Chapter 47: Something Feels Off

The siblings chattered all the way to the foot of the mountain without stopping.

Mu Mian didn’t bring up the previous topic again and instead talked about other things. Before long, they arrived.

The old man was buried not too far away, on the mountainside.

These days, when someone in a family passed away, they would find a spot in the mountains to bury them—there was no designated cemetery.

On the mountainside, every so often, a small burial mound could be seen.

Back in the day, people who followed traditions would ask a feng shui master to pick a good location. Those who didn’t care as much would just find a random place.

Nowadays, of course, no one dares to make a big deal out of feng shui.

When the old man was buried, they had found someone to check the location, and it was said to be a spot with excellent feng shui.

Mu Mian didn’t know if the feng shui was good or not. What she could see was that the weeds had grown a little more, though not too much, and they weren’t very tall.

After all, the area had just been cleared during Qingming Festival.

Mu Zhuo took the shovel and dug out the young weeds, pulling them up by the roots.

The mountains were full of weeds—they sprouted endlessly, one batch after another, making it impossible to clear them completely.

Even when pulled up by the roots each time, the wind would still carry seeds over. Some weeds were incredibly stubborn, growing wherever the seeds landed, no matter how harsh the conditions.

As he tidied up, Mu Zhuo spoke to the old man about what had happened over the past few years, sharing only good news, never bad.

Even when talking to the deceased, he preferred to report the good and not the bad.

Mu Mian stood nearby, helping tidy up a little and occasionally chiming in with a word or two.

Thinking about it, out of the four elders in the family, she had never met three of them. They had all passed away before she was even born.

Only her grandmother had been by her side, raising her. The same went for her grandparents in her past life.

Mu Mian glanced at her older brother, who was still chatting away with their grandfather, and her thoughts drifted far away.

Based on the ages of her grandparents in her past life, they should be in their twenties at this time.

Back in 1963, she had wanted to look for them, but unfortunately, she had no idea where to start.

After becoming familiar with this area, Mu Mian silently compared it to her past memories and realized that the village where she had grown up corresponded to the Hongqi Brigade, which was about twenty kilometers away from where she was now.

At that time, she had been just a child and naturally had no way of going to another brigade to inquire about people.

Last year, when she started junior high school, there were two students from the Hongqi Brigade in her class.

Mu Mian had eagerly asked them about it, but unfortunately, both classmates said that no one in their brigade had that name.

She did not know where things had gone wrong or if her presence had somehow caused a butterfly effect.

There was no one she could talk to about these things, so she had to digest it all on her own for several days.

—-

Mu Zhuo finished talking in one breath, then turned his head and noticed his little sister sitting blankly on a rock beside him. He waved a hand in front of her eyes. “What are you thinking about? You look so lost in thought.”

Mu Mian snapped out of it and avoided answering directly. “Brother, are you done talking?”

Mu Zhuo replied, “Yeah, I’m done. If I keep rambling, I’m afraid the old man will think I’m too talkative.”

Mu Mian grinned. “That’s impossible. Grandpa raised both Dad and Little Uncle. He must have gotten used to it long ago.”

She could already imagine how mischievous her father and uncle had been as children. Thankfully, Fourth Uncle was steadier. Otherwise, with three troublemakers, they might have torn the roof off the house.

Mu Zhuo lifted his chin. “You’re right! Then I’ll say a few more words!”

While he kept rambling, Shiyi grew impatient and had already run off.

Mu Mian did not bother chasing after it. Shiyi was excellent at finding its way home and would likely return on its own soon.

After about five or six minutes, Mu Zhuo finally finished talking for real. Shiyi also came trotting back from who knows where, wagging its tail.

Since they were already here, the siblings did not head straight down the mountain. Instead, they gathered some firewood along the way.

Once they had a small pile, Mu Mian bent down to tie it together. Just as she finished securing it, she heard her brother suddenly exclaim, “Huh?”

Right after that, he said, “I think there’s someone in that tree. Just now, I saw them climb up in a flash.”

Mu Mian looked up but had not yet seen anything clearly. She instinctively asked, “Huh? Who is it?”

Mu Zhuo narrowed his eyes. “Looks like a woman… Is it Educated Youth Nie?”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Mu Mian also saw clearly. Judging by the figure, it was indeed Nie Sihui.

Without hesitation, Mu Mian took off running toward the tree, calling out as she ran, “Sister Sihui!”

Still shaken, Nie Sihui turned her head immediately. She was clinging tightly to the tree trunk in a koala-like posture, her voice trembling slightly. “Xiao Mian, there’s a snake here!”

Having spent several years in the countryside, Nie Sihui had already adapted well to rural life.

She had learned to climb trees, weave baskets and mats, and even deal with bugs without flinching—no longer jumping back three steps like before.

But the one thing she had never learned was how to face snakes, which always made her break out in goosebumps.

The moment she saw one just now, she had instinctively climbed the tree. The village women always said that the most dangerous animals in the mountains were wild boars and that the best way to escape them was to climb a tree.

In her mind, snakes were just as terrifying as wild boars.

Hearing there was a snake, Mu Mian picked up her pace and ran even faster.

After just a few steps, she heard her Sister Sihui add, “Xiao Mian, it has a triangular head… I think it’s venomous.”

Mu Mian’s eyes widened slightly. She immediately shouted at Shiyi, who had also been running forward, “Shiyi, stop! Don’t go any closer!”

Shiyi obeyed the command instantly. It understood the word “stop,” though it did not know why. Still, it was very obedient.

The large dog tilted its head, looking at Mu Mian in confusion.

Mu Mian quickly grabbed Shiyi by the collar. If the snake were venomous and it bit someone, it would be a serious problem. She did not dare to take any risks, given the current state of medical care.

Holding onto the dog, she soon spotted the snake that Nie Sihui had mentioned. It did indeed have a triangular head, and it was a large one.

It was coiled at the base of a nearby tree, its body rubbing against itself with a constant “hiss hiss” sound. Its aggressive posture made it clear it was ready to strike at any moment.

Mu Zhuo let out a low whistle. “That’s a big pit viper!”

Still clinging to the tree, Nie Sihui repeated nervously, “Pit viper?”

She had absolutely no knowledge of snakes.

Studying them was out of the question—she was too scared to even take a proper look.

Mu Zhuo explained, “It’s a general term. I can’t tell exactly what kind it is, but it’s venomous for sure. We don’t have many species around here, though.”

The moment he finished speaking, Nie Sihui clung even tighter to the tree.

She had only guessed before, but now she knew for sure—it really was venomous!

Good thing she climbed fast!

Mu Mian picked up a rock and threw it, but she missed.

Mu Zhuo followed up with another throw. Having trained in the army, his aim was excellent. One strike landed perfectly on the snake’s weak spot, smashing it to bits.

Mu Mian gave her brother a big thumbs-up. “Amazing! As expected of my brother!”

Nie Sihui hesitated before peeking down, but she quickly looked away again. “Is it really dead?”

Mu Mian nodded. “Yep, completely. It’s all smashed up now. Sister Sihui, you can come down.”

Nie Sihui finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Good thing I ran into you guys. Otherwise, I don’t know how long I would’ve been stuck up here.”

Mu Mian took a few quick steps to the tree, intending to help, and casually said, “Next time you see a snake, don’t climb a tree. Run downhill instead.”

Climbing a tree might seem easy for someone inexperienced, but coming down is much harder.

Nie Sihui was awkwardly shifting downward in a stiff and comical posture. Hearing this, she replied, “I was so flustered at the time. It was hiding under the leaves, and I almost stepped on it. Then it lifted its head at me, and when I saw that triangular head, I instinctively jumped onto the nearest tree.”

Mu Zhuo used a stick to lift the venomous snake and glanced over.

Seeing Nie Sihui hugging the tree in such a funny posture, he held back his laughter and simply said, “I’ve seen people climb trees to escape wild boars, but this is my first time seeing someone climb a tree to escape a snake.”

“Some snakes love staying in trees. Climbing up won’t help. If another one shows up, you’ll really be in trouble.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Nie Sihui’s expression visibly turned more horrified.

She was only halfway down the tree but immediately tilted her head back to scan the branches multiple times, as if terrified a snake might suddenly drop down.

Standing between the two, Mu Mian was speechless.

Her older brother sure knew how to talk. Of all times, he had to say this now.

Look at how scared Sister Sihui was—she was practically moving with both hands and feet together.

Mu Mian shot her brother a glance.

Mu Zhuo, realizing a little too late that his words had scared her, rubbed his nose awkwardly.

Mu Mian shifted her gaze back to the tree and reassured Nie Sihui, “There’s nothing up there. I already checked. Don’t be scared, Sister Sihui.”

“I’ve lived here my whole life and have only ever seen one venomous snake. I don’t know where this one came from, but I’m sure there isn’t a second one.”

As she spoke, Mu Mian extended her arms. “Sister Sihui, just jump. You’re almost at the bottom. I’ll catch you.”

Nie Sihui fully trusted Mu Mian. “Alright, I’m coming down.”

Without hesitation, she let go and dropped. With Mu Mian helping to cushion the landing, she touched the ground safely, though her legs were still a little weak.

If not for Mu Mian holding onto her, she might have landed straight on her backside.

Seeing how terrified she was, Mu Zhuo discreetly placed the snake into his younger sister’s basket and covered it with some dry leaves and twigs.

Nie Sihui caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of her eye and unconsciously let out a breath of relief.

She realized that despite Mu Zhuo’s strong and rough appearance, he was actually quite thoughtful. Whether now or in the way Mu Mian described him, he was always someone with a tough exterior but careful attention to detail.

After securing the snake, Mu Zhuo said, “This is worth quite a bit. We can take it to Old Li later—he might buy it.”

“The venom glands are still intact. It should sell for about ten yuan. The purchasing station takes them too, but going there would be a hassle.”

If the educated youth hadn’t spotted the snake first, he and his sister probably wouldn’t have noticed it either.

Only then did Nie Sihui realize he was speaking to her. She turned to him in surprise. “Huh? You’re giving it to me?”

She shook her head vigorously. “No way, I don’t want it. You killed it, so you keep it.”

Mu Zhuo emphasized, “It’s really worth around ten yuan.”

Nie Sihui still refused. “If it were worth a hundred, maybe I’d try to overcome my fear.”

Mu Zhuo couldn’t help but laugh. “A snake worth a hundred yuan? I’ve never seen one of those.”

Mu Mian shifted her basket slightly, glanced at both of them, and grinned. “You two are being way too polite. Since neither of you wants it, I’ll take it! I’ll go find Old Li later.”

Why hesitate? She certainly wouldn’t.

This time, neither of them objected.

Mu Mian then looked at the sickle lying nearby. “Sister Sihui, what were you doing up the mountain?”

Nie Sihui had impressive adaptability. Now that the snake was out of sight, she quickly returned to normal.

She picked up the sickle and said, “I was collecting medicinal herbs. Mulan had a heatstroke yesterday and hasn’t recovered this morning, so I took her to Old Li.”

“But Old Li was out of medicine. He wasn’t feeling well himself and said he needed to wait until he got better to go gather more. I figured instead of waiting, I might as well come and get some myself.”

One of the herbs was growing nearby, so Mu Mian helped dig some up. As she worked, she asked, “Is Teacher Jian’s heatstroke serious?”

Nie Sihui nodded. “It’s pretty bad. She needs medicine. She rested all afternoon yesterday, but it didn’t help much. Old Li checked her and said she should be fine after a couple more doses.”

Mu Mian said, “It has been quite hot these past few days. I’ll make extra cooling tea this afternoon.”

Nie Sihui glanced at the bundle of firewood nearby. “Why are you two up the mountain so close to noon? Gathering firewood?”

Mu Mian shook her head. “No, I came with my brother to visit Grandpa.”

Nie Sihui nodded in understanding.

Mu Mian continued, “But despite the heat, at least it’s not humid. That’s one good thing about this place—the heat is dry.”

Nie Sihui agreed, “That’s true. I can handle it, but Mulan isn’t good with heat. My hometown is always hot and humid. If she went there, she’d have an even harder time.”

Mu Zhuo added, “That sounds like Ningzhang. The heat there gives you headaches.”

After saying this, as if recalling something, Mu Zhuo chuckled. “Speaking of which, one of my bunkmates in the army was from Hushi. When he first got there, none of us could understand a word he said.”

Nie Sihui pictured the situation and laughed. “Yeah, that accent can be hard to understand.”

Mu Zhuo nodded. “Every time he spoke, he had to use hand gestures, so at least we could guess what he meant. There was another guy from the coast, though—none of us could understand him at all.”

Nie Sihui smiled. “Different places, different dialects. One of my friend’s father once received a submission written entirely in the local dialect. He recognized every character, but when put together, he had no idea what it meant.”

Mu Zhuo was surprised. “You can submit this too?”

Nie Sihui replied, “Yeah, but it won’t pass.”

Mu Zhuo said, “I’ve only seen comrades writing letters to their families like this.”

Nie Sihui responded, “Their own family can definitely understand it.”

…

Back and forth, their voices echoed through the forest, the only two young voices breaking the silence.

It was getting late. The workday was nearly over.

Mu Mian leaned against a tree trunk with her arms crossed, carrying a basket on her back. She glanced at one, then at the other.

The two of them were still whispering to each other, showing no intention of heading down the mountain.

Mu Mian rubbed her chin, her round eyes narrowing slightly.

Something was off!

Very off!

Extremely off!

Although Sister Sihui was not a reserved person, and her brother was quite talkative, weren’t they chatting a little too smoothly?

Were they really getting along that well?

And she hadn’t spoken for five whole minutes, yet her brother didn’t even notice anything strange.

Maybe Mu Mian’s gaze was too obvious because Mu Zhuo suddenly realized that his little sister had been unusually quiet. “What’s wrong?”

Mu Mian snorted, her expression deep and mysterious. “Nothing, just thinking that at this moment, I should be under a car.”

As she spoke, she even ruffled Shiyi’s fur. “Right, Shiyi?”

Shiyi: “Woo woo…”

Shiyi didn’t understand. Neither Mu Zhuo nor Nie Sihui.

Huh?

What car?