"Sister, you say you’re escaping famine, but how could a young lady from a big family escape alone to such a place?"
Chen Huihong looked at Hui Niang: "Then why do you dare to follow me? Aren’t you afraid I’ll eat you?"
Hui Niang smiled: "Even if my parents wanted to eat me, I’m not afraid, so why would I be afraid that you want to eat me?"
Chen Huihong was taken aback.
Hui Niang tried to sit up straight: "Actually, I’ve always known, when my parents took me while escaping famine, it was to bring reserve food."
"At night, I didn’t dare to sleep, afraid that my parents might exchange me to eat. One night, I heard my dad discussing with mom, saying the food was gone, and keeping me was useless. He planned to talk to someone about exchanging me the next morning."
"I ran away at night while they were asleep."
"Actually, even if you wanted to eat me, it’s okay. At least I got a full meal before that."
Chen Huihong didn’t know what to say, so she could only say: "Monsters don’t eat people."
"Then what kind of monster are you, Sister?" Hui Niang asked.
"I’m Bai Gao." Chen Huihong replied, "According to your understanding, I’m a tree demon."
"Sister, can you open the window?" Hui Niang asked.
"Doctor Wang said you need to keep warm," Chen Huihong replied.
"It’s useless." Hui Niang shook her head, "I heard it all, Doctor Wang said he has at most thirty percent confidence. If he said thirty percent, he really meant ten — which means I’m beyond saving, just waiting to die."
Chen Huihong frowned, thought for a moment: "I’ll take you to the hospital."
"I can borrow money from Manager Lu."
Hui Niang shook her head.
"From the inner city to the outer city, it takes a long time even by rickshaw." Hui Niang took a few deep breaths, "I don’t know if the remaining money at home will be enough for the medicine, and there’s no money for the rickshaw fare."
"Now that the snow has melted, it’s colder than when it was snowing the past few days. The roads these days must be worse, and I might not survive the trip to the hospital. Better not to waste money."
"I feel so uncomfortable."
As soon as she finished speaking, Hui Niang suddenly vomited a mouthful of blood, staining a blanket.
"Sorry, Sister, I dirtied your blanket."
Chen Huihong said nothing, just silently opened the window.
Outside, the snow had melted, and the trees in the yard were bare with only branches left, no good view outside the window either.
"Sister, you’re a monster, what abilities do you have? I used to watch plays in the village; monsters always have magic."
"My ability is quite useless." Chen Huihong took a piece of tree bark from her pocket, "I’m a tree, eating me means you won’t be hungry."
"Sister, you’re really impressive, more so than having magic." Hui Niang said, unable to sit still and could only lean against the wall, "Just be careful not to get eaten by someone."
Only then did Hui Niang slowly realize: "No wonder you have to hide from people, Sister."
"Sister, let me tell you about myself."
Hui Niang started to ramble about the past, her life was actually quite uneventful. Before fleeing from famine, she stayed in the village, working daily and waiting to get married, working and waiting to get married.
As she talked, Hui Niang’s voice began to slur.
"Sister, you said that everyone has to die, if not today, then tomorrow. I was supposed to die the day I met you, but I’ve lived much longer."
Chen Huihong looked at her quietly, not speaking.
"If there’s a next life, I want to be a young lady in the city, so I can go to school and have an education like you, Sister."
Like a murmured wish, Hui Niang mumbled a few inaudible words, suddenly reaching out towards Chen Huihong.
Chen Huihong stepped forward and held her hand.
"Mom." Hui Niang’s pupils began to dilate.
"Don’t eat me, okay?"
Her hand fell heavily.
Hui Niang was no longer breathing.
Chen Huihong looked at Hui Niang, silent for a long time.
"But today is your coming of age."
"You haven’t even eaten the Longevity Noodles I ordered for you."
Qin Huai left the dream.