Chapter 418 - 407: Reunion of Old Friends (Part 2)

His daughter was already married and rarely came back.

So, even though Yun Xiao Liu had his own home, he basically lived here to keep his master company.

Yun Chen Nan stayed at his school dorm most of the time because it was more convenient.

He only came back to stay at this house during school breaks.

"You’re all back. Come and eat."

Mr. Hu came out of the kitchen. "The last dish is squirrel-shaped mandarin fish. Everyone eat your fill today. I’ve made all sorts of flavors."

"Whoa... It smells so good! Grandpa Hu, you’re amazing!"

Yun Jiao and Yun Xiao Ba’s sweet-talking made Mr. Hu beam with joy.

Mr. Hu’s cooking skills were undeniable. Every dish was delicious; he could even make bitter melon into a culinary masterpiece.

Yun Jiao ate the most.

Mr. Hu watched with concern. "Whoa, whoa, whoa... Don’t stuff yourself. Little Yun Jiao, even though Grandpa Hu is very happy that you appreciate my cooking so much, we should still prioritize your health."

Yun Jiao, her mouth full of fragrant fish, replied, "Huh? But I’m not even close to full yet."

Yun Xiao Liu laughed. "Don’t worry, Master. Jiaojiao can really eat. She eats this much at home, too."

Hearing this, Mr. Hu wasn’t worried anymore.

"A good appetite is a blessing! It’s a blessing! Eat up..."

Oh, he just loved kids who could eat like this.

Look at his own young apprentice—he had a great appetite, too. As his master, he had raised Yun Xiao Liu to be fair-skinned and plump.

The meal finally ended when Yun Jiao let out a satisfied burp.

Mr. Hu had an auntie who came specifically to clean up, wash the dishes, and tidy the house.

He loved to cook, but he didn’t like washing dishes or cleaning.

"Let’s go, let’s go. Time for a stroll. A walk after a meal keeps you alive till ninety-nine."

Mr. Hu wasn’t a fan of too much exercise, but he was happy to take a walk after dinner.

So, with a group of kids in tow, Mr. Hu ambled over to Elder Wu’s house.

"Grandpa Wu..."

"I knew you’d be coming. Come on in."

"Hmph. I invited you to my place for dinner, and you didn’t even come."

Elder Wu exclaimed, "Ah, I happened upon a great find and had to acquire it. A rare piece like this, if you miss it today, it’s gone tomorrow."

"I’ll come freeload a meal at your place tomorrow."

"Jiaojiao, how come that old fellow, Old Mu, didn’t come?"

Yun Jiao said, "Grandpa Mu is busy at home."

Everyone sat in the courtyard, drinking tea and chatting, not leaving until it was almost bedtime.

Yun Jiao and Yun Xiao Ba were staying at Mr. Hu’s place for the time being.

And Mr. Hu happened to love a lively house.

The next morning, they woke up to a table full of delicious breakfast already prepared.

It was such a blessing to have someone in the house who loved to cook and was good at it.

Mr. Hu didn’t have to worry about his private kitchen all the time. After all, he was getting on in years. He only went over to show off his skills when an important guest arrived, or when he was in the mood.

So today, after breakfast, everyone dragged him along to the museum.

At the museum, Yun Xiao Ba was completely engrossed. He could even explain the history behind some of the artifacts, and his explanations were well-reasoned and evidence-based.

He spoke so earnestly that some of the other museum visitors became captivated by his words.

"This kid is amazing."

"Is everything he’s saying correct?"

"Yes, yes, it is. This kid’s family must study artifacts, or he wouldn’t know so much."

Before they knew it, a growing crowd had gathered around them.

Yun Xiao Ba’s mouth was getting dry from all the talking...

He quickly shot his sister a look. ’Help me!’

In this situation, it felt rude to just stop talking.

Yun Jiao grabbed his arm and started pulling him out of the crowd.

"Please make way, everyone. My brother is thirsty and needs some water. Please let us through."

Once they were out, they quickly made a run for it.

Mr. Hu was panting. This much activity was a bit much for a chubby old man like him.

"My goodness, Little Eight, your knowledge is really something."

He gave Yun Xiao Ba a thumbs-up. "A little intellectual at such a young age. Not bad, not bad at all. You definitely have a bright future ahead of you."

Yun Xiao Ba smiled shyly. "My master taught me everything."

Mr. Hu asked for his master’s name. When he heard it, he slapped his thigh.

"Wow, Ancient! I’ve heard of him. His family studies this stuff, don’t they? I heard he’s also the deputy director of this very museum."

This was something Yun Xiao Ba and Yun Jiao truly didn’t know.

"But wasn’t my master in Sea City for a long time?"

"Hah, he used to be. He went to Sea City because of some personal matters, but they hired him back later on. In the world of artifacts, he’s one of the top figures."

Even after learning that Ancient was the museum’s deputy director, they were only surprised for a moment before continuing their tour.

Then, Yun Jiao spotted a few familiar items in the museum.

That Bronze Tripod, that Jade Seal...

"Jiaojiao, this Jade Seal... it looks like the one you salvaged."

Yun Jiao stroked her small chin. "Right? I thought it looked familiar."

"What? What does this Jade Seal have to do with Little Yun Jiao?"

Yun Jiao replied, "Not much, really. I just pulled it out of the sea."

Mr. Hu’s eyes went wide.

’What do you mean you *just* pulled it out of the sea? How is that "not much"?!’

"Let’s go, Grandpa Hu. Let’s go look over there."

Mr. Hu was still in a daze as they pulled him away.

After they left the museum, Mr. Hu waved his hand dismissively. "I can’t. This old man can’t walk another step."

"This body of mine just can’t compare to you youngsters."

He found a place to sit down. "Back in the day, I trekked over mountains and rivers with the liberation army, even while carrying a huge iron wok. Can’t do that anymore."

Hearing this, the kids’ eyes lit up.

"Master, you were in the war?"

Mr. Hu pounded his legs. "That was all when I was young. Because I was a good cook, I wasn’t on the front lines. I was in the rear, cooking for everyone."

"That’s still amazing."

Mr. Hu smiled and said, "Back then, almost every region, every village, had people who went to join."

Life was hard back then, but it was also fulfilling.

The bonds forged on the battlefield were the most sincere and precious.

Some survived, and some were left behind on the battlefield.

To die was also an honor.

"Enough about that. Let’s go home, let’s go home. This old man really can’t walk anymore."

Yun Jiao said, "And here I was thinking of taking you to climb the Great Wall."

Mr. Hu immediately shot her a glare. "That would really be the death of me."

"HAHAHA..."

Everyone laughed cheerfully.

However, being overweight comes with many health problems.

Yun Jiao was a little worried, so she simply went back to the Xu family’s home to get her master.

Unexpectedly, the two men actually knew each other.

"You’re... You’re Doctor Xu!"

Mr. Hu stared at him for a moment, trying to place him, then suddenly grabbed his hand in excitement.

"Doctor Xu, it really is you! I wasn’t mistaken. It’s me, Old Hu, the cook from the 7th Company’s rear kitchen..."

With this reminder, Elder Xu also remembered.

During that special era, Elder Xu, as a practitioner of Chinese medicine, had also aided the liberation army for various reasons.

In the process, he had crossed paths with Mr. Hu.

He still had a vivid impression of the sturdy, simple-faced young man who was such a great cook.

Neither of them had expected to cross paths again at their age, all because of their respective apprentices.

Yun Jiao and the others looked at each other, then simply sat to one side, listening as the two men talked and reminisced about old times.

At times, as they spoke, their eyes would redden with emotion.

"Alright, alright, let’s look forward. Things will be better from now on."

"Yes, things will only get better and better. I never thought we were so fated to meet again."

"Indeed. This is my apprentice, Yun Jiao."

"Heh, what a coincidence! This is my apprentice, Xiao Liu—Yun Chenqi—Little Yun Jiao’s Sixth Brother."

"Since you’re here today, we have to have a big feast and a few drinks."

Elder Xu stopped him. "Don’t go just yet. My little apprentice called me here to check on your health. I don’t even need to take your pulse to see that you’ve got quite a few problems."