Taotao woke up from hunger.

She was woken up by the aroma of food.

And also by the hard-packed earth beneath her.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, thinking that last night, she remembered lying in Song Zhi’s arms. It wasn’t as soft as the bedding at home, but it was still quite comfortable.

How—

“You’re awake? Come eat roasted yam,” Song Zhi’s voice rang out.

As soon as Taotao heard there was food, she immediately looked around, then got up and ran toward Song Zhi.

Not far away, Song Zhi had built a fire. He was using a wooden stick to poke at something in the flames, and beside him, a few things that looked like grayish branches had already been roasted.

“This is yam?” Taotao asked doubtfully. Seeing Song Zhi nod, she found it even stranger. “This… looks like a corn stalk.”

Song Zhi laughed, then pulled the rest of the yams from the fire and set them aside to cool. He picked a few leaves, wiped them clean with his sleeve, and used them to peel open the roasted yams, revealing the hot, glistening, and tender flesh inside.

“Come eat,” Song Zhi said.

Taotao knelt in front of him, hesitated for a moment, then lowered her head and cautiously licked the steaming, silky flesh.

Mmm! Delicious!

Only then did Taotao beam with delight, taking the leaf Song Zhi handed her and eating bite after bite of the yam’s flesh.

Song Zhi watched as she, like a little cat, first stuck out her pink tongue and quickly licked at it, then pressed her lips together—

His heart wavered, thinking that last night, she had eaten him the same way…

A certain part of him gradually slipped out of control, making his mouth dry and parched.

Song Zhi turned his head away, refusing to look at her, and took a deep breath—

“Song Zhi, I was so hungry last night! I… mm, this is really good! Let me tell you, last night, I dreamed of eating meat! It was so delicious… just a little tough. No matter how much I chewed, I couldn’t bite through it… I chewed all night, and my jaw is sore!”

Taotao spoke while holding the leaf, eating the yam flesh inside as she recounted her dream from last night.

Then, she saw Song Zhi roll up his sleeve with a resentful look, then roll it up even further.

—On his tanned, muscular arm, there were several neat little bite marks. The marks weren’t deep, just shallow indentations with a faint reddish hue.

Taotao: …

“I—I bit you?” Taotao stammered.

Song Zhi gave a low hum in response.

Taotao stared at the row of bite marks, unsure of what to say, and finally blurted out, “…They look really nice.”

Song Zhi: ???

He was momentarily speechless before laughing, then reached out and ruffled her hair. “Let’s hurry up and find the false banana. Once we find it, we’ll head back right away. Your parents must be worried sick.”

Taotao didn’t respond.

She wasn’t worried about that because Grandfather had already told her where to find the false banana and the other two types of grass seeds.

Taotao was thinking about something else.

—Last night, she had asked Grandfather fosome advice about spiritual energy.

Grandfather had thought for a long time before saying, “I’m sorry, Taotao. I can sense that the energy you gave me made my hearing and sight sharper, and it feels very comfortable… but I don’t know what it is.”

However, Grandfather gave Taotao a suggestion.

This kind of energy could be sensed by both him and the grapevine spirit, so even if others couldn’t perceive it, it still existed. Since it was energy and had form, then it should be possible to find a container for it. If no suitable container existed, then one should be created.

For example, water could turn into vapor or ice. Wood could become stone or charcoal…

Taotao was still a bit confused.

So, she could use Song Zhi’s spiritual energy to form an inner core within herself?

But that was easier said than done!

She’d have to think of a way slowly.

Near the ginkgo tree, Taotao indeed found the false banana along with the other two types of plants and successfully collected their seeds. Then, she made arrangements with Grandfather to return with people and tools to treat him, before setting off on the journey back with Song Zhi.

Taotao had never walked such a long distance before. Her feet were covered in blisters, and even the slightest touch made them ache.

Song Zhi took off his shirt, used it as a makeshift bundle to wrap Taotao up, then tied the sleeves and hem in front of him, carrying her on his back like the village women who strapped babies to themselves with cloth bands. Together, they made their way back to the village.

Halfway there, Taotao, relying on Song Zhi’s presence, cupped the three types of seeds in her hands and tried to infuse them with spiritual energy.

But for some reason, no matter how much she poured in, the thirty or so seeds showed no response at all…

She grew so exhausted that she drifted in and out of sleep, while Song Zhi, equally tired, panted heavily.

He didn’t stop, walking nonstop until the sun was setting behind the mountains. At last, he heard the distant barking of village dogs.

“We… we’re here!” Song Zhi shouted toward the hazy figures in the distance.

Bai Taotao, lying on his back, was startled awake.

She rubbed her eyes and said, “Song Zhi, I’m hungry…”

Song Zhi, his voice hoarse, reassured her, “Hold on a little longer. We’ll be home soon.”

From afar came shouts of excitement—

“Is that Song Zhi? Is it really him?”
“Taotao? Taotao! Is that you?”
“Song Zhi! I can see clearly—it’s Song Zhi!”
“Song Zhi… are you with Taotao?”

Song Zhi answered loudly, “I’m with Taotao… we’re together!”

He hurried toward them, and the villagers rushed toward him just as eagerly—

Soon, the two groups met face-to-face.

At the front of the group stood Dongsheng!

Dongsheng’s eyes were bloodshot, his lips chapped from anxiety. He charged straight at Song Zhi—

Just as Song Zhi set Taotao down from his back…

Dongsheng swung his fist, as big as a clay pot, straight at him!

Song Zhi barely dodged in time. “Brother! Wait—listen to me!”

Dongsheng roared, “What do I want to hear from you? What you want to say? You took my sister deep into the mountains, gone for a whole night! Song Zhi! If you dared to bully my sister… I’ll tear you apart!”

As he spoke, Dongsheng had already swung several punches at Song Zhi.

Song Zhi didn’t dare fight back—he only dodged.

The villagers hurried to intervene—

“Dongsheng, talk it out properly!”
“Don’t start hitting people, Song Zhi isn’t that kind of guy!”
“Dongsheng, ask Taozi, make sure you understand before acting.”
“Dongsheng, we reason things out, we don’t fight.”
“Stop, stop fighting…”

Taotao pulled out two wild fruits from her basket and ran toward her brother. “Brother! Brother—”

Dongsheng had just thrown a punch. Seeing his sister rush over, he quickly pulled back.

Taotao ran up to him and stuffed a wild fruit into his mouth.

Dongsheng instinctively bit down, only to see his sister shove the other fruit into Song Zhi’s mouth???

The two men stared at each other, both panting heavily as they gradually calmed down.

Suppressing his anger, Dongsheng questioned his sister, “Where did you go? You stayed out all night. Ypu’re getting bold, huh?”

Taotao clung to his arm and shook it. “I made Song Zhi go into the forest with me to find wish seeds!”

“What seeds?”
“Wish seeds!”

“What are they for?”
“They’ll protect Second Brother!”

Taotao said seriously, “I’m going to put the wish seeds in a scented sachet and send it to Second Brother. That way, he’ll always be safe!”

Dongsheng: …

His first instinct was that something as childish as “wish seeds” must have been some fanciful nonsense from Song Zhi or Yan Naqian, those city folks.

But his foolish little sister said she went to find them for Nansheng? That she wanted him to be safe?

No matter how angry he was, Dongsheng couldn’t bring himself to scold her. Still feeling resentful, he pointed at Song Zhi and asked Taotao, “Then why didn’t you tell me and let me go with you? Why did you have to… find him and have him go with you?”

Taotao declared loudly, “I like Brother, and I like Song Zhi too!”

The onlookers erupted into a commotion.

Song Zhi’s face burned bright red.

Dongsheng also felt embarrassed and scolded her in a low voice, “From now on, you’re not allowed to say anything about liking or not liking. Come on, let’s go home—Mom and Dad are worried sick…” He took her hand and started leading her back.

Taotao limped a few steps—

Dongsheng immediately tensed up and asked, “Did you hurt your foot?”

“Taotao’s feet are tender. She got more than ten blisters,” Song Zhi explained.

Dongsheng shot him a fierce glare, crouched down, and hoisted Taotao onto his back. As he carried her home, he snapped at Song Zhi, “Why aren’t you hurrying up and following?”

Song Zhi followed.

The villagers, relieved that Song Zhi and Taotao had returned safely, finally let go of their worries. Since it was already late, everyone was eager to head home and prepare dinner.

As they made their way back to the village, they comforted Dongsheng, telling him not to stay angry. Once they reached the village, they all went their separate ways.

Xingxing had been waiting by their house’s entrance. From a distance, she saw her brother carrying their fourth sister on his back, with Song Zhi trailing behind?

She immediately shouted at the top of her lungs, “Mom! Mom—Fourth Sister’s back! Brother Song Zhi is back too!”

“Bang!”

Tang Liren shot out of the courtyard like a cannonball. When she saw her long-lost, night-wandering, foolish daughter timidly peeking out from behind her eldest son’s back—

She finally let go of her worry and burst into tears. “My child! I just turned around for one second, and you ran off to who knows where! Do you not want your mother anymore? Do you not want your father? You little debt collector… Are you trying to drive me to my grave? Huh? Just go ahead and kill me with worry! If I’m dead, then I won’t have to care about you anymore, I won’t have to care!”

Taotao bit her left fingertip, curling into a smaller ball.

“What do I do? Mom and Dad are so mad…” she murmured to herself.

T/N: The dramatics are always on point!

I’ve heard you guys loud and clear and I’m releasing a few chapters a bit earlier than I was planning on doing cause you told me to! For now the bulk uploads will probably be restricted to twice a month with the number of chapters varying (this month I’ll do three). April will have no free chapters and March will have no bulk uploads. Just because I will be a busy during that period of time. But I will probably be able to increase the amount I can translate by March because I would have completed translating  one of three projects I’m currently working on. So expect more chapters after this one-month break. You can also check my kofi to find out more info cause I post my publishing schedule at the beginning of every month.

T/N: I’m looking a proofreader for this novel. Dm me on discord if you’re interested. My username is tweety_yasmin ~~~