Not wanting her heart to break any further, Ruan Qiao left the fruit and vegetable section with the two little ones and went to the place selling nutrient drinks.
Before she could achieve the freedom of regular meals, she still had to survive on nutrient drinks.
Ruan Qiao had already asked 001, and the box in the fridge was purchased earlier by Ella, with only a small amount left at home.
Most importantly, Ella seemed to really like the salty flavors, many of which were chicken or beef.
After experiencing the intense taste of chicken, Ruan Qiao didn’t even have the courage to try the beef-flavored ones.
So she wanted to supplement with a bit of fruity flavor.
Compared to fresh fruits and vegetables, the nutrient drinks were much more affordable.
The same type as in the fridge cost sixty star coins per box, with thirty vials per box, enough for ten days.
Not even the price of a single strawberry.
A slightly higher-end version was only eighty star coins per box; she didn’t know how it tasted, but the packaging looked a little nicer.
Ruan Qiao bought one box of each type, planning to try them at home before deciding which she would mainly drink.
After buying these, she went to the place selling nutrient food.
There, her eyes immediately landed on a large food container shaped like a big oil drum.
Looking closer, one container cost eight hundred star coins and weighed 25 kg.
She was about to carry one back when she turned her head and saw the little squirrel and hedgehog craning their necks, staring at a blue bag on the shelf while desperately swallowing.
Ruan Qiao walked over and picked up the bag of dry food. It was labeled “complete nutrition ration” with a price of three hundred star coins.
She froze, barely able to believe it, picked up the bag to weigh it, and deliberately checked the weight, 2.5 kg.
Ruan Qiao felt a sudden pang in her chest.
She wasn’t a little princess born with a silver spoon, so she naturally understood the difference between 25 kg for 800 star coins and 2.5 kg for 300 star coins—
It wasn’t just about taste!
Looking around, she realized that in the nutrient food section, these small bags were actually the mainstream.
The two little ones weren’t even looking at the most expensive option, at most, it was mid-range.
There were plenty of options that were more expensive, with better formulas and more complete nutrition.
By contrast, the big oil-drum-sized dry food she had seen earlier was unique, clearly, very few people would buy it.
Standing in the dry food section, Ruan Qiao felt an indescribable ache in her chest.
Once again, she deeply sensed the bitterness hidden behind Ella’s unspoken intentions—
The children at home had suffered.
It had been less than two full days since arriving on this planet, and in theory, no emotional bond could form that quickly.
Yet perhaps the little ones were just too cute, and they had shown her complete trust;
Or maybe it was because she had inherited the care home immediately upon arrival, and Ella’s only request had been that she treat the children well.
So Ruan Qiao found herself instinctively placing herself in the role of their protector—
Wanting, almost subconsciously, to treat them well.
In short, she didn’t fully understand it herself. Despite the short time she’d spent with them, she already regarded them as family and couldn’t bear to see them wronged.
Without another word, Ruan Qiao grabbed five packs of nutrient food and put them into the little cart, ready to check out.
Seeing this, the two little ones first looked stunned, and once they realized Ruan Qiao was serious, they panicked!
The little squirrel straightened up and started squeaking frantically into her ear.
When Ruan Qiao didn’t respond, the little hedgehog crawled out of the side pouch, climbed onto her other shoulder, and started nudging her face with its tiny nose, huffing and puffing in strong protest.
Ruan Qiao felt a tickling sensation across her face, her ears buzzing from their commotion.
Helpless, she had to stop and explain, “Eating well isn’t wasting money.
You’ve already heard Ella’s instructions, she said to make sure you get enough nutrition. I’m just following them. What’s wrong with that?”
Hearing this, the two little ones squeaked even louder.
Ruan Qiao had no choice but to raise a finger to her lips, signaling them to be quiet: “Keep it down in public. Don’t make a fuss.”
She sighed. “You have to trust me, I know how to make money.
Didn’t you just see? The money from selling those fruits is already enough for us to buy food.
And don’t worry about the future. If I’m willing to buy things for you, that means I have a way to keep the care home running normally. I won’t let you be without a home.”
Ruan Qiao’s words quieted the two little ones, for a moment.
But only for a moment!
Just as Ruan Qiao thought she had convinced them and was about to check out, the little squirrel and the hedgehog suddenly jumped from her shoulders onto the cart at the same time.
Working together, the two little ones grabbed a bag of dry food, stood on tiptoe, and tossed it straight back onto the shelf!
Ruan Qiao was left staring in disbelief.
“Hey! Why are you being so disobedient? Was everything I just said for nothing? If this keeps up, I won’t bring you out again next time!”
This time, Ruan Qiao was truly angry.
The little squirrel jumped back onto her shoulder, straightened up, and pointed one front paw toward the door, signaling for her to leave.
Ruan Qiao scowled, didn’t even look at him, grabbed the bag of dry food they had tossed back, put it into the cart again, and headed to checkout.
Seeing this, the little squirrel became even more frantic!
He jumped back onto the cart, stood atop the bags, tiptoed, trying his hardest to meet Ruan Qiao’s eyes at the same level.
He made another motion as if to toss the bags back onto the shelf, then quickly turned and pointed toward the door, signaling her to leave.
The little ones flailed desperately, their tiny paws gesturing wildly in the air, tails thrashing furiously—
Ruan Qiao thought that if she didn’t follow their lead, this little guy would probably get high blood pressure from the stress…
She paused and slowly started to understand what the little ones meant.
Tentatively, she asked, “Tiaotiao, do you know a cheaper place?”
Hearing her call him “Tiaotiao,” the squirrel froze for a moment, then nodded frantically and once again made the motion of putting the food back.
The little hedgehog, meanwhile, simply flopped down in the cart, showing its soft little belly, and used all four tiny paws to push the bag outwards with force.
Ruan Qiao quickly reached out and took all the bags of dry food out, worried that if she wasn’t careful, the little one’s spines might puncture a bag.
If it came to it, they’d have to buy it anyway.
Fortunately, Planet 0813 is vast and sparsely populated. Supermarkets like this one are self-service, aside from two robots at the entrance and exit, there aren’t any sales clerks.
Otherwise, if the little ones made such a scene here, they’d definitely draw a crowd!
Ruan Qiao put the dry food back on the shelf, quickly went to the clothing section, picked out two sets of clothes for herself, and then checked out and left.
The little ones kept their word, staying on her shoulders to act as navigators, and soon led her to a small white building not far from the commercial street.
Standing in front of the building, looking at the door sign, Ruan Qiao suddenly understood.
“This is Doctor Aisen’s clinic, right?”
Previously, Ella had specially left her Doctor Aisen’s contact information, which included this address.
The two little ones clearly weren’t visiting for the first time, both showing excited expressions.
Noticing people at the door, the glass door quickly slid open from the inside, and a middle-aged man with blond hair and brown eyes stepped out.
He first noticed the two little ones perched on Ruan Qiao’s shoulders, then smiled.
Waving affectionately at them, he said, “Xiao Lin, Gungun, hello!”
The two children were overjoyed to see him.
The little squirrel immediately jumped from Ruan Qiao into Aisen’s arms, and even the hedgehog lifted its head to sniff his palm, a rare show of curiosity and closeness.
Aisen took the hedgehog, letting them both rest on him, then smiled warmly at Ruan Qiao, his tone brimming with unreserved happiness.
“I’m very glad you were ultimately willing to take over the care home, Ruan Qiao. I’m sure Ella would be very happy to see this.”
Since Ella had specifically introduced him in her final will, they must have had a very close relationship.
Ruan Qiao wasn’t surprised that Aisen recognized her at a glance.
But the meaning behind his words did catch her off guard.
Only now did she realize that the girl had originally been unwilling to take over the care home.
It was only because Ruan Qiao had arrived here by accident that things ended up being resolved.
It was, in a way, a fortunate coincidence.
Ruan Qiao didn’t want to over-explain the matter, she couldn’t explain it anyway.
Fortunately, Aisen didn’t press for details.
After greeting them, he led the little ones inside and, without waiting for Ruan Qiao to explain her purpose, immediately began examining the two children.
He first parted the little squirrel’s fur and pressed the area between his ears, then exclaimed with delight, “Xiao Lin, your horns have grown a little more. If this continues, your second transformation in two months has a very good chance of success!”
The little squirrel behaved unusually obediently; even when Aisen touched the top of his head, he didn’t chirp or make a fuss.
Hearing this, though he didn’t show it outwardly, Ruan Qiao could still see a glimmer of light in his eyes.
This was yet another mention of the “second transformation,” and it came from a professional doctor. Ruan Qiao was intensely curious, what exactly did this transformation mean?
Could it be that after transforming, the little ones could turn into humans?
But whether it was Ella or Aisen, the way they spoke about it made it seem completely natural, as if it were common knowledge that everyone in the world should already understand.
This made Ruan Qiao not sure how to even begin asking.
She had no choice but to suppress her curiosity and decide to research it thoroughly once she got back.
Watching the doctor examine the squirrel’s head so closely, Ruan Qiao couldn’t help leaning in to look.
What she saw left her utterly astonished.
On the little squirrel’s head, she could actually see two small, hard protrusions.
They were pale green!
What an incredible sight.
A squirrel’s head could actually grow horns?!
Ruan Qiao was so shocked that it felt like her pupils had trembled.
Yet she couldn’t resist reaching out a finger to touch them—
The center was slightly firm, but the skin around it was soft and springy, giving just the right amount of resistance.
Excitement shone in Ruan Qiao’s eyes.
She couldn’t help but touch them a few more times.
The little squirrel clearly found the sensation very comfortable.
Enduring such “handling,” he didn’t resist at all; instead, he blissfully squinted his eyes and let out a tiny little hum.
Watching him, Ruan Qiao’s heart nearly melted, she just wanted to scoop up her precious little one and smother him with kisses.
The corners of her lips couldn’t help but curl upward.
While gently massaging his little horns, she asked, “Doctor, besides providing nutrition, is there anything else I should do?”
Aisen clearly didn’t expect her to take the initiative to ask. His gaze toward her softened even more, overflowing with approval.
The smile on his face became genuinely heartfelt.
He answered her question seriously: “The most important thing, of course, is to provide them with as much high-quality nutrition as possible.
If you can, in addition to their regular dry food, it would be best to give them some nutritional supplements. Also, whenever you have time, take them out to exercise, running, climbing hills, anything like that. A strong body is the most important support for their second transformation.”
Ruan Qiao listened carefully and committed his words to heart.
After checking the little squirrel, Aisen examined the little hedgehog as well.
The final conclusion: both of the little ones are very healthy.
After the checkup, Ruan Qiao asked to buy some nutritional supplements and some high-quality dry food suitable for the little ones.
Aisen immediately brought out a wide variety for her to choose from.
In the end, he even offered prices nearly a third cheaper than at the previous supermarket, giving Ruan Qiao a big surprise.
After paying and arranging with the doctor to have the delivery sent directly to the orphanage, Ruan Qiao was ready to leave with the little ones.
Unexpectedly, Doctor Aisen stopped her.
He looked slightly conflicted but still said, “Ruan Qiao, wait a moment. I’d like to take a little of your time to discuss something about Xiao Jin Ge.”
Then he pointed to a nearby door: “Shall we go inside to talk?”
“Okay,” Ruan Qiao nodded in agreement, though a question immediately popped up in her mind.
Xiao Jin Ge?
Who was that?