With the help of the lighter and an abundance of firewood, the group quickly built two more bonfires. Since they no longer needed to spend time drilling wood to make fire and worked together efficiently, dinner was roasted and cooked in no time.
Throughout the process, Sha Yi didn’t participate, and Xi Yi merely lit the fire before heading out to skin and clean the deer.
Ma Rui also left the cave halfway through, leaving Xi Gu and the four men to divide the food.
Distributing the food was quick, much like serving rice and dishes in modern times. They used wooden containers, identical to the ones Sha Yi had seen when she followed Xi Yi to the small cave earlier. These containers seemed to be cross-sections of some giant tree, hollowed out in the middle—simple and convenient, though their irregular shapes, varying sizes, and rough craftsmanship made them somewhat unstable when placed flat.
Dinner was quite abundant, featuring not only roasted meat but also a pot of wild vegetable soup. Compared to the meals she had seen other groups prepare along the way, this was far superior. Most only roasted meat, but here, they even managed to cook soup.
Honestly, Sha Yi was very curious. The container they used for the soup was still wooden, and she didn’t believe any wood could withstand fire for so long. Yet, this large wooden vessel had endured the flames for a long time without leaking a single drop of broth, which puzzled her.
She crouched down and tilted her head to inspect it, but all she saw was the blackened bottom of the container. Eventually, she gave up.
Her actions caught the attention of the man who had been drilling wood earlier. He was just as curious as she was and moved closer, seemingly wanting to talk to her. However, Xi Gu noticed his intention and, without a word, grabbed the remaining wooden container and hurled it at his head.
The move was sudden and swift, leaving the man no time to dodge. He let out a pained “Ouch!” and shot Xi Gu a resentful glance before sulking back to his spot.
Sha Yi stifled a laugh but didn’t intervene. In this short time, she had already grasped Xi Yi and Xi Gu’s standing within this small group. Compared to Xi Yi, Xi Gu—the only woman in the group—was far more domineering and aggressive, which was why no one dared to oppose her antics so far.
Just then, Ma Rui returned to the cave. As he approached, Sha Yi noticed a small boy trailing behind him, who only stepped forward when they got closer.
The boy looked about eight or nine years old, with sun-bronzed skin, clearly from long exposure to sunlight. His features were quite handsome, especially his large, bright eyes, and he bore some resemblance to Xi Gu. He carried a bundle of dry grass and twigs in his arms and held a large rodent-like animal in his hand—one Sha Yi had seen before. She guessed he must be Xi Gu and Ma Rui’s child.
Like her, the boy only noticed her presence when he got close. Upon seeing her, he seemed both curious and shy, stealing glances at her but not daring to look directly.
Sha Yi found this amusing, but Xi Gu simply pulled the boy forward and gave him a few hearty pats, introducing him: “Ma Zha!”
The pronunciation of the name nearly made Sha Yi burst into laughter, but she held it in, afraid of offending anyone.
Xi Gu, oblivious to her thoughts, assumed she hadn’t understood and repeated emphatically, “Ma Zha… Ma… Zha… Ma Sa.”
After hearing “Ma Zha” over and over, it turned out his name was actually Ma Sa. Sha Yi finally couldn’t hold back and let out a snort of laughter, which Ma Rui echoed with a chuckle.
Ma Sa, however, grew embarrassed. He glanced at her a few more times before placing the dry grass and twigs on the ground and handing the plump rodent to Xi Gu, his face slightly flushed.
Sha Yi found Ma Sa adorable. She hadn’t expected such a shy child in ancient times, though his bashfulness reminded her a bit of Xi Yi’s occasional reserved demeanor.
Before Sha Yi could dwell on it further, Ma Sa quickly pulled out a leaf-wrapped bundle from behind and timidly handed it to her, his eyes full of anticipation.
Sha Yi hesitated, unsure whether to accept it. Ma Sa was just a child, and she assumed the contents were either meant for his parents or himself—something hard-earned. After a moment’s deliberation, she reached out but instinctively patted his head instead.
Ma Sa’s face turned even redder, leaving Sha Yi even more conflicted.
As she hesitated, Xi Gu nudged Ma Sa and said a flurry of words to him while pointing at Sha Yi.
The speech was as rapid and filled with unfamiliar sounds as ever, making it impossible for Sha Yi to understand. However, she caught Xi Yi’s name mentioned several times and quickly pieced it together.
Most likely, Xi Gu was introducing her to her son—probably labeling her as “Xi Yi’s.”
Sure enough, after hearing his mother’s words, Ma Sa’s face lit up with joy. He eagerly extended the leaf-wrapped bundle toward Sha Yi, his eyes shining with excitement.
Sha Yi guessed that Xi Yi must have been very kind to Ma Sa in the past. Now that the boy knew of her connection to Xi Yi, he was overjoyed.
This time, Sha Yi didn’t hesitate. She took the bundle from Ma Sa and found it filled with wild fruits, different from the ones Xi Yi had been bringing her. She picked one and took a small bite.
The taste was wonderful—far sweeter than Xi Yi’s offerings. The sugary flavor spread from her taste buds all the way to her heart, and Sha Yi couldn’t help but smile.
At that moment, Xi Yi returned, carrying the skinned and cleaned venison, already cut into pieces. However, since everyone’s attention was on Ma Sa, no one noticed him until he had already sat down.
The four men quickly stood up to distribute the food, and the group devoured everything together.
This was Sha Yi’s first time sharing a meal with people other than Xi Yi. The atmosphere was warm, and she found herself enjoying it immensely.
But just as they finished eating and began cleaning up, a commotion erupted at the cave entrance. Nearly everyone in the gathered crowd stood up—except for their circle.
Xi Yi seemed indifferent, while Xi Gu’s expression darkened. The others remained unmoved, leaving Sha Yi completely baffled.
Asking was out of the question, so she had to rely on her own observations. Peering through the gaps in the crowd, she tried to see what was happening.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage