Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

Soon, they reached the river dam.

Xue Chuchu often came to the river dam, but she always sped past on her electric scooter.

She had never stood at the river dam like now, gazing at the glittering river below.

The spring breeze was warm, the sunlight just right, the fresh air laced with the scent of grass and flowers.

The river dam was quiet, without the hustle and bustle of the old urban area, with nature all around, it made one's mood clear and relaxed.

Xue Chuchu's normally cold face softened a bit, and she quickened her step, carrying half a bucket of oil, which added a touch of reality to her presence.

Jiang Ning continued along the dam, and a few hundred meters ahead, below the dam, was an open plain covered in green grass, with little tents set up on the grass, groups of adults and children, men and women, standing or sitting.

"Wow, so many people!" Xue Yuantong exclaimed, pointing at the grass.

The three of them made their way towards the grassland, and the closer they got to it, the more vehicles were parked on the dam.

Jiang Ning, carrying a bunch of things, naturally drew glances from the people around him; they looked a few more times, then lost interest.

Jiang Ning's Divine Sense swept across the entire plain, instantly locating Geng Lu's position.

She was playing cards with some classmates, very engrossed, and did not notice their arrival.

Jiang Ning withdrew his Divine Sense; being a passive person by nature, he naturally did not greet Geng Lu.

"Let's go over there," Xue Yuantong said, pointing toward the riverside. The grass was sparse there, not as lush as in the center, but it was quiet, so they wouldn't have to crowd with others, and the view was nice.

Xue Chuchu looked for a few seconds and said, "I think that spot is quite nice."

Like Tongtong, she came from the countryside to study in the city and did not have a well-off family, preferring not to mingle with others.

"Yes, okay," Jiang Ning replied, walking to the riverside and setting down the box and bucket.

Xue Yuantong said, "The next part is up to us!"

She took a mat out of the box, spread it on the grass, flattened it, then took out small stools from the box.

This was the only small stool for the picnic.

Xue Yuantong hugged the stool and presented it to Jiang Ning with gravity, "Jiang Ning, this is my throne, which I now officially bestow upon you. Treat it well from now on."

Jiang Ning glanced at her, tone neutral, "Just put it down."

Xue Yuantong felt that his attitude was slightly disrespectful, but then she remembered the rabbit meat that Jiang Ning had brought and did not argue with him.

While Xue Yuantong was arranging things, she looked up towards the meadow not far away.

Suddenly she exclaimed, "Jiang Ning, look, look, she's flying a kite with a fishing rod!"

Jiang Ning had noticed earlier. In the center of the meadow, a little girl was holding a fishing rod, a kite attached to it in the sky.

He said, "Sometimes when you can't catch fish, you play like this."

"Giggle," Xue Yuantong laughed and then suddenly remembered the last time she didn't catch a single fish.

The smile faded from her face; maintaining her composure, she said casually, "Yes, it's really sad when you can't catch fish."

She didn't dwell on the topic of fishing any longer, instead taking in the riverside.

Xue Yuantong ran over, back and forth, carrying a few large stones.

She pulled out a small shovel, "I was prepared."

She grabbed the shovel and dug a small pit in the ground, then pushed the large stones to the edge, tightly stacked, before propping up the iron pot.

Xue Chuchu had cooking experience; she quickly figured out Yuantong's plan:

"Cooking over a fire?"

"Yeah, red-braised rabbit today!" Xue Yuantong clenched her little fists. She was now very hungry, full of energy because she would soon be able to taste something delicious.

"Chuchu, you watch over here. I'll go collect firewood," Xue Yuantong was about to set off.

Jiang Ning stood up from the stool, "I'll go. You just wait here."

If they really let Xue Yuantong gather wood, who knows how long it would take to collect enough.

Xue Chuchu said, "I'll go along. Tongtong can watch over things here. More hands make light work, let's quickly collect the wood and start cooking."

Hearing their reasons, Xue Yuantong showed some self-awareness and didn't insist further.

She said, "Fine, I'll wash the vegetables and arrange the fruit."

Then, Jiang Ning and Xue Chuchu went toward the small woods.

Winter had just passed, and there were a lot of tree roots in the forest. Jiang Ning picked them up from time to time, quickly gathering a pile.

Xue Chuchu was usually quiet, with a personality quite different from Tongtong's, leaning more towards indifference.

Thus, the woods were fairly silent, save for the sound of feet on fallen leaves and the occasional chirping birds.

The two didn't speak, but Xue Chuchu oddly didn't feel awkward. Jiang Ning had a particularly comforting presence, even without speaking, the atmosphere was relaxed and natural.

The quiet environment and the repetitious actions led to contemplation, and Xue Chuchu's thoughts turned toward Tongtong.

There were many things she couldn't ask Tongtong, but she could talk to Jiang Ning because she felt that he understood many things.

Xue Chuchu took this rare opportunity to ask about the situation. It might seem nosy, but as Tongtong's best friend, she felt it was necessary to speak up.

"Jiang Ning," Xue Chuchu suddenly said.

"Yes, what is it?" Jiang Ning's Divine Sense had observed that Xue Chuchu's heartbeat was faster than usual, indicating that something must have come up.

Xue Chuchu organized her thoughts and said, "Lately, Tongtong has been really happy. I haven't seen her like this in a long time."

"You might not know, but Tongtong seldom smiled before and wasn't as happy as she is now."

She had a deep understanding of Tongtong, even though they could only meet occasionally in the past, Chuchu was very clear about Tongtong's state.

Obviously, the change in Tongtong was related to Jiang Ning.

Jiang Ning replied, "Maybe it's because she's been eating better lately."

Xue Chuchu didn't expect him to answer like that, although it made some sense, but that wasn't really her point.