Chapter 28 ☆ Swan eggs and bamboo pillows (Part 2)

Seeing she liked it, Xie San found two more and warned her, “This mushroom is hard to identify and can be confused with poisonous fungi. Don’t pick it on your own.”

Cheng Yaoyao nodded obediently.

The two continued their search, and Cheng Yaoyao made a new discovery—a cluster of chicken mushrooms!

The white chicken mushroom had opened its cap and was large. Although many mushrooms taste best before opening, chicken mushrooms are unique in flavor when the cap is open. Especially for the mushroom, the open cap is the most aromatic.

When picking chicken mushrooms, it’s important not to dig too deep to avoid disturbing termite nests, which could prevent future growth.

Xie San used a hatchet to pry up a patch of chicken mushrooms, and Cheng Yaoyao pulled them up one by one. Her hands were gentle, keeping the stems intact. There were so many chicken mushrooms in this patch that Cheng Yaoyao filled more than half of Xie San’s large basket.

After picking them, Xie San intended to pour them into Cheng Yaoyao’s small backpack, but she stopped him, saying, “Keep them and sell them.”

She didn’t realize that Xie San was picking mushrooms to sell. If she had known, she wouldn’t have made a fuss about sharing them.

Xie San said, “These are delicious.”

“I picked some cocklebur flowers^[1]are small, greenish flowers that grow in clusters on a weed plant. The plant is better known for its spiky seed pods, which can stick to things easily. that smell similar. Besides, I’m living in the dormitory, so taking them back would just give others a bargain,” Cheng Yaoyao said smartly. “Keep them, and I’ll ask you for them when I move to the dormitory.”

Xie San said nothing, just looked at her quietly, a smile flickering in his eyes. “Okay.”

It was rare for Xie San to smile. When he did, the frost that had lingered in his narrow eyes and brows for years melted away, and his smile was so gentle that it made Cheng Yaoyao’s heart flutter.

She felt so excited she couldn’t help but say, “We’re moving to a new dormitory, but I haven’t decided where to live.”

Xie San’s smile suddenly faded. “You should figure that out yourself.”

An awkward silence followed. Cheng Yaoyao’s excitement waned in the tense silence. Her face turned red and white, and she pouted.

She was on the verge of tears again. Xie San’s palms were sweating, but his mind was calmer than ever before.

He wrestled with his conflicting desires, suppressing them with a masochistic resolve.

Cheng Yaoyao didn’t cry. Instead, she picked up her small backpack angrily and walked away.

After a few steps, she glanced back secretly. Xie San was still standing there, looking at her, and their eyes met.

Cheng Yaoyao quickly turned around and crushed a poisonous death cap mushroom that was blocking her way. She felt both angry and embarrassed, knowing that Xie San was watching her.

She was angry with herself for wanting to live in Xie San’s house just because he was kind to her. Cheng Yaoyao, have you forgotten the fate of the original owner? The tragedy of the original owner began when she wanted to live in Xie San’s house!

Yet, people are greedy. Within just half a month, Cheng Yaoyao had gone from being afraid of Xie San and trying to please him to being arrogant and spoiled by him.

The more Cheng Yaoyao thought about it, the more disappointed she became. She walked back to Zhang Xiaofeng and Han Yin dejectedly. The two were still picking up dog urine moss^[2]is a type of moss known for its unpleasant smell, which can be reminiscent of dog urine. and horse manure bags at the edge of the woods.

When Cheng Yaoyao emerged, Han Yin looked up and asked in surprise, “What’s wrong? There’s no need to cry if you can’t find the mushrooms!”

“Who’s crying? Who didn’t pick the mushrooms?” Cheng Yaoyao yelled anxiously, taking off her backpack to show Han Yin.

The two of them looked at Cheng Yaoyao’s collection and said, “Wow, that’s a lot! Enough for the whole dormitory!”

“Why should we give it to them? These are all valuable finds,” Cheng Yaoyao replied angrily.

Han Yin and Zhang Xiaofeng exchanged puzzled glances. There was no one else in the forest to have offended her.

Finally, the three of them built a fire by the river and roasted some mushrooms. Only a few small chicken mushrooms and trumpet mushrooms remained, along with the dog urine moss and horse dung bags that Han Yin and Zhang Xiaofeng had collected.

Initially, Zhang Xiaofeng felt uneasy about eating alone, but Han Yin was happy. “I’ve always felt it was unfair. Yaoyao, you found bamboo rat mushrooms and other goodies and shared them with that group. But the male educated youth weren’t even helpful. Cheng Nuonuo did nothing, and Liu Minxia was lying in the dormitory, pretending to be sick. Why do they get the advantage?”

Zhang Xiaofeng replied reluctantly, “Cheng Nuonuo has been in a bad mood lately. Liu Minxia said she wasn’t feeling well today, so she stayed in.”

Zhang Xiaofeng’s response was hesitant, and she stopped talking. She felt disheartened as the squad leader, especially since she couldn’t lead them effectively. She just waited for the dormitory assignments.

After eating, the three sat under a tree to digest and chat. They saw Xie San carrying a large basket down the mountain and passing by. The young man in the tattered coat was tall and handsome, with a strong, defined profile.

In rural areas, village girls typically didn’t converse with young men, but the educated youth from the city did not follow this custom. Han Yin nudged Cheng Yaoyao and said, “Isn’t that your partner? Say hello to him.”

“I’m not familiar with him!” Cheng Yaoyao responded coldly.

Cheng Yaoyao’s voice was quite loud, prompting Zhang Xiaofeng to pull her back. “Speak softly; people will hear you.”

Xie San walked away expressionlessly, leaving Cheng Yaoyao facing his indifferent back.

Cheng Yaoyao’s eyes turned red. To hide her emotions from Han Yin and Zhang Xiaofeng, she quickly put on a hat to cover her face and said she wanted to go down the mountain because it was too hot.

That night, Cheng Yaoyao was in a bad mood and didn’t want to cook. She contributed the chicken mushroom flowers and mushrooms, while Cheng Nuonuo prepared a pot of chicken mushroom flower soup and a plate of stir-fried mushrooms.

The chicken mushroom flowers were exceptionally tender and flavorful, even better for soup than the mushrooms themselves. Stir-frying the fresh mushrooms with garlic and a little salt created a delicious dish. With the addition of spiritual spring water, it was a very satisfying meal.

The spiritual energy in the food has been increasing recently. Cheng Yaoyao felt refreshed and better after the meal.

Before bed, Cheng Yaoyao selected her clothes for the next day and placed them on the box, a habit from her previous life when she had a large wardrobe. Now she had only a few sets of clothes but still managed to create various looks with her good sense of style.

Wearing a nightgown with her hair draped over her shoulders, Cheng Yaoyao’s smooth, baby-like skin was visible. Liu Minxia sat on her bunk, peering at her from behind greasy bangs. Seeing that Cheng Yaoyao hadn’t lain down yet, Liu Minxia showed signs of anxiety.

Fortunately, Han Yin urged, “I’m going to turn off the lights. Lie down quickly.”

“I know,” Cheng Yaoyao said. “You turn off the lights. I’ll close the box and lie down.”

Zhang Xiaofeng and Liu Minxia lay down, and the lights went out.

After a rustling sound, Cheng Yaoyao finally laid down.

Liu Minxia clutched the corner of her quilt, sweating nervously. She felt a mix of anxiety and relief.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the darkness: “Ah, it hurts! My face!”

The youth camp was thrown into chaos. Everyone dressed hastily and gathered in the girls’ dormitory, ignoring any pretense of avoiding suspicion.

Cheng Yaoyao covered her face tightly. Bright red blood flowed between her fingers, and her lips turned pale.

Han Yin screamed and pried Cheng Yaoyao’s hands apart. “Let me see what happened!”

Cheng Yaoyao trembled all over, feeling intense pain. She couldn’t bring herself to look at the warm liquid dripping down her hand. “No…”

The male educated youth were visibly distressed. Shen Yan, shocked and angry, immediately looked at Cheng Nuonuo.

Cheng Nuonuo had a strange, fanatical look in her eyes. Shen Yan’s gaze followed Cheng Nuonuo’s and landed on a bamboo pillow with several drops of bright red blood on it.

“What’s going on?” Shen Yan strode over and picked up the bamboo pillow.

Cheng Nuonuo’s breathing suddenly stopped.

Shen Yan examined the bamboo pillow and found a bamboo thorn sticking out of it, stained with blood. Zhang Xiaofeng also saw it and said, “Is it… is it the bamboo pillow that scratched Yaoyao’s face?”

In the hot summer, some villagers made bamboo pillows and secretly swapped them with the educated youth for money. You could buy one for five cents, and bamboo was free. The educated youth ordered one for each of them, finding them cool and comfortable. However, bamboo pillows became prickly after prolonged use.

This explanation seemed reasonable, yet something still felt off.

At that moment, everyone was more concerned with Cheng Yaoyao’s injuries. Under the persuasion of Zhang Xiaofeng and Han Yin, Cheng Yaoyao eventually lowered her hand.

Her face, once flawless, was now covered in blood, causing gasps from the onlookers.

Even so, Cheng Yaoyao remained beautiful. The contrast between her snowy skin and her bloodied face made her beauty even more striking.

In the darkness, eyes glinted with enthusiasm and satisfaction. Even if everyone discovered the truth, the thrill of dragging her down was worth it.

Cheng Nuonuo was indescribably ecstatic and struggled to suppress her laughter.

She whispered, “This pillow is stained with blood. I’ll wash it and smooth out the bamboo thorns.”

No one paid her any attention. Everyone was focused on Cheng Yaoyao, trying to tend to her injuries. Shen Yan also squeezed in at the front, though he wasn’t annoyed.

Seeing a famous flower wither, one should allow it one last chance to shine before the end.

Cheng Nuonuo took the pillow outside, turned her back to everyone, and removed a jade pendant from inside it. Cheng Yaoyao had been nourishing this pendant every night, making it more translucent over time. Now, with a touch of blood on it, its color has become even more beautiful.

Cheng Nuonuo cleaned the jade pendant, hung it back around her neck, and hid it away. Then she carefully cleaned the pillow, her hands and gaze tender as if she were handling a beloved object.

It was interesting how a pillow like this could silently avenge her.