Noak was at the end pushed to the table as well and couldn't stop eating as the food was truly delicious. He looked from food in one moment and cleared his throat. ''If you were not healer, you could have earned just as good stones with your food. It's amazingly delicious. Seriously!''
Nalan Ko quickly turned around and went inside the hut followed by Mei Ling. She could see her cheeks were a bit pink but didn't want to poke too much into that. Her wounds are still too wide open. ''Mother, just tell me what to take?''
She looked around and saw Nalan Ko just taking the few bags on the sides that contained their clothes and nothing else. When she looked at her with questions written all over her face Nalan Ko chuckled. ''Pots and pans are borrowed and I will take them to the nearby village to give back. You stay with children. What we need is just our clothes and this bag with stones. Everything else is of no importance.''
Mei Ling watched her pack the few utensils inside the box and dragged it out. Then she stared at Noak that just cleaned all the plates and pointed at the box. ''You help me take these back and children will wait for us here. Hurry.''
Noak just wiped his mouth and quickly picked up the box as it was an easy thing and walked quickly behind Nalan Ko that already started walking quickly. Na'an stood next to Mei Ling and shook his head. ''I never knew mother has that tone in her. Maybe it is good she is that way. Like that no one will be able to bully her again. Before she was too soft.''
Mei Ling looked at simple plates and went to wash them. ''Let's take these with us as a memory of the life here. Like that, you will always remember what happened and will strive for a better life. Ok?''
Na'an nodded. He took five small bowls and washed them, dried them and packed them carefully between clothes as he saw Mei Ling doing it.
When Noak nad Nalan Ko came back everything was ready. Mei Ling had a strange bag on her back and one in her hands as she gave it to Nalan Ko. ''Mother, I packed all the clothes in these two bags. It was enough space for it. Let's go.''
Nalan Ko slipped her arms through the straps and buckled it quickly but then froze and looked at Mei Ling that spoke to Noak. She sighed in relief and unbuckled the mid strap. When she approached Mei Ling helped her attach the strap again innocently making her sigh inside in relief as well.
When they left Noak was just shaking his head. These two women are just too stubborn. All he could do is to lead them to him known pension he used from time to time and let them there.
While they walked Mei Ling was behind Noak nad Nalan Ko and smiled. I got you...
The next morning Noak was already waiting for them down in the restaurant and ordered some food. After eating simple dishes Mei Ling realized why he was talking about Nalan Ko's food so much. the food here seems to be... tasteless. She hardly could swallow the bread and look aggrieved at Nalan Ko. ''Mother, now I know what he was talking about. This is... is this even food?''
Nalan Ko patted her head. ''Don't eat it. Let's find a house and I will go and buy some groceries and we can cook normal food. What you think?''
Mei Ling was happy when she heard her words but then shook her head as she saw the tree children listlessly poking at the rubber-like thing with a weird expression. ''I have some food in my bags. It will be good enough for breakfast for kids. At least until we don't buy groceries. Right?''
She took out her bag two boxes with dried meat combination and opened it up. The children started eating at first cautiously but then almost swallowed the whole thing and were almost fighting.
On the end, Nalan Ko got one piece and Noak as well and they stopped as there was no more left. The children looked at her with big eyes and she took candies from the side pocket.
Each got one sweet including herself and two grown-ups.
Noak on end couldn't handle it and wanted to ask when Nalan Ko smiled. "I think I could make the dried meat and candies. Noak, what you think about dried food proviant? If I can make such things, you think they would sell well?"
His serious expression made her stop talking but to her relief he nodded. "Sometimes we bring little food as we usually catch wild and cook it on fire. But like today, we sometimes have no time to do so. No matter with or without a healer, the food is something that can't be replaced. If you can make food that can last a long time and be tasty, that would be of great help for all of us."
Nalan Ko finally started smiling brightly. "In that case, we need to talk later. I will need all your help. If this works out, your people won't need to work arduous quests if they don't want to. Let's talk later. Now we need a home."
With a bag filled with soul stones, they went straight to the second array. Actually. From outside the town looked like it had just a few tens of buildings. But in truth, the real city is continued in four walls that surrounded the city.
Each wall had an array a door to subspace if it could be seen that way. Each array had different colors. The fourth was white. The third was red. The second was purple and the first was black.
Somehow Mei Ling liked that they went to the second array. She liked bright colors. Unfortunately, she never wore them.
As they came closer to array they could see guards standing there and watching it. When their small group arrived they were stopped.
"Your array seal?" One of the officers calmly asked, not making a big fuss or being offensive.
"I have array seal on me bit this family wants to buy a house inside. Could you please offer them something? They have enough stones." Noak had a serious expression when he spoke.
The officer just nodded and approached a big book that seemed to have some kind of powers. Suddenly a map of the city was shown with many gray areas. "These are already taken. What part of the second array would you want or do you have some house preferences?"
Nalan Ko looked at her children and nodded. "I have water user, nature user and I'm a healer. Could you please give us a house with a big garden and attachment to the sea or river? "
He added her request inside the book and suddenly five houses were shown in 3D manner stunning Mei Ling.
Nalan Ko looked each and then was undetermined between two. One had huge garden space and attachment to the river while others had a smaller garden, greenhouse, and attachment to the sea.
She looked at the children and saw Mei Ling shrugging and Na'an just scratching his head as he had no answer as well. Suddenly she heard Noak speaking.
"Take the one by the sea. Most of my group is nearby and if we plan to be partners it will be convenient to meet easier." His words made her choose that one.
Actually just then Mei Ling realized how huge that 'city part' was. How big is then the first array?