Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Xiao Lan suggested I croak more often to help Princess Anping pass the time, and honestly, she had a point.

Six months ago, Aunt Qiu-who already had trouble getting around-suffered a stroke. She began to lose her wits, and since then, Princess Anping hasn’t had a single soul to talk to.

She isn’t actually a mute, so how could she not feel lonely?

But as for me, Little Frog, a toad of distinction, how could my method of repaying a debt be as simple as “croaking more often”!

That would be an insult to my character!

I was quite offended by the suggestion and nearly got into a scrap with Xiao Lan over it.

After brooding over it for a few days, a spark of inspiration struck. I told Xiao Lan, “Since Princess Anping is so lonely, why don’t I just become her friend?”

Xiao Lan let out a surprised sound. “I don’t know about that. I’ve never heard of a toad being friends with a human.”

“Then I shall be the first toad to ever befriend a human!”

Full of ambition, I made my vow.

No sooner said than done. From that day on, I began hopping around in front of Princess Anping with great frequency.

It didn’t take long for her to recognize me.

Anping realized immediately that I was the same toad she had saved.

She was amazed.

I wasn’t the least bit afraid of her. Whenever she went to the vegetable garden to pick greens, I would follow right at her heels, hop by hop.

When she carried water, did the laundry, or tended the fire to cook, I was always there in the courtyard.

In short, I made sure to stay within her line of sight at all times.

After about two months of this, Anping was in the courtyard husking grain when I hopped right in front of her. I spread my limbs wide and performed a display of Toad Kung Fu.

I propped my body up and gave her a loud “Gua!”, puffing out my round belly until the skin was as thin as a cicada’s wing.

My body grew larger and larger, swelling until it looked like it might burst.

Then, I suddenly let out the air, and my body deflated instantly.

I looked at Anping with a triumphant air.

“How about that? Pretty impressive, right?”

Princess Anping obviously couldn’t understand my croaks, but she was delighted by my Toad Kung Fu and couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

Her eyes sparkled as she carefully reached out a hand toward me.

Without any hesitation, I hopped right into her palm.

Anping used her other hand to happily tap me on the head.

From that moment on, we were officially friends.

Anping even gave me a new name: Moon Palace.

I knew the literary references to “plucking the laurel from the Moon Palace” and “the Scholar-Star kicking the Dipper,” so I was well aware that “Moon Palace” was a poetic way people referred to the moon.

Still, I put on an act and deliberately asked Xiao Lan, “Oh my, why do you think Princess Anping named me Moon Palace? What could she possibly mean?”

Xiao Lan looked at me with a smile, playing along perfectly. “She’s clearly praising your beauty, saying you’re as lovely as the moon in the sky.”

“Oh, stop it! How embarrassing! Anping really is too much!”

Full of myself, I hopped to the entrance of our mud burrow and poked my head out to look at the moon.

The bright moon hanging in the sky was like a white jade plate, truly a thing of exquisite beauty.

Satisfied, I turned back to Xiao Lan, overcome with another wave of glee.

“You’re just as bad! I really don’t know what to do with you two, always praising me! I know, I know-you’re both just obsessed with me!”

Xiao Lan: “…”