Wangcai was also feeling down, sitting on the ground with its tail drooping, looking dejected.
Gu Qingcheng held Kele in her arms and said, "Kele, why are you bullying your brother? You need to be good from now on. Your brother lets you have your way because he loves you. Don't push your luck, you understand?"
Kele meowed twice, but it was unclear if it understood.
"Wangcai, I'll go back and cut some fresh meat and bones for you to eat."
Upon hearing about food, Wangcai's mood visibly improved. It wagged its tail and followed Gu Qingcheng, who was holding the cat, into the house.
Watching his daughter walk into the house accompanied by a cat and a dog, Gu Zhaobei's lips curved into a smile, his brow unfurrowed. He said to his wife, "Wangcai and Kele have become a part of our family."
Hu Lanfang also noticed that her daughter's spirits recovered quickly after playing with the cat and dog. She smiled happily and said, "It's truly therapeutic and sweet."
Mi Guo, bouncing with glee, followed her sister into the house, occasionally playfully tugging at Wangcai's tail.
Wangcai would occasionally turn its head and "woof" a warning, but it had no intention of biting Mi Guo.
In the courtyard, steam rose from the well's opening. Because the temperature inside the well was higher than outside, it created a beautiful scene of white smoke curling from the wellhead.
Gu Qingcheng walked to the well, let Kele perch on her shoulder, then drew a bucket of water. She then added hot water from the storage cabinet to make the well water warmer before getting soap and washing her hands.
After she washed herself clean, she drew a basin of water, mixed it with hot water, and washed her parents' hands after they came in.
Gu Zhaobei and Hu Lanfang savored their daughter's thoughtful care. This was the meaning of family, caring for each other in every detail.
The couple's hands were much dirtier than their daughter's, as they couldn't directly put iron items into the storage cabinet and had to handle them manually.
Gu Qingcheng's heart ached when she saw their rough, blackened hands. She took out a tube of hand cream and applied it to them after they had washed.
Hu Lanfang's hands felt much more moisturized after applying the hand cream. Just as she was about to start preparing dinner, Mi Guo brought out the freshly made braised rice, a savory dish with Cantonese cured meats, a stir-fry of tender Jiangxi bamboo shoots with pork belly, and a pot of kelp and pork rib soup.
Simple home-cooked meals that were delicious and warming, whetting everyone's appetite.
"Dad, Mom, Sister, I made this myself. Please try it."
Mi Guo's smile was irrepressible as she watched her family eat with such relish.
Everyone couldn't help but praise Mi Guo.
Truly, children from poor families mature early. They hadn't asked Mi Guo to do anything, but she always took the initiative to help, rather than relying on her young age to be idle at home. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"It's delicious, Mi Guo. You've grasped the essence of gourmet cooking."
Gu Qingcheng gave Mi Guo a thumbs-up.
"And this kelp soup is so refreshing and delicious."
Gu Zhaobei drank two large bowls of the kelp and pork rib soup.
Gu Qingcheng opened a can for Wangcai and Kele. The dog and cat ate heartily and were no longer bothering the family.
Otherwise, the cat was famously greedy. Every mealtime, Kele would jump onto the table to survey the food, its eyes watering with longing even for dishes it couldn't eat.
After the family finished their delicious meal, Gu Qingcheng mentioned the previous night's bath, and Gu Zhaobei and his wife naturally wanted to bathe as well.
Mi Guo, however, seemed indifferent.
Before this, she probably wouldn't have bathed more than once in half a year.
She bathed more in the summer, but that was when she went to play in the river, which counted as washing.
Gu Qingcheng had bought a regular sauna tub for her parents and a smaller one for Mi Guo, allowing everyone to enjoy the luxury of a bath in the cold weather.
After taking hot baths, everyone's faces were rosy, and the strange smell in the house was gone, replaced by a pleasant fragrance.
Gu Zhaobei took out his beloved gongfu tea set to brew tea for everyone.
On such a cold day, a fragrant cup of premium Wuyi rock tea was the best.
On the alcohol stove, a transparent glass teapot was used to boil premium volcanic mineral water bought from the supermarket, rumored to be the best tea-brewing water in the country.
As the water bubbled "gurgle gurgle" and came to a boil, Gu Zhaobei, displaying the skill of an experienced tea drinker, expertly brewed and served the tea.
After brewing the tea and pouring it into small gongfu teacups, Gu Zhaobei eagerly took a sip. He closed his eyes in satisfaction and said, "I was thinking about this cup of tea all day while working down the mountain. Just the thought of coming home to a hot, fragrant cup of tea gave me the energy to work."
Emotions are contagious. Hu Lanfang and Gu Qingcheng also relaxed and enjoyed their tea.
Hu Lanfang said, "We won't go to the city tomorrow. There are so many patrolling officers in the city now, and survivors underground will also start to emerge. It won't be good if we're caught."
"Alas, there's no one familiar with the surrounding area. If only we could find out if there's any iron ore," Gu Qingcheng said regretfully.
But it was unlikely to be so coincidental. Jinsha Mountain had gold, coal, and iron ore. If that were the case, Jinsha City wouldn't belong to Prince Xia. The emperor himself would likely be managing it.
One must know that possessing even one of these three types of mines in ancient times would make someone a super-rich individual.
Prince Xia was able to occupy these two precious mines because he was the youngest son of the emperor's favorite concubine, who doted on him. Prince Xia had always acted harmlessly in the capital since he was young, winning the emperor's favor, and thus receiving such generous treatment.
Gu Qingcheng said, "We won't collect for now, but we should still observe the city when we have the chance and look for opportunities."
Gu Zhaobei also sighed.
No matter how they isolated themselves, they would eventually have to interact with people. He pondered, "Tonight, when I came up the mountain, I saw some deep cart tracks at the foot of the mountain, the same as the ones from the carriage Prince Xia used to send us home. Prince Xia has finally remembered us."
Gu Zhaobei knew that Prince Xia was still interested in his medical skills.
"Since someone came to investigate, Prince Xia should now know that we have the ice slope. If we rashly go down the mountain anytime soon, he might suspect how we descended the ice slope," Gu Qingcheng said.
"Why don't we relax on the mountain for a few days? We've been too tense and tired lately, working desperately outdoors every day in this cold weather," Hu Lanfang suggested.
Gu Zhaobei looked at his daughter, who didn't appear physically strong, and felt pity. He nodded in agreement.
Gu Qingcheng thought about it. She didn't want to put her parents in danger either.
Thus, with the intention of looking out for each other, the family reached a consensus: they would rest and recuperate on the mountain for the time being.
In the past two days, they had acquired over 8,000 catties of iron, approximately four tons, from the west and south of the city.
This meant they were still six tons short of the upgrade requirement of ten tons of iron.
Little did they know that the area below the mountain was in an uproar because the west and south of the city had reported the theft of large quantities of iron pots and knives.