When the bundle was unpacked, Jiang Xi saw that there were still a few sweet potatoes inside, the mud on them was still wet, and they were obviously freshly dug up.

A thought struck her, and she quickly called out to the gray-brown figure.

"etc."

The child turned around again upon hearing this, looking at her with a puzzled expression.

Jiang Xi took out a sweet potato, pointed at it, and asked him, "Where did this come from?"

The child thought for a moment, then pointed in a direction for her. It was in the middle of the forest and the fields, where there was a mountain range.

Jiang Xi originally wanted him to take her there, but then she remembered Yan Zheng's words about being careful in everything, so she gave up the idea.

Knowing which direction is good enough; I'll have Yan Jing'an look for it later.

If the place is nearby, then they wouldn't need to travel over mountains and valleys to dig at the bottom of the cliff every time.

She smiled and thanked the child.

He smiled shyly, revealing two rows of white teeth.

Even though his face was covered in black mud, Jiang Xi could still see the friendliness emanating from him.

Jiang Xi thought for a moment and asked him, "Have you eaten?"

When the man heard him say that, he quickly nodded and pointed to the sweet potato in her hand.

Jiang Xi understood; this meant she had eaten it, and even ate sweet potatoes.

The next second, they heard a rumbling sound coming from his stomach.

The child was a little embarrassed and turned to leave quickly.

Jiang Xi tugged at his sleeve and said, "Come with me."

At first, the man hesitated and didn't follow, but Jiang Xi waved to him.

The child then hurriedly followed him into the courtyard.

Jiang Xi told him to sit on the stone bench and went into the kitchen herself.

The child had just sat down when Xiao Hei, inside the house, somehow managed to pry open the door.

It charged straight at his feet, biting his trouser leg with considerable force, its hind legs firmly planted, its mouth not letting go at all.

The child was so frightened that he quickly stood up and tried to run out of the yard.

Hearing the commotion, Jiang Xi quickly came out and saw Xiao Hei tugging at someone's trouser leg. She hurried over and picked Xiao Hei up.

He comforted the child, saying, "Don't be afraid, it's my pet, its name is Xiao Hei."

As she spoke, she gestured to him not to be afraid.

Seeing that the child still dared not approach, Jiang Xi locked Xiao Hei up again and even bolted the door shut.

Only after seeing Xiao Hei locked up did the child finally sit down quietly.

Jiang Xi smiled and said, "Wait a moment, I'll get you some food."

She first soaked a bowl of black-skinned chicken mushrooms in hot water. These mushrooms can be eaten after soaking for a few minutes and have a crisp texture.

I steamed two large bowls of root and yam rice using the tail stove.

They then took out six wild duck eggs that they had picked up from the lake a few days earlier, cracked them into a bowl, and stirred them well.

Cut the tender mountain scallions into sections.

Seeing that the sweet potato rice was almost ready, I heated oil in a wok, first frying the duck eggs in the lard, then taking them out.

Sauté wild scallions in oil until fragrant, then add the soaked chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms and scrambled eggs.

Stir-fry evenly, add various seasonings, and once the mushrooms are cooked, a delicious and fragrant country-style dish is ready to be served.

Green onions, yellow eggs, and dark brown termite mushrooms fill a large bowl, their vibrant colors making it incredibly appetizing.

Jiang Xi poured the sweet potato rice into a plate, then scooped out half of the vegetables and covered the rice with them, before taking out the spoon that the child had used earlier.

When the food was served, the child seemed a little restless. Jiang Xi noticed his unease, placed the food in front of him, and said with a smile, "Eat up."

At first he was a little reserved. He picked up a spoon and took a bite of the food, then, as if he had discovered a new continent, he began to eat heartily.

Jiang Xi was worried that he would burn himself, so she poured him another glass of water.

When I took the water back, I was surprised to see him eating and crying at the same time. His eyes, which were already red, were now even redder.

Jiang Xi was at a loss: "You...why are you crying?"

The child, still eating, looked at her for a long time before finally saying, "Thank you."

Jiang Xi waved her hand and asked him, "I heard your name is Lin?"

The child swallowed the food in his mouth and nodded.

Jiang Xi said sincerely, "Lin, if you get hungry, you can come find me later."

"Actually, I know you're a girl."

She had barely finished speaking when she saw Lin look up at her.

Jiang Xi thought she was overthinking it, so she quickly said, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

After all, she was covered in thick mud and deliberately dressed like that, probably because she didn't want others to know that she was a girl.

She noticed this when Lin examined her wound last time. Boys' knuckles are usually thicker than girls', but her wrist was very thin and had no noticeable hair.

In addition, Jiang Xi became suspicious because she didn't let Yan Zheng and Yan Jing'an follow her when she went to the toilet.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Xi said, "Actually, they are all very good people and won't hurt you."

After saying this, Lin looked up at her, and Jiang Xi happened to notice the scar on her head, so she quickly added, "If you don't hurt us."

Lin put down the spoon in his hand as he listened to what she said, and then took something out of his clothes.

It was square and contained in a fur bag, which showed how much she cherished it.

In Jiang Xi's sight, Lin slowly opened his pocket, took out a piece of paper, and handed it to Jiang Xi.

She took it; it was a photograph of a middle-aged man wearing glasses, embracing a little girl.

The child looked to be only about 10 years old, wearing a white dress, with big eyes and a bright smile.

It's clear that this photo is quite old; the edges are somewhat faded from frequent handling.

Then Lin pointed to the little girl, then to himself and said, "Lin."

Jiang Xi asked, "You mean this little girl is you?"

As soon as she asked that question, Lin's eyes immediately filled with tears, and she quickly nodded.

Jiang Xi sighed inwardly and asked her, "When did you get here?"

This question seemed to stump Lin. She thought for a long time without answering, and finally shook her head at Jiang Xi with a blank look on her face.

Perhaps it had been too long, she couldn't remember anymore.

Jiang Xi then asked, "So where are you living now? Is it the place you used to live with the wild bear?"

Lin understood what he meant and nodded.

Jiang Xi tentatively asked, "A cave?"

Lin seemed not to understand what a cave was, and still looked blank.

Jiang Xi explained, "The cave is a place where the wind and rain can't reach."

Lin understood as soon as she explained, and nodded again.

For some reason, knowing that the girl had a stable place to live made Jiang Xi feel relieved.

Fortunately, she didn't end up wandering in the forest.

She felt that Lin was much more capable than herself; such a young child had lived alone in the forest for so long and had been bullied by wild animals.

Just then, Jiang Xi suddenly heard a whistling sound coming from afar.

Yan Zheng and Xiao Lu have returned.

Lin heard this and quickly got up to go outside, where he ran into Yan Zheng, who was returning from outside.

As if startled, she quickly lowered her head and ran away from the wall.

"Why?"

Jiang Xi called out to her, but it was too late; the person had disappeared just as she reached the courtyard gate.