The Dragon King Insists That I Raise Him Chapter 3

Chapter 3 You Are Little White, You Are Little Black…

Tao Qingguan went to the bathroom to take a shower. In the middle of summer, after showering, he didn’t know if he was covered in water or sweat. He walked back to the main hall wearing only large floral shorts, his upper body bare.

Although the Air Conditioner in the main hall was also useless, it was better than nothing.

Tao Qingguan walked around the main hall with a towel on his head, wiping his half-dry hair with one hand.

His grandfather had left him plenty of ingredients before he left. Some were stored in the refrigerator, and some that wouldn’t spoil easily were piled up in a corner of the main hall. Common vegetables like green onions were planted by the door, making cooking very convenient.

Tao Qingguan took out a potato and weighed it in his hand. In his peripheral vision, he spotted a small fish lurking suspiciously among the aquatic plants in the Fish Tank. He smiled, “I won’t eat you for now; you’re backup food.”

Besides him, the little fish was the only living thing in the house, the chosen conversation partner.

Fish: “…”

Its round eyes flickered slightly. It watched the water droplets slide down Tao Qingguan’s hair, leaving a transparent wet mark on his fair skin. The water droplets followed the winding curves downward, finally disappearing into the ravine.

The fish frowned its non-existent brow.

What an indecent display.

After teasing the innocent little fish, Tao Qingguan took the potato towards the kitchen, deciding to have Stir-fried Shredded Potatoes with Vinegar and Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes for dinner.

His cooking skills were not bad; in fact, they were quite good. But usually, when he was alone at home, he didn’t have the inclination to cook and would just order takeout to get by. Now that takeout was gone, he had to fend for himself.

Tao Qingguan took down the cutting board and skillfully peeled and shredded the potato, then crushed garlic and heated oil in the wok.

The minced garlic was poured into the sizzling hot oil, and the aroma instantly rose, filling the kitchen with the scent of cooking smoke.

Both dishes were quick to make. Soon they were out of the wok. Tao Qingguan brought the dishes to the table, served a bowl of rice he had cooked earlier, and happily enjoyed the fruits of his labor.

Food cooked in a large pot had a special kind of deliciousness. Tao Qingguan happily shoveled a mouthful of rice, calculating that there were pork ribs and frozen chicken in the refrigerator, so he could make soup tomorrow too.

Tao Qingguan leaned back in his chair. This angle was the best for viewing the Fish Tank. He saw the little fish looking at him and said teasingly, “It’s useless to look; you won’t be eaten.”

The fish silently stared back at Tao Qingguan, finally giving him a cold, distant back.

The child of Tao Lihe was predictably mischievous.

On his first day at the Ancestral Home, Tao Qingguan was busy, but he was also tired. He didn’t even know what he had been busy with.

Tao Qingguan couldn’t hold on and went to sleep early. As everyone knows, people who are very tired during the day will snore at night, and Tao Qingguan was no exception.

His snoring echoed in the pitch-black main hall, rising and falling with a very regular rhythm, accompanied by a few unintelligible murmurs in his sleep. The previously silent night became lively.

Yan Jiu’s fish face, which showed no expression, was numb from sleeplessness. It hid in the reef, then hid in the aquatic plants, but the snoring chased him like debt collectors. Tao Qingguan’s presence was too strong for him to ignore.

The night was still long, tugging at his fragile nerve endings, lingering on and on. A night for two people, a sleepless night for one person~

…

Sunlight spilled onto the earth, casting a warm yellow halo. The morning dew evaporated, and the slight coolness of the early morning vanished in an instant. The cement ground outside was as hot as a preheated frying pan, while the temperature inside the house was barely maintained at a comfortable level.

A few loud knocks on the door woke Tao Qingguan. He groggily opened his eyes, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, momentarily unable to tell what year it was.

His brain lagged for a while before successfully booting up. Tao Qingguan yawned, wondering in his heart who would come looking for him so early. Although he wasn’t a complete stranger here, he was at best only three-tenths familiar with the place.

Tao Qingguan sat up and raised a hand to scratch his head. As he moved, the blanket slipped off, and his body suddenly felt a chill. Tao Qingguan subconsciously looked down and realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He grabbed the clothes hanging on the side of the sofa and put them on.

While dressing, soreness spread from his muscles, and his tailbone hurt just from a slight touch. Tao Qingguan grimaced as he put on a single piece of clothing, letting out a couple of “Ouch” sounds. He moved his body a few times through gritted teeth before it felt a little better.

The knocking continued, one after another. The person outside seemed determined not to give up until the door was opened.

Tao Qingguan frowned slightly. With this persistence, perhaps his grandfather owed someone money, and the creditors had come knocking?

There was no peephole on the main door. Tao Qingguan gripped the doorknob and quietly opened a crack. Through the gap, he looked out into the yard. Outside the iron fence of the courtyard wall were several middle-aged people with kind faces. Tao Qingguan had seen some of them before; they seemed to have a good relationship with his grandfather.

But why were these people here so early, carrying fruits and vegetables?

Tao Qingguan was puzzled. He walked out of the house to the iron gate and opened it. All eyes immediately focused on him. Tao Qingguan spoke somewhat unnaturally, “Are you looking for my grandfather? He’s gone out and won’t be back anytime soon.”

“No,” a woman with elegant manners said with a smile. “You must be Little Qingguan, right? You’ve grown so handsome after a few years. Do you still remember me? I held you when you were little.”

The man next to her, wearing a white shirt, adjusted his glasses and continued, “Your grandfather said you’ve worn yourself out. Young people shouldn’t work too hard; you need to rest.”

“That’s right,” said a slightly heavier middle-aged man in a familiar tone. “You need to rest well and nourish yourself. Take these grapes; I grew them at home, they are definitely sweet.”

“And this watermelon.”

“Take some vegetables from Auntie’s place too.”

“The young man is too thin; you need to eat well…”

“…”

The crowd chattered, stuffing things into Tao Qingguan’s arms, giving him no chance to refuse.

Tao Qingguan repeatedly declined, “Grandpa left me food; I don’t need these. Hey, Auntie, don’t go!”

He was holding a watermelon in his arms, a basket of vegetables hanging from his right arm, a small pumpkin tucked under his left arm, and various plastic bags placed at his feet. He was completely immobilized.

Tao Qingguan was stunned. Someone patted his shoulder. He turned his head and saw a smiling uncle looking at him.

“One should not refuse a gift from an elder,” the plump uncle patted Tao Qingguan’s shoulder a couple more times. “Remember to feed your fish too. It eats anything. With your grandpa gone, don’t treat it poorly.”

Tao Qingguan: “?”

Wait, did the whole village know that his grandfather kept a fish that caused such a stir?

“Uncle, I can’t eat all this. Please take some back,” Tao Qingguan forced a smile. “That fish is only palm-sized; even with it, we can’t finish all this.”

“It’s fine, keep it and eat it slowly.” The plump uncle piled the food he brought onto Tao Qingguan’s arms, waved cheerfully, and turned to leave.

The crowd dispersed, leaving Tao Qingguan standing there looking bewildered.

His gaze shifted back and forth between the pile of ingredients on the ground and the receding figures of the crowd.

It was… quite sudden. Are all the villagers in the countryside this enthusiastic?

These things clearly couldn’t be returned now. If left in the yard, they would wilt under the hot sun before long. Tao Qingguan helplessly moved the items into the house. As he moved them, he messaged his grandfather, telling him about what had just happened.

Finally, Tao Qingguan couldn’t help but add:

What is the situation with that fish? Where did you get it?

Tao Lihe was probably busy. It wasn’t until Tao Qingguan had moved everything that he slowly replied with a voice message:

Don’t mind them. Take whatever they give you. As for whether to feed the fish, you decide, but you should eat less yourself. Those things have excessive pesticide levels; eating too much will land you in the hospital.

After listening to the message, Tao Qingguan hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping himself, wanting to stop but speaking again. He looked down at the items he had moved inside. They were all fresh and plump, without a single insect hole, indeed looking a little too much like they had been nourished by excessive pesticides.

Although he felt his grandfather’s words were unreliable, Tao Qingguan put down the apple he was about to bite into. He decided to eat it after washing it thoroughly.

He walked towards the floor mattress, intending to take a nap. In his peripheral vision, he spotted the iron bucket by the corner of the wall. He suddenly remembered the fish he had mistakenly caught yesterday hadn’t been dealt with yet.

Tao Qingguan walked to the iron bucket. After a night, the fish inside didn’t look very energetic; it hadn’t moved for a long time. He squatted down and poked the fish’s back. The fish flicked its tail and reluctantly turned around.

The palm-sized little fish didn’t have much meat, and processing it was troublesome. Tao Qingguan thought for a moment, scooped the fish out, and placed it in the Fish Tank.

He patted the glass in front of the little white fish and said, “I found you a roommate. Get along well.”

Yan Jiu was perched on a reef, looking at the foolish fish that couldn’t even sense its aura. It couldn’t be bothered. Such a fish wasn’t even qualified to be on its menu.

Having not slept all night, Yan Jiu felt sluggish. Taking advantage of the quiet moment, it prepared to take a short nap. However, just as it was getting sleepy, it was bumped from the side. Unprepared, it hit the nearby reef.

Yan Jiu turned around and met the gaze of the foolish fish, which was full of fighting spirit, wagging its tail as if ready for a fight to the death.

Yan Jiu: “…” You are as annoying as the child who let you in.

Tao Qingguan sat on the floor mattress, giggling, and said mockingly, “It seems to like you quite a bit. Little White, don’t bully it.”

Little White – Yan Jiu: “…”

Tao Qingguan lay down and played with his phone. As he played, his sleepiness subsided by half. He glanced at the time; it was almost time to feed Little White.

He carefully avoided his tailbone as he stood up, and soon returned to the Fish Tank with a basin of fish food.

Tao Qingguan opened the lid of the Fish Tank and dumped the fish food in with a clatter. Considering a new fish had been added to the tank, he thoughtfully added some extra food.

“Little Black, eat more and put on some weight.”

Little Black was the name Tao Qingguan gave the newcomer, easy to remember and nice sounding, and it even created a CP feeling with Little White.

Yan Jiu avoided Little Black, which was scrambling for food, and ate the fish food in the corner. It looked up and glanced at Tao Qingguan, who was leaning in front of the Fish Tank.

If it wasn’t mistaken, that kid had just stared at Little Black and swallowed his saliva…