Fu Wenwen froze. Seeing Lin An didn't come out after a while, she was about to climb up to check when Lin An suddenly emerged from the tree hollow, a cloth bag clutched in his hand.
He tossed the bag to Fu Wenwen, who caught it quickly. Then, she saw Lin An lunge towards her. Startled, Fu Wenwen quickly dropped the bag and hugged him tight.
"You little rascal, jumping down like that, you want to scare me to death!" Fu Wenwen playfully spanked Lin An's behind in exasperation. The way he had just jumped down had made her heart skip a beat.
Lin An, sensing Fu Wenwen's anxiety, didn't cry but laughed instead. He took Fu Wenwen's hand, picked up the cloth bag, and placed it back into her grasp.
Fu Wenwen cautiously opened the bag and found it filled with two large rolls of money, all "Da Tuan Jie" bills, tightly bundled. The thickness was about four fingers, estimated to be over a thousand yuan.
"Lin An, where did you get so much money?" Fu Wenwen looked at Lin An nervously. How could a toddler have so much money?
"Dad gave it," Lin An said for the first time. His voice was a bit hoarse, his vocal cords dry from not speaking for so long.
Hearing Lin An speak for the first time, Fu Wenwen paused, a flicker of joy in her heart. Lin An had never spoken before, and she had worried he might have a problem, thinking of taking him for a check-up once she earned some money.
"Lin Feng gave it to you?" Fu Wenwen asked.
Lin An nodded. "For you."
"Why give it to me?" Fu Wenwen looked at the large sum of money, surprised that Lin Feng had so much and had given it to Lin An.
"Have money! Live good life," Lin An spoke haltingly, taking a while to find the words. This fragmented speech made Fu Wenwen chuckle.
He was so adorable.
Fortunately, she understood Lin An's intention: he wanted her to use the money to live a good life. He must have overheard her talking to the village chief about selling clothes to get money and take Lin An to a better life.
"Mom has money. This money is from your dad. You keep it safe," Fu Wenwen said to Lin An. Although she didn't know why Lin Feng had given Lin An so much money, she was sure he had his reasons, or perhaps it was for emergencies. She couldn't take his money.
"For Mom...ma," Lin An looked at Fu Wenwen, then stepped forward to hug her.
His secure, dependent demeanor softened Fu Wenwen's heart.
"Then Mom will save it for you to get a wife when you grow up," Fu Wenwen said with a light laugh. The child's heartfelt gesture was hard to refuse. She would help him deposit it in the bank tomorrow and return it to him when he was older.
This money had been hidden in the tree hollow. Although it was well-wrapped, insects could still do damage. If the money was chewed up, it would be truly lost.
Moreover, there was always the possibility of someone stealing it. It was clearly not a secure place.
Lin An didn't understand what "saving in a bank" meant, but he was happy that Fu Wenwen was willing to accept it. "Okay, eat meat."
"Alright, eat meat!" Fu Wenwen chuckled and picked Lin An up. "Do you remember how to get out? Show me the way, Mom doesn't know the path, I'll need you."
"Know," Lin An nodded heavily upon hearing Fu Wenwen's words and then pointed the way for her.
Holding Lin An, Fu Wenwen navigated through winding paths that were different from the way they had come. Without Lin An leading the way, she wouldn't have known how to get back.
When Fu Wenwen, carrying Lin An, finally reached a familiar path, she realized they were almost at their doorstep.
"You little fellow, you must know all the paths in the village by heart!" Fu Wenwen laughed as she carried Lin An back home, marveling that she, an adult, was less familiar with the routes than Lin An.