The old woman didn't look at the road. She stepped on broken porcelain pieces in her cloth clothes and almost fell down. The boatman helped her into Zhang Yun's house.
There was suppressed crying coming from inside the house.
After a while, the old boatman came out and begged Tang Ning not to tell anyone else about this. "Ah Yun, he didn't turn into a monster. He's just temporarily sick. Don't worry, the old lady and I will keep the door closed and won't let Ah Yun escape."
"Can I ask Master Zhu what to do about this?" Tang Ning asked.
Just as the boatman refused, the hoarse voice of the old woman came from inside the house: "Please go ask him for me."
The old woman agreed, and the boatman changed his words and said, "Except for Taoist Priest Zhu, no one else should go out."
After Tang Ning agreed, the old boatman thanked him profusely and asked Tang Ning to wait here for a while, as he had something for Tang Ning.
Is it a mission-critical item
Tang Ning and Lin Yun glanced at each other, and he stood outside the house with some anticipation.
After a while, the old boatman called Tang Ning to come over, and Tang Ning walked into the room. This room was the bedroom of the old boatman and the old woman. It was very shabby, and there were many things in it, such as a chair with a missing leg, a broken bowl, and various rags, all of which were washed clean and neatly placed in the room.
The old boatman was holding a paint-chipped iron box. He opened the iron box, took out a wooden box, and finally a small package. Under Tang Ning's expectant gaze, he carefully unwrapped the package, revealing a thick stack of money in various amounts, which looked like it had been saved for a long time.
"Here is thirty-three thousand." The old boatman divided the money into three parts. He smiled at Tang Ning ingratiatingly and said, "When the river is safe to walk, I will take you out. Before you go out, I promise not to let Zhang Yun out. Don't worry, he won't hurt you."
Tang Ning stared blankly at the old boatman who was giving him the money he had saved all his life. The boatman's fingers were also rough, as he had worked hard all his life, and each of his fingers was like a dried carrot.
"You don't need this—" Tangning's body was shaking. He had never felt money so hot before. "Zhang Yunqian saved my life. I am the one who deserves this money."
Lin Yun was also persuading.
As he and the old boatman were shoving each other, the money accidentally spilled all over the floor. Tang Ning's mind buzzed, and he quickly squatted down to pick up the money with the old boatman. When he reached out to pick it up in panic, a tear fell on his back, "Thank you, you are a good person."
After walking out of the boatman's house, Tang Ning, who had received a good guy card, felt confused and depressed.
"What's wrong?" Shao Mingxuan saw Tangning's depressed look and asked softly, "Would you like to eat something?"
Tang Ning was indeed a little hungry, and eating the delicious food made by Shao Mingxuan was good for his physical and mental health. He opened his mouth and suddenly realized that he was very hungry.
It's sashimi.
For example, salmon, dipped in a little soy sauce and mustard, has a plump and tender taste, and the sweetness of the fish meat
Tangning licked her lips and stopped daydreaming.
There are only river fish here, where can he find salmon
"No thanks." Tangning shook her head and refused.
"Oh, that's such a pity. The drunken crabs I made yesterday are ready to eat today. I'd like to share them with you." Shao Mingxuan said regretfully.
Drunken crab
Drunken crab
"Drunken crabs are a local specialty. Raw crabs marinated in wine have a different flavor than cooked crabs." Shao Mingxun introduced. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, he emphasized the word "raw" a little.
When Tangning heard the word "raw crab", he swallowed unconsciously, "Is it delicious?"
"It's delicious. The pickled drunken crabs don't have any fishy smell. They are both delicious and have a strong aroma of wine," Shao Mingxuan introduced them to Tangning in detail. Tangning was almost mesmerized by what he said. He licked his lips and said, "Then, I'll go eat the drunken crabs when I get back."
Shao Mingxuan raised the corners of his lips and said, "Okay."
Lin Yun glanced at the two people who were chatting happily. Yesterday, he and Tang Ning both ate the dishes made by Shao Mingxuan, and nothing went wrong after the meal. It shouldn't be a problem if they eat them again today, but why did he always feel like something was wrong
"I only made two servings, so it's just right for me to taste it with you." Shao Mingxuan's words sounded like Tangning's, but Lin Yun knew that Shao Mingxuan was just trying to tell him, a light bulb, to stay away.
Lin Yun did not dine with this scary NPC, but if he did not go, he was more worried that Tang Ning would be eaten without leaving even a bone.
The three of them walked towards the site where the temple was to be built, each with their own thoughts. Taoist Zhu should stay near the temple during this period. The site of this river god temple was on the bank of the river, facing east. Now only a rough outline had emerged. Even if the people in the town had tried their best to speed up the progress, it would be impossible to build a temple in a short time.
Tang Ning saw the strong middle-aged men busy at work, but they did not seem to be working efficiently. One of them scratched various parts of his body through his clothes after working for a few times, and it looked itchy. After a while, another person secretly made some small movements, but no one dared to scratch the third and fourth people. Everyone was touching secretly, as if they were afraid of being seen.
His clothes were soaked with sweat. Those people were obviously sweating profusely, yet they were still wearing long sleeves and long pants. Tang Ning felt anxious for them.
Taoist Priest Zhu was the most comfortable person. He was lying in a makeshift shed, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, his eyes closed, looking like he was about to fall asleep. His whole body was shaking slightly. No, it wasn't Taoist Priest Zhu himself who was shaking his legs. A tremor came from behind Taoist Priest Zhu.
A coffin tied up with red rope was placed behind Taoist Zhu. From time to time, there were tremors coming from inside, as if something was about to break free at any time.
"Master Zhu." Lin Yun called out.
Taoist Zhu slowly opened his eyes. His gaze swept across Lin Yun, looked at Tang Ning, and finally fell on Shao Mingxuan.
Taoist Master Zhu, who was originally lying down, unconsciously put down his crossed legs and sat up on the recliner. "Well, what's wrong?"
"Can I have a word with you?" There were many people watching here, and Lin Yun was worried that his conversation with Taoist Zhu would be leaked.
Taoist Master Zhu pointed at the coffin behind him with his palm-leaf fan and said, "It won't work without me watching over it."
Tang Ning couldn't help but frown. He subconsciously looked at Shao Mingxuan and caught his pleading gaze. Shao Mingxuan smiled and said, "I can help you keep an eye on him for a while."
Taoist Priest Zhu shook his head and said, "Young man, this is a very deep water. You can't control yourself."
Shao Mingxuan took a step forward, and the coffin that had been shaking constantly suddenly became quiet.
This time, Taoist Zhu narrowed his eyes, and Tang Ning also stared at Shao Mingxun in a daze. Although he knew that Shao Mingxun might have these things that could intimidate people, Shao Mingxun always pretended to be an ordinary person, so Tang Ning couldn't be completely sure.
This NPC looks awesome... Why is he so awesome? Is he the prince or the witch in the card
"Master Zhu, can I find a place to talk now?" Lin Yun asked.
Taoist Master Zhu did not refuse. He went to a secluded corner. Lin Yun told Taoist Master Zhu about Zhang Yun's current abnormality. Taoist Master Zhu said calmly, "He became like this because he wore jade carelessly. It's not a big problem. When the temple is built and the two are completely suppressed, everything will be fine."
"Will he regain his sanity? Or will he continue like this?" Tangning asked.
"I'm not sure about that. It depends on his condition. Maybe when he's in better condition, he'll be more awake." Taoist Zhu replied.
Tang Ning asked Master Zhu some more questions, and Master Zhu answered them in a nonchalant manner, feeling that Tang Ning was making a big deal out of nothing.
Tang Ning realized that he couldn't get anything out of Taoist Zhu, so he had to leave. On the way back, Tang Ning couldn't help but think about Zhang Yun's affairs. He always felt uneasy in his heart, but Tang Ning didn't know what he was afraid of.
"Are you still worried about Zhang Yun?" asked Shao Mingxuan, who was walking side by side with him.
Tangning nodded.
"You seem to care about him a lot." Shao Mingxuan said lightly.
Lin Yun's heart skipped a beat when he heard this question. He suddenly realized that he had only told Tangning not to mention her boyfriend in front of Shao Mingxuan, and had not expanded the scope of this to include all human beings. This was a mistake...
Just as Lin Yun was about to cough or bump Tang Ning's elbow to remind her so that she wouldn't mess up during the crucial Q&A session, Shao Mingxuan's eyes fell on Lin Yun.
Lin Yun cleared his throat and looked at the scenery on the roadside.
Tang Ning lowered his head and didn't notice the undercurrent of emotions between the two people beside him. He just nodded softly.
"You've only known him for a short time, why do you care about him so much?" Shao Mingxuan asked curiously, "Is it because he saved you?"
"Part of it is because he saved me." Tang Ning said lightly.
Shao Mingxuan stared at Tangning's profile, "What about the other part?"
"He is a good man, but he was not treated well." Tang Ning knew that this reason might be quite ridiculous. He himself was in a difficult situation, but he was still sympathizing with others.
Shao Mingxuan nodded thoughtfully.
He looked very calm, so calm that even Lin Yun found it a little unbelievable.
He thought that this extremely possessive NPC would be so angry that he would laugh like last time, but then he thought that if the competition was much worse than his own, Lin Yun would not take it to heart.
For example, he has always been by Tang Ning's side.
But in the eyes of this NPC, he seems to be just
"We're here. I'd like to go eat some drunken crabs." Shao Mingxuan invited Tang Ning as he stood at the gate of the courtyard.
Tang Ning looked back at him, and seeing that he had no intention of stopping her, she turned around and walked into the yard with Shao Mingxuan. Shao Mingxuan's eyes were always on Tang Ning, and he didn't even spare him a glance.
He is really just a light bulb in the eyes of this NPC.
It's so bright that people would complain about it being too bright during a candlelight dinner.
Tang Ning was unaware of Lin Yun's hurt inner world. He followed Shao Mingxuan into the yard. In the middle of the yard was a wooden table, the same as last time. Tang Ning sat obediently at the table and waited for Shao Mingxuan to bring the drunken crabs.
After a while, he saw Shao Mingxuan coming out with a plate. On the plate was a blue crab. The rich aroma of wine wafted towards him, and Tang Ning couldn't help but recall the clear aroma of wine when he and Gong Yun drank the wedding wine.
Shao Mingxuan helped Tang Ning peel open the crab shell, revealing the fresh orange-red crab paste inside. Tang Ning couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks and take a bite. The strong aroma of wine filled his nose. The crab paste was delicious, with the taste of wine, sweetness, umami and saltiness perfectly blended together. The crab meat was like jelly and a little cold.
Tang Ning narrowed his eyes in satisfaction. The drunken crab tasted better than he had expected. The only drawback was that the liquor was a bit strong. It became a little soft after he had eaten it for a short while.
"Is it delicious?" Shao Mingrou asked.
Tangning nodded. He tasted the remaining half reluctantly. A faint blush appeared on his snow-white skin, which was caused by the alcohol.
"I'll give this one to you." Shao Ming carefully peeled open the crab shell, scooped out the crab paste, and scooped half a spoonful of wine to Tang Ning's mouth.
Although Tangning wanted to eat a lot, he tried hard to control his greed, "You only made two, I want one for each of us."
He deliberately didn't look at the spoon that Shao Mingxuan handed over, as if he was afraid that he would not be able to resist the temptation.
The smile in Shao Mingxuan's eyes deepened, "In fact, I did a lot. I was just lying."
"Huh?" Tangning looked over in confusion.
"I only cook for you." Those dark eyes stared at Tangning without blinking, the deep affection in them was enough to intoxicate her, "I don't discriminate between people."
Tang Ning avoided Shao Mingxuan's gaze a little unsure, but when he saw the crab roe at his lips, he hesitated for a moment and ate it carefully.
Very delicious.
Just a little bit of wine.
Tang Ning felt his face and ears were burning, his stomach was also warm, and his whole body was warm and comfortable.
Shao Mingxuan scooped another spoonful of crab paste with wine in it, and said in a low voice: "Open your mouth."
The red lips opened obediently after eating.
Tang Ning's face turned an alluring red. He ate the crab paste from the spoon and licked the remaining wine bit by bit with his tongue reluctantly.
"Are you drunk?" Shao Mingxuan asked in a low voice.
Tangning kept a straight face and said seriously, "I'm not a crab, how could I be drunk?"
Shao Mingxuan raised his eyebrows. This time, he scooped up all the wine. Tang Ning held the spoon in his mouth, his delicate Adam's apple rolling up and down. After drinking all the wine in the spoon, Tang Ning looked at Shao Mingxuan with moist eyes, a little aggrieved, as if asking Shao Mingxuan where the crab meat went.
Shao Mingxuan couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips. He pulled out the spoon and heard a slight "pop" sound. This was the sound made when the spoon was pulled out of Tang Ning's mouth.
"Xiao Ning." He suddenly remembered this name and called softly in a low voice.
Tangning seemed to like this name and nodded softly.
This model of Tang Ning was so adorable that Shao Mingxuan couldn't help himself. He reached out and pinched Tang Ning's face. Tang Ning softly grasped his wrist and placed her face in Shao Mingxuan's palm like a kitten looking for a place to sleep.
Shao Mingxuan took a deep breath, looked into Tangning's soft eyes, and took another deep breath before pushing his glasses up and asking, "Do you still recognize who I am?"
"Shao Mingxuan," Tang Ning murmured.
Shao Mingxuan couldn't help but push the frame of his glasses again, and a cold light flashed across his lenses, "Do you like me?"
This question went through Tang Ning's drowsy mind again and before his eyes, various Shao Mingxun seemed to appear: Shao Mingxun who was wearing a strange bathrobe but saved him, Shao Mingxun who came out with delicious food, Shao Mingxun who grabbed Zhang Yun's neck and looked fierce and scary, but still did it to save him.
Tang Ningyin said softly: "I like it"
The moment Tang Ning said the word "喜", Shao Mingxuan's pupils continued to dilate. The sound like nature's sound was transmitted to his limbs, his heart, his blood, and every nerve ending seemed to tremble. The sharp corners of his lips curled back wildly, and Shao Mingxuan's smile was so exaggerated that he looked like a clown.
Tangning's voice was so beautiful that Shao Mingxuan had to use his amazing self-control to suppress his excitement. Now that Tangning was drunk and unconscious, Shao Mingxuan tore off his disguise. He maintained a smile that would make a normal person's facial muscles ache for a long time before he continued with a smile and asked, "Do you like Mo Yunchu or me?"
"Mo Yunchu," Tang Ning said without hesitation.
In a sense, Shao Mingxun, who asked this question, does look like a clown.
The smile disappeared as fast as the sand in an hourglass. Shao Mingxuan's expression dropped to the freezing point. In just a second, his face changed completely. Tang Ning couldn't help but shudder with his eyes half closed. He vaguely smelled danger.
In contrast to Shao Mingxuan's expression, his voice was so gentle that it seemed to drip water: "You like Mo Yunchu so much, how come he became your ex-boyfriend?"
Tangning closed her eyes and said nothing for a while. Her tears soaked Shao Mingxuan's palms and seemed to soak his heart as well. He heard Tangning sobbing, "No, no more."
Shao Mingxuan did not press the issue. He caressed Tang Ning's cheek tenderly and wiped away the tears on her face with a handkerchief, trying to comfort the tearful Tang Ning.
Tang Ning felt very comfortable being touched, and he gradually stopped crying. He rubbed his soft cheek lightly against Shao Mingxuan's palm.
It's really easy to coax.
"How many boyfriends does Xiao Ning have in total?"
Tang Ning narrowed his eyes and counted his fingers in distress: index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger, a total of four fingers!
Shao Mingxuan's pupils trembled.
Tangning suddenly broke off two fingers and held up only two: "Yes, two boyfriends."
Perhaps because he had just seen four of them, Shao Mingxun now felt that only two were not bad.
His eyes brightened slightly, and when Shao Mingxuan saw Tangning making a "yeah" gesture, he said softly, "The other two are husbands."
“Boom!”
Suddenly, a thunder roared in the sky! The huge thunder sounded throughout the ancient town! It seemed to split the world in half!
Birds fluttered their wings in fear, and the townspeople looked up at the gloomy sky in panic. Taoist Zhu, who was drowsy on the recliner, sat up in an instant, and the shaking coffin fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone was uneasy and unable to sleep or eat because of the thunder. Tang Ning, who knew nothing about it, was a little afraid of the sudden thunder. He buried his whole face in Shao Mingxuan's palm like an ostrich, naturally avoiding Shao Mingxuan's deep and terrifying gaze.
That heavy gaze was like that of an evil spirit.
"How could you have--" Shao Mingxuan couldn't even maintain the illusion of a gentle tone. Every word he said seemed to turn into a jealous venomous snake, strangling the ignorant prey.
"Two, husbands?"
That handsome and flawless face was covered with dense black scales, mainly distributed on the cheekbones. It did not look hideous, but rather had a strange beauty.
Shao Mingxuan stared at Tang Ning with his dark eyes, waiting for an answer.
He was answered with a soft snore.
Tang Ning rested her head on his palm and fell into a sweet dream.
Shao Mingxuan's eyes were deep. He lowered his eyes and looked at Tang Ning. His warm breath poured into his palm. The slender white neck was exposed to his gaze.
It was a posture so fragile that it lacked any defense.
After a long while, Shao Mingxuan said word by word: "You are mine."
Tang Ning's head was about to explode when he woke up, especially when he opened his eyes and saw pitch black. He took out his phone and saw that it was already eight o'clock in the evening. He was lying in bed, so he probably slept all day.
Tang Ning rubbed his temples. He vaguely remembered that he was eating drunken crabs. He must have passed out while eating...
Although Tang Ning knew that his alcohol tolerance was not very good, the aftereffects of Shao Mingxuan's alcohol were really strong.
Tangning struggled to get up from the bed. He walked out of the room and saw that the light was still on in Lin Yun's room next door. Tangning knocked on the window. When Lin Yun saw him, she immediately stood up and opened the door: "You're finally awake. Are you feeling unwell?"
"Water" Tang Ning's throat was dry, his skin was dry, especially his legs. He went to take a bath now. If he didn't touch the water, Tang Ning suspected that his legs would become so dry that cracks would appear.
Lin Yun poured Tang Ning a glass of water. Tang Ning took a big sip first, then rolled up his trouser legs to take a look. His skin was still normal and felt smooth and not dry at all.
But he still longed for water.
"What's wrong?" Lin Yun asked.
Tang Ning didn't care about Lin Yun typing on the computer anymore. He told Lin Yun all the strange feelings he was having at the moment.
"How could this happen? Is this the negative effect of your wish to the river god? How about you just be patient and see what happens if you don't touch water for a while. If you really have to touch water, I'll take a bath and soak my feet to relieve it, because the little ghost has not been suppressed by the river god yet, so it's not suitable to touch water now." Lin Yun advised.
Tang Ning crossed his legs uncomfortably. He knew Lin Yun was wrong, but he really wanted to touch the water, just like a person cannot live without air. He bit the tip of his tongue, trying to use the pain to distract himself.
Lin Yun continued: "While you were asleep, I exchanged some information with other players. Among them, Chang Hanliang told me that many people in this town have ichthyosis!"
"Especially the group of people who built the temple, almost all of them have ichthyosis!"