Chapter 36: The Little Master Is the Smartest

Little Sugar turned her head toward the rosy-lipped, porcelain-faced little boy—her heart sinking with quiet exasperation. This kid looked like a doll carved from snow and silk, all delicate and proper, but when he opened his mouth… well, *that* was just plain annoying.

Her palms itched with restless energy.

So she crossed her arms, struck a dramatic pose—full of battle-ready attitude.

“T-t-t-t-t-uh… can’t beat you… it’s not ‘li tai sha,’ it’s ‘sha gua’…!”

Why couldn’t bugs be eaten? Because *you’re* the one who’s dumb! Dumb-dumb!

She might not win in a fight—but could she lose in a verbal spar?

To her surprise, the more she struggled to speak clearly, the faster she actually talked. Her tongue felt clumsy at first, but once she stopped trying so hard to enunciate, words poured out like water from a cracked dam.

No wonder kids slur their speech—this was *way* easier. And honestly, when you're arguing, what do you care about clarity? Speed is everything.

Huh. Decision made.

From now on, for the sake of efficiency, she’d embrace the occasional bird-speak.
Even if no one else understood—she’d feel better saying it. That was the whole point.

Wang Zhong stood nearby, utterly lost.

But Xuan Yuan Jin? He somehow got it.

“Daredevil! You ignorant fool! *You’re* the idiot!” Xuan Yuan Jin’s cheeks flushed red with outrage.

He’d spent his whole life being praised as brilliant—never once had anyone dared call him stupid.

“Li cai si! Li bu si sha gua! Then why say ‘can’t beat you’?” Little Sugar shot back, unimpressed.

Oh, *you* tell me—then why can’t we eat bugs?

Xuan Yuan Jin sneered at her. “Of course not! If you eat them, worms will grow inside your belly!”

Little Sugar: ……

Wow. You’re the real worm.

“Li sha ya! Not ‘let li sheng ci’—belly won’t grow *twice*…”

Are you serious? It’s not like you’re eating them raw! How would worms even *get* in there?

Holy crap—she just said a whole sentence without tripping over her tongue!

Granted, only that grumpy little brat probably understood.

But still—major win!

“Sis,” Su Liuhu scratched his head. “What in the world are you saying? I don’t get it.”

Neither did Wang Zhong, standing beside him, eyebrows knotted into a question mark.

Watching their little master and this tiny girl go full-on war in the kitchen—how was he supposed to make sense of any of it?

Definitely, the little master was the smartest one here.

After their fiery verbal showdown, Little Sugar marched into the kitchen, basket in hand.

The plump, kind-faced cook saw the pink-cheeked little girl and instantly lit up with maternal warmth.

“Grandma, fry these… lots of them… yummy…” Little Sugar pulled out a small bag full of grasshoppers.

Compared to roasting or boiling, frying was clearly the tastiest option.

The cook: ……

She stared at the grasshoppers. Then at the child. The motherly glow in her eyes flickered—then faded into confusion.

Little Sugar, meanwhile, pointed at Xuan Yuan Jin with a sweet, commanding tone:

“You! Tell Grandma!”

Xuan Yuan Jin: ……

His face tightened like a drumskin.

This girl was getting bolder by the minute!
Not only mocking him—but *ordering* him around?

Did she want to die?

“She told you to *fry* them!” Xuan Yuan Jin huffed, exasperated. “Honestly, you’re hopeless!”

He sniffed disdainfully—whether at Little Sugar or the cook, no one could tell.

The cook, seeing her little master furious, immediately spiraled into self-doubt.

Was she really that thick?
Why could the master understand, but she couldn’t?

Wang Zhong caught her expression and gave her a sympathetic nod.

Don’t worry.
He didn’t get it either.