My Demon Friends-Chapter 535 - 514 Gathering

The fire in the stove burned fiercely, making a beautiful sound. Every so often, there would be a clear, crisp pop. I'm not sure if it had to do with the pine trees or not.

The smoke carried a pine fragrance, pleasant when light but choking when thick.

Huai Xu had already returned with several purchases, such as spices and meats that needed marinating; he seemed quite enthusiastic about it. If it weren't for Zheng Zhilan explaining that vegetables would be fresher in the morning and receiving everyone's agreement, he probably would have run off to buy them as well.

Zheng Zhilan alone couldn't stop him.

I don't know why.

"Here!"

A hand filled with cherries stretched out in front of Zhou Li.

When Zhou Li looked up, he saw a supremely smug Huai Xu, who tilted his chin at him, signaling him to take them without ceremony.

"What?"

"Sweet cherries!"

"Of course I know... no, these are called 'imported cherries.' No, I mean, where did these come from?"

"They're from the supermarket," Huai Xu answered honestly, not forgetting to explain. "But I didn't steal them. They were just placed there, free for people to eat. There were only this many, so I grabbed them all. Hurry and try them, see if they're sweet."

"Samples."

"Oh right, samples."

"That's still not right," Zhou Li said as he took one from Huai Xu's hand and put it in his mouth.

"What's wrong with it? They're free for anyone to eat, aren't they? So what's the difference if you guys eat them?" Huai Xu didn't understand, but he quickly tossed aside the trivial detail and stared unblinkingly at Zhou Li. "Is it good?"

"Emmm..."

Zhou Li was still chewing, his gaze lifting to meet Huai Xu's eyes. The incandescent light in the kitchen swayed, and plumes of cooking smoke continually rose. In a daze, he felt as if he had returned to a year and a half ago. It was only about a month before the college entrance examination, right when the local cherries were ripening. He had been alone on the sports field when this demon approached him with a pouch full of cherries, handing them to him just like this, asking if they were good.

Those cherries really hadn't been good.

Zhou Li remembered it very clearly.

But this time was different. After all, these were samples the supermarket offered for customers to taste for free; they wouldn't dare do so without some confidence.

"Hmm?" Huai Xu urged.

"Good," Zhou Li said, coming back to his senses.

"How do they compare to those little sweet cherries?"

"The texture is different."

"There are still so many," Huai Xu urged again.

"Okay," Zhou Li took two more from his hand and then said, "Let the others try some too. Come to think of it, these must be the foreign version of local cherries."

"Everyone try them! Hurry up and take some, so I can go back for more..." Huai Xu kept urging. "Even though these are gone, there are other free things available!"

"No need to rush," Zhou Li said.

"What if they're all taken by others later!" Huai Xu said seriously. "I saw! There were lots of people taking them. Some young guys and girls, after eating one, would circle around and go back for more. Shameless."

"...That's because these are for sampling, meaning people shopping in the supermarket can try them. If they think they're good, they can buy more," Zhou Li explained, choosing his words carefully. "So, you'd better not go take any more. We're not even shopping."

"I don't understand," the Old monster said calmly.

"You just don't WANT to listen..." Zhou Li was speechless.

"I am from ancient times."

"..."

This wasn't just a generation gap between modern and ancient people, but also a communication barrier caused by different moral standards.

However, seeing that Brother Nan and Zheng Zhilan enjoyed the taste after trying, and Zheng Zhilan even quietly asked if they could buy and plant this kind of tree, as she seemed to really enjoy them, Zhou Li didn't say much more. He just took out his phone, searched on Baidu, then rubbed his eyes and said, "Cherries like warm places with plenty of sunlight. While there's enough sunlight here, the winters seem a bit cold..."

Zhou Li paused, then saw the next line: "However, Wenchuan is apparently a major producer of these cherries. If Wenchuan can grow them, this place should be able to as well. Wenchuan's winters are supposed to be even colder."

Miss Zheng nodded, murmured an "Oh," and decided to ask where to buy such a tree the next time she went down the mountain.

Huai Xu also nodded, murmured an acknowledgment, and prepared to check where Wenchuan was on his mobile phone later.

Zhou Li, sensing something was amiss, was about to say something when Huai Xu, having finished distributing his cherries, vanished with a POOF. Then, Tuanzi, who had been sleeping in his hat, emerged sleepily and asked, "Zhou Ni, what are you eating-mya... Lord Dumpling wants to try some too!"

And with that, Zhou Li forgot about Huai Xu.

By the time Huai Xu reappeared, he had a pack of cold beef in his hand, which he immediately offered to Zhou Li to eat and then shared with everyone else.

Next came dried sweet potatoes, raisins, fried small fish...

The meal hadn't even started, but Zhou Li felt like he was already half-full.

「Around the dining table.」

The light was still dim, shadows flickered, and the door panels were drafty, letting in a bone-chilling wind. In the middle of the main room was a brazier filled with Zheng Zhilan's homemade charcoal, which sent sparks flying wildly whenever the wind blew.

"It's market day down the mountain tomorrow. Shall we go?" Zheng Zhilan quietly looked at the others. "We can also see if there's anything we need to buy." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Sure!" Brother Nan instantly agreed.

"There's a lively town at the foot of the mountain," Zhou Li whispered. He knew Zheng Zhilan was referring to the direction opposite Mingjiu Mountain, the same path he and Huai Xu had taken to ascend the mountain.

"Going to the town is also good," said Zheng Zhilan.

"Agreed!" said Huai Xu. "Let's buy a roast duck to eat!"

"I agree too," Zhou Li said.

"Lord Dumpling agrees too!" Tuanzi declared crisply.

"A bunch of sillies," Brother Nan remarked.

"..." Zhou Li paused for a moment and then suddenly looked up again. "It's much colder on the mountain than in the city, and the wind is stronger. Won't Xiao Yuan and Lao Hui be cold living in their tree hollow?"

"They have fur!" Tuanzi was the first to respond.

"As if they need you to worry about them!" Huai Xu retorted, rolling his eyes. "Their survival skills are better than yours. And though they're not as clever as me, they're not stupid. If they want better living conditions, don't you think they know how to make improvements themselves?"

"I've asked them too, and they said they're not cold," Miss Zheng said. "They did ask to borrow some cotton from me, though."

"Well, that's good."

Zhou Li fell silent, looking up at the hanging lamp. I need to fix this tomorrow, he resolved. Even though Zheng Zhilan's eyesight is poor, this lamp is truly awful. Even replacing it with a new incandescent bulb of the same type would be much brighter than the current one.

「The next morning.」

The fog on the mountain was exceptionally thick. Dense mist visibly drifted across the ground before them, making it feel as if they were in the heavens.

A crisp tinkle of horse bells shattered the mountain silence.

They had already started down the mountain, ready for the market.

Big Yellow walked at the front, still assuming the role of guardian.

Brother Nan and Tuanzi followed.

Zhou Li felt a bit cold, so he tucked one hand into his pocket, hunched his neck under his hood, and led the horse with his other hand. Zheng Zhilan sat steadily on the horse.

Brother Nan had changed back into his own trousers. He was dressed warmly and didn't feel cold at all, skipping merrily ahead. Then he turned back to them and declared, "This scene truly reminds this Old Pig of Chang'e the Fairy!"

Zheng Zhilan didn't understand and leaned forward slightly, whispering to Zhou Li, "What is Brother Nan talking about?"

"He's just being dramatic," Zhou Li whispered back.

"Oh."

"Your hair is all wet."

"It's okay."

"You should wear a hat."

"Oh..."

Zhou Li pursed his lips and looked ahead. Brother Nan was leaping about most joyfully. That 'dew receiver' atop his head was already thoroughly soaked. If you flicked it, tiny water droplets would surely fly out.