Pirates

Shi Yimiao quickly hugged the glass bottle taken from the small suitcase.

In the relatively well-lit corridor, Shi Yimiao sat beside her mother, her sock-covered but shoeless feet swinging rhythmically in midair. Hesta noticed the swelling on the child's hands and feet, along with faint traces of iodine.

"Miaomiao really likes ships," Hesta said softly. "I saw model ships everywhere in her room."

"Yes, she's loved spending time at the harbor since she was little." Ding Xueyang gently stroked her daughter's head and switched to the Southern District 14 language. "When she grows up, Miaomiao is going out to sea to be a captain, right?"

Shi Yimiao grinned, kicking her feet several times in the air.

"Then you need to get healthier too," Ding Xueyang said. "If you get sick at the drop of a hat, how will you enlist in the future?"

Shi Yimiao immediately frowned. "I don't want to join the navy! I want to be a pirate... a pirate like Masaki."

Ding Xueyang laughed. Ding Yuqing translated quietly from the side, and Hesta's expression tightened slightly. "...A pirate like who?"

"Masaki," Ding Yuqing repeated. "A famous pirate from history, the ruler of the seas during the Great Blackout Era. From District 14, then later went over to District 12."

Ding Xueyang looked down at her daughter. "Sister Hesta brought you a toy. What should you say to her now?"

Shi Yimiao forced herself to stay awake, squinting at Hesta for a while. Then she turned and tugged on her mother's sleeve, whispering a few words in her ear. Ding Xueyang burst into laughter and shook her head.

The child was about to say something more when Ding Xueyang spoke softly. "You need to say, 'Thank you, Sister.'"

Shi Yimiao still looked at Hesta without saying a word.