Chapter 113 – Not Like a Girl
A fluorite that’s the size of an ostrich egg wasn’t light.
Yan Xiaosi, having recently regained her strength, found herself burdened with two bottles of medicine powder concealed within her sleeves. Now, with the addition of the stone in her hand, she felt slightly overwhelmed by the weight she was carrying.
As Yan Shuqin approached, flustered and agitated, Yan Xiaosi’s grin widened. Without hesitation, she swiftly thrust the ostrich egg-sized fluorite into Yan Shuqin’s arms. “Big sister, this is no ordinary stone. It’s called fluorite. I came across it while gathering medicinal herbs earlier. In the sunlight, it may appear ordinary, just like any other stone. However, in the darkness, fluorite emits a gentle glow. Dad mentioned it in the books he left behind. Instead of using lamp oil, which costs money and may bother mom, we can place this fluorite in the cave and have a natural source of illumination.”
Yan Shuqin held the heavy stone, her eyes falling on Yan Xiaosi’s hands covered in yellow mud.
“Xiaosi, did you get so disheveled just to find this fluorite? Look at you, hands, back, butt, legs are all covered in yellow mud, did you fall and get hurt somewhere?”
To make Yan Shuqin believe that the fluorite was picked up in the mountain, Yan Xiaosi came out of the portable space, and deliberately rolled it on the ground. “Hehe, I found this fluorite under the slope over there. It was a bit hard to get, but I didn’t get hurt. Big sister, don’t tell mom, second sister, and third sister about me going down the slope to get the fluorite. Save them from worrying for nothing.”
Looking at Yan Xiaosi’s vigorous, giggling appearance, she really didn’t seem injured.
Only then did Yan Shuqin breathe a sigh of relief and touch her forehead, “You… We really can’t do anything about you. Mom’s worried because you didn’t come back for so long. Let’s hurry back.”
The two sisters returned to the cave.
As Yan Shuqin, holding the ostrich egg-sized fluorite, walked into the cave, the stone that originally looked very ordinary actually began to glow in her arms.
The glow was obvious. She looked down with surprise, her eyes filled with excitement.
“Xiaosi, you were right, this stone really can glow.”
The deeper she went into the cave with the fluorite, the stronger the light it emitted. It was also obviously much brighter than the oil lamp, illuminating more than half of the cave.
Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuxue and Yan Shuqin were using thin mud and stones to build a stove. As the light suddenly became brighter, they turned their heads and saw the glowing stone in Yan Shuqin’s arms.
Ms. Zhong had heard when she was young that only gems like the Night Pearl would glow.
With that thought, she stared at the stone in Yan Shuqin’s arms, her face changing instantly.
If the stone was truly a Night Pearl, it might not be a good thing for them. Firstly, if the Yan family knew they had a treasure, they would not leave them alone.
“Qin’er, what are you holding in your arms?”
Hearing the serious and tense tone in Ms. Zhong’s words, Yan Xiaosi instantly understood her thoughts. “Mom, you don’t need to worry. What big sister is holding is not a gem, it’s just a piece of fluorite that can glow. I accidentally found it while picking medicine in the mountains. I was thinking that if we plan to live in this dark cave, we can’t keep the oil lamp burning day and night. So, I brought this piece of fluorite back to use as a lamp.”
Ms. Zhong finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her explanation.
She didn’t desire great wealth, she just hoped her children could live without illnesses or disasters, safe and sound.
Yan Shuqin put down the fluorite, put out the oil lamp, and the cave was still brightly lit.
With better light, work became more efficient.
Ms. Zhong was building a stove with the thin mud while telling Yan Xiaosi: “Xiaosi, you rest for a while. When mom has finished building the stove, we’ll cook lunch.”
“Mom, I see many smooth stones on the peak of First Sister Peak. I will bring some in to make tables and chairs.”
With smooth stones, there’s no need to laboriously cut down trees and saw wooden posts to make chairs and tables.
As Yan Shuqin spoke, she waved her hand and went outside.
Yan Xiaosi had just had a nap, and couldn’t sleep anymore. She wiped the mud off her hands and followed her steps.
“Big sister, I’ll go with you.”
The two sisters went in and out a few times, bringing a dozen or so smooth stones into the cave.
It was probably noon now. With the help of Yan Shuxue and Yan Shuyun, Ms. Zhong built a simple earthen stove and started to cook.
A pot of mixed grain porridge simmered on the stove, accompanied by a stir-fried meat dish and a stir-fried vegetable dish. This meal marked their first shared meal as a family of five since they had relocated up the mountain.
Yan Xiaosi ate two bowls of porridge and felt full. She put down the bowl and said, “Mom, big sister, second sister, third sister, I need to pee, I’m going out to find a place to go to the toilet.”
Observing her daughter set down the bowl, grasp her stomach, and depart, Ms. Zhong let out a sigh as she watched her recede figure. “She truly carries herself more like a boy than a girl, especially in her manner of speaking,” Ms. Zhong remarked, her voice filled with a mix of affection and exasperation.
Ms. Zhong started to worry.
This reckless girl, how would she ever get married?
Yan Xiaosi felt no concern about her prospects for marriage. She hummed a cheerful tune as she strolled out of the cave, making sure to stay out of sight from Ms. Zhong and the rest. Swiftly, she retrieved the medicine bottles concealed within her sleeve.
One bottle was realgar, which can drive away snakes, centipedes, scorpions, spiders and the like.
Another bottle was a slightly smelly medicinal powder, which can drive away leopards, wolves, wild dogs, and such wild creatures.
Although she hadn’t encountered wolves, wild dogs, leopards and such while picking medicine on First Sister Peak, it was still necessary to be prepared for any eventuality.
She sprinkled the medicinal powder at the entrance of the cave and walked back inside.
The subtle fragrance of the medicinal powder wafted into the cave, catching the attention of Ms. Zhong and the others present.
Yan Shuqin frowned at the smell: “Mom, second sister, third sister, Xiaosi, do you smell something foul?”
Ms. Zhong and the others nodded.
Ms. Zhong was puzzled.
“There was no smell in the cave just now. Could this smell have come from the nearby forest?”
Although the beast repellent powder had a somewhat foul smell, it was tolerable, similar to the smell of disinfectant in a hospital.
Yan Xiaosi feigned a frown, saying, “It must have come from the nearby forest, I smelled it when I was peeing outside just now.”
Hearing the words ‘peeing outside’, Ms. Zhong, as a mother, felt a headache coming on.
With heartfelt words, she said: “Xiaosi, you’re ultimately a girl, don’t always keep words like ‘need to pee’, ‘peeing’ on your lips. How can you get married in the future if you talk like this? From today, mom will teach you how to be a girl.”
Yan Xiaosi walked up to Ms. Zhong and shamelessly rested her head on Ms. Zhong’s shoulder. “Mom, if nobody marries me, I’ll spend my life with you.”
