Xu Erniang was much harder-hearted than Xu Yue. She directly stepped forward, returned the stone to Wang Jia Danniang, and firmly pulled away the soft-hearted, hesitant Xu Yue.
“Let’s go, don’t look at her,” Xu Erniang whispered to her younger sister.
But Xu Yue couldn’t help glancing back. The little girl was holding her treasured stone with barely concealed disappointment, looking like she was about to cry.
Xu Yue’s heart ached, and she quickly turned her head away, not daring to look anymore.
Yet her heart felt heavy, compelling her to decide she must do something.
Xu Da returned with a large bundle of wild grass, complete with vines and roots. Even Xu Yue, who knew nothing about making straw sandals, could tell these materials were practically useless—truly pitiful.
Xu Yue reminded her father that if he couldn’t make straw sandals, it didn’t matter; he could try making straw mats instead, which would be useful for sleeping at night.
That way, when Mother returned and saw them, she wouldn’t get angry.
Xu Da comfortingly patted his youngest daughter’s head, his scarred heart finding a sliver of solace.
Seizing the opportunity, Xu Yue said, “Father, I’d like to look around nearby, is that alright?”
Xu Da looked at Xu Erniang and Xu Dalan behind Xu Yue. The siblings indicated they wanted to go with their younger sister.
Xu Da glanced at the dense grass around them and wasn’t very keen on letting the three children wander off.
Xu Yue immediately promised, “We’ll just look around nearby, absolutely not going far. I want to search the area to see if there are any plants I recognize. We won’t go into the woods.”
Xu Da showed a hesitant expression. Seeing her father like this, Xu Yue knew he wouldn’t agree unless she gave a good reason.
So she said, “Looking at the environment around here, it’s very likely there’s a type of edible plant. If we can find it, it could feed us for several days.”
“Really?” Xu Da looked at the surrounding bushes. The lower ground was covered with either grass or various unfamiliar plants—none of which looked like they could feed anyone for several days.
But seeing Xu Yue’s confident expression, he decided to let her try.
“Don’t go beyond my line of sight,” Xu Da said uneasily.
Xu Yue immediately nodded with a smile, “Understood, we’ll stay right around here, not going far!”
With Xu Da’s permission, Xu Yue immediately led her brother and sister toward the hillside where she had previously hidden.
“What are we looking for?” Xu Erniang asked curiously.
The blisters on her feet made her gasp with pain with every step. Xu Yue hadn’t wanted her to come along, but she couldn’t resist her sister’s overwhelming curiosity.
While directing Xu Dalan, who was carrying her, to go left, Xu Yue answered, “A plant with leaves shaped like boats, that specifically grows in hot, humid places. We call it taro.”
When she was hiding on the slope earlier, she had spotted several plants with particularly broad leaves that looked very much like taro stems and leaves, but she hadn’t had time to verify.
“Taro?” Xu Erniang repeated quietly. It was a species she had never heard of.
Driven by curiosity, Xu Erniang ignored the pain in her feet and kept urging Xu Dalan to walk faster.
Soon, the three siblings reached their previous hiding spot. A few more steps forward, and they came across a cluster of green plants as tall as Xu Yue.
The broad leaves matched Xu Yue’s description perfectly—shaped like boats, about the size of two palms.
“Is this it?” Xu Erniang asked excitedly.
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Taro grows in clusters, and Xu Yue guessed there should be more nearby. After a moment’s thought, she pointed to the surrounding hillside and told them, “This is called taro. It’s edible once cooked. Look for more by spotting its leaves.”
Qiu Shi and the others eyed the dark, unfamiliar object with hesitation. They had never eaten or even seen such a thing before.
But as soon as Wang Jia Danniang heard this, the little girl immediately headed up the slope to search.
She seemed to be heading in the direction Xu Yue had just come from.
Watching Tong Shi follow along as well, Xu Yue’s lips curved into a faint smile, and the frustration in her heart melted away.