Chapter 179: Chapter 179: The Life-Saving Shell

Little Red Carp held her bowl, but she didn’t eat from it. Instead, she placed it in front of the toppled Dragon King Statue. "Dragon King, you eat first!"

Everyone was stunned by Little Red Carp’s action. They hadn’t expected someone so young to be so respectful of the gods.

’Could it be... Could it be that because she’s a child, Little Red Carp can see things they can’t?’

"Little Red Carp, who are you giving that to?" Zhao Nuanyue asked with a smile, pretending not to know.

"For the Dragon King," Little Red Carp replied. "This is the Dragon King Temple!"

Everyone froze for a moment. That’s right, this was the Dragon King Temple!

They had heard that this Dragon King Temple had existed for several hundred years and had always enjoyed great reverence. It was only in recent times that its popularity had faded, leaving it in its current state.

However, deep down, many people still believed in ghosts and gods, and that good deeds would be rewarded while evil deeds would be punished.

They were eating in the main hall of the Dragon King Temple, yet they hadn’t even offered any food to the Dragon King. It was utterly disrespectful!

"Little Red Carp is really something," Yang Guanghui said with a laugh. "There are no outsiders here today, so we don’t need to be so particular about the usual rules. We’re eating in the main hall of the Dragon King Temple; it wouldn’t be right for us mortals to eat while the Dragon King just watches. Little Red Carp actually thought of it. I believe that if the Dragon King’s spirit is here, he will be very pleased."

"That’s right, Little Red Carp is wonderful," Li Qiong added in praise. She stood up, hugged Little Red Carp, and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

Zhao Nuanyue took her little sister back and said with a smile, "Alright, we’ve paid our respects to the Dragon King. Let’s start eating."

Both Zhao Nuanyue and Little Red Carp understood that the Old Dragon King was already gone. They did this as a way to honor his memory.

Little Red Carp’s mood had been a bit down, but then she thought about how she had already taken human form. She was a person now, with a big sister and a big brother. Her future would be rich and vibrant. There was nothing to regret, and no reason to be sad.

Zhao Nuan Yang also sensed his little sister’s gloom. He took Little Red Carp from his older sister’s arms, touched his forehead to hers, and said, "Little Red Carp has Nuanyue, and she has Nuanyang!"

"Mhm," Little Red Carp giggled and gave her brother a kiss on the cheek.

Hua Yusen desperately wanted to hold Zhao Nuanyue, to hold Little Red Carp, and to become a family with them. But with other people around, he couldn’t act on his selfish desires and expose Zhao Nuanyue to gossip.

Li Qiong had been right the other day. If he couldn’t break off his engagement with Guo Dongmei, he shouldn’t show his feelings for Zhao Nuanyue, especially not in front of others.

Today’s spread included not only braised pork belly, Four-Joy Meatballs, and fish with pickled greens, but also stir-fried pork, stir-fried greens, stir-fried water celery, smashed cucumber salad, and more. The table was laden with dishes, even more lavish than a New Year’s feast.

Hua Yusen took out a bottle of liquor and started drinking with Yang Guanghui.

Zhao Nuan Yang, thinking it looked fun, took a small sip. It was so strong it made his face turn red, and he refused to drink any more.

Little Red Carp and Zhao Nuanyue ate nonstop, their little mouths shiny with grease.

Everyone was in high spirits. It wasn’t just the men who drank; Zhao Nuanyue, Li Qiong, and Wang Yuan also had a little.

Wang Yuan was a little nervous, but there was also excitement in her tone. This mix of two different emotions made her seem stranger than usual.

Li Qiong was very close with Wang Yuan. After taking a sip of liquor, she said in surprise, "Wang Yuan, you seem different today. What’s made you so happy?"

Clearly, Li Qiong didn’t believe that the Moon Festival alone could make Wang Yuan this happy.

Wang Yuan was no longer nervous. ’After all, no one knew what I did, and now that stuff is already in Gu Qingyu’s stomach. I saw it with my own eyes. My mission is complete, so I can finally relax.’

"Haha, I’ve just decided to look on the bright side," Wang Yuan said with a laugh, her demeanor much more cheerful. "Nuanyue was right. A day is a day, whether you’re happy or sad, so why shouldn’t I be happy?"

Hearing her good friend’s words, Li Qiong was also very happy. Ever since Wang Yuan had lost her innocence, she had been gloomy and withdrawn. Even if she didn’t talk about it anymore, Li Qiong knew that Wang Yuan still cared deeply about it.

Now, seeing her good friend laughing so happily, Li Qiong was overjoyed as well.

"Come on, let’s drink to being happy every day!" Li Qiong raised her bowl, her face beaming. "It’s a kind of blessing that we can live a stable life here in Nianqiao Village. We don’t know what the future holds, but at the very least, we have liquor to drink, food to eat, and meat on the table right now. That’s already wonderful."

Li Qiong’s words echoed what everyone else was thinking.

Wang Yuan, however, was even happier, knowing that her future now held a glimmer of hope.

Yang Guanghui was happy, but as the saying goes, festive seasons make one miss family all the more. He thought not only of his family, but also of the childhood sweetheart who had given up on their love because of reality.

Yang Guanghui got drunk, Wang Yuan became a little tipsy, and Li Qiong was completely wasted.

Zhao Nuanyue helped Li Qiong and Wang Yuan to the bedroom, while Hua Yusen took Yang Guanghui to his room.

When the two of them came out of the rooms, they found themselves face to face. They gazed at each other for a moment, and then smiled.

"Happy Moon Festival," Hua Yusen said softly. He was holding a bouquet of wildflowers. "I picked these today. I hope you like them."

Zhao Nuanyue walked closer to Hua Yusen and took the wildflowers he offered. They were red, yellow, and white—elegant and beautiful, with a heart-refreshing fragrance.

"Thank you," Zhao Nuanyue said, looking at the flowers in her hand. "They’re so beautiful, and they smell so good."

"Do you like them?" Hua Yusen asked, staying two steps away from Zhao Nuanyue, not daring to get any closer.

Li Qiong’s words had made Hua Yusen understand that no matter how much he liked Zhao Nuanyue, he could no longer express his feelings so recklessly.

"I love them!" Zhao Nuanyue said, lifting the flowers to her nose to smell them. "Hua, I have a gift for you, too."

After speaking, Zhao Nuanyue pulled a pendant from her pocket. Dangling from it was a seashell about the size of a hawthorn berry.

She had asked Little Red Carp for the shell, which could ensure safety. So, she made four of them: one she wore around her own neck, one for her brother, one for Little Red Carp, and one for Hua Yusen. Zhao Nuanyue had taken the best one and saved it for him.

When Hua Yusen saw the object in Zhao Nuanyue’s palm, he asked in surprise, "Is this a seashell? Where did you get it?"

Zhao Nuanyue explained, "I couldn’t afford to buy you anything better, but I pierced the hole and made the cord myself. And I prayed over it every day, hoping that if you wear it, it will keep you safe."

This was a token of Zhao Nuanyue’s affection. Even if Hua Yusen wasn’t particularly interested in such ornaments, he accepted it with pleasure, reaching out to take it. "As long as it’s from you, I’ll love it."

But Zhao Nuanyue didn’t hand it to him. Instead, she took two steps forward, stood on her tiptoes, and put the necklace around Hua Yusen’s neck, hoping it would keep him safe.

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