After the spiritual energy was restored: Goddess girlfriends came knocking.

That night, Cang Yao was packing her things in her bedroom.

The clothes were folded and folded again, and the comb was wrapped up and wrapped up again.

Xiao Xiao sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, watching her bustling around, her lips so thin they could hold an oil bottle, and she regretted coming up with the idea.

"We really need to go on horseback."

Cang Yao didn't even look up: "It's not like I'm not coming back."

She walked over, squatted down in front of Xiaoxiao, and reached out to pinch Xiaoxiao's cheek.

"Your sister will definitely come back to see you often. Once I'm settled on the shore, I'll bring you over. Lin Chu is a very good person, so don't worry."

Xiao Xiao slapped her hand away and turned her face away.

"Anyway, I can't argue with you."

After a while, she turned back, took a small cloth bag out of her sleeve, and stuffed it into Cang Yao's hand.

"Here you go, a Spirit Gathering Pill and a few healing pills. Sister, please don't reveal your true form in front of humans, or you'll be in big trouble if you run into human cultivators," Xiao Xiao reminded her again.

Cang Yao carefully put the cloth bag away and gave Xiao Xiao a little hug.

"Thanks."

Her little ears turned red, and she struggled free, turning her back to her.

"Little one is waiting for her older sister..."

Early the next morning.

Cang Yao appeared at the village entrance, carrying a blue cloth bundle on her back.

Aunt Wang was drawing water from the well when she saw her, and she almost dropped the bucket into the well.

"Yao girl?"

"Hello, Aunt Wang." Cang Yao gave a proper greeting.

"What are you doing—"

"I'm moving in." Cang Yao lifted her bundle up slightly. "Lin Chu promised to teach me to read, so it'll be more convenient to live closer."

Aunt Wang was stunned for a moment.

Then the corners of his mouth started to turn up, higher and higher, and his eyes narrowed.

"Living closer would be more convenient!"

She dragged out her words, put the bucket on the edge of the well, and walked over in two quick steps, grabbing Cang Yao's arm.

"Come, come, let me help you with your things. Where are you staying? You must be at Lin's house, right? Only he and Mr. Chen live there. There are two empty rooms. Which one do you want to stay in? The one on the east side has better lighting. I'll help you tidy up."

As she spoke, she pulled Cang Yao into the courtyard, her voice so loud that half the village could hear her.

Several early-rising middle-aged women peeked out from their courtyard gates and smiled when they saw Cang Yao.

Cang Yao couldn't quite understand that kind of smile.

I just felt their laughter was a little strange, but it didn't seem malicious.

"Young Lin is so lucky," someone whispered.

"Yes, yes, this girl is really pretty."

"I heard she used to bring wild game to Lin every day. She was so virtuous."

"However, Lin is quite promising. He has become a scholar at a young age, which is quite fitting."

Cang Yao blushed slightly upon hearing this.

She lowered her head and followed Aunt Wang quickly into Lin Chu's courtyard.

Lin Chu was reading a book under the locust tree.

Hearing the noise, he looked up and saw Aunt Wang pulling Cang Yao in. He was stunned for a moment.

"I've brought her to you." Aunt Wang pushed Cang Yao in front of him. "Treat her well, don't bully her."

After saying that, Chong Cangyao winked and walked away with a smile.

The courtyard fell silent.

Cang Yao stood under the locust tree, her fingers hooking the strap of her bundle, and gave a somewhat embarrassed smile.

"I'm here."

Lin Chu smiled at her, closed the book, and stood up.

"Mr. Chen has gone out to visit friends and won't be back for a few days. You can stay in the room on the east side for now."

"Um."

Cang Yao carried the bundle into the house, but turned back to look at him halfway through.

"Lin Chu."

"Um?"

"From now on, I'll be in charge of cooking."

Lin Chu raised an eyebrow.

"Consider it tuition," Cang Yao said earnestly. "You teach me to read, and I'll cook for you. It's fair."

Without waiting for his reply, he dashed into the east room.

She had read in a book that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach!

That noon, Cang Yao went into the kitchen.

A series of ping-pong balls rang out in the kitchen, followed by a burnt smell.

Lin Chu walked to the kitchen door and saw Cang Yao squatting in front of the stove, holding a spatula in her hand, with black smoke billowing from the pot on the stove.

It's indeed a bit difficult to ask someone who only knows how to cook fish to learn everyday dishes all at once.

Lin Chu leaned against the door frame, watching her frantically flip the spatula.

The food on the second day was better than on the first day.

On the third day, he made a little more progress than on the second day.

By the fourth day, the dishes Cangyao served were already edible.

Although the taste is still sometimes salty and sometimes bland, at least it no longer produces black smoke.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, a guest came to the courtyard.

She was a little girl of about ten years old, with two pigtails and a few sunflower seed shells stuck to her round face.

She lay on the outside of the courtyard wall, peeking out with half her head, her eyes fixed on Cang Yao.

Cang Yao was sitting under the locust tree picking vegetables when she felt someone's gaze, looked up and saw her.

"Hello." Cang Yao smiled at her.

The little girl's head shrunk back down in a flash.

A few seconds later, it slowly reappeared, this time even its eyebrows were visible.

"Are you a fairy?" she asked.

Cang Yao was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"She's not a fairy."

"But Mother said you're so beautiful, like a fairy." The little girl climbed over the courtyard wall, dusted off her knees, walked up to Cang Yao, and looked her up at her intently. "You really are beautiful. More beautiful than the fairies in the temple."

Cang Yao felt a little embarrassed by her gaze.

"What's your name?"

"Lin Yue. The 'Yue' in 'moon'," the little girl said. "You live at Brother Lin Chu's house?"

"Um."

"Are you his wife?"

A piece of vegetable leaf fell from Cang Yao's hand.

"No, no." Her face flushed red, and her voice stammered, "I came here to study with him."

"Oh." Lin Yue nodded, but her eyes clearly said, "I don't believe it."

She leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Sister, how did you braid your hair? It looks so pretty."

The blush on Cang Yao's face slowly faded after she was interrupted.

She put down the vegetables in her hand and patiently showed Lin Yue how she braided her hair.

"First divide it into three strands, then do this—and then do this—"

Lin Yue watched very carefully, then pulled on her own braid and tried it out, but the result was crooked and uneven.

"Not as pretty as my sister's." She was a little disappointed.

"You'll get better with practice." Cang Yao helped her re-braid her hair. "I couldn't braid it well at first either."

Lin Yue touched her newly braided hair and jumped up and down with joy.

Then, as if remembering something, she took Cang Yao's hand and said, "Sister, were you learning to cook just now?"

"Um?"

"My mom's cooking is amazing!" Lin Yue's eyes lit up. "Come with me!"

Before Cang Yao could react, Lin Yue dragged her outside.

Aunt Wang is hanging clothes out to dry in the yard.

Seeing her daughter dragging Cang Yao along as they ran towards her, she was stunned for a moment.

"Mom!" Lin Yue cried, breathless. "Fairy Sister wants to learn to cook, can you teach her?"

Aunt Wang looked at Cang Yao, then at her own daughter, and couldn't help but laugh.

"Yao, do you want to learn to cook?"

Cang Yao stood properly and nodded earnestly.

"I want to learn, I want to—" She thought for a moment, then lowered her head shyly.

Aunt Wang's eyes immediately lit up.

She threw the clothes in her hand into the basin and grabbed Cang Yao's hand.

"Come, come, let me teach you. Cooking isn't that hard, but it's not that easy either. If you're willing to learn, then it'll be fine."

From that day on, Aunt Wang frequently came to Lin Chu's yard.

Sometimes it's in the morning, sometimes it's in the afternoon, and he always has something in his hand.

A few radishes, a handful of greens, and half a basket of eggs.

She moved a small stool and sat at the kitchen doorway, picking vegetables while giving instructions to Cang Yao.

"Use less salt, or it will be too late to salvage the situation."

"You have to cut the meat across the grain, otherwise it will be too tough to chew."

Cang Yao squatted in front of the stove, listening even more attentively than she had when she attended classes at Qianyuan Pavilion.

Sometimes, salt is forgotten to be added, and the dishes are served bland and tasteless. Lin Chu took a bite, said nothing, and finished the whole plate.

Occasionally, if she burned the food, she would taste it herself first, frown, swallow it, and then say, "This doesn't count," before going back into the kitchen to cook it again.

One evening, Cangyao finally managed to prepare a decent dinner.

Lin Chu picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, chewed it, and then picked up another piece.

"It's delicious," he said.

Just two words.

Cang Yao sat opposite him, resting her chin on her hands as she watched him eat, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

She rested her chin on the back of her hand and watched Lin Chu eat the dishes she had made, bite by bite.