Gu Qingcheng no longer practiced archery with physical targets. Her archery practice was more about "heart."
For instance, with her eyes covered, she could perfectly strike her target with sheer intuition, delivering a fatal blow!
Of course, she wouldn't flaunt these skills. One had to keep some trump cards to oneself, never revealing all of one's ultimate abilities.
When Mi Guo came to find his sister, he could smell the aroma from afar.
Upon seeing Gu Qingcheng eating, he grumbled,
"Brother, I knew you were having something good."
Mei Xiang smiled and quickly brought out another steaming bowl of sweet fermented rice, saying,
"Young Master Mi Guo, I've prepared a bowl for you too, just about to bring it over!"
If Gu Qingcheng was eating, how could Mi Guo miss out?
Everyone knew the two brothers were inseparable, and Gu Qingcheng was especially protective of Mi Guo, so no one dared to underestimate the young Mi Guo.
Seeing Mei Xiang's stove blazing, Gu Qingcheng suddenly remembered something and said to Mi Guo,
"When you're done eating, go home and fetch the chestnuts that Gou Sheng and the others gave us. I promised to make candied chestnuts for them today."
"Oh, I'd forgotten if you hadn't mentioned it. The weather has warmed up recently, and Gou Sheng said the chestnuts on the mountain have already started to mold, so they haven't picked any more. But we still have two big baskets at home. I'll go get them right away."
After finishing his sweet fermented rice and wiping his mouth, Mi Guo went home. In a short while, he returned with two large baskets of chestnuts.
The chestnuts were still in their prickly husks. As Master Gu was going to roast them, everyone gathered to help. Mei Xiang quickly called everyone over to help shell the chestnuts.
These women were all experienced in kitchen work, and with many hands, they finished shelling and washing the chestnuts in less than half an hour.
Seeing this, Gu Qingcheng couldn't help but chuckle, saying,
"Indeed, I'm roasting the chestnuts. In reality, I just did the final stir with the spatula."
Mei Xiang and the other women giggled, saying,
"Young Master Gu, you always tell such amusing stories!"
As they spoke, Gu Qingcheng washed a large iron pot and placed it on the stove. Once the pot was dry, she put the chestnuts into the hot pot and began to stir-fry them slowly until they gave off a fragrance. Then, she sprinkled white sugar onto the chestnuts.
The white sugar, upon hitting the hot pot, turned into syrup, thinly coating the chestnuts. It was even, translucent, and formed a transparent sugar glaze.
Gu Qingcheng asked Mi Guo to call Gou Sheng and the children over, saying she was treating them to candied chestnuts.
Soon, Gou Sheng arrived with a group of the village girls and boys.
Despite his young age, Gou Sheng was very eloquent, with a quick tongue and a charming demeanor. He was sweet-mouthed and diligent, deeply loved by Gu Qingcheng and the adults, and held considerable influence among the children.
Xiao Lian and Xiao Jun were also among the children, clearly blending in with them.
Xiao Jun and Xiao Lian were relatively introverted and shy children, and it wasn't easy for them to integrate into a group of children, and they might even be bullied by some of the more assertive ones.
Gu Qingcheng specifically instructed Gou Sheng to take good care of Xiao Jun and Xiao Lian.
Gou Sheng, having received Gu Qingcheng's instructions, proved himself. Now, Xiao Jun and Xiao Lian often stayed by his side, acting as his loyal companions.
Gu Qingcheng was delighted to see a whole troop of little rascals arrive.
After several months of good living, these children had put on a little weight, their faces plump. Their hair was no longer as dirty and infested with lice as when they first arrived. Now, their hair was fluffy and clean, their yellowish hair turning black, making them look much more spirited.
If it weren't for Phoenix Village, how could they be living so comfortably?
Gu Qingcheng served the roasted chestnuts in several basins on the table, saying,
"Eat slowly, and don't burn yourselves."
Mei Xiang boiled a pot of water and gave each child a bowl, so they wouldn't choke on the chestnuts.
As she distributed the water, Mei Xiang chattered,
"You little rascals are truly fortunate to have Young Master Gu personally roast chestnuts for you. It's clear you are blessed people."
Gu Qingcheng felt a pang of embarrassment, as if Mei Xiang was praising her cooking skills.
In truth, she was merely fulfilling her promise to make candied chestnuts for the children, which was why she personally took charge.
However, the chestnuts themselves had a great inherent flavor, and when roasted, they were fragrant. Coupled with the sugar glaze, these children felt they were eating the most delicious snack in the world, and they couldn't stop eating.
They usually didn't have much oily food, so they were always hungry and ate a lot.
Seeing how happily they ate, Gu Qingcheng felt an inexplicable pang of sadness. She simply told Mei Xiang to fetch a few wind-dried wild chickens and rabbits from the storeroom, chop the meat, and stir-fry it in the pot with some chili to give the children an extra meal.
The children hadn't expected that today, besides candied chestnuts, they would also get a feast of wild game, prepared especially for them. They were overjoyed.
When Mei Xiang brought the stir-fried meat to the table, they picked up a piece of meat, and bones would emerge from the other side of their mouths.
Gu Qingcheng saw the children eating so happily and felt that she wasn't at a loss, as she had already reaped two "satisfaction points," totaling 100.
After they finished the meat, she gave each child a paper bag of colorful candy balls.
With food, drinks, and candy, the children's affection for Gu Qingcheng soared.
After the children dispersed, Gu Qingcheng saw Mei Xiang tidying up and went to help.
Mei Xiang quickly stopped her, saying,
"How can this be? Young Master Gu, you are a person of great importance. We'll handle these small matters!"
Gu Qingcheng couldn't refuse her and went for a stroll in the village.
The children, full and content, began playing a role-playing game under the banyan tree in the village.
Gou Sheng, being the leader of the children, always chose his role first. He said,
"I am Young Master Gu, and all of you must listen to me!"
"I want to be Mi Guo. Mi Guo has the best archery skills, and he's also the instructor for the hunting team."
Gou Sheng was the trump card. Once he chose, the other children could choose. Immediately, a child with a quick tongue snatched the role of Mi Guo.
"Then I'll be Liu Ding, he knows how to farm."
"Uncle Liu knows how to earn money, but he's such a big man, and he cries at night. You still choose him? If it were me, I wouldn't want to be Liu Ding!"
At this point, another child mocked the one who chose to play Liu Ding.
Uncle Liu crying?
Gu Qingcheng's ears perked up upon hearing this.
Who would have thought she'd hear such juicy gossip today?
"Uncle Liu was crying? I don't believe it! Don't talk nonsense. The crops he grows will feed us all in the village in the future. My father said Liu Ding is the most capable person in the village."
The child playing Liu Ding retorted.
"Uncle Liu did cry. He went to Aunt Qin Yue's house at night and knocked on her door. Aunt Qin Yue refused to open it, and I saw him leave crying.
Don't disbelieve me; I saw this when I got up to pee in the middle of the night. Aunt Qin Yue's house is right across the street from mine."
The dissenting child stated.
Gu Qingcheng heard this and thought, "Oh, what's going on here?"
Could it be that Liu Ding and Qin Yue had gotten together? And they argued last night?
However, although they were an unmarried man and a widow, it wasn't impossible for them to get together.
Of course, it would have to be consensual, with both parties willing.
Looking at the situation, it was either that the two of them had a conflict, or one was willing, and the other was not.