Yang Xinjie: ...
Xiao Ai: ...
Xu Ruyi experienced such an awkward silence for the first time and was a little unaccustomed to it.
Fu Xinci sat on a vine, watching the white mist swirling in the woods, thicker than before.
Fearing her companions would get wet from the dew, she took out a transparent plastic sheet from her space and covered the hammock, securing it with clips.
Then, she found some herbs to repel snakes and insects and transplanted them next to the hammock.
Finally, after making sure there were no omissions, she simply washed up, got into the hammock, and fell asleep.
"Xinci, how long has it been since we slept in the same bed?"
Fu Xinci: ...
"Why isn't Xinci talking?"
"Shh, Xinci seems to be asleep."
The companions thought of how Xinci had ridden her horse for who knows how far alone, without rest, then bandaged wounds, rescued people, and even set up a hammock...
They all quieted down, not daring to disturb Xinci's rest.
Fu Xinci seemed to sense her companions' concern, but she was truly exhausted. As soon as her body touched the mattress, she drifted off to dreamland.
The mountain summer nights were cool and a little damp. Fortunately, Fu Xinci had foresight, and the transparent plastic sheet solved this big problem.
They slept soundly. When the companions opened their eyes, they saw dewdrops rolling on the plastic sheet above them, and they all secretly praised Xinci's foresight.
Otherwise, they would all have been drenched in dew.
The three exchanged knowing glances and then, with a gesture to not disturb Xinci, quietly got up.
Fu Xinci was awakened by the shouts from the hillside below.
She turned over and, through the gaps in the forest branches, saw a small merchant caravan passing by.
They hadn't expected to encounter so many wounded lying scattered on the hillside so early in the morning upon entering the mountains.
The elder leading the caravan tried to maintain his composure. When he saw that these wounded were all soldiers, and still young, not much older than his own nephews, he couldn't bear it.
He quickly stopped his nephew's exclamations and, mustering his courage, cautiously approached and asked, "Soldiers, do you need any help from this old man?"
Old Jin, with eyes that had seen through the deceit of the world, recognized the old man's kind heart at a single glance.
Furthermore, since the man intended to help, they couldn't be rude even if they didn't need it.
After all, it's easy to add glory to the rich, but difficult to give charcoal in the snow. A stranger extending a helping hand should be met with gratitude.
After Old Jin slowly adopted what he thought was a friendly expression, he replied, "Thank you, old man. Our injuries are no longer serious; we'll be fine after some rest."
Seeing that this soldier spoke and behaved quite kindly, the old man boldly asked again, "Soldier, are you heading north or south?"
"Heh heh, to tell you the truth, old man, we are all soldiers from the northern frontier, and we are returning there."
When the old man heard Old Jin say they were soldiers from the northern frontier, he immediately beamed.
"Soldiers, it must be fate. Our group is also going north."
Old Jin really wanted to say, "Isn't that stating the obvious? Going north is going north, not south?"
Seeing that the soldier didn't respond, the old man continued, "Why don't you travel with our carts? We can look out for each other."
Old Jin didn't refuse outright but stated his plan, "We can't leave today; the earliest will be tomorrow."
The old man looked at the mountains before him and nodded without hesitation, "No problem, we'll travel with you, soldiers."
The old man was now very fortunate to have met these soldiers here. With them traveling together, he would no longer have to worry about the journey ahead.
Next, the old man used the millet they brought to cook a large pot of thick millet porridge, which everyone ate heartily with mushroom sauce.
Meng Yuwen, who was most severely injured, lay on the ground, but his eyes were busy scanning the hillside for his little sister.
When he spotted Fu Xinci, he ignored his pain and discussed with her.
"Little sister, the mushroom sauce you made is so delicious. Brother feels that after eating it a couple more times, my injuries will be completely healed."
"Yes," Old Jin also agreed. "Xinci, as long as we have this mushroom sauce, Uncle Jin will definitely be able to ride his horse back tomorrow."
Fu Xinci: That was her intention too.
"Xinci, do you have any more mushroom sauce?" Meng Qishan tried to sit up with all his might to speak to his grandniece, but as soon as he exerted himself, his wounds ached, and he had to give up.
"Alright, you must not move. I have at least two more jars of mushroom sauce in my backpack, enough for you to eat for two days."
"Ah, that's wonderful."
"It's too delicious. When we get back to Yingzuiya, we'll go pick mushrooms, pick a lot, and then ask Xinci to help us make mushroom sauce."
"I was thinking the same thing. Great minds think alike."
Fu Xinci: Making so much mushroom sauce, did you ask me?
However, before Sister Fu could speak, Qi He objected.
"So many people making mushroom sauce, you want to work yourselves to death. How about this, you hand over the ingredients, and I'll help you cook it."
After Qi He spoke, the youths fell silent.
Watching the suddenly quiet hillside, the companions habitually followed their captain to search for prey.
The youths watched their backs, filled with nothing but envy.
Qi He was also envious, but as Long Teng Ge said, he had to stay behind to protect his companions.
Seeing that the soldiers had finished eating, the old man had his nephews take the bowls and chopsticks to the river to wash them clean, while he sat down next to Old Jin for a chat.
When the old man learned that the soldier before him was a Bazong (a military rank), his desire to socialize became even more evident. He also introduced his companions to the soldier.
"This old man's surname is Zhou, given name Huanzhang, and he is fifty-two years old this year. Accompanying me this time are two brothers, one son, and four nephews."
Old Jin knew that many merchants traveled north, but few families, like Old Master Zhou's, had all their male members on the road.
The old man saw the doubt in the soldier's heart and didn't hide anything, "It's all my fault for not teaching my son properly; I caused a great disaster. The family business left by our ancestors was ruined by that unfilial son."
The two elders squatting by the carriage, who had been silent all along, hurried to defend their brother when he spoke like this.
"Big brother, we've told you many times, this isn't Da Lang's fault."
"Yes, it was those powerful people who wanted our family's formula. If we didn't give it, they threatened to kill us."
"But I can't accept it," the old man cried, hugging his head and squatting on the ground.
"Big brother, we have to think positively. Even though our family's formula is gone, our people are still here."