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In the end, Yingbao paid to buy two pairs of colorful silk flower hairpins and three pairs of exquisitely carved wooden combs, which could be used as hair decorations. They were currently quite popular.

She also bought a dried tobacco pipe and a bunch of toys made out of wood.

Items like a colorful pigeon cart, a tangram puzzle, a Kongming lock puzzle, and two small horse heads made out of colored paper, altogether, they cost her one hundred and eighty coins.

Jiang Sanlang marveled at his little daughter’s ability to pick out items and spend money wisely.

Although the little items she bought did not seem significant, they were all exquisite, beautiful, and practical.

He tried to dissuade her a couple of times, but when he saw she wouldn’t listen, he just went along with it.

After all, the money was hers, as long as his little daughter was pleased, she could even buy a person to go back home.

The father and daughter continued their shopping spree while sauntering around.

As Jiang Sanlang bought New Year decorations, Yingbao bought candied hawthorns.

As Jiang Sanlang selected bowls, basins, and chopsticks, Yingbao bought sugar figurines.

In the end, the large basket was filled to the brim, and both hands were also full. Jiang Sanlang could only carry his daughter on his back and head home.

Suddenly, from her high vantage point, Yingbao saw a ragged young boy with a load of firewood in front of him. On the dark firewood, there seemed to be a few dried golden-yellow mushrooms that were particularly eye-catching.

“Dad! Dad! Quickly go over there!”

Yingbao patting her dad’s shoulder, pointed to the side of the road and said,

“Go over there.”

Jiang Sanlang assumed his daughter had spotted some tasty food, so he reminded her, “Baobao, we’ve bought too many snacks; it’s hard to carry all of them.”

“I don’t want snacks. Dad, put me down. I want to look at that.” She pointed her little finger to the roadside.

“Uh…” Jiang Sanlang turned his head to look and was momentarily taken aback.

In that direction, there were no food stalls, no toy stands, nothing but a thirteen or fourteen-year-old ragged boy and a pile of firewood in front of him.

Could it be… was his daughter really going to buy a person?

Shoo! What was he thinking? How could his daughter want to buy a dirty little boy?

But since his daughter struggled to get down, out of the basket, Jiang Sanlang had no other choice but to set the basket beside the road, sit on a stone and rest his feet while waiting for his two nephews.

Luckily this place was on the outskirts of the market, there were few people setting up stalls, and the flow of people was scarce, so he didn’t have to worry about his little daughter getting stepped on.

Yingbao was lifted out of the basket by her father and in a flash spot ran over to the load of firewood, she looked up at the ragged young boy and asked, “Are you selling firewood?”

The boy, seeing a small bobble-hatted child asking a question, assumed she was curious and nodded.

“How much does it cost?” Yingbao asked.

The boy: “Three coins.”

Beaming, Yingbao asked again, “If you deliver it home for me, how much would that cost?”

The boy frowned and asked, “Where’s your home?”

“Dongchen Village,” Yingbao replied.

“Dongchen Village…” The boy thought about it and said, “To deliver to Dongchen Village… five coins.”

“Alright then, you will come with me later.” Yingbao put five coins into the boy’s hand, “This is the money for the firewood. I’ll give it to you first.”

The boy nodded, clenched the copper coin in his hand, pursed his lips, and a dimple appeared on one cheek, he was obviously very happy.

Seeing the brief appearance of a dimple on the boy’s cheek, Yingbao was stunned. She took a closer look at him.

He had delicate features, a thin face, and a cold expression. His only flaw was that he was a little dark, probably because he labored in the fields all year round.

After looking at him for a while, whatever familiar feeling she had vanished. Yingbao turned around and went to check the firewood.

Jiang Sanlang was dumbfounded by his daughter’s actions.

Why on earth did his little girl want to buy a load of firewood?

They didn’t need to buy firewood at home, there was plenty on the back hill. They just had to go there and they could carry back a load themselves.

But since his daughter had already bought it, what could he do? He might as well let her do as she pleased.

Jiang Sanlang didn’t know that what his daughter had bought was not firewood, but the golden ear fungus grown on dry twigs.

Yingbao squatted in front of the pile of wood, her little hands already holding two golden ear fungus, each the size of a finger. She sniffed them and pretended to put them in her pocket, but actually secretly stored them in her cave.

Hehe, instead of Xue’er, she unexpectedly found something even more valuable —golden ear fungus.

She planned to put the fungus-sourced firewood into her cave, give it a splash of water, and see whether more fungi could grow.

Yingbao focused her gaze on the bundle of wood, prying it open with her hands, eager to see if there were any more golden ear fungi, but remembered her father’s calling.

“Baobao, come quickly, your cousin is here, we’re going home.”

Jiang Sanlang finally spotted his two nephews, so he immediately called his daughter to get in the back basket.

“Okay,” Yingbao responded, not forgetting the firewood she bought and gesturing to the raggedly dressed teenager, “We’re going home now, hurry up.”

“Hmm,” the boy said without a word, he bent down and picked up the firewood.

The journey from Chuanhe Town to Dongchen Village was almost five or six miles, which was not easy with a load of firewood.

By the time they finally arrived, the boy’s face was glowing red from exhaustion, and his whole body was covered in sweat.

While he was untangling the cord to unload the firewood, Yingbao asked,

“Where did you cut this firewood from?”

The boy shot a wary glance her way, saw the child’s innocent curiosity, paused, and replied, “From Stone Tower Mountain.”

“Where is Stone Tower Mountain?” Yingbao continued to ask.

The boy was silent for a moment, “It’s to the west of North Mountain.”

“Oh.” Yingbao licked the candy in her hand, gave it some thought, and then pulled out two water chestnuts from her pocket and stuffed them into his hand, “Here, eat this.”

She noticed this boy wearing crude straw sandals with bare feet, his trousers in tatters, and too short, revealing a purple, frostbitten ankle. It reminded her of a man she met in her previous life, but that man had never been so downcast.

She didn’t know why she suddenly thought of him.

She recalled that his name was Chuyan, an officer in the governor’s mansion.

Every time she encountered him, he was dressed in fine brocade, with an embroidered spring knife hanging at his waist. His eyes were as cold as unsheathed swords, complete devoid of any emotion.

Yingbao had seen Chuyan draw out his embroidered spring knife, and with one stroke cut off a person’s arm. His facial expression didn’t change in the slightest, like he was simply chopping vegetables.

And yet, such a ruthless man was willing to be used by her, and took great risks to help her escape the governor’s mansion.

There was something about the eyes and cheek dimple of the boy in front of her today that reminded her of him, especially that cautious glance from just now.

The boy hesitated for a moment, took the water chestnuts, and murmured, “Thank you.”

Yingbao watched as the boy carried away his burden and disappeared into the distance, licking her candy repeatedly, her face expressionless.

“Yingbao, what are you standing there for?” Jiang Sanlang emerged from the kitchen and asked in curiosity upon seeing his daughter standing at the entrance of the yard.

Yingbao snapped back to reality, smiling and said, “I’m looking for a place to stack firewood.”

The boy had brought the firewood into the yard and placed it next to the deer shed. Yingbao planned to spread it out and check each piece for any golden ear fungus on the dry twigs.

Jiang Sanlang shook his head and decided not to bother about his daughter. He went back inside to sort out the items they’d brought back.

Most of the items in the back basket were little knick-knacks bought by Yingbao, and his own New Year purchases were quite pitiful.

A strip of pork, a few bowls, a pair of chopsticks, a bag of coarse salt, two blocks of tofu, several talisman for the doors, and that was about it.

Jiang Sanlang sighed, organized the things, then scooped out a tub of wheat, prepared to go to his eldest brother’s place to grind it into flour. They’ll make dumplings on New Year’s Eve the next day.

After grinding the flour, he also needs to pound some rice to eat during the holiday.

Meanwhile, Yingbao squatted beside the stack of firewood, inspecting it piece by piece, and found four branches with golden ear fungus on them.

She was thrilled, took the wood, and ran to ask her father, “Dad! Dad! Do you know what tree this is?”

Only golden ear fungus growing on non-toxic trees could be eaten, and she needed to know what species of tree this wood was.

Jiang Sanlang took it from her and looked at it carefully, then truthfully said, “It’s a mulberry tree.”

“Hehehe, I see.” Yingbao grabbed the branches back and ran off again.

Jiang Sanlang shook his head, speechless. He then took a basin full of wheat and walked out the door..