Child Counseling Expert

"Good grief..." Du Yu thought he had rotten luck. He had been here less than ten minutes and already taken two beatings.

"A-Wu, are you all right?!" The burly man called A-Da hurried over to check his injuries, but the stench coming off Du Yu drove him back before he could get close.

"Good lord, you stink!"

"I'm fine..." Du Yu looked at Zhongli Chun. She guarded her food like a wild animal. Mud and filth covered her face; if he hadn't recognized those cold, stern eyes, he would never have believed the person before him was Zhongli Chun.

"Little Zhongli... you're a person... not a pig..." Clutching his chest, Du Yu slowly stepped forward. "Are you really willing to live like this?"

As Zhongli Chun watched Du Yu approach, she punched him in the face again.

Although he had expected the punch, Du Yu noticed something-

Zhongli Chun hadn't struck as hard this time.

Du Yu nearly fell again, but he managed to stay firmly on his feet.

"Du Yu! I suggest you stop forcing your way toward Zhongli Chun! She's lost her humanity right now. You're the only one who'll get hurt!"

"Sister Qianqiu, have you ever trained a dog? If you show weakness when a wild animal threatens you, you'll never get into her world."

Ignoring Dong Qianqiu's advice, Du Yu slowly approached Zhongli Chun again. No matter how she threatened him, he never took a single step back.

"Little Zhongli, have you noticed? I'm not trying to steal your food..."

"A-Da, what's gotten into your little brother?" The pig farmer was baffled too. Why had the household servant A-Wu suddenly taken an interest in the pig girl?

Du Yu slowly walked over. Although Zhongli Chun adopted an attacking stance, she didn't move. She bared her teeth, threatening him all the while.

"You're a person, not a pig girl," Du Yu murmured. "Baring your teeth can only scare off beasts without feelings. It can't scare off someone who truly wants to care about you."

Du Yu walked up to Zhongli Chun, reached out, and boldly stroked her head.

To everyone's surprise, Zhongli Chun didn't resist. She simply stared blankly at Du Yu.

She was only a ten-year-old child. What sort of parents could be so cruel as to raise her like a pig?

"Big brother, I'm taking her away."

"Taking her away?" A-Da was stunned. "You can't be serious, little brother. You like the pig girl? She's ugly and smelly, and she's only ten! If you want a wife, I can arrange a match for you."

"Say no more. I absolutely will not let little Zhongli keep suffering here."

"Well..."

"Big brother, you know I've lost my memory. What position do you hold in this household?" Du Yu asked.

"I'm a household guard..."

"Perfect," Du Yu said. "With your position, covering for me should be more than easy enough."

With that, Du Yu picked Zhongli Chun up. Although she still wanted to resist, she could clearly feel how gentle his movements were. Warmth radiated from his hands, and a clean fragrance came from his body.

Once upon a time, Zhongli Chun remembered, someone else had held her like this. His hands had been just as warm, his movements just as gentle.

The man in her memories wore armor, his presence commanding without a trace of anger. Yet whenever he saw her, he would give her a kindly smile. Zhongli Chun closed her eyes, struggling to recall his face. Her mind filled with the sound of him calling her childhood nickname-

"Chun'er, come here."

"Chun'er, your father picked some persimmons for you."

"Chun'er, do you like books and poetry, or weapons?"

"Chun'er, would you like to learn to ride?"

"Chun'er..."

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember his face.

For the first time in the five years she had lived in the pigsty, Zhongli Chun shed tears.

Carrying Zhongli Chun, Du Yu left the residence through the back gate and headed south under Dong Qianqiu's guidance. Many people on the streets cast scornful looks at them, and some covered their noses and mouths. Du Yu ignored them all and walked straight ahead.

Along the way, Zhongli Chun looked curiously around, as though everything in the world was new to her.

About half an hour later, they reached a little river outside the city. Du Yu gently set Zhongli Chun down and told her:

"Little Zhongli, remember that you're a person. From now on, whenever you get dirty, come bathe in this river."

As he spoke, Du Yu removed the mud and filth from Zhongli Chun.

At first, Zhongli Chun was a little frightened by the river, but Du Yu gently picked her up and set her on her feet in the water.

The gently flowing water passed between her feet, cool and refreshing.

At last, a faint smile appeared on Zhongli Chun's face. She reached out, scooped up a handful of river water, then happily flung it into the air, letting it splash over her.

"Good, very good." Du Yu smiled too. "Wash yourself clean here. I'll go find something."

With that, Du Yu plunged into the little grove beside the riverbank.

"Sister Qianqiu, people in ancient times usually used soap pods to bathe, right?"

"Yes."

"But what do soap pods... look like?" Du Yu asked.

"Uh..." Dong Qianqiu was stumped too. How was she supposed to describe them? "They look a bit like giant edamame pods... and smell a bit like bayberries..."

Dong Qianqiu knew her description was vague, but she had done her best.

Unexpectedly, using Dong Qianqiu's clues, Du Yu really did find soap pods on a tree. Each looked like a giant edamame pod, and when he picked one up and squeezed it, there were indeed seeds inside.

Under Dong Qianqiu's guidance, Du Yu found a large leaf, filled it with some water, and tossed in the soap-pod seeds to boil. The water in the leaf turned pale yellow.

Du Yu patiently let the water cool, then brought it over to Zhongli Chun.

Little Zhongli Chun was still happily playing in the water. After demonstrating how to wash herself with the soap-pod water, Du Yu stepped aside for propriety's sake. Although Zhongli Chun was only ten, she was already as tall as a young woman.

Before long, Zhongli Chun had washed herself clean. Clearly, she still remembered how to bathe.

Looking at her clean, delicate face and smelling her freshly fragrant hair, Du Yu couldn't help smiling. Then he led her to the riverbank and pointed out their reflections in the water. "Little Zhongli, look. You're just like me. A person, not a pig."

"A person..." Zhongli Chun repeated.

"Exactly, exactly." Du Yu nodded. "Nobody is allowed to bully you. Understand?"

Zhongli Chun said nothing. She only gazed quietly at the reflections on the water, and he couldn't tell whether she was looking at herself or at Du Yu.

"Oh, right." Du Yu suddenly remembered something. "I have something nice for you."

After rummaging through the pouch at his waist for a while, Du Yu pulled out several candies.

"Look!" Du Yu waved the cheap fruit candies in front of Zhongli Chun.

"...?" Zhongli Chun looked puzzled.

"A friend told me a few days ago that when you're feeling down, you have to eat something sweet." Unwrapping a fruit candy, Du Yu told Zhongli Chun, "But I don't know what sweet things you have in this era, so I asked Sister Qianqiu to bring me some candy. I hope these little things will cheer you up. Here, take this."

Du Yu offered Zhongli Chun an unwrapped candy.

"Open your mouth. Ah-" Du Yu showed Zhongli Chun.

"Ah-" Copying Du Yu, Zhongli Chun opened her mouth wide.

Du Yu popped a hard fruit candy into Zhongli Chun's mouth.

"Mm-?"

Zhongli Chun froze at first, but soon an utterly incredulous expression spread across her face. She had never eaten anything so delicious in her entire life.

Once, she had found a stinking fish head in the pigs' swill. Back then, she had thought she must be eating a delicacy fit only for the King of Qi.

But the tiny hard candy in her mouth had defeated all of that.

This must be an immortal's elixir, right?

"You're a lot like that friend of mine," Du Yu said. "When she's sad, she likes to eat something sweet."

"Sweet...?" As Zhongli Chun spoke, a fruity fragrance escaped her mouth.

"Yes, sweet things." Du Yu nodded.

"This... is very sweet..." Zhongli Chun pointed to her mouth.

"Of course!" As he spoke, Du Yu rummaged through his backpack and pulled out another seven or eight candies, handing them all to Zhongli Chun. "I have some more. They're all yours."

Zhongli Chun stared wide-eyed at the candies. She had thought there could only be one thing this delicious in the whole world. She had never imagined there would be so many.

"Let's go!" Du Yu took Zhongli Chun's hand. "I'll take you to eat something even better!"

They returned to the city. Although Zhongli Chun's clothes were still ragged, her clean face revealed an extraordinary air, and many people stopped to look at her.

Zhongli Chun still looked timid, but Du Yu swaggered into a restaurant, pulling her along.

"Proprietor! Bring out your best food! Delicacies from the mountains and seas, chicken, duck, fish, meat-serve it all!"

The proprietor couldn't figure out what was going on. Neither of them looked rich or important, so why were they making such grand demands the moment they walked in?

"Sir..." A waiter came over with an ingratiating smile. "That's quite a lot you're ordering. It'll cost a good deal of money."

"Money? Are you looking down on me?" Du Yu tossed his backpack onto the table with a loud thud. "Listen. What's that sound?"

"Huh?" The waiter looked uneasy. "As long as you don't have rocks in there, sir..."

"What a joke!" Du Yu casually reached inside and pulled out a handful of knife-shaped bronze coins. "What are these? Rocks?"

Before entering the legend, Du Yu had asked Dong Qianqiu to prepare extra supplies of two things: candy and the knife-shaped currency of the Qi Kingdom.

"Ah! Your food will be right out. Just a moment!"

The kitchen sprang into a frantic bustle. Before long, bronze bowls and wooden basins of all sizes were brought out. Food in the Warring States period really wasn't much to speak of-everything was either boiled or steamed-but the ingredients were excellent, with every sort of mountain and sea delicacy.

Zhongli Chun stared, dumbfounded, at the delicious dishes arriving one after another.

Du Yu picked up a piece of venison leg and began tearing into it, paying no attention to anyone's looks.

"Not bad. Just a little bland," Du Yu said through a mouthful.

Beside him, Zhongli Chun didn't dare move. She could only watch Du Yu feast. Only after he had gnawed a bone clean did Zhong Wuyan tentatively reach for it.

"Put it down," Du Yu said.

Startled, Zhongli Chun hastily let go, and the bone dropped to the floor. She watched it roll away, her face full of distress.

"From now on, no matter what happens, you must never eat someone else's leftovers. If anyone gives you scraps again, go ahead and hit them." Du Yu picked up a large piece of meat and placed it directly in Zhongli Chun's hands. "This is what you should be eating."

As he spoke, a stray dog slipped in from the street, snatched up the bone from the floor, and ran away.

"See? Scraps are for animals. But we're people."

Looking at the meat in her hands, Zhongli Chun trembled with excitement.

Was this what life was like for immortals?

Copying Du Yu, she began taking big bites.

The meat tasted wonderful, but her heart was uneasy. She felt anxious now, not knowing whether this life would be as fleeting as a night-blooming flower.

"You..." Zhongli Chun struggled to speak. "Will you... always stay with me?"

Du Yu froze. This descent would last only a day. He would have to leave soon.

"I..." Du Yu was silent for a while. "I can't stay with you forever. I have to leave after today. But don't worry. I'll come back to see you soon."

Zhongli Chun felt miserable, but she didn't dare show it. She could only look at Du Yu cautiously.

Like a gale sweeping away clouds, the two polished off everything on the table. Zhongli Chun's little belly bulged.

"Burp-" Du Yu let out a belch, startling Zhongli Chun.

"Little Zhongli! Listen!" Du Yu gathered his breath and belched again. "Burp-! That proves you're full!"

"Full?" Zhongli Chun looked at her little belly. It was rounded and did feel rather tight. Copying Du Yu, she took a deep breath and let out a tiny burp.

"Hahahaha!" Du Yu laughed. "That's it! I told you you're like a friend of mine. Every time she's full, she lets out a great big burp!"

Dong Qianqiu shook her head helplessly. "Du Yu, could you teach her something decen..."

Du Yu waved the waiter over. "Waiter, work out our bill."

The waiter hurried over, his face wreathed in smiles. "Honored guests, I've already totaled it up. Seventy-seven knife coins altogether."

Du Yu gave a cold chuckle. "Not expensive at all." Then he reached for his backpack. After groping around a few times, he froze. His backpack had somehow vanished.

"Huh?" Du Yu looked around. The backpack that had been sitting on the table had simply disappeared.

"Is something wrong, sir?" The waiter smiled meaningfully.

Du Yu looked up at him, realizing he had probably walked into a crooked establishment. In these troubled times, such places were perfectly commonplace. He glanced at the ten-year-old Zhongli Chun beside him and knew this wasn't the time to fight them.

"Little Zhongli, I'll teach you another special move," Du Yu whispered to her. "If you've finished eating and don't have money to pay, use this move."

"A special move?"

Du Yu slowly took Zhongli Chun's hand and shouted:

"Run!"