Everyone Listens to Little Fishy

Last time in the cave, because it was dark and he had a fever and was delirious, he didn't even know how big or what the place was like. This time, however, he could see it clearly.

The cave was spacious and tall; after all, it could accommodate even Tao Qiu's largest size when it was in bird form, so its area must have been quite large.

The innermost area was piled high with various crops, next to which was a field enclosed by stones. To the right was a huge straw nest with a mattress and neatly folded bedding inside. Books and various daily necessities were placed beside the nest.

Near the cave entrance were two earthen stoves, with a high pile of firewood in the corner, and pots, pans, and various bamboo utensils stacked on a stone table to the side.

In the middle is another set of stone table and stone benches, which looks like where Tao Qiu and her child usually eat.

The place is full of life; Lou Yu can easily imagine Qiuqiu and her kids' daily routines here.

"Lou Yu's father, you're here? Look!" Second Cub grabbed one of Lou Yu's fingers and led him to the stone table.

She pointed to another large stone bench next to the main stone bench and Lou Yu, "This is the bench that Dad personally picked out for you after we recognized each other. Everyone in our family has one, so we can sit together and eat together."

The stone bench was very clean; there wasn't a speck of dust on it. It was clearly cleaned thoroughly.

Lou Yu looked at Tao Qiu, his eyes shining brightly. "Thank you, Qiuqiu, thank you, my darlings."

Second Cub waved his hand heartily. "Of course, of course, we're family, aren't we?"

Lou Yu chuckled, "Yes, we are... family."

After visiting the cave, they sat down to eat. Tao Qiu held the Eldest Cub, Lou Yu held the Second Cub and Third Cub.

The kids happily ate their snacks while Lou Yu told them about the changes at the base over the past two months and what he had done.

When Lou Yu said he had told his teammates about their existence, the kids didn't react. But when he mentioned the big house he bought for them, their ears perked up immediately.

"How many rooms are there? How big are they?"

Chapter 85 Listen to Little Fishy

The kids have seen all sorts of houses in TV dramas, and they want to know which kind they'll live in when they grow up.

Lou Yu took photos before he arrived, including photos of the entire house and various parts of the interior.

The house is a two-story building with a yard. The first floor has a living room, dining room, and kitchen, while the second floor has bedrooms and a study.

"This is the master bedroom. From now on, your father Tao Qiu and I will live here. These three rooms are your individual rooms. I decorated Momo's room, and one of my female teammates volunteered to help decorate Xuexue and Yuanyuan's rooms. If you need anything added or changed after you move in, just let your father know."

The Second Cub and Third Cub were the happiest because their room was really beautiful.

The Second Cub asked, "What's this auntie's name? I really like the room she decorated. She's so cool!"

Third Cub said, "Does she like fruit? We want to give her some fruit to thank her."

Lou Yu replied, "Her name is Huo Lan, Lan as in orchid. She's not a picky eater; she likes to eat all kinds of fruit."

"I want to give her strawberries. Strawberries are the best fruit." Strawberries are Third Cub's favorite fruit.

Lou Yu smiled and said, "Either is fine."

It's been so long since we last saw each other! The family of five had so much to talk about, their mouths never stopped from day to night.

Tao Qiu cooked dinner himself, with Lou Yu helping him out. Although Lou Yu had studied hard, his cooking skills were still only so-so.

Rice is the staple food. Since Tao Qiu and her son both love meat, there are four kinds of meat dishes: stir-fried, boiled, braised, and roasted. There are also candied sweet potatoes, cold shredded radish salad, and vegetable soup, which Tao Qiu made for a balanced diet.

As soon as Lou Yu sat down after all the dishes were served, his three children started vying to put food on his plate.

Eldest Cub: "Daddy, eat more so you can grow taller."

Second Cub: "Yeah, yeah, Dad's the shortest in our family, he has to work hard to keep up with us!"

If the three chicks also turned into bird form, Lou Yu would indeed be the smallest in terms of size.

Seeing that her older siblings were all picking up meat, the Third Cub served Lou Yu a bowl of vegetable soup, saying, "Take a bite of meat and a sip of soup, that way you won't get tired of it."

That's incredibly thoughtful.

Lou Yu was both amused and exasperated. "My darlings, I've been an adult for a long time now. No matter how much I eat, I won't grow any taller."

Tao Qiu suppressed a laugh, "That's right, you won't grow taller, you'll only get fatter."

"Ah..." The Third Cub were very disappointed.

Second Cub looked at Lou Yu's father with pity. "Humans are good, aren't they? Poor thing."

The Third Cub sighed, "If only there were a way to turn Lou Yu's father into a bird!"

The Eldest Cub comforted Lou Yu, "It's okay, Dad. It's alright if you don't grow tall. Just eat more and exercise more, and you'll become stronger. That's great too."

Lou Yu picked up the bowl that was overflowing and smiled, "Thank you for your concern, my darlings. I will definitely finish it all."

The kids nodded like little adults, quite satisfied with their father Lou Yu's obedient behavior.

They served food to Lou Yu, and the kids didn't forget Tao Qiu either.

"Dad, you worked so hard cooking. Is this big piece of meat for you, Dad?"

"This one I picked is also quite big, are you giving it all to Dad?"

"I'll add more rice for Dad."

The three kids were the busiest during the meal, but for them, it was a form of play, so they didn't feel very tired.

Lou Yu thought he had a pretty big appetite, but compared to Tao Qiu and the kids, it was a bit lacking.

Seeing that the whole bowl of rice had been devoured by them, and remembering the size of Tao Qiu and the kids when they were birds, Lou Yu felt that the idea that eating more rice would make them grow taller was indeed true for them.

Occasionally, Lou Yu would have a moment of existential doubt. How could those little ones, with such tiny bodies, possibly fit in so much food?

The kids also sighed at Lou Yu's small appetite; he only ate two bowls of rice and not much vegetables either, no wonder he's so small.

Their earlier assessment proved correct; the three of them saving just a little bit of food each would be enough to feed Lou Yu's father.

After the meal, Lou Yu and his three children washed the dishes and wiped the table, while Tao Qiu ate some fruit and supervised their work.

While there was still some light in the sky, the family of five went for a walk in the valley to digest their food.

They walked along the path in the middle of the wheat field. Lou Yu reached out and lifted the heavy ears of wheat, saying with satisfaction, "In the past twenty years, I have never seen such plump wheat. The yield of this one acre is probably better than three or four acres at the base."

Besides being frequently affected by diseases, the crops at the base also have a very poor yield, often resulting in only an empty shell at harvest time.

Therefore, the ratio Lou Yu mentioned is not an exaggeration.

The Eldest Cub exclaimed happily, "Dad is the best!"

Second Cub said, "Dad is not only amazing, he's also very hardworking. While we're still sleeping in the morning, he's already up and working."

Third Cub added, "I'm often so tired I feel dizzy, I need to eat lots and lots of fruit to recover? Come on!"

Lou Yu was well aware of the feeling of overdrawing his superpowers. He held Tao Qiu's hand tenderly and said, "You've worked so hard, Qiuqiu."

Tao Qiu didn't deny what the kids said. He had indeed spent a lot of time and energy this time. "After all, it's a transaction, so naturally I have to keep my word. But if Little Fishy wants a kiss as comfort, I don't mind."

As she spoke, Tao Qiu leaned her face closer.

Lou Yu was naturally happy to be close to Tao Qiu, but with the children present, they couldn't go too far, so they only lightly pecked each other's lips before letting go.

After washing up in the evening, the family got into bed, with Tao Qiu and Lou Yu on either side and the children in the middle.

Second Cub enthusiastically recommended to Lou Yu, "Lou Yu's dad, he's a great storyteller! We listen to his bedtime stories every night before we go to sleep."

"Really?" Lou Yu's bright eyes looked at Tao Qiu, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Then my ears are in for a treat from now on."

Tao Qiu proudly raised his chin. "Follow me, and you won't regret it."

Lou Yu was amused by his adorable appearance.

Perhaps because Lou Yu was there, Tao Qiu told a love story about a princess and a prince tonight. His language was fluent and his voice was very pleasant. Just as Second Cub said, he was a very good storyteller.

As Tao Qiu spoke, Lou Yu kept his eyes fixed on him, his eyes filled with tenderness and appreciation. His gaze was not aggressive at all; instead, it was like a ray of morning sunlight, clean and warm, quietly bathing Tao Qiu.

Tao Qiu wasn't shy at all being watched; she would occasionally wink at Lou Yu playfully and blow him a kiss.

The atmosphere was warm and tender, with family affection and romantic love creating this loving scene.

The kids are used to going to bed early, and soon after the story was finished, they were all rubbing their eyes and whimpering that they were sleepy.

"Daddy, Lou Yu's Daddy, goodnight, have sweet dreams tonight too."

Before the kids closed their eyes, they didn't forget to say goodnight to their two dads.

"Okay, goodnight, my darlings." Lou Yu covered the kids with blankets and patted them gently to comfort them.

Tao Qiu also dimmed the lamp's brightness a little.

After the children had all fallen asleep, Tao Qiu and Lou Yu snuggled together, whispering sweet nothings to each other for a long time.

The next morning, Tao Qiu cooked breakfast, while Lou Yu took the children out for morning exercises.

After returning home and having breakfast, Lou Yu had just put the washed dishes back when Second Cub ran over carrying a comb and a jewelry box.

"Lou Yu's dad, can you do hair?" Her pale green eyes sparkled. "I want to have a pretty hairstyle today."

Lou Yu learned from the photos and Tao Qiu's description that the kids loved to dress up, so he went back and watched a lot of tutorial videos on hairstyling and clothing matching.

Because it wasn't a popular video resource, he even used personal connections to ask a vendor who specialized in selling such resources to find it for him. It took him almost a month to find one, and the price was exorbitant.