So even though she hadn’t developed any real feelings for him yet, she felt she should at least show superficial respect and affection.
After all, as the saying goes, you don’t hit a smiling face. Since she now had to rely on Yue Zhixian for survival, she certainly couldn’t go around with a sour expression.
Besides, he seemed like a decent person himself.
Dinner was quickly finished.
Xiaoshi had started dozing off halfway through the meal, looking utterly pitiful. Xie Mingzhu now took her and helped her onto the hammock.
She had thought she might have trouble sleeping in it for the first time, especially since it swayed with even the slightest breeze. But perhaps because so much had happened during the day and she was exhausted, she fell asleep quickly.
When she woke again, something was shining in her eyes. She opened them instinctively to find that it was already broad daylight.
Old Man Sha was sitting by the fire pit cutting fruit, but Yue Zhixian was nowhere to be seen. She looked around for him.
Noticing her search, Old Man Sha said, “He went to pick some fruit for the road. We need to travel today and try to reach Silver Moon Beach by evening.”
Xie Mingzhu felt embarrassed that she had slept so soundly and hurried to the river to wash her face.
When she returned, she found all the children had woken up. Yue Zhixian was back, helping them down from the hammocks before starting to pack them away.
On the cart nearby, there were not only piles of fresh fruit he had picked early that morning but also many dried grass stems. She wasn’t sure what kind of grass it was—it looked like dried reed stalks but didn’t seem quite the same.
Then she saw Old Man Sha emptying the cooked bamboo tube rice onto banana leaves and immediately realized they were going to make rice balls.
She quickly stepped forward and offered, “Let me handle this. You should eat first.”
“Wrap these pineapples inside. We’ll make do with this for lunch. When we get home, I’ll have A Xian catch some fish and shrimp for everyone to have a proper nourishing meal.” Old Man Sha looked at Xie Mingzhu and the five children. Their clothes hung loosely on them, and he could tell they had suffered greatly along the way—each of them must have lost over ten pounds.
Hearing this, Xie Mingzhu thought to herself that although Silver Moon Beach was nestled between mountains and the sea with few people and no shortage of food and drink, it was still poor. The root of the problem lay in its inconvenient transportation.
And the small population.
In fact, this was an issue throughout Lingnan.
She wondered when this would ever be resolved.
But there was no time to dwell on that now. Even though they would reach Silver Moon Beach, she still had no idea where they would sleep tonight!
After breakfast, they packed up their belongings and climbed onto the cart.
Surprisingly, Old Man Sha didn’t have Yue Zhixian lead the mule today but instead let him ride on the cart.
Just as Xie Mingzhu was growing curious, she saw Yue Zhixian pick up those dried grass stems.
At first, she thought they were meant to cushion the cart seats to prevent discomfort.
But when everyone boarded, Yue Zhixian moved them aside. Now, watching him fiddle with them, she couldn’t contain her curiosity.
As she watched, it suddenly dawned on her. Her face showed shock and involuntary admiration. “You actually know how to weave straw sandals?”
What moved her even more was realizing that the size seemed to be for her own children. Her heart rippled with emotion.
This young man was already handsome, with well-defined abs no less, yet he was also so capable, considerate, and attentive. If this continued, she would find it hard to resist.
Wasn’t this just heaven testing her?
She was truly afraid she wouldn’t withstand the test, yet mentally couldn’t get past that hurdle.
The Xiao siblings were also quite astonished, but their eyes held more admiration and reverence. Xiaoshi, being the number one fan, eagerly expressed her excitement and admiration, “Wow, Daddy is amazing! Will Xiaoshi get new shoes?”
Yue Zhixian’s youthful handsome face beamed with a proud smile: “Yes, Daddy will weave new shoes for Xiaoshi. From now on, Xiaoshi will only be the best with Daddy in the whole world.”
Hearing his confirmation, Xiaoshi giggled happily, “Today, Xiaoshi will only be the best with Daddy all day long.”
“You little rascal.” Yue Zhixian was amused by her cleverness, well aware that he couldn’t compare to her mother in her heart.
But seeing the envy in the other children’s eyes, he quickly added: “Everyone will get them. I’ll make new shoes for all of you.”
“Wow, Daddy is the best in the world!” Xiaoshi continued with her flattery.
Xiao Yunnuan then asked with childish bluntness, “Will Mother get new shoes too?”
Xiao Yunwan immediately followed, “Will Little Daddy weave new shoes for Mother too?”
Xie Mingzhu instinctively pulled her feet back. Although Yue Zhixian was skilled, she couldn’t treat him like a workhorse. It was already quite an achievement that he could make new shoes for all the children today.
Worried he might feel pressured and find it hard to refuse, she spoke first: “I don’t need any.” She was already deeply grateful that he remembered the children.
Old Man Sha, who had been relatively quiet today, turned his head: “Nonsense. Making shoes for his own woman is only right and proper. It’s just that he’s useless, only able to weave straw sandals for you all. If he were truly capable, he’d find good rosewood to make soles for your clogs.”
“Damn old man, who are you looking down on? I’ll go find good wood in the rosewood forest when we get back,” Yue Zhixian retorted indignantly.
Old Man Sha poured cold water mercilessly: “Give it up. You’d better think about where they’re going to sleep tonight.”
This remark proved effective, as Yue Zhixian immediately fell silent.
His small treehouse indeed couldn’t accommodate so many people.
He suddenly felt some regret. If only he had taken the opportunity to build a house when everyone was rebuilding after the last typhoon.
His sudden silence made Old Man Sha uncomfortable instead. Glancing back, he said irritably: “Hurry up and weave the straw shoes. Do you think I’d leave you helpless? For the next couple days, your wife and the girls can stay in your brother A Kan’s place. Yan boy, you take them and stay in the treehouse with them for now.”
“Deal. I’ll admit you old man still has some conscience left.” Yue Zhixian immediately brightened up, his fingers flying as he rapidly calculated. With six more mouths to feed now, and Xiaoshi still being young, continuing with a wooden cabin was definitely not feasible.
They needed to build a Diaojiaolou instead.
Bamboo was readily available, and many villagers owed him work. If he could gather everyone when no one was out fishing, two days would be enough.
Thinking this, it was as if he was already living in the new stilt house. He whistled excitedly: “I’m going to build the largest Diaojiaolou in the whole village! Let’s see who’ll still laugh at me for being a lonely old man!”
Xie Mingzhu watched his foolish delight with growing concern. She couldn’t understand what there was to be proud of about becoming a stepfather and marrying a widow seven or eight years his senior.
Beside her, Xiao Yunyan was also quite worried. This cheap little father might be hardworking, but why did he seem so simple-minded?
From now on, she needed to pay more attention to these things, lest he get tricked and sold off by someone.
In high spirits, Yue Zhixian quickly finished weaving a pair of straw sandals that fit perfectly and were soft yet firm.
He handed them to Xie Mingzhu, saying, “Why don’t you try them on Xiaoshi?”
Just as Xie Mingzhu was putting the new straw sandals on Xiaoshi, his slender fingers began moving swiftly again. However, it didn’t seem like he was making new sandals—it looked more like he was weaving something else?
Once Xiaoshi had the new shoes on, she insisted that Xie Mingzhu help her stand on the cart and take a few steps. Then, she cheerfully called out to Yue Zhixian, “Thank you, Daddy! Xiaoshi loves the new shoes so much! They’re soft and don’t hurt my feet at all.”
But the next moment, her gaze fell on the grasshopper in Yue Zhixian’s hand. “Daddy, what’s this?”
Her question made Xie Mingzhu and the other children realize that Yue Zhixian had actually woven such a lifelike grasshopper with his skillful hands.
“You’re amazing!” Even Xie Mingzhu couldn’t help but blurt out sincere praise, her eyes filled with admiration. This was truly intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship!
“Of course!” Yue Zhixian finished the final touches, lowered his head, and tied the vivid grasshopper onto Xiaoshi’s straw sandals. Instantly, the plain pair of sandals became one-of-a-kind in the world.
The other children could no longer contain themselves. They all reached out, tugging at him and pleading, “Daddy, I want straw sandals like that too!”
Hearing the word “Daddy” echoing around him, Yue Zhixian found it all so strange!
Just yesterday, he had been a lone soul with no one to care for but himself. Now, suddenly, people were calling him Daddy—and several of them at that.
Did this mean he had a family from now on? But he didn’t dare hope for too much.
Truth be told, if they could stay with him for a year or half, or even just a few months, he would be perfectly content.
Old Man Sha often complained that he never fixed up the house, but what Yue Zhixian feared was pushing open the door to an empty home—no father, no mother, no family at all.
That tiny treehouse was just right for him, big enough only for himself.
That way, he wouldn’t have to hope for anything more.