college entrance exam, but he hadn't taken it many times either. His biggest feeling was that it was really tough for today's test takers.

In the past, many people didn't have the opportunity to take the college entrance examination; now, even if they do take the exam, their chances are slim.

Ultimately, it's just each person's own destiny, choices, efforts, and circumstances. After a second of reflection, Liu Chang'an began to ponder tonight's menu.

Let's eat cured pork. The cured pork that Old Man Qian sent was made from local pigs slaughtered in his hometown. He selected the right amount of fat and smoked the pork belly. Unlike the cured pork bought in the supermarket, which is either too hard and dry, or too wet, too lean, or too fatty.

Stir-frying cured pork with radish strips is the most common way to prepare it. It's essential to add garlic sprouts and red chili peppers to make it truly flavorful and visually appealing. Some people like to steam cured pork and even sprinkle it with honey.

If we could build a shed nearby to raise a pig, some chickens, ducks, geese, and a dog or two, and then widen the pond and put some fish fry in it, that wouldn't be bad, would it?

That's just wishful thinking. In the city, pigs can only be fed with feed, which tastes almost the same as pork bought from the market. As for chickens, ducks, and geese, they have nowhere to find food. Keeping a dog is also a hassle because it bites people, howls, and poops everywhere. So far, I've only been raising some loaches... The loaches were bought from the market, and Zhou Dongdong is feeding them!

When Liu Chang'an returned home, he saw that Gao Cunyi had come again.

Zhou Dongdong sat on a small stool next to the puddle, puffing out her cheeks and staring wide-eyed at Gao Cunyi.

Gao Cunyi was clearly embarrassed. He stood there looking around, touching his face and nose, and soon spotted Liu Chang'an.

"Brother Chang'an, the bad guy who challenged you to a fight yesterday is here again!"

Upon seeing Liu Chang'an, Zhou Dongdong immediately ran over to report the important news she had received.

"Ah... you can talk?" Gao Cunyi was taken aback and quickly explained, "Little friend, I'm not a bad person."

Gao Cunyi stared at Zhou Dongdong in disbelief. He had come here to wait for Liu Chang'an and saw this little girl sitting under a tree throwing firecrackers into a puddle. He had intended to ask her a few questions, but she seemed unable to speak at all. She remained silent in the face of his attempts to communicate and just sat there staring at him, making Gao Cunyi extremely embarrassed.

"Because you look like a bad guy, no clever, brave, or bright child would talk to you," Liu Chang'an said casually.

"Yes, I'm clever and brave..." Zhou Dongdong was very happy that her brother Chang'an would actually praise her.

"Her name is Zhou Dongdong, and she's a silly child."

"I'm clever and brave!" Zhou Dongdong said angrily.

"If you were clever and brave, you should have run away when you saw a bad guy, instead of sitting there glaring at him. Do you think anyone would be afraid of you?"

Zhou Dongdong was stunned. Was she really such a stupid child?

"I'm having stir-fried radish strips with cured pork for dinner tonight. Do you want to come over for dinner?"

"Oh, then I'll eat three bowls."

"Three bowls of rice or three bowls of cured meat?"

"I'll wash the dishes for you after you finish eating!" Zhou Dongdong avoided answering Liu Chang'an's key question.

Liu Chang'an didn't want her to wash the dishes, so he pushed open the door and went inside.

Gao Cunyi stood outside, stunned. It was one thing for the little girl to be ignorant, but did Liu Chang'an also think he looked like a bad person? Gao Cunyi shook his head, feeling that Liu Chang'an and this child named Zhou Dongdong seemed to exude an aura of "we are different".

Is this person truly a master worthy of his master's personal intervention?

No matter how Gao Cunyi looked at him, he didn't seem like much. He was just a rather lazy and carefree young man. From the perspective of a martial artist, he was just tall and had a good frame, but overall he was quite ordinary.

"Liu Chang'an, my master is here on someone's behalf to see your skills. If you're truly capable, feel free to give it a try. Martial arts cannot be learned in isolation; one must exchange ideas and practice together to improve." Gao Cunyi put aside his other thoughts and, without casually entering anyone's room, spoke from outside the door.

"What are you saying?" Zhou Dongdong stood at the door, completely unable to understand. She only realized yesterday from what her brother Chang'an had said that this person was talking in a rambling, teacher-like manner because he wanted to fight with her brother Chang'an.

"I'm looking for your brother Chang'an to practice martial arts." Gao Cunyi didn't want to talk to Zhou Dongdong, but ignoring her wasn't his style, so he demonstrated a few punches and kicks.

"They were clearly fighting, but they said they were practicing kung fu. They're lying." Zhou Dongdong was most afraid of bad people. If the bad people were also liars, then they were the ones who tricked children into selling them, which was even more terrifying. So she quickly ran into the house and slammed the door shut.

Helpless, Gao Cunyi bowed outside the door and said loudly, "Liu Chang'an, I will visit you another day."

Liu Chang'an ignored him, Gao Cunyi left on his own.

After dinner, Liu Chang'an felt that Zhou Dongdong could kick and roll on the ground and go very far, so he asked Zhou Dongdong to squat on the ground to wash the dishes, so that even if the dishes fell on the ground, they wouldn't break.

Liu Chang'an sat outside the door enjoying the cool air, reading a book, and pondering that it was crayfish season and he wondered if there were any paddy fields or ponds Yan'gui Lake he could catch crayfish.

You can catch frogs, eels, loaches, soft-shelled turtles, shrimp, and crabs, but it's not like before. You can't just find any body of water and catch something to eat. Even in unattended waters, the seafood may not taste good due to pollution.

Since eating it wouldn't kill him, Liu Chang'an didn't care about poisoning or anything like that. He only cared about the taste. For example, river fish contaminated with heavy metals would taste like rust, and it was difficult to remove that taste no matter how you cooked it.

Zhu Juntang came over and saw that Liu Chang'an was actually sitting outside, while Zhou Dongdong was washing dishes for him inside. She immediately felt that this person was truly heartless and cruel.

"Rare visitor."

"Fairy Sister!"

Zhu Juntang felt warmly welcomed, and Zhou Dongdong was even more excited, "Fairy sister, can I touch your face again?"

Although Zhou Dongdong's wet hands made Zhu Juntang a little hesitant, she still bent down, because she was sure Zhou Dongdong would praise her again.

Zhou Dongdong touched Zhu Juntang's cheek, then turned around and sucked on the finger that had just touched Zhu Juntang's cheek.

"Is the jelly delicious?" Liu Chang'an asked Zhou Dongdong.

Zhou Dongdong didn't expect Liu Chang'an to discover her thoughts, so she turned around and ran home.

"Does she think my face is as smooth and fragrant as jelly? Even her fingers taste good?" Zhu Juntang felt that this was the most sincere and unparalleled praise she had ever received.

They all took flight.

They can't land anymore.

"Zhou Dongdong is the smartest child in the world." Zhu Juntang wanted to laugh out loud, but to maintain her ladylike elegance, she could only sigh repeatedly. Only with a child's pure and clear eyes, without a trace of filth or impurity, could one perceive the ethereal beauty of a fairy.

"Is there something you need? If not, I'm going to play cards."

I have something I'd like to ask you.

"Speak."

Why are you so poor?

This question seemed pointless to answer. Liu Chang'an opened the book, quickly finished reading it, and returned it to Zhu Juntang so she could take it back.