Chapter 23
Chapter 23
“How did you get in from outside? Oh my, why are you covered in dew?”
Jiang Yunsui’s voice was cheerful. “I took a bath! Look, Aunt Chen, I’m all clean.”
She spun in a circle in front of Cook Chen.
Aunt Chen thought to herself, *When are you ever not clean?*
However, as she held the soft little girl, she did notice a very pleasant fragrance clinging to her.
She couldn’t quite describe it, but it felt incredibly soothing to breathe in.
“You rest at home by yourself, alright? I’ll bring you something to eat once I’m off duty.”
Jiang Yunsui nodded. “Okay, Aunt Chen. The Delicious Mushrooms have popped up again. Take them and make something tasty.”
She was still thinking about the Delicious Mushrooms she hadn’t gotten to eat yesterday.
So many had gone to waste; it was quite upsetting.
“They popped up again?”
Cook Chen was truly surprised. Although she had lived in this courtyard for less than a year, she passed by that spot near the entrance countless times every day.
She had never seen mushrooms grow there before.
“That really is miraculous.”
She went over to the pomegranate tree in the courtyard to look, and sure enough, there they were.
Not many had sprouted this time-only three.
But they weren’t small. If two people were eating, one would be enough for a meal.
“I’ll dig them up. I didn’t expect this little courtyard to produce such good things two days in a row.”
However, she didn’t quite dare sell them to the main kitchen anymore, fearing another incident.
She would just cook them for themselves.
It was a bit of a pity, though; these things could sell for forty copper coins a catty.
“We’ll eat them ourselves,” Jiang Yunsui said with a firm nod.
Cook Chen patted the caps of the Delicious Mushrooms before digging them up, carefully patting the soil back into place afterward.
“Auntie’s leaving now. Don’t go running off.”
“I know!”
After seeing Cook Chen off, Jiang Yunsui brought a small stool out from the house and sat by the door in a very well-behaved manner, staring blankly into space.
For a Little Mushroom, dazing off was the best way to pass the time.
She could stay perfectly still in a small dirt pit for an entire day!
However, before she could daze for long, the familiar big black dog nudged the courtyard door open with its paw and wagged its tail as it walked in.
Jiang Yunsui looked at it and called out in a soft voice, “Heiwa.”
Heiwa was even happier to hear Jiang Yunsui call its name and trotted over to her side with a basket in its mouth.
After setting the basket down, it kept pressing itself against her.
Jiang Yunsui pushed it back slightly with her small hand, and it let out a wronged whimper.
The Little Mushroom felt quite helpless.
“Alright, just don’t push too hard, or you’ll knock me onto the ground.”
Her true form was a Moon Spirit Mushroom. Moonlight Essence is often called Imperial Flowing Essence, though it is specifically the refined spirit within the moonlight.
She could convert the Moonlight Essence she absorbed into Imperial Flowing Essence and store it within her body in the form of mushroom spores.
Imperial Flowing Essence was beneficial to many animals and plants. The longer an animal or plant lived and the higher its intelligence, the more sensitive it was to this substance.
Heiwa was clearly a clever dog, which was why it loved being close to her.
The Moonlight Essence radiating from her body was very comfortable for it.
Jiang Yunsui’s small hand stroked Heiwa’s head, and three tiny, droplet-like things appeared in her palm.
They looked like three drops of water, but this was the Imperial Flowing Essence she had stored.
Aside from Jiang Yunsui, these were invisible to the naked eye.
But Heiwa could sense them, and its eyes visibly brightened.
“Woof! Woof!”
“Here, eat up. There’s only this much left; my stock is running low too.”
Heiwa leaned in and swept the three tiny drops of Imperial Flowing Essence into its mouth with its tongue.
After eating, it clearly felt even better, wagging its tail with pure joy.
“What did you bring?”
Jiang Yunsui opened the basket Heiwa had brought, and her eyes instantly lit up when she saw what was inside.
“It’s mung bean cakes and tuckahoe cakes!”
“Are these for me?”
Seeing Heiwa nod, she happily picked up a piece of white tuckahoe cake and began to eat. It was soft, fragrant, and delicious.
At this moment, both the girl and the dog were exceptionally happy.
“It looks like it’s going to rain.”
As a mushroom, her perception of the air was far more sensitive than that of a human.
While it still looked quite sunny out, the moisture in the air was actually thickening.
But Jiang Yunsui liked it.
Mushrooms loved rainy days, especially that kind of continuous, drizzling rain.
Heiwa let out a bark in agreement.
“Don’t come over here, okay? I’m going to stand in the rain.”
She ran back to the small pit she had dug. This time, she even took off her shoes, stepping in with her fair, bare feet before busily burying them in the soil.
Heiwa still followed her, circling around her.
“Oh, you’re a dog. Getting your fur wet in the rain is uncomfortable.”
She gave Heiwa a few nudges, telling him to go under the eaves.
“I’m different. I’m a Little Mushroom, and Little Mushrooms like the rain.”
Ji Si, watching from the shadows: “…”
It seemed the rumors were true; this child really had been traumatized into having some mental issues.
She was even saying things like she was a mushroom.
“Woof, woof, woof…”
“Get up, go wait over there quickly.”
Heiwa gave a bark and obediently returned to lie down under the eaves, but his dark, beady eyes remained fixed on her.
The sky grew darker and more overcast. Soon, a few drops of drizzle fell, gradually turning into a steady rain.
Jiang Yunsui squatted in the small pit, her eyes closed, tilting her beautiful face up to welcome the washing of the rain.
Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared in front of her.
While Jiang Yunsui watched with a dazed expression, the person grabbed her small arm and gave it a tug.
He successfully plucked the Little Mushroom right out of the ground.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Yunsui was placed under the eaves.
Ji Si said in a muffled voice, “Children shouldn’t be out in the rain.”
Jiang Yunsui explained earnestly, “Little Mushrooms can be in the rain.”
“You aren’t a mushroom.”
“I am.”
“No.”
“I am!”
Ji Si simply changed his tactic.
“Mushrooms don’t look like you.”
Jiang Yunsui puffed out her cheeks unhappily and turned her head away, refusing to look at him.
She even gave a huff, looking every bit like she was throwing a tantrum.
Ji Si thought: *Cute.*
However, he couldn’t stay for long. He only gave Jiang Yunsui an instruction.
“Go wash up and change your clothes.”
Then he vanished.
He had followed Heiwa here because the Young Master told him to see what the dog was up to.
Jiang Yunsui didn’t listen at all; she still wanted to be in the rain.
But this time, as soon as she stood in the small pit, she was plucked up and put back under the eaves.
The Little Mushroom was furious. She charged back into the rain with a huff.
But before her mission could even begin, she met an early end and was hauled back again.
The Little Mushroom wanted to fight.
She raised her small fists and looked up-oh, she couldn’t see Ji Si’s face.
She took a few steps back and put her hands on her hips.
“Don’t go too far! I don’t dare hit the Young Master, but you…”
Her soft, sweet threat made her look like a white kitten with its fur standing on end.
She was acting tough, but she was the type who would wobble and fall over if someone just poked her.
In short, a little weakling.
Jiang Yunsui glanced at Ji Si’s large frame. His hand was bigger than her entire face.
*Sob…* She couldn’t beat this one either.
Jiang Yunsui punched the air in front of Ji Si with her two small fists for a bit.
Then, the Little Mushroom dejectedly retreated back into the house.
“Wait until I grow up! I’m just too small right now.”
It definitely wasn’t because she was a cowardly weakling!
Jiang Yunsui grumbled as she entered the room and shut the door.
She didn’t want to see that annoying, tall guy at all.
Ji Si: *So cute (☆∀☆)*