The Answer Is to Pledge Yourself to Them

After bidding farewell to Xiao Mo, Bai Ruxue hummed a cheerful tune as she made her way back to her cave.

At the cave entrance, Xiao Qing flicked her tongue and looked around.

"Big Sis."

When Xiao Qing saw her sister return, her slit pupils suddenly lit up, and she hurried over.

"Xiao Qing~"

Bai Ruxue quickened her pace.

"Big Sis, where did you go this time?" Xiao Qing sighed.

Xiao Qing had noticed that over the past few years, except when she was hibernating, her sister loved to wander off.

"I went to see Xiao Mo~" Bai Ruxue said happily.

"Eh?" Xiao Qing jumped in alarm. "Big Sis, how could you go see Xiao Mo? You only just learned to take human form, and you're still not good at it. What if you're exposed?"

"It'll be fine." Bai Ruxue planted her hands on her hips, looking very pleased with herself. "Big Sis is really good at taking human form."

"You're not good at it at all!" Xiao Qing felt exhausted. "Big Sis, look at your feet."

"Hm?" Bai Ruxue lowered her head and saw that her feet had turned back into a tail.

"It's fine, it's fine." Bai Ruxue patted her tail, and it turned into human feet again. "I must've let my guard down while coming back. He definitely didn't notice."

"Really?" Xiao Qing flicked her tongue. "But Big Sis, you're so silly."

Bai Ruxue puffed out her cheeks. "Xiao Qing, you're the silly one! Big Sis isn't silly at all!"

Xiao Qing: "..."

"Xiao Qing, listen! I secretly slipped some silver into his pocket today." Bai Ruxue's eyes sparkled as she spoke proudly. "Once I find some more silver, I'll give it all to him. Humans use silver to buy things, so then he'll be able to buy lots and lots of things."

"Big Sis, are you going to see him again tomorrow?" Xiao Qing really didn't know what to do with her sister.

"Of course." Bai Ruxue answered as if it were obvious. "I haven't finished repaying his kindness yet. Your big sister is a good snake who repays her debts."

"Then, Big Sis, what would count as having repaid him?" Xiao Qing was starting to feel weary.

"Emmm..." Bai Ruxue seemed to think it over very seriously, then answered very matter-of-factly, "I don't know either."

Xiao Qing: "..."

"Xiao Qing, Xiao Qing, when someone saves your life, how does a girl usually repay them? Do you know?" Bai Ruxue asked her younger sister.

"Big Sis, I'm a snake. Not a human."

"Oh, well, then I guess Big Sis will just have to read more books."

"Read books?"

"Yeah. He was reading a book today. I couldn't understand it, but it seemed really impressive. Maybe there's an answer in human books."

"But, Big Sis, can you read?"

"Nope~ But that's all right. Big Sis has a plan."

With that, Bai Ruxue happily ran off again.

"Big Sis, it's so late! Where are you going?" Xiao Qing called after her.

"To find silver, and pick herbs!" The girl's voice drifted through the forest.

"Pick herbs?"

The next day.

After listening to the Village Chief's lesson that morning, Xiao Mo asked him about a few things in his books, then continued riding his ox up the mountain.

He planned to gather more herbs today and trade them for silver, then buy some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

When he got home yesterday, Xiao Mo had found a piece of silver in his pocket.

He knew Xiao Bai had secretly slipped it in there.

Xiao Mo had put the silver away in a small pouch.

It wasn't much, and Xiao Mo didn't plan to spend it. Instead, he would save it for her.

Since Xiao Bai had said she would find more silver and give it to him, Xiao Mo wanted to see how much she could find.

He had no particular reason for doing this. He just thought it would be fun.

After reaching She Mountain, Xiao Mo tended to the ox while picking herbs.

"Xiao Mo."

Just as Xiao Mo had gathered a small basketful, a clear, cheerful voice sounded behind him.

Xiao Mo turned around. Bai Ruxue was looking at him with a bright smile.

"Miss Bai." Xiao Mo cupped his hands in greeting.

"Xiao Mo, play with me." Bai Ruxue spoke with guileless joy, as if a little girl like her didn't have a single worry in the world.

Xiao Mo shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't have time today. I need to gather some herbs to sell so I can buy brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones."

"You have time. Come with me." Bai Ruxue took Xiao Mo's hand and led him forward.

"Miss Bai, wait. I need to lead the ox."

"Oh, right. Hurry up, then."

An incense stick later, the girl brought Xiao Mo to a place filled with the Purple Sun Grass and Green Waterfall Flowers he had been looking for.

"Why are there so many of the herbs I need here?" Xiao Mo thought in surprise.

He crouched down and picked a flower, noticing that the soil around these plants was loose, as if they had been buried there.

Xiao Mo turned around, his gaze falling on the girl's hands. They were dotted with dirt, and some of the skin was scraped.

"I see."

Xiao Mo understood. She had planted all these herbs here.

She must have spent the whole night finding all these Purple Sun Grass and Green Waterfall Flowers.

"How is it? This should be enough, right? You have to play with me for the rest of the day." Bai Ruxue lifted her delicate, fair chin.

"It's enough." Xiao Mo nodded. "What would you like to play, then?"

"I want to read!"

"Read?"

"Mm-hmm! I want you to teach me how to read. Will you?" Bai Ruxue happily stepped forward and took out a piece of silver with her dirt-stained hand. "I can pay tuition, too."

The Zhou Kingdom, the Minister of Rites' residence.

Xiao Chun, the maid, entered her young mistress's rear courtyard.

Every time Xiao Chun entered the courtyard, she felt as if she had stepped into another world.

There were only two colors in this world: purple and green.

Purple Sun Grass.

Green Waterfall Flowers.

In the pavilion in the rear courtyard, the young lady was reading.

Xiao Chun had grown up alongside her young lady. Her mistress had loved reading since she was little and knew a great many things.

Before long, once she had grown up, she had become the most talented woman in the Zhou Kingdom.

"Miss." Xiao Chun stepped forward and curtsied. "The Empress Dowager's female attendant is here. She says she has come to teach you the etiquette for entering the palace."

"I know." Yan Ruxue continued turning the pages. "I'll go over after I finish these few pages."

Xiao Chun looked at her young lady's profile, her lips gently pressed together. Unable to hold back, she asked, "Miss, are you really going to enter the palace?"

The palace was a sea of sorrow. In Xiao Chun's eyes, someone as beautiful and talented as her young lady shouldn't be locked away in the depths of the palace.

Yan Ruxue closed her book. Rather than answer her maid, she asked, "Xiao Chun, if someone saved your life, how would you repay them?"

"How to repay them... How to repay them..."

As Xiao Chun pondered the question,

Yan Ruxue stood and gently placed a volume of strange tales on her head.

"It's written in the book."

With her hands folded before her, the young woman walked out of the courtyard with graceful poise, while the spring breeze gently brushed the flowers and grass.

"The answer is to pledge yourself to them~"