During the years when Du Ling was mentally impaired in the dream world, the savages fed her raw meat and blood every day, and her clothes were covered in bloodstains.

In addition, due to the frequent pain attacks, Jiang Xi did not observe carefully at the time and could not determine whether the bloodstains on her body were animal blood or her own blood.

Du Ling thought about Jiang Xi's question for a long time, and thought she understood what she meant. She stretched out her arm, lifted her sleeve, pointed to the scar on her arm and said, "Blood...it will bleed."

Jiang Xi rubbed her forehead: "It's not this blood, it's my stomach hurting and I'm bleeding between my legs."

Du Ling shook her head in confusion. Why was there blood flowing between her legs?

Jiang Xi didn't know how to explain it in a way that Du Ling could understand. Over the years, no one had probably explained these physiological facts to her. She simply introduced Du Ling to the female anatomy and the basics of menstruation.

Du Ling was still in a state of confusion.

After all, the transition from childhood to adolescence was a blank period for her, nearly ten years of unconsciousness. Even if she had some childhood memories, they were only a drop in the ocean.

Jiang Xi's mouth was dry from talking, so she gulped down a glass of water, but then thought better of it. Since they were already living together, she could just observe them more closely in the future.

The child needs to be taught carefully. There is still a long time ahead. The longer Du Ling interacts with normal people, the more she will learn.

For Jiang Xi, although her menstrual cycle has become longer, she doesn't have any other discomforts, and this can't be rushed.

Her eyes were gentle, and she waved her hand with a smile: "It's okay if you don't understand now, let's continue tying the silk threads."

Du Ling nodded quickly and pointed to the wide-sleeved top that Jiang Xi was wearing, which she had made herself.

It was clear that Du Ling was very interested in the dress, so Jiang Xi asked her, "Do you like this dress?"

Du Ling mimicked her by giving a thumbs-up and nodding, "Xiao Xi... looks great in it."

Feeling praised, Jiang Xi's eyes crinkled into a smile: "I'll teach you how to do it in a couple of days."

The dress was a bit too big for Du Ling, and it was an old piece of clothing; otherwise, Jiang Xi could have just given it to her.

The clothes were made before the New Year. A while ago, Jiang Xi used a kind of wild grass juice to dye the clothes. The collar and chest area kept the original white of the fibers, while the area below the waistline was dyed blue with indigo.

While dyeing, she happened to recall the tie-dyeing technique she used to see in a small town. The fabric was tied with rope to create the desired pattern, then soaked in grass juice and repeatedly dyed with salt water. This resulted in a staggered pattern on the hem.

From the neckline down, it starts with the original white of plant fibers, then a very light light blue, and finally a very dark dark blue at the hem, adorned with various naturally formed tie-dye patterns.

The wide sleeves were simply because she didn't know how to cut clothes. This made the sleeves not only easy to assemble but also very comfortable. When working, she could just roll up the sleeves without getting them dirty.

Jiang Xi has a slender face and a naturally gentle temperament. The color of this dress does not make her look old at all. On the contrary, it makes her look very elegant and bright in the retro style, and also playful.

She had been thinking of teaching Du Ling how to make clothes for a while, but she had been busy lately and it had been delayed.

As the weather gets hotter, Jiang Xi thought it over and realized it was time to put this skill training on the agenda.

Yan Jing'an slept for quite a long time, and when he woke up, his head, shoulders, neck, and calves were all very sore.

But I couldn't open my eyes; my eyelids felt incredibly heavy, and my whole body felt like it was tied up, unable to move.

He forced himself to open his eyes only when the birdsong around him grew louder and louder.

It was dusk, and the forest was dimly lit. It was the time when all the birds were returning to their nests. Turning his head, Yan Jing'an saw the golden rays of the setting sun filtering through the gaps in the treetops and into the canopy. Looking at it, it was as if he saw countless scattered and dazzling lights.

He closed his eyes again and waited a while before sitting up and climbing down the tree.

As soon as he emerged from the woods, he saw wisps of smoke rising from a courtyard in the distance, the air filled with the smell of burning firewood.

Anyone can find a familiar feeling from childhood in this flavor.

Yan Jing'an stretched comfortably and took a nap all afternoon. Only now did his fatigue subside, and he swayed back to the courtyard.

The setting sun poured into the village without reservation, making the yellow brick and tile houses appear even yellower and brighter, as if they had an extra layer of orange halo.

As he approached, he heard Jiang Xi's laughter and the whimpering sounds of Xiao Hei playing.

As he pushed open the courtyard gate, Du Ling and Jiang Xi both turned to look at him upon hearing the sound.

Du Ling didn't know anything about the bell or the problems between them. She just felt that Yan Jing'an was not someone to be trifled with, so she carried Xiao Hei and walked far away.

Jiang Xi spread the herbs on the drying rack with her hand and deliberately asked, "Tsk tsk, your skills have deteriorated. You went out all day and didn't bring anything back."

Yan Jing'an scratched his messy hair and asked sleepily, "What made you think I went hunting?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xi feigned surprise and asked, "Oh, did you go to the woods to heal your wounds?"

Yan Jing'an opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say, so he waved his hand at her.

Jiang Xi smiled, carried the basket on her back and walked past him, patted his shoulder, and went straight into the kitchen.

Yan Jing settled down. Sometimes, not many words are needed; this is just right between friends.

It's both encouragement and comfort.

As he was about to go inside, he heard Jiang Xi call out from the kitchen, "Yan Zheng left you some food, remember to eat it."

Yan Jing'an had slept all day and didn't feel hungry. He frowned and, afraid that Jiang Xi wouldn't hear him, deliberately raised his voice to call back, "I'll eat later."

The sound was unusually loud, startling the fluttering of birds flying out of the woods behind the main house.

The fawns in the deer pen were impatiently kicking their hooves and making snorting noises, protesting his loud voice.

Yan Jing'an heard this, grabbed his hair that was flying up from sleeping, and cursed, "Silly deer." He then turned and went into the house.

I thought to myself that this is the good thing about single-story houses; no matter how loud you are, you won't disturb the neighbors.

If pets don't count as people.

Jiang Xi was simmering root and yam porridge in a pot.

After lunch, Yan Zheng told her that they might have to go to the lakeside. It would be a tiring trip, and they couldn't go without any food for dinner.

She added diced cured pork to the porridge, sautéed it in a little hot oil to render the fat and make it fragrant, and also added shredded porcini and termite mushrooms.

These were all collected by Du Ling. Ever since Jiang Xi taught her to identify mushroom varieties, she seemed to have a breakthrough. Even when chatting, Du Ling could accurately tell the location where different mushrooms were most abundant.

Jiang Xi was once again amazed by how familiar the forest was with her; it was practically a walking GPS.