"So, Qingcheng and I actually didn't eat anything this morning, and we're still hungry now."
Hou Mingzhu explained her and Ye Qingcheng's situation to Ye Tiancheng with great helplessness. She couldn't lie.
If something like this had happened and it was just her, she might have been stubborn and said she had eaten in the morning, or hadn't had lunch yet. Such a lie wouldn't be too difficult to pick apart and wouldn't be easily exposed.
However, now that her and Ye Tiancheng's daughter, Ye Qingcheng, had also gone hungry for two meals with her, she didn't mind going hungry herself, but could she let her child go hungry?
The child was still growing, and Ye Qingcheng, due to her previous health issues, was still a bit behind other children despite the most meticulous care. Hou Mingzhu still felt that Ye Qingcheng's condition hadn't fully recovered. If she, out of pride, told a lie, wouldn't she be making her daughter suffer along with her?
Moreover, Hou Mingzhu had to consider that lying wasn't a good thing. As a parent, she definitely had to set an example for her child, be a good role model, and not leave a bad impression on the child, potentially planting a seed that could lead them to learn bad habits.
Perhaps the most important point was that Ye Tiancheng was asking these questions out of concern for their well-being, with no hint of mockery or blame, only full of care. Facing such a Ye Tiancheng, Hou Mingzhu couldn't bring herself to lie.
When Ye Tiancheng heard that his wife and daughter had gone hungry for two meals and hadn't eaten, he no longer cared about blaming anyone. He had already lost his temper and was only thinking about getting them something to eat.
The kitchen was surely still a mess. The Nuwa Stone would take some time to fix. After all, if it were just about restoring the scene, it would be easier. But the Nuwa Stone would also need to repair what had been blown up, which would take time to restore.
The key point was that the kitchen explosion would inevitably affect more than just the kitchen, and the cleanup would definitely not be quick.
However, if they wanted to eat, they would have to cook in the kitchen, or at least use the tools in the kitchen. This was currently not feasible.
Ye Tiancheng then asked Hou Mingzhu and Ye Qingcheng, "Are you hungry now? Are you very hungry?"
Hou Mingzhu didn't speak, but Ye Qingcheng, being young, really couldn't endure hunger. She rubbed her stomach and, upon hearing her father's question, honestly replied, "I am a little hungry, I want to eat."
Saying she was a little hungry implied she was very hungry. This was because the boundary between a little hungry and very hungry wasn't very clear for children, and children couldn't endure hunger well. However, in their guilty and apologetic state, they didn't dare to speak the truth and would subconsciously downplay it.
How could Ye Tiancheng let his wife and daughter go hungry? Even if he himself couldn't eat, his wife and daughter had to be full.
So, Ye Tiancheng rummaged through his storage spaces and found some snacks he had packed. He had bought them at the oddity market, and they were all certified by the little fox as safe to eat, even beneficial.
Ye Tiancheng distributed these snacks to Hou Mingzhu and Ye Qingcheng. He had specifically bought them for them.
"Then you eat these first to fill your stomachs. I bought them specifically for you. It's fortunate they're here now to fill your stomachs. I can't help it right now, I can't cook for you in the kitchen. The kitchen is a mess, and I don't know how many things are still usable."
These snacks tasted good to begin with, and coupled with the fact that Hou Mingzhu and Ye Qingcheng had been hungry for two meals, their stomachs were empty, and they found them quite delicious.
Moreover, they had been eating his cooking all these days, and suddenly they felt like they hadn't eaten anything so delicious in a long time.
Ye Qingcheng picked up a piece of snack and offered it to Ye Tiancheng's mouth, saying, "Dad, you eat too. And Uncle Little Fox, you take some too."
Ye Tiancheng didn't open his mouth, but smiled gently and said, "Dad doesn't need it. Qingcheng, you eat it yourself."
The little fox, having been named, also refused and said to Ye Qingcheng, "It's okay, I don't need it either. Big Brother and I have eaten these before. They were specifically brought back for Sister-in-law and Qingcheng."
Ye Qingcheng looked at her father and uncle, confirmed they weren't lying and truly didn't want any, so she didn't insist further.
After eating two snacks, Hou Mingzhu suddenly thought of something and asked Ye Tiancheng, "Where did these snacks come from? Has the situation outside been resolved? Did you go out to buy them?"
Ye Tiancheng told Hou Mingzhu, "I didn't buy them outside. This matter hasn't been completely resolved yet. The fragments have been found, but there's no way to retrieve them yet. So, the little fox and I came back this time to look for information, to see if there's any useful information recorded in the books."
"Besides, it's been a long time since I've seen you. I was worried, having been away for so long, and didn't know how you were doing at home."
Seeing Ye Tiancheng's helpless expression, Hou Mingzhu put aside the trouble she had caused earlier and asked curiously, "Since the problem isn't solved and you can't go out, where did you buy this food?"
Ye Tiancheng explained to Hou Mingzhu, "Before I left, didn't I tell you about that space? There's a large market in that space, which is actually the size of a small town. So, you can buy these things there."
Hou Mingzhu looked at the snacks in her hand and thought of the strange and bizarre evil spirits she had seen on the first day she entered the formation with Ye Tiancheng. The snacks in her hand almost lost their appeal. Fortunately, she remembered that Ye Tiancheng wouldn't trick her in such matters, which made her feel a little better.
She hesitantly asked Ye Tiancheng, "Then what are these made of? Are they from those things we saw before... that they were selling?"
Ye Tiancheng probably sensed what Hou Mingzhu was concerned about, so he kindly didn't explain in a way that would make her uncomfortable.
He said to Hou Mingzhu, "They weren't sold by them. They were just there for the market. It just so happened that when this market opened, our formation was transferred over, and they were all enclosed within it."
Even though Ye Tiancheng said this, Hou Mingzhu didn't have a good reaction. She just thought to herself, if those strange and ugly evil spirits bought food, was it really normal food?
Then, she heard Ye Tiancheng continue, "The ones selling these inside have normal human forms, and the ingredients for the food don't contain any of those messy things. Otherwise, how would I dare to buy them for you and our daughter to eat? The little fox and I have eaten quite a bit of them these days. We wouldn't eat anything bad ourselves!"
"Moreover, these snacks are beneficial for your health. They are absolutely harmless, so eat them with confidence and don't waste them."
Only then did Hou Mingzhu's heart settle, and she could eat with peace of mind.
As for Ye Qingcheng, she was too young to think of so many things. As long as the snacks were delicious enough, she would eat them happily. She wouldn't understand Hou Mingzhu's concerns or what she was worried about.
Ye Tiancheng was telling a white lie. The vendors who sold them the snacks did indeed have normal human forms and didn't use any strange appearances, because the Grand Market Master, Azi, absolutely did not allow such unsightly things on his territory.
However, Ye Tiancheng didn't tell Hou Mingzhu that the strange and bizarre evil spirits Hou Mingzhu had seen also had normal human forms.
After all, they all transformed after death, so how could they not have normal human forms?
Although the little fox knew the truth, he also understood why Ye Tiancheng said that, so he had no intention of exposing him.
Ye Tiancheng also told Hou Mingzhu, "Actually, it looks quite interesting in there. Those walking around on the surface all have normal human forms, but their clothing styles vary, and they might even wear clothes from different dynasties depending on their age. The architecture inside is also like that."
"These things blend together, making it very distinctive and giving a different feel from the outside."
"It's a pity that the safety isn't sufficient, and they sell some very strange things that are not suitable for you to see, and especially not for children. Otherwise, it might have been a good experience to take you and our daughter there to play."
"Actually, you can still go and play now, but you can't wander around. One area has been cordoned off, and there are no evil spirits there. It's just so empty, and it might not be very interesting to visit."
Hou Mingzhu imagined it and said, "What you're saying sounds quite interesting. I'm a little curious. Even if a place is empty and there are no human-shaped things walking around, it doesn't seem to matter. I would actually feel more at ease. Can my daughter and I really go and see?"
Ye Tiancheng had actually considered this question on the way back. It was indeed possible to go now. The entrance area of the space was absolutely safe, and Azi was unlikely to do anything to Hou Mingzhu and Ye Qingcheng. Even if he had such malicious intentions, Ye Tiancheng wouldn't be able to eliminate that risk in the future if he brought him out.
So, it was better to trust that Azi wouldn't do such a thing. In any case, Azi's life and death were now in the little fox's hands, and he was unlikely to dare to disobey them.
Moreover, since Hou Mingzhu and Ye Qingcheng would have to meet Azi sooner or later, and Azi was very likely to live with them, Ye Tiancheng felt it was even more necessary to think carefully about how to integrate Azi into their family in a normal and reasonable way.
Taking Hou Mingzhu and Ye Qingcheng to meet Azi first might be a good idea.
They should get to know each other first, and build a good relationship, which would be much better than him suddenly bringing another "person" back.
Ye Tiancheng thought it through well. Hou Mingzhu accepted the little fox so quickly, and because the little fox was handsome, she quite liked him. Azi looked so much like the little fox, so accepting him shouldn't be too difficult.
Azi wasn't someone with a particularly bad temper or difficult to get along with. And given his resemblance to the little fox, it could completely be explained as a chance discovery of the little fox's brother, right?
Perhaps, after all, they looked so alike, and if one were to say that Azi and the little fox had no relation, from a worldly perspective, very few people would believe it.
Explaining it this way would be much better than letting people speculate later and lead to worse outcomes.
Therefore, Ye Tiancheng finally answered Hou Mingzhu like this, saying, "Of course, it's true. The entrance area has been sealed off, so no existence can approach it. It's very safe. After I go there, I'll discuss the situation with the owner of that space, and then I can take you and our daughter to play there."