Xu Ning could understand why Beidou had panicked.
The little fishing village that appeared before the two children and the dog was in shambles.
Bamboo racks were set up everywhere, hanging tattered fishing nets and old clothes.
Most of the houses had wooden walls with thatched roofs, scattered haphazardly without any real planning.
If the dog had run loose inside the village, darting left and right through the narrow paths, there was no way the two children could have contained it.
Even worse, if this dog belonged to someone in the village, or was being hidden in a house, Xu Ning and Beidou—two little kids—would have had no way to argue their case.
Thankfully, their worries didn't come to pass.
The dog had only taken a few steps into the village when its front legs suddenly gave way, and it collapsed onto the ground.
Its momentum carried it sliding a few more meters forward even after falling.
Even so, it still clutched the blackened rice bun in its mouth.
Beidou rejoiced and, ignoring caution, rushed forward, prying the rice bun from the dog's jaws.
Xu Ning, worried she might be bitten again, hurried after her.
The dog lying on the ground was motionless. Its chest and belly no longer rose and fell.
Foam coated its mouth, its tongue hung limply and was smeared with dirt.
Xu Ning frowned, noticing Beidou holding the corner of her jacket to wipe the foam off the rice bun.
He sighed and pointed to a nearby water channel.
"Rinse it in the water first. Don't eat it immediately. Tonight, we'll build a fire and cook it before eating."
Their commotion had finally attracted attention from the villagers.
One by one, men and women peered out of their homes, cautiously watching Xu Ning and Beidou in the street.
Many of them focused their gaze on the dog lying on the ground.
Xu Ning sneered and stepped forward.
He lifted the leg that had been bitten through his pants and pressed it down on the cooling dog.
"This dog, for the sake of a bite of food, nearly tore off my leg and my little sister's hand on the wasteland."
"We chased it all the way here. It looks like it's trying to get back to its owner."
"Whoever owns this dog, step forward! Medical fees—I don't want much. Twenty thousand Mora, you get your dog back, and I take the money and leave."
His childlike appearance made his normally imposing words sound almost laughable.
But it still got some response from the villagers.
"Who would raise a filthy dog like that?"
"I think you two little brats brought it here on purpose, just to scam us."
"Twenty thousand Mora? Bold claim! Take your dead dog and get lost!"
Some didn't even argue—they just slammed their doors shut.
Xu Ning muttered, "Just as I expected."
He turned to call Beidou to help drag the dog.
At that moment, an elderly man dressed simply stepped in front of him, hands clasped behind his back.
"You two… are you from the wastelands?" the old man asked kindly.
Xu Ning shook his head. "We don't have a home. We wander wherever we end up."
The old man glanced at Beidou by the water channel, rinsing the rice bun, then looked down at the dog—uncertain whether it had died from exhaustion or hunger.
He sighed deeply. "Poor creatures, all of them."
Turning to Xu Ning, he said gently, "I have a small room to the north of my house. It's been empty for years. It's still early autumn, but winter is coming. Would you like to stay here for a while?"
Xu Ning was naturally willing. He looked at Beidou, and seeing her smile, he politely bowed to the old man.
"Thank you very much, sir."
The old man nodded, walking slowly north along the dirt path.
Xu Ning and Beidou each grabbed a leg of the dog, dragging the lifeless animal behind them.
"I'm still a little dizzy… and now suddenly we have meat to eat and a place to stay. Is all this luck brought by you?"
Beidou, still a little hazy-eyed, looked at Xu Ning and smiled.
Xu Ning grinned back. "Your luck will only get better from now on!"
The little girl was too happy to notice the murmured comments spilling from the gaps of the village doors.
Xu Ning, however, heard every word.
"That old village chief's at it again… taking in unknown people out of his kindness."
"Since his son died, he's been… abnormal. Just ignore him."
"I just hope those kids don't bring anything dirty here."
Xu Ning now had a rough idea of the character of these "neighbors."
First things first: settle down.
The Vision had already appeared. It looked weak, but with proper use, it would still give him an edge over ordinary people.
He needed to figure out how to activate it and gain some self-protection.
The old chief's room was indeed small: a bed, a table, and two benches—no room for anything else.
Still, both Xu Ning and Beidou were satisfied.
They busily cleaned away webs and dust, then eagerly gathered around the table to share half a pot of fish soup the old chief had brought.
The soup was hot; the old man had lit a fire while they cleaned.
Xu Ning, worried that Beidou might choke on bones, served her a bowl first.
He sat beside her, picking out the bones and making sure she ate the large pieces first, then ate the scraps himself, washing them down with his wine.
The old chief watched them with a smile, occasionally glancing at Xu Ning's gourd, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.
Xu Ning sipped his wine, not out of old habits of drinking with food, but because…
He reasoned that since drinking from the gourd had awakened his Vision, his only path to leveling up might be through drinking.
After all, the seven gods of Teyvat were everywhere; there was probably no Statue of the God of Wine nearby.
If drinking counted as offering, he might awaken the Wine Mark, even if he didn't know its function yet.
So he might as well drink to his heart's content.
"That gourd decoration is strange—looks like a Vision, but it's not," the village elder said slowly. "But it seems valuable. Don't let anyone notice it."
"Money tempts people's hearts. If someone thinks it's a Vision, they might go mad over it."
"You two are still very young. Take care of yourselves."
Xu Ning picked up an empty bowl, filled it with wine, and respectfully offered it to the elder.
"I've taken your advice to heart. Today, you've taken care of us. This bowl is my gift to you—it's good for your health. Please, have some."
The elder chuckled, taking the bowl, then setting it on the table.
"I appreciate the gesture. But I quit drinking long ago—haven't touched a drop since. Keep it for yourself."
Xu Ning silently regretted failing to convince the elder to drink.
Beidou licked her lips, slowly moved closer, and sipped with tiny "slurp slurp" sounds, her face lighting up in delight.
Xu Ning glanced at her but didn't intervene—drinking could only help her.
The village elder didn't clear the dishes; instead, he brought a few household items before slowly returning to his own home.
Xu Ning leaned against the doorway, sipping wine, staring at the pitch-black night outside.
Suddenly, that familiar mature female voice rang in his ears again.
Xu Ning's heart leapt. "She's here!"