North City was warmer than Ping’an Town. Autumn had already begun to set in back in Ping’an Town, but North City was still bright and sunny—the sun was a little intense.

Mr. Du wasn’t in the best shape after his long and arduous journey. Du Liya had even suggested he fly, since it would have been much faster, but the old man had refused.

After sleeping for a dozen or so hours and then having some porridge, the old man was looking much better.

A delicious aroma wafted out from the kitchen. Xiao Shi’s eyes lit up. "My mom must be making savory pancakes! Grandpa Du, want some? I’ll go get a few from the kitchen so we can be the first to try them!"

Mr. Du was, in fact, hungry, even though he’d just had a small bowl of porridge. He smiled. "Alright. Go get one, and we’ll split it."

"Okay!"

Shen Yi happened to be thirsty. His tank top was soaked with sweat, and he came over to get some water, wiping his forehead with a towel in one hand.

Mr. Du said gently, "Xiao Yi, don’t you find this kind of life lively and full of vitality?"

"Yeah."

The sound of women laughing and talking drifted from the kitchen, punctuated by the occasional scent of cooking. In the yard, several people were sweating as they cleaned up. The messy yard was slowly becoming neat and tidy. Soon, it would be planted with flowers and small vegetables, making it feel more and more like a home.

Under the eaves of the house, a bamboo chair swayed. His elderly grandfather sat in it, listening to a storyteller on the radio.

It was a simple, warm, and ordinary life, yet one that was incredibly comfortable.

"I feel like I’m in a dream," Shen Yi said.

In fact, every day since his rebirth had felt like a dream. The only difference was that each day was better than the last.

Mr. Du looked up and saw Qin Jiao walking out with Xiao Shi by her side. He said gently, "Xiao Yi, you’d better hurry things along. Make our two families one, so I’ll have a chance to see my great-grandson!"

A corner of Shen Yi’s mouth lifted into a smile. "I will."

’Grandpa, you’re going to live a long and happy life. You’ll definitely get to see your great-grandson or great-granddaughter grow up healthy and strong.’

Qin Jiao came over, carrying a bowl of loofah gourd and egg soup. On another plate, she had two large pancakes that had been cut into several convenient, chopstick-friendly pieces.

Xiao Shi was clutching half a pancake in her hand. "Grandpa Du," she said, "this pancake is so good! You have to try it!"

Mr. Du picked up his chopsticks, took a piece, and couldn’t stop praising it.

Shen Yi, smelling the fragrant scallion pancakes, looked at Qin Jiao and said, "I want some too."

Qin Jiao replied instinctively, "I’ll go get you a piece, then."

"No need. Just get me a piece from Grandpa’s plate. My hands are dirty, covered in mud."

Qin Jiao stared at Shen Yi, who had made this outrageous request with a perfectly straight face. She was astonished. ’Is he asking me to feed him?’

Qin Jiao glanced around. Grandpa Du was still engrossed in eating his pancake. Xiao Shi, having eaten too quickly, was choking and reaching for her soup. In the distance, her father, Qin Zhonghui, and their "uncle," Beidou, were still busy cleaning the yard. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Qin Jiao said, exasperated, "I’ll go get you a pair of chopsticks!"

"No need. Your hand is fine. Hurry up, I have to get back to work."

"..."

Seeing the resistance in her eyes, Shen Yi’s lips suddenly curved into a smirk. "What’s wrong, Jiao Jiao? Are you that stingy? You won’t even let me have a single bite? Or... are you scared to feed me?"

Utterly exasperated and worried he would say something even more outrageous, Qin Jiao snatched a piece of pancake and stuffed it into his mouth.

’Eat, eat, eat! Choke on it for all I care!’