An Yuan'er's tone was full of regret for what had happened to the Lan family.
Speaking of this, a dark mist settled between Lan Jingtang's brows: "An accident? The worst thing is that outsiders covet the Lan family and are deliberately trying to harm them."
"Could there be another story behind this?"
"I will investigate." Lan Jingtang only said this much and was unwilling to say more.
Since it was someone else's family's sad affair, An Yuan'er didn't pry into the details.
After eating and drinking their fill, the two set off again. Around dusk, the two, who were starving and freezing, actually saw smoke at the end of the jungle.
The presence of smoke means that other people live here.
The two were overjoyed, finally seeing a glimmer of hope instead of aimlessly searching for a way out. They quickened their pace and, upon reaching the end of the jungle, saw a wooden hut.
There seemed to be voices coming from inside the wooden house.
"Knock knock!" Lan Jingtang knocked politely on the door.
"I apologize for disturbing you. My friend and I accidentally fell off a cliff and are looking for a way out. I wonder if the host could do us the favor of staying for the night?"
After a while, the door creaked open.
A simple-looking middle-aged man came out. He first looked An Yuan'er and Lan Jingtang up and down warily, and only felt at ease after confirming that the two had no ill intentions.
"Come in."
Invited by the host, they entered the house, where a sheep oil lamp was lit. The lamp was not very bright, and in the dim light, a woman was holding a little boy who looked to be about four or five years old.
The little boy's eyes lit up when he saw An Yuan'er. He jumped off the woman and moved closer to An Yuan'er, saying, "Mommy, this sister is so pretty, and she smells so good. Xixi likes pretty sisters."
The woman pulled the little boy back: "Don't scare your sister, just stay put."
The little boy pouted, unhappy after being scolded by his mother.
An Yuan'er conjured a candy from who-knows-where and gave it to the little boy.
The little boy ate the candy, his eyes shining: "The candy is sweet, but my sister is even sweeter."
An Yuan'er comforted the little boy, and his little tantrum disappeared.
Even Lan Jingtang couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect you to be so good at coaxing children."
"certainly!"
Lan Jingtang went to communicate with the host family, while An Yuan'er was responsible for playing with Xi Xi.
It turned out that the host family had also lived in seclusion here. There were no outsiders at the bottom of the cliff, which is why Uncle Hu became wary when he suddenly saw Lan Jingtang and An Yuan'er.
However, Uncle Hu and Aunt Hu were very hospitable and warmly took the two in for the night, even preparing food for them.
The place at the bottom of the cliff was simple, with only one extra room, so Lan Jingtang and An Yuan'er had to stay together.
There was only a wooden plank bed in the room, but it was still much more comfortable than the straw bed from yesterday.
"You sleep on the bed, I'll sleep on the table." Lan Jingtang had no intention of taking advantage of An Yuan'er.
An Yuan'er nodded without hesitation.
"Uncle Hu knows the way out of the cliff. He said that if we row a small boat out to sea, we can find the exit. Tomorrow at noon is the best time for the tide to rise, and Uncle Hu said he will take us out."
An Yuan'er was overjoyed: "That's wonderful. The uncle and aunt are kind people, and you can tell from their appearance that they are a very loving couple, and Xixi is very well-behaved."
Lan Jingtang also sighed, "Yes! To live a secluded life in the mountains with your beloved, enjoying a leisurely and carefree life, is indeed a wonderful thing."
Lan Jingtang turned to look at An Yuan'er, his eyes gentle.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that An Yuan'er was constantly scratching at something on her body.
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