"How do you plan to meet them then?" Ying Tianlong asked, without blaming Lin Yuan for his caution.
He casually took out a cigarette and offered it.
Lin Yuan accepted it as usual and lit it.
"Cough, cough, cough." The second drag still made him cough, but he was getting slightly used to it. "I told her I would meet around March to April. It's already March, so I plan to go while investigating Fushui Village."
The idea was sound, but Ying Tianlong still added a few points. "Well, no problem with that, but try to go in April. Do another hellish training this month and take on a few extra missions to avoid suspicion. After all, disappearing right after you've taken office would be a bit abrupt."
"Mhm, I think that's best too," Lin Yuan said, having no real objections. He had actually considered indefinitely postponing it the moment he got the stone.
However, after some serious thought, he decided against it. After all, no one knew how long the stone's effects would last.
"Does Wu Tian know about this?"
Mentioning Wu Tian brought a bitter smile to Lin Yuan's lips. "She doesn't. She's made guesses, but I haven't told her. I'm afraid she'll worry."
"Are you planning to tell her when you get back this time?"
"No, I'll keep it from her for now. She's always wanted a child, so I don't want to involve her in these matters."
"Alright, I'll help you keep it a secret. I'll tell her after your child is born."
After finishing his last cigarette, Ying Tianlong stood up, patted his clothes, and said to Lin Yuan, "Let's go eat. I'll ask the cook to reheat it."
"Okay."
With a knot untied in his heart, Lin Yuan found eating much more enjoyable. He had to admit, the food today was truly delicious.
Ginseng stewed chicken soup, braised goose, turtle with potatoes, glazed prawns, assorted mushrooms, and a large plate of fragrant roasted rat, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, served with steaming hot rice.
It made one's mouth water.
"Damn, this turtle is amazing!!"
"Team leader, don't just eat the turtle, have some glazed prawns! These things are incredibly good."
"Who snatched my half-eaten rat!!"
"Hey, Comrade Wang Xiaoxin! You're not even leaving any of this goose for your brothers!"
"..."
After a hearty meal, Ying Tianlong still had to conduct a thorough physical examination for everyone, ensuring they weren't carrying any deadly pathogens.
Once everything was cleared, he granted them two days off.
The night market hadn't closed yet, so as soon as Lin Yuan entered the city, he headed straight for it. Spring had just arrived, bringing new fruits, and even the barbecue stalls had introduced many new vegetables.
The salt mine to the west had been opened, guaranteeing the safety zone's salt supply. Now, the eateries in the night market dared to use salt with confidence. Furthermore, with the continuous production of various resources, the prices of rat meat, vegetables, and mushrooms had dropped slightly.
However, for the night market, this was good news. Lower prices meant more people could afford them, leading to higher profits.
This had made the night market even more prosperous.
Even at 10 PM, it was still bustling with activity.
It was important to note that since the curfew was finally set at 11 PM, all night markets had to close by 10:30 PM. The fact that so many people were still here at this time showed the night market's allure.
Lin Yuan was weaving through the crowd.
"Excuse me, excuse me."
"Hey, sorry, sorry."
"Please let me pass, thank you."
"Boss, add more spice to the roasted rat."
The barbecue stall owner: "...Brother, adding salt is fine, but adding spice will cost an extra 0.5 work credits. Chili is still a tight commodity."
"It's fine, add it."
"Alright!"
"Is it flavorful?"
"Don't worry, brother. If it's not good, come back tomorrow and smash my shop. I guarantee I won't call the police."
"..."
Wow, such confidence.
After buying the roasted rat, he bought some fruit and went to another stall for roasted fish and dry-pot shrimp. The Ministry of Agriculture had caught a lot of fish and shrimp around the New Year, and they hadn't finished eating them all. Some of the healthy ones were even used for breeding and were being raised well. Therefore, fish and shrimp were now priced the same as rat meat, making them affordable for ordinary people.
Just as the patrol team started clearing people out, he left the night market and headed home.
He hadn't seen Wu Tian for almost half a month. Absence made the heart grow fonder, and he walked so fast his shoe soles were almost sparking.
"Knock, knock, knock."
He knocked three times on the door. No one responded.
As he wondered where Wu Tian could be, the adjacent door opened, and a few small heads peeked out.
It was Wu Mengyao and Liu Ziyi, along with some other children.
Seeing Lin Yuan return, Wu Mengyao excitedly shouted into the room, "Sis! Brother Lin Yuan is back!"
Then, the sound of a chair moving could be heard from inside, and Wu Tian also poked her head out, looking at Lin Yuan.
After a moment of silence, she suddenly rushed out and hugged Lin Yuan. "Why did you take so long this time?"
Her trembling voice was close to tears.
Gently patting Wu Tian's back, Lin Yuan's nose also felt a little sore. "It's okay, it's okay. After the intensified training, I went on a mission. Look, I'm fine now!"
He wondered why her emotions were so volatile today.
They hugged for a while before separating. Seeing Wu Mengyao and the others still watching, he quickly handed over the things he was holding.
"Take them inside quickly. They won't taste good if they get cold."
"Wow!! Brother Lin Yuan also has roasted fish, roasted rat, fried king oyster mushrooms!! And fruit!!!" Wu Mengyao was overjoyed at the sight of the delicious food. She quickly took them and rushed into the room, ready to dig in.
He pinched Wu Tian's cheek, which had gained a little baby fat, and lifted her up. "Come on, let's go inside and eat supper. If we wait any longer, those three will have gobbled it all up."
"Okay~"
Liu Mengmeng was also in the room. As she was still attending school, she was naturally reading. However, being disturbed by the aroma, she joined the food-grabbing team.
"Mengmeng! You didn't leave any prawns for me!"
"Sister Wu Tian, I didn't! My brother ate them all!" Liu Mengmeng's mouth was stuffed like a hamster's, and she unhesitatingly sold out Liu Ziyi.
"Brother Lin Yuan, come and eat quickly!"
Lin Yuan scratched his head and patted his stomach. He really couldn't eat any more.
"No, no, I've already eaten."
He brought a stool and sat by the table, watching them eat.
"Hey, Brother Lin Yuan, tell us what happened on your mission. Were there any thrilling or exciting moments?"
"Yeah, yeah, Brother Lin Yuan, I want to hear too."
As Wu Mengyao started, the others also perked up their ears, looking eager to listen.
There was no other way. Lin Yuan doted on his younger siblings, so he told them about the interesting things that happened during today's events and previous training.
Time slowly passed. The light in the room, unable to penetrate the curtains, illuminated the entire night. They listened to Lin Yuan chat about everything under the sun.