Jin Shanyao in surprise, "You know this child?"
Meng Anzhi picked up Xiao Huzi and explained as she walked out, "This is a relative of Shopkeeper Wang... Shopkeeper Wang, we've found Xiao Huzi."
Jin Shanyao pricked up her ears, and a soft, sweet child's voice rang out, "Mother... the doctor said my mouth isn't sick, so if you scold me again..."
Before she could finish speaking, several muffled thuds were heard, followed by the woman's angry roar, "I told you not to run around like that! I told you not to run! What if you get lost in this crowded place?"
The child's voice trembled with anger, "Am I a pig? Why should I be locked up in a room all day..."
"I'll teach you to be stubborn, I'll beat you to death..."
"Go ahead and hit me... If you've got the guts, kill me. Otherwise, when I grow up, your old arms and legs won't be able to catch me..."
Slap slap slap... Waaah... A heart-wrenching cry rang out.
Jin Shanyao's lips twitched, and she hurriedly took out "The Life Principles You Can Listen To or Not" and began to memorize them, lest she return to Heavenly Court and get a beating from Taishang Laojun for saying something wrong...
That's not the scariest part. The scariest part is that she thought everything Xiao Huzi said made sense.
Meng Anzhi brought Xiao Huzi back, muttering, " Shopkeeper Wang's family has so many relatives. The backyard is packed full, and even Sister Xiaohua's room is full of sisters."
Jin Shanyao and said, "Great events in life naturally attract many people. Xiaohua, do you like your gift?"
"Of course I like it... and I even said I'd use the rouge you gave me when we get married," Wang Xiaohua said. Her wedding was scheduled for the end of March, just in time to avoid the busy farming season.
The next day, on Hat Mountain, Xie Chao and Jin Shanyao sat side by side on a crooked tree.
"Is this a gift you brought me?" Xie Chao held up the jade lingzhi and looked at the Jin Shanyao in disbelief.
Jin Shanyao smiled and nodded, "Hmm, do you like it...? The first time I saw it, I thought it looked like you."
Xie Chao took a deep breath, " Jin Shanyao, are you blind? How do I resemble it? Look at the shape, look at the transparency..."
With a glare and a stern look, Jin Shanyao said coldly, "Don't force me to slap you when we meet again after so long."
"Look at your temper, can't you just let me finish what I'm saying?" Xie Chao raised the jade lingzhi and clicked his tongue twice. "Look at the shape, and look at the transparency, it's practically a carbon copy of me."
How did you find this place? It's exactly what I wanted! * Shanyao *... We truly are kindred spirits.
He carefully put the jade lingzhi in his bag, afraid of damaging it in the slightest, and even seemed to cherish it.
Jin Shanyao chuckled and said, "Isn't it beautiful? It's just a pity I've never seen your true form, otherwise I could have a craftsman carve one for you."
Xie Chao looked at him suspiciously, "You don't have any ulterior motives towards me, do you?"
"What are you thinking? I've already become a god. I'd use eating you to boost my cultivation. Besides, I'm not Evil Cultivator. What's there to be afraid of?"
As she spoke, she swept her Spiritual Power across Hat Mountain and praised, "The ginseng cultivation is quite good. When Anci takes the imperial examination, we can take it all to the capital to sell."
Xie Chao was slightly taken aback. "You're leaving Qingzhou Prefecture?"
"It'll be soon... Anci will take the preliminary examination this October, and if all goes well, the provincial examination will be held three years later."
Xie Chao stared at the jade spirit mushroom, calculating in his mind. In other words, they would be leaving in four or five years. Jin Shanyao saw that he was not speaking and was somewhat depressed.
He comforted her, saying, "Don't be afraid, no matter where I go, I will come back to see you."
"Really?" He stared at Jin Shanyao's face, as if trying to discern something from it.
"Of course, we're friends."
Xie Chao fell silent again. He had many friends in Heavenly Court, but none of them came to see him. He didn't know if Jin Shanyao was telling the truth, but he would just take it as true.
Seeing that he was unhappy, Jin Shanyao waved her hand through the air, and as golden light fell, plates of food appeared before her eyes.
"I brought you a portion of all the delicious food I've eaten in Beijing. This 'Soft Heart' is especially delicious, with dates sandwiched in glutinous rice flour."
And this Hongdou cake, so fragrant it leaves a lingering taste, and this chestnut cake...
Xie Chao watched the Jin Shanyao and listened to her introduce each dish, feeling a warm glow in his heart. "Thank you..."
"No need to thank me. Since you can't leave these mountains, I'll bring you all the good food and fun things. If you're with me... you're mine. We'll be together forever, and I'll never let you suffer."
Xie Chao's eyes darkened. " Jin Shanyao, what kind of rubbish books have you been reading lately?"
"No, why would the capital sell such random books? Don't overthink it, I've just grown up."
Xie Chao rolled his eyes, using his Spiritual Power to hold onto Xin Tairuan, and hugged the plate to his chest. He ate while gazing at the forest, the soft, sweet flavor seeming to sweeten his heart.
We are friends.
Yes, we're friends for a long, long time.
Hearing Jin Shanyao's affirmative answer, Xie Chao curled his lips and snorted lightly. Liar... He just wants him to grow ginseng and lingzhi.
"Would you like some?" He offered his soft-hearted friend to Jin Shanyao's lips. Jin Shanyao shadow puppet, wanted to put on a shadow play for him, but shook her head and said, "No."
Xie Chao gave an "oh"... A moment later, a white light appeared before his eyes, and several small shadows flashed in the white light. The little general cried out and carried a big sword, which made Xie Chao chuckle.
The arrival of the Jin Shanyao brought a touch of liveliness to the otherwise dull forest.
After bidding farewell to Xie Chao, Jin Shanyao inspected the estate again, and only after finding nothing amiss did she leisurely stroll home.
On March 28th, the Wang Household held a banquet to celebrate their marriage. Jin Shanyao brought Meng Anzhi to attend, as the two families were next-door neighbors.
Jin Shanyao arrived early to help. The Wang Household had outsourced the kitchen, so she and the other women in the Wang Household family only needed to serve the dishes. The dozen or so tables were packed full, and people had to pass each other to move around.
Xiao Huzi sat upright in his chair, chopsticks in hand, his eyes sparkling as he watched the dishes being served. Seeing Jin Shanyao over a plate of peanuts, he quickly called out, "Auntie, set this out, set this out..."
Jin Shanyao placed the peanuts in front of him, smiled, and pinched his little cheek. She then turned and placed another plate of peanuts on the next table. The cold dishes were almost ready, and Xiaohua urged her to hurry up and eat.
Jin Shanyao, carrying a small bowl of peanuts, sat down next to Meng Anzhi. "Here... no one has touched it."
Meng Anzhi was slightly taken aback. After seeing who it was, she moved the stool for her aunt to sit down and placed the vegetables she had snatched next to her aunt. Before she could speak, the old lady next to her spoke first.
"Young lady, you look unfamiliar. Are you a relative from over there?"
Jin Shanyao was attending a large banquet for the first time, surrounded by complete strangers, and felt a little reserved. "I'm the neighbor from next door," she said.
The old woman exclaimed, "Oh dear, I was wondering why I'd never seen you before..." Before she could finish, she was interrupted by others, "Young lady, you're Anzhi Hall. I've heard Anzhi Hall's medicinal herbs are exceptionally good."
"I've heard that too. They say you're incredibly good at divination. Could you read my palm?"
As they were talking, the new dishes were served. Jin Shanyao had just picked up her chopsticks when she looked up and saw that the plate was empty. Meng Anzhi picked up two strands of meat and put them into Jin Shanyao's bowl.
Jin Shanyao finally understood why Meng Anzhi was holding her chopsticks so tightly and ready to fight—it turned out that the dish was something her child had desperately fought to get back.
Before she could recover, the women around her started chatting with her again, "Miss Jin, I heard from my third brother that you're not married yet... Take my advice."
Even if a woman has extraordinary abilities, she still needs to get married; only through marriage can her life be complete.
Jin Shanyao was about to retort, "Whether I get married or not is none of your business," when another person said, "Give birth to a healthy son after marriage, so your in-laws will like you. Otherwise, no matter how much money you earn, it's all for nothing, and you won't even have a grave after you die."
Jin Shanyao wanted to say, "Go ahead and have your own child if you want," but before she could speak, someone else said, "Getting married? Getting married is the right thing to do. My aunt has a nephew. I'll bring him over for you to see sometime, and then we can get the marriage arranged."
Jin Shanyao thought to herself, "Instead of introducing your nephew to me, you might as well give me a ginkgo tree." But before she could speak, someone else chimed in.
"We've been there... we've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice."
A sense of powerlessness washed over Jin Shanyao, as if she had returned to the time when she first came to the human world, with a mouth... but unable to open it.