The animal world is more exciting than this.

After listening to her daughter's complaints about school, Zheng Yuan could only shake her head helplessly.

"Your cousin got his break a day earlier than you, and today he’s already out shopping with his classmates. Only your school insists on make-up classes."

There were clear differences between schools.

Xie Yuling channeled her frustration into her appetite, devouring the lamb in large bites.

After all, her mother’s braised lamb was tender enough to fall off the bone, with a rich, savory-sweet flavor.

Occasionally, she’d pick up a piece of split sugarcane, take a bite, and suck on it, letting the intense, sauce-infused sweetness linger in her mouth.

Or she’d grab a bite of tofu skin soaked in the braising sauce, pairing it with rice.

When lamb stew was done right, every bite was satisfying.

Of course, most of the lamb in the pot ended up in Lin Mo’s stomach.

Zheng Yuan was delighted, repeatedly saying,

"You have no idea—in previous years, I never dared to buy too much lamb. If I did, we’d be eating leftovers for days."

Xie Yuling chimed in, "True. By the end, I wouldn’t even want to look at it."

After all, rich dishes like lamb stew were best enjoyed in moderation. Eating it daily would make anyone sick of it.

After the meal, Zheng Yuan promptly kicked Xie Yuling into doing the dishes.

But Lin Mo wasn’t one to laze around either, so he joined in to help.

Chu Miaomiao had just started to rise from her seat when Zheng Yuan pulled her back onto the sofa.

"Miaomiao, don’t worry about them. You’re a guest—just relax here, enjoy some fruit, and watch TV."

Zheng Yuan could tell Chu Miaomiao also had feelings for Lin Mo, but as a mother, she secretly hoped her own daughter would have more chances to bond with him.

A little parental scheming, perhaps.

In the kitchen, Xie Yuling watched as Lin Mo spread his hands, letting the water from the faucet weave effortlessly between the dishes, washing away the grime.

"With skills like this, you’d make an amazing dishwasher!"

It was hard to tell if she was serious or just joking.

Lin Mo flicked her forehead lightly.

"If people found out, I’d get dragged away for experiments."

The word "people" made Xie Yuling’s heart flutter slightly. She tilted her head and looked at him.

"No one else will know. This is our secret."

Luckily, Zheng Yuan was the type to clean the stovetop right after cooking, so apart from the dishes, there wasn’t much else to scrub.

"I really wish you could be at my place during spring cleaning," Xie Yuling said enviously, eyeing Lin Mo’s "superpower."

"By then, I’ll probably be back in my hometown helping my grandma with her cleaning."

Xie Yuling sighed. "So you won’t be back for New Year’s Eve dinner with us?"

Lin Mo nodded but smiled. "I’ll send you a gift for New Year’s Eve. Make sure you check for it."

The mention of a gift instantly brightened Xie Yuling’s face.

"What kind of gift?"

"Not telling."

---System: To be a good system, I must understand the host’s primary needs. So I’m planning to check with the Alchemy System to see if they have anything to enhance… you know, that. Don’t get it? I mean that thing!---

The so-called make-up class was actually a safety lecture—separate sessions for boys and girls.

Perfectly wholesome, but the focus was still on protective measures.

"Pay close attention and learn well," Fang Jun nudged Lin Mo with his elbow.

Lin Mo lifted his eyelids briefly before closing them again.

"It’s not like they’ll give a live demonstration. What’s there to learn? Might as well watch an adult film if you really want to see something."

These days, such education was still quite reserved.

Not too explicit, but not too vague either.

In the end, students had to fill in the gaps with their own interpretations.

Once the lecture ended, the boys returned to the classroom, their expressions shifting from excitement to utter disinterest—practically entering a post-clarity state.

The girls hadn’t returned yet.

It took nearly half a class period before they finally trickled back in, cheeks flushed and eyes filled with disdain as they glanced at the boys.

Even Jiang Yunlu looked at Lin Mo with a strange glint in her eyes.

Lin Mo hadn’t used his spiritual sense to observe the girls’ session, but judging by their reactions, it must have been far more intense than the boys’.

Seeing the boys’ lackluster energy, Jiang Yunlu couldn’t help but ask, "What did they talk about in your session?"

Lin Mo stroked his chin. "Nothing worth mentioning. It was all vague and boring—I nearly fell asleep. Even Animal Planet is more exciting than that teacher."

"Animal Planet is exciting?" Jiang Yunlu sniffed. Her impression of the show was limited to predators chasing prey.

"At least more exciting than today’s lecture. For instance, did you know a duck’s… equipment can reach up to 42 cm? Even has a spiral shape. Only downside is it’s a bit thin."

Such biological facts were perfectly normal in academia.

But saying it in front of the girls bordered on harassment.

So for the next while, Jiang Yunlu ignored Lin Mo entirely.

Lin Mo didn’t mind, simply returning to his studies.

Though labeled as make-up classes, they mostly just sprinkled in some early second-semester material.

Some sessions were purely problem-solving.

Before they knew it, the weekend arrived—no more classes.

But Zheng Yuan had already announced plans to take them shopping on Bai Jing Road or Shangxiajiu.

Back in 2012, Shangxiajiu and Bai Jing Road were still Goat City’s busiest pedestrian streets.

A decade later, Shangxiajiu would fade into obscurity.

Both streets were in the old district, surrounded by wholesale shoe markets.

As the year-end approached, many of those shoes would be sold off cheaply as discontinued stock.

After all, Goat City had always been a hub of commerce—whether supplying inland markets or exporting overseas, the city had everything one could need.

On Saturday morning, Xie Yuling knocked early on the door of Lin Mo’s rented apartment.

Though she had a key, courtesy still mattered.

Lin Mo opened the door, fully dressed.

"You’re early."

"Yeah, Mom said it’ll be packed these days, so we have to go early. Our schedule’s packed today."

And packed it was—first Shangxiajiu, then Bai Jing Road, with a stop at Yide Road for dried goods along the way.

Today’s itinerary was nothing if not efficient.

After breakfast, the three of them set off by subway.

Their first destination: Shangxiajiu.

The sight stirred memories in Lin Mo of when his family used to visit Shangxiajiu together.

"Xiao Mo, has it been a while since you last came here?" Zheng Yuan asked, noticing his distant expression.

Lin Mo snapped out of his thoughts and nodded.

"Yeah, it’s been a long time."

The subway arrived quickly at Changshou Road Station.

Exiting the station led them to a bustling mall—despite being in the old district, this area was once the heart of Goat City.

On weekends, it was a sea of people.

Trailing behind, Xie Yuling eyed the crowds outside and asked, "Mom, can we get that fish skin this time?"

"Didn’t we just have breakfast?" Zheng Yuan shot her daughter a look.

Before she could scold further, Lin Mo cut in,

"You mean Chen Tianji’s fish skin? I haven’t had it in ages. Let’s go together."

Hearing this, Zheng Yuan rubbed her head and sighed, "Ah, you just spoil her."

System: +1