Chapter 12
Ning Zhixia gave Qu Banqing his agreed share of the profits and saved the rest. In just over a month, including his previous savings and the reward from Audrow, he had nearly 400,000 yuan in his account. After careful consideration, he decided to buy an electric SUV.
It happened to be a time when car prices were dropping. Ning Zhixia went to a 4S shop and negotiated the insurance and price, spending nearly 200,000 yuan in total.
When he drove back, Qu Banqing, in the passenger seat, was busy berating motorcyclists without helmets and erratically swerving buses, his aura powerful.
After parking, Ning Zhixia eagerly asked, “How was it? Did you feel the push?”
Qu Banqing unscrewed his thermos and took a sip of water to moisten his throat: “You mean the push you feel when pushing a grandpa in a wheelchair?”
“…Wuwuwu.”
Ning Zhixia unbuckled his seatbelt and sadly got out of his “baby bus.”
Qingxi Road had underground parking, which wasn’t expensive at 300 yuan per month. When it was time to register the car, Ning Zhixia had the license plates mailed to him and squatted on the ground, humming as he screwed on the seals.
After finishing, he came out of the garage and walked towards the small house, and it started to drizzle again.
At the entrance of the courtyard, a group of kittens huddled under the monstera leaves, the rain pattering on the leaves, making their little heads turn and look around curiously.
Ning Zhixia grinned, jumping under the eaves, and blew the small water droplets from his hair onto the kittens, making them dodge and swat at his pants with their paws.
“Yo, you’re done? Just in time to wash your hands and eat!”
Qu Banqing was holding a jar of kimchi, about to move it to a cool corner in the kitchen.
“Okay!”
Ning Zhixia replied, shaking off the clinging kittens, and went inside, closing the door.
The kitchen was clearly Qu Banqing’s domain now. The tableware had also been upgraded, with a pumpkin-shaped cast iron pot, lily-of-the-valley porcelain plates, kitten and bear ceramic bowls… all sorts of exquisite tableware and decorations, with different styles every day.
Like Ning Zhixia, he had loved cute and delicate things since childhood, and because of these hobbies, he had been teased by the boys in their class.
Ning Zhixia knew they were having pig trotter rice tonight, but when he lifted the lid and saw the two large, reddish-brown pig trotters stewing in the braising liquid, he was still stunned: “So much? We can’t finish this!”
Qu Banqing took off his bunny apron and said faintly, “Have you forgotten about our freeloading cubs?”
As soon as he finished speaking, a knock came from the door, and the fox cubs whined outside.
“Ning gege, Qu gege, open the door! We smell something delicious!”
Ning Zhixia couldn’t help but sigh with relief that the fox cubs were polite and cute. If it were some other ferocious non-human creature, opening the door would be like opening a can of who-knows-what.
“Meow, meow…”
The little foxes scurried in one by one, nuzzled the curious cats that poked their heads out, then gathered around the coffee table with a clear goal in mind.
Since they didn’t have a dining table, they ate at the coffee table, sitting on small stools or cushions, which was more comfortable and casual.
As soon as they sat down, Qu Banqing brought over several plates of fragrant pig trotter rice.
He pushed Ning Zhixia into the pile of foxes, put his hands on his hips, and looked at everyone slurping away, nodding with satisfaction, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
The large pig trotters had been stewing in the braising liquid for three hours. The large bone in the middle came out easily with a gentle tug, the skin oily and tender, cracking open with a light cut, the lean meat inside looking firm but easily falling apart with a spoon.
Qu Banqing had chopped the meat, half fat and half lean, and spread it over the rice in each plate, drizzling it with braising liquid for easy mixing. He hadn’t prepared braised eggs, but under the rice, there was a whole piece of trotter meat.
Ning Zhixia placed an ice-cold cola in front of him, looked down, and chuckled: “Yo, you even got the ‘four-point gold’!”
“Of course, I’m now best buds with the vendors at the market.” Qu Banqing took a gulp of cola and boasted proudly.
Whether it was the old ladies selling free-range chickens and ducks or the various meat and vegetable vendors, he had easily won them over.
“What’s so great about that.” Ning Zhixia was unconvinced. “My connections are also impressive!”
Qu Banqing: “I’m talking about ‘human’ connections, what about yours?”
“…”
Ning Zhixia was silent for a moment, then buried his head and took a bite of the “four-point gold” on his plate.
The “four-point gold” was the prime cut between the pig’s trotter and leg, the skin soft and not greasy, the two small bones connected to chewy tendons. Even at pig trotter rice restaurants, it was a limited item.
To cut through the richness, pig trotter rice was usually served with stir-fried cabbage and pickled mustard greens. Qu Banqing hadn’t prepared those, but he had made quick-pickled radish, cut into bite-sized cubes, sweet, sour, and spicy, perfect for cutting through the richness.
The fox cubs ate with their ears twitching, their wagging tails practically becoming automatic cat toys. They licked their oily fingers, tilted their heads, and rubbed affectionately against Qu Banqing and Ning Zhixia, then buried their heads and continued enjoying their dinner.
“Mmm…” Ning Zhixia’s mouth was full of oil, shoveling rice into his mouth with his spoon, mumbling indistinctly, “So ％+@ want to eat every day =％！”
“My son, can you not talk while eating?” Qu Banqing turned his head to the other side. “Your mouth is like a cannon about to fire.”
Ning Zhixia chewed: “Because it’s so delicious. It’s great that I can eat your cooking every day from now on.”
He had always been a picky eater. He remembered in middle school, because the cafeteria food was so terrible, they would sneak out through the back gate to buy food, only to get stuck halfway and cry their eyes out.
The teachers and security guards called for help and searched the storage room for tools. The homeroom teacher, afraid they would be embarrassed, kept comforting them. But the two of them, with tears in their eyes, asked, “Teacher, can you help us buy pig trotter rice from across the street?”
Perhaps because of the difficult journey, that meal was exceptionally delicious, igniting Qu Banqing’s passion for cooking. From a kitchen destroyer to a five-star chef, Ning Zhixia, as his taste tester, had witnessed it all.
Qu Banqing, hearing him reminisce, was slightly stunned: “You still remember that?”
Ning Zhixia frowned: “Of course I remember!”
Qu Banqing was a little touched: “My son…”
Ning Zhixia pursed his lips, looked up at him, and muttered softly, “You also stole half of my braised egg…”
“…”
Qu Banqing angrily placed a piece of “four-point gold” on his plate. “Here’s your compensation, eat up, meow, meow…”
After dinner, Ning Zhixia washed the dishes in the kitchen. When he returned to the living room, he saw the fox cubs, each holding a cat, gathered around Qu Banqing, watching him play video games.
Qu Banqing wasn’t popular with the Mahjong Kitten Squad, but he got along well with these cubs.
Ning Zhixia’s gaming skills were terrible. He sat down and doodled on his tablet to pass the time. After all, thanks to number 19, he had an extra three hours every day to do things.
He doodled for a while, then looked up at the hourglass timer on the table, and reminded casually, “The passage is about to close.”
The four heads slowly turned, their round eyes filled with tears: “Ning gege, are you chasing us away? We’re sorry for worrying you last time, it was our fault, please don’t dislike us…”
Ning Zhixia waved his hands frantically: “I, no… I don’t…”
Baizhu blinked his watery eyes: “Then can we stay for the night?”
“O-okay.” Ning Zhixia agreed hesitantly.
He looked down at the drawing on his tablet and silently colored the fox’s white fur #C60D180.
Having obtained the privilege of staying overnight, the foxes played excitedly. When it was bedtime, Ning Zhixia, with a fox cub wrapped around him, went upstairs to wash up.
The four little foxes lined up obediently, letting Ning Zhixia wipe their paws with a semi-dry towel.
It was their first time in a human bedroom. They excitedly scurried around, then targeted the large bed in the center of the room, jumping on it and rolling around.
Ning Zhixia let them play, took a shower in the bathroom, and as he was drying his hair, the door opened a crack, and a delicate porcelain jar was pushed in by a paw.
Ning Zhixia asked curiously, “What’s this? Balm?”
“Yes! Improved version!” Baizhu said from outside, wagging his tail and using the new vocabulary he had learned. “Added flower essence and herbs from the neighboring mountain, makes your skin fragrant and smooth! For Ning gege to try!”
Ning Zhixia smiled: “So I have to give you feedback?”
Baizhu nodded: “That’s right!”
“You really have the makings of a Yokai Mountain CEO…”
Ning Zhixia muttered, still opening the small porcelain jar, sniffing it, and finding the fragrance even better than before.
He was already dressed and didn’t want to take his clothes off again, so he lifted the hem of his pajamas, scooped out some balm, and applied it all over his body. With some remaining on his hands, he even rubbed some on his butt.
The mist in the bathroom gradually dissipated. The young man reflected in the mirror had a slim waist and long legs, his abdominal muscles just right, especially the areas where he had applied Balm 2.0, which jiggled with every movement.
Ning Zhixia was quite satisfied with his figure, humming to himself in the mirror, then opened the door, took a running start, and launched himself onto the soft bed like a cannonball.
The fox cubs were unexpectedly treated to a trampoline experience.
Ning Zhixia wasn’t sleepy yet, so he turned on the TV for the foxes and lay on the bed reading a comic book.
The unsuspecting young man instantly became a giant toy. Many paws stepped on him, and the more mischievous ones jumped up and nuzzled his neck like they were hunting, then scampered away.
Since they weren’t heavy, Ning Zhixia let them play, grabbing two cubs and placing them beside him, ordering them unceremoniously, “Give me a shoulder massage.”
“Okay!”
The fox cubs were naturally willing, their paws kneading his shoulders, seeming to have a natural affinity for the young man, wagging their tails happily as they served him.
The remote control was accidentally pressed a few times, and the images on the TV screen flickered, a magnetic male voice sounding—
“Spring has arrived, everything is revived, and once again, it’s the breeding season. The male red fox is letting out a sharp cry towards the fox he has his heart set on…”
The fox cubs immediately turned their heads, their mouths opening slightly.
The paws on his back slowed down. Ning Zhixia turned his head, accurately retrieved the remote control from under Baizhu’s belly, and pressed a button—
“Click!”
Channel changed.
The next morning, the loud crackling of electronic firecrackers woke Ning Zhixia. He wrapped himself in the blanket, and as soon as he opened his eyes, he rolled off the bed and landed face-first on the floor.
He grimaced and got up to see the fox cubs occupying most of the bed, some sleeping soundly while hugging their tails, others sprawled out like fur rugs. The noise outside didn’t bother them at all. They twitched their ears, rolled over, and continued sleeping.
Ning Zhixia yawned and opened the door, bumping into Qu Banqing, whose hair was a mess.
“What’s going on, setting off firecrackers so early in the morning?”
The two of them sleepily went downstairs and to the door, where the kittens were already gathered by the window, watching the commotion.
The newly opened head massage parlor across the street, a husband-and-wife shop, was bustling with activity, hanging banners and flower baskets. The promotional sign advertised a new express manicure service, and a crowd had gathered to watch and sign up for memberships.
Ning Zhixia stared, dumbfounded, and squatted on the doorstep with the cats.
“Damn, several of those ladies are our regular customers. They were just saying they wanted to book a manicure two days ago…” Qu Banqing sat down beside him, sighing dejectedly.
Ning Zhixia paused, patted his shoulder, and comforted him: “In our line of work, it’s best not to get emotionally attached to customers…”
Qu Banqing: “…”
He felt even more disheartened.
