Still Pity the Greenery

Xiang Ling had always been a bit of a chatterbox. Her way of thinking differed somewhat from others'; she had a few wits about her, but not many, and her words came out in a hodgepodge.

But after listening for quite a while, Meng Yuan finally understood what was going on with her dowry.

It turned out that somewhere around Big Head Mountain, where Xiang Ling lived, there was a hidden, narrow crack in the rocks. Within it grew a Treasure Tree, and it had already borne two fruits.

Xiang Ling had discovered that place by accident. After she told her godmother about it, the two of them put their heads together and even deliberately covered it with dead wood and leaves, sprinkling urine around the area to mark their territory.

After that, Xiang Ling had stayed to guard Big Head Mountain, and her godmother had appointed her Grand Inspector of Big Head Mountain, while she herself returned to her hometown.

The mother and daughter had simply waited for the fruits to ripen, intending to take one as a dowry so Xiang Ling could marry into a wealthy household.

"Since you found a Treasure Tree, why didn't you two guard it together? Why did your godmother insist on returning home?" Meng Yuan was truly curious.

That Roe Deer had even gone to pluck Great Tail Venerable's wool, so she was clearly greedy for money. Yet she had ignored precious medicine and insisted on living back home. That was rather improper.

"My godmother found herself a lover!" Xiang Ling was furious, tears already gathering in her two large eyes. "She became infatuated with a Daoist from a Daoist Temple near her hometown. That Daoist chants scriptures every morning, and my godmother goes to listen every day. Rain or snow never stops her; she's more diligent than someone lining up for free eggs! And she even sticks her butt out at him!"

As she spoke, she raised her tail and stuck out her rear. "Like this! My godmother went into heat!"

What kind of cursed romance was this? For the sake of a man, she had forgotten the Grand Dao? And please, stop demonstrating!

Meng Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose. Thinking back to his trip to Medicine Manor, he did recall seeing a low hill beside the Canglang River with a temple atop it, though its incense offerings seemed rather sparse.

"And that Daoist said nothing? Did he accept your godmother's affection?" Meng Yuan asked curiously.

"No." Xiang Ling answered with great seriousness. "My godmother doesn't dare speak in front of him. The Daoist doesn't know she's a Great Immortal either. And some people even call my godmother a stupid Roe Deer! My godmother isn't stupid at all!"

What Great Immortal? Was there a Great Immortal who stuck out her butt?

Meng Yuan did not want to discuss butts any further. "Can the fruit be picked now?"

"My godmother taught me how to tell. It ripened just yesterday, so I came looking for you." Perhaps food had entered the conversation. Xiang Ling plopped down on the ground, losing all traces of her shrewd, capable appearance. She cracked open the egg Meng Yuan had given her and began peeling it with great care.

But since they were discussing her godmother, she sniffled and cried while eating her egg.

"If the fruit is ripe, why haven't you eaten it?" For some reason, seeing Xiang Ling cry made Meng Yuan want to laugh.

"My godmother isn't here. Eating one alone wouldn't taste like much." Xiang Ling finished peeling the egg and made a token offer. When Meng Yuan shook his head, she happily said, "Besides, I need to save one as my dowry."

Let's not bring up your marriage anymore! Meng Yuan helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead.

"My godmother said that fruit is wonderful. When people eat it, they become strong. When we eat it, we become smarter!" Xiang Ling stuffed the whole egg into her mouth, let out a satisfied burp, then said solemnly, "You saved me once. I'll give you one, and I can still keep one!"

Meng Yuan looked at Xiang Ling. This little fellow had had her private savings swindled away by a fox matchmaker, her Roe Deer godmother had been taken by another, and only her dowry remained. Yet she showed not the slightest despair. Instead, she thought wholeheartedly of repaying kindness.

"How far away is Big Head Mountain?" Meng Yuan asked.

"Not far. About the time it takes to boil eggs two or three times." Xiang Ling sat with her butt on the ground, craning her neck and smacking her lips as she stretched both forelimbs wide to show the distance. "Your eggs are really tasty!"

She hinted with all her might, clearly wanting more.

Meng Yuan understood. Big Head Mountain was too close to the villages and towns. Xiang Ling and her godmother were willing to live near people, while other spirits rarely went to Big Head Mountain. Thus, by a twist of fate, the Treasure Tree had fallen under the two of their guard.

This was the third time he had met Xiang Ling, and Meng Yuan had been watching her eyes all along. She was saddened when speaking of her godmother, energized when talking of repaying him, and dejected when marriage came up. She truly was not lying.

And though Xiang Ling spoke in a jumble, her heart was indeed not bad, and she had little guile. When they first met and she rode in his cart, she had even paid the fare. That showed good upbringing.

Meng Yuan had once saved this little fellow and knew she was merely an ordinary spirit. She could speak human language and was somewhat clever and nimble, but she had no other abilities.

Big Head Mountain was not far either, only five or six li into the mountains. Meng Yuan had asked Zhao Datou about it yesterday. Nearby villagers often hunted and gathered herbs there, and all said that place was not dangerous, though there was nothing to hunt.

"I'll go with you." Seeing that it was still early, Meng Yuan decided to accompany her. It would also let him see this great medicinal Treasure Tree for himself.

His essence fire was growing slowly now. If he had this thing to aid him, it might reach completion sooner. Then he could temper his body once again. After entering Eighth Rank, his progress would surely become faster.

"Alright, alright!" Hearing this, Xiang Ling sprang to her feet at once, full of joy and delight.

"You lead the way," Meng Yuan said.

"I never get lost!" Xiang Ling declared with immense confidence, strutting ahead smugly.

Since this place was near the villages, there was even a small path into the mountains.

Spring urged the world green. Though most of the sunlight was blocked, slanting crimson rays still shone through.

The mountains were damp, and the morning sun stirred up misty vapors. Amid the tranquil stillness, birdsong rang through empty valleys, lending an even stronger sense of returning to nature.

"Ow, I ran too fast and got a stitch in my side!" Xiang Ling sat down with a plop ahead of him.

Meng Yuan took out his last boiled egg and tossed it to her. Xiang Ling caught it happily. "Little Gelder, you're so good!"

Perhaps because they had traveled together for a while, Xiang Ling was no longer afraid of Meng Yuan carrying a saber and bow. Grabbing the hem of his clothes, she scurried up onto his shoulder.

"So high! Higher than when I hang from a peach tree!" Xiang Ling gave directions while peeling the egg, then even tried to stuff the yolk into Meng Yuan's mouth. "You eat."

"I won't," Meng Yuan refused.

Xiang Ling clearly did not understand the etiquette of refusing thrice before accepting. She immediately stuffed it back into her own mouth, humming twice in satisfaction as though she had tasted the finest delicacy under heaven.

After traveling for more than half an hour, they finally came in sight of Xiang Ling's home, Big Head Mountain.

Before them stood a bare high hill. That was Big Head Mountain. Of course, Big Head Mountain also referred to the surrounding region.

In front of the high hill was a mountain hollow roughly ten zhang across, with quite a bit of water pooled inside. It looked fairly deep. This was Old Turtle Pit.

Xiang Ling chirped nonstop along the way, talking about where it was fun, where it was comfortable to sleep, and how the water here tasted good, among other things.

"It's right here." After circling Big Head Mountain, they found a small mound amid dense woods and lush trees.

The mound was covered in thorns and wild jujube trees, with plenty of dead leaves and rotting branches heaped around it.

"Put that away properly. Don't get it dirty." Xiang Ling took off her floral headscarf, slung her small floral bundle over her back, then leapt down in one bound and burrowed into the thorn bushes. In a few swift motions, she flipped aside the dead leaves and tangled branches, revealing a crack in the mound. At its narrowest, it was no wider than a finger, and even its widest point was only two fists across. It was indeed hard to notice.

Looking down from above, Meng Yuan peered into the crack. Its interior was dark and three or four zhang deep. There truly was a small green plant growing within.

The plant was about knee-high and bore two Green Fruits.

That plant likely received only a sliver of sunlight each day around noon, yet it still possessed vigorous vitality. It was clearly extraordinary.

The sunlight near noon was warm, steaming forth a faint, secluded fragrance.

"I'll pick one for you right now, hehehe!" Xiang Ling was delighted, but when she saw that Little Gelder gave no response, she turned to look. Little Gelder had actually taken the longbow from his back and was calmly nocking an arrow.

Xiang Ling burst into tears. "Little Gelder, you're awful! You're truly an old boar raising a child—pretending to be a good grandmother! A weasel paying you New Year's respects—pretending to be a good person! My godmother said people can't be trusted. She really didn't lie to me, sob sob sob..."

She simply lay down, shut her eyes, and thrust up her white belly. "Sob sob sob, my godmother said a miserable life is still better than a good death. You'd better make it quick. If it hurts too much, I'll curse you for being a gelding with poor craftsmanship!"

Xiang Ling kept chirping and crying, yet she never felt any pain in her belly. She opened one eye and saw that the gelding had drawn his bow and nocked an arrow, but he was not aiming at her. He was aiming into the distance.

Xiang Ling hurriedly got up and crawled out of the thorn bushes. There, beneath a distant pine tree, stood an old fox half the height of a man.

The old fox wore green robes, leaned on a wooden staff, and hunched her back as she looked this way.

"Old Matchmaker, where did you go?" Xiang Ling was overjoyed. "What did my husband say?"

She had just been lying down waiting to die, yet now she was already fretting over her marriage again.

The old fox ignored her, merely staring at Meng Yuan's arrow and smiling. "Young friend, there are two fruits. How about you and I each take one?"

"One was gifted to me by Miss Xiang Ling. The other is Miss Xiang Ling's dowry. You should ask her," Meng Yuan said.

The fox looked at Xiang Ling. "Xiang Ling, your husband sent me to collect the dowry."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ling shook her head over and over. "The dowry is for me to keep up appearances when I marry over there. I don't need to give it to my husband. If we divorce later, I can still bring my dowry back!"

She unexpectedly understood marriage customs quite well.

"She doesn't agree," Meng Yuan said.

The old fox fell silent for a moment before saying, "One plow ox, half a field—the harvest depends on Heaven, and the wasteland depends on Heaven. Will you harvest it, or let it lie barren?"

"What does she mean? Why can't I understand?" Xiang Ling was not stupid either. By now she sensed that something was wrong. She lay prone on the ground, not daring to move recklessly, though she could not keep her mouth shut.

"The fox means that this precious medicine was planted by her. It ripened today, and she has come to collect the harvest. As for whether she can collect it, that depends on my ability," Meng Yuan said.

"My godmother and I raised this with our piss and shit!" Xiang Ling began sniffling again.

"I have always been kind to others. It is merely that I have an urgent need this time." The old fox took a step forward. "You may not be able to defeat me. Better that you and I each take one. The world is broad and vast; young man, your future is bright as brocade, and there are many joys in the human world."

"I am not happy at this moment," Meng Yuan said.

The old fox's face darkened. "A tiny foolish spirit, a stupid monster, no different from grass and trees—one flick of a finger and she dies. Why must you do this, young friend?"

"Having known the vastness of heaven and earth, I still pity the greenery of grass and trees." Meng Yuan drew his bow like a full moon and shot.