Chapter 1111: Spit It Out, You Are Not Allowed to Eat It

Early the next morning, Chen Changsheng went down the mountain.

He hadn't tasted Autumn Moon Brew in a long time and found himself missing it.

There were many more wine shops in Qiuyue Fang these days. Thanks to the widespread popularity of Autumn Moon Brew, nearly every household had a supply of it.

Chen Changsheng followed his memories to a certain wine tavern.

But when he arrived, he found the storefront changed.

The young man from back then no longer sold wine here. Instead, the place had been converted into an eatery, and it drew quite a crowd of diners.

Chen Changsheng stepped up to ask about him.

"The old wine tavern?" the shopkeeper said. "That fellow is gone. After I bought the place from him, I never saw him again."

Chen Changsheng paused and murmured, "Is that so..."

"Thank you, shopkeeper."

Chen Changsheng left the eatery.

He asked nothing more, only hoping the young man from years ago had found good prospects and was living a comfortable life.

He didn't bother being picky. He casually found another wine tavern and filled a Gourd with Autumn Moon Brew.

Though the taste was good, it still felt far inferior to the brew from back then.

Carrying his Wine Gourd, Chen Changsheng headed into a certain alleyway.

This alley was familiar to him.

This was where he had first met Tong Zhihuan. Back then, he had given the young boy quite a fright.

...

The courtyard was swept exceptionally clean. A small flower bed had been sectioned off, holding a single tree and some vibrant flowers. The weather had grown hot lately, however, so none were in bloom, leaving the bed looking rather bare.

A stone table sat in the yard, accompanied by a rocking chair and a few stone stools.

It gave Chen Changsheng a deep sense of familiarity.

Seeing the courtyard gate left ajar, he walked right in.

He stepped up to the rocking chair and stared at it for a long time.

The layout of this courtyard was virtually identical to the residence back in Qingshan City.

Just as Chen Changsheng was lost in thought, a voice rang out.

"Old sir, did you come to the wrong place?"

Chen Changsheng paused and looked back.

Dong Chiyu stood at the courtyard entrance with her hair hanging loose. She held a wooden basin filled with freshly wrung laundry.

When Chen Changsheng turned his head, Dong Chiyu froze, finding the man before her somewhat familiar.

It was as if she had seen him somewhere before.

She walked over, set the wooden basin down, and called out, "Old sir?"

Chen Changsheng collected his thoughts and said, "I haven't come to the wrong place. I'm here to find someone. Your surname is Dong, isn't it? This Chen remembers you. We met back in Shangjing City."

Dong Chiyu was taken aback, but the memory quickly came to her.

"Ah..."

"You are..."

"Ruyi's uncle?"

Chen Changsheng nodded and asked, "Where is she?"

Dong Chiyu snapped out of her daze. After a brief moment of fluster, she stammered, "She... she..."

Noticing Dong Chiyu's gaze darting toward the house, Chen Changsheng followed her line of sight and immediately understood.

"Still sleeping?"

"Mhm."

Dong Chiyu didn't know how to cover for Ruyi. The sun was already high in the sky, yet she was still in bed. She had no idea if this uncle of hers would punish her for it.

Thus, she said, "I'll go wake her up right now."

With that, Dong Chiyu went inside.

She walked up to Ruyi's bed and threw back the covers, only to find her completely naked.

Dong Chiyu's face instantly turned beet red, and she hurriedly pulled the covers back over her.

She averted her eyes and said, "Ruyi, you... hurry up and wake up! Your uncle is here!"

In truth, Ruyi had already woken up the moment the covers were pulled back.

She was just a bit groggy and didn't realize what was going on.

She turned her head just in time to see a deeply flushed Dong Chiyu bolt out of the room. A loud thump followed as the door was slammed shut.

Ruyi sat up in bed, looking utterly bewildered.

She rubbed her nose. It took her a long moment to fully process what had just been said.

"Who's here?"

"Who?!"

Ruyi jolted in shock.

She scrambled out of bed and hurriedly threw on her clothes.

"Are you decent yet?"

A voice sounded from the doorway.

Dong Chiyu was leaning against the doorframe, her face flushed bright red, likely because she had seen something she shouldn't have.

"Who did you say was here?"

"Your uncle."

"Where is he?"

"Out in the courtyard."

"Ah!!"

A short while later, a fully dressed Ruyi emerged from the house.

At a glance, she spotted the figure in the courtyard.

Too embarrassed to meet Ruyi's eyes, Dong Chiyu said, "I haven't finished the laundry yet, so I'll be going now..."

With that, she picked up her basin of wrung-out clothes and scurried out the gate.

"Eh?"

Ruyi blinked, not quite understanding.

Then, she walked over to Mister Qingshan, who was reclining in the rocking chair.

She leaned in close, only to find the white-haired, white-bearded old man resting with his eyes closed.

The rocking chair swayed gently beneath him, making it seem as if he were truly asleep.

Ruyi studied the man before her, falling into deep thought.

Just as she was staring at him, Chen Changsheng suddenly opened his eyes.

Startled, Ruyi stammered, "U-Uncle..."

Chen Changsheng said, "It really takes quite an effort for you to get out of bed. I even managed to take a nap."

Ruyi took a seat and asked, "Uncle Chen, when did you get here? It's only been a few years, how did you get so old?"

"I got here while you were sleeping the day away."

"Hehe..."

Chen Changsheng reached out and rapped her on the head.

"I hadn't even said anything yet, and you hit me, Uncle Chen."

"Look at you, with such heavy bags under your eyes. You stay up all night and sleep in all morning. Do you realize how old you are? Do you still think you're young?"

Ruyi scoffed and said, "I'm so young, I..."

She paused and began counting on her fingers.

"I'm already in my forties... I'm almost fifty!"

Chen Changsheng gave her a look and said, "What did you expect?"

Ruyi sighed, simply saying, "Time flies so fast. Even I've become an older person."

Chen Changsheng smiled helplessly. He pulled a piece of candied fruit from his sleeve and handed it to her.

Ruyi glanced at it and said, "You just called me old a second ago, Uncle, yet now you're giving me sweets. Sleeping in is bad, but eating candy when you're old is good? If my teeth fall out, they're gone for good."

"Are you going to eat it or not?"

"I'll eat it."

Ruyi reached out and took it, as if afraid Chen Changsheng would take it back.

She popped the candied fruit into her mouth. As the sweetness spread, she smacked her lips and said, "It's so sweet."

With a small huff, she added, "I'm already up there in years, yet you still try to coax me with candy, Uncle. You must think I'm as foolish as Lihua, treating me like a little kid."

Chen Changsheng said, "Spit it out. You're not allowed to eat it."

"I'm eating it!"

Ruyi stuck her tongue out in a grimace and said, "Uncle Chen is so stingy."

Chen Changsheng chuckled. "Yes, yes, you're the magnanimous one."

"Darn right I am."

Enjoying her candy, Ruyi sat on one of the nearby stone stools, in very high spirits.

She asked, "Uncle Chen, did you come here specifically to find me?"

Chen Changsheng swung his legs and nodded. "That's right. If I didn't come to check on you, you'd probably try to ascend to the heavens. Who was it a couple of years ago that actually managed to alarm the Sword Qi This Chen left behind?"

Ruyi immediately fired back, "That was an accident! That Monkey Demon was bullying the weak, and I almost died."