When her eyes opened, Sakurako found she had long since left the stone chamber, lying alone in the mountain cave the little monkey had prepared for her, covered with a piece of cloth. The surroundings were utterly deserted; besides two or three small monkeys playing near the entrance, no other large apes were in sight.

“Congcong… Congcong…” The first thing Sakurako did upon waking was search for Congcong. She vaguely remembered that before falling asleep, Congcong had been curled up in her arms, sleeping soundly and obediently like a kitten. Now, she didn’t know how she had returned to the cave, and while she worried about nothing else, she was terrified that Congcong hadn't followed her back. If she lost another loved one, wouldn't she have no choice but to throw herself into the river and drown?

Just as worry began to set in, Congcong heard the call, darted out from among the smaller monkeys, and ran straight to Sakurako’s feet. It quickly grabbed the corner of her garment and scrambled up to her shoulder, sitting there perfectly upright.

Seeing Congcong safe and sound, Sakurako was immensely relieved, gently tilting her head to nuzzle its small face. The little ape was clearly delighted by this intimacy, wrapping its tiny paws around Sakurako’s neck and acting spoiled.

As the person and the monkey enjoyed their quiet moment, a sudden clamor of chirps and chatter erupted from the cave entrance. Sakurako, holding Congcong, hurried outside to see dozens of large apes lined up neatly in square formations, much like an army drill, looking entirely prepared for action. The noise was coming from a few small monkeys who hadn't been included in the formation. They apparently wished to join this seemingly grand operation but couldn't find a spot. When they tried to stand nearby, a large, powerfully built macaque chased them away. Thus, they began protesting loudly. Seeing this spectacle, Congcong tried to leap into the middle of the formation but was quickly pulled back by Sakurako grabbing its tail.

This was the first time she had witnessed such a well-disciplined troop of apes. It made her realize that her previous speculations about Da Mao might have been too hasty. It wasn't Da Mao acting strangely; it was merely her own ignorance leading to over-judgment.

While Sakurako was pondering this, the leading ape suddenly shot up a tree, scaling towards the densest cluster of foliage. The remaining apes followed one after another, row after row, matching the leader’s path, climbing branch after branch and moving far into the distance like a troop of highly trained warriors setting out on a march. It was a truly magnificent scene, and Sakurako secretly marveled at it.

Watching the troop disappear, Sakurako carried Congcong back into the cave alone. While they had been outside watching the commotion, a mother monkey had already gathered fresh fruit and placed it inside their dwelling. Having been hungry all day, Congcong spotted the fruit and leaped from Sakurako’s arms like a starving tiger, pouncing on the pile and devouring it greedily. Sakurako smiled slightly, watching Congcong eat with such singular focus, but she herself felt not the slightest appetite. Ever since seeing Xing’er’s image in the stone chamber, that brilliant, jade-green pendant had been flashing before her eyes.

She couldn't stop thinking about where that little boat, carrying Xing’er, had drifted after she released it; who had picked up Xing’er; how she had ended up at that farmhouse and grown to that height. Xing’er must have absorbed a great deal of blood. Who was generous enough to sacrifice themselves to raise an orphaned infant? Countless questions flashed through her mind, persistent and impossible to dismiss. She longed to thank the person who had nurtured Xing’er, yet felt too ashamed to appear before them and admit that she was the one who had abandoned her own flesh and blood.

Time flowed like a thin spring stream, washing away the silt and leaving only beautiful memories and the profound sense of kinship. In that moment, Sakurako had completely forgotten the shock brought by the midwife's brutal death and the abandonment of Congcong. All she could feel was the warmth bestowed by the bond of blood.