Talulah, I'm still a child.

"It ruined one-fifth of my bamboo, but I restored it all after I finished eating."

Mei Xue swept her eldest son to the ground with her tail, then carried Xi back to the kitchen. Shuo scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, as he was still thinking of replanting the plant for Mei Xue after he finished practicing martial arts.

To be frank, there is no clear order of seniority among the siblings of the Sui family. The order of seniority was given by Mei Xue. According to her, this is the order in which the siblings found their "self". And indeed, just as Mei Xue predicted, Shuo has found half of himself and is no longer simply an incarnation of Sui's consciousness.

"Father's move... is truly unfathomable."

Half-drunk and half-awake, her consciousness was hazy, yet she could still see and hear everything around her. She and her two older brothers were the only three people who had come into contact with their "self." They had not only gained initial control over their own power, but also vaguely gained new insights from the stories Mei Xue told, and their power had undergone some changes.

Even for the three of them, this was the first time they had ever truly witnessed Mei Xue make a move. It was as if she had casually grabbed an empty cup, with no fluctuation of power whatsoever, utterly mysterious.

"Listen, if you dare to get drunk before a meal again, I can guarantee you won't be able to find a single jar of wine for the next whole month. This time, you're also being punished with three days off."

Mei Xue came out of the kitchen carrying the dishes. She had already coaxed Xi. Nian watched as she wiped the white liquid from the corner of her mouth. She wondered what good thing her sister had eaten this time. The smug look on her face was so annoying.

"Oh, this... Father, how about we punish him next time?"

"You'll do it again?"

Her azure eyes turned into a rather intimidating gold. Mei Xue's imposing aura made all the young girls and boys shake their heads in disbelief. Putting everything else aside, the little fox had completely grasped their weaknesses.

The second brother quickly got up to help serve the dishes. He had been disciplined by Mei Xue before. He had made a bet with Mei Xue that if he could win a game of chess, he could go down the mountain with Mei Xue to play in the human world. But Mei Xue could beat him even if she closed her eyes and played randomly. This had been the case for the past six months.

A family of thirteen, including several with particularly large appetites, and with everyone having their own preferences for food, cold dishes, hot dishes, vegetarian soups, meat soups, light and spicy dishes, and even medicinal cuisine—if one didn't have the ability to improve their culinary skills instantly and prepare all the dishes in a short time, feeding all these people would be incredibly difficult.

There was a letter from the Great Yan side asking if they needed to send some people to help, but Mei Xue refused. These children were left behind by the year, so educating them became his responsibility. He wanted to make sure that these little guys could live well after he left.

If there's anything quiet in this house besides sleeping at night, it's probably mealtime. Mei Xue cooks a lot of dishes, but the variety changes constantly. Sometimes, if you taste something you like, you have to eat more, otherwise there are eleven people to fight over it. At times like these, most people who talk will end up hungry afterwards, and if you go to Mei Xue, you'll be laughed at. You can only secretly ask for some treats to fill your stomach.

"Shuo, go to the east side of the bamboo forest this afternoon, find a purple bamboo with a red rope tied around it, break it off from the second to the sixth section and bring it to me."

Halfway through the meal, Mei Xue suddenly spoke up, saying things that left everyone wondering what her intentions were, but Shuo still nodded to indicate that he understood.

After lunch, everyone had a cup of tea, and Mei Xue went back to his room for a nap. At this time, apart from the eldest and second eldest who had grown up on their own, the remaining ten people would all go to sleep with him. Mei Xue liked to curl up into a ball, and they used his tail as a pillow.

Because the fate of the entire room is fixed, there is no dust, and the temperature is maintained at a constant moment, making it the perfect place to rest.

Shuo arrived at the bamboo forest and first used his abilities to restore the bamboo that he had damaged during his morning practice. Then, he walked through the bamboo forest path to the east and immediately saw the purple bamboo that Mei Xue had asked him to find, with a red rope wrapped around it.

But what attracted him even more was the village he could see in the distance from this cliff. He had no idea what it was called or when it was built. He just wanted to see the world of people. However, Mei Xue had said that he was not allowed to go down the mountain before he could control himself, so he could only come over during his training breaks and sit on the edge of the cliff to look into the distance.

But this is even stranger. I've been here so many times, and I've never noticed that there's such a beautiful purple bamboo growing here before. That shouldn't be the case.

Is that the human world?

Looking at the smoke rising from the distant countryside, Shuo inexplicably had a feeling, as if something had flashed through his heart in an instant. He sat on the edge of the cliff, silently watching the village that belonged to people.

As the sun set, the golden afterglow of the setting sun warmed my body. Then the bright double moon rose, and the cold moonlight, combined with the evening breeze in the forest, suddenly made me feel lonely. I felt like I had only been in a daze for a moment, but it had already been evening.

No, it was only from afternoon to evening. For his body, it was only a short while, but mentally it felt like a very long time.

"Strange, why didn't Father call me for dinner?"

"Because I saw you were lost in thought, I didn't want to disturb you."

No sooner had Shuo finished speaking than he received a response from Mei Xue. He turned his head and realized that Mei Xue had been standing beside him at some point, holding a red oil-paper umbrella. However, she was not looking at the village lights that were gradually going out, but staring straight at the two moons in the sky.

Upon seeing him, Shuo suddenly remembered that he had come to cut bamboo, but when he turned his head, he found that the purple bamboo had disappeared. It wasn't that it had simply been cut down, but that there wasn't even a trace of its existence left.

"Stop looking, I don't think you need it. Leave it for your younger siblings. As for you... this is fine."

Mei Xue pulled a sword from her tail and handed it to Shuo. Then she sat cross-legged, enjoying the breeze on her face. The wind rang out a bell, and Shuo noticed that a golden bell had started hanging around his neck sometime earlier.

Moreover, Mei Xue's own presence seemed a bit off. If Shuo hadn't seen his figure and heard his voice, he probably wouldn't have noticed that he was beside him at all. He was like the moonlight.

"Don't be surprised. I just concealed my presence. Ask me whatever you want."

“Father, you didn’t send me here to take away that purple bamboo, but to let me know that I’m not like ordinary people, right…”

As Shuo spoke, he looked at Mei Xue. In fact, he and his siblings had found it strange a long time ago. Although they were young in personality, they were not stupid and knew what kind of existence they were. So they really didn't understand why Mei Xue had to use human standards to demand herself, eating three meals a day and going to bed early and getting up early.

As the incarnation of the Year Beast, Mingming could go a hundred years without sleep or food without any problem, and a long dream might only take a dozen years to pass; but for humans, the afternoon to the evening is also a long time.

"As long as you know."

Mei Xue nodded, and a tail gently rested on Shuo's shoulder. The night breeze blew her silver hair, which shone brightly in the moonlight. A dark blue butterfly flew out from the tail and fluttered up and down among the bamboo forest, looking exceptionally dreamlike.

"To enter the human world, you must know what it means to be human. I use human standards to hold you to a high standard so that you can understand the difference between yourself and ordinary people, and at the same time learn how to get along with others."

A butterfly of light landed on his finger. The bell around Mei Xue's neck had disappeared without him noticing. He gently turned the umbrella, looking at the child he had raised, even if it was only for a year.

“Although you siblings are all highly capable, each of you has your own strengths and weaknesses. You are honest and kind, but you are also taciturn and not good at expressing yourself. The second brother is thoughtful, but he rarely speaks honestly to anyone except me and Jie, so he will have few close friends in the future…”

Mei Xue meticulously pointed out the strengths and weaknesses of her siblings' personalities, hitting the nail on the head every time, before looking at Shuo.

“You were one of the first to come down the mountain. You need to see more of the world. The more you see, the more you will know what kind of person you are.”

"...Do you think I even qualify as a human being?"

"How can it not count? I've registered all of you in the Ministry of Revenue. Who dares to say you're not? I've lived for tens of thousands of years. I helped build the Great Yan Dynasty more than a thousand years ago. If I say I'm a Great Yan person, who dares to refute me?"

A glare from the little fox dispelled all of Shuo's doubts, and she continued speaking.

"Also remember that you are the eldest brother. In the future, help your younger brothers and sisters. And don't forget the martial arts stories I told you. Since you want to be a great hero, don't forget them."

Judging that it was about time, Mei Xue stood up, opened her umbrella, and walked towards home.

"You can look at it yourself for a while longer. There are still dumplings in the kitchen, and I need to get Xi and Nian to sleep, so I can't chat with you anymore."

As she was leaving, Mei Xue looked up at the two bright moons on the stage, as if she were recalling the past.

"The fallen leaves hasten the green of next year, and the withered trees smile to welcome the spring of all trees."

The poem touched Shuo's heart, but before he could ask Mei Xue for clarification, the little fox had already vanished from the spot in a daze, leaving Shuo to turn around and look at the small village, thinking to himself that he would look at it for a while longer.

In just this short time, he had witnessed over thirty years of life, seeing how many people in that village died and how many were reborn. This was only a moment for him, but it represented half a lifetime for those people. He began to wonder what it meant to be human.

Human life is so short; a few decades pass in the blink of an eye. Most people live a life of mediocrity. He likes this world, but he doesn't understand why Mei Xue likes people so much.

In just a moment of daze, I remembered Mei Xue's poem again: "Fallen leaves turn into nutrients to grow new leaves next year; even a dying tree can smile at the green forest." Suddenly, I heard many sounds and saw many things.

"Come here, son, look at this. Old ginseng like this can't be dug up casually; it needs to be..."

These are two herb gatherers, one old and one young.

"Therefore it is said: the benefits for a thousand years cannot be achieved in a day or two, and human strength is also finite. However, there are many who have the ambition to move mountains like the old man and fill seas like the feathered bird, and thus a blessing for ten thousand generations can be created..."

These were the sounds of reading from a village school. These words suddenly brought Shuo back to his senses. He realized that it was just a dream. The sun was just rising, and a bird was crying in the village. Looking down at the village below, Shuo sighed softly.

"Now you know what a human being is?"

Just like yesterday, Mei Xue appeared silently, still holding that umbrella. Shuo nodded and expressed his thoughts.

"Although human lifespan is short, there is a natural inheritance. Some die of old age, and some are born. Striving to live out one's short life and leaving behind experiences and results for future generations to inherit, gradually growing up in this accumulation, is truly remarkable..."

It was just a short sentence, but only those who had experienced it firsthand could understand its meaning. Shuo suddenly realized that the dream was not a coincidence.

“That’s not a dream. I’m just showing you what will happen in that village over the next thirty years. It’s not difficult. You’re very perceptive.”

Mei Xue reached out and pulled Shuo up, then turned and left with him.

"If I'm gone one day, remember to take good care of your younger brothers and sisters."

There was another meaning behind those words, and Shuo guessed it. Mei Xue seemed to be in a hurry, eager to raise them, because his time was running out.

Back home, it was as noisy as ever. The younger siblings, Nian and Xi, were the most clingy, while the second brother handed over a bowl of noodles.

"Alright, alright, tomorrow is Chinese New Year, so hurry up and tidy up the house today. Jie and Ling, you two go write Spring Festival couplets. Xi and Nian, you tidy up your own rooms. I'll check later. Little Twelve, come help me cook. The rest of you, clean the house..."

After arranging everything, Mei Xue picked up her youngest son and went into the kitchen.

"Brother, you..."

The second brother looked at Shuo and could easily sense the changes happening to his eldest brother. His aura had become more restrained, but also more profound. Such a change in just one day could not be explained in a few words.

"I've just figured some things out. Let's go clean up the yard."

Amidst all this hustle and bustle, the New Year arrived for the Sui family.

Chapter 409 Shall We Get Married, Ms. Saria?

"It's the last day. Time flies. It's not quite what I expected."

Miss Doctor basked in the sun, lamenting how time waits for no one. Huang, on the other hand, didn't seem to care much. She had been having a great time these past few days, but it was a pity Wendy wasn't there. Otherwise, it would have been wonderful to have a water fight with her water cannon. Only Rosemary was a little unhappy.

"Oh, so what was the doctor's original idea of ​​a beach vacation like?"

Huang looked at the Doctor with some curiosity. Everyone had been doing well these days, except for Warfarin, who got a beating from Kal'tsit for stealing food. There hadn't been any major problems.

"See that Meiyuki over there in her school swimsuit? Shouldn't something like this, something the readers would love to see, happen at a time like this? I was even thinking of starting a scene!"

"Haha...please don't make things difficult for the author, although I'd like to play it that way too."

Laughing heartily, Huang scratched his head a little embarrassedly, then looked at Mei Xue sitting on the beach. Cecilia had been having a great time playing with the big dog named Gawain these past two days, and Gawain seemed to have realized how good this little angel was. Even if Mei Xue didn't ask, he was happy to play with Cecilia. As for Vina? He didn't know her, and was really not familiar with her.

To be honest, if this place weren't a public place, these girls probably wouldn't have been so reserved, especially Rosemary. The kitten hasn't slept with her these past few days, and her unhappiness is practically written all over her face.

"Alright, speaking of which, Huang, are you going back to Da Yan with Mei Xue this time?"

Huang is from Dayan, and the Doctor knows about this. Lin Qingyan also said that she is involved in a big case. If Huang goes back with Mei Xue, she will definitely be able to find out about her family's affairs.

"No, Kal'tsit said it's not the right time yet. Mei Xue is just going back for the holiday and will be back soon. Besides, my family's affairs are too complicated."

Four bloody incidents across four eras, three children, three clues, two major families, two factions, one time period, and one mastermind. The fact that even Lin Qingyan, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was warned not to continue the investigation shows just how many people are involved. In the worst case, it might even involve a high-ranking official, perhaps even one of the Three Dukes.

Even if she manages to investigate the matter thoroughly with Mei Xue's help, what can she do? Fox spirits are not allowed to interfere in court affairs; this is an established rule, and she needs to be prepared for that.

"I see..."

The doctor didn't continue. He understood Huang's thoughts. This matter was too complicated, and now was indeed not the time. It would be best to tell the little fox later.

Meanwhile, Mei Xue shook her fox ears to clean the sand off her tail, then got up to see what Ifrit was baking.

Unlike Mei Xue, who could teleport directly to Da Yan, Talulah and Chen had already set off for Shang Shu this morning, traveling on Rhodes Island's aircraft, because Kal'tsit also needed to go back to work and couldn't do without her there.

Ifrit, what are you baking?

"It's nothing, just sandworm legs and Originium worm meat. My older sister just got hold of an Originium worm from somewhere, and the Doctor said it was edible, so he told me to roast it."

As she spoke, Ifrit pointed to Surtr over there, and in this area of ​​playing with fire, the other woman certainly deserved to be called "big sister."

As for that giant Originium worm, it was indeed an accident. Surtr had sensed that the Siesta volcano was inexplicably active and was worried that it would erupt, so she wanted to help turn it into a dormant volcano. However, when Levadin was extracting magma to seal the crater, such a large Originium worm suddenly appeared, and she caught it along the way.

"Would you like a skewer?"

"No, no, I still can't eat it."