908 A Million Times for You 270 (1/2)
Fan Shixin went to wait for An Xiaoning outside the door, after which An Xiaoning instructed her bodyguards, ”Everything we have at home now is safe for consumption. There are detectors in the taps, you guys may read the instruction manuals. Do keep a lookout too. There's plenty of food in the kitchen, eat to your heart's fill and cook any food you want. Also, there are only seven of you left now. You must work together to keep things together at home. Since No. 13 and No. 14 are gone now, why don't I hire a cook to take care of our meals?”
”I shall be in charge of cooking. I don't have anything much to do at home anyway. Besides, my culinary skills are great too. Let's not tire them out,” said Shi Qingzhou.
”Mother, you won't have to go through all that trouble with a cook,” said An Xiaoning.
Shi Qingzhou frantically said, ”No, there's no need for that. I'm only in my fifties now. Cooking is a piece of cake for me. I'm very hygienic too. Just let me take care of our meals. It won't be too tiring for me, there's no need to hire a cook.”
”Yeah, Xiaoning, I can help your mother out in the kitchen too. We're getting on in our years, and life would be too boring without having anything to do. Isn't it great to let us spend some time cooking?” said Tuoba Shuo.
”That's fine, too.”
She looked at the seven bodyguards standing in front of her and said, ”No. 5 and No. 8 will continue to follow me around while No. 6 and No. 7 shall be in charge of guarding the house in the evening. You don't have to be on duty in the day since everyone is around at home. I only need you to guard the living room and the main door. You two decide who takes which area. No. 10 and No. 11 shall be in charge of the household chores and tending to the house. You must check the detectors by the well and the taps twice every day, according to Chief Fan's instruction. Make a list of the food items and beverages you need and hand it to Chief Fan, then go and bring the items back from Wei Ni Estate yourselves so we don't have to trouble them to deliver it. Let's go view some cars tomorrow, I'll buy a car for you guys. That'll make traveling and getting around much easier. Use the bank card I've given you guys to buy some clothes and shoes that you need. Don't scrimp or save on necessities, but don't splurge on unnecessary items.”
”Alright, Sis.”
They expressed assent in unison.
”Xiaoning, does Qingyan hire farmers to grow his own crops and vegetables?” Shi Qingzhou asked curiously.
”The entire Wei Ni Estate belongs to him. There are only a few houses in the estate and an abundance of spare land. There are vegetable patches and ponds for fish to be reared. Apart from Qingyan, Yangyang also rears her own fish and grows her own crops. Well, now that we're affluent, health is the most important. They don't ever consume genetically-modified crops that have been stained with pesticide.”
Shi Qingzhou said, ”We're practically having our food supplies specially catered to us. It's good to have safe and edible food. Chief Fan is still waiting for you, isn't he? Hurry along.”
”Alright, call me again if anything crops up.”
…
The refrigerators in the kitchen were all fully stocked with a wide variety of food supplies and fresh ingredients that they might need. Everyone took part in cooking dinner.
No one spoke a word throughout the meal.
Staring at the seven of them, Shi Qingzhou said softly, ”They may be gone now, but life still has to go on. We're all devastated and grief-stricken, but we must turn our agony into power. I still remember how I felt like I was in a living hell when I was imprisoned in the Autumn Palace. I was physically and mentally tortured every day for three whole decades. In hindsight, that was truly such a nightmare. I thought that I would never be able to make it out alive again. However, Heaven was kind to me and gave me hope for life. So, you guys must pick yourselves up and stay strong.”
Her words seemed to have given them great courage and power.
They managed to meet each other at the black market when they were bought by the trafficker.
They bonded over the many similarities they shared, especially in their backgrounds. They initially thought that they would have to part soon after forming a rapport with each other, when they were sold to different masters. However, to their surprise, An Xiaoning bought them all together in one go.
Although they had only lived with each other for a short amount of time, they had become much closer than before.
In fact, they had developed a strong brotherhood amongst themselves after spending time with each other and working together every day in a pleasant environment boasting of familial warmth.