Chapter 19: Heirloom (2) [Revised]

Chapter 19: Heirloom (2) [Revised]

Shuyue: "..."

Shuyue felt a bit dizzy; the father before her eyes suddenly seemed to grow taller.

But honestly, I don't really understand—what is your little great-aunt supposed to do?

But—

She still nimbly hugged the box to her chest, though she said with feigned politeness, "You're really giving it to me? That’s so embarrassing!" Regardless of where it came from, if her own father gave it to her, she would take it.

Bai Lie: "..."

"Heh, I’d say you really are my own daughter."

That little expression, that unceremonious little look...

Bai Lie was amused. Come to think of it, it really was quite similar to how he was when he was a child.

Shuyue tilted her little chin up—of course!

Bai Lie laughed out loud and took something hanging around his neck, placing it around Shuyue’s.

Shuyue blinked. It was a round bead pendant, neither jade nor stone, strung on a cord made of an unknown material.

Bai Lie coughed. "Don't let its plain, stone-like appearance fool you. This is our family heirloom. Just wear it like this, and don't you dare lose it."

Shuyue: "..."

Shuyue looked at him with a very strange expression.

If it were gold or silver jewelry, well, there was a courtyard next door that looked like it belonged to a former landlord. It was highly likely they had managed to snag some good things back in the day, so making some jewelry was actually affordable. But...

Your family is so poor you’re practically eating dirt, and you have a family heirloom?

No...

"If you give the heirloom to me, will the others agree?"

"You’re my only daughter; if I don't give it to you, who would I give it to?" Bai Lie replied as if it were a matter of course, and he reached out to tuck the bead inside Shuyue’s clothes.

Fine!

Although she still felt it was probably just a broken rock, since her own father said so, what else could she do but believe him?

Shuyue silently shut her mouth and pulled the sweet potato strips from the oil paper toward her. At the same time, she also brought over her canteen—a military canteen, insulated, with water that was still warm. "You haven't eaten yet, right? Have a little something to tide you over."

Saving up some emergency rations—why is it so hard!

And now they’re going to be gone again!

Bai Lie hadn't noticed before, but seeing it now, the veins on the back of his hand jumped. He braced his hands on the window frame and vaulted into the room. "Daughter, you want dried sweet potatoes? Didn't Dad say he’d get some for you?"

He tried his best to keep his tone and expression relaxed and gentle so as not to frighten her.

Bai Lie actually understood that his leaving this morning had likely made her feel insecure. Subconsciously wanting to hoard some food—this was something only someone who had been terrified of hunger would do.

Shuyue let out an "ah." Did he say that?

It seemed so!

But she was used to being independent; it was hard to immediately rely on others, even if he was her father.

However...

Looking at the solemn expression on his cold, handsome features, Shuyue nodded. "Okay, I want dried sweet potatoes. I'll keep them by the bedside so I can eat them when I'm hungry." Going to bed hungry was too uncomfortable.

Bai Lie smiled, his tone soft. "Alright, Dad will get you some dried meat, too." It was as if getting food for her was something worth being very happy about.

She took a sweet potato strip and fed it toward Bai Lie’s mouth. Watching him like this, the mountain of "survival crisis" that had been weighing on her heart suddenly shifted away. Shuyue smiled. "Dried meat? Do you know how to make it? Sweet potatoes were easy enough to find, but how are we going to find meat?"

Bai Lie let out an "ah," his expression a bit innocent. "The meat jerky made by the grandpa over there tastes especially good. They should have meat."

Following Bai Lie’s finger, she looked toward the stone house to the west of the dilapidated courtyard.

In Shuyue’s mind, she suddenly thought of what Er Ya had said when she went out yesterday.

How did she put it? It seemed to be: *Swish*, the white blade goes in; *slash*, the red blade comes out...

She also said she heard the people living in that house used to be bandits and would kill people.

Bai Lie saw the strange look on her face and couldn't help but ask. When he heard her answer, he burst out laughing. "Them? Your Grandpa Jian and the others do look fierce, but I used to hang out there and mooch food and drink all the time..."

(End of chapter)