My ancestors were spiritual plant growers, so it's not surprising that I hunt demons every day,

"Come down, child."

At this moment, Wang Rong also ran out of the house. Seeing the father and daughter looking travel-worn, she quickly slapped Cui Yan on the bottom.

"Look how tired your dad is, he's sweating. And you're still so clueless as to let him carry you. I think you're asking for a beating."

After pulling Cui Yan off, she tenderly wiped away the almost non-existent beads of sweat from Cui Zhengming's forehead, saying with a pained expression:

"Oh dear, you're already home, what are you doing standing outside? Hurry up and go inside to eat and rest. You look so tired, your face has gotten thinner."

"Dad, look, Mom is scolding me again."

Cui Yan stood on the ground, clinging to his father's leg and refusing to let go. His little mind couldn't understand why his loving mother had been so fierce to him lately.

Who knew that Cui Zhengming was looking at the gentle and considerate Wang Rong, and wouldn't even give Cui Yan a second glance.

He touched his dark, rosy cheeks, and comfortably half-embraced Wang, saying:

"Cough cough~ It's still only you, my wife, who cares about me."

"Ugh, the kids are watching."

Wang Rong muttered something a little embarrassed, then pulled Cui Zhengming into the house, calling out as they went:

"Cui Cong, quickly have your wife make something to eat for your father and third sister. They must be exhausted from their journey; I'll give them a massage to help them relax."

"Cui Lin and Cui Yue, what are you still doing here? Didn't you say you were going to cut grass by the river? It's getting dark, why don't you hurry up and go?"

"No, I want to stay home and see if my third sister brings us any delicious food back."

"Eat, eat, eat! You greedy girl, are we saving the spirit stones at home to build a new house? Don't you want your own room anymore?!"

Although the house was still as noisy as ever, Cui Ying felt unusually peaceful and serene.

She patted Cui Yue's head and took out a packet of spicy pork jerky from her storage bag, saying, "Go quickly with your second sister, and remember to share it with her."

"It smells so good! Third Sister, I knew you loved me the most!"

Cui Yue hurriedly stuffed the things into her bosom, wishing she could lift her up and kiss her third sister on the face a few times. After saying that, she pulled Cui Linfeng and ran towards the Xiushui River.

After Cui Cong and Madam Yang came out carrying large and small bowls, they greeted the two with smiles on their faces:

"Father, Third Sister, you're finally back. Mother figured you'd arrive in the next day or two, so she told us to prepare some food in advance. You can eat first. There's also some spirit bone soup simmering in the pot; I'll go get it now."

"No rush, this is enough."

Cui Zhengming smiled at his eldest son and his wife, looking every bit the loving father.

After saying that, he eagerly picked up his rice bowl and began to gulp down his food, saying with a satisfied expression, "Home-cooked meals are the best!"

Although the food at home wasn't as exquisite as what Yunxiangji served, he found it tasted so delicious and made him so happy.

Just then, Wang Rong came out carrying a basin of hot soup:

"Oh dear, why don't you wipe your faces before you eat? Look at you two, father and daughter, your faces and bodies are covered in dust."

"There's no dust at all. San Yatou taught us a dust-cleansing technique on the way. I used it several times before coming back to see you when we got off the boat."

Cui Zhengming grumbled somewhat discontentedly, but continued eating without being swayed.

"Oh, you've only been to the capital once, and you're already looking down on those old methods back home?"

Wang Rong said this, but her hands didn't stop. She wrung out the towel and went straight to Cui Zhengming's side to wipe his face.

Cui Zhengming, who had been completely indifferent just moments before, now obediently raised his head, letting Wang Shi do as she pleased.

While facial cleansing techniques are good, applying a hot soup to the face at home seems to suit me better.

"Thank you for your hard work, sister-in-law. I'll do it myself."

Seeing her parents flirting and showing affection, Cui Ying, sitting opposite them, followed suit and took the hot soup bowl that her sister-in-law Yang brought over, and wrung out a towel.

"This hot soup is made from the leaves of the cypress and pomelo trees you brought back a few days ago. You said that the leaves of these trees have the effect of warding off evil spirits and bad luck, and refreshing the mind and nourishing the body, so I boldly added some. You can try it and see how it works."

Upon seeing this, Wang Rong first offered an explanation, then smiled and said:

"Third daughter, Gu Shiyin has come to our house several times. He's such a wonderful young man. He doesn't say much when he comes; he just helps his mother with chores."

"you do not say."

Yang, who was standing next to him, echoed and said with a smile, "If you ask me, their real intention is not what they seem; they just want to wait for our third sister to come back."

"Haha~"

Listening to her mother and sister-in-law teasing her back and forth, Cui Ying smiled but didn't say anything.

At this moment, Cui Zhengming stopped what he was doing, cleared his throat and suddenly said, "Third girl, give the things to your mother."

Cui Ying nodded, took out a bag of spirit stones from her storage bag, placed it on the table, and said:

"Mother, here are two thousand two hundred spirit stones. Please keep them safe."

Wang Rong was so startled by the large bag of spirit stones that she almost bit her tongue. She quickly threw the towel in her hand into the basin, swallowed hard, and asked nervously:

"What have you two been doing these past few days? How did you bring back so many spirit stones! You didn't go to... Master, you can't take our daughter to do those deadly things!"

She probably knew what kind of mission Cui Zhengming had taken on, and she also knew that her daughter had brought monster skins to sell.

But she couldn't believe the two of them could bring back so many spirit stones. In that instant, countless possibilities flashed through her mind, and she even wondered if the father and daughter were perhaps highway robbers.

Wang Rong had lived a miserable life for half her life, and finally raised a remarkable daughter. She was just waiting for her daughter to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage in her lifetime, so that she, as the mother, could also share in the glory and have a moment of glory.

If they go astray, then everything will be over.

Thinking of this, Wang Rong was so anxious that she could hardly speak.

"You're just overthinking things!"

Having shared a bed for forty years, Cui Zhengming could tell from Wang Rong's expression that she had misunderstood. After giving a low rebuke, he explained:

"Don't worry, of these two thousand two hundred spirit stones, only two hundred are the reward for the missions your daughter and I completed. The rest were earned by your precious daughter selling monster hides and that kind of herb."

At this point, Cui Zhengming's expression became somewhat unnatural.

He knew that his daughter had exchanged more than two thousand spirit stones, but since she was grown up and needed to keep some money for herself, she gave him some spirit stones as hush money.

As a father, he may not be able to satisfy his daughter in other ways, but he can still manage to fool his wife.

"Oh my goodness, my third daughter, you're amazing!"

Hearing Cui Zhengming's words, Wang Rong felt relieved and happily picked up the spirit stones on the table. After scanning them with her spiritual sense, she knew that the number matched.

After she hid the spirit stone in a pit three feet deep under the bed in the inner room, she came out with a joyful expression and said to the father and daughter:

"With these spirit stones, we'll have enough money to build our new house."

"From now on, let's work together to save up spirit stones to buy back what the Gu family wants, and try to bring the Gu family boy back before the New Year so that our family can have a lively New Year together."