Upon arriving in Liu Yang Village, Xin Er would finish her embroidery work every day and then go out to play with Yanzi. She also made a few girlfriends and beca much more outgoing, which Mo Yan was pleased to see.
As soon as Xin Er heard this, she imdiately beca happy, hugging her sister’s arm and said, "Her na is Tang Xin, she’s about the sa age as . She’s so busy, she has endless chores to do every day, and I’m worried about her stepmother scolding her, so I only dare to sneak out to play with her."
Mo Yan’s heart stirred, and she feigned curiosity as she asked, "How did you two et?"
Xin Er didn’t think too much about it and, feeling a bit embarrassed, stuck out her tongue, "I first saw her at the doorway, mistook her for a beggar coming to ask for food, and gave her a few stead buns and the cotton coat I wore last year. Later, when she ca back from the mountain carrying firewood and passed by our house, I found out she was from the village. After bumping into each other a few tis, she initiated a conversation with , and that’s how we beca acquainted."
Mo Yan frowned slightly and said calmly, "Next ti you et her, invite her to co over to our house. I would like to et such a resilient girl myself."
"Okay!" Xin Er was very happy that her sister approved of her friend and readily agreed.
Mo Yan pinched her cute little cheek, rekindled the fire to reheat a few stead buns, and wrapped them in oil paper for Xin Er to take to Tang Xin.
Watching Xin Er’s cheerful figure disappear, the smile on Mo Yan’s lips gradually faded. Although she encouraged Xin Er to make more friends, she didn’t want soone with ulterior motives to get close to her.
It wasn’t that she had a too dark mindset, always assuming the worst in people. But with Tang Xin, who at such a young age had to fend for herself under the watch of a strict stepmother, who knew if her psyche or personality had been adversely affected? As long as Tang Xin genuinely wanted to be friends with Xin Er, she wouldn’t oppose it, but she had to see it for herself to be reassured.
...
Little Flower, leading the hunting dogs, caught rabbits in the mountains and received unprecedented admiration from them. In the evening, Little Flower and its thirteen "little brothers" went hunting in the mountains with high spirits; this ti, Dabai and Mao Tuan also joined, apparently aiming to catch larger ga.
Mo Yan didn’t interfere with them and went back to her room to soak her feet in hot water before entering Space.
Looking at the Red Python coiled like a small mound beside the Spirit Pool, Mo Yan quickly walked over to check on the Lingzhi. Seeing that the Lingzhi was intact and had not been eaten by the creature, she sighed with relief.
When she had first brought the Red Python in, it drooled with desire over the Lingzhi. If she had not repeatedly instructed it not to touch the Lingzhi, it might have already gobbled it up whole.
As Mo Yan had anticipated, the Lingzhi was changing color again. A black spot the size of a fingernail appeared in the center. It wasn’t a pure black like ink, but a magnificent silver-black.
Mo Yan had a feeling that this silver-black was the ultimate color of the Lingzhi. Once it turned completely silver-black, it would indicate that the Lingzhi had fully matured. As for its function, she was still unclear, but she could be certain that it was beneficial to humans or animals, otherwise Dabai and the Red Python wouldn’t have been so crazed to eat it upon seeing it.
Unable to eat the desired Lingzhi, the Red Python settled next to it and went into hibernation again. Mo Yan could vaguely sll the pleasant scent emanating from the Lingzhi. Perhaps it was this aroma that benefitted the Red Python, which made it so reluctant to leave and determined to sleep beside it.
After shedding the bulky fur coat and cotton-padded clothes, Mo Yan began a new day’s labor, harvesting the ripe rice.
There was still plenty of grain stored in the Space, and with her daily harvesting, supplying the shop was no problem at all. Especially the eggs, even though the shop could sell a thousand or two each day, the piled-up eggs only continued to increase. Fortunately, the Space had a preserving effect, otherwise those eggs, piled up for so long, would have long spoiled.
Now, Mo Yan worked much faster. Spending a day in the Space, she could harvest an acre of rice, and after threshing and cleaning the rice, though she would be overwhelmingly tired. Sotis when too exhausted to sleep well outside, she would sleep in the Space. Once, she actually slept for a whole day and night and woke up feeling exceptionally rejuvenated, once again appreciating the benefits of the significant ti difference between inside and outside.
After tidying up the rice and collecting the eggs, Mo Yan leaned against the Jade Table to rest for a while. Looking at the fifty or sixty fine red lines scattered across the rit Pearl, she couldn’t help but reach out and touch them. These fifty or sixty red lines were both from taking in villagers whose houses collapsed under the weight of snow and from the accumulation of offering free rice porridge in the shop. Although not much and far from enough for the next upgrade, a mosquito bite is still a bite of flesh!
She wasn’t too concerned about upgrading the Space. The Space was already very large, so large that she could hardly keep up with it, and the ti difference was sufficient, so not upgrading had no impact. At most, after upgrading, the ti difference would be even greater and the Spirit Spring Water might have so new features.
However, rit still needed to be accumulated, as if to accumulate virtues for her family in past and present lives, only wishing for their lifeti of peace!
After soaking in a bath with Spirit Spring Water, Mo Yan got out of the Space and lay down on the bed. Without Mao Tuan, the bed was very cold; she curled up and took a while before she fell heavily asleep.
Not knowing how long she had slept, half-awake, Mo Yan heard soone knocking at the door. She groggily opened her eyes only to realize it wasn’t a dream; she clearly heard Lixiu’s voice, filled with urgency. Mo Yan imdiately sat up and, throwing on her cotton-padded jacket, threw off the covers.
A blast of cold air hit her, causing Mo Yan to shiver. She quickly put on her shoes and opened the door, and Lixiu hurriedly approached, her voice trembling as she said, "Yan girl, Little Flower, Little Flower has bitten soone. You must, you must..."
"Impossible!" Mo Yan interrupted her without even thinking, "It has taken those dogs into the mountains already, how could it have bitten soone!"
Lixiu was frantic, her voice changing, "Yan girl, it’s true! There are several people who have been bitten, and the most seriously injured one was carried back. Now, they are all waiting in the hall making a fuss, demanding an explanation. You should hurry over and see!"
Upon hearing this, Mo Yan indeed believed that soone had been injured, but she simply couldn’t believe it was by Little Flower’s doing, unless Little Flower went mad and returned to the village in the middle of the night, broke down those people’s doors, and rushed in to bite them. But could Little Flower go mad without reason?
Whether or not Little Flower was the one who had bitten them, since the commotion had reached her doorstep, she couldn’t just let them make a ruckus, so she said, "Aunt Li, you go ahead to the hall first and find out exactly what happened. I’ll get dressed and co imdiately."
Lixiu nodded hurriedly and ran out.
In the hall, a dozen or so disheveled young adults were arguing and clamoring. Their hair was ssy, most of their clothes were torn, and many had bite marks on their faces, arms, and legs. It was too cold, the blood had already coagulated.
Only one person was severely injured, currently slumped in a chair with a pained expression. One leg of his trousers was missing, and a long gash was torn open in his calf, from which blood was continuously seeping out, forming a small pool on the ground.
This person was no stranger; it was Wang Dali, the very one who had incited others to follow Little Flower into the mountains to take advantage.
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