Not long after, Ling Feng returned, holding seven or eight strings of candied hawthorn.
"Here," Ling Feng handed a string of candied hawthorn to Tu Shan Hong Hong. Seeing this, Tu Shan Hong Hong shook her head, "I'm not hungry."
"Alas, take it. It's delicious. Sharing makes things happy. Besides, I bought so many, I can't eat them alone. We can't waste it," Ling Feng shrugged and persuaded.
"...Alright." Tu Shan Hong Hong was silent for a moment before nodding in agreement. She took the candied hawthorn and took a bite.
*Crunch, crunch...*
"Mmm, very sweet," Tu Shan Hong Hong's eyes lit up, and she nodded slightly, her mood improving.
"That's what I thought too. The candied hawthorn here in Tu Shan is a bit tastier than mine."
After handing a string to Tu Shan Hong Hong, Ling Feng also picked up a string and started eating. He had to admit it tasted very good, much better than on Earth.
The different taste was mainly due to the difference in the natural environment. Earth's air pollution was severe, and many foods had lost their original flavor.
Seeing the two of them eating with relish, Tu Shan Ya Ya also felt a bit tempted. She noticed Ling Feng still had several strings in his hand and was a little displeased that Ling Feng only gave one to her sister and not her. She walked up to Ling Feng and reached out to ask for one.
"You, where's mine, missy?!"
"Huh? You want one too? But I only have two left. I was saving these for Rong Rong and Xiao Fan."
"How is that possible! You clearly... Huh? There are really only two left?"
Upon hearing Ling Feng say there were only two left, Tu Shan Ya Ya immediately became unhappy. Wasn't he clearly lying to her? She had just seen him with several strings in his hand.
Just as she was about to scold Ling Feng, she suddenly realized that in the blink of an eye, the candied hawthorn in Ling Feng's hand was indeed only two strings left. She was stunned, her eyes widening as she looked at the candied hawthorn in Ling Feng's hand.
Just as Tu Shan Ya Ya was doubting herself, Tu Shan Hong Hong advised, "Alright, 'Er Huo', stop teasing Ya Ya."
Tu Shan Ya Ya: ???
Tu Shan Ya Ya looked bewildered. She looked back and forth between Tu Shan Hong Hong and Ling Feng, not understanding what they were talking about.
Teasing her?
The next moment, she understood why. Ling Feng's hand, as if by magic, produced several more strings of candied hawthorn out of nowhere.
Tu Shan Ya Ya: ...?! ∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll)
"What's going on?" Seeing the extra candied hawthorn in Ling Feng's hand, Tu Shan Ya Ya was so startled she rubbed her eyes, thinking it was an illusion.
But when she looked again, there were indeed several more strings in Ling Feng's hand, which meant she wasn't hallucinating or blind.
Was that magic or some kind of sorcery?
Ling Feng's spatial storage ability had truly refreshed Tu Shan Ya Ya's worldview.
Seeing Tu Shan Ya Ya standing there with wide eyes and an open mouth, Ling Feng stopped teasing her. He picked up a string of candied hawthorn and gave it to Tu Shan Ya Ya.
Having received the candied hawthorn, Tu Shan Ya Ya clearly no longer had the same enthusiasm. She was now chasing after Ling Feng, incessantly asking him how he did that, how to do it, and if he could teach her. She was like a mosquito, buzzing incessantly, making it impossible to sleep.
Ling Feng was at his wit's end. If Tu Shan Hong Hong hadn't stepped in to stop Tu Shan Ya Ya, he wouldn't have had a moment of peace today.
Looking at Tu Shan Ya Ya, who was purring like a cat enjoying a gentle stroke, Ling Feng couldn't help but sigh, "It truly is one thing to conquer another."
Tu Shan Ya Ya, whom he couldn't handle, was easily dealt with by Tu Shan Hong Hong.
The three continued their journey and soon arrived at a main entrepreneurial project of Tu Shan, apart from reincarnation and matchmaking – Yao Xin Zhai.
Yao Xin Zhai had high foot traffic. Even now, people were coming and going, and business was booming.
Seeing Ling Feng stop, Tu Shan Ya Ya tilted her head to look. Upon realizing it was Yao Xin Zhai, a curve formed on her lips, and she said.
"This is Yao Xin Zhai, one of Tu Shan's main industries. It's open to both outsiders and insiders, and there are branches everywhere. You scoundrel, are you sure you want to go in? Don't say I didn't warn you. The things in Yao Xin Zhai are delicious, but they're very expensive! Can you afford it?"
"..." Facing Tu Shan Ya Ya's sarcastic remark, Ling Feng remained silent. There was nothing he could do. The only remaining coins had all been spent on candied hawthorn, so he indeed couldn't afford it right now.
"Hahaha, I knew you couldn't afford it. Call me Ya Ya Jie, and I'll treat you to a five-colored stick." Seeing Ling Feng's silence, Tu Shan Ya Ya knew Ling Feng was broke and burst into laughter. She had finally gained an advantage.
However, Tu Shan Ya Ya's plan ultimately failed because shortly after she finished speaking, Tu Shan Rong Rong appeared out of nowhere.
And when Tu Shan Rong Rong learned that Ling Feng had no money, she generously gave him a bag of silver shards, thwarting Tu Shan Ya Ya's teasing plan and leaving Tu Shan Ya Ya stunned.
Tu Shan Rong Rong, who was usually the most frugal and stingy, actually gave this human in front of her a bag of silver shards without hesitation.
Even she, her own sister, hadn't received such treatment!
Rong Rong! You've betrayed me!!!
Because Ling Feng was from modern times, he didn't understand the value of a bag of silver shards. However, with the financial support from Tu Shan Rong Rong, Ling Feng was able to sample a small five-colored stick at Yao Xin Zhai.
Yao Xin Zhai indeed lived up to its fame, ancient and modern. The five-colored stick actually contained spiritual energy from heaven and earth. Although not much, it was very pure, and the taste was also excellent. No wonder it was selling so well!
As for how spiritual energy from heaven and earth was incorporated into food, Ling Feng had no intention of inquiring. It was a trade secret, after all.
After leaving Yao Xin Zhai, Ling Feng spent the entire day exploring Tu Shan. He witnessed many beautiful sights and also discovered Tu Shan Hong Hong's hidden attribute: simple and adorable.
For example, when playing the game of catching fish with a small net, Tu Shan Hong Hong directly discarded the small net. With lightning-fast hands, she caught several small fish with a casual grab. Ling Feng and the stall owner were stunned, only Tu Shan Ya Ya praised her from the side.
Ling Feng was extremely helpless. He painstakingly taught Tu Shan Hong Hong how to play, but after almost half an hour, Tu Shan Hong Hong still hadn't caught a single fish. This made Ling Feng's eye twitch constantly, but he didn't dare to complain, only offering comfort.
In the end, Tu Shan Hong Hong never succeeded until they left. Instead, Tu Shan Ya Ya became interested. Her talent in this area might be higher than Tu Shan Hong Hong's. She quickly grasped the essentials and caught several fish.
...
As the sun began to set, Tu Shan Hong Hong and Ling Feng slowly walked to Tu Shan's sacred ground – beneath the Bitter Sea Tree.
As for Tu Shan's second-in-command, Tu Shan Ya Ya, she was dragged away by Tu Shan Rong Rong halfway, so Ling Feng and Tu Shan Hong Hong spent the remaining time wandering around Tu Shan.
They had also visited Twin Peaks and other places.
Now, they had reached today's final destination.
Ling Feng stood in the shade of the Bitter Sea Tree, looking up at the towering ancient tree, with only two words in his heart: it's huge!
Looking at the Bitter Sea Tree up close was a completely different visual impact than viewing it from afar.
Ling Feng reached out and gently placed his hand on the trunk of the Bitter Sea Tree. He could clearly feel the ancientness of the tree, its timeless patterns speaking to him.
*Swish!*
Suddenly, the treetops of the Bitter Sea Tree began to sway, as if blown by a strong wind. However, neither Ling Feng nor Tu Shan Hong Hong felt any wind, so it wasn't being moved by the wind.
As the Bitter Sea Tree swayed, pink leaves began to fall in large numbers, drifting and floating, incredibly dreamlike and beautiful.
"What's going on? Is it the shedding season?" Ling Feng tilted his head, looking at the leaves falling from the sky. He simply assumed it was a normal phenomenon, as trees do shed their leaves.
But Tu Shan Hong Hong was different. Seeing this scene, she recalled some words Feng Xi had once spoken.
"Hong Hong, what's wrong?" Ling Feng had walked back to Tu Shan Hong Hong's side and found her staring intently at the falling leaves, looking confused.
"It's nothing. I've just figured some things out." Hearing Ling Feng's call, Tu Shan Hong Hong also snapped back from her memories and shook her head. "Let's go. Rong Rong just sent me a telepathic message. Dinner is ready, and they're waiting for us."
"Okay." Ling Feng cast a suspicious glance at Tu Shan Hong Hong. He had clearly sensed a fluctuation in her emotions just now, but Tu Shan Hong Hong had quickly suppressed it.