My Demon Friends-Chapter 528 - 507: Ultraman Needs to Eat More

Zhou Li made the fire burn fiercely.

Zheng Zhilan was stir-frying energetically. Because her vision wasn’t the best, Qinghe stood beside the stove to offer her some assistance.

Stir-frying in the large cauldrons of the rural kitchen created loud noises. The aroma of the food was rich. The sound of the spatula scraping against the pot—CLANG AND BANG—could even be heard by the neighbors. With the smell of food wafting over, one would feel hungry even if they weren’t.

Brother Nan was still bragging to Zheng Zihao. By enriching the details of her stories, she had convinced the five-year-old Zheng Zihao that she had once become Ultraman, fought valiantly for five years, and that everyone would have the opportunity to become Ultraman by the age of ten. Not only Zheng Zihao but also Tuanzi, nestled in Zhou Li’s arms, listened with glittering eyes, completely engrossed.

Being Ultraman was truly not easy.

One had to be courageous, upright, and resilient, not defeated by monsters or difficulties. One also had to be powerful and fearless, yet maintain good relationships with friends—after all, when encountering an unbeatable monster, one might have to ask for help. And, according to Brother Nan, would you believe Ultraman even had to be good at language and math?

The meal was ready.

Zheng Zihao had also forged a deep friendship with Brother Nan.

Zhou Li couldn’t help but admire this greatly.

"Time to eat."

Miss Zheng reached behind her back and untied her apron.

Zheng Zihao, as if he hadn’t heard, continued to plead with Brother Nan, "Can you tell the King of Ultraman to let me become Ultraman a bit earlier..."

"Absurd!" Brother Nan said sternly. "If we Ultramen were to wantonly break the rules and disregard order like this, what justice would there be left in this world?"

Zhou Li poked her. "Time to eat."

So Brother Nan patted Zheng Zihao on the head. "They’re saying it’s time to eat. Eat obediently so you’ll grow tall and strong. Then, when you become Ultraman, you’ll be big... I remember I had a classmate who didn’t like to eat before he turned ten. When he did become Ultraman, he wasn’t even as tall as a house and couldn’t defeat a single monster. It was hilarious."

"I eat the most!"

"I don’t believe you."

"If you don’t believe me, just watch when we eat."

"Let’s not talk about these things at the dinner table later. Eat properly." Brother Nan lowered her voice. "This is a secret between us."

"My mom says little kids don’t have secrets."

"Nonsense."

"It isn’t nonsense! My mom said, what secrets can a little kid have!"

"She’s talking nonsense. Kids have the most secrets, and only kids’ secrets are real secrets, the purest secrets," Brother Nan said, disagreeing with that theory and counterattacking. "Adults’ secrets always have something questionable mixed in."

"Oh..."

Zheng Zihao nodded thoughtfully.

Children do have the ability to discern. For some reason, he just found Brother Nan’s words more believable than his mother’s. Because he really did have secrets. Quite a few of them.

As they brought out the bowls, chopsticks, and dishes, it had already grown dark outside.

Eager to show his capability to be a good Ultraman, Zheng Zihao excitedly volunteered to help carry things. However, Brother Nan, fearing he might spill something and scald himself, only allowed him to carry the chopsticks.

The lights in the main hall were lit.

An incandescent bulb hung by a thin wire, its dim light nearly tangerine-colored, swaying lightly. It only gradually brightened after being on for some time.

Such a light was prone to casting very dark shadows. Whenever someone reached out with their chopsticks to grab food, a black shadow would inevitably form under their arm, concealing the dish beneath.

In this setting, with everyone gathered, Zhou Li felt as though he had traveled through time to days gone by. It was as if he had just returned home at dusk after a long day of work. After this warm meal, it would be time to wash off his weariness and go to bed. After all, it was night, and night was naturally the time to rest.

The reason for this feeling was unclear, but it was strange indeed.

At the dinner table, the Youngest Uncle tasted every dish, then said to Zheng Zhilan, "Your cooking is a bit better than your aunt’s."

His wife didn’t argue, simply chuckling as she replied, "Then we’ll have your niece cook for you more often in the future."

Looking up at the hanging light, the Youngest Uncle said, "This light bulb really isn’t durable. Someday when I’m free, I’ll come and replace it with a brighter one for you, maybe an energy-saving bulb that’s brighter and saves electricity."

"Bright or not, it’s all the same."

"True, but it still needs to be replaced."

"..."

Miss Zheng said no more. She remembered her uncles expressing the same concerns on several occasions. They genuinely cared for her. They pitied her whenever they saw old or unreliable things in her home, saying they would replace them or buy new ones for her. However, they were always too busy with their jobs and children to find the time.

The lives of people in the outside world didn’t seem as wonderful as one might expect.

Taking a deep breath, the Youngest Uncle turned his head toward the outside. "It’s damn cold on this mountain at night..."

He turned back and looked at Miss Zheng, who was cast in the lamp’s shadow. "A few days ago, we all discussed it and agreed that we should have you move to the county to live with us. The outside world is ultimately a bit better. Nowadays, there are jobs in the city that people with impaired vision can do. Since you can see a bit, the salary isn’t bad either, no different from anyone else’s. You can stay at my place. We just bought a house—four bedrooms and a living room. Since your parents passed away, you’re like our own daughter. There’s no difference."

"I like it here," Miss Zheng spoke softly.

"You can’t live here forever, can you?" the Youngest Uncle said, his tone incredulous. "The number of people in the villages at the foot of the mountain is dwindling, let alone up here on the mountain itself. And what about getting married? You can’t stay alone on this mountain your whole life. What if something were to happen to you?" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"Your uncle has a point," his wife said earnestly. "We think you should go out and get used to modern city life. Then, once you’re accustomed, you can consider settling down and getting married. You’ll be twenty by the middle of next year; you’re not a little girl anymore. It’s time to think about these things. I always say, our Lanlan is pretty, has a gentle nature, and is virtuous. Your vision isn’t a major problem. It shouldn’t be hard to find a decent boyfriend. Once your situation is sorted out, we elders can finally rest easy."

"I’ll be fine."

"How can you be fine?"

"..."

Miss Zheng ate her meal quietly and slowly, remaining silent.

She wasn’t one to argue, nor did she enjoy it.

Of course, she wasn’t going to listen either.

A sneaky breeze slipped through the cracks in the door, sending shivers down their spines and cooling the food quickly.

Zhou Li focused on gnawing at a piece of chicken. It seemed to be the part connecting the drumstick to the foot—a small bone with meat wrapped around it. Since it was a free-range chicken, it was a bit tough to chew. After finally managing to finish it, he saw an identical piece in the serving dish. He immediately picked it up and gave it to Tuanzi. Hearing Tuanzi’s crisp thank-you, he nodded almost imperceptibly, quietly observing how Tuanzi would eat it.

Huai Xu saw that Qinghe couldn’t join them at the table and grinned foolishly.

Zheng Zihao was pleading with Brother Nan to give him some meat.

Two dogs lay silently on the floor inside the house.

The Youngest Uncle and his wife waited for a while, but when no response came, they exchanged a glance.

The Youngest Uncle looked somewhat displeased.

His wife felt it wasn’t right to discuss these matters in front of Zheng Zhilan’s friends. She decided to find another time the next day to talk with her privately. So, she smiled and said, "It seems the meal you cooked is indeed much tastier than mine. At home, Zheng Zihao usually doesn’t care for proper meals and just loves snacks, but today, he simply can’t stop eating..."

Miss Zheng peeked at Brother Nan.