Dog Bao knew nothing about the tiger skin.
But he knew that of all the things they desperately salvaged from the fire, that tiger skin was the most valuable.
However, seeing his mother's expression, it was clear she had some reservations.
"Mother, the tiger skin must have been a gift from the Great Leader. After all, Miss Meng treated people in our stockade before. Have you forgotten? She saved me too."
As soon as Dog Bao said this, Lu Huifen's mouth fell open, and she was speechless for a long time.
The doorway was crowded then, and many hadn't seen the doctor. So it turned out to be this girl.
Back on the open ground where the stove was, a crowd had already gathered.
Some people were helping A Jiu scrape off the fur.
Lu Huifen squeezed her way in after much effort. "What are you all gathered around for? Disperse, disperse. When the food is ready, we'll call you to eat."
With Lu Huifen's shout, many people obediently withdrew.
A Jiu couldn't help but glance at Lu Huifen again. She was quite authoritative. "Auntie Lu, I heard you used to be a cook. They say your cooking is delicious."
Lu Huifen squatted down to help scrape the fur. "That's everyone's kind praise. Before the famine, our family did run a restaurant, but even a clever woman can't cook without rice."
A Jiu noticed that Auntie Lu's attitude had softened considerably and asked with a smile,
"Jiu'er has something she'd like to ask. Auntie Lu and I met by chance, but why did I feel earlier that you had reservations about me?"
As soon as she said this, Lu Huifen's mouth twitched awkwardly.
She had lived for more than half her life and had always understood the art of social interaction, not revealing everything. Yet this girl had directly brought it up.
"Well... actually, it's nothing." Lu Huifen could only explain the origin of the tiger skin.
A Jiu then understood. "No wonder."
"But since we've cleared the air, you did save my son too," Lu Huifen confessed, finally speaking her mind.
"Yes, that's true. But mainly, my mother caught a cold, so I had no choice but to ask the Great Leader for the tiger skin in exchange. Once my mother recovers, I'll return it to the Great Leader."
A Jiu had also considered planting some cotton when she had the chance. She truly had cotton seeds in her space, but she hadn't had any opportunity to plant them during their journey, as she was solely focused on finding food and shelter.
Now, as the weather grew colder, she was reminded of the importance of cotton.
"There's no need for that." Lu Huifen's pupils contracted in embarrassment, and she waved her hands repeatedly. "Since the Great Leader gave it to you, you keep it. Before it gets too cold, the Great Leader will surely send people to weave some straw mats."
A Jiu thought about it. That was indeed a good idea. "Auntie Lu, then could you prepare the soup? Even though the lamb is small, everyone can still have a bowl of hot soup."
A Jiu got up and left. She returned to the cave and took out a packet of salt from her mother's precious bundle.
She then found two scythes and bamboo baskets from the manager.
When she handed the salt to Auntie Lu, her expression was startled. She quickly opened it and tasted it, her eyes lighting up.
"It really is salt. Girl, you're giving away something so precious. It makes me feel even more narrow-minded for what I thought earlier."
"Since we are all under the same roof, we are naturally a family."
A Jiu left, her retreating figure leaving Lu Huifen so touched she couldn't speak.
A Jiu searched for six or seven li along the mountain path and finally found a flat valley bottom with no trees. Here, waist-high wild grasses grew in patches, already withered and dry.
This was good. Thanks to Auntie Lu's reminder, she and her mother wouldn't freeze tonight.
As A Jiu bent down to cut a couple of stalks, she heard someone shouting noisily from the grass.
"Why aren't you listening to advice, you old thing? Go on, get away and meditate."
Grandma A?
A Jiu groped her way through the dry grass towards the sound.
Less than ten paces away from Wang Shi, she suddenly stood up, her shoulders and head emerging from the withered grass.
A small old man stood up beside her, his expression like a child who had made a mistake.
"Master, please take me as your disciple. I've lived for most of my life and have never encountered a master with your cultivation."
"Don't call me that. I've told you several times, at your age, what are you still cultivating for?" Wang Shi was furious. She strode through the withered grass towards Jiu'er and then suddenly remembered something.
She pressed two fingers together like a sword and pointed at A Jiu, then turned to the old man Peng Zhao.
"Look, look! This is my granddaughter. She's the truly gifted one. She can achieve foundation building in three days. If she cultivates diligently, she can purify her marrow and transform her body within a hundred days. At your age, any further purification would shatter you."
As soon as she said this, the old man Peng Zhao looked at A Jiu, his eyes bulging like ox eggs.