After eating an entire fish, Song Wei was still a bit hungry, though Heidan, holding his little belly, let out a satisfied burp.

His eyes sparkled as he looked at Song Wei, resolving firmly in his heart to stick with her no matter what—she was his best bet against ever going hungry.

Gao Le had also eaten his fill and was sprawled across a bamboo chair, making the delicate piece of furniture look almost comically small beneath him.

Meanwhile, Song Wei stirred a handful of noodles into the leftover fish soup—it was the provisions Gao Le had brought over to “share.” She knew how to cook noodles, at least.

Heidan and Gao Le watched her intently as she ladled herself a big bowl of noodles and began eating. Unbothered by their stares, Song Wei continued to eat heartily.

“Do you guys want some too?” she asked casually.

Heidan shook his head. “I’m full already.”

Gao Le, looking hopeful, asked, “Could I?”

Song Wei glanced at him with a deadpan expression. “No, I was just being polite.”

Gao Le: “…”

Honesty at its finest.

Ignoring Gao Le’s reaction, Song Wei continued to eat, her soft cheeks puffed out as they filled with noodles, adding a touch of cuteness to her already gentle appearance.

But…

For someone who looked so petite, it was surprising how much she could eat.

Gao Le’s gaze drifted to her stomach, puzzled at how she managed to pack it all in.

Once she was finished, Song Wei didn’t hesitate to shoo Gao Le away and prepared to head up the mountain.

“Wait, kid,” Gao Le called out to Heidan, “let’s make a deal?”

“I want you to bring me some dry firewood, and I’ll pay you for it.”

Heidan’s eyes lit up, but he didn’t agree immediately; instead, he asked how the deal would work.

“I’ll pay you three cents for every ten-pound bundle of firewood you bring me,” Gao Le offered.

Even dried firewood was heavy, and Heidan, scrawny as he was, would have no problem carrying a ten-pound bundle.

“Deal!” Heidan agreed quickly, eager not to let the opportunity slip.

“How much do you need?”

“As much as you can bring. My buddy and I both need it. You can ask a few of the other village kids for help, but don’t go talking about this too openly, got it?”

Buying things under the table was one thing, but openly exchanging cash for goods wasn’t acceptable.

Heidan nodded, his small face flushed with excitement. “Don’t worry, I understand.”

Though he didn’t have many friends in the village, Heidan was clever. He could use this as a chance to build some alliances, so he wouldn’t be all alone if he ever got bullied again.

He already began mentally sorting through which kids would be good to bring in, knowing he’d need to be smart about it and not just involve anyone.

Song Wei didn’t interrupt his thoughts, simply leading him toward the mountain.

“Sister Song, do you like walnuts?” Heidan asked after a while.

“Are you talking about that walnut tree from the other day?”

They’d met for the first time under a walnut tree.

Heidan scratched his head. “No, not that one. That tree has hardly any walnuts left. This other place is farther away and a bit dangerous.”

“How dangerous are we talking?” Song Wei asked.

“It’s down by a steep cliffside.”

“Then let’s go!” Song Wei replied without hesitation.

Turning down a good thing would be foolish.

The area was indeed farther away, and fairly remote. Song Wei wondered how Heidan had even discovered it.

The trail was filled with thorny bushes and cockleburs. By the time they reached the destination, her clothes and hair were dotted with burrs.

Her two long braids were nearly covered in them, giving her the look of someone wearing a helmet made of cockleburs.

Pulling them off stung, and they left her hair a mess, frizzed by the prickly burrs.

She’d entered the mountain neat and fresh, but now she looked rather disheveled, with tangled hair and wrinkled clothes.

Noticing her state, Heidan stole a guilty glance her way. “Sorry, Sister Song. I forgot about the burrs.”

With his short hair, Heidan hadn’t had as much trouble with them. Song Wei, on the other hand, had long hair in two braids, making it a hassle to pull all the burrs out. All that brushing had been for nothing.

But when she looked up and saw the walnut trees below in the valley, she instantly forgot about her appearance.

Down in the valley, several walnut trees were visible, loaded with green-skinned walnuts, and there were likely plenty of old fallen nuts on the ground.

This was a treasure trove.

“No problem,” she said with a grin. “Let’s go gather some walnuts!”

Her eyes sparkled as she began looking for a way to get down into the valley.

The cliffside wasn’t too steep, and there were enough footholds that she could easily climb down on her own.

But with Heidan there…

“I’ll go down first, and you can follow behind me.”

Heidan nodded in agreement. Being a village kid, he was surefooted and unafraid, even on mountain trails.

Gripping vines and branches along the way, they soon made it halfway down the cliff.

Song Wei was the first to reach the bottom, using a few rocks to jump down the last stretch.

She looked up and saw Heidan still coming down. “Don’tworry, I’ll be here waiting for you.”

Heidan nodded, continuing his careful descent.

But just as he reached for a clump of grass for balance, Song Wei noticed a small, bright-red cluster of berries near him, tucked into a crevice on the cliffside. Recognizing it, she called out, “Heidan, wait! To your left—that plant with the red berries—isn’t that bone-setting herb?”

Heidan looked puzzled. “Bone-setting herb?”

“It’s a medicinal plant,” Song Wei explained, excited. “If you can grab it, it’ll be really useful!”

Bone-setting herb was rare and valuable, especially in its natural form, with potent healing properties.

Due to radiation, edible plants were scarce in the wasteland, so learning about herbs and their benefits had been one of her favorite pastimes. It helped her dream about the pre-apocalyptic world, imagining flavors and scents she’d never get to experience.

Heidan glanced back at her, face brightening at the idea of helping her. “I’ll try!”

The plant was wedged into a tricky crevice, and it took Heidan several tries to tug it free. But then he lost his footing and stumbled, tumbling down the last few feet.

Instinctively, Song Wei moved to catch him, stabilizing them both as she gripped a vine nearby. Heidan looked up, his face pale but amazed that he wasn’t hurt.

“Are you okay?” she asked, patting his back gently.

Embarrassed, Heidan lowered his gaze. “Sorry, Song Jie… I couldn’t grab the plant for you.”

Song Wei’s smile softened as she tousled his hair. “Hey, no worries! I can climb back up and get it. And you’re safe, so that’s what matters.”