Fu Xin Ci did not mention that bringing Chun Yu would be more troublesome.
With her two younger brothers, she could still cheat occasionally, but if she brought Chun Yu, she wouldn't be able to do anything.
Walking on foot, her two younger brothers would suffer.
"Miss," Chun Yu still did not want to give up, trying to persuade her young lady.
But Fu Xin Ci gave her no chance and spoke hurtfully, "Enough. It's already a struggle for me to take Yu'er and Ning'er. I don't have the extra energy to take you."
Chun Yu did not expect that she would be a burden to her young lady. The words she had prepared in her mind dared not be spoken.
Finally, there was quiet. After breakfast, as dawn was breaking, Qi He drove the carriage to take the three siblings to the foot of the mountain.
"Be careful on the road and be extra cautious. Xin Yu and Ning'er, listen to your sister."
Qi He, like a fussy old woman, first instructed the sister, then the brothers.
"Brother Qi, don't worry. We'll listen to our sister."
"Brother-in-law, don't worry. I'll listen to my sister and won't cause trouble." Ning'er said the same thing as his brother with no pressure, and could even add something to reassure his brother-in-law.
"Yes, Xin Yu and Ning'er are good children. You may go."
Qi He stood at the foot of the mountain, waving for them to hurry, otherwise, he might have followed.
Yu'er and Ning'er did not know how reluctant Brother Qi was. They held their sister's hands and walked up the narrow mountain path.
The deeper they went, the denser the mountain scenery became. The tender buds emerging from the branches had already stretched into patches of green leaves.
"Sister, a little bird." Ning'er saw a yellow oriole fly past and chirp incessantly.
"Yes, the little birds are greeting our Ning'er."
"Hehe."
Seeing that both her younger brothers were looking at the sky, Fu Xin Ci pulled one in each hand and walked forward.
The sound of the wind by his ears made Yu'er recall the times his sister had taken him out to play.
Ning'er was still young and did not think as much as his brother. He was merely amazed, watching the receding mountains and trees, his mouth agape.
It was not until they had crossed a mountain peak that Fu Xin Ci let go of her two younger brothers, allowing them to walk on their own for a while.
Yu'er was fine; he had experience.
Ning'er, however, could not. He felt his legs go weak, and his heels could not touch the ground. The little fellow was about to cry.
It was Yu'er, speaking as an experienced elder brother, who told his younger brother what to do.
Indeed, after a while, Ning'er's walking posture was no longer shaky.
At noon, the three siblings found a stream. After washing their hands, Fu Xin Ci took out steamed buns with meat filling from her backpack.
Ning'er was also a bit hungry. He took the steamed bun with meat filling his sister handed him and took a big bite.
Yu'er did the same.
Seeing both her younger brothers eating heartily, Fu Xin Ci took out another steamed bun with meat filling. Just as she was about to put it to her mouth, she heard an unusual sound.
Hehe, judging by the distance, the person was still halfway up the mountain.
It was strange. Why was there someone nearby? And judging by the footsteps, they were stealthily approaching them.
Hehe, such stealthy advances immediately told her they were not good people.
However, she was not afraid. Forget one, even if several came, she was confident she could bury them here.
But such a beautiful and scenic place was not worthy of burying bandits.
Yu'er
He had just finished a steamed bun with meat filling and was about to tell his sister that he wanted another one.
He saw a person peeking out from the side of the mountain slope and pouncing towards them.
When Yu'er clearly saw the person's attire, he shouted a warning to his sister, "Sister, a Japanese pirate."
"Hahaha... uh."
Fu Xin Ci did not even turn her head. The Japanese pirate's sinister grin was forever frozen at that moment.
"You two wait here. Sister will be back soon."
After Fu Xin Ci finished speaking, vines dragged the Japanese pirate's corpse, and with a leap, she disappeared.
She leaped again and saw the tracks of a wild beast. Without hesitation, she threw the corpse into a mountain gully.
It seemed that before nightfall, it would be devoured by wild beasts.
Yu'er held his brother and vigilantly looked around. When he saw his sister return, he quickly pulled his brother to greet her.
"Sister, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. Have you eaten enough?"
Yu'er had long lost his appetite and immediately replied, "I've eaten enough."
"Then let's hurry along." Fu Xin Ci said, and then holding one brother in each hand, she ran forward.
Ning'er had been a little scared earlier, but when his sister took him soaring through the treetops, he immediately forgot his fear.
"Wow, Sister, you're flying so high!"
"Yes." Yu'er was even happier than Ning'er. He had rarely let his sister carry him through the treetops since he grew up.
"Sister, look, there are so many peach blossoms blooming there."
"Then shall we go take a look?"
"Yes."
The brothers answered in unison.
"Alright, let's go take a look." Fu Xin Ci said, and then took her two younger brothers and leaped towards the peach grove.
However, as they got closer, a misty vapor greeted them.
Thinking of a possible scenario, Fu Xin Ci sped up.
Indeed, when they arrived by the steaming hot spring, not only Fu Xin Ci was attracted by the hot spring, but her two younger brothers also couldn't take their eyes off it.
"Sister."
"Do you want to take a bath in this hot spring?"
"Sister, can we bathe here?"
"Yes." Fu Xin Ci, fearing her younger brothers would be scalded, took them to a place with a suitable water temperature.
She then reached out to test the water temperature again before saying to her two younger brothers, "It's best to bathe here. Do you want to try?"
"I want to try." Ning'er was still young and easily accepted new things. As he spoke, he began to undress.
Yu'er was older and felt too shy to undress in front of his sister.
Seeing Yu'er's hesitant look, Fu Xin Ci knew he also wanted to. She placed the bundle containing the brothers' clean clothes on a large, clean rock.
After placing it down, she reminded her two younger brothers, "I'll go and look at the peach blossoms over there. You two wash here. You are not allowed to go anywhere else."
"Understood, Sister." Ning'er said, then ran into the hot spring water with his bare bottom.
Immediately, the sound of the little fellow's laughter was heard, "Brother, brother, come quickly! This water is so comfortable, much more comfortable than our bathtub at home."
Yu'er saw his brother sitting in the water splashing, and secretly looked back to see his sister walking away with her back to them. He quickly took off his clothes and pants and sat next to his brother.
"Hee hee, Brother, isn't it very comfortable?"
"It is very comfortable. Next time, let's bring Grandpa and Dad to soak too."
"Mhm, we'll tell Sister later."
Fu Xin Ci stood among the peach trees. These several sturdy peach trees looked to be a hundred years old.
Looking at the peach blossoms blooming among the branches, and then at the thick layer of peach pits piled on the ground, Fu Xin Ci's first thought was that when the peaches ripened, they must pick them to take back.
Otherwise, it would be a pity for them to fall to the ground and rot.