When it came to skiing on wild snow, Gu Qingcheng was afraid of falling and hurting her bottom badly. So, she casually bought two more protective butt pads, still in the shape of turtles, and handed one to Mi Guo.
Mi Guo...
What was this?
Youth knows not the value of a turtle!
Gu Qingcheng muttered softly, strapped on her turtle herself, and gestured for Mi Guo to do the same.
Mi Guo obediently strapped on his.
Listening to older sister was always right.
And indeed, it was.
As soon as he started sliding, he fell down several times, landing squarely on his backside.
If not for the turtle pads cushioning his fall, his bottom would have been a mess.
Mi Guo now clutched his turtle tightly.
The two played for the entire afternoon and both had gained a preliminary grasp of skiing skills.
Gu Qingcheng used her tablet to show him footage of winter Olympic athletes skiing, telling him that truly skilled masters performed like that. Mi Guo was so impressed that he bowed down to her.
Especially when he saw Xiao Gu performing a 1640 leftward rotation in the air and winning the championship, Mi Guo became even more convinced that this was a divine ability.
He certainly couldn't do it himself; flying so high and spinning around, he would probably end up falling headfirst.
They skied until they were exhausted before they were truly satisfied, and Mi Guo had also gained a basic feel for skiing.
Gu Qingcheng shouldered her skis and walked towards the top of the slope.
At this moment, the storage locker showed activity: the wonton noodles and two portions of meat patties were taken out.
Haha, it seemed like Mom and Dad had reconciled.
If they hadn't reconciled, would they have the appetite to eat?
Gu Qingcheng's heart eased, and she almost whistled.
Mi Guo followed behind, crunching on the snow, watching his sister's retreating back. He suddenly noticed she seemed much more relaxed and quickened his pace to catch up.
When they reached the top of the slope, they heard sounds, and Wang Cai came running out, circling them.
After not seeing them for a while, Wang Cai was exceptionally affectionate.
Gu Qingcheng hugged its big face and asked,
"Wang Cai, do you want meat or canned food?"
"Woof woof!"
Wang Cai barked twice.
Gu Qingcheng understood: "Canned food, right?"
Wang Cai nodded vigorously.
Mi Guo stood on the side, looking amazed, and said,
"Sister, why does it feel like you can talk to Wang Cai?"
"Yes, don't underestimate him just because he's a dog. He's actually very smart, equivalent to a three or four-year-old."
Mi Guo was stunned.
Were dogs really this smart?
In the countryside, dogs were only good for guarding the house, or... being eaten.
What a sin!
Gu Qingcheng went inside to open a can of food for Wang Cai to supplement its meal.
The dog food sold at the Snow Cat supermarket was expensive and of top quality. Wang Cai had tasted its excellence.
After feeding Wang Cai in the living room, she turned and entered the dining room, only to see her father and mother sitting calmly, drinking tea. The atmosphere between them was very friendly, with no awkwardness or hint of an impending storm. A harmonious, spring-like warmth washed over her.
Gu Qingcheng spoke first, with a cheerful smile, saying,
"Mi Guo and I just went to learn skiing."
Her words broke the ice.
"Indeed, it's time to learn. The snow disaster is going to last for such a long time."
Hu Lanfang acted as if nothing had happened, looking serene and ethereal...
"I need to get back into practice too. I was quite good before, so it shouldn't be a problem."
Gu Chaobei said somewhat boastfully.
"Alright, with your skills honed on professional ski slopes? You still have a lot to learn about skiing in the wild."
Hu Lanfang retorted dismissively.
Men shouldn't be allowed to get too smug, thinking they're omnipotent, or they'll make mistakes.
From this incident, she could see that if it weren't for her constant guidance, Dr. Gu would have been completely infatuated by that vixen.
Hearing the tone of their conversation, Gu Qingcheng knew everything was fine.
She thought her father was quite capable, having appeased her mother so quickly.
And it was a genuine fox spirit trying to climb over their fence!
Cunning old fox!
She couldn't help but praise her father in her heart.
The strenuous activity of the afternoon had greatly increased Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo's appetites.
For dinner, they decided to make dumplings themselves.
Based on the principle of making plenty to eat and storing any surplus, the four of them made at least 500 dumplings, all of which were cooked.
The whole family working together to make dumplings was a joyful occasion and a good opportunity to strengthen their bonds. Mi Guo was very fast at making them; he truly had a talent for cooking and making food.
After setting aside about 100 dumplings for them to eat, the rest were all stored in the storage locker.
Gu Qingcheng ate 30 dumplings. She felt a bit full at first, but less than half an hour after finishing, she felt hungry again.
Hearing her daughter say she was hungry, Hu Lanfang smiled and said,
"Your father and I are full, so if you two are still hungry, just make something else to eat yourselves! Don't worry about us."
Hu Lanfang calculated the energy consumed by the two youngsters today; it was more than they had taken in!
She considered herself to have a good appetite. Today's victory in the skirmish with the other woman and her disagreement with Gu Chaobei had also consumed a lot of energy, but 20 dumplings were enough to satisfy her.
Mi Guo chuckled upon hearing this and said, "How about I make a dish I just learned? Curry beef, perhaps?"
It would be somewhat difficult for others to make this dish, as curry seasoning was not yet common, and good quality beef brisket was hard to find.
However, for Gu Qingcheng, it was not a problem. The Snow Cat supermarket had all sorts of seasonings, and after finding the curry, she went to the frozen section to buy beef brisket.
The de-acidified beef brisket at the Snow Cat supermarket was quite expensive, but Gu Qingcheng now had 50,000 Ssang Points as a buffer, so this expense was negligible.
What's more, she and Mi Guo had had a great time exercising today, earning a total of 25 Ssang Points, which was enough to cover the cost of this meal.
Gu Qingcheng spent 120 yuan on premium beef brisket cubes and another 30 yuan on curry and other seasonings, totaling about 5 Ssang Points.
Mi Guo had just learned this dish from a video. Having witnessed his talent, Gu Qingcheng was filled with anticipation.
If Mi Guo's cooking didn't disappoint her, the curry beef brisket he made was perfectly balanced in sweetness and sourness, rich in curry flavor, and the beef brisket was soft and tender, making it easy to eat. She couldn't stop eating it.
She couldn't help but praise Mi Guo profusely.
Although Mi Guo's expression didn't change much and he spoke humbly, the joy in his eyes said it all.
What mattered to him was whether he could contribute to this family.
After eating the beef brisket, they were truly full.
Gu Qingcheng rubbed her slightly distended stomach and said to Mi Guo,
"Come on, let's go for a walk outside."
Although it was cold, their bodies were warm from the meal, and they weren't as afraid of the biting cold.
Mi Guo was at an age where he had a lot of energy, so he was naturally happy to go.
Wang Cai also followed them out. The two of them and the dog circled around outside.
The old house occupied over an acre of land, and there were 4 acres of flat open ground outside. They could certainly walk around a few laps.
However, the mountain wind was quite strong, blowing with a whistling sound.
They pulled the hoods of their down jackets over their heads and buttoned them up, which made it much better.
Gu Qingcheng saw the pile of dry grass covered in snow and casually took out a lighter to set it ablaze.