At that time, there was no such thing as timely assistance through difficulty; it was good enough not to kick someone while they were down.
So, Bai Da was truly kind to her.
Bai Zhi’s mouth twitched, thinking there would be some earth-shattering, soul-stirring story, just because they worked together.
Should she take back her conclusion that Ye Xiu was quite intelligent?
"Of course not just that, we didn’t have water pipes before, we had to fetch water, and I lived with your grandmother halfway up the mountain, which you can’t see now."
Ye Xiu looked toward the hillside. They had lived there until her mother passed away.
"Your dad and him, they fetched water and chopped wood for me every day, and since we shared similar interests, we got along well.
Several times, I fell into traps and got injured, and it was your dad who saved me."
Ye Xiu frowned, her speech wasn’t very coherent, and even for a moment, though she said so, there was a momentary blankness and confusion in her eyes?
It was as if she wasn’t sure herself, yet she mechanically spoke out.
"How many times? Under what circumstances?"
Bai Zhi saw Ye Xiu’s confused look and hurriedly spoke.
"Xingxing, why are you so curious?"
Ye Xiu felt somewhat helpless, always thinking that the current Xingxing was too gossipy.
"Because I want to see if he really has any strengths? Otherwise, besides being a lousy dad, he’s also a lousy man, completely worthless."
Bai Zhi touched her chin, appearing quite distressed, thinking for a long time before she finally spoke.
Why didn’t she feel that Xingxing was looking for Bai Da’s strengths but rather his flaws?
"Well, let me think, the most touching thing actually happened one year when wild boars descended from the mountain. Xingxing, you don’t know, those starving mad boars, over a dozen of them, desperately ran down, and everyone was too late to run, especially me. Your dad stood in front of me..."
Ye Xiu furrowed her brows, unsure why she remembered it so clearly, yet the image was blurred, perhaps because it was too long ago.
Later, the people in the village all ate pork. That day, it was really thrilling.
"Also, that big mountain, why I didn’t let you go there, because it’s really easy to get lost. One year, I went to cut pig grass and got lost, fell into a pit, and it was your dad who searched for me for three days and nights without giving up and finally rescued me. Your dad really saved me time and again."
Ye Xiu recalled now that, although the memory was blurry, she still remembered that protective warmth.
Bai Zhi kept frowning, Ye Xiu talked very flatly, as if speaking about someone else’s story; she remembered, but she seemed confused.
What exactly was going on?
"So, because he saved you, did you devote yourself to him?"
That shouldn’t be too melodramatic, right?
Ye Xiu felt stifled again, wondering why Xingxing, with a blank face, would say such a thing.
"Not really, I liked him too. Like the bracelet, it was specially brought back by him from a far place, just that it’s already broken now."
Ye Xiu became much quieter, as if, between them, there were still cracks, the lingering kind.
The person who once cherished her in the palm of his hand had done something she couldn’t accept.
"Oh." Bai Zhi said blandly, not saying more.
"Xingxing, thank you,"
Ye Xiu looked at her daughter, who appeared cold as ice, seemingly keeping others at a great distance, yet who unquestionably protected her.