But the night before last, she had lain beneath the bed and thought for a long, long time, until her little head had nearly burst, unable to figure out what gift she could give the Demon Venerable to make amends.
And express her thanks.
In the end, she had settled on candied hawthorn skewers.
As everyone knew, candied hawthorn skewers were the second-tastiest food in the world.
The Demon Venerable did not like roasted chestnuts, perhaps because of their cloying sweetness.
Candied hawthorn skewers were different. Sweet and sour, they rarely displeased anyone.
With that decided, the next question was how to get them. She had planned to go down the mountain and buy some, but soon dismissed that idea.
It was not that she begrudged the money. It was simply that those peddlers were far too crafty, often passing off rotten fruit among the good.
It was one thing for a little maid like her to eat them, but if the Princess Consort or the Demon Venerable got an upset stomach, that would never do.
So she had to pick the hawthorns herself, select them herself, and make the skewers herself. Only then could she feel completely at ease.
And so, early yesterday morning, she had mustered her courage and entered the Back Mountain.
Wild beasts roared along the way, and venomous snakes lurked in the grass, while she prayed constantly to Lady Houtu in her heart and pressed forward step by step.
She also carried the little wooden box containing the Wooden Hairpin against her chest.
She was terrified that she would never return and would lose her chance to wear the Wooden Hairpin.
And so, trembling with fear, that thin little figure had stubbornly gathered enough to fill her entire little basket, from the hours before dawn