The fool has become a spirit, and she can speak

Qiao Rong didn't care. "My young master is already up. Why can't you get up? Hurry up and eat something to fill your stomach first. Then we have to hurry on our way."

As they were talking, Cheng Youning was already holding the bowl and eating the vegetable soup cooked by Yan Shizhao.

Sui Dan took a look at the food and couldn't help but frowned and complained: "Is this all you eat every day? It's too light."

After hearing this, Yan Shizhao smiled slightly and replied in a calm tone: "For a mountain man like me, how can I expect to have big fish and meat every day? I am already very satisfied if I can have a bowl of wild vegetable soup to fill my stomach." His face always had an indifferent and calm expression.

Then he asked, "How do you eat this?"

Cheng Youning said, "Dandan, Mr. Yan treated us so kindly in such a deep forest. If you were so picky about food and drink, I would definitely tell my grandfather."

Sui Dan sat down on the ground like a puddle of mud, mumbling, "I'll eat it, don't complain about it, or I won't carry you down the mountain later!"

Qiao Rong raised his eyebrows and said angrily: "Sui Dan, if you dare to threaten my young master, I will definitely tell your master. Don't forget that you broke the corner of my young master's mouth last night, and the account has not been settled yet."

When Sui Dan heard this, he was so angry that he almost went crazy. He shouted, "Oh my, who is threatening who? It's obviously you two who have been threatening me! If I had known you two would be like this, I would not have come to escort you!"

Qiao Rong responded unyieldingly: "How dare you say that? If you hadn't come to escort us, the young master and I would have been at home by now, eating the vegetable dumplings made by my mother."

Cheng Youning didn't want Yan Shizhao to laugh at him, so he said to them, "You two stop arguing and eat quickly. Don't let Mr. Yan down."

Yan Shizhao said apologetically, "This breakfast is really a bit simple and shabby, so please make do with it."

Cheng Youning looked at Yan Shizhao and said sincerely, "Although we just met by chance, Mr. Yan's hospitality shows that you have a kind heart. But Mr. Yan has such superb medical skills, it would be a waste if you just live in seclusion in the deep mountains and old forests. In my opinion, you should go down the mountain to practice medicine and save lives. Otherwise, it would be a pity!"

Yan Shizhao nodded slightly, a humble smile appeared on his face, and he said softly: "People like me can be found everywhere in this vast world. How can there be a lack of people like me in the market?" Although his words were calm, they revealed a calm recognition of his own ordinariness.

Cheng Youning put down the bowl in his hand, bowed to Yan Shizhao, and said earnestly: "Sir, you are wrong! You are so modest, you must not be an ordinary person. Thank you for treating me and giving me medicine yesterday, Youning is very grateful!"

Yan Shizhao raised his hand to stroke his beard and showed admiration for Cheng Youning.

After eating the vegetable soup, Qiao Rong prepared to go down the mountain, not wanting to delay for a moment.

Sui Dan had no choice but to stretch out his arms and say to Cheng Youning, "Come on up, I'll carry you."

At this time, Yan Shizhao asked them: "Which direction are you going? Are you going to Qiaochun County?"

"Let's go to Fengying."

"Oh, then we're on the way. I'm going to Qiaochun County to sell herbs. And I know a shortcut into the mountains that can save a lot of distance and time. Let's go together!"

Sui Dan's eyes lit up when he heard this, "Is there really a shortcut?" He didn't expect that his casual words would actually come true. It turned out that there really is a shortcut.

Yan Shizhao smiled and explained, "I often go up the mountain to collect herbs and come down to sell them, so I am quite familiar with the mountain roads in this area. For people like you who don't often walk on mountain trails, it's naturally difficult for you to notice this shortcut."

Sure enough, under the leadership of Yan Shizhao, they went down the mountain at noon, hired a carriage, and returned home overnight.

The courtyard was silent and no one knew that Cheng Youning had returned so late at night, so apart from the heavily guarded soldiers, no one saw him.

Cheng Youning went straight back to the small courtyard that belonged to their family of three and went straight to her parents' room. When he arrived at the door, he habitually reached out to push the door, but found that the door was locked from the inside. This made him mutter: "Huh? What's going on? The door is locked?"

Seeing this, Qiao Rong, who was standing nearby, hurriedly said softly, "Young Master, let's go back first. Maybe the young mistress has already rested."

However, Cheng Youning did not listen to Qiao Rong. He looked inside through the narrow gap between the door and the door frame and saw that the light in the room was still on. It was obvious that his mother was not asleep. So he said with certainty: "The light inside can be turned on. My mother is not asleep."

After saying that, he raised his hand and knocked on the door "bang bang bang", and he also shouted loudly: "Mom, open the door quickly, I'm back!"

After hearing the knock on the door, Shang Xi kicked Cheng Feng hard and complained, "Hurry up and get up, your son is back!"

Cheng Youning, who was outside the door, put his ear to the door. Suddenly, he said in confusion, "Strange, why do I feel like someone is talking in the room?"

At this time, Qiao Rong hurriedly said, "Young Master, don't talk nonsense. It's so late, how could there be anyone else in the young lady's room? Let's go back to our own room quickly."

Cheng Youning insisted on not leaving, and said to Qiao Rong: "If you don't believe me, put your ear to the door and listen."

Qiao Rong said seriously, "Then I must be crazy, listening to the young lady's door in the middle of the night."

Cheng Youning didn't give up, and he stuck his butt out and pressed his little ear tightly against the door. After a while, he stood up and said to Qiao Rong very confidently: "There is definitely someone talking inside, but the voice is too soft and I can't hear it clearly." Then, he raised his little hand and slapped the door hard, shouting: "Mom, who are you talking to? Hurry up and open the door for me."

At this moment, the tightly closed door was suddenly opened from the inside without any warning. Since Cheng Youning was leaning on the door and banging on it, the sudden change made him lose his balance and his whole small body fell forward. Fortunately, he did not fall to the ground, but fell into a warm and solid embrace.

Cheng Youning took a look and saw that the person in front of him was actually his father whom he had been thinking about day and night - Cheng Feng! He was stunned at first, and then shouted excitedly: "Daddy!"