C4 Qiuqiu Where Are You?

“Mom, I'm starving. We can catch more tomorrow; there are plenty of fish in the creek.”

Dung Qiu didn't say anything more. Thankfully, she had just borrowed some salt from someone and gathered a few bamboo leaves; otherwise, they wouldn't even have anything to start a fire with. Without pots or pans, frying the fish was out of the question, so Yingchu had to settle for grilling it.

Making fish soup was a long process, and the pot was charred beyond belief, which Yingchu found hard to look at. But as long as it still worked, she had no complaints.

When the aroma of the fish wafted through the air, Dung Qiu couldn't believe her daughter had such a talent. She grabbed two chipped bowls, keeping the more damaged one for herself and handing the slightly better one to Yingchu.

Yingchu tore off half of the fish and gave it to Dung Qiu. “Careful, Mom, it's hot.”

Seeing so much fish in the bowl, Dung Qiu quickly said, “You eat the fish meat; I'll take the head and tail.”

Yingchu looked at her mother, reminded of the saying about the selfless love of parents. In her past life, she had been an orphan, with only her AI companion, Qiuqiu, by her side. Qiuqiu didn't need to eat and didn't understand the complexities of human emotions, so Dung Qiu filled the void of family and maternal love in her heart.

“Mom, it's just the two of us now, and as long as I have a bite to eat, you won't go hungry. Let's eat first; the fish soup is almost ready.”

Dung Qiu didn't say much more.

A fish weighing about four pounds was soon devoured by the mother and daughter.

Gu Yingchu still felt hungry and glanced at the pot.

Dung Qiu quickly said, “I'll get you some soup.”

It had been a long time since Dung Qiu had smelled fish, and she suddenly found herself salivating.

Gu Yingchu looked at her and sighed inwardly. In these tough times, she needed to come up with a plan.

“Mom, let's keep the clams in water overnight so they can purge the sand. We can cook them in the morning.”

She initially thought of stir-frying them but realized there wasn't much to stir-fry with.

“Mom, let's trade the other fish for some rice. I'll catch more fish tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

The worry on Dung Qiu's face eased a bit.

“Mom, why is only one of the mountains behind the creek green while the others look barren?”

“No one dares to go up that mountain. You mustn't go there; it's said to be cursed. Anyone who goes up never comes back, or if they do, they're not the same. Some have lost their minds, and others don't live long after.”

Gu Yingchu furrowed her brow, trying to recall if there was any mountain in the early '80s that was so terrifying. Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in her mind—it sounded like Qiuqiu.

"That's not the cursed mountain."

She was surprised to find Qiuqiu was still around.

"Qiuqiu, where are you?"

"My energy is depleted. I can only wait to recharge; otherwise, I can't function."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in the pendant around your neck."

Gu Yingchu communicated with Qiuqiu through her thoughts, but Qiuqiu's voice was faint. She understood that Qiuqiu had exhausted its energy to get her out.

"How can I find energy for you?"

No matter how Gu Yingchu asked, Qiuqiu didn't respond. Poor Qiuqiu had used up all its energy and slipped back into a dormant state.

Not knowing what was happening, Dung Qiu noticed the inexplicable look of pain on Gu Yingchu's face and was startled.

"Dear Ying, what's wrong?"