120: Sister, what's that?

Ai Guosheng and his wife had cleared a two-acre plot of land behind the courtyard and built a chicken coop, which already housed three wild pheasants.

There were originally five, but after a month of raising them, the two of them had successfully managed to let two die; fortunately, three remained.

The two of them now spent most of their time here, tending the land and planning to plant some vegetables while observing the pheasants. If any of them showed signs of discomfort, they would pull them out and slaughter them for food immediately.

Seeing everyone busy with their own tasks and full of energy every day, Ai Yue felt very content. As long as her family was happy and worry-free, everything she did was worth it.

Another half month passed slowly. During this time, Gu Yan called from time to time, trying to persuade them to return.

For some reason, the number of Ancient Centipedes outside the base had decreased significantly. He wanted them to take this opportunity to return and even offered to send people to pick them up to ensure their safety.

However, Ai Yue politely declined. Gu Yan didn't get upset, and through him, she learned about the current situation in the outside world.

A few days ago, the Bloodthirsty Worms had all mysteriously disappeared. Gu Yan didn't understand why, but Ai Yue knew the reason all too well.

The disappearance of the Bloodthirsty Worms meant that a creature even more formidable than the Ancient Centipedes was about to appear.

Ai Yue informed Ai Guosheng and the others of this situation.

Ye Rui's small face tightened as she said, "Sister, do you mean the Bloodthirsty Worms returned to the depths of the earth's crust to hibernate because something even more powerful is coming?"

"Exactly. So, don't go out to play for a while. We'll observe for a bit. If a more powerful creature appears, we can retreat underground in time," Ai Yue said seriously to the three of them.

"I suppose that's all we can do. Sigh, when will these days ever end? My chicks haven't even hatched yet." Li Shilan rubbed her forehead, trying to digest this sudden bad news.

The group fell into silence. Indeed, when would these days ever end?

Who knew? They couldn't answer, so they remained silent.

"It's okay. No matter what the future holds, I believe we will live well," Ye Rui said with a sweet smile, her large eyes blinking. "Just like with the Ancient Centipede disaster—overall, haven't we survived quite well?"

"Rui Rui is right. Haven't we made it through these past few disasters just fine? There's no use overthinking it. We'll deal with whatever comes our way." Ai Yue's voice rang out, filled with strength.

The words of the two children instantly filled Ai Guosheng and his wife with fighting spirit. A warm current surged through their hearts, giving them the strength to face the future bravely.

It also made them feel a bit embarrassed. Their combined ages exceeded a hundred years, yet they weren't as clear-sighted as these two children. They felt like they had lived all those years for nothing.

"Alright! To help us face life better—Yueyue!" Ai Guosheng suddenly stood up and said.

Hearing Ai Guosheng call her, she quickly responded, "What is it, Dad?"

"Bring out a table of good food and wine. Let's have a hearty drink!"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'huh'? Hurry up!"

"Right now? It's not even mealtime yet."

"Right now. By the time we're eating, it will be. Don't just stand there; bring it out. Bring out whatever's delicious."

Ye Rui silently checked the time: 3:30 PM.

Seeing Ai Guosheng in such high spirits, Ai Yue didn't want to dampen his mood, so she began taking out dish after dish of appetizers.

Glutinous rice stuffed duck, sliced pork in vinegar sauce, Dongpo pork hock, Fuqi Feipian, sautéed fresh mushrooms, spicy diced chicken, Mapo tofu, and some cold dishes—the amount of food was double their usual.

Ai Yue was about to get some sparkling water for Ye Rui, but Ai Guosheng stopped her.

"Let her drink too."

"But Rui Rui is still a minor," Ai Yue said.

"It doesn't matter. Back in my day, I was sneaking drinks at ten years old and was perfectly fine. Besides, she's seventeen, almost eighteen. It's time she had a taste of alcohol," Ai Guosheng said nonchalantly.

Li Shilan rolled her eyes and punched him on the shoulder, chiding, "How are you drunk before you've even started? What nonsense are you talking?"

Then she looked at Ye Rui. "Don't listen to your uncle. What does he know? You're still a minor, so stay away from it for now. Have some sparkling water."

Ye Rui, who had been feeling a bit tempted, could only hang her head and let out a sigh.

Seeing her like that, Ai Yue found it a bit funny. She hadn't expected her to be so looking forward to it.

Ye Rui hadn't originally intended to drink, but once Ai Guosheng mentioned it, she really wanted to. What was going on?

Looking at the wine bottle, Ye Rui sighed inwardly with disappointment. I'll just stick to sparkling water; it's my favorite anyway.

The family meal didn't end until the moon was high in the sky. Ai Guosheng was dead drunk, clinging to the doorframe and refusing to let go, shouting that he wanted more to drink. Li Shilan couldn't persuade him to move at all.

It took Ai Yue, the Strongman, using physical force to suppress him before the drunken old man finally went to his room to sleep.

Li Shilan immediately decided to ban this troublesome old man from drinking.

The soundly sleeping old man Ai Guosheng had no idea his future alcohol supply had been cut off. If he had known that this meal would mean he'd have nothing to drink later, he certainly wouldn't have been so insistent on feasting and drinking.

Sure enough, the next day, Ai Guosheng woke up looking pale. Upon hearing this bolt from the blue, his expression soured even more, and his mouth was filled with a bitter taste.

No matter how much he promised or pleaded, Li Shilan remained unmoved.

It was simply because he was too annoying when drunk; he had vomited countless times throughout the night, and Li Shilan had to clean up after him every single time.

He had made the entire house reek, and Li Shilan had spent the whole night cleaning, tossed and turned without a wink of sleep.

Thus, Li Shilan was adamant about not letting him touch alcohol again. However, she eventually gave in to Ai Guosheng's relentless pestering and agreed he could drink again in six months, just to teach him a lesson.

The following days were calm, with nothing happening at the Plant Research Base. Moreover, Gu Yan hadn't called again just to make small talk.

Having been stuck at home for so long, Ye Rui was incredibly bored. With Ai Yue's permission, she wanted to take Da Wang to the mountaintop to let off some steam. Not feeling at ease, Ai Yue decided to go along as well.

The two girls and the tiger reached the summit without a hitch. Standing at the top as a gentle breeze blew, Ye Rui felt the stifling sensation in her heart dissipate with the wind.

While enjoying the breeze on her face, Ye Rui failed to notice the solemn expression on Ai Yue's face.

Only Da Wang followed Ai Yue's gaze, staring motionlessly into the distance.

Lost in her own happiness, Ye Rui soon sensed something was wrong. She opened her eyes and looked at Ai Yue. Seeing her serious expression, she couldn't help but ask, "Sister, what's wrong?"

Ai Yue didn't look away but said, "Look..."

Ye Rui looked in the direction Ai Yue was pointing, and her face instantly changed color.

"Sis, Sister, what is that?" Ye Rui asked, her voice trembling as she felt a chill run through her body.

Ai Yue's expression was grim as she managed a bitter smile. "Mutated Ancient Giant Frogs."