The necklace was taken away by Winston, who said he stored it away somewhere safe.

  Thankfully, Bai Qingqing wasn’t pestered by some ghost whatsoever. Also, those dreams vanished alongside the necklace, leaving her life entirely.

  The last bit of ice on the ground had also melted into water to nourish the soil by then, announcing the formal arrival of the light rainy season.

  The skies were dim, as though a layer of dark-colored seawater was floating over it. From time to time small raindrops would fall from the sky, on and off, so the ground remained in a constant wet state. This kind of rain tended to frustrate one the most.

  But this was sweet relish to the plants.

  The plants looked different with each passing day. In the span of several days, this world transformed from a withered yellow to a lovely shade of green.

  Setting aside their iron-smelting work, Parker and Winston moved out the wild grains that had started germinating to become wheat.

  Parker had planted these during the hot season last year. As he had planted it rather late, it was nearly submerged in the rain during the heavy rainy season. But as it wasn’t completely dried, insects had grown in some of it, and also plenty of it had germinated by now.

  As the harvest from the year before was also dampened, they planned on planting all of the wheat.

  “Are you going to plant the wheat? I want to come along!” Bai Qingqing jumped up and raised a hand.

  Parker gazed at the skies and said, “Perhaps next time. Seems like it might rain today.”


  Bai Qingqing’s face turned glum. Looking up at the skies, she pleaded. “No, it won’t. It’s been sunny the entire day.”


  “It’s easy for a female to fall sick during the light rainy season. Qingqing, don’t be willful.” Parker nagged at her in the manner of an elder. Too bad Bai Qingqing’s impression of him was stuck at the Parker she first met. Towards such a Parker, all she felt was amusement.

  Curtis rolled out the last bag of wheat and said blandly, “Let’s go.”


  “Eh?” Bai Qingqing sounded shocked. “Are you going as well?”


  “Mm,” Curtis responded. “Such weather is suitable for me to go out.”


  “What about me? Will it rain later?” Bai Qingqing gazed at him in anticipation.

  Curtis nodded mercilessly.

  Winston, who was quietly moving the stuff by the side, felt heartache for Bai Qingqing when he glanced over at her. He said, “The three of us will be done planting very quickly. We’ll find you some tender grass on the way back.”


  “Please call those wild vegetables, thank you.” Bai Qingqing tugged at her clothes gloomily.

  “Okay, I’ll find you some wild vegetables,” Winston said helplessly. The corners of his lips, however, rose. “The animal skin diaper An’an wetted is in the yard. I’ll come back and wash it later.”


  “Mm.” After all that had been said, if Bai Qingqing insisted on tagging along, it would make her appear stubborn.

  She waved at the males at the entrance. “Alright. Go, then. I’ll play with the cubs.”


  After the three males left with the seeds, Bai Qingqing watched as they went into the distance, and only when their back views disappeared from her sight did she leave the door.

  She couldn’t help feeling sad seeing all her males leave.

  “Eh!” Bai Qingqing let out a sigh and kicked at the stone on the floor out of boredom.

  Seeing the unhappy expression on their mommy’s face, the leopard cubs ran to her side and bounced up and down, using their mud-stained paws to claw at Bai Qingqing’s clothes.

  Unable to hide with them constantly chasing her, she shouted, “Stop scratching at Mommy’s clothes!”


  How could the cubs who were absorbed in having fun heed their mother’s totally un-imposing words? Moreover, they didn’t view mud-stained animal skins as being filthy, because they get mud on their furs every single day, and only had to lick at their furs to cleanse themselves.

  Bai Qingqing ran to a tree, and a withered tree branch appeared in front of her.