Li Yaner nodded upon hearing this,
"That old master is a master of high regard, he has no reason to lie and deceive you, it seems this must be true!"
Gu Shi Yi heard this and burst into hearty laughter,
"This is good... I can eat anything, doesn't that mean I can indulge in all the delicacies of the world?"
Li Yaner laughed and said,
"Whether you can eat all the delicacies in the world, I'm not sure, but I do know that you can drink the water from the Five-Color River!"
"Oh! Right!"
Gu Shi Yi was overjoyed. The water from the Five-Color River was the utmost Yin Nether Water, which others couldn't drink, but she could, and this was great... At least if a boat accident and a fall into the water happened, she wouldn't die!
Both were overjoyed, and Li Yaner's imagination ran wild,
"You can eat anything, but can you eat poop?"
"Pfft..."
Gu Shi Yi spat out a mouthful of water and pointed at Li Yaner with an incredulous face,
"Li Yaner, oh Li Yaner... truly the most poisonous woman's heart, despite my wholehearted devotion to you, you... you actually want me to eat poop!"
Gu Shi Yi clutched her chest and fell back onto the bed in agonizing screams,
"You heartless woman, you... you... you... you have such a vicious heart!"
She was quite the performer, leaving Li Yaner somewhat unable to follow, muttering to herself,
"Well... it was just a joke, that... I ate it too, it's you who fed me, and you ate it as well, haven't we both eaten it?"
Good friends share hardships, including eating poop together?
The two laughed loudly in the cabin, and outside Old Lady Gu knocked on the door,
"Shiyi, have you come back?"
Gu Shi Yi hastily shut her mouth at the sound, scrambled up from the bed, and went to open the door. As she did, she glanced back and saw a small black shadow swiftly disappear behind the bed,
"Shiyi, what's going on? Why are you causing such a ruckus in the cabin?"
Old Lady Gu entered and asked, and Gu Shi Yi gave a cheeky smile, changing the subject,
"Auntie, were you looking for me? Is there something you need?"
Old Lady Gu said,
"Sixth Master said the boat will depart the day after tomorrow, and he wants you all back on the boat. I was worried about where to find you, but here you are, back already. What have you been up to these past few days?"
Gu Shi Yi replied with a grin,
"I've never been here before, just wandering around, taking a look..."
Old Lady Gu didn't pursue the matter further and nodded,
"Then don't go out tomorrow, we're about to set sail, don't run off anywhere!"
"Okay!"
Gu Shi Yi obediently nodded her head, and indeed, she didn't go out the following day, staying on the boat all day. On the third day, they left that place and set off again for Chenzhou. After that, there was little conversation along the way. The closer they got to Chenzhou, the more silent Gu Shi Yi became, her usual laughter diminishing and daydreaming increasing. Li Yaner knew she was becoming homesick but had no way to comfort her, only accompanying her silently,
"Yanyan, do you think... do they still remember me?"
Gu Shi Yi sat in front of the tiny window, watching the scenery change on both sides of the riverbank, getting closer to Chenzhou, the paths started to appear along the banks, with pedestrians on the roads and villages and farmlands standing in the distance. Li Yaner didn't speak, knowing Shiyi was asking herself, not seeking an answer from anyone else. Gu Shi Yi murmured again,
"After so many years, does my father still remember he has a daughter like me? Has my mother ever come back looking for me?"
She wanted to know the answers but was also fearful of them,
She had left home at the age of five. Her biological father always resented his ex-wife and never had a kind face for the daughter she left behind. Perhaps her departure had been a relief for him!
So maybe her biological father had forgotten about her long ago!
And her biological mother who ran off with a man, all these years... How was she faring?
How did that man treat her, and had she ever regretted it? Had she ever thought about me, her daughter?
Such conflicting thoughts with their complex and indistinct emotions could probably only be fully understood by Gu Shi Yi!
Li Yaner sat on the windowsill, turned her head to glance at her best friend's reddening eyes, and sighed to herself,
"Shiyi is just like that, outwardly carefree and laughing, pretending that nothing matters, yet she values love and righteousness the most. If she were to discover that her parents had long forgotten her, she would definitely pretend not to care, while inside, she'd already be crying to death!"
Li Yaner walked over and rubbed Gu Shi Yi's hand on the windowsill,
"Shiyi, we're best friends, friends for life, and that will never change!"
No matter how they treat you, my feelings for you will never change!
Gu Shi Yi nodded her head, shook it off, and took the opportunity to flick away the tears that had accidentally spilled from her eyes, and said with a smile,