I first met Ah Li in that main hall hanging from Scarface’s rafters. She passed a small clay teapot through the crack in the door, her bright, flickering eyes blinking sweetly, utterly charming. I tried to bribe her with candy, but she sternly refused. I had no choice but to patiently play the game of trading hard sweets for the truth, finally extracting Scarface’s identity.

Though it happened a month or two ago, recalling it now feels like a lifetime ago. The expression this little grown-up now gives me has shifted from initial shyness and reserve to one of playful coyness; a stranger has suddenly become a good companion.

However, Xiao Shu didn't share that kind of rapport with her. Their first meeting was at Wang Jue’s place, when Wang Jue had already gone mad. After just that one introduction, Ah Li was whisked away by Hua Gu into the returning carriage. When they met again in Miao Village, Xiao Shu lavished affection on Xing'er, completely overlooking the little girl’s feelings. Perhaps in a child's simple mind, this unfamiliar uncle favored boys—liked Xing'er and disliked her. Thus, at this very moment, no matter how proactively Xiao Shu approached her, she remained completely unresponsive. But Xiao Shu hadn't considered this; upon hearing the news that Xing'er’s mother had appeared, he became agitated and seized Ah Li’s shoulders, shaking her slightly, which irritated the young girl. She wriggled free from his grasp and hid behind me.

“Uncle Ming, this Uncle Li is mean; he squeezed my arm so hard it hurt,” Ah Li clutched my leg, her eyes dotted with nascent tears, looking up at me.

I reached out, drew her into my arms, gave her a small hug, wiped away a tear sliding beside those big eyes, and softly said, “Uncle Li didn’t mean to, he was just worried about Xing'er being lost. You must know, Uncle Li nearly lost his life searching for you all this way.”

Hearing this, Ah Li turned her head, looking at Xiao Shu with a mixture of belief and doubt, her expression softening slightly, feeling a little less wronged. After all, a child of seven or eight couldn't truly grasp what the experience of “nearly losing one’s life” entailed.

“Good child, when we find Xing’er, Uncle Ming will tell you stories about the journey, alright? We encountered so many strange things—spiders that weave cocoons, and fish that bite your heels.” I continued.

“Okay, okay!” Ah Li clapped her hands with delight upon hearing about interesting stories, shouting her approval immediately, casting the recent unpleasantness aside.

“But, we have to wait until Xing’er comes out to tell them. Little friends must stick together; any happy thing should be shared by everyone,” I teased, tapping her bear-like nose and deliberately bringing up Xing'er again.

“I know where he is, come on, come on…” Ah Li, unable to resist the temptation, indeed took my hand, eager to go find Xing’er. I exchanged a look with Xiao Shu; he gave me a look of helpless resignation.

Ah Li led me through the monkey troop, past dozens of large trees, until we reached the foot of a cliff. Tucked behind a small cluster of trees was indeed a secluded cave. A few large monkeys were languidly sunning themselves outside the entrance. Seeing us approach, they leaped onto the branches, swinging wildly and chattering non-stop. This sound attracted a dozen or so fairly large golden-furred monkeys. They shot out swiftly from behind us, tails curled high, brows furrowed, blocking the cave entrance, preventing us from entering.