Chapter 18: The Deal for the Panda’s Paw

Before Lin Mo even reached the cabin, the scent of a wood fire drifted her way.

Faint curls of blue smoke swirled above the roof, surrounded by lush trees and the chirping of birds; the little house seemed to carry a touch of Zen. Sometime while she was away, a fence had been erected around the perimeter, complete with a rustic brushwood gate.

The fence was covered in emerald vines. Looking closer, Lin Mo saw the Ginseng Boy shouldering a tiny hoe, seemingly busy transplanting his precious spiritual plants into the soil within the fenced garden.

Mo Jin must have done this. Lin Mo couldn’t help but marvel. Mo Jin was truly an industrious, domestic-minded giant panda.

She pushed open the gate to find Mo Jin holding a skewer of fish over the fire. On a large leaf nearby, a perfectly grilled fish was already waiting. Lin Mo sped up her pace, clutching her berries, and squatted in front of her. “I’m back! I brought you berries—they’re really sweet, want a taste?”

“Mm.”

Mo Jin gave a faint response, continuing to flip the skewers. Seeing Mo Jin’s hands were occupied, Lin Mo naturally popped a wild berry into Mo Jin’s mouth.

Mo Jin’s pupils constricted slightly as the cool fruit settled between her lips and tongue. She bit down gently, and the vivid red juice flowed out, staining her tongue. It was indeed very sweet.

“Sweet, right?”

Lin Mo lowered her head and tossed one into her own mouth. In her haste, the pale pink of her lips was stained a succulent red by the juice, with a tiny drop clinging to the corner of her mouth.

The color was alluring—far more appetizing than the fruit in her hands.

Mo Jin’s voice was lower than usual. “Come here.”

Confused, Lin Mo leaned closer. A cool finger suddenly pressed against her lower lip, rubbing gently to clear the stain. Lin Mo froze, her eyes blinking rapidly as she realized what Mo Jin was doing. Her ears flushed crimson, and her heart began to hammer against her ribs.

So soft. So warm.

A string in Mo Jin’s heart vibrated; it was softer than anything she had ever touched. She wiped the spot clean and withdrew her hand without a word.

Lin Mo’s rigid posture slumped instantly, her back soaked with nervous sweat. She averted her gaze, haphazardly dumping the rest of the berries onto the leaf. “Uh, those are all for you! I… I have things to do, gotta go!”

Mo Jin called her back, nodding toward the grilled fish. “Eat before you go.”

“Oh, oh! Right.” Lin Mo sat down flustered, picking up the fish, but her mind was miles away.

“Not hungry?”

“I’m eating!” Lin Mo started nibbling quickly. The fish was as delicious as ever, but she was distracted. Her peripheral vision kept drifting to Mo Jin’s hands—well-defined knuckles, slender white fingers, and the slight protrusion of her elegant wrist bone.

Lin Mo could still feel the lingering coolness on her lips.

Mo Jin offered another fish. “More?”

Lin Mo snapped out of it, nodding, then immediately shaking her head. She stood up, trying to find her words. “I bought five pounds of fresh bamboo shoots; they’re in the red parcel in the corner. Eat them if you’re hungry. I’m off!”

Lin Mo must want to rub my head or my ears again, Mo Jin thought. That’s why she bought the shoots to bribe me. Last night’s feeding was probably just a ploy to touch me too.

Mo Jin didn’t want her ears touched; the last time was far too ticklish. She frowned slightly. “No touching ears. No touching heads. Nowhere.”

Lin Mo: “…”

Her internal “marmot scream” returned! I just want to pet the panda!

Lin Mo looked aggrieved. “Five pounds of shoots cost a lot of money… they’re the freshest ones, sweet and fragrant. If you don’t like them, I’ll just throw them away.”

The tiny bamboo sprout on Lin Mo’s head wilted. It had started with five or six leaves, but after “feeding” Mo Jin earlier, only one tiny leaf remained. It looked pitiful.

Mo Jin was a spirit; she didn’t need to eat bamboo anymore, and ordinary shoots provided no spiritual energy. Truly, she only liked “eating” this one particular bamboo named Lin Mo. But this was the first time in her life someone had bought her a gift.

I can tell people I’m a bear who receives presents now, Mo Jin thought. Her heart softened, and she stopped Lin Mo. “I didn’t say I disliked them.”

Lin Mo secretly curved her lips, looking up with puppy-dog eyes. “If I can’t touch the ears or the head… can I touch the paws?”

Mo Jin looked away, silent. Lin Mo gently tugged on the hem of Mo Jin’s sleeve, swaying it back and forth. “Please? Pretty please?”

Just a hand is probably fine, Mo Jin reasoned. She gave a small nod.

“Tonight.”

Lin Mo was so ecstatic she literally jumped. “Then I’ll finish the well with the lynxes and come home right away!”

Home?

Mo Jin dithered for a moment. The word was both foreign and hauntingly familiar. She watched Lin Mo’s retreating figure and picked up another berry. This one was a bit more tart.

Lynx Bai looked at Lin Mo, who was practically floating, skipping every two steps. “Teacher, are you okay?”

Lin Mo couldn’t stop grinning. “I’m great! Never better!”

By the time they reached the pangolin’s burrow, Lin Mo was carrying a massive bouquet of wildflowers. Bai knocked on the stone door. A smaller side door creaked open.

“Who are you looking for?” A little pangolin poked half its head out, yawning and rubbing its eyes.

“I’m looking for Mother Shan,” Bai said politely.

The little pangolin nodded blankly. It turned around and shouted into the cave: “Mama! There’s a guy outside with no scales and fur all over his body looking for you!”

Bai clenched his fists, the veins on his forehead throbbing. Fur all over my body? I’m the most handsome guy in the tribe!

Lin Mo smothered a laugh, which caught the little one’s attention. He turned back, stared at her, and shouted again: “Mama! There’s another one with no scales AND no fur, and she’s holding a bunch of flowers!”

Lin Mo’s face went black. You brat! Eventually, Mother Shan emerged—a long, narrow creature with deep brown scales and powerful digging claws. She agreed to help, and with the professional excavators on the team, progress skyrocketed.

By sunset, they hit the water table. The water was clear and sweet. Lin Mo supervised the installation of the wooden lining and the stone wellhead to keep small animals from falling in.

As soon as she finished, she didn’t even stop to chat with the Chief. She bolted back toward the cabin.

Tonight, I get to touch the paws!