The sudden turn of events quite astonished the girl. Just moments ago she was a hostage on a monkey’s back, and now she was a docile child, embraced and cherished by Yingzi. She couldn't grasp the intensity of Yingzi's reaction upon seeing her, nor could she fathom the agony of separation this woman must have endured before laying eyes on her. The blessing of being a child is living entirely in the present, unburdened by concerns for the past or the future. The terrifying ordeal of being robbed by the monkey and carried across mountains and streams was instantly a closed chapter, cast aside and no longer pondered or fretted over. The aunt before her was the only reality that mattered now.

“Auntie…” Seeing that Yingzi only wept without speaking, the girl called out again.

This single cry finally released Yingzi from her overwhelming emotion, pulling her back to the immediate world.

“Yes, good child, what is your name?” Yingzi wiped away her tears and asked, sobbing softly.

“My name is A’li,” the girl managed a slight smile, still a little tense, answering Yingzi’s question mechanically.

“Oh, A’li is so good, so brave! You can call me Auntie Nangong from now on.” Yingzi returned A’li’s smile, helped her take off her clothes, washed her entire body with the cool spring water, and casually scrubbed the few soiled garments clean.

As a result, A’li was left without anything to wear. Yingzi hung the washed clothes on a tree branch, carried A’li back to the cave, picked up the shirt that had just covered her, and temporarily put it on A’li. The shirt was actually a man’s T-shirt, and once A’li slipped it on, she looked like a minor player in an opera, waving the sleeves that hung halfway down her arms as she made comical faces at Yingzi and Congcong, which delighted Yingzi immensely.

“Right, A’li,” seeing that A’li had shed her timidity, Yingzi carefully brought up the question that had long resided in her heart. “How did the monkey bring you here? Were there other children with you?”

“Mm,” A’li shook her head and said, “I don’t know why the monkeys brought me here either. Star’er and I were playing together, and suddenly several large monkeys jumped out and carried us on their backs, making Uncle Ming and Uncle Li very anxious. The journey felt like flying through the sky; I kept my eyes tightly shut. When I opened them again, I saw you.”

“Where is Star’er?” Yingzi didn’t recognize Uncle Ming or Uncle Li, vaguely guessing they must be the adults looking after the two children, deciding to set them aside for the moment. However, the name Star’er, identical to her own flesh and blood, must refer to her son, so she pressed on about his whereabouts.

“I don’t know,” the mention of Star’er instantly made A’li pout, adopting a look on the verge of tears. “Will the monkeys have eaten him?”

Witnessing this, Yingzi grew sad again, tears starting to stream down her face alongside A’li’s. She pulled the girl tightly into her embrace and said, word by careful word, “No, they shouldn’t have.”

Just as the two of them worried about Star’er’s fate, two figures emerged from the woods, one higher and one lower. The figures approached from the distance, and with a sound of rustling footsteps, they gradually became clearer in Yingzi and A’li’s line of sight.

“Star’er…” The instant the two figures stepped out of the forest, A’li recognized the small child standing beside the taller one—her constant playmate. Without a second thought, she darted forward, grabbed the child’s arm, and shook it affectionately.