For several days, Tian Jing accompanied Xiao Song, listening to it talk about its owner and the news from the foot of the mountain.
It spoke of its hopes for a future companion.
"Tian Tian, remember to visit me when you have time."
"Mm-hmm, I won't forget you."
The transplanting of Xiao Song began.
Through the combined efforts of Tian Jing and Xiao Song, more than half of Xiao Song's main root was preserved, along with a good portion of the fine roots on the main root.
Its lateral roots were almost all retained, albeit of varying lengths.
Finally free from the place it had been rooted for hundreds of years, Xiao Song felt both relieved and wistful.
"Tian Tian, let's go. I'm tired and want to sleep."
"Don't you dare sleep! What if you fall into a coma like humans and become a dormant pine tree?"
Tian Jing's joke wasn't funny at all, and Xiao Song, without sparing her feelings, retorted, "Hurry up, I'm a plant to begin with."
A lush, thick pine tree moved rapidly through the air, soaring over lakes, mountains, streams, and...
Xiao Song, wanting to sleep, asked, "Tian Tian, what's over there? Tian Tian, what's over there?"
Tian Jing: "..."
What else could there be but mountains?
But she refused to answer, otherwise, they wouldn't reach their destination in two days and two nights.
Upon reaching the large expanse of forest by the valley formed by the two mountain ranges, Tian Jing finally spoke.
"After passing through this forest, we'll enter the primeval forest. We'll take a general look around from above, and you can choose a spot yourself."
"Okay."
The primeval forest was vast. After over an hour of circling, Xiao Song finally found a place.
"There, right there, next to the tallest tree, there's a clearing."
When Tian Jing brought Xiao Song down from the canopy, she discovered that the area around the large tree seemed to be a vacuum.
"Xiao Song, this big tree is clearly bullying newcomers, and its roots are all over the ground, claiming it all as its territory."
"Don't worry, I'll entangle myself with it."
Tian Jing: "..."
"Are you sure you've thought it through?"
"I'm sure, plant me."
Tian Jing encased herself in a protective energy shield before using her abilities to dig a hole.
"It's too far, dig closer, close enough to hold hands."
Hands? If you're so capable, stretch out your hands and show me.
After moving another two meters, and only when Tian Jing said that any closer would block all the sunlight from the large tree, did Xiao Song give up trying to get nearer.
To ensure Xiao Song could get along with its neighbors in the future, Tian Jing made an effort not to damage the large tree's roots, carefully 'digging' a deep pit with her abilities.
She then 'carried' Xiao Song over. "Look, can you manage to take root in a pit like this?"
It was a pit, but it was also filled with tree roots, like a net.
"Isn't there still you?"
"I really owe you one."
The person and the tree, without politeness, squeezed into the large tree's territory.
After planting Xiao Song, Tian Jing, still cautiously shielded by her energy field, began to absorb plant energy for Xiao Song.
Not only did Xiao Song's branches and leaves sway, but the branches and leaves of the adjacent large tree also rustled.
If Xiao Song had a face, one would see a smug expression on it.
Everyone finds Tian Tian's transmission of plant energy irresistible.
Before falling into slumber, Xiao Song still reminded Tian Jing not to forget to visit and check if it was being bullied by its new neighbor.
Tian Jing glanced at the large tree beside them. After a moment's thought, she encased herself in her energy shield again and transmitted some plant energy to the large tree.
She then said, "Let's call you Xiao Qing. Together with Xiao Song, you are Qing Song. You must live in harmony. I'll come to see you both in the future."
...
On the way back, Tian Jing searched everywhere and finally found a pine tree that looked somewhat similar to Xiao Song.
Seeing his wife 'carrying' Xiao Song back again, Li Zhengguo was surprised.
"What's wrong? Did Xiao Song change its mind again?"
Her husband's misidentification pleased Tian Jing greatly.
She put the pine tree down. "Take a good look."
Li Zhengguo then noticed it wasn't Xiao Song. "Li Dai Tao Jiang?" (A metaphor for substituting one thing for another, often with a sacrifice)
"Yes. As long as Zhao Xiaofang is alive, her ambition won't die. Someone has already discovered Xiao Song, and it can't just disappear abruptly."
Tian Jing absorbed all the remaining plant energy from Qing Song Rock.
Then, she planted the new pine tree in the direction of Xiao Song's original position, transmitting some plant energy to help it take root.
She then channeled energy to promote its growth, and only when it felt almost indistinguishable from Xiao Song did she stop.
...
After living on the mountain for half a month, Li Zhengguo went down the mountain, agreeing with his wife that his call to Xiao Hei would be the signal for Tian Tian to pick him and his mother up from the dense forest.
Down the mountain, Li Min had been thoroughly disciplined by her mother and kept the house and yard spotlessly clean.
Hearing her younger brother return and mention the autumn harvest and planting, she was somewhat reluctant to leave with their mother.
Li Zhengguo pulled his mother along. "Why bother with her? When you're looking after her, she's fine, but the moment you let go, she reverts to her old ways."
When Mother Li heard her younger son say that Tian Tian had given birth to three children in secret in the mountains, she promptly whipped him with the rose vine she held.
One by one, none of them were easy to deal with.
She no longer cared about the autumn harvest or planting. After packing her belongings, she was about to head up the mountain.
Li Zhengguo stopped his mother. "If you go up the mountain with so many things now, the villagers will know, and what then?"
Mother Li glared fiercely at her younger son. "Then what do you suggest? I can't wait a moment longer."
"Just carry a backpack up the mountain. I'll go with you. The other things will be in the carrying baskets, and Tian Tian can come down to get them at night."
"Hmph!"
Mother Li reorganized her things. "I say, why are you so stupid? Not even as good as Meihua, relying on Tian Tian for all your trips up and down the mountain."
Li Zhengguo: "..."
Why hadn't he gone through Tian Tian's second life? Why hadn't that flamboyant young master truly existed?
When Tian Jing heard the sound of someone calling Xiao Hei from down the mountain, she initially doubted it was Zhengguo.
Only when Xiao Hei responded with a series of 'owoo' sounds did she go down the mountain.
Seeing her anxious mother-in-law pacing back and forth at the edge of the dense forest, and her husband with a red mark on his face, she asked with concern, "Did something happen?"
Mother Li's eyes filled with both joy and worry upon seeing Tian Jing's belly. "Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Are the babies giving you trouble?"
Tian Jing shook her head. "They're not troublesome, very well-behaved."
Li Zhengguo touched his burning face. "Don't worry, everything is fine down there. Mother just whipped me a few times."
Tian Jing was surprised. "Why?"
"Mother blames me for leaving you alone for several months. She worries about you."
Tian Jing tilted her head and looked at her mother-in-law. "Mother, I'm not someone who would mistreat myself. I can take care of myself."
"I originally planned to bring you up when I was close to giving birth. It was Zhengguo who couldn't rest easy."
"Alright, alright," Mother Li agreed with her daughter-in-law. "I know you worry about Zhengguo too, and I regret hitting him. Come on, let's go up quickly, it's not safe here."
Only after arriving at the hot spring valley did Mother Li breathe a sigh of relief. "Family planning is getting stricter, and there are many people in the village watching each other."
"It's all because Fang Qiuhong stirred things up. What's your plan for this one?"
Tian Jing glanced at her husband. "After it's six months old, we'll go down the mountain and enter from outside the village, saying we picked it up on the way back from my mother's side."
"That's the only way."
Mother Li had no other recourse. "Then we can only hope this child doesn't look like any of us."
Was that difficult to manage?
Zhengguo's appearance had even been altered by her. This one in her belly had too much potential for change.