Chapter 11: Impossible, I don't believe it!

“Still my Lingxi-er who is filial. Grandma saved some meat porridge for you too! Just a couple drops of sesame oil stirred in, and it’s so fragrant…”

The grandmother and granddaughter returned home in harmony.

Lingxi handed the basket to the old lady and turned to head back to her room.

Once inside, she found paper and a pen to record the locations of the wild fruits, wild yams, and wild chestnut trees she had encountered in the forest today, thinking she would go hoard some food when they were ready to be harvested. Then, she began to take stock of her current supplies.

Setting aside the items she had added to her storage pendant in the forest today, she checked her room.

In the living room cupboard, there were a few pounds of peanuts, pine nuts, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds.

In the bamboo box specifically used for snacks, there were about two pounds of dried sweet potatoes, a pound of roasted peanuts, a pack of peach blossom cakes, a pack of mung bean cakes, a pack of White Rabbit creamy candies, a pack of peanut brittle, a pack of fruit hard candies, and two cans of yellow peaches.

In the small kitchen in the neighboring courtyard, there were about ten pounds of white rice, ten pounds of white flour, half a bag of cornmeal weighing over ten pounds, three or four pounds of red and mung beans, and a basket of about fifty or sixty pounds of sweet potatoes.

These items were out in the open, and the old lady would use them from time to time to cook her delicious meals. Lingxi looked left and right, realizing none of it was suitable for her to hide away privately.

Just as she was feeling conflicted, she heard footsteps at the door. She subconsciously adjusted her expression before turning around.

At the door, Third Uncle Pei was carrying a basket of apples and pears.

“Lingxi-er, come take a look. Third Uncle just picked these.”

Their village was adjacent to the mountains, and the produce within was very abundant. There was even a hillside covered in various fruits, though no one knew who had planted them. However, that place wasn't close; one had to cross two mountain ridges to get there.

It was the busy farming season now, so few people ventured deep into the mountains.

Lingxi was stunned and quickly stood up.

“Third Uncle, why did you go into the mountains?”

Actually, she didn't need to ask; it was definitely because of what happened yesterday. Third Uncle felt bad about it.

Third Uncle Pei lived in the west courtyard. Usually, they cooked for themselves, but during the busy farming season, they cooked together with Second Uncle Pei’s family.

However, because the old lady didn't care for Pei Fuzhu, over time, Third Aunt Pei would take the cooked food back to their own house.

Therefore, he and his son, Pei Fuzhu’s twin brother Pei Furui, were the last to know about Lingxi fainting.

Third Uncle Pei had always loved Lingxi no less than his own daughter. When this happened, he spent a long time thinking but couldn't come up with a good idea to cheer Lingxi up. In the end, he finished work early in the afternoon and trekked into the mountains to pick a basket of fruit for her.

Lingxi paused for a moment, immediately understanding what Third Uncle meant.

What could she do?

She happily accepted the fruit: “Thank you, Third Uncle. Did you keep some for yourself? Brother Furui and Sister Fuzhu like these too.”

Third Uncle Pei smiled: “I kept some, I kept some. You eat slowly; if it’s not enough, I’ll pick more for you in a couple of days.”

He waved his hand and turned to walk outside.

He still had to go back to the fields. He had left early before his work was finished, and the remaining tasks had to be done by his son, Pei Furui. If he went over now, he could still help Furui finish up.

Lingxi stood there, feeling quite conflicted.

This was Pei Fuzhu’s biological father, and to her, he was also an elder who doted on her.

For the sake of the monk, one must respect the Buddha; because of Third Uncle Pei, the original owner had never truly fallen out with Pei Fuzhu.

Now, having been prophesied that if she didn't marry out this year, she would drag the whole family down, Lingxi was, to some extent, standing on the opposite side of Pei Fuzhu.

To be honest, Lingxi still couldn't figure out if Pei Fuzhu had really been visited in a dream or if she just wanted an excuse to marry her off.

If Pei Fuzhu had really been visited by her father in a dream, then Lingxi wouldn't accept it. She had been so timid, keeping her head down and staying out of trouble; how could she possibly drag the whole family down?

But if Pei Fuzhu was really using the title of "God’s own daughter" to stir up trouble just to get her married off, what was Pei Fuzhu’s goal?

In these mountain gullies, if a younger sister married before the older sister, the older sister would be gossiped about for not being able to get married!

Lingxi couldn't figure it out at all.

“What are you thinking about!”

Pei Xuan, who had finished his work and returned early, saw Lingxi staring blankly at a basket of pears and apples, and he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He picked up a pear, wiped it carelessly on his clothes, took a bite, and smiled: “Third Uncle really doesn't mind the fatigue. The pears from that patch on the mountain are the best.”

Lingxi came back to her senses and smiled: “Third Uncle is truly good to me.”

He was also truly good to Pei Fuzhu, his own daughter.

Sigh!

A little melancholy.

In the future, if she and Pei Fuzhu fell out, Third Uncle would definitely be the one in the most difficult position.

Pei Xuan poked her head, amused: “You’re just a child, what are you sighing for?

Third Uncle is indeed a good person, but Pei Fuzhu is not. In the future, keep your guard up when dealing with her; don't be so silly as to believe whatever she says.”

Lingxi blinked and obediently nodded.

This Third Brother was an atheist of sorts; he didn't believe in gods or ghosts at all. He had always tried to persuade Pei Lingxi, but he couldn't explain why Pei Fuzhu could summon heavenly thunder when she was a child, or why she could often find good things.

The consequence of neither being able to convince the other was to just let it be—you believe your way, I won't believe mine.

Pei Xuan told Lingxi a joke: “Last night, when I went out to catch cicadas, Pei Fuzhu wasn't watching where she was going and fell into the drainage ditch by the side of the road.”

Lingxi: “……”

Pei Xuan raised an eyebrow at her: “See, her ‘God’ father isn't that reliable either, otherwise how could Pei Fuzhu have fallen, right!”

Lingxi: “……”

That made a lot of sense.

She thought for a moment and decided to tell him what she had heard before she fainted.

Coincidentally, she also wanted to see what Pei Xuan thought about this matter.

Pei Xuan’s relaxed expression instantly turned ugly.

“Impossible, I don't believe it! What God-sent dream?!”

“What?”

The old lady walked over with a bowl of meat porridge. Having heard a few words, her eyes instantly blazed with fire. Her expression changed several times, but finally, she softened her look and asked with a smile.

Lingxi and Pei Xuan quickly exchanged a glance and shook their heads in unison: “Nothing.”

“Grandma, we still have meat at home, right? I’m exhausted these past few days, could you make something good?” Pei Xuan quickly stood up, went to Lingxi’s cupboard to get two spoons, took a spoonful himself, put it in his mouth, and then placed the other clean spoon into the bowl, pushing it toward Lingxi.

“Eat quickly.”

He put the spoon aside and then firmly refused to move.

This was a lingering effect from when Lingxi used to love sharing things with him; if he didn't eat, she would just look at him with longing eyes.

Lingxi realized what was happening—this was standard procedure—and calmly took the spoon to eat slowly.

The old lady was smiling happily, but when she suddenly saw Pei Fuzhu enter the courtyard, her face dropped: “Our Lingxi-er is different from some people; she can bring home several plump sparrows.

Some people claim to be God’s own daughter, so why haven't I seen God send her any pheasants or rabbits?”

Lingxi blinked and subconsciously looked at Pei Xuan.

Pei Xuan winked at Lingxi playfully, reminding the old lady: “The kitchen…”

“Oh, oh!” The old lady came back to her senses.

“Grandma needs to go to the kitchen and check; the sparrows are still cooking, lest those careless people ruin them.”

The old lady’s small feet moved quickly.