Chapter 25: Going up the mountain

After finishing his thin porridge and a few pieces of chicken, Ling Zixiao picked up the lunchbox meant for Ling Yu and headed to the fields. When he opened it, he saw that his brother’s portion also had thicker porridge, just like his own. Could it be that sister-in-law didn’t drink any, and left all the porridge for us? he thought. If that was the case, then she was really too kind—willing to go hungry herself just to save food for them. With such a sister-in-law, Ling Zixiao felt he should definitely treat her even better in the future.

When he reached the fields, he handed the food to Ling Yu and mentioned what had happened that morning.

“Brother, sister-in-law is really too good to us. You should treat her a little better from now on.”

“Oh? You think I don’t treat her well enough?” Ling Yu frowned, clearly displeased that his younger brother seemed to be siding with that troublesome girl after just one day.

“No, brother, it’s not that you don’t treat her well. It’s just… could you maybe be more careful with the way you talk to her? You know how your mouth…” Ling Zixiao trailed off, not daring to continue. The way his brother was glaring at him was downright terrifying. Even he sometimes felt that Ling Yu’s words could cut like a knife.

“I’ll go finish up the work I didn’t get done this morning,” Ling Zixiao muttered before slipping away. Best not to provoke his brother further—he was just too scary.

Meanwhile, Ling Xiaohui, who had been terrified yesterday when Ye Wuyou swung that hatchet at her, had fallen ill after returning home. She developed a high fever during the night and had to be taken to the hospital early this morning. She didn’t know what was wrong, only that every time she closed her eyes, the image of Ye Wuyou hurling that hatchet appeared before her. She’d jolt awake in fear every time she was about to fall asleep. Now she was full of regret. Why did I ever provoke that madwoman? Heaven, please, don’t torment me anymore—I know I was wrong.

Of course, the one who started it all, Ye Wuyou, had no idea about this. After Ling Zixiao went back to work in the afternoon, she felt bored at home and decided to head up the mountain for a look. She took a basket from the main hall and placed a sickle inside as a cover—if anyone asked, she could just say she was going to look for mushrooms.

Their house was halfway up the mountainside, so the forest wasn’t far. After walking for only a short while, she entered the woods. Though the autumn heat was still strong, the canopy blocked the sunlight, and cool air seeped through the trees. As soon as she stepped inside, a refreshing chill hit her face.

There were quite a few people in the mountains that day, probably families who had sent children to gather firewood. On the way, Ye Wuyou saw several kids carrying bundles of sticks down the slope. She wasn’t familiar with the villagers and didn’t bother greeting them. The children, however, stared curiously at her. Wasn’t this the woman who had married the most handsome man in their village? But hadn’t she been beaten half to death by her uncle not long ago? How was she already up and walking fine?

Ye Wuyou ignored their stares and walked deeper. The vegetation grew thicker, and people fewer. Good things are usually found deeper in the mountains, she thought, so she didn’t plan on stopping at the edges and pressed forward.

Not long after, she realized someone was hunting nearby. She was about to retreat quietly, but the person spotted her first—and recognized her. It was Ye Dalin, the village hunter. Skilled and daring, he often ventured into places others wouldn’t dare to tread.

“Girl, what are you doing here? Don’t tell me you came looking for food again?” he asked. Back when she lived with the Ye family, Ye Wuyou had often gone hungry and would sneak into the forest to find wild fruits. Once, she nearly wandered into one of his traps and would have been badly hurt if Ye Dalin hadn’t found her and led her out. Knowing her hardships, he had even shared meals with her and warned her never to venture too deep again. From time to time, he had secretly given her food, so he could be considered one of the few people who had shown her kindness.

“Uncle Lin, are you setting traps here?” she greeted him, realizing she couldn’t hide.

Hearing that, Ye Dalin frowned. “Didn’t you marry that soldier boy who came back from the army? What, he doesn’t feed you enough, so you still have to come to the mountains?”

“No, Uncle Lin, you misunderstand. He actually treats me well. It’s just that his family’s condition isn’t very good, so I thought I’d see if I could find something edible in the forest. It just rained a couple of days ago, so I wanted to pick some mushrooms to dry for winter.”

“You shouldn’t be here in the deep woods,” he scolded. “You know there are tigers and wolves around. If something happened to you, no one could save you.”

Seeing his genuine concern, Ye Wuyou softened her tone, acting as if she had just realized she had strayed too far. “Ah, Uncle Lin, I must have walked too far without noticing. No wonder there were fewer and fewer people. Luckily you reminded me—otherwise I might have gone even deeper. I’ll head back now; I wouldn’t dare stay here long. If something really did happen, like you said, it would be awful.”

Convinced she would listen, Ye Dalin finally relaxed. “That’s good. Even I usually only move around this area. The old folks say if you go further, you might run into wild beasts. Take care of yourself.” He turned to pack up his things.

“Alright, Uncle Lin. Be careful yourself—I’ll head out now.”

He waved her off, and Ye Wuyou pretended to leave. But as she walked backward, she kept an eye on him. Once she saw he wasn’t paying attention anymore, she quickly slipped down a side path.

She knew he was looking out for her, but she trusted her own skills—and with her special powers and her space, she was confident she could handle herself in the forest.

The deeper she went, the rougher the path became. She had to use her sickle to hack a way forward. Sure enough, the mountain was rich in resources. Before long, she spotted several chestnut trees that no one else had discovered.