"Uncle Qi, make us two gourds."
"Alright, wait for Uncle Qi to make them for you right away." Qi Yuanshan was used to the little girl and Xiaobai bickering. He chuckled, took the gourd from the little girl's hand, walked to the edge of the pine forest, pulled out the dagger tied to his waist, and sat on a fallen, dead tree.
Fu Xinci looked at the dagger in Uncle Qi's hand. It seemed to be made of cast iron. Although it was sharpened to a gleam, she had a feeling that if this dagger hit something hard, it would surely break, and not just into a few pieces.
Thinking of how such a good person like Uncle Qi used such a thing for self-defense, she felt it would be too disadvantageous in a close-quarters fight for survival.
Recalling that she had cold weapons like daggers in her space, she thought it would be good to give one to Uncle Qi.
Having made up her mind, she looked at Xiaobai and thought: I'm sorry, Xiaobai, this burden can only be yours.
Xiaobai didn't know what was happening. It saw the human suddenly run towards where they had been, and when the human returned, they were holding something.
"Uncle Qi, use this."
Qi Yuanshan was still holding his dagger and examining the gourd, contemplating where to cut it for the best result, when he saw the little girl hand him a short knife.
The leather sheath was undecorated, yet Qi Yuanshan felt an undeniable surge of enthusiasm from the bottom of his heart.
When he slowly drew the short knife from the sheath at his own pace, his eyes became fiery, and even his breathing changed.
The blade of the short knife was likely forged from "jing gang" (精钢 - fine steel), about a foot long and two fingers wide, quietly emitting a cold light in his hand.
Qi Yuanshan gripped the short knife, gazing intently at the cold gleam on the blade, the sharp chill reflected on the edge, and the rather chilling blood groove. He praised it without reservation, "This is truly a good thing."
"Is this knife really that good?"
"It's really good. This is the best short knife Uncle Qi has ever seen." Qi Yuanshan said, then casually gestured a few times. It felt indescribably smooth, as if it were custom-made for him.
Unable to contain his excitement, Qi Yuanshan cautiously asked the little girl, "Xinci, where did you get this short knife?"
"Uncle Qi, I don't know. Xiaobai gave it to me to play with."
"Squeak squeak squeak." When did this Xiaobai get this thing? It couldn't be eaten, and humans were lying again. Hmph! So inconsiderate.
Qi Yuanshan, however, had no doubts. Since Xiaobai could bring a large gourd, it wouldn't be difficult to find a short knife.
It was just that this short knife was too captivating. If he hadn't restrained his emotions with all his might, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to let go of the short knife.
"Uncle Qi."
"Uncle Qi?"
Hearing the little girl call him, Qi Yuanshan responded as if waking from a dream, "Xinci, you were saying? Uncle Qi was too engrossed just now."
Fu Xinci thought to herself: It's good that Uncle Qi is engrossed. Then, a hint of slyness flashed in her eyes, and she pouted shyly and somewhat nervously, "Uncle Qi, this knife is too scary. I don't want to play with it. I'm afraid I'll accidentally hurt myself or the people around me."
The little girl looked at Uncle Qi, her acting uninhibited, and continued, "Uncle Qi, you are an adult. This knife is still for you to use. It's better than keeping it with me, constantly fearing that I might accidentally stab something with this knife."
Qi Yuanshan really wanted to refuse the child's kindness, but the words of refusal kept swirling in his mouth, unable to be spoken.
Having settled one matter, the young lady Fu didn't rush Uncle Qi and stood by watching.
The human wasn't anxious, but Xiaobai was! The tide would rise soon. Where were the gourd ladles?
"Squeak squeak squeak." I want gourd ladles to scoop oysters.
"Heh heh." The young lady Fu chuckled awkwardly, then said somewhat unconfidently, "I forgot about that. Uncle Qi, Xiaobai wants gourd ladles. It asked me to help it dig oysters."
After hearing the little girl's words, all of Qi Yuanshan's doubts vanished. He really didn't know where Xiaobai got the gourd and the short knife, all for Xinci to dig oysters for it.
Xiaobai: This burden, it's going to carry it, and it's the kind that can never be shed.
Fu Xinci: This burden has to be carried by you. If I carried it, there would be no way to explain it.
"Squeak squeak squeak." I can't take the blame for nothing. I want delicious food, and a fragrant bubble bath.
"Alright."
"Squeak squeak squeak." Seeing that the human had agreed, Xiaobai began to prance on the beach.
Looking at the spirited Xiaobai, Qi Yuanshan's conjecture became even more certain.
Holding onto the idea that the little girl couldn't handle the knife, he gladly accepted the young lady's kindness with a great mood.
Seeing that Uncle Qi had finally accepted the short knife, Fu Xinci then felt at ease and went to the beach with Xiaobai to collect seafood.
The short knife was incredibly sharp, and Qi Yuanshan quickly split the gourd in two, making two ladles.
"Xinci, the ladles are ready."
"Ah, thank you, Uncle Qi."
"Uncle Qi also thanks Xinci. Without Xinci, how could Uncle Qi have obtained such a good thing?"
As he spoke, Qi Yuanshan lovingly stroked the simple sheath of the short knife, as if stroking his own character.
Seeing Uncle Qi's demeanor, Fu Xinci suddenly remembered a saying: "A fine carriage for a beauty, a precious sword for a hero."
Upon hearing the little girl's words, Qi Yuanshan was momentarily lost in thought, and then he seemed about to speak with a complex expression.
Fu Xinci, however, didn't wait for him to speak and continued, "Uncle Qi, although what Xiaobai found isn't a precious sword, it can still be given to a hero like you, an ordinary person."
"A hero of ordinary people?"
"Yes."
"Aren't those invincible generals on the battlefield, who always win, the heroes in everyone's hearts?"
"Uncle Qi, you could say that, but there's another way of looking at it: those who use their meager strength to make the lives of those around them better. Like you, Uncle Qi, who personally finds ways to ensure your soldiers have food to eat in winter, and stores food for them."
"Xinci, please don't praise Uncle Qi anymore. These are things Uncle Qi should do. Uncle Qi cannot just watch them starve."
"Uncle Qi, perhaps you haven't done anything earth-shattering, but your heart, which is entirely for your soldiers, is worthy of respect from all of us."
"..." Qi Yuanshan felt a bit embarrassed. He felt he hadn't done anything heroic or commendable that deserved widespread praise, yet the little girl had described it so nobly, making him blush with shyness.
Fortunately, his skin was already tanned, so even upon close inspection, one couldn't tell he was blushing.