“How did you come in from outside? Goodness, why are you covered in dew?”
Jiang Yun Sui replied in a cheerful voice, “I just took a bath! Look, Auntie see how clean I am?” She spun around in front of Chef Chen.
Chef Chen thought to herself, When were you ever dirty? Still, when she held the soft little girl in her arms, she could smell a faint, pleasant scent something she couldn’t quite put a name to, but it felt wonderfully soothing.
“You stay here and rest. When I finish my duties, I’ll bring you something good to eat.”
Jiang Yun Sui nodded eagerly. “All right! And Auntie, more Delicious Mushrooms have popped up go pick them and cook them for us.”
She was still thinking about the mushrooms she hadn’t gotten to taste the day before. It was such a waste that so many had been thrown away!
“More have grown?” Chef Chen was truly surprised. She had lived in this small courtyard for less than a year, and she walked past that very spot countless times every single day but she had never once seen mushrooms growing there.
“How strange and wonderful.”
She stepped out into the yard and over to the pomegranate tree. Sure enough, there they were. Only three this time, but each was quite large one alone would be enough for a meal for two people.
“I’ll dig them up. Who would have thought such fine things would appear in our little courtyard two days in a row?”
Still, she hesitated to sell them to the main kitchen now, fearing it might lead to more trouble. Better to keep them for ourselves, she decided. Though it was a pity each pound of these mushrooms could fetch forty copper coins.
“We’ll eat them ourselves.”
Jiang Yun Sui nodded vigorously.
Chef Chen patted the rounded caps gently before digging them out, then carefully smoothed the soil back over the spot.
“I’m off now. Don’t go wandering off anywhere.”
“I won’t!”
Once Chef Chen had left, Jiang Yun Sui dragged a small wooden stool out of the room and sat very properly near the entrance, staring blankly into space. For a little mushroom, daydreaming was the best way to pass the time. She could stay perfectly still in her little hole in the ground for an entire day if she wanted.
But before she could drift off into her thoughts, she heard the familiar sound of paws scratching at the gate. The large black dog pushed it open with his nose, then trotted in, tail wagging happily.
Seeing him, Jiang Yun Sui called out softly, “Heiwa.”
Hearing her voice only made him more excited. He was carrying a small basket in his mouth, and he hurried over to set it down before immediately pressing his whole body against her legs, nuzzling and rubbing as much as he could.
Jiang Yun Sui gave him a gentle push away, and he let out a low, whimpering sound as if he had been wronged.
The little mushroom felt helpless. “All right, all right just don’t push too hard, or you’ll knock me right over.”
Her true form was that of a Moon Spirit Mushroom. The essence of moonlight was known as Imperial Nectar a concentrated, vital energy that she could absorb and store within herself in the form of spores. This nectar was beneficial to almost all living things; the older and more intelligent a creature was, the more sensitive it was to its presence.
Heiwa was clearly a very smart dog, which explained why he loved being so close to her. The soft glow of moonlight that naturally radiated from her felt incredibly comforting to him.
As Jiang Yun Sui rested her hand on Heiwa’s head, three tiny, glistening droplets formed in her palm. They looked like nothing more than water, but they were actually the Imperial Nectar she had saved up. No ordinary human could see them, but Heiwa sensed them instantly his eyes grew bright and eager.
“Woof! Woof!”
“Here you go. Have a taste. This is all I have for now; my reserves are running low.”
Heiwa leaned forward, gave a quick flick of his tongue, and lapped up all three droplets. Immediately, he seemed to relax even further, and his tail began wagging so fast it blurred.
“What did you bring with you?”
Jiang Yun Sui opened the basket he had set down, and her eyes lit up in delight. “Mung bean cakes and poria mushroom cakes!”
“Are these for me?”
When Heiwa nodded, she happily picked up a piece of white poria cake and took a bite. It was soft, fragrant, and delicious.
At that moment, both the little girl and the dog were thoroughly content.
“It looks like it’s going to rain.”
Being a mushroom, she sensed changes in the air far more keenly than any human. Though the sky still appeared bright and clear, the moisture in the air had already grown heavier.
But Jiang Yun Sui was delighted. Mushrooms loved rain especially soft, steady drizzles.
Heiwa barked in agreement.
“Stay back, okay? I want to stand in the rain.”
She hurried over to the little hole she had dug, took off her shoes, and stepped into it with her bare, pale feet. Then she carefully piled the loose earth back around her legs.
Heiwa followed anyway, circling around her.
“Aww, you’re a dog if you get wet, your fur will feel heavy and uncomfortable.”
She pushed him gently toward the shelter of the eaves. “But I’m different. I’m a little mushroom, and little mushrooms love the rain.”
From the shadows, Ji Si watched: …………
So the rumors were true. This child really had lost her mind from shock. She was actually saying she was a mushroom.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
“Go on, lie down over there and wait.”
Heiwa let out another soft bark and obediently settled beneath the eaves, though his round black eyes never left her.
The sky grew darker and darker. Soon, fine misty drops began to fall, gradually turning into a steady shower.
Jiang Yun Sui squatted in her hole, closed her eyes, and tilted her pretty face upward, letting the rain wash over her.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over her.
Before Jiang Yun Sui could even react, a hand gripped her small arm and lifted her straight up quite literally “pulling the mushroom right out of the ground.”
In the blink of an eye, she was set down safely under the shelter of the roof.
“Children shouldn’t stand in the rain,” Ji Si said in a gruff voice.
Jiang Yun Sui explained earnestly, “Little mushrooms can stand in the rain.”
“You are not a mushroom.”
“I am.”
“No, you aren’t.”
“I am too!”
Ji Si simply changed his argument. “Mushrooms don’t look anything like you.”
Jiang Yun Sui puffed out her cheeks in displeasure and turned her head away with a huff, clearly offended.
Ji Si thought: So cute.
But he could not stay long. He only gave her a quick instruction: “Go wash up and change your clothes.”
Then he vanished back into the shadows. He had followed Heiwa here on orders from the Young Master, to see what the dog was up to.
Jiang Yun Sui had no intention of obeying. She still wanted to enjoy the rain. The moment she stepped back into her little hole, however, she was plucked out and set under the eaves again.
Now the little mushroom was truly angry. She puffed herself up and rushed back out into the downpour only to be hauled right back before she could even settle in.
The little mushroom decided she wanted to fight.
She raised her tiny fists, but when she looked up, she couldn’t even see Ji Si’s face. She took a few steps back, planted her hands firmly on her hips, and declared:
“Don’t push your luck! I wouldn’t dare hit the Young Master, but you…”
Her soft, sweet voice made the threat sound like nothing more than a fluffy white kitten arching its back all show and no bite. She looked fierce and feisty, but one light tap would send her stumbling off balance.
In short, she was a tiny, helpless little thing.
Jiang Yun Sui glanced up at Ji Si’s towering frame; his hands alone were bigger than her whole face.
Waaah… she thought. I can’t beat him either.
She waved her two small fists wildly through the air in front of him for a moment, then turned and retreated into the house in defeat.
“Just you wait until I grow up! I’m only this small right now!” she muttered to herself.
It was definitely not because she was cowardly or weak!
Jiang Yun Sui huffed and puffed as she stepped inside and slammed the door shut. She did not want to look at that tall, annoying man one second longer.
Ji Si, still watching from the shadows, thought again: So incredibly cute.