Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Dwarf Turnip

Li Le saw its drowsy, confused expression, and the indifference in her eyes softened a little. She glanced at the lights outside the window and chuckled lightly, "Awake? Go back to sleep, it's still early..."

"Squeak, squeak..."

'Okay...sleep...so sleepy...'

Tuantuan made a couple of bewildered noises and, still groggy, drifted back into sleep.

Li Le shook her head, then laughed quietly to herself.

She gently poked Tuantuan's soft, glowing fur and scolded, "Playing cute is shameful!"

Tuantuan was blissfully unaware of her random reproach and was sleeping soundly at that moment.

As Li Le's finger approached, it unconsciously pawed at her and rubbed its fluffy fur against her fingertip.

Li Le's lips curled into a smile, and she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

With Tuantuan by her side, the world felt a little less lonely.

...

"Lele, thank you so much. If you hadn’t brought it back for me, I would have spent ages searching..."

A woman wearing a bone pendant held Li Le's hand, gratitude written across her face.

She had lost her bone necklace recently, and Li Le had gone to great lengths to find it and deliver it personally.

"Auntie, you don’t need to say that. I just happened to spot it on the ground. Knowing it was yours, of course I brought it back."

Li Le smiled as she placed a string of smooth bone teeth beads into the woman's hand.

The beads on this bracelet were animal teeth, polished to similar sizes, drilled with small holes, and strung together with a few pure white stones mixed in.

In this primitive, wild world, such a bracelet was already considered precious.

Li Le, accustomed to modern jewelry, could only find novelty in it at most.

But today, she had another purpose.

Li Le smiled, her eyes curved pleasantly, making her appear friendly and lovely, "Auntie, you don’t have to thank me so much. Not just me, anyone in our district who found this would have returned it to you. I just happened to be the lucky one..."

She smiled shyly, a faint blush blooming on her fair cheeks.

"That’s not necessarily true..."

The woman rolled her eyes, cherishing the bone necklace in her hands and muttering softly.

She was a descendant of the district elder; anything she dropped was a treasure in its own right.

It was only because this young girl had the district chief’s elder brother backing her that she could resist the temptation and remain indifferent to the bracelet.

Li Le pretended not to hear, her expression unchanged, looking as obedient as ever.

The woman liked her more the longer she looked, laughing, "You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Stay here and have a meal with Auntie—consider it Auntie’s thank-you gift!"

Li Le looked surprised and a bit embarrassed, "Auntie, is that really appropriate?"

"What’s inappropriate? If Auntie says it’s fine, it’s fine!"

The woman’s fondness for Li Le deepened as she feigned annoyance, "Today, you’ll eat here with Auntie. My father is here too—let’s see who dares to gossip!"

It wasn’t really about people gossiping, but according to the clan’s rules, after the elders relinquished their authority, they rarely received guests except for major matters.

Of course, this sort of passive visit wasn’t strictly forbidden.

Many district elders, after retiring, gradually distanced themselves from other clanspeople to avoid complications with the transition of power, stepping back from the center and marginalizing themselves.

So, even to avoid suspicion, few approached these elders.

Li Le was different. As the district chief’s sister, she didn’t need to avoid suspicion, but visiting without reason was still odd.

To get close to this elder, Li Le kept her intentions hidden, deciding to use the elder’s descendant as her way in.

"The district chief is out on patrol and won’t be back until later. Stay here with Auntie and try some of my cooking!"

The woman smiled as she gently patted Li Le’s head, her gaze full of affection for a promising younger generation.

Li Le was a bit helpless, but her face remained obedient and smiling.

She wasn't really short, but in a world where everyone was at least one meter eighty, she looked like a stubby little radish.

Her face was small, and standing in line, she was inevitably the one with the dip.

Even this woman—Li Le estimated her height to be at least one meter seventy-five—patted her head as if she were playing.

Bone broth!

She must find a way to get some bone broth!

She refused to believe she couldn’t grow taller!

Li Le grumbled inwardly.

"Well... I'll listen to Auntie, then..."

Li Le nodded, her eyes curving into a smile.

Her black hair fell over her shoulders like silk, making her resemble some gentle creature.

The woman was utterly smitten by her obedient manner, looking at Li Le like a little girl admiring a doll.

"Come on, Auntie will take you to eat. After lunch, I’ll braid your hair..."

"Le’s hair is as lovely as holly—after braiding, it’ll be beautiful!"

Li Le: "..."

Braiding her hair...

It really wasn’t necessary...

The woman took Li Le’s hand, chattering as she led her toward the wooden cabin.