Ancient Eden

Mu Qing guessed more or less the meaning behind Naduo’s actions. Naduo was obviously talking about her getting pregnant.

After spending so many days with each other, she guessed that Naduo was probably Li Mang’s elder sister or some other kind of very close blood relative, which was why their relationship was so close.

But that didn’t mean she could calmly accept Naduo’s good intentions with open arms. Just thinking about what the man had done to her the night before, before early in the morning, carrying in a haste the snakeskin to tell Naduo about it, and then asking her to make a snakeskin skirt for her, she felt embarrassed, her face and her ears turned red, feeling like she had been insulted. If felt as if the snakeskin was a reward in exchange for her flesh, or like he was paying for the service of a prostitute.

Chapter 37

(12.3)

Mu Qing didn’t want to show her feelings in front of Naduo and Youyou. She just smiled and took the snakeskin and the bone needle from Naduo’s hand and gestured a stitching movement. When Naduo saw that she wanted to do it herself, she didn’t insist, and just touched her belly again, as if there was already a little life in there.

Mu Qing went back to the hut, with some resentment remaining in her heart. Her eyes stared at the snakeskin, and the more she looked at it, the more she felt it was piercing her eyes.

She heard the sound of the curtain being lifted behind her. Mu Qing thought it was Youyou who had followed her in, but when she turned her head to look, she found that it was the chief’s daughter, the young plump girl. She already knew her name was Naonao, it was a very cute name.

Mu Qing was a little surprised.

None of the huts here had a door, but usually, people here would not enter other huts at will unless the owner was present. Unlike other women in this community, Naonao did not partake in all the labor tasks the others did every day. Mu Qing often saw her wandering around or playing, but she obviously wasn’t very friendly towards herself, so she just stayed away and avoided her.

Naonao stood there, with her eyes fixed the snakeskin in Mu Qing’s hands.

Mu Qing stood up from the ground, nodded at her and smiled slightly.

Naonao ignored her but took a few steps forward and pointed at the snakeskin in Mu Qing’s hands. Her mouth kept shouting something, with eyes full of anger, as she grabbed the snakeskin with her hands, trying to tear it apart. However, the snakeskin was very flexible, and she was unable tear it apart, so she violently threw it to the ground, using her feet to stomp on it as if her life depended on it.

Mu Qing looked at her, and remembered the eager look in her eyes as she looked at the snakeskin around Li Mang’s neck the first time she had seen her. She was a little troubled, but she did not try to stop her. Besides, she herself didn’t have any good feeling towards this thing.

When Naonao was done stomping on it, she suddenly turned around and hastily lifted the curtain to go out. Mu Qing thought she had left and stared at the snakeskin on the ground for a while. She sighed and just as she was about to bend down to pick it up and hang it back up, Naonao came in again like a gust of wind, this time with a bone knife in her hand.

She pushed Mu Qing away, and fiercely slashed that piece of snakeskin with the knife a few time. While she was slashing, she was looking up at Mu Qing, with a hint of mockery on the corners of her mouth.

Probably noticing that something abnormal was going on, Naduo also came in, and when she saw this scene, her face revealed an expression of shock and anger, she shouted and flew to grab the bone knife in Naonao’s hand, as she scratched the back of Naonao’s hand with her nails. Naonao yelled in anger.

During the short moment Naduo was hesitating, Naonao had already made a long cut on the snakeskin, that went from head to tail. Then she dropped the knife, and looked at Mu Qing and Naduo with some satisfaction, before going out with her head held high.

As soon as Naonao left, Naduo sat down on her knees and picked up the snakeskin, which had been torn apart into several pieces, with slightly trembling lips.

Mu Qing actually didn’t like that piece of snakeskin, even if it was destroyed by Naonao, it was of no matter to her. She just couldn’t bear to see Naduo look so sad, so she squatted in front of her, wanting to comfort her with a few words. But when she opened her mouth, she found herself unable to say anything, and could only gently pat her slightly rough hand.

Naduo looked up at her and held her hand. Her mouth kept talking. It seemed like she was the one comforting her instead.

Mu Qing was a little touched. She smiled at her and said, “I’m fine.”

This was the new phrase she had recently learned.

Naduo suddenly picked up the snakeskin pieces and the bone needle from the ground, held them in her hands, quickly said a few words to Mu Qing, and then turned around to go out of the hut.