Jiayin watched him build the stove with stones and thought for a moment. “Why don’t we build a house out of stone here? This place is so beautiful. What if we can’t find a cave? And what if the cave is too far from here? We’d have to hike all the way just to fetch water—how inconvenient!”
Hearing this, Fang Zhiyuan paused in his work. “Let’s go ask my father later. I also think this place is great—much better than the forest out there.”
Old Madam Yang, who was passing stones to Fang Zhiyuan, sighed. “Building a house here isn’t safe. The ground is low-lying. If it rains again, it’ll flood, and we’ll have to find another spot. Plus, places with water attract wild animals. If wolves or tigers come, won’t they eat us?”
Jiayin waved her hand dismissively. “It’s not unsafe at all. Nothing will come here.”
Old Madam Yang and Fang Zhiyuan looked at her curiously. Fang Zhiyuan couldn’t help but ask, “How do you know that?”
Jiayin pointed at Liu Liu. “Liu Liu told me. He said this is his secret base. Only he knows about it. The pool up above is where the wild animals drink.”
Liu Liu, who was grazing not far away, looked up when he heard his name.
Jiayin waved at him, and he immediately trotted over happily.
Jiayin repeated what she had just said, and Liu Liu nodded his donkey head in agreement, confirming that Jiayin was right.
Old Madam Yang looked at the donkey in amazement. “This Liu Liu has truly become a spirit. He’s incredibly intelligent.”
Fang Zhiyuan looked at Liu Liu, then at Jiayin, and asked curiously, “Little sister Jiayin, can you understand what he says?”
Jiayin nodded proudly. “Of course! And Liu Liu can understand us too!”
Fang Zhiyuan thought about it. Since Liu Liu could understand them, why shouldn’t they be able to understand Liu Liu?
He immediately dropped the stones in his hand and ran over to try communicating with Liu Liu. “Liu Liu, what kind of grass do you like to eat?”
Liu Liu stomped his hoof on the ground.
Fang Zhiyuan pulled up a blade of grass from where Liu Liu had stomped and showed it to him. “You like this kind of grass, right?”
Liu Liu brayed, “Hee-haw—”
Fang Zhiyuan shouted as if he had won a prize, “I understood him! He said yes! Right?”
Jiayin smiled and nodded. Yes, what Liu Liu had just said was “yes!”
For a while afterward, a little boy could be seen mumbling away, while the wild donkey occasionally answered with a “hee-haw.”
The reason Liu Liu was so intelligent and could understand human speech was that Jiayin had communicated with him through divine thought.
Having his donkey brain cleansed by a dragon’s divine thought was no different from having his marrow washed and meridians cleansed. It was as if Jiayin had opened his spiritual intelligence. Not only could he understand human speech, but he would also enjoy many benefits in the future…
By the time the stove was finally finished and ready for cooking, Fang Youwei had nearly completed the shelter—at least enough for them to rest there for the night.
For dinner, they had mixed-grain flatbreads and a wild vegetable and rabbit soup. The rabbit had been caught in the snare the day before. They had originally planned to bring it back to the village to eat, but now, for the time being, they couldn’t return.
After the meal, Fang Youwei took a walk around the vicinity, not daring to go far, given the elderly and young children in the family.
He focused his search around the rock cliff, looking for any caves. But even as the sun set and darkness gradually fell, he found nothing.
He did, however, find an overhanging rock. Beneath it was a space about ten feet high and fifteen or sixteen feet deep.
He looked around. There were a few trees in front, the ground was fairly flat, and the rock above had no cracks, so there was no risk of collapse.
If necessary, they could wall up the opening with stones and mud bricks to make a room—much safer than a simple shelter.
Fang Youwei looked at the stones by the creek. They came in various sizes, their edges still sharp and unworn—perfect for the job.