Chapter 13: Be Good, Don't Cry

Trying to find things based on fragmented memories was simply a pipe dream.

Therefore, she had to take it slow.

The most urgent priority was to survive; she had to stockpile supplies and make it through the great famine starting next year first.

As for getting married...

If she hadn't recalled these memories, she truly wouldn't have cared. Finding someone to marry wouldn't have been a bad thing; she wouldn't have been opposed to it at all.

But now, getting married was definitely out of the question.

If Fourth Brother was there, she was certainly going to marry Fourth Brother.

If he wasn't—if he wasn't—then she didn't know anymore!

The following days were very peaceful. Lingxi went out almost every day. For some reason, Pei Fuzhu basically didn't show her face in front of her either, and Lingxi had almost forgotten about her.

As it turned out, just as Lingxi finished tidying up this day and was about to head out with her small basket on her back, she ran into Pei Fuzhu returning with a mud-covered box, the wood of which was somewhat rotten. The smile on her bright, beautiful face was so wide her gums were showing.

She didn't care at all that the large hem of her long dress was stained with quite a bit of mud.

Lingxi: "..."

When Pei Fuzhu saw Lingxi, her footsteps faltered. Subconsciously, she went to hide the wooden box she was holding behind her back. Then, not knowing what she thought of, she straightened her posture with righteous confidence and gave Lingxi a look of triumphant, smug satisfaction.

Lingxi: "..."

Just as Lingxi was preparing to pretend she hadn't seen her and walk away, Pei Fuzhu called out to her.

"Is Lingxi-er heading out to dig for wild vegetables?

That’s right, digging for wild vegetables is all you’re good for. Unlike me, I have a father in Heaven. Look, my father saw that I’m getting older year by year and that it’s almost time for me to get married, so he sent me a dowry."

Lingxi wasn't far away and could clearly smell the scent of damp, rotting wood wafting through the air.

To be honest, it didn't smell very good.

Deep down, she was even a little disdainful; Heaven was just too... stingy.

His own daughter is getting married, and this is the kind of stuff he prepares?

Suddenly, she didn't envy her anymore!

Pei Fuzhu didn't see anything on Lingxi's exquisite, pretty little face, but in her heart, she felt that Lingxi must be dying of jealousy.

Therefore, she let Lingxi off in a good mood, waving her hand at her, "Alright, aren't you going to dig for wild vegetables? Dig plenty, okay? Heaven will be watching you!"

She gave Lingxi a routine scare before heading toward the small shed.

She had to go find a hammer; she couldn't open this box.

Thinking of the pendant Lingxi had obtained from this box in her previous life, she felt even more excited.

Soon, it would be hers!

Not knowing what Pei Fuzhu was thinking, Lingxi immediately scurried away on her short legs the moment she heard Pei Fuzhu let her go.

Goodness, when will this "daughter of Heaven" ever be normal?

She chose a secluded path with no one around. Only after confirming that even if Pei Fuzhu chased after her, she wouldn't be able to find her, did she let out a sigh of relief. She picked a rock under a willow tree to sit on, took out her water bottle, and took a sip to calm her nerves.

Her consciousness had already probed into her storage pendant.

After her efforts over this period, she had already stockpiled three wild rabbits, five pheasants, one silly roe deer, two and a half baskets of wild vegetables, a basket of mushrooms, and a small pile of sparrows in her storage pendant.

It was strange to say, but these days, almost every day, a pheasant or a rabbit would bump into her.

And that silly roe deer, too—it was just so foolish, it ran straight into a rock and killed itself.

It was just... hard to understand.

Gu Si had come out of the mountains. Because he had caught something today, he specifically took a less-traveled path, never expecting...

To meet her here again.

The young girl had bright eyes and white teeth, and the faint smile on her face was like the morning dew in spring.

She sat in the shade of the tree, swallowing in small mouthfuls. The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, enveloping her in light and making her look even more ethereal.

By the time he came to his senses, his feet had already moved forward involuntarily.

Lingxi had just calmed down when she sensed a shadow looming over her.

She froze, looked up, and upon seeing the person's face, her eyes instantly lit up.

The person before her had a straight nose and thin lips, with exquisite features. His facial contours were slightly deeper and more defined than the average person's, and a pair of peach-blossom eyes stood out remarkably.

This was a peerless handsomeness different from her brothers at home, and it perfectly matched Lingxi's aesthetic.

His tall, slender figure was a sight to behold just standing there.

The young girl's eyes were bright and sparkling, clear and moist, filled with pure appreciation and surprise. This made Gu Si, who had walked over somewhat impulsively, unable to care about any feelings of annoyance.

A sweetness grew densely from the bottom of his heart, and his soul seemed to tremble along with it.

Gu Si had never felt such a strong obsession, as if it were buried deep in his soul. He hadn't been able to look away when watching from afar, and now that she was within arm's reach, he could barely control the urge to pull her into his arms.

At this very moment, and for the rest of his life, there would be no more partings.

This was very strange, but unexpectedly, he felt no resistance at all.

It was as if they were always meant to be together.

Lingxi had originally just been purely appreciative—this person's looks were only a tiny bit inferior to her Fourth Brother's. However, seeing him just standing there without speaking, she belatedly felt a bit embarrassed. "Um, is there something you need?"

She tilted her head; could it be that this piece of land had an owner?

Lingxi tilted her head in confusion, meeting his shimmering peach-blossom eyes. The moment she saw the focused, gentle expression in his gaze, Lingxi widened her eyes in shock.

She raised her hand, trembling slightly: "You..."

She didn't know what to say for a moment, and tears fell down uncontrollably.

Gu Si froze instantly.

Gu Si had never been able to make up his mind, but he couldn't bear to see the young girl feeling wronged, so he had only followed from afar, using the little remaining spiritual energy he could muster to control the pheasants and rabbits to send meat to the young girl.

But he truly hadn't expected that this time, he would run into her face-to-face like this.

He had once again overestimated his self-control, walking straight up to her. He was worried about leaving a bad impression on the young girl at their first meeting, so he tried hard to restrain himself from losing his composure.

But...

The young girl's low whimpering made Gu Si's heart ache with pity and sorrow.

He was at a loss, not knowing if he had frightened her.

He never expected that as he bent down, he would hear her muffled voice, suppressed in her throat, calling out: "Fourth Brother."

His heart trembled along with her.

No longer caring about anything else, he dropped the basket of meat he was carrying, took a step forward, knelt halfway in front of her, and pulled the young girl sitting on the rock into his arms.

"There, there, don't cry."

He instinctively and skillfully patted her back with one hand while gently stroking her hair with the other.

As he drew closer, a familiar scent, as if rooted deep in her soul, rushed toward her, enveloping her. Sensing his familiar voice and familiar movements...

In a trance, Lingxi couldn't tell reality from illusion.

(End of chapter)