The cellar has two levels, but the stairs leading down are damaged.
Fearing something bad might be down there, Song Liyun left Xiao An at the cellar entrance and waited until the air quality was good before jumping down alone.
Actually, she was overthinking it.
The Ji family was a prominent family in Suijin Town. After being occupied by the Di people and bandits for many days, the government naturally conducted a thorough search when they entered the town.
Moreover, after the black gold incident, no one set foot here again.
Under the bright beam of a flashlight, the cellar was completely visible.
The walls and floor were made of blue bricks, and the room was bare and empty. There were no dark rooms, no secret passages, and not even the corpses one might imagine.
The lower level of the cellar contained dozens of earthenware jars of various sizes, smashed into pieces, with some dried straw stuck to the ground nearby.
Judging from the appearance, this must be where the Ji family stores ice.
The upper level is a vegetable cellar, with broken wooden frames haphazardly scattered around.
Looking at these vegetables, Song Liyun suddenly realized something: winter is coming soon, and the locals are stocking up on vegetables like cabbage and radishes in advance.
The radishes and cabbages I collected from Xiaoshi Village were stored in my spatial dimension. After eating them to my heart's content for so long, they were starting to dwindle, and replenishing them seemed a long way off.
Living off one's savings is not Song Liyun's habit; she still needs to actively generate income.
As the saying goes, those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water. Song Liyun thought of the grain reserves that Black Gold had piled up in half a loft, which was also a good thing to have as much as possible.
Thinking of this, her gaze turned in a certain direction. With such a good helper, she should make use of him.
Since obtaining the small wooden box, Black Gold has changed its temperament these days, seemingly giving up the fight and having recklessly given up.
After eating during the day, it becomes quiet and doesn't make a fuss. It just curls up in its nest, hugging the wooden box, and sleeps soundly.
In the evening, Song Liyun would let it walk around the house a few times to relieve itself, and it became very docile, no longer showing its previous fierce nature.
Song Liyun was a little confused. The small wooden box was so important to it, so why didn't the black gold take it out by itself?
It's also possible that this is just a ritual, a symbol, like a promise between children.
After much deliberation, Song Liyun decided to take a bold step.
After Song Zhenping left home for work, Song Liyun opened the attic door again.
Black Gold Ears twitched slightly in the blankets, but he didn't lift his head. He grabbed a cloth and covered his face before continuing to sleep soundly.
This was Xiao An's first time coming up to the attic.
He stood in the low doorway, staring intently at the dark, furry mass inside.
What is that?
It can move, and it even knows that the sunlight outside is too bright.
"Black Gold, look who's here!" Song Liyun led Xiao An a few steps closer and called out to the sleeping lazy monkey.
Black Gold didn't open its eyes; instead, it turned over and faced away from the doorway.
Xiao An bit his lip, looking at the strange thing with a mixture of fear and curiosity. He grabbed Song Liyun's hand, pointed at the black gold, and whispered, "Sister!"
He wanted to ask, what is that thing?
The moment the clear, childlike voice rang out, Black Gold's ears twitched, and its body instantly leaped out of its nest. With a nimble turn in the air, it pounced on Little An like a whirlwind.
Because it was the first time Song Liyun had brought Xiao An to see the pavilion, she was wary of the former ferocious beast, even though Hei Jin behaved very well.
Seeing that Hei Jin had indeed revealed his true colors, she grabbed Xiao An behind her and quickly stepped back to stand outside the range of the iron chains.
Black Gold's eyes widened, and it opened its mouth and barked at Xiao An, stretching out its two front paws as if trying to grab something.
Song Liyun was both angry and furious. At this moment, a murderous intent arose in her heart. She stepped forward and shouted sharply, "Beast, you're courting death!"
Before he finished speaking, he swung his stick and lashed out at Black Gold.
Black Gold was knocked over and fell to the ground, clutching its head and face as it lay on the floor whimpering.
Song Liyun stopped, and seeing that the black gold had returned to normal, she scolded, "What do you want to do?"
Black Gold cautiously raised its head.
Song Liyun then noticed that Hei Jin's eyes were already brimming with tears, and he pointed at Xiao An with his long claws.
She really has designs on children!
Xiao An hid behind Song Liyun and peeked at the terrifying monster.
Tears the size of black beans rolled down its face, wetting the long fur on its face.
Its two paws instinctively tried to scoop Xiao An up, but then shrank back under Song Liyun's gaze, only staring longingly at the little figure behind her.
The atmosphere was a little strange. Xiao An didn't move, and neither did Hei Jin, but the tears in their eyes flowed even more fiercely.
As she watched, Xiao An slowly emerged from behind Song Liyun, taking one step, then two...
When Song Zhenping returned home from work that evening, he only saw Song Liyun busy in the kitchen, but Xiao An was nowhere to be seen. He asked, "Is Xiao An hiding in the backyard again?"
Song Liyun, who was making wontons, saw him return and hurriedly said, "He's in the side courtyard. I'll go find him. Brother, you boil some water first."
With that, he dropped the noodles in his hand and ran away.
Song Zhenping frowned as he looked at the white flour scattered all over the cutting board and the bowl of minced meat.
Yun'er is constantly fussing over food, and all this white rice and flour comes from her treasure bag, which is depleting her good fortune.
I need to earn more money, cultivate more land, and live a down-to-earth life. I can't let my second sister suffer like this.
In the side courtyard, Song Liyun stood below the pavilion and called softly, "Xiao An, your brother is back, come down quickly."
A flurry of activity erupted in the attic.
A moment later, Xiao An grabbed the wooden railing and slid down, with Hei Jin following behind, trying to get out.
But it still had an iron chain around its neck, so it could only watch as Xiao An ran to Song Liyun's side, and the two left hand in hand.
Just as he stepped out of the side courtyard, Xiao An turned around and waved to the attic, and a look of joy immediately appeared on his black and gold fur face.
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