The Silly Goose Group strolled through Chen Shu's Small Courtyard, looking this way and that as though they were touring a museum.
The courtyard had a pitiful lot. Perched on Jade Summit Mountain, it was worth no less than a residence in downtown Jade Capital City—money alone could not buy it, at any rate. Yet it was occupied for less than two months a year. This was a rare occasion when it had so much life in it.
Zhang Suannai bounced ahead of Chen Shu, Qingqing, and Xiaoxiao. She clasped her hands behind her back, turned to face them, and asked, "When are you going back to Jade Capital?"
"In a while," Chen Shu said.
"Huh?" Zhang Suannai looked surprised. "Not for a while yet?"
"I still need to stay at the Spirit Sect a bit longer."
"What about Qingqing and Xiaoxiao?"
"They do too."
"Oh..."
"You go back first. Remember to water Qingqing's flowers. The tap's in the courtyard; just pull the hose over. Qingqing can tell you exactly how to water them and how much to use," Chen Shu said. "You have to go back to work anyway."
"Oh..."
"What's wrong?"
"I'll be all alone again."
"..." Chen Shu thought for a moment. "You could ask Chen Banxia to come over. It's quicker to get to school from your place than from hers anyway."
"Oh, right..."
Zhang Suannai wandered off, thinking it over.
The others explored their way from the courtyard's storage room to the kitchen. At the sight of the neatly arranged array of cookware and all kinds of seasonings, they acted as though they had entered a new world. They could hardly resist drawing a kitchen knife to give it a few swings or picking up the soy sauce to check its brand.
Only when Chen