A few days later, Xianan's injuries had mostly healed. Thinking of Jin, she went to look for him.
But when she arrived at his house, she was told that Jin had gone to visit Grandpa Feng. Without hesitation, she turned and headed there as well.
The people of the Soil Realm had long lived underground. Resources were scarce, the air was damp and stifling, and most people did not live long lives. Yet Grandpa Feng, already past sixty, remained remarkably strong and spirited—an uncommon case of longevity in the Soil Realm.
His only daughter, Dianmo Feng, had been admitted to Golden Academy years ago and was said to have stayed there ever since. Because of this, Grandpa Feng was highly respected among the locals.
The moment she saw him, Xianan tearfully told him about the bun incident.
Grandpa Feng chuckled.
Xianan rolled her eyes. "That bun seller was awful! He called us Soil vermin—he deserved to be beaten."
"Good thing you didn't try to be brave and go into that dungeon," Grandpa Feng said, giving her a light tap on the head.
"Grandpa, what exactly is that dungeon?" Jin asked.
"That place used to hold criminals," Grandpa Feng replied. "But in recent years, the Golden guards have been posting notices saying that anyone who can stay inside for four days will receive one hundred taels of silver. No one knows why. Very few people ever come out… and no one knows what it's really like inside."
As they were talking, a couple arrived—Qian Kou and Ning Wu. They were both short and slightly plump, looking almost like two round balls.
Kou forced a smile. "Grandpa Feng, how have you been lately?"
"The same as always. Sit," Grandpa Feng said.
Xianan had never liked dealing with the Kou couple. They made their money through opportunistic trades and had always wanted to move to the Wood Realm. Around ordinary families in the Soil Realm, they carried themselves with arrogance. She frowned, wondering why they had suddenly come.
The couple sat up straight and smiled ingratiatingly. "We recently obtained some aged earth ginseng—excellent for clearing heat. We brought some for you to try." They placed a redwood box on the table.
"Such fine things—you should keep them for yourselves," Grandpa Feng said with a faint smile. "What brings you here today?"
"Oh, nothing much, just bringing you some ginseng," Ning Wu said sweetly. "Please accept it. We still have more at home. If you like it, we'll bring you more later."
Grandpa Feng shook his head. "My daughter has already sent me plenty of similar things. You should take this back and use it yourselves."
The couple fell silent. Their faces flushed red as they rubbed their hands awkwardly, heads lowered. Xianan had never seen them like this before.
Seeing that they did not speak, Grandpa Feng said, "I still have things to discuss with the children. If there's nothing else, perhaps come back another day for tea?"
The couple exchanged glances.
After a moment, Kou's wife shot him a sharp look and said, "Actually… we came to ask for your help. Grandpa Feng, you have such a kind heart—please help us."
"What is it?" he asked.
She sighed, tears forming in her eyes. "A few days ago, we made a deal, thinking we'd make a fortune. But we were cheated by a merchant from the Wood Realm. Now our child has reached school age, yet we don't even have a single coin left—and we're buried in debt. The creditors have come to our house several times, pushing us to the brink… So we were hoping you might lend us some money, so we can repay the debts and send our child to school. We'll return it as soon as we can."
Grandpa Feng sighed. "What kind of debts are these?"
"Borrowed from merchants. They're pressing us hard."
"How much do you need?"
"Twenty taels of silver," she said meekly.
Grandpa Feng was taken aback. After a moment of thought, he said, "I'm just an old man. My daughter has sent me some money, but not that much. I can lend you two taels. Five hundred copper coins can go toward your child's schooling. As for the rest, I'll help you work something out. No matter what, let the child go to school first. Don't let the child suffer."
"As for the creditors, draft a repayment plan. Write down the terms clearly, including the interest. If it's reasonable, I'll help formalize it. They only want money—if they see you can repay, they won't push you too far. Just follow the plan and repay the debt step by step."
With that, Grandpa Feng slowly walked to a lacquered cabinet and took out the money. Xianan glanced inside. There were ginseng roots, honey, and other unfamiliar items.
Beneath them were coins, lined with golden handkerchiefs embroidered with dragon patterns.
The Kou couple took the money, thanked him repeatedly, and left in tears.
"Grandpa Feng, are those coins all sent from Golden Academy?" Xianan asked curiously.
"Yes, all from my daughter," he said, handing her one to play with.
The coin was far more refined than those of the Soil Realm, engraved with a dragon pattern. Xianan remembered hearing that coins from Golden Academy bore unique designs—this must be one of them.
"Grandpa Feng, the Kou couple is always arrogant. Why lend them money?" Jin asked.
"Everyone faces hardship," Grandpa Feng said gently, tapping Jin's head. "We are all people of the Soil Realm. If we turn against each other, we'll only be trampled by others."
"They don't even think of themselves as Soil Realm people," Jin muttered. "They want to move to the Wood Realm. But I heard it costs at least a thousand taels to obtain residency there. I doubt they'll manage it."
"They act so arrogant now," Xianan added. "If they become successful one day, they probably won't even remember your kindness."
Grandpa Feng smiled. "I only hope to help them through this hardship, to give them a way to live. Whether they remember or not doesn't matter."
Still puzzled, Xianan said goodbye and slowly walked back to her cave home. The trip had exhausted her—she only wanted to get home as quickly as possible.
But when she arrived, her father was nowhere to be seen.
She frowned. Before she left, he had been preparing lunch. Now he had vanished, leaving only half-prepared kudzu root on the table. The house looked messy, as if there had been a struggle.
Panicked, she ran outside to ask around—but found nothing.
After not eating for a long time, hunger gnawed at her. She checked the food storage—almost empty. The water jar was nearly dry. Fear tightened in her chest. Her father had always prepared food before leaving. This had never happened before.
Three days passed. Her father did not return.
Where had he gone?
Xianan's heart twisted with anxiety.
At that moment, Grandpa Feng and Jin came.
Jin carried a small plate of braised dried bamboo shoots. Seeing her pale face, he said softly, "Xianan… Hasn't Uncle Bai come back yet? Eat something first."
Tears welled up in her eyes as she nodded.
"Maybe he had something urgent to deal with," Jin added. "He'll be back in a few days."
Xianan shook her head. "No matter what, he always left food before leaving. But now… there's nothing left. Not even water."
"Did he leave any note?" Grandpa Feng asked.
A note?
Xianan quickly began searching the house. At last, she found a slip of paper tucked inside a book—her father's favorite copy of The Book of Songs.
On it were five words:
Go to Golden Academy.
Her heart jolted.
"That's my father's handwriting," she said, her voice trembling. "Looks like it was written in haste. When I came back that day, the house was in disarray… like there had been a fight."
She clutched the note to her chest as tears streamed down her face. "Something must have happened to him…"
Grandpa Feng and Jin hurried to comfort her.
After she calmed down a little, Jin said, "If Uncle Bai left these words… maybe he wants you to go to Golden Academy to find him?"
Xianan only stood there, silently crying.
Grandpa Feng sighed. "Let's wait a little longer. Perhaps your father will return in a few days. If not, we'll think of another way. I'll also ask around for news."
Xianan nodded. She didn't know what else she could do. She was only fourteen—at this moment, she felt completely lost.
One day passed. Bai did not return.
One week passed. Bai did not return.
One month passed. Bai did not return.
Xianan grew more and more anxious.
Near noon one day, she hastily stuffed some food into her mouth and ran toward Grandpa Feng's house, hoping to hear even the slightest news of her father.
However, before she even reached the door, Xianan heard Jin crying inside.