"Where am I?" Yingzi rubbed her sleepy eyes and asked. However, at this moment, no one could answer her question. Firstly, Xing'er had not yet learned to speak, and secondly, the monkeys couldn't either; only the one who spent every day with her could understand a few scraps of what she said. But where was it now? A dense row of monkeys stood on the shore, all similar in size, build, fur color, and appearance; it was impossible to tell which one was her Da Mao.

"Da Mao?" Yingzi tried calling out toward the troop. The monkeys responded with a flurry of chattering, scratching their cheeks left and right, clearly not understanding what she was shouting. They began to twitter amongst themselves. After a moment, a slightly smaller monkey darted out from the group and leaped straight onto the boat deck. Yingzi recognized the little monkey because one of its paws was hairless—she had specially trimmed the fur when applying medicine to it. Filled with relief, she reached out to caress it. The monkey didn't shy away; instead, it eagerly leaned forward, stretching its neck for Yingzi to stroke. It was indeed Da Mao.

Witnessing this reunion, the surrounding crowd of monkeys suddenly fell silent. The whispering ceased, and they collectively cleared a path for Yingzi, as if welcoming a distinguished guest. The path led from the lakeside deep into the forest, flanked on both sides by golden-furred guardians, lending the scene an imposing grandeur. Carrying Xing'er, Yingzi jumped directly from the boat to the shore and followed Da Mao forward, feeling like a queen of the forest, a surge of unprecedented pride welling up within her.

In no time, they arrived deep within the woods. The forest was filled with towering, immense trees, acting like giant umbrellas sheltering the land beneath them. Perched in the middle of the forest, atop an ancient tree of a thousand years, sat a strikingly large golden monkey with a luxuriant tail. Its expression immediately set it apart; head held high, every movement betrayed an aura of majesty. Yingzi surmised this large monkey was almost certainly the troop leader. In ancient times, ordinary folk would bow down in full obeisance before an imperial leader. In modern times, perhaps a slight nod, a polite greeting, or shaking the leader's right hand firmly. Yet, the custom of prostration was long obsolete, and as a human being, how should she properly greet this chief?

As she pondered this, Da Mao hopped excitedly to the leader's feet and let out a string of chirps and whistles, seemingly reporting details or perhaps offering praise. The leader monkey listened, nodding repeatedly and wagging its tail vigorously, adopting an air of complete agreement. Since Yingzi couldn't understand the monkey tongue, she simply stood aside, watching the spectacle unfold. Once Da Mao finished its report, the leader, with an imperious bearing, descended from the great tree one deliberate step at a time. It walked before Yingzi, suddenly bending low, lowering its tail, and prostrating itself on the ground. As the leader lay prone, the other monkeys scrambled down from the trees, following suit and lying prostrate in a vast, shining expanse of gold fur. Yingzi was stunned by this sudden display, clutching Xing'er and unsure what to do. Should she help the leader up as one would a person, or gently stroke its back as one would a beloved pet?

Just as Yingzi felt caught between laughter and tears, Xing'er, who had been wailing continuously, abruptly stopped crying and burst into giggles. The sound echoed through the forest, possessing a quality of "the birds sing louder when the mountains are quiet," making the atmosphere strangely eerie and compelling. Hearing the laughter, the monkeys rose one after another from the ground, gazing at Xing'er in Yingzi's arms with utmost reverence, as if this grand ceremony had not been performed for Yingzi at all.

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