Ruan Jiaojiao had no idea what plots the female protagonist was weaving against her right now.
She was dazzled by the spring scenery before her eyes and couldn't help but think back to her previous life.
In her previous life, she was born lonely, like a solitary cat, and had no idea how old she was. She always lived in the mountains and forests, feeling a strong sense of belonging to them. Now, as she looked at the flowers and plants that covered the hills, she felt an immense sense of familiarity.
She also remembered the wolf that often had its things stolen by her. In her memory, that wolf had been around since as far back as she could remember. Every time she stole its food, it would become furious and chase after her, but it never managed to catch her. She had managed to sneakily steal and eat quite a lot of its good stuff.
She just didn't know what had become of that wolf now. Did it know that this little thief was dead? From now on, there would be no more stealing of its meat by her. It must be very pleased.
"Sister, are you tired? Do you want to take a break?" After walking for about ten minutes and reaching the center of the back mountain, Ruan Jie looked down and asked Ruan Jiaojiao.
Ruan Jiaojiao's current body was indeed frail. She was already sweating profusely from the short walk, and her breath was uneven. She glanced at Ruan Jie and nodded.
Ruan Jie immediately picked her up. Although he was only twelve, he was as physically strong as Jianguo, and lifting her was easy for him.
He walked to a patch of soft grass, had Ruan Feng remove his jacket to spread on the ground, and then set her down on it.
"Xiaojiu, you stay here and keep sister company, okay? Don't run around," Ruan Jie instructed their youngest brother.
Xiaojiu puffed out his chest confidently in response. He was Ruan Jiaojiao's uncle's youngest son, a blood brother to Ruan Feng, just seven years old this year, only a little more than a year older than Ruan Jiaojiao, and he was currently in the first grade.
After giving his orders to Ruan Qun, Ruan Jie turned to Ruan Jiaojiao, softly gave her some more instructions, and then led the other boys away. They dispersed, searching for birds' nests around the surroundings, each holding a homemade slingshot, specifically for targeting small birds like sparrows and quails.
Before leaving, Little Fatty patted his chest and promised Ruan Jiaojiao that he would definitely catch some sparrows for her to roast and eat.
While the boys climbed trees to hunt birds, the girls were not idle either. They scattered around looking for edible mushrooms and fungi. Having grown up in the countryside, they had at least a basic ability to identify various species of fungi and quickly gathered a good amount.
Wa Yiting picked almost a basketful, then used her small hoe to dig up a shoot, making sure she wouldn't be scolded by her uncles and aunts at home, before she turned her attention to Ruan Jiaojiao.
Seeing Ruan Jiaojiao sitting on her brother's jacket, taking an egg out of her pocket and starting to peel it, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva.
In those times, food was the most valued, especially something like eggs. Families would hardly ever eat their own eggs; usually, they would sell them to earn some money.
Wa Yiting's parents had died early, and she had been living with her uncle's family ever since she could remember. The uncle had three sons, and even if there was any delicacy, it would not be her turn. She was already satisfied if she could eat her meals to fullness.
However, because she got along well with Ruan Jiaojiao, she still managed to secretly eat a lot of good things, such as these eggs.
She knew when Ruan Jiaojiao would typically eat eggs and often made a point to visit her during those times. Ruan Jiaojiao, both silly and foolish, would share half of her egg with her as long as Wa Yiting casually mentioned it.
Even though they had a falling out at her house before, she had secretly vowed in her heart not to bother with Ruan Jiaojiao anymore, deciding that if they were ever to reconcile, Jiaojiao would have to come to her to apologize and make amends.