Ji Xingmi ran into the kitchen. She planned to make two spicy dishes for drinking, estimating that Yi Hao would like them. Elder Hua's health had also improved, so he could have a little, but not too much. Perhaps she should add another dish, one that wasn't spicy. She had pork ribs, so she could make plum blossom pork ribs! A sweet and sour flavor, Elder Hua should like that.
Elder Hua and Yi Hao were chatting in the dining room, waiting. Before long, Ji Xingmi brought the dishes in. Ji Xingmi also poured wine for the two elders. After finishing, she prepared to leave, but the two elders stopped her. They invited her to sit down and eat something. Fortunately, Ji Xingmi had cooked a generous amount, enough for one more person.
Yi Hao took a sip of wine and then said, "I heard you have a new idea recently?"
"Ah? Yes, I'm still looking through materials and haven't started yet!" Ji Xingmi glanced at Elder Hua, wondering if he had leaked the information. She hadn't even started, and someone was already urging her.
"Don't look at your Grandpa Hua. I asked him. What have you been doing lately? Your Grandpa Hua only told me some things. How is it, do you have any leads?"
"A little, but this requires hands-on experimentation. Many things are missing here."
Yi Hao looked at the young girl in front of him and said with a touch of helplessness, "What? You plan to do it in your Grandpa Hua's courtyard? It's already arranged for you to go directly to the J Research Institute. They will prepare everything you need there."
Ji Xingmi was no longer as nervous as before. She even managed a small jest, "Alas, I didn't expect someone to be urging me to go to work even here!"
Hearing her say that, Elder Hua chimed in, "No one is urging you. You're not that old, don't you want to go out and have some fun? Staying with a few old men all the time, don't you find it boring?"
"It's alright!" Ji Xingmi didn't feel bored. The information she could access here was far more than what was available outside, and her completion rate was higher here. "Can I go to the J Research Institute now? Will I be blocked at the door? Doesn't the J Research Institute have its own research projects? Can I participate in that?"
Ji Xingmi thought of that place and felt a little excited. This was directly reaching the peak of her life. The two elders could see the girl's excitement. They had been complaining about urging her to do things, and now she seemed eager.
Now it was they who were no longer in a hurry. Yi Hao even asked about other matters, "Are the guards arranged?"
"Yes, they should arrive in the next couple of days."
"Arrange a secretary for her too. She's young, don't let people bully her!"
"No need. Secretary Sun will take her there then. She can return after everything is arranged. Besides, Old Ye is there, what are you afraid of?"
"Then you'll be short of personnel on your end?"
"I'm planning to arrange an assistant for Little Sun soon. Besides, once she enters the institute, Little Sun won't need to follow her; she can come back then."
The two elders started discussing this in front of Ji Xingmi, and she didn't interject. Since someone had to accompany her anyway, it didn't seem to make much difference whether it was one person or three.
After eating, Yi Hao left with a basket of vegetables. He had picked these vegetables himself from the ground. These were all visible items. Besides the vegetables, he also took half of the excavated wine. He also took two bottles of medicine back. One was a life-saving pill, only five pills. The other was a health-preserving pill. Yi Hao's health was good, so Ji Xingmi didn't interfere.
Indeed, in less than two days, Ji Xingmi's guards reported for duty. One was a woman, looking heroic and spirited. The other was a man, tall and imposing, appearing very capable.
"Report, I am Ji Li, codename Mushroom."
"Report, I am Zhang Quan, codename Little Chicken." Both introduced themselves. Hearing their names, Ji Xingmi, who was drinking water, directly sputtered it out.
"Little Chicken? Mushroom? Stewed Chicken and Mushroom?" At first, no one thought much of it, but after Ji Xingmi said it, everyone seemed to recall the famous dish and burst into laughter. Ji Li stood rigidly, seemingly unaffected, while Zhang Quan looked a bit embarrassed and scratched his head.
Ji Xingmi hadn't expected this outcome, but she couldn't hold back her laughter. She apologized, "My name is Ji Xingmi, nice to meet you both. We'll look after each other from now on. Uncle Spider, where will they stay?"
"Oh. There's another room in the back. Mushroom is a girl, so she'll have her own room. Little Chicken can stay with Mantis. Mantis can take care of him."
"Oh~" Ji Xingmi saw that everything was arranged and didn't interfere, letting Mantis show them around. Ji Xingmi then turned and went to the study to find Elder Hua.
"Grandpa Hua!"
"Saw them? How are they?"
"Yes, it's just that the codenames are so strange. Little Chicken and Mushroom, it's a dish!"
"You..." Secretary Sun had told Elder Hua what Ji Xingmi had been doing outside when he came in. He couldn't help but smile.
"Grandpa, the people have arrived. I'm ready to go to the J Research Institute to take a look."
"Alright, I'll have Secretary Sun take you there tomorrow. How long will you be there?"
"I don't know. Grandpa Hua, before I leave, let me feel your pulse and give you acupuncture. Then I'll leave some pills for you."
"Okay!"
Ji Xingmi went over to feel Elder Hua's pulse and check his condition, then performed acupuncture. Elder Hua cooperated throughout and kept giving her instructions. He wasn't telling her not to cause trouble, but rather not to let herself be bullied.
After he finished, she began to admonish him, "Grandpa Hua, don't neglect your health! Rest when you need to. Even when I'm not here, you must eat and sleep on time. Don't be like that troublesome person who doesn't listen to me. If I come back and find your health has worsened, I'll make you drink medicinal soup. I tell you, I've discovered a new medicine recently, and it's quite effective, though it tastes a bit bitter. I believe you wouldn't want to try it."
"......... Go to the research institute early! I don't want to see you for even a moment."
"That won't do. What if I don't go then? I'm worried about you!"
"Alright! Secretary Sun is here! Don't worry!" Finally, Elder Hua relented.
Ji Xingmi happily agreed. Thinking she had some free time, she asked Mushroom to go to the Ji family to bring her some clothes and to inform her family of her whereabouts.
Mushroom drove there. Mother Ji happened to be home. Upon hearing that she was there to pick up clothes for her daughter, she quickly went upstairs to help pack. Fortunately, she had bought some nice things when she went shopping with Aunt Gu Er a few days prior, and she packed them all for her.
Mushroom also brought back three letters: one for Father Ji, one for Mother Ji, and one for Gu Jingyi. However, she gave them all to Mother Ji to help forward. Mushroom returned with the items Mother Ji had prepared.