"Mother!"
A Jiu found her mother was too overjoyed to hear her calls, running towards the lower part of the valley.
She shouted as she ran, "Mom, stop digging."
Just as she rushed down into the valley, the man had already descended the mountain and was standing not ten meters away on the opposite side.
A Jiu grew scared, glancing back to see her mother still digging frantically nearby.
She directly hugged a large watermelon to her chest. "Heh heh, it's my first time seeing watermelons grow in the ground. Daughter, don't rush, Mom will make you something delicious."
"Mom... it's not like that." A Jiu's face turned grim.
"What's wrong, A Jiu? Aren't you hungry? You gave yesterday's chicken leg to your father and me, and the soup I poured for you to someone else. If you say you're not hungry again, Mom will get angry."
Cai Lihua didn't notice the man slowly approaching from behind her.
"Mom, run quickly."
A Jiu suddenly saw his hand reaching for his waist; he was surely preparing to draw his saber to kill.
"Ah?" Cai Lihua finally saw the fear in her daughter's eyes, scrambled up, and ran, pulling her daughter close before looking back.
"Madam, please do not be afraid. I am here to find Tuoba Yan."
The second boss suddenly cupped his hands and bowed. The mother and daughter shrieked and stumbled back a few more steps.
A Jiu stared blankly at the man, who had suddenly become so polite, as if he weren't the same person from last night.
For a moment, she dared not make any rash moves.
"Is it ready?"
A voice came from behind.
A Jiu turned to see Tuoba Yan walking over with a smile.
"It is ready."
"A soft sedan?"
"Everything has been arranged in the best possible way."
"Thank you, Second Boss." Little Yan Yan smiled, cupped his hands, and bowed.
The back-and-forth conversation confused the mother and daughter.
After the second boss left, Cai Lihua plopped down onto the ground.
A Jiu, however, squinted at Tuoba Yan.
"You know this second boss?"
Even if A Jiu were an idiot, she would have understood. It seemed the carriage had been prepared by this bandit leader.
Who exactly was this Tuoba Yan? How could he be connected to bandits?
"Sister A Jiu." Little Yan Yan's pupils constricted, clearly sensing the distance in Sister A Jiu's eyes. He was about to step forward.
A Jiu quickly retreated, watching him warily.
"I..." Tuoba Yan retracted his hand, which was left hanging in the air. "It's not what you think, but I don't know how to explain it to you right now. Good sister, you can doubt me about anything, but please believe me, no matter when, I will never harm you. Just... just believe me on this one thing, okay?"
Tuoba Yan's voice was full of pleading.
A Jiu slowly shook her head, looking incredulous. She even searched her memory of last night, certain that this was not an illusion.
A look of disappointment flashed in Tuoba Yan's eyes.
"Mom, let's pack up and leave now. I'll go find Dad."
A Jiu glanced at Tuoba Yan, then turned and ran.
As noon approached, Meng Shaode and Wu Dalei returned. They had expected to hunt some game.
Both returned empty-handed.
Inside the wooden hut, the child's cries were heart-wrenching, and the woman held him weakly.
"Heaven, this wicked woman is incompetent and unable to raise her child. May the heavens take my life."
A Jiu never expected the frail Aunt Wu to cry so loudly.
She entered the house and saw Aunt Wu staring blankly at the ceiling, the child not in her arms but resting on her arm.
The child was not crying.
A Jiu rushed forward and saw clearly: blood foam was seeping from the corner of the child's mouth.
A Jiu's pupils contracted. She snatched the child from Aunt Wu, her eyes falling on the bloody gash on the woman's arm.
A Jiu's heart sank, and she slowly backed away.
Feeding blood? A Jiu's face instantly turned grim.
"Girl, your spiritual fruit can feed her."
A voice came from above.
A Jiu listlessly looked up. It was Grandma A. *Crunch*, she took another bite, looking intently at the half-eaten peach in her hand.
"It tastes good. Sweet, refreshing, moistens the throat, and is full of spiritual energy."
Saying this, Wang Shi patted her belly. Her appearance clearly showed she had stolen and eaten a lot of A Jiu's spiritual fruits.
"Ah, ah... ah." The child in her arms cried out.
A Jiu didn't have the leisure to mind Grandma A's old habits.
Not knowing if it would work, she quickly picked up the child and took out a peach from her pocket, offering it to the little mouth.