Because Ge Hong had to eat, and knowing that his favorite food was seafood that wasn't available in the mountains, Gu Qingcheng and Mi Guo prepared a pure seafood hot pot this time.
There was no shortage of mantis shrimp with full roe, Arctic clams, deep-sea squid, and small lobsters, as well as high-end seafood like bluefin tuna and salmon.
After the two had prepared almost all the hot pot ingredients, Gu Qingcheng had Mi Guo go call their father and Ge Hong home for dinner.
As expected, as soon as he heard there was food, Ge Hong immediately dropped the medicinal pill he was about to throw into the furnace, grabbed Gu Chaobei, and came over with great enthusiasm.
The way he acted was not like going to Gu Chaobei's house, but more like he was kidnapping Gu Chaobei to a friend's house to freeload food and drink.
Gu Chaobei was currently engrossed in the confusion of a new process, unable to figure it out, and really wanted to work overtime. However, since Ge Hong had pulled him along and it was for dinner at home, he naturally couldn't refuse and was pulled back.
The villagers of Fenghuang Village saw Daoist Ge all along the way with his face and even his paws covered in black soot. He used his sooty paws to grab Gu Chaobei's sleeve, which happened to be a light and elegant taro purple. With Ge Hong's grab, Gu Chaobei's sleeve was stained with five dark paw prints.
Gu Chaobei's expression, lost in thought and unable to solve the puzzle, made it seem as if he was reluctantly going home.
Ge Hong, on the other hand, was all smiles, as if he were heading to a grand party. Their contrasting expressions created an amusing scene that made people smile.
But in reality, Gu Chaobei wasn't unhappy about his work being interrupted; it was just that he hadn't fully emerged from his previous confusion, which made him appear reluctant.
Suddenly entering the familiar home and smelling the aroma of food, he suddenly realized he was already home. He immediately stopped all thoughts and came back to his senses, otherwise his wife would be angry.
Hu Lanfang was already very supportive of him. Noticing his obsession with developing the antidote, Hu Lanfang didn't bother him much, letting him leave early and return late without any complaints.
He kept this in mind, daring not to forget it.
Of course, he was most grateful to his daughter. If it weren't for his daughter securing two positions in the village for her mother, diverting Mrs. Hu's attention, his life wouldn't have been so easy. Indeed, daughters were like thoughtful little padded jackets.
Gu Qingcheng, inside the house at this moment, felt a tingling in her ears, not knowing who was thinking of her.
She rubbed her ear and looked up to see Daoist Ge and her somewhat reluctant father entering the courtyard. She quickly greeted them warmly:
"Daoist Ge, you're here! We're all ready, we can start eating."
As soon as he heard they could eat, Ge Hong let go of Gu Chaobei's sleeve and smiled shyly, which was rare:
"I often come to your house to freeload meals, and I always come empty-handed. Oh, right, I remember, I made a hand cream a few days ago. I thought it was useless and was about to throw it away, but your father said you and your daughter could use it. I brought it with me today."
After speaking, Ge Hong rummaged in his sleeve and pulled out a jade box, handing it to Gu Qingcheng.
It had to be said that although Ge Hong was unkempt due to his obsession with his work, he was quite particular about the materials he used when it came to anything related to medicine.
The greenish jade box wasn't of great material, but it looked quite elegant as a container. Opening the lid, inside was a white paste with a faint scent of herbal medicine wafting out.
Gu Qingcheng was not polite and directly scooped up a piece, smearing it on her hand. Oh, it felt quite moisturizing, perfect for winter.
Although her Mountain Cat Supermarket had various brands of hand cream, even international top-tier brands, to be honest, in terms of experience, it couldn't compare to this pure plant-extracted hand cream.
Gu Qingcheng smiled happily, her eyes crinkling, and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Daoist Ge."
Just as Ge Hong was about to go to the table to eat, Gu Chaobei chided him, saying:
"Hey, look at how black your paws are! Aren't you going to wash them?"
Ge Hong chuckled and went to the sink, washing his hands thoroughly with soap before coming to the table.
Gu Chaobei also washed his hands. Just as he was about to sit down, he looked up and saw his wife coming out from the inner courtyard. Wearing a pink padded jacket with a floral border and a black "Mamian" skirt, she looked young, elegant, and spirited, his eyes becoming dazed for a moment.
Wow, his wife was already beautiful without dressing up, but with this attire, she was simply breathtaking.
"Ha, Mom, you look radiant. How many more matches did you make today?"
Gu Qingcheng asked with a smile, also giving her father an opportunity to strike up a conversation.
"Yes, three more couples in the village got married this month, and I officiated their registration today."
Hu Lanfang was beaming when she mentioned this.
Anyone coming to register for marriage is undoubtedly experiencing the best moment of their lives, so the intense joy inevitably affected Hu Lanfang. She had a smile on her face every day when she did this job, a genuine inner joy.
"Who are they?" Gu Chaobei asked, surprisingly gossipy.
"Haha, you wouldn't guess! Brothers Dapeng and Xiaopeng have both found their beloveds. They were quite fast, and will be here to register soon."
Hu Lanfang shared some gossip about acquaintances.
"What? Who did Brothers Dapeng and Xiaopeng find as brides?"
Gu Qingcheng's ears perked up with gossip upon hearing this.
These two had kept it a secret so well; she really didn't know they had found someone they cared about.
These two brothers had a close connection with their family, and Gu Qingcheng was planning to entrust them with important tasks soon, so she couldn't help but want to know more about them.
"Dapeng is marrying a girl named Zhang Yu, the daughter of the blacksmith at the head of the village. Xiaopeng is marrying a girl named Xia Ziwei, the daughter of the carpenter Xia in the village. Both girls are quite good-looking.
Both girls live with their fathers, their mothers having passed away long ago. Their families were among the earliest to come to the village, so they were allocated large independent houses. Now the brothers have moved in with their fathers-in-law.
The single apartments they were allocated were vacated by the brothers, who said they would let those who needed them have them.
Of course, although they moved in together, they are not considered live-in sons-in-law."
Hu Lanfang officiated their wedding registrations, and being familiar with them, she naturally knew the details of the brothers' situation clearly.
"That's good. Rules are dead, but people are flexible. In their situation, they can come together, and Brothers Dapeng and Xiaopeng won't have to wait anxiously for their turn to get a large house."
Gu Qingcheng was very satisfied with the brothers' proactive approach.
Otherwise, they could have moved into the large houses while still occupying the single apartments. Their willingness to voluntarily withdraw showed their support for her work.
The new population in the village was growing daily, reaching thirteen thousand people. Waiting for housing allocation was not as easy as before. Even though the construction team worked 24 hours a day, they couldn't meet everyone's housing needs.
Moreover, they couldn't work 24 hours a day nonstop.
After discussing the marriages of these two brothers, everyone shifted their attention to the food.