The steaming dumplings were out of the pot.

Ping’an truly had a childlike nature now; he picked up chopsticks and stabbed one, putting it right into his mouth.

“Phew… hot, hot, hot…”

Steam puffed out of his mouth, but he couldn’t bring himself to spit it out, so he chewed stubbornly and ate the dumpling.

“Delicious!”

Ping’an laughed, showing more mischief than before.

Ruyi reached out and rapped Ping’an’s head: “Serves you right to get burned.”

Ping’an chuckled and said: “Elder Sister, you should have some too.”

Ruyi already had the look of an elder sister.

When she spoke angrily to Ping’an, it carried more force.

Watching the two little ones in front of him, Chen Changsheng felt very pleased; they had both gotten better.

Chen Changsheng ate the meat dumplings; one bite filled his mouth with grease, then he glanced back at the family.

Ruyi and Ping’an were still like before, chomping away, and soon, the corners of their mouths were shiny with oil.

Just like then, it was the same now.

They were still children.

After eating the dumplings, Chen Changsheng went back to the courtyard first to tidy up.

After all, the courtyard hadn’t been lived in for three years.

People often said that a yard with no one living in it quickly falls apart.

Thinking about it, that was true. When Chen Changsheng entered the yard again, it was full of weeds, the Main Hall was dusty all over, and even the roof tiles had grass growing.

Chen Changsheng borrowed a sickle and a broom from Wang Sanniang.

“I’ll help!”

Ping’an came rushing over with excitement.

Ruyi followed behind her, carrying a broom too.

With the two little ones helping, Chen Changsheng quickly cleaned up the yard.

By the time they finished, it was already sunset.

Ruyi and Ping’an fooled around with the brooms while Chen Changsheng sat on the old bench, watching the light stream into the yard and land on Ping’an and Ruyi as they played.

“Elder Sister, take this broom from me!” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“Ping’an!!”

“No, no, Elder Sister, I was wrong, Elder Sister, I was wrong!! Elder Sister!”

“Don’t run away!”

Ruyi chased Ping’an all over the yard, broom in hand.

Chen Changsheng let out a soft smile, took a sip of wine, and thought quietly that this Mortal World was just fine.

Ping’an and Ruyi played for a bit and then had no energy, so they sat on the eaves to rest.

Ping’an rubbed his shoulder and muttered: “Elder Sister is so fierce, she’ll never get married.”

Ruyi leaned close to Ping’an’s ear and yelled: “I won’t marry anyway! Stinky Ping’an, always saying bad things about me!”

Ping’an covered his ears, looking pained. “Got it, got it…”

Ruyi gave a soft hum and ignored him.

Her eyes turned to Uncle Chen, only to see him looking very relaxed, so she asked: “Uncle Chen?”

Chen Changsheng turned his head to look at them both: “Played until you were tired?”

Ruyi seemed a bit shy hearing that. Ping’an at that moment scratched his head in embarrassment.

Seeing them that way, Chen Changsheng smiled: “With me, there’s no need to feel shy. Play if you want to play. Just don’t let your mother hear it, or you’ll get a beating.”

Ping’an laughed and nodded: “Got it, Uncle Chen.”

Ruyi propped her chin and suddenly asked: “Uncle Chen, where did you go all these years?”

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment: “A very far place.”

“How far?” Ruyi asked.

“Little kids always want to know everything.”

Ruyi blinked: “If I’m not little, then I can’t ask?”

“What do you think, Ruyi?” Chen Changsheng asked.

“Oh.” Ruyi said once, then: “Then I won’t ask anymore. I’ve grown up.”

Chen Changsheng smiled gently; who said she wasn’t easy to soothe? She was plenty easy.

Ping’an blinked: “Elder Sister is so dumb!”

“Stinky Ping’an.”

“Stinky Ruyi!”

“Ptooey, ptooey!”

“Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!”

“I’m telling Mother!”

“Don’t, Elder Sister.”

Chen Changsheng looked at Ping’an: “Ping’an, can you remember how you used to be?”

Ping’an glanced over: “I forgot, but Elder Sister says I didn’t talk much when I was little.”

“What your elder sister says is true.”

Chen Changsheng said: “You weren’t as noisy when you were little. Sometimes you didn’t talk at all for a whole day, and you never argued with Elder Sister.”

“Exactly, exactly!”

Ruyi said: “Now he’s grown up and blabbers all the time, such a pain!”

Ping’an puckered his lips: “I don’t do that.”

He snapped out of it and suddenly remembered: “But there is one thing I still remember…”

“Uncle Chen, wait for me.”

With that, he ran out. Before long, he came back carrying two books.

“Uncle Chen, look!”

Chen Changsheng took the book and started flipping through it right away.

Both books were filled with writing. The words in one book were a bit childish, like Ping’an wrote it.

Ruyi leaned in to peek at it: “I remember Ping’an writing for a long time. I asked why he was doing it, but he never said.”

As she spoke, she looked at Mr. Chen.

Ping’an looked at Elder Sister. He opened his mouth: “Elder Sister…”

“I forgot it too, and now only remember that Uncle Chen asked me to write it.”

Ruyi paused in surprise: “You forgot? What a stupid Ping’an.”

Ping’an said: “How am I stupider than Elder Sister? Elder Sister doesn’t know as many words as I do.”

“I don’t care. Stupid Ping’an, stupid Ping’an!!”

“Stupid Ruyi!”

Chen Changsheng waved a hand smiling: “Alright, alright, stop arguing.”

Both little ones gave a soft snort and turned their heads away.

Chen Changsheng went through each page; the words had no mistakes, and he had copied the whole book perfectly.

Ping’an said: “Uncle Chen, I wrote for two whole years to get no errors! This book is amazing—if I write wrong, the words vanish, so I have to start over.”

Ruyi paused, like she wanted to ask something but didn’t rush to speak.

She had a book like this too. It was left by her teacher for writing practice; she could write without ink.

But Ping’an was still young and didn’t realize what kind of thing this book really was.

Chen Changsheng said: “No mistakes.”

Ping’an grinned and scratched his head: “But, Uncle Chen, what did you promise Ping’an back then?”

Chen Changsheng closed the book: “You said you wanted to learn to dance with a sword.”

“Dance with a sword?” Ping’an looked puzzled.

Chen Changsheng nodded: “At that time, you thought it was cool. You believed learning it would let you protect Mother and protect Elder Sister.”

Upon hearing this, Ruyi paused: “Did Ping’an really say that?”

Ping’an glanced at Elder Sister: “Does Elder Sister even need me to protect her?”

His arm still hurt from Ruyi’s earlier punch.

As soon as he spoke, Ping’an’s other shoulder was hit by a fist again.

Ping’an felt helpless. He didn’t understand why Elder Sister was only two years older but hit so hard. At least he couldn’t beat her.

Ping’an asked: “Probably not dancing with a sword, right?”

Chen Changsheng nodded: “It should be swordplay.”

“So it was…”

Ping’an blinked, thought about it, and asked: “Is it cool?”

Ruyi knocked his head: “Everything Uncle Chen teaches is cool.”

“Seems so…” Ping’an mumbled.

Chen Changsheng smiled: “Do you still want to learn?”

Ping’an nodded: “Learn!”