The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

The old monkey seemed to understand what she meant. It squeaked twice, and then, very human-like, shook its head.

That expression clearly said: Don't dream, I don't have that kind of ability.

Sweetie's hopes were shattered in an instant. The joy she had felt from surviving the ordeal vanished instantly. She stared dejectedly at the dark cliff top, her lips trembling, tears welling up in her eyes.

Oh no, how is Sweetie going to get back?

Seeing that she was hanging her head and not speaking, the old monkey seemed to understand her disappointment. It walked over, gently patted Sweetie's shoulder with its paw, then turned around and wobbled ahead.

After taking a few steps, he turned back to look at her, his eyes and posture clearly indicating: Hurry up and follow me.

"Oh, Sweetie, I understand." Sweetie sniffed and slowly got up from the ground. As soon as she moved, a sharp pain came from her palm.

When I ran away, my little hands were scratched by tree branches, leaving several red marks that hurt when touched.

She rubbed her palms, the thought of her father frantically searching for her, her own predicament at the bottom of the cliff, her injuries, and the overwhelming sadness she felt finally broke. She pouted, and with a "plop," tears streamed down her face.

Hearing the commotion, the old monkey walking ahead turned back to wait for her. Seeing the little girl with her nose red from crying and looking utterly wronged, it scratched its head, somewhat at a loss for what to do.

The little monkeys surrounding her stopped playing and all looked at her.

"Waaaaah... You're not Sun Wukong, you can't help Sweetie fly up there, what will Sweetie do now..."

Sweetie's long-suppressed fear and grievances finally erupted at this moment, and she couldn't help but burst into tears, which flowed down her face like a broken string of pearls.

"Sweetie misses her daddy, she wants to find her daddy! Daddy—!"

She cried so hard her little body trembled, looking extremely pitiful. The surrounding monkeys seemed to have discovered some novel performance; some scratched their heads, some winked at each other, and some leaned out from the branches.

One of the bravest monkeys jumped down from the branch and squatted in front of her.

Then, another one jumped down.

Another one.

Before long, a circle of monkeys surrounded Tian Tian, ​​three layers deep, all craning their necks to look at the human baby crying loudly in front of her.

Perhaps it was because Sweetie's crying was too loud that it disturbed the quiet woods, but with a flap of its wings, a strange, large bird flew out of the woods and circled over Sweetie's head.

The sudden, unfamiliar noise startled Tian Tian. She immediately shut her mouth, covered her eyes with her hands, and dared not cry anymore.

The surrounding monkeys were also drawn to the commotion and looked up. Sweetie peeked through her fingers and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the large bird fly away.

Then, belatedly, she blushed. So many little monkeys had seen her cry? How embarrassing!

She wiped the tears from her face with her little hands, secretly annoyed: I cried so loudly just now, it was so embarrassing.

But when I looked up, I saw the old monkey from before walking over, holding an unknown red flower in his hand. The flower swayed in the night, its petals unfurled, emitting an indescribable fragrance, and it looked extremely beautiful.

"Wow..." The little girl was stunned for a moment, her entire attention instantly drawn to the view.

The old monkey stretched out his arm and gently pinned the little flower to Sweetie's already disheveled pigtails. Sweetie was stunned for a moment, then carefully reached out her little hand and gently touched the petals. They were soft and fragrant.

"Grandpa Monkey," she whispered, her voice still nasal from crying, "Even though you're not Sun Wukong, thank you for the flowers. They're really beautiful."

Seeing that she had stopped crying, the old monkey nodded as if satisfied, stretched out its furry front paw, and gently offered it to her, gesturing for her to take its hand.

Sweetie hesitated for a moment, then reached out her little hand and grasped the kindness from the stranger.

The old monkey turned around again, took the little child's hand, and slowly walked into the depths of the forest.

Only then did Tian Tian dare to boldly look around and discover that the bottom of the cliff was not the dark and barren place she had imagined, but a secluded and isolated secret realm hidden deep in the mountains.

The light at the bottom of the cliff is soft, and tall ancient trees grow all around, their branches intertwined and countless emerald green vines hanging down, dotted with colorful wildflowers that emit a faint sweet fragrance.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of moss, which felt soft and fluffy underfoot, like a green velvet carpet.

Not far away, there was a thin stream, its surface shimmering in the sunlight. The water was crystal clear, and tiny fish swam around in it, their tails swaying. Smooth, round pebbles lay at the bottom of the stream.

With a rustling sound, several squirrels darted out of the grass by the stream. They dragged their fluffy tails, held pine cones in their front paws, stared at her curiously, and stuffed the cones into their mouths, crunching them with relish.

Several brightly colored birds—red, yellow, and emerald green—perched on the branches overhead, chirping and singing in a clear, melodious voice.

Besides, there were several small lizards lying by the river and in the grass. Unlike the large monsters she had seen in the desert, they were all emerald green and much smaller. They were lying on the ground basking in the moonlight, and a few of them slowly crawled past her feet without attacking her at all.

This strange sight left Tian Tian speechless. She had never imagined that such a beautiful and mysterious place, like a fairy tale kingdom, was hidden beneath that seemingly terrifying cliff.

Could this be the Flower and Fruit Mountain described in the comic books?

Just as she was about to ask, her stomach suddenly growled. The little girl was startled and immediately covered her belly in embarrassment.

She had been busy all day and had even dropped a fried egg. Although she had only eaten one piece of candy from her older sister Xiaoyu, she was now starving.

But where can we find anything to eat in these deep mountains and forests?

Thinking about it this way, Tian Tian felt even more wronged.

If I had listened to my father and hadn't secretly gone to find Sister Xiaoyu, but instead told him, wouldn't I be sitting in the shed eating a hot meal right now?

It also prevents bad people from pushing you down the mountain.

Most importantly, Dad must be terribly worried about not being able to find her. Sweetie made a mistake and really deserves a spanking from Dad.

As she thought about it, her eyes reddened again, and tears welled up in her big eyes.

"Squeak, squeak—"

Just as she was lost in thought, two dark shadows flashed by, and two little monkeys jumped down from the nearby tree and rushed to her.

Each of them held a bunch of bananas, their golden peels symbolizing ripeness under the moonlight, and the sweet aroma of the fruit wafted into their noses on the night breeze.

"Banana?" Sweetie exclaimed in surprise, her mouth agape. She hadn't tasted such a precious fruit in a long time.

Even when I went to the supply and marketing cooperative in town with my dad last time, they only had apples, pears, and grapes. Bananas, being a southern fruit, were not sold in the dry northwest base.

"Thank you, little monkeys!"

Sweetie excitedly took a string of skewers, eager to peel them open.

Perhaps due to the day's fatigue and fright, Tian Tian's hands hadn't regained their strength. She tried to pry it open several times, but couldn't manage it. The little girl couldn't help but frown, glaring at the disobedient banana with some annoyance.

A furry paw reached out, and the old monkey silently took the banana, quickly peeled it, and put it back into Sweetie's hand.

Its eyes were gentle, without a trace of reproach or impatience, like a loving elder looking at a young and clumsy junior, gesturing to her: Eat quickly.

"Thank you, Grandpa Monkey!" Sweetie cheered, taking the banana and taking a big bite while puffing out her round cheeks. "This place is so nice, is it really not Flower Fruit Mountain? Is there really no Sun Wukong here?"

She was so fixated on this question. In her naive and simple mind, where else could there be such a wonderful place with such magical monkeys but Flower Fruit Mountain?

The old monkey was somewhat exasperated by her constant questions about "Sun Wukong" and "Flower and Fruit Mountain."

It scratched its gray hair, tried to put on a dignified expression, squeaked a few times at Sweetie, and pointed to the surrounding environment, indicating to her: This is not Flower Fruit Mountain, stop talking nonsense.

"Oh, I understand." Sweetie seemed to understand what it meant, wrinkled her little nose, and had no choice but to obediently shut her mouth and stop asking questions.