Chapter 36. No walking your bird!

"climb mountains?"

“Yes, Dad, let’s go hiking together.” Xi Xi sat on her father’s lap, her mouth stuffed full of crumbs, which fell all over Pei Yiyan.

This little chubby girl is incredibly lazy at home, always lying down or sitting. When she goes out, she needs to be carried or held. Would such a lazy pig ever want to climb a mountain?

Something unusual must be going on; Pei Yiyan's intuition told him that things weren't that simple.

He removed the child from his clothes and brushed the crumbs off his clothes: "Tell me, what are you planning?"

Xi Xi stood still obediently, shyly pointing her fingers: "Daddy, Xi Xi hasn't eaten dirt in a long time, I want to eat dirt."

The unexpected answer stirred up Pei Yiyan's memories.

He recalled when he first found Xixi, she would occasionally ask to eat fragrant dirt, and now, considering her identity as a little monster...

Pei Yiyan frowned slightly. For a little ginseng spirit, eating dirt should be a basic necessity, just like eating for humans.

Then she must have been starving for more than half a year.

The absurd yet plausible guess caused a fleeting moment of stiffness to cross Pei Yiyan's face.

He asked cautiously, "Is any mountain okay?"

He wasn't sure if the soil from each mountain tasted the same. If the little girl didn't like the soil in Beijing, he might have to take her back to Baicao County.

"Mmm, anywhere is fine."

"good."

The next day was the weekend, and after breakfast, the father and daughter took the earliest subway to Fragrant Hills, the nearest city.

Beijing is a big city, and even in the sweltering summer, people still flock to the mountains. As far as the eye can see, the mountains are covered with a dense mass of black dots, enough to make a person with social anxiety's scalp tingle.

Fortunately, most people are there for Xiangshan Temple in the scenic area, while a few are genuine hiking enthusiasts.

The further Pei Yiyan went, the more worried he became.

With so many people around, it would be difficult for him to cover up the little girl eating dirt. He might be exposed if he's not careful, and it would be embarrassing if he went out and ended up on the news.

Pei Yiyan was filled with anxiety.

After thinking it over, the best solution was to just pack a bowl of dirt to take home and eat, and luckily he brought his tools with him.

Pei Yiyan tightened the shoulder strap of his backpack and led Xixi to a less crowded area.

He pulled his hat brim down to cover most of his face and asked quietly, "Dad brought some digging tools. How much would you like to eat? Is one bowl enough?"

“One bowl isn’t enough.” Xi Xi gestured with her hand. “Xi Xi has a huge appetite; she can eat the distance of three trees.”

"So much?" Pei Yiyan was genuinely surprised; this little thing could eat so much. "Are you serious?"

Xixi couldn't stand such words. What's wrong with being able to eat? Being able to eat is a blessing. She's still growing.

Seeing how confidently the little girl spoke, Pei Yiyan believed her.

I'll do my best.

The closer they got to the less crowded area, the more suspicious the father and daughter's furtive movements became, quickly attracting the attention of the security guards. The old man, however, remained calm and quietly followed behind them.

Xi Xi seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. She paused slightly, grabbed her father's sleeve, and muttered, "Dad, someone is following us."

Pei Yiyan was startled and pressed the little girl's head down: "Don't turn around."

Xi Xi: "So what do we do now?"

"Quickly find the soil you like to eat, and I'll dig up a little bit when I get the chance."

"Dad, how about we come back tonight?"

"This place is not open at night."

Xi Xi hesitated, biting her finger, her little face filled with worry. She said dejectedly, "But there are so many people during the day."

During the day, with so many people around, it's inconvenient to move around, and there's a high chance your hopes will be dashed.

Having finally made the trip, Pei Yiyan couldn't bear to see the little girl go hungry. After some internal struggle, he sighed.

"Then we'll go down the mountain tonight."

The scenic area stops selling tickets after 5 p.m., as the staff doesn't have the energy or time to patrol the entire mountain. Many hiking enthusiasts don't descend the mountain until 8 or 9 p.m.

The mountains near the scenic area have been developed, so there are no wild animals in the forests, and some areas are monitored, so there is basically no need to worry about safety.

Having decided to descend the mountain that evening, the father and daughter immediately slowed down.

Before long, Xixi started complaining of being tired and begged Pei Yiyan to carry her. Pei Yiyan had expected this, so he expressionlessly tossed the child onto his back.

Fragrant Hills was quiet at night, but thankfully the moonlight and faint lamplight illuminated the way.

The two were originally following the path opened up by the scenic area, but Xixi sniffed around here and there and wandered into the woods without realizing it.

Pei Yiyan had observed that there were no surveillance cameras nearby, and they had stepped out of the security monitoring range, which meant that this place might not be so safe.

Pei Yiyan's expression immediately turned serious, and he became alert and observant.

"Ah, this is it," the child called out briefly.

Pei Yiyan immediately put down his backpack and prepared to dig. Just as he picked up the small shovel, the little girl next to him turned back into a big white radish without even saying a word.

Pei Yiyan's hand trembled, and the shovel fell back.

With another bang, the big white radish tumbled upside down, the whole radish buried in the soil, with only a wispy ginseng-like root sticking out.

Pei Yiyan's heart nearly stopped.

Thankfully, he has a leg problem, not a heart problem, otherwise the feast could have started tomorrow.

He calmed his wildly beating heart and paced around Xixi like an ant on a hot pan: "Why did you jump so suddenly? Did you hit a rock? Does it hurt?"

A ginseng root twirled around smugly: "It doesn't hurt. Xixi has already surveyed it; there are no stones underneath."

Pei Yiyan forgot to be angry because of her worry: "Show your nose. Dad can't see your nose. What if he gets bored and goes crazy?"

"Xixi doesn't breathe through her nose. Oh dear, Dad, stop nagging! Xixi's going to eat dirt!"

Pei Yiyan fell silent, praying that no one would notice.

*smack smack*

"The soil here is a bit tough and dry, not very tasty."

"Dad will take you back to Baicaoshan to eat when the holidays come," Pei Yiyan said.

"Thank you, Dad. Dad is so good."

Xi Xi stayed in the soil for half an hour. Pei Yiyan kept a close watch on the surroundings. He had secretly observed that the soil around Xi Xi had not decreased.

Is this little girl really eating dirt?

Why are you eating so slowly?

What if we eat all the soil? What if the scenic area calls the police tomorrow?

Pei Yiyan had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but he didn't want to distract his daughter, so he decided to hold them until he got home.

About an hour later, Xixi suddenly jumped out, covered in dust and dirt, her hair a mess, looking like a little homeless person.

“Disgusting.” Pei Yiyan said, taking a wet wipe out of his pocket.

Just then, Xixi made a shushing gesture.

Pei Yiyan paused, his gaze hardening, and he held his breath, amplifying the sound of the wind rustling through the grass and trees.

There was an unusual rustling sound from the bushes not far away, like some animal approaching from a distance, its body brushing against the grass and leaves.

Pei Yiyan's nerves immediately tensed. He forced himself to remain calm and dared not make any rash moves. He had already imagined a hundred ways to escape and was prepared to run away with his daughter in his arms.

Hopefully, it's not a large wild animal, especially a wild boar. Wild boars are aggressive, strong, and pose a significant risk.

A minute felt like an eternity.

The leaves were parted, and a dark shadow emerged from the bushes. Good news: the creature was small, eliminating the option of large wild animals.

Pei Yiyan had just breathed a sigh of relief when the child's tender voice suddenly rang out.

"Little Black, over here!"

Pei Yiyan looked at Xixi with a look of utter disbelief.

A response came from the other end: "Xixi, it really is you." The little black figure skipped and hopped over.

The two children, who had been separated for a long time, hugged each other and jumped around. Pei Yiyan's brain went blank, and he used the bright moonlight to look at the little black child's face.

It's not one of those little kids in the neighborhood, nor one of them in kindergarten.

Looking further, Pei Yiyan's breath hitched. This child was naked, with no clothes on?!

Without thinking, he forcefully separated the two children, his gaze falling on the little boy!

Walking your bird? Is that polite?

Pei Yiyan suddenly felt a toothache.

"Dad, this is Xiao Hei. He's my playmate from Baicao Mountain."

"What? You called him Dad?" The little black boy was so happy his voice almost cracked. "Xixi, you found Grandpa Tree Spirit! That's great! I knew you could do it!"

Pei Yiyan: So he's also a ginseng spirit?

Little Black shyly raised its face, its eyes sparkling: "Grandpa Tree Spirit, I'm Little Black He Shou Wu, do you remember me?"

Pei Yiyan took a half step back. What was that, Grandpa?

Clearly, he didn't remember the little thing.

He remained completely calm: "Call me uncle."

Xiao Hei: ⊙⊙!

"Little Black, I want one of your seeds. I won't take it for free; I'll trade you my tendrils for it, okay?"

Xiao Hei: !! What a great thing!

"good!"

Xi Xi traded her ginseng root for a piece of Polygonum multiflorum the size of a fingernail, and happily put it into Pei Yiyan's bag.

Pei Yiyan frowned as he faced the enthusiastic Xiao He Shou Wu Jing, his cold face flickering in and out of focus under the moonlight.

"Where are your clothes? Why aren't you wearing anything?" he said sternly. "Do you know what happens when your belly button is exposed?"

The naked little monster tensed up.

What...what will happen?

“You’ll catch a cold and get diarrhea.” Pei Yiyan glanced down and emphasized, “So don’t walk your little bird around. Even little monsters need to know how to be civilized and polite.”