Soon, the sounds of hurried footsteps and voices could be heard from outside the door.
Gongye arrived with seven soldiers on guard, laughing and joking, with Gongye himself letting out a hearty, triumphant laugh.
Seeing them approach, Gong Zhijing smiled and called out, "Come and eat, everyone. My cooking is just average, so please don't mind it."
The unrestrained laughter and chatter immediately subsided considerably, with each person becoming restrained and polite.
When a group of men were together, they could joke and be as informal as they pleased.
However, in the presence of a young lady, they held back, and all expressed their gratitude to Gong Zhijing.
One by one, they went to serve themselves rice, in an orderly fashion.
After serving their rice and taking some dishes, they either stood, sat, or squatted outside the door, eating quietly.
"These dishes taste really good, flavorful and delicious, much better than what the chief cooks,"
"Exactly, what the chief cooked yesterday was overwhelmingly salty."
"I can eat three bowls of rice with today's dishes."
One person praised, and the others chimed in agreement.
Gong Zhijing felt a little embarrassed, as she thought her cooking was very ordinary.
Gongye, despite smiling, scolded, "Get lost. You're complaining about the food I make for you. It's good enough that you have something to eat."
Knowing he wasn't truly angry, the others were not afraid and started to banter.
Listening to their cheerful banter, Gong Zhijing's lips curved upwards.
It seemed her father wouldn't be too bored living here.
After the meal, before Gong Zhijing could even lift a finger, they expertly began to clear the dishes and wash them, indicating this was their usual routine.
Gongye, meanwhile, sat leisurely on a chair, sipping tea.
After washing the dishes, the men returned to their guard duty.
They volunteered to be here, serving for a period before being replaced by another group.
Now that Gongye was living here, he would occasionally teach them some practical combat skills in his spare time, so standing guard here also brought them some benefits.
Gongye's subsequent life consisted of going up the mountain to explore when he had nothing else to do, tending to flowers and vegetables, and training soldiers, living a life of ease and contentment.
After sitting with Gongye for a while and drinking some tea,
Gong Zhijing left with Ling Yuchen.
They had their own lives, but they would undoubtedly care for each other, and every future reunion would be joyful.
By the time they returned to the old house, it was already evening.
Gong Zhijing was busy holding her baby and feeding her.
For the past few days, she had been using a breast pump to extract milk for the child, and now she could finally breastfeed directly.
However, she couldn't breastfeed for long, as it was almost time to start weaning.
Thinking about it made Gong Zhijing reluctant, as each feeding session meant one less in the future.
After eating and drinking her fill, Ling Leyou began to wiggle her arms and legs, nuzzling affectionately against Gong Zhijing's face from time to time, showing great fondness.
She didn't want anyone else to hold her, only her mother.
Not far away, the clatter of mahjong tiles continued, though no one was playing.
Old Mrs. Ling could no longer play mahjong. Her constant degeneration had reduced her intellect to that of a child.
She fiddled with the mahjong tiles, stacking them one by one into various shapes.
Old Master Ling watched her from the side, his gaze exceptionally doting.
There was no cure for her illness, and all they could do now was accompany her and help her pass the remaining time happily.
"Chenfeng, look, doesn't this sofa I've built look like one? I want to make a house..."
"It does, and I'll help you build it together."
"Okay."
The two elderly people hunched over the table, arranging mahjong tiles together.
Ling Yuchen watched them from the side.
Although medically incurable, no matter how ill the old lady was, she never forgot the person she deeply loved.
Perhaps this unwavering devotion would allow her to live a little longer.
"Dinner's ready, come and eat everyone."
Zhu Yunfei emerged from the kitchen, carrying a bowl of preserved vegetable pork belly, and placed the dish on the table.
"Mom, weren't you craving my preserved vegetable pork belly? Come and eat!"
"Dinner! I'm so hungry, Chenfeng, I want to eat the pork belly."
Old Master Ling took her hand and led her to the dining table, gently coaxing her, "Alright, let's go and eat. You can have whatever you want."
Gong Zhijing handed the baby to the nanny and sat down at the table.
"Here, the meat you like."
Zhu Yunfei first placed a piece of fatty and lean preserved vegetable pork belly into Old Mrs. Ling's bowl.
To her surprise, Old Mrs. Ling did not appreciate it.
"Who are you? I don't want your meat, no!!"
Throwing a tantrum, she picked up the meat from her bowl with her hand and threw it on the floor.
Although she knew her illness meant she was unaware of her actions, Zhu Yunfei still felt a pang of sadness.
"That's our daughter-in-law. You'll hurt her feelings if you act like this. Please don't do it again, okay?"
Old Master Ling coaxed her gently and looked at Zhu Yunfei with a look of apology.
Zhu Yunfei certainly wouldn't argue with a patient and immediately smiled at him, indicating she was fine.
For Alzheimer's patients, more patience and love are needed.
Meanwhile, Ling Junye had already picked up the meat from the floor and thrown it into the trash can.
"I want meat, I want preserved vegetable pork belly!!"
Old Mrs. Ling started to fuss again.
Old Master Ling had no choice but to serve her.
This time, the preserved vegetable pork belly he served was not refused.
She picked up her chopsticks and put a large piece of meat directly into her mouth.
As she ate, she started to cry again, muttering indistinctly, "This is the taste, this is the taste, it's made by my daughter-in-law, her cooking is the best."
Zhu Yunfei exclaimed in surprise, "Mom, do you remember me?"
Old Mrs. Ling looked at her, but her eyes were full of confusion.
"Who are you? I'm talking about my daughter-in-law, her preserved vegetable pork belly is delicious."
Zhu Yunfei felt a surge of disappointment, yet found it amusing.
"Mom, I'm Yunfei."
"You're not. My daughter-in-law is young and beautiful. You're so old."
Zhu Yunfei was speechless.
At this moment, Ling Junye scooped a bowl of her favorite mushroom soup and placed it in front of her, saying.
"Ignore this old lady, she's just like a child now."
Zhu Yunfei nodded, feeling a little comforted. Just as she was about to pick up her spoon to drink, it was snatched away.
She looked up in confusion and saw it was Old Mrs. Ling.
Old Mrs. Ling said indignantly, "This is what my daughter-in-law likes to drink the most, you can't drink it!"
Zhu Yunfei was completely speechless, feeling both annoyed and amused.
"Don't fuss, here, I'll serve you some meat to eat, be good." Old Master Ling had no choice but to coax her like a child.
Fortunately, Old Mrs. Ling responded to his gentle approach and quieted down.
Zhu Yunfei, who had been unintentionally hurt, felt quite wronged, and Ling Junye could only quickly comfort his wife.
Gong Zhijing and Ling Yuchen, who had remained out of the fray the entire time, quietly ate their meal, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.
Despite the commotion, the atmosphere of the family being together was still very warm.
It was good to continue like this, living day by day, and being happy each day.
—The End of the Main Story—
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Alright, my dears, next up are the extras.
Whose story would you like to read first?
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