A 5-year-old child idly swung her legs while sitting on the porch of her house, looking bored as she watched her beautiful mother sweep the leaves. Originally named Rada and only 23 years old, she tragically passed away due to a chronic illness before she had the chance to say goodbye to her parents, grandmother, and siblings. Suddenly and unexpectedly, her spirit was pulled into the body of 'Tang Xiaolin,' who had died of a fever.

    Weeks have passed since she found herself in this new life, in the small village of Shenlin, nestled near a vast forest and not far from a great ocean. Her father and her uncle, who are 10 years older than her, were out selling fish they had caught from the sea in the city of Jiangnan and were expected to return later in the afternoon.

    "Are you bored, my child?" Hui Ning gently asked her little daughter, who sat sighing heavily as if burdened with great worries.

    "Yes, Mother," the child replied, her round face lifting to gaze at the woman who looked as beautiful as a movie star from her previous world. The woman's slender but calloused hands softly stroked her daughter's small head.

    "How about we go gather wild vegetables together? Maybe we'll find some delicious wild fruits to enjoy. Would you like that?" Her beautiful face smiled at her little daughter, Tang Xiaolin, whose eyes sparkled when the beautiful woman smiled at her from up close. The little girl vigorously nodded her head, causing her hair to flutter. Hui Ning laughed softly at the adorable sight.

    "Let's go get you changed then, up!" she said, lifting her daughter onto her hip before they both walked into the house.

    After a short while, the mother and daughter, now dressed in more appropriate attire, walked out of the house, making sure the door was securely closed. Hui Ning had a large basket on her back filled with a knife, a water flask, and some rice for lunch.

    Tang Xiaolin, the little girl, also had her own small basket, which her father had woven for her to use when going into the forest, allowing her to carry her own small collection of items.

    The two, one small and one tall, walked hand in hand towards the forest, about a mile away from their home. Along the way, they encountered several villagers who were also heading into the forest. Many elderly ladies and gentlemen greeted the little girl affectionately. The tiny figure, carrying a small basket and holding her mother's hand while displaying a solemn expression, was indeed a charming sight.

    "Little Xiaolin is also going into the forest? How adorable," an elderly woman remarked as she approached them. The little face turned towards the voice and smiled, squinting her eyes in delight.

    "I want to help my mother gather vegetables," she replied. Over the past few days, she had begun to accept her new life and acted her age. She knew she might long for these moments when she grew older, so she decided to live her childhood to the fullest, without any regrets like in her previous life.

    "Is that so, sweet child?" The wrinkled hand lifted to affectionately stroke the girl's fluffy head. Hearing Xiaolin speak so sweetly made many wish they could take her home right then. Why couldn't their own children be as lovely as she was?

    "Are you going into the forest alone, Grandmother Liu?" Hui Ning asked the elderly woman standing and talking with her daughter.

    "Yes, today my grandson went into the city to look for work," Grandmother Liu replied. She lived with her 18-year-old grandson, just the two of them, as his parents had all passed away.

    "How about joining Xiaolin and me? It's always nice to have company."

    "That would be lovely, thank you so much," Grandmother Liu smiled at the young mother before they all walked into the forest together.

    Xiaolin looked around the forest with interest. This wasn't her first time here, but she hoped to find valuable herbs to sell. She knew they weren't easy to find, but she hoped nonetheless, so her father and uncle wouldn't have to struggle with the sea's dangers every morning.

    Her father, Tang Tianrong, was 25 years old, and her Uncle Tang Tianchen was 15. Both had been orphaned since Tang Tianrong was just fourteen. He had to struggle to support his younger brother alone until he married Xiaolin's mother, who was three years younger than him.

    She hardly saw her father and uncle during the day because by the time they returned from selling fish in the city, she would have to sleep, meeting them only briefly for dinner. Now that she had become their daughter, she wanted to make their lives comfortable, even though she had only her small, non-magical hands, unlike the characters in fairy tales.

    "Mother, we walk this way every day, but we never seem to find anything," the little face looked up at her beautiful mother, who was searching for wild vegetables.

    "Hmm, this path is used by the villagers daily. It's true that finding wild goods is difficult, but it's safer, my child," Hui Ning bent down to talk to her little daughter.

    "Are there dangerous wild animals in the forest?" Xiaolin looked up at her mother with wide eyes.

    "Not really, but we never know when they might come out of the deep forest," she replied to her daughter, not showing any sign of annoyance. Her daughter had been her only conversation partner to relieve her loneliness.

    "With so many uncles and aunties going into the forest, the animals must have all run away, Mother. Should we try going off the path? Maybe we'll find something at last," the little hand pleaded with her mother.

    "What little Xiaolin says makes sense, Hui Ning. I think the same, but my husband doesn't want me to stray from the path because it could get dangerous. But I've lived to this age and never seen any wild animals roaming around here," Grandma Liu chimed in. At her age, how could she compete with the younger ones in gathering wild goods? She could only gather a handful or two of wild vegetables a day.

    "Then let's give it a try, but not too far, okay? If we find something, we can gather more and come back tomorrow," hearing her mother's consent, Xiaolin quickly nodded, her cheeks wobbling, making Hui Ning and Grandma Liu laugh affectionately.

    "Mother is the best!"