Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation

Luckily, she's very clever and successfully avoided her mom's trap.

As a result, Aunt Gu's hand stopped midway, suddenly halting her actions.

She looked at her daughter carefully, then sighed, "I thought you were still a kid, I forgot you've grown up!"

With that, she took the strawberry and leisurely walked out the door.

Leaving Xue Yuantong sitting on the small stool, her little face in panic, "Mom, did you really feed me stuff dropped on the floor when I was a kid?"

However, when she shouted out her words, she received no response from her mom.

Thinking about how she might have eaten dirty things in her childhood, the strawberries in front of Xue Yuantong suddenly didn't seem as appealing!

She quickly ran out the door to find her mom and verify, strawberries completely forgotten.

Leaving Jiang Ning and Chuchu inside the room.

Jiang Ning asked, "Did Aunt Gu used to be able to handle Tongtong too?"

Xue Chuchu bit into a strawberry, "Yes."

...

Not long after finishing breakfast, at nine in the morning, Boss Yang from next door found Jiang Ning's place and invited him to fish at the pond.

Jiang Ning agreed.

Before Boss Yang left, he was surprised because that usually clever little girl was now slumped on the sofa, looking particularly downcast, as if she had suffered a blow.

But he didn't mind it, turning to leave. Today, besides inviting Jiang Ning, there were also several guests coming to fish, including Yang Fei's father-in-law.

He was a live-in son-in-law, and his father-in-law owned a factory, a big company boss worth hundreds of millions.

In the past, though he couldn't say he was looked down upon by his father-in-law and mother-in-law to the extent of being smacked for every little thing or serving tea and water every day, there was none of that.

Yet, as a live-in son-in-law and working in his father-in-law's company, the feelings involved were only known to himself.

So, he used the money and connections he had accumulated over the years to leave the company and started a small rural tourism business, which was much better in terms of both income and freedom than staying in his father-in-law's company.

But Yang Fei still showed great respect for his father-in-law. So, when he heard that his father-in-law was coming, he hurried to the river dam to welcome him.

...

"Jiang Ning~" Xue Yuantong appeared pitiful, worried about eating unclean things in the past.

"No way, would your mom really harm you?" Jiang Ning said speechlessly, not expecting her to have such wild thoughts.

Jiang Ning tidied up a bit and took Xue Yuantong to the east pond for fishing.

Xue Yuantong, on the pretext of relaxing her eyes, called out the studying Chuchu to join them in catching big fish.

On the way to the east pond, Jiang Ning carried nothing, while behind him, Tongtong carried two fishing rods and a bucket.

Xue Chuchu carried three small stools; she looked at Jiang Ning calmly leading the way, and the bouncing steps of Tongtong stirred memories of last winter.

Back then, it was her first time visiting the river dam, also to fish. Tongtong and Jiang Ning competed in fishing, ending in a crushing defeat until Jiang Ning shared some of his catch with her.

Thinking of this, Xue Chuchu's gaze fell on Jiang Ning's back. On their first meeting, her impression of him was akin to a neighborly big brother, treating Tongtong very well, and the two of them getting along harmoniously.

This left Xue Chuchu astonished; she never imagined that Tongtong could not only make male friends but get along so well with them.

Though surprised, Xue Chuchu didn't think they would develop into anything beyond that. Now, after a year, it has completely exceeded her expectations.

"Jiang Ning, let's fish all the fish out of Uncle Yang's pond!" Xue Yuantong boasted.

"Let me clarify, the one fishing is me, not 'us.'

"Tch," Xue Yuantong pouted, a little displeased, "Why make it so clear?"

About four or five hundred meters to the east of the bungalow, through a row of trees, the pond came into view for the three of them.

The pond was oval-shaped, about thirty meters long and fifteen meters wide, the water clear, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds.

The sunlight at this moment was mild and pleasant, providing just the right amount of warmth.

By the pond, several people fishing appeared particularly leisurely.

A middle-aged man in a tracksuit with an easygoing aura enjoyed the leisure of fishing alone.

Two meticulously dressed urban beauties sat by the pond, distractedly fishing.

There was also a young man with permed hair, holding a cigarette, wearing flashy clothes, close to the two urban beauties. He fished while tapping away on his phone, occasionally showing off the large apple logo on the back of his phone.

He was using the latest iPhone 6 Plus.

Their arrival caught the attention of several people, especially the cold and beautiful Xue Chuchu.

The smoking young man was visibly stunned, his gaze lingered, refusing to leave.

Jiang Ning sized up the young man and found him rather amusing.

He found the young man quite familiar.

Last year, while training in the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Body Tempering Technique, Jiang Ning often borrowed electricity from place to place, and this young man had secretly opened a small factory, from which Jiang Ning took quite a lot of electricity.

The curly-haired young man was Yan Bo, who once opened a small factory and secretly discharged sewage. Later, he had a blind date with Guo Ran. At the same time, he was also seeing a high school girl. In the past life, Guo Ran was implicated by him, assaulted by the girl's parents, and left Fourth Middle School in dismay.

In this lifetime, Jiang Ning exposed him earlier, resulting in Yan Bo being severely beaten by the girl's parents, suffering a concussion and several broken ribs.

Since then, Jiang Ning hadn't seen Yan Bo, and who would've thought today he'd show up around here.

But thinking about it, it's not surprising. Yan Bo used to secretly run an illegal factory nearby, so him coming here is quite normal.

When Jiang Ning first returned, he was focused on integrating into the worldly life, handling matters gently, and hadn't done anything to Yan Bo.

Now, even more settled into worldly affairs and maintaining a peaceful mindset, Jiang Ning wouldn't fuss over minor things with him.

However, recalling that he dared consider a match with Guo Ran?

Jiang Ning secretly felt displeased, ready to teach him a lesson.

Upon reaching the pond, Xue Yuantong quieted down considerably because of the presence of outsiders. Jiang Ning glanced at her and whispered:

"Tough at home."

Xue Yuantong gave him a hard glare.

Jiang Ning cleaned up the grass by the pond, set up the small stools, then effortlessly flicked the fishing rod, the hook elegantly plopping into the pond.

Not far away, a middle-aged man on an outdoor folding chair was startled seeing such a casual fishing posture.

"Isn't that fake bait?"

"Is the young man trying to be funny?"

"You're insulting fishing!"

A plethora of thoughts popped up in the middle-aged man's mind, finding it quite absurd, but having lived to this age, he naturally didn't meddle in other matters, remaining silent.

In contrast, Yan Bo, with a cigarette between his lips, occasionally glanced over in this direction.

If it were just any pretty girl, it wouldn't warrant this, but Xue Chuchu's looks were top-tier, the type of girl at this level, being in the same environment, one couldn't help but take a few more glances.

This year, Yan Bo was in his early twenties, with a privileged background and very low education, contributing to his reckless demeanor.

He liked girls around fifteen or sixteen, cherishing their youth, and although this preference cost him dearly, just thinking back to the times he'd been beaten made his ribs ache.

That ordeal cost him a lot and kept him straightened out for over a year.

But his liking for sixteen-year-old girls remained unchanged.

Both Jiang Ning and Xue Yuantong were fishing with rods, while Xue Chuchu watched and read an English book, enjoying a tranquil moment.

Yan Bo found it particularly enticing, and with his cigarette, he ambled closer.

When he was five or six meters away, Jiang Ning spoke up, "I can't stand even a hint of smoke."

Yan Bo paused, taking a good look at Jiang Ning. He had crossed paths with Jiang Ning before, yet it had been over a year.

He asked with a flicker of expression, "Are you a student?"

Jiang Ning ignored him.

That irked Yan Bo even more, and he shifted the cigarette in his lips, taking a better look at Jiang Ning.

He strolled a bit closer.

Xue Chuchu, witnessing this, slid her small stool a little nearer to Jiang Ning.

Seeing this, Yan Bo became more displeased, sucking on his cigarette. His eyes lingered, bewitched by her peculiar beauty.

"You're just a student, aren't you?"

Jiang Ning didn't respond.

Yan Bo's face twitched, his expression changing slightly.

"It's only students who dare say something like that. Once you're out in society, you'll understand." He said, "Who do you think you are to point fingers at others?"

But Jiang Ning paid no attention to him.

Yan Bo saw Chuchu's subtle move toward Jiang Ning, and his irritation only grew as she drew closer to him.

There was a young man with curly hair, biting a cigarette, wearing ostentatious clothes, and standing close to the two city beauties. He was fishing with one hand and texting on his phone with the other, occasionally showing off the big Apple logo on his phone.

He was using the latest model, the iPhone 6 Plus.