The village chickens crowed to welcome the new day, but the little girl named Tang Xiaolin still sprawled on her bed, turning over to bury her face in the pillow at the sound of disturbance. As time passed and the sunlight shone on her face, she sought out the blanket to cover her face. Xiao Zhong, seeing his little master sprawling with her bottom up as the sunlight shone on it, walked over and stood beside the bed.

    Moo, Moo~

    The little creature nudged Xiaolin's side with its head, hoping to wake its master, but the little girl just turned and snuggled deeper into the bed. Xiao Zhong, breathing out heavily through its nose in exhaustion, wagged its tail and left the room, leaving Xiaolin to sleep with the sun shining on her bottom.

    Once fully rested, Xiaolin stretched and yawned widely. Looking around and finding no one else, she climbed down from the bed. The sound of conversation outside led Xiaolin to the house's door.

    "You're really a good eater, aren't you?" Tianchen was stroking Xiao Zhong, who was happily wagging its tail while drinking milk.

    Today, his brother had come to him in the late hours to tell him to take a day off. Normally, they would have to leave the house between 1:00-2:59 AM to set the fishing nets and then collect them again between 5:00-6:59 AM. But since his brother said to take a break, he had a new task from morning: to milk the cows for Xiao Zhong.

    "Aren't you going out to sea, Uncle?" Xiaolin asked upon seeing Tianchen at home in the morning, which was unusual for her.

    "Your father told us to take a break today. We still have a lot of sweet potatoes left, so we're going to dig up more to store as supplies," Tianchen stood up to scoop water from the jar in front of the kitchen for his niece to wash her face and rinse her mouth. Xiaolin complied without reluctance and casually wiped her face with the hem of her shirt.

    "Let's also take some sweet potato vines to plant, Uncle," the little figure climbed up to the porch and sat down neatly.

    "Huh, don't we usually plant the tubers?" Tianchen sat next to the young girl and inquired with interest. If they could grow sweet potatoes, it would be quite beneficial. However, since their previous attempts at planting the tubers yielded poor results, they opted to forage from the forest instead of undergoing the laborious process of tilling the soil and caring for the crops, which did not pay off in the end.

    "If we plant the tubers directly under the plant, we'll only get the old tubers," Xiaolin explained. "There might be new tubers forming, but only a few. However, if we plant the vines in the soil, they will sprout leaves and gradually produce new tubers."

    "That sounds great. Then we wouldn't have to go up the mountain to find them. It would be much better to grow our own. But how did you know this?" There it was again, the question. Xiaolin froze, trying to come up with a believable explanation but couldn't think of any. Her eyes fell on Xiao Zhong, who was drinking milk, and she blurted out, "Xiao Zhong told me."

    "Huh?" Tianchen looked bewilderedly at his little niece and then at Xiao Zhong, with the same puzzled expression. Xiaolin flashed a toothy grin to deflect the question, leaving Tianchen with no further questions.

    "Tianchen, come help your sister with the dishes and call your brother over," Hu Ying called from the kitchen, prompting Tianchen to shake his head slightly to regain his composure before heading into the kitchen.

    Today's meal included salt-grilled fish stuffed with lemongrass and a modest portion of wild vegetables. Xiaolin nodded in approval at her beautiful mother's quick thinking. There was also a dipping sauce made from freshly chopped chilies, garlic, and soy sauce. Since living here, she had never once had fried food; presumably, oil was prohibitively expensive. Today, she resolved to look for some peanuts to make oil for household use.

    The Tang siblings followed each other from the backyard as Tianchen had fetched water from the stream to fill the water jar. Hu Ying came out of the kitchen with a rice pot, then grabbed small bowls to distribute the watery rice porridge to everyone. Xiaolin looked disheartenedly at the sparse rice porridge in her bowl.

    "The rice is almost gone, isn't it, brother?"

    "Is there enough to cook for this evening? If not, I'll go buy some now," Tianchen asked his wife. If there wasn't enough, he would head into town to buy some before returning to help his wife and brother with the sweet potato harvest.

    "We might have enough for another two or three days. We can buy more when we return from selling the fish," she said, somewhat hesitantly, to her husband. She actually wished he could rest more often since they both had been getting too little sleep each day.

    "I'm thinking of stopping the fishing for a while. There hasn't been much fish lately, even if we go as far as four to five li, it's still hard to find any," Tianrong sighed. Right now, he was at a loss; without fish, his family would have no income.

    "You went that far?" Hu Ying looked at her husband in shock. She frowned, worried for the safety of the brothers, but then relaxed a bit when she remembered her husband wanted to take a break from fishing.

    "Yes, the other villagers go to the same areas too, and so do people from other villages. But still, they only catch about four or five buckets of fish per night."

    Tianchen and Xiaolin ate quietly, but Xiaolin listened intently, hoping she could somehow help, even just a little. If her father and young uncle decided to stop fishing, it would be an opportunity to hunt for treasures in the forest, perhaps finding two or three valuable things. Then, her father and uncle wouldn't have to lose sleep and risk the sea anymore.

    "That's troubling, isn't it?"

    "But there's one creature that gets caught in the nets a lot. It's long, has a tail like an arrowhead, and its tentacles can move frighteningly. It can also change colors."

    Those listening perked up at this description. It must be a squid! A delicacy like that couldn't be missed. Plus, people here might not be familiar with it. If she could plan to make it a small business of her own, it would be great.

    "How big are they, father?" Xiaolin put down her rice bowl, fidgeting with interest.

    "The small ones are about the size of your mother's arm, slender and long. But the big ones are plumper, probably weighing up to two or three jin."

    Tang Xiaolin thought about the squid her father mentioned. The slender, long ones must be banana squids, while the big ones might be cuttlefish, which taste differently; banana squids are chewy, while cuttlefish are crispy. Thinking of grilled squid made her swallow her saliva, wishing she could have some right then.

    "I really want to see them, father."

    "Tomorrow, I'll go fishing to catch some fish for us to eat. I'll bring some back for you to see," Tianrong patted his little daughter Xiaolin, who was looking up at him with wide eyes.

    "I want lots of the small ones, and just one of the big ones will do," she requested eagerly.

    "What are you going to do with so many? Alright, I'll catch about five or six for you. Is that okay?"

    "Yes, father!" She nodded vigorously.

    "Are you going into the forest with dad today, or are you staying home?" Tianrong asked as he offered her a piece of fish on her small rice bowl.

    "Will you and uncle be going too?" Xiaolin ate her fish and rice, enjoying having someone to debone the fish for her.

    "I will stay home. I don’t want to leave Xiao Zhong alone. If you want to go, you can go with your father and uncle. Just don't bring anything else home," Hui Ning teased her daughter, who laughed delightedly.

    "One Xiao Zhong is enough."

    "Then, eat up so we can go."

    Xiaolin hurriedly chewed her rice, quickly feeling full. Her father allowed her to sit and digest for a while before lifting her onto the wooden cart, followed by a small bucket with a water bottle and three rice packs. There were also three roasted sweet potatoes.

    "Be good, Xiao Zhong. Don't be naughty with mom, okay?" The little cow followed Xiaolin to the cart, nuzzling affectionately.

    Moo~

    "Take care, Hui Ning," Tianrong said goodbye to his wife.

    "Sister-in-law, I want more of that grilled fish with spicy dip this evening. It was really nice," Tianchen requested his sister-in-law. Hui Ning laughed softly and nodded.

    "Of course, Xiao Chen. I'll make some for you."

    Xiaolin waved to her mother and Xiao Zhong, who were standing at the fence. Today, she was determined to find a lime tree. How could grilled squid be complete without seafood sauce? She noticed her mother's fish sauce jar in the kitchen but remembered her mother rarely used it, preferring the richer taste of soy sauce.

    Arriving at the forest edge, she found Grandma Liu waiting, with a tall young man standing beside her. Xiaolin looked at him with interest; a handsome face was a pleasant sight for her. But it was a pity he was so thin; a bit more flesh would have made him even more appealing. The plump girl admired the handsome man with a broad smile on her face.

    "Oh, Hao, you’re not going into town to look for jobs today?" Tianchen was the one who spoke up first.

    "I thought I’d stay and help grandma dig up some sweet potatoes today. And isn’t Hui Ning coming along as well, Brother Rong?" Liu Hao turned to ask the older young man who was pushing the wooden cart behind Tianchen. He noticed the little girl sitting on it, too, her sparkling gaze giving him an eerie shiver.

    "No, she’s not coming. She's staying to look after the calf Xiaolin found. Grandma Liu, you can put your things on the cart."

    "It's okay, Rong. I only have an empty basket on my back. A-Hao has already carried everything else on his own," Grandma Liu said with a smile.

    "Then, let’s get going. If we start digging early today, we’ll surely find a lot. A-Hao, did you bring sacks as well?" Tianrong turned to ask Liu Hao.

    "I did."

    "Great, then let's head out."

    Tianrong led the way with the cart, followed by Grandma Liu, and the two young men at the rear. Xiaolin looked around as usual. Her father had taken her a different route than the one she took with her mother and Grandma Liu the day before. This path was smoother, making it easier for the cart to move and convenient for transporting the heavy sweet potatoes.

    After a short walk, they reached a stream, not where they found the sweet potatoes. Tianrong pushed the cart along the stream. The cool morning air made Xiaolin feel exceptionally good. Having spent most of her life in the city, she longed for nature, but never had enough time to travel out of town and was stuck with pollution and smog.

    The cart stopped under a tree where she, her mother, and Grandma Liu had rested the day before. Xiaolin was lifted up, floating again. Clinging to her father’s shoulder, she looked around as her father led her across the stream to the opposite bank. Here, more than half of the sweet potatoes had been dug up; they might be able to harvest the rest today.

    Thud!

    The little girl was placed on the ground. The adults went to choose their spots, placing their belongings and finding comfortable spots to start digging. Tianchen looked at the sweet potato vines stretching across the ground. With a broad smile, he eagerly claimed a spot.

    "I’ll allow you to walk around and play, but don't go too far. Stay within sight, understand?" Tianrong said, squatting down to talk to his daughter, Xiaolin, who nodded in understanding.

    "Yes, Father."

    "Good girl. If you get hungry, you can grab some roasted sweet potatoes with you. I'll leave them here. And don't go near the water. It might not be deep, but you can still drown," he warned his daughter, pointing to a cloth-wrapped food package he placed under a tree, reminding his daughter to stay safe as he might not be able to keep an eye on her while digging.

    "I won't go anywhere near the water if I'm away from you, Father."

    "That's my girl. Alright, I'm going to dig up sweet potatoes. Call me if you need anything," Xiaolin nodded vigorously, and Tianrong patted her head before heading off to start his work.

    Once the adults dispersed to their tasks, Xiaolin also decided to explore. She picked up her small basket and her mother's bamboo spade from yesterday to clear any twigs or leaves in her path.

    Xiaolin tiptoed around, heading to where she found Xiao Zhong before, as it was less cluttered. She hoped to find a lime tree, or if not, a wild orange tree would do, as they are similarly sour. If she found ginger, she would try having her father sell it at a medicine shop. She wasn’t sure how advanced agriculture was at this time since people in this area didn’t seem to cultivate much. Perhaps the land near the sea was unsuitable for crops, or maybe there was a lack of water sources.

    Wandering deep into the forest, she forgot her father's warning completely. She hadn’t found any familiar plants yet, even though she hoped to find limes. She was open to discovering anything else that could be gathered. Engrossed in her exploration, she reached an area with huge trees, resembling a forest from a fairy tale. The large trees were home to kookaburras, with ferns covering them entirely, and beautiful orchids blooming in multiple colors.

    "Wow, did I just wander into a magical forest?"

    The little figure spun around to take in the natural beauty. There were orchids everywhere, various kinds of ferns that she couldn't name all around, and even Lingzhi mushrooms growing on the trees, all stunningly beautiful.

    Wait!

    Xiaolin abruptly halted her whimsical thoughts and rushed towards a tree that was covered in blooming large red Lingzhi mushrooms. There were various sizes, and more than ten of them in total. Aren't red Lingzhi mushrooms expensive herbs? If she sold these, she might very well become a little wealthy, right?

    "Yayyyyy! I'm going to be rich!" The little girl jumped and danced around in joy.