Chapter 114: Red Empress and Gray Clam
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Back home, Jian Ningxuan was taking a shower in the bathroom while An Bu washed her hands, put on an apron, and started cooking.
Jian Jian scampered over, dangling from her earlobe as she chopped and diced. When she scooped up a clam, Jian Jian suddenly jumped down, stood on the shell, and kept pulling at it with her tentacles.
“Want some?” An Bu looked at the unassuming clam and asked.
Jian Jian eagerly wagged her tail a few times.
An Bu smiled and placed the clam into Jian Jian’s fish tank. After Bigfoot Prawn (red prawn), Jian Jian had gained another little friend.
Clams are one of the five immortal beasts on Earth. The oldest known clam is 507 years old. The other four immortal creatures are the immortal jellyfish, which can rejuvenate; the water bear bug, which can survive in the vacuum of space; the planarian, which can regenerate indefinitely; and the rotifer, which reproduces asexually.
In terms of survival, An Bu felt that Jian Jian was very similar to water bear bugs. These creatures can survive in extreme cold, extreme heat, and even in a vacuum, and they can incorporate the DNA of other organisms to evolve themselves. The difference is that water bear bugs are widely distributed and can be found in almost any backyard, while Jian Jian is extremely rare, almost extinct, mainly because they have the innate ability to purify pollution. When their purification rate cannot keep up with the rate of pollution, their lifespan will be shortened.
An Bu thought that Jian Jian might be the only life form that could accompany her for hundreds or even thousands of years.
“Let’s give you guys names too.” Looking at the red shrimp and clam in the fish tank, An Bu thought for a moment and said, “You’ll be called ‘Red Empress’ from now on, and as for you, you’ll be called ‘Gray Clam’.”
“Bu Bu, you’re back?” Jian Ningxuan came out of the bathroom in a bathrobe, strolling to An Bu’s side, toweling his wet hair while enjoying the natural air conditioning.
“Mr. Jian, look, you’ve gained a daughter and a son again.” An Bu pointed to the shrimp and clam in the tank and introduced, “This is ‘Jian Red Empress,’ and this is ‘Jian Gray Clam.'”
Jian Ningxuan: “…” Gain a shrimp daughter and a clam son right after taking a shower.
Jian Jian squatted at the edge of the fish tank, looking down at her younger siblings.
“Red Empress, Gray Clam, come and say hello to Daddy.” An Bu waved to them.
Jian Ningxuan: If they can understand, I’ll wash the dishes for three days straight.
However, something magical happened. Red Empress swam to the glass tank with dozens of delicate legs, gently waving her tentacles. Gray Clam opened its shell, revealing its tender clam meat to them.
Jian Ningxuan: …This is unscientific.
Jian Jian →_→: You’re lucky, Daddy.
That night, Jian Ningxuan took the initiative to take over the dishwashing duty. Promising three days straight, he wouldn’t renege on his word. (An Bu: Who agreed with you…)
Before going to bed, Jian Ningxuan leaned against the head of the bed with a notebook, watching An Bu carving bamboo tubes. He casually asked, “Is work still going smoothly?”
“It’s okay. Today was mainly about getting familiar with the environment and the old lady’s daily routine.” An Bu carefully carved flowers on the bamboo tube, her fingers dancing like butterflies, her long eyelashes swaying slightly, her side profile serious and focused, emitting a captivating brilliance.
Watching her, Jian Ningxuan suddenly called out, “Bu Bu.”
“Hmm?”
“Shall we get married?”
An Bu’s movements paused for a second, then she continued carving, “I’ll think about it.”
Jian Ningxuan: Do you still need to think about it? It would be better to claim him as your own sooner…
After waiting for a long time, until sleepiness set in, Jian Ningxuan still didn’t get An Bu’s answer.
The next day, when Jian Ningxuan woke up, An Bu had already left.
He got out of bed, ready to go to the bathroom to freshen up, and his eyes inadvertently caught sight of the item placed by the window, which was the bamboo tube carved by An Bu last night, with a blooming rose inserted into it.
Jian Ningxuan walked over, picked up the bamboo tube, and carefully examined it. Carved on the bamboo tube were blooming flowers intertwined, and below were two sentences: [Hold hands for a lifetime, never forget eternity.]
Mr. Jian, if you love me for a lifetime, I’ll remember you for a lifetime…
Arriving at the Dong residence, the caretaker led An Bu to the elderly woman’s bedroom, poured a cup of hot tea, chatted briefly, and then left.
“Madam Dong, you’re looking quite well today,” An Bu sat by the window, holding the hot tea, smiling at the elderly woman lying in bed.
Madam Dong snorted coldly, without saying a word.
“Would you like to go out and enjoy the sunshine later?” An Bu turned her head to look outside the window. “The flowers in the yard are blooming, and the peach tree you planted has also borne fruit, although they are small and don’t look very delicious.”
Madam Dong glanced sideways, unable to resist looking outside the window, but due to the angle, she could only see a few branches.
“I can make peach sago pudding, peach milkshake, hibiscus peach fruit tea, peach pie, peach jam… Would you like to try?” An Bu smiled. “Although you can’t eat much, a little taste should be fine.”
Madam Dong was somewhat tempted but still put on a disdainful expression.
Dealing with this kind of tsundere, An Bu was experienced.
“How about this? Every other day, I’ll make you a different dish with peaches until we finish all the peaches on the tree. What do you think?” An Bu suggested.
Madam Dong: Hmph, do as you please. If it’s not delicious, then get lost.
Seeming to read her mind, An Bu said, “If it’s not delicious, it’s probably because your peaches aren’t good enough.”
Madam Dong glared at her angrily: Nonsense, the peaches I grow are the best.
“Whether they’re good or not, we’ll find out when we pick a few later.” An Bu sipped her tea leisurely.
“Let’s go,” Madam Dong suddenly spoke up.
“What?” An Bu looked at her.
“Go pick the peaches now!”
An Bu raised an eyebrow, set down her teacup, and approached the bed. She was about to lift her up when she heard Madam Dong scold, “Can your little arms and legs even lift me? Hurry up, go call Uncle Wang.”
An Bu didn’t hesitate and used a standard princess carry to lift her onto the wheelchair.
Madam Dong: …
Pushing the wheelchair out of the room, they arrived at the backyard.
The Dong family’s residence was a small Chinese-style manor, simple and elegant, tranquil and comfortable, but too deserted. Such a large house, but only three to five people lived there regularly.
The flowers and trees in the backyard were well maintained by gardeners, but only the peach tree showed signs of aging, with sparse branches and green, unripe fruits.
Madam Dong looked at the peach tree with a mixture of nostalgia and sadness.
“Madam, I counted just now. There are about 60 fruits on this peach tree. Do you want to pick one and taste it? We’ll split it.” An Bu said.
Madam Dong didn’t respond, but her silence implied consent.
An Bu chose a ripe peach, washed it in the kitchen, peeled it, cut it into eight slices, soaked two slices in a cup of hot milk, and then brought it to the courtyard.
“Let the peach soak in the milk for a while until it softens before you eat it,” An Bu explained as she ate.
Madam Dong, seeing how much An Bu enjoyed it, glared at her angrily, muttered under her breath, “Why do I only have two slices while you have six?”
“Don’t be so stingy. It’s the first time tasting the peaches you grew, so naturally, I want to eat more.” An Bu replied with a smile.
“Hmph,” Madam Dong grunted unhappily, “Is mine ready yet? Hurry up and let me taste it.”
“It should be ready.” An Bu picked up a piece of peach from the milk with a fork and offered it to Madam Dong’s mouth.
Madam Dong bit into it without hesitation, only to be almost overwhelmed by the sourness, almost spitting it out. She hadn’t expected it to be so sour even after soaking in milk; it would probably be even more sour if it hadn’t been soaked.
Madam Dong gave her a glare: This girl, she really is…
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