Chapter 168: A Major Event Occurred on the Grassland

Before leaving, Xiao Kaile asked Lin Xiaodou to buy two jars of spicy meat paste.

"The meat paste you make is so delicious. I eat it with rice every single day and never get tired of it."

Lin Xiaodou replied, "Just come back and buy more when you finish it. I still have plenty here."

There was an endless supply of meat paste in her spatial dimension, anyway.

In this era, a canned meat from the supply and marketing cooperative cost one yuan a bottle, and you even needed a ration coupon for canned goods.

Lin Xiaodou didn't require coupons. Considering he was a friend, she sold him two jars for five yuan, which was practically a rock-bottom discount.

Xiao Kaile had been to the black market before, so he naturally knew how generous Lin Xiaodou was.

On the way back.

Xiao Kaile chanted like a monk reciting scriptures, muttering continuously:

"How is it that she already has a fiancé, you tell me? If only she didn't have one! If that were the case, perhaps she could become my sister-in-law, and then I could eat as much meat paste as I wanted without a single worry!"

A trace of displeasure appeared on Zhou Qinglang's face, and his tone became somewhat serious:

"Don't go around saying things like that. If someone else hears you, it won't reflect well on her reputation."

Realizing he had spoken out of turn, Xiao Kaile nodded quickly and replied, "Oh, I know."

Still somewhat puzzled in his heart, he couldn't help asking:

"Boss, do you really intend to give up just like that?"

During today's gathering, he could clearly sense that the boss still held affectionate feelings for Lin Xiaodou.

What a pity... fickle fate played tricks on people!

After a moment of silence, Zhou Qinglang slowly spoke:

"Mn. Since she already has a fiancé, we shouldn't go and disturb her anymore. We should just focus on our work."

With that, he quickened his pace and walked ahead.

Watching Zhou Qinglang's receding figure, Xiao Kaile couldn't help sighing inwardly: Romance is truly an inscrutable thing.

However... not going to Lin Xiaodou's place was simply out of the question.

Two jars of meat paste wouldn't last very long; by the time they ran out, he would have to go find Lin Xiaodou to buy more.

Besides, her culinary skills were so superb, and he still wanted to sponge off her meals.

Since the boss didn't want to go to her place, he would just sneak over on his own from now on.

......

On the other side.

After everyone had left, Lin Xiaodou tidied up the living room and then carried the little Tibetan Mastiff into her spatial dimension.

The little Tibetan Mastiff was only a few days old and still felt rather unfamiliar with its surroundings.

Suddenly arriving in a brand-new environment made it even more terrified, and it curled up tightly in Lin Xiaodou's arms, shivering.

Lin Xiaodou stroked its fur and soothed, "Don't be afraid. This is our home. Once you get used to it, you'll be fine."

Her voice seemed to possess a magical quality, gradually calming the little Tibetan Mastiff's emotions.

At that exact moment, the little jumping spider, the little golden monkey, the little brown bear, and the little piglet all came running over.

Seeing the newly arrived little fellow, they were extremely happy.

Lin Xiaodou set the little Tibetan Mastiff down on the ground, and several cute little heads instantly crowded around.

The little Tibetan Mastiff's eyes were like two round, polished gems, shining with curious light.

Perhaps attracted by the feeling of being surrounded by so many companions, it shed its previous timidity and became lively.

Those big, round eyes rolled around continuously, as if exploring this strange yet interesting world.

At this time, Lin Xiaodou walked over carrying a bowl of warm sheep's milk.

The sweet fragrance emitted by the sheep's milk permeated the air.

The little Tibetan Mastiff immediately caught this enticing scent and excitedly wagged its tail at Lin Xiaodou.

As soon as the sheep's milk was placed on the ground, the little Tibetan Mastiff eagerly trotted forward on its short legs.

First, it brought its tiny nose close to the edge of the bowl and gave it a gentle sniff.

Then, it lowered its head and began to lick it up with great relish.

Seeing the tiny ball of fur drinking its milk, the other fellows started discussing among themselves.

The little jumping spider: "Squeak, squeak, squeak!"
What is this thing? Why does it look like a lump of black charcoal?

The little golden monkey: "Ooh-ooh! Ooh-ooh!"
I know, it's a dog!

The little bear cub: "Roar, roar?"
Why doesn't this dog look like me?

The little piglet: "Oink-oink~ oink~"
Idiot, you're a bear and it's a dog, of course you don't look the same.

The little bear cub: ? You number four, how dare you insult me!
With a roar, it lunged forward with a paw, and the two fellows instantly tumbled into a ball of chaotic fighting.

The little jumping spider and the little golden monkey quickly scurried over to a rock nearby.

The little jumping spider held a piece of dried beef in its furry paws, while the little golden monkey clutched melon seeds in its hands.

The two fellows watched the show while munching on their snacks, occasionally stretching out their arms and kicking their legs to cheer.

The little Tibetan Mastiff, which was quietly drinking its milk: ......

These adults are so childish; they're even worse than a nursing pup.

......

Lin Xiaodou never interfered when these fellows wrestled and played.

Perhaps because they had stayed in the spatial dimension for so long, they were all quite spiritually attuned and naturally knew their limits.

Taking advantage of her day off, Lin Xiaodou thoroughly pampered herself inside the spatial dimension.

First, she took a milk bath.

Snow-white milk was slowly poured into the luxurious bathtub, and the silky liquid rippled across the water's surface in layer after layer.

Lin Xiaodou stepped gently into the bathtub, and the warm milk instantly enveloped her body.

"Wow~ This feels so wonderful~"

The rich milky fragrance permeated the surroundings.

Lin Xiaodou closed her eyes slightly, feeling the gentle caress of the water and the nourishment of the milk as all her fatigue gradually dissipated.

After soaking for 30 minutes, Lin Xiaodou stood up from the milk with a splash.

The milk slid down her smooth skin, leaving behind trails of beautiful water droplets.

Her curvaceous figure appeared even more alluring and captivating against the backdrop of the milk.

Coming out of the bathtub, Lin Xiaodou walked over to the massage chair and lay down.

Turning on the switch, she felt the just-right kneading pressure of the massage chair, and her body gradually relaxed.

After the massage, Lin Xiaodou selected some delicious fruits and snacks.

She had recently developed a sudden obsession with cherries—juicy and delicious, so she simply took a large box and curled up to munch on them.

There was also durian, rich in creamy fragrance and an existence she would never grow tired of!

Finally, she grabbed a box of spicy duck wings, whose numbing and fiery kick was immensely satisfying.

Having chosen her treats, Lin Xiaodou went to the study, turned on the projector, and picked a horror movie to watch.

Previously she preferred comedy and heartwarming films, but now her taste had changed, and she favored horror movies.

She especially liked analyzing the plot while watching.

O(∩_∩)O Haha~ What a daring soul she was.

After the movie, Lin Xiaodou took out the medical book old man Wang had given her and read it while taking notes.

She had developed a habit lately: no matter how late it was, she would study some medical knowledge, which she considered a form of self-enrichment.

By the time she finished all this, dusk had arrived.

By now, the little Tibetan Mastiff had already grown familiar with the other fellows and was running and chasing after them with bounding steps.

Lin Xiaodou scooped it up with one hand: "Little Tibetan Mastiff, come on, we're going outside!"

Everyone had seen the little fellow today; it couldn't stay in the spatial dimension forever and needed to come out for some activity.

Placing the little Tibetan Mastiff inside the yurt, Lin Xiaodou began to prepare dinner.

Some dishes and rice were left over from noon, so she simply reheated them to make do.

After dinner, Liu Yan'er and Zhu Damei came knocking on her door:

"Let's go, Xiaodou, let's take a walk to digest our food!"

Having been here for several days now, everyone would take a stroll across the grassland for a while after every dinner.

At this moment, it was twilight. The lingering rays of the setting sun illuminated the vast, boundless grassland, making it look as though it were draped in a layer of golden gauze.

The distant mountain peaks were picturesque, and the dense grass swayed in the breeze, undulating like a green ocean.

Herds of cattle, sheep, and horses grazed leisurely and contentedly on the green grass.

Gazing at this magnificent scenery, the three of them remained silent, watching from afar with smiles at the corners of their mouths.

A gentle breeze brushed their faces, all creation was peaceful, and everything appeared exceptionally tranquil and beautiful.

The backs of the girls holding hands blended into the scenery, resembling a heartwarming painting.

......

For the next period of time, life was peaceful and calm.

The little Tibetan Mastiff grew at a rapid pace. At first, its walking was clumsy and stumbling, but soon it was running like the wind.

The little fellow's favorite tricks were acting spoiled, rolling around, and playing cute, which completely won Lin Xiaodou's heart.

When the other fellows saw this, they felt a bit envious, jealous, and resentful, yet utterly helpless.

There was no help for it—who would hold a grudge against a newborn pup?

If one angered the master out of jealousy, the losses would outweigh the gains.

Yet they all loved their master dearly and wanted to be pampered by her as well.

Thus, every time Lin Xiaodou entered the spatial dimension, they all rushed over to vie for favor.

Each fellow pulled out all the stops to win Lin Xiaodou's heart.

Lin Xiaodou didn't play favorites; each time, she chose a different little fellow to pet and stroke.

Well, sharing the love evenly among all.

In this manner, Lin Xiaodou began her life on the vast grassland, balancing her work while doting on her cute pets.

During this period, Zhou Qinglang's friend Xiao Kaile frequently came over to bum meals.

Lin Xiaodou couldn't figure out why he was so thick-skinned.

However, this fellow came every two or three days, and he never came empty-handed.

Sometimes he would carry a basket of fresh fruit, sometimes he brought a plump mutton leg, and other times he would lug several pounds of fresh beef.

All in all, Lin Xiaodou came out ahead.

Of course, whenever he came to cadge a meal, Lin Xiaodou would always call Liu Yan'er and Zhu Damei over. Having a few more people to eat together wasn't a bad thing.

Whenever they came to share a meal, everyone was extremely conscious and voluntarily took on tasks like cleaning up, chopping firewood, boiling water, and preparing ingredients.

Lin Xiaodou only needed to take charge of the wok and stir-fry the dishes; there was even someone to help wash the dishes and tidy up afterwards.

Therefore, she didn't feel tired at all, and instead found this arrangement rather nice.

When Xiao Kaile first started coming over, Lin Xiaodou had asked why Zhou Qinglang didn't come.

Xiao Kaile always brushed it off with the excuse that the other man was very busy.

After asking a few times, Lin Xiaodou stopped asking.

Friends, after all, met by chance and mingled naturally, without forcing anything.

On this day, Xiao Kaile came to Lin Xiaodou's house as usual and ate a meal of pickled cabbage fish.

He ate with great relish, his lips dyed a vibrant red by the spice, as if he were wearing bright lipstick.

As he walked back in deep satisfaction, he happened to run into Zhou Qinglang coming out of the laboratory.

Zhou Qinglang immediately noticed Xiao Kaile's unusually swollen and red lips and asked with concern, "What happened to your mouth?"

Xiao Kaile's gaze shifted evasively, not daring to meet Zhou Qinglang's eyes, and he stammered in reply:

"Nothing... nothing's wrong. I probably just had some internal heat lately."

However, no sooner had his voice trailed off than Zhou Qinglang arched an eyebrow:

"Why is there such a strong smell of chili when you talk? Did you secretly run off to eat something good behind my back?"

Faced with Zhou Qinglang's interrogation, Xiao Kaile looked somewhat flustered.

He tried to cover up his embarrassment, but a few beads of sweat involuntarily popped up on his forehead.

Zhou Qinglang: "Why aren't you speaking? Where on earth did you go?"

Realizing he couldn't hide it any longer, Xiao Kaile simply came clean: "I... I went to Comrade Lin's place to cadge a meal."

Zhou Qinglang curved his lips, a flash of realization crossing his eyes: "I guessed you went to her place. What dishes did you have today?"

Xiao Kaile had thought the other man would reprimand him, never expecting him to ask about that instead.

"...It seemed to be called pickled cabbage fish. This was my first time eating it, and it was truly both sour and spicy—so delicious!"

Pickled cabbage fish...

Zhou Qinglang paused slightly.

When he had cadged meals at the cabin a year ago, it seemed he had eaten that too; the flavor was indeed quite good.

"Today besides the pickled cabbage fish, there was also a minced pork with eggplant dish that was fantastic. I have to go try it again next time!"

Xiao Kaile said with glowing eyes, completely failing to notice Zhou Qinglang's expression: "Next time? Do you go to her place often?"

"Yeah! I go all the time. Comrade Lin's culinary skills are truly amazing, and I just can't resist the temptation."

Xiao Kaile blurted everything out in one breath.

Only after he finished speaking did he realize something was amiss, and he gave an awkward chuckle.

Zhou Qinglang glanced at him indifferently: "You never mentioned any of this to me."

Xiao Kaile scratched his head: "Boss, you were cooped up in the lab these past two months, and I was afraid of disturbing you."

In reality, he was worried the boss wouldn't let him go, though it seemed the boss's reaction wasn't that big after all?

However, the moment he thought that, he heard the boss say: "Don't do this from now on."

Xiao Kaile's handsome face instantly collapsed: "Boss..."

Zhou Qinglang said leisurely: "If you go in the future, you have to let me know. We'll go together."

He and Lin Xiaodou were old friends, and Xiao Kaile was introduced by him in the first place; it made no sense for there to be no share of the meals for him.

Being buried in dark, backbreaking work in the lab for the past two months had also allowed his restless heart to completely calm down.

Zhou Qinglang had thought things through as well.

He and Lin Xiaodou shared a purely friendly relationship, and nothing more.

Since that was the case, he no longer needed to deliberately avoid her and could interact with her freely, just like before.

Having figured this out, Zhou Qinglang felt immensely relieved.

The moment he heard Zhou Qinglang say those words, Xiao Kaile jumped up with joy: "Boss, you're the best!"

Zhou Qinglang laughed and tapped him on the head: "Stop spouting nonsense and tell me what good food you've cadged over these past two months."

Xiao Kaile began reciting the menu: "Crispy-skinned and tender pan-fried fish fillets, twice-cooked pork with a perfect balance of fat and lean, sour and spicy chicken wings, tender and flavorful minced pork with glass noodles, ultra-crispy roasted mutton chops, melt-in-your-mouth braised pork trotters, appetizing and tangy pickled cabbage fish... and so many, many more. They were all so delicious."

Zhou Qinglang couldn't help massaging his temples: "Just how many times did you go cadge meals to eat all these good things?"

Xiao Kaile grinned foolishly: "Not many, just went every two or three days. Over two months, I reckon it was about twenty times."

Zhou Qinglang: ......

"So you went freeloading on meals outside twenty times, and it never once crossed your mind to treat me even once?"

Xiao Kaile cowardified instantly: "Boss... can we turn the page on this? I won't dare do it again."

"I can let you off." Zhou Qinglang said with a light and breezy expression, then continued: "Whenever we go eat in the future, you bring a bit more things for Comrade Lin."

"Deal! Leave it to me!" Xiao Kaile patted his chest with a爽快 (hearty) air.

After all, for someone like him who came from a well-to-do family and had plenty of savings on hand, this was hardly a difficult problem at all.

Originally, Zhou Qinglang and Xiao Kaile had planned to go cadge a meal together two days later.

Unexpectedly, however.

Just as they were waiting with full anticipation for that day to arrive, a major event suddenly occurred on the grassland...