CHAPTER 247: CHAPTER 239: THE EFFECTS OF THE RUMBLE-RUMBLE FRUIT

"What should I eat tonight? I didn’t eat properly at lunch."

As he was thinking, Aunt Guo’s call came through.

"Xiao Han, have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet, Aunt Guo."

Aunt Guo chuckled and added, "Xiao Han, I heard from Sister Hong Mei that you went up the mountain with her yesterday to pick bamboo shoots?"

Han Qiwu replied, "Yeah, yesterday I cleaned most of them and put them out to dry. There are still some fresh ones left—do you want to try them, Aunt Guo?"

"That would be great! I’ve already prepared dinner. Just come over directly," Aunt Guo laughed. "I’m really benefiting from your hard work."

"Oh, not at all." Han Qiwu laughed. After hanging up, he packed a large basket full of bamboo shoots, loaded it onto his car, and headed to Aunt Guo’s house.

At Aunt Guo’s doorstep, Han Qiwu carried the bamboo shoots inside. The moment he entered the courtyard, he was greeted by the rich aroma of cooked dishes.

On the table in the courtyard were dishes like spicy chicken and Sichuan-style blood curd. The two plates full of food glistening with red chili oil looked incredibly appetizing.

Han Qiwu understood immediately. His heart felt warm.

Aunt Guo clearly wasn’t looking to eat bamboo shoots.

She just wanted to invite him over for dinner.

But she was worried he might feel embarrassed.

So she came up with the excuse of asking for bamboo shoots.

"Xiao Han, you’re here! Bring the bamboo shoots to the kitchen. I’ll stir-fry them with some chili, and we can start the meal. Grandpa Chen has gone out to buy soy milk," Aunt Guo called from the kitchen.

"Got it." Han Qiwu brought the peeled bamboo shoots into the kitchen. He casually took a kitchen knife and started slicing them into thin pieces with skill.

"Oh my, Xiao Han, you’re really good with that knife." Aunt Guo was surprised.

Han Qiwu smiled while slicing and casually chatted with Aunt Guo about day-to-day matters.

About ten minutes later, the three of them sat in the courtyard and began enjoying authentic homemade Sichuan cuisine.

The spicy chicken and Sichuan-style blood curd were made with locally grown peppers, flavorful and spicy.

The fresh spring bamboo shoots had a crisp texture, with a touch of sweetness mixed in the spice—a truly unique taste.

After the hearty meal, Han Qiwu was drenched in sweat, his face flushed red.

"Aunt Guo, your cooking is absolutely delicious," Han Qiwu said, panting heavily.

Grandpa Chen, who was tidying up the soy milk bottles, showed a hint of pride on his face. "Kid, you’re benefiting from me today. Otherwise, where would you get a big feast like this?"

"What are you saying? If it’s good, eat more. Later, pack some dishes to take home and reheat them tomorrow," Aunt Guo said cheerfully while gently massaging her waist.

Han Qiwu rubbed his already rounded belly and waved his hands. "No more, no more. If I eat any more, my stomach will burst."

Saying this, he stood up, pulled out his phone, and placed it on top of the courtyard wall, adjusting it carefully.

Seeing his actions, Aunt Guo asked curiously, "Xiao Han, what’s going on? Are you giving up your phone?"

"If you don’t want it, don’t just toss it on the wall. Take it to the village entrance; you could trade it for a bowl," Grandpa Chen joked gleefully.

Han Qiwu: "..."

"Aunt Guo, I learned a set of ancient exercises called the Eight Pieces of Brocade from a friend. It’s particularly effective for strengthening the waist. Let me demonstrate it once, then I’ll send you the video. Whenever you have free time, you can practice it," Han Qiwu explained.

After hearing this, Aunt Guo immediately wiped her hands on her apron and walked excitedly to his side. "That’s wonderful! Go ahead; I promise I’ll learn it and practice ten or eight rounds daily!"

Han Qiwu smiled, "Alright, I’ll start now. Breathing control is key while doing the exercises."

"Got it." Aunt Guo stood upright, nodding seriously.

Watching this, Grandpa Chen also decided to join them, standing beside her, ready to give the exercises a try.

Han Qiwu took a deep breath and said loudly, "The first move: Hands Raised to Regulate the Triple Burner!"

Twenty minutes later, all three of them had a fine layer of sweat on their foreheads.

"Closing move: Hands joined in front of the abdomen, body relaxed, qi sinks to the dantian." Han Qiwu finished the last line, quickly walked over to his phone, stopped the recording, and sent the video to Aunt Guo.

Aunt Guo slowly opened her eyes and walked to Han Qiwu, her face beaming with excitement. "Xiao Han, this exercise works wonders! My waist doesn’t hurt at all now."

Seeing Aunt Guo’s smiling face, Han Qiwu felt a great sense of accomplishment.

The item was expensive—a hefty 5,000 gold coins.

But it worked. Aunt Guo’s waist stopped hurting after just one round.

Totally worth it!

"If it feels good, then practice it regularly. If you forget the breathing or movements, watch the video or ask me," Han Qiwu said with a smile. "Grandpa Chen, you should also do it when you have time; it’s good for your body."

"Don’t worry." Grandpa Chen waved his hand. "Xiao Han, you must have other things to do. Don’t forget to pack some dishes to take home."

Han Qiwu meaningfully glanced at the golden sunset shining on Grandpa Chen.

It was glowing red.

"Alright, I’ll head back now." Not standing on ceremony, Han Qiwu packed two bags of dishes and walked home contentedly.

Tomorrow morning, he planned to cook some noodles using the dishes as topping—surely delicious.

When he got home and stepped inside, the system alert appeared:

[Hunting Pet: Little Prince has returned from foraging, satiation increased by 85]

[Foraging Gains: Timber ×65, Bamboo Shoots ×5, Willow Buds ×26, Pear Blossoms ×13]

[Little Prince is in a great mood after foraging]

[Fishing Pet: Little Shui has returned from fishing, satiation increased by 78]

[Fishing Gains: Crawfish ×6, Male Conch ×10]

[Little Shui is also in a good mood after fishing]

Wow, the two of them are hooked on this, aren’t they?

Foraging for two days straight.

But Little Prince brought back quite a lot of timber today.

That calls for a reward!

Han Qiwu walked over to Little Prince and patted his bear-like head.

"Roar."

Little Prince glanced at Han Qiwu and grinned blissfully.

"Good job collecting wood today. Here’s your reward." Han Qiwu said while handing over two wild arrowroots.

"Roar!"

Little Prince was delighted, rubbing against Han Qiwu before carrying the arrowroots to the outdoor faucet to wash them.

After washing them clean, he began eating them enthusiastically.

"Nice, you even know to keep things clean now." Han Qiwu nodded approvingly, then walked inside to wake up Little Electric.

"The sun’s about to set, and you’re still sleeping?"

Little Electric: "??????"

What does the sunset have to do with me, a bird?

"Here, eat this fruit and grow up stronger." Han Qiwu took out a 4,000-gold Lightning Fruit with a slightly exasperated expression and handed it to Little Electric.

The Lightning Fruit looked quite impressive; shaped like a dragon fruit, its dark purple exterior was decorated with golden streaks, giving off a mysterious vibe.

Little Electric squinted at the Lightning Fruit, hesitating for a moment before taking it in its beak and flapping its wings to fly sluggishly toward the window.

"Where are you going?" Han Qiwu hurried after it, realizing it was flying toward Jilei Mountain.

"Little Electric is growing up," Han Qiwu said with a relieved smile. This kid is pretty thoughtful, knowing to share good stuff with friends first.

With the Lightning Fruit in its beak, Little Electric flew through the mountain’s ventilation shaft into Jilei Mountain, perched atop Angus Cattle’s horns, and dropped the fruit into its feeder.

"This is exhausting! Dumb cow, just eat this thing; that way, I won’t have to zap you every day!" Little Electric muttered while stretching its bird beak.

Gripping the fruit for so long nearly numbed its beak.

Looking at the obviously premium fruit, Angus Cattle gave Little Electric a grateful glance before heading over to the feeder.

At that moment, Little Electric was secretly smug: "I’m not eating something like this. I definitely don’t want to grow up so soon. Growing up means work, and sleeping all day is way better."

"Squeak-squeak."

Han Qiwu walked into Jilei Mountain, and the moment he entered, he noticed the Lightning Fruit in Angus Cattle’s feeder. His heart warmed.

However, as soon as Angus Cattle saw Han Qiwu entering, it rushed to the feeder, positioning itself with lightning speed and swiftly scooped up all the feed and the Lightning Fruit with its tongue into its mouth—swallowing it whole without even chewing—while casting wary glances at Han Qiwu.

Han Qiwu: "....."

Are you seriously worried I’ll steal your food?

Do you want me to roast you later?

Resigned, Han Qiwu called out to Little Electric, "Come here."

Little Electric flapped its wings and landed on Han Qiwu’s shoulder, tilting its head to look at him.

"Good job sharing. I initially prepared one for each of you. Here’s yours." Han Qiwu took out another Lightning Fruit and passed it to Little Electric.

Little Electric: "???????"

You mean there’s another one?

Utterly defeated.

Little Electric quickly darted its eyes around, grabbed the Lightning Fruit with its beak, and bent its legs slightly.

"Eat it. This is really good stuff," Han Qiwu said, bewildered.

"Whoosh."

Just then, Little Electric, after gathering strength, launched itself like an Angry Bird toward Angus Cattle, throwing the Lightning Fruit straight into its mouth again.

Han Qiwu: "??????"

Angus Cattle: "╰(*°▽°*)╯"

Having swallowed two Lightning Fruits in a row, Angus Cattle underwent an immediate transformation. Its eyes glowed vividly, its restlessness doubled, and its four hooves started stomping the ground continuously.

"Little Electric, untie its reins," Han Qiwu, noticing Angus Cattle’s rapidly escalating energy, hurriedly instructed.

If the reins weren’t undone soon, Angus Cattle might end up dismantling Jilei Mountain.

Little Electric, sensing the unusual situation, obediently grabbed the reins and cautiously unfurled them.

"If you want to run, go to the open field outside," Han Qiwu said, motioning toward Angus Cattle as he opened Jilei Mountain’s gate.

By now, Angus Cattle was radiating strange purple and yellow lightning arcs.

"Boom-boom-boom."

Upon hearing its owner’s words, Angus Cattle shot out through the gate toward the nearby wasteland.

Its speed was astonishing, accompanied by special effects.

Trailblazing flashes of electricity tagged along its path.