Life After Being Claimed by the Disabled Dragon Lady - Chapter 64

Long Ling was washing cherries in the sunlight, her hands delicate and slender, her lips even redder than the cherries.

She was surrounded by a group of elves, her eyes shining with a bright smile.

When Aeloris walked over, she heard the elves asking Long Ling about the Mother Tree Festival.

“Long Ling, will you go to the Mother Tree Festival?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Do you have a dance partner? We can dance together beneath the Mother Tree.”

“Yes, Aeloris and I have arranged it. She said she would teach me to dance.”

“Alright, alright, after Aeloris finishes the first dance with you, you can come find me. I’m also a very good dancer.”

The elf, feeling a little disappointed that Aeloris had beaten him to it, immediately rushed to ask Long Ling for the second dance before any other elves could.

Long Ling hadn’t expected to be asked to dance so many times, and she was a little unsure how to refuse.

“She will dance the entire time with me,” Aeloris suddenly walked up and said.

The elves looked at Aeloris, secretly shook their heads, and automatically gave up the idea of asking Long Ling to dance.

“Long Ling, remember to bring us some cherries next time. We’ll give you things in exchange.”

“Okay, okay, bye-bye.”

Seeing Aeloris approach, Long Ling’s eyes lit up, and she waved, “Aeloris.”

Aeloris’ eyes were very gentle: “Long Ling.”

She walked gracefully to Long Ling’s side and bowed slightly, “What dish are you preparing to make?”

Long Ling put the washed cherries into a basket. “I’m making Cherry Pork. Do you like cherries? I’ve already washed all of these.”

Long Ling handed a handful of cherries to Aeloris, thanking her for helping her out of the situation just now.

She was a little shorter than Aeloris, only one meter seven, while Aeloris was one meter nine, with a slender waist and long legs and a great figure. Having used a bow and arrow for many years, the faint muscle lines on her arms were very fluid.

Long Ling couldn’t help but hold the cherries in her hands higher. The red cherries in her fair palms looked like round agates, bright and translucent.

Aeloris looked at Long Ling’s clear and sincere eyes, curved her lips to say thank you, and picked up a cherry.

She put the cherry in her mouth and bit through the thin skin. Sweet juice filled her tongue. This kind of food, a gift from nature, was irresistible to the elves.

“It’s delicious, Long Ling. Is there anything else you need to do? Do you need my help?”

Long Ling was using a small knife to core the cherries and handed half the basket of cherries to Aeloris. “These need to be pitted.”

Aeloris took out her personal small knife and stood next to Long Ling to remove the cherry pits.

Aeloris peeled the most intact and beautiful pit-free cherry and brought it to Long Ling’s lips, saying softly, “Eat this one.”

Long Ling was busy pitting and casually took the cherry from Aeloris’s hand. “Thank you.”

The cherry was stuffed into her mouth, large and sweet. It was indeed the good fruit she had personally selected. Next time, if she had time, she would try making some cherry wine as well.

The sun was bright and warm, and birds were singing everywhere. The elven cooking stoves were all open-air. Everyone was preparing the feast together. Besides Long Ling, some other elves were also using these stoves.

Aeloris looked at Long Ling’s gentle face and couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Do you want another one?”

Long Ling shook her head, smiling and saying, “You just focus on your own things.”

Long Ling was a skilled cook, clever and dextrous. A sharp knife spun in her hand, and the speed at which she removed the cherry pits was much faster than Aeloris.

Long Ling put the pitted cherries aside and picked up the pork belly of the wild boar. It was thick and evenly layered, clearly white and red. A layer of lean meat was stacked on a layer of fat. This kind of meat was delicious whether made into Kourou (steamed pork belly) or Hongshaorou (braised pork belly). Long Ling picked up the cleaver and cut the wild boar meat into small, even, square pieces, about a chi (about a foot) square. She first blanched the meat in cold water and brought it to a boil.

Long Ling used a slotted spoon to scoop out the meat pieces. The slotted spoon was custom-made for Long Ling by a dwarf blacksmith when she was on the Livo Continent. It was very cheap, so she asked the blacksmith to make all the kitchen tools she was used to, so they would be easier to use later.

She added a finger-width layer of lard to the iron pot, sliced it, and fried it until it was glistening with oil, then added scallions, ginger, and garlic for stir-frying. After the rock sugar cubes were fried to create a caramel color, and the pork pieces were rolled in it a few times until the skin was crispy, she added the pitted cherries she and Aeloris had prepared and let it simmer.

The aroma of the meat was infused with the fragrance of the fruit, and it needed to be simmered over a low heat. When she put the lid on, she could rest for a while, taking a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

Long Ling leaned against the corner of the stove. After wiping her sweat, she folded the handkerchief twice and fanned herself. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Aeloris watching her and couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

Aeloris looked at her and asked, “After you came back from the outside, why didn’t you come looking for me?”

Long Ling smiled faintly. “Everyone has been very busy lately. I thought you would be busy too.”

Aeloris looked into her eyes and said, “If you come looking for me, I’ll have time anytime. You can come to me whether you are happy or not.”

Long Ling nodded slightly. “Okay, the next time I come back, I’ll come to you first.”

Aeloris wanted to say a few more words, but at this moment, a large plume of hot steam erupted from the pot lid, and a gurgling sound came out. Long Ling quickly went to lift the lid.

The meat in the pot was already cooked. It smelled of cherries and looked bright red and translucent. She poked it with chopsticks, and it was soft and bouncy. Just by smelling it, she knew it was very good.

Aeloris had helped her pit cherries for so long, and she wouldn’t let Aeloris’s effort be in vain.

Long Ling carefully picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks, placed it in a small wooden bowl, and offered it to Aeloris next to her. “Aeloris, please try it and see how it tastes?”

Aeloris looked at Long Ling’s soft face, which looked like a blurred ink painting under the steam, and was momentarily distracted.

She took the chopsticks that Long Ling handed her, picked up the meat, and put it in her mouth. It was delicate and soft to the taste, looked good, and was completely permeated with the fruity aroma of cherries, giving it a sweet and sour texture.

Aeloris couldn’t help but say, “It’s delicious.”

Most elves preferred vegetarian food, but Aeloris felt that every dish Long Ling made was delicious, novel, and savory.

Long Ling’s eyes sparkled from the praise. “Tomorrow is the Mother Tree Festival, and I’ll bring this dish to the feast for everyone to eat. Can you use magic to keep the dish in this state?”

Aeloris raised her hand and waved. Long Ling saw a field of glittering light spots floating in the air, landing in the food she had cooked. The meat in the pot seemed to be covered by a protective shield, maintaining its gurgling state.

She picked up another piece of meat, tasted it, and it was still the same, with no burnt taste. She happily told Aeloris, “That’s great! I want to learn this magic too!”

Aeloris: “I can teach you.”

Long Ling: “Wait a moment, I’ll make a few more dishes. What if there’s not enough for everyone if I only make one?”

Aeloris tucked her golden hair behind her ear and rolled up her sleeves. “Then I’ll cook with you.”

Time flew by, and soon it was the day of the Mother Tree Festival.

In the morning, Aeloris came to pick her up. Long Ling followed Mò Dài and Xuělài, and many other elves went to the Mother Tree, the most important tree of the elven race.

Long Ling had never seen such a beautiful tree. The dark green trunk was strong, and every green leaf shone with a golden light. It was like approaching a constantly beating heart, and an endless source of life force emanated from the Mother Tree, making people unable to help but soften their breathing.

The surrounding elves all wore solemn expressions. Long Ling knew from her mother that elves were born from the Mother Tree, so the Mother Tree was equivalent to a mother for them. Celebrating the Mother Tree Festival was of great significance to the elven race.

Long Ling composed her expression, put her hands together, and sincerely prayed for the Mother Tree’s blessing.

The elegant and solemn Elven Queen suddenly appeared behind them. The Elven Queen wore a green robe and a dazzling crown on her head, with her braided golden hair draped behind her head.

Like the other elves, Long Ling couldn’t help but follow the Elven Queen’s graceful steps until the Elven Queen stood before the Mother Tree.

All the elves bowed to the Elven Queen. The Elven Queen slightly raised her arm, her gaze sweeping over the elves below, pausing briefly on Long Ling, and then looking at Aeloris who stood beside Long Ling.

Aeloris left Long Ling’s side and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Elven Queen.

The Elven Queen smiled elegantly and said to all the elves, “The Mother Tree Festival celebration begins now. Welcome home, everyone.”

Countless magical fireworks were released at this moment. All the elves cheered and jumped, hugging each other. Golden leaves constantly shimmered in the gentle breeze, and various golden light clusters burst out from the trunk of the Mother Tree, dropping down along the soft branches.

Every elf received a light cluster. After receiving the light cluster, the elves were visibly younger, stronger, and more radiant than before. This was equivalent to accepting the blessing of the Mother Tree.

Even Long Ling held a light cluster in her hand. The light cluster felt warm to the touch, a bit like a cloud, and could be molded into any shape with her hands.

Long Ling imitated Xuělài, closed her eyes, and felt the pure power in the light cluster with her heart. She gradually felt the light cluster slowly melt in her palm, and a powerful force slowly entered her body. The elven bloodline began to surpass the dragon bloodline.

When Long Ling opened her eyes again, she felt that the forest had accepted her as a part of it. She felt a closer connection to every plant and tree and a stronger sense of belonging to this place.

Her magical power had also increased, and her ears could hear more subtle sounds. In Mò Dài’s eyes, an obvious change had occurred in Long Ling: her ears were slightly pointier, her height was a little taller than before, and her appearance was exquisite and stunning. It turned out that the strawberry-flavored pheromones were also mixed with the scent of the forest.

Her precious daughter seemed to be evolving towards the elven side.

Before Mò Dài could feel sentimental, Long Ling had already been invited by Aeloris to dance.

The sounds of magical fireworks were all around, and various light spots fell around Long Ling. Beautiful flower petals constantly drifted down. Long Ling’s skirt was covered with many petals. Her long fingers gently rested on Aeloris’s palm.

It was her first time dancing with an elf. Aeloris was a very gentle dance partner. Long Ling had learned some basic ballroom dances in her previous world and quickly followed Aeloris’s steps.

They were not the only one’s dancing beneath the Mother Tree. Many elf couples were dancing during this festival, with swirling petals and ribbons falling together.

This was the first grand festival Long Ling had experienced in this world. It turned out to be such an exhilarating feeling.

Dancing gracefully on such a day was the only way to do justice to a beautiful life.

After one dance, Aeloris pulled Long Ling away with her. They sampled the feast prepared by the elven race and walked together in the forest.

It was then that Long Ling remembered to ask her, “Aeloris, are you the Elven Queen’s daughter?”

She had noticed that the way the Elven Queen looked at Aeloris was almost identical to the way Mò Dài looked at her.

Aeloris smiled faintly. “Yes, but our Elven Royal Family is no different from ordinary elves. Everyone is a child of the Mother Tree. Any elf who desires a child, as long as they pray sincerely under the Mother Tree, the Mother Tree will bestow a little elf upon her.”

Long Ling felt an unprecedented sense of equality among the elves. If she hadn’t met Aeloris and returned to her mother’s side, she wouldn’t have known that such a beautiful place existed in this world.

Long Ling softly hummed in acknowledgment and thanked Aeloris, “Thank you for teaching me to dance today. I am very happy.”

Aeloris looked into her ice-blue eyes. “I am happy too, Long Ling. The melancholy in your eyes is gone now. You will get better and better.”

Long Ling felt Aeloris’s concern and couldn’t help but smile brightly. “I hope things will get better and better too.”

They walked and walked until they reached the border of the Misty Forest.

Aeloris glanced at the dark, deep forest and said to Long Ling, “Let’s go back. I’ll treat you to the Elven Race’s brewed Immortal Spirit Wine.”