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Grandma held Chen Dong's hand in return, her voice soft.

"Wanwan has really suffered. She lost her parents when she was young, and she also had a serious illness when she was a child and almost didn't make it. Her health has not been very good over the years."

"She is timid and cowardly, and sometimes very stubborn. I am worried that she will be bullied outside."

"I thought about keeping her by my side, but the countryside, close to nature, is the most dangerous beast. I'm too old to support her, so she has to leave this mountain."

"She used to always tell me how good her school life was, how much her teachers helped her, and how much her classmates liked her, but I knew that silly girl only told me the good news and not the bad."

"But today, I suddenly feel much more at ease. Children, thank you~"

The old man had a lot to say, perhaps because he had no one to confide in, or perhaps because he was too happy. He recounted many of Ye Wanwan's hardships, but every word he uttered revealed his sincere gratitude.

Although she is old and her eyesight and legs are not very good, she is still very wise in judging people because of her decades of life experience.

She could tell that these children genuinely wanted to be friends with her granddaughter. If they were just ordinary friends, why would they have come all this way and brought so many things?

She knew her granddaughter was suffering, knew she must be having a hard time outside, and knew that silly girl only reported good news and not bad news, but what could she do?

She's old now, and all she can do is take care of herself so as not to cause trouble for her granddaughter.

Seeing the friends my granddaughter brought home today, I can tell from their words and actions that they are all sincere and have been a great help to her in her school life.

The boy in front of them seemed to be the backbone of the group, and he must take good care of his granddaughter.

With her friends around, she could finally relax.

Chen Dong listened quietly the whole time. When he heard about Ye Wanwan's difficult life, it was as if he was recalling his own past, and his eyes reddened a little.

He lowered his head, blinking to keep his tears from falling, and gently replied to his grandmother, "The silly girl is indeed a little silly, but she is very strong and will definitely have a bright future."

"I believe in her, and I believe in you all. You're all good kids." Grandma's face was full of kind and gentle smiles as she gently patted Chen Dong's hand, her gratitude overflowing.

She could roughly guess what these children meant by accompanying Xiao Yezi back, even though the boy had said they came to the countryside to play and experience the rural atmosphere.

But Fangshan Village is surrounded by mountains on all sides, and the deep mountains make transportation inconvenient. It's like a prison in the mountains, with no fun places to visit.

They came simply to treat Xiao Yezi as a friend and to tell this old woman that Xiao Yezi was doing well outside and that she shouldn't worry.

This way, Xiao Yezi will feel much more at ease outside.

She was very grateful; they were all good children.

"Because of her family situation, Xiao Yezi is not only timid and weak but also has low self-esteem. She often isolates herself in her own world and does not want to disturb the outside world or cause trouble for others."

"I know this kind of personality isn't good; she's easily bullied and misunderstood, but she's a kind child. Once she accepts something, she'll treat it with sincerity."

Grandma held Chen Dong's hand and spoke earnestly.

"I understand, Grandma. Don't worry, we will take good care of each other." Chen Dong looked up at his grandmother with a gentle smile.

He understood what his grandmother wanted to say; she hoped they could understand some aspects of Ye Wanwan's personality, especially some of her difficult-to-understand refusals. She simply didn't want to cause trouble for others.

But her heart is absolutely sincere.

How could Chen Dong not understand?

"Brother Dong, do you want to go fishing or go up the mountain?"

Chen Dong was chatting with his grandmother in the main room. After a while, the kitchen was cleaned up, and Liu Yumo and the others came over, chatting and laughing, as if they had already arranged what was to come.

"What are you going up the mountain for?" Chen Dong stood up and asked with a smile.

"You don't understand, do you? People live off the land and water. There are plenty of good things on the mountain." Liu Yumo chuckled meaningfully.

"It was Sister Yezi who suggested we go up the mountain to pick some wild game." Jiang Lina gave her a disdainful look, thinking, "She doesn't know anything, yet she's putting on airs in front of Brother Dong."

"I plan to go up the mountain to pick some wild vegetables for dinner, and then see if I can catch a few fish by the river," Ye Wanwan said, carrying a water bottle as she followed behind.

Deep in the mountains, there really isn't much to offer as a treat for distinguished guests. Other families might be a bit better off, as they raise chickens, ducks, and geese, and the slightly wealthier ones might even have pigs for the Lunar New Year.

Her family was struggling financially. Although they kept chickens in their backyard, they were laying hens and she couldn't bear to kill them. All she could think of was relying on the land and water for sustenance.

If you can't catch any fish, then kill the chicken.

"I'm going fishing. Mozi, you get ready to go up the mountain with them. Be careful," Chen Dong said after thinking for a moment.

Although the box contained many good things, including rice, flour, oil, salt, and gifts, and my mother also packed a lot of sausages and cured meat, those were for my grandmother and Xiao Yezi, and he didn't plan to take them out to eat in advance.

Besides, they have prepared some barbecue ingredients and some local country delicacies, which is enough for them.

"I was just thinking of going up the mountain to see what good things I could find." Liu Yumo immediately agreed excitedly. He had no patience for fishing, but he was interested in treasure hunting in the mountains.

Ye Wanwan picked up her basket and led them up the mountain. Jiang Lina and the others followed along, while Chen Dong prepared to go fishing.

We have a fishing rod at home, but it's not the kind of portable fishing rod that city people use. It's a pure hand rod, made of bamboo of suitable length and thickness. We cut the ends of chicken feathers into short sections and thread them onto the rod to make a float, and then use sheet metal as a sinker.

Besides fishing rods, there's also fermented rice, which is rice soaked in alcohol used as bait for groundbaiting. Compared to that, the baits used by anglers in the city are quite rudimentary.

Chen Dong took the two items and went to the river to find a fishing spot. He found two places with a lot of aquatic plants, prepared the bait, and then dug up some earthworms with a hoe.

Meow~

Chen Dong cast his line and waited patiently on the shore. After a while, the big tabby cat lazily walked over and sniffed around, as if checking if Chen Dong had caught any fish and if it could have an extra meal.

"Don't rush, I just cast my line."

Chen Dong squatted down, picked up the big tabby cat, and petted it. The tabby cat didn't resist, as if it knew that Chen Dong was going to catch delicious fish for it, so it waited with it.

In just a few seconds, Chen Dong saw the float on the water tremble. He immediately put down the cat and reached for the fishing rod. Seeing the float sink, he suddenly jerked the rod.

"Whoosh~"

With a crisp sound accompanied by a faint whistling sound, a white streak about two fingers wide was pulled out of the water.

Meow~

The big tabby cat meowed at the water's surface. When it saw the whitebait come ashore, it circled around Chen Dong's feet, its eyes fixed on the fish, its front paws reaching upwards, eager to eat.

"You're really lucky; you got the first fish."

Chen Dong smiled and tossed the fish he had caught to it.