WBSGVS Chapter 110

Just as Qian Guiying had guessed, Qing Li was living off the mountains, eating mostly meat, and even got a bit overheated, developing sores in her mouth.

Too much meat wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Although she didn’t go down the mountain, Li Lanhua often came up and would bring her some vegetables, along with seeds for vegetables that could be grown at that time. After more than two months, the quickest-growing baby bok choy was harvested, and with the meat, she no longer had to drink the bitter medicine to fight off the heat.

Tonight, as usual, Qing Li took her flashlight and went down to the middle of the mountain to meet Li Lanhua.

They had agreed that, weather permitting, they would meet every three days, mainly because Li Lanhua was uneasy not seeing her for long periods and worried something might happen to her.

Qing Li would go meet her around the scheduled time.

She had bought a flashlight, which made the descent much easier.

However, as she waited and finally saw Li Lanhua, approaching to meet her, she suddenly sensed a strange disturbance in the bushes behind her, which were just as dark as everything else.

It wasn’t the usual quick noise caused by animals; this was a series of disturbances.

Most small animals, even snakes, were afraid of people and would quickly flee at the slightest sound. They wouldn’t make repeated noises in one place.

“What’s wrong?” Li Lanhua asked when she noticed Qing Li was staring behind her. Curiously, she glanced back, but the darkness prevented her from seeing anything.

Qing Li shook her head. “Nothing.”

In the bushes, Qian Guiying and Tang Dashun sighed with relief, keeping a tight watch on the two of them, worried they might slip away. After all, they were deep in the mountains—very scary.

They had followed to see how San Ya was getting her food, wondering if she was eating meat.

The food in their unit mostly consisted of cornmeal, cabbage, sweet potatoes, and similar items—meat was out of the question. Cooking meat privately was strictly forbidden, and anyone who smelled meat cooking would be reported.

Yet, during such a time, a little girl like San Ya could go into the mountains, find some meat, and still live well—she was truly impressive!

Even Qian Guiying, who usually looked down on such little girls, couldn’t help but wonder: if San Ya came back, would they be able to eat meat too?

That evening, when she accidentally overheard Li Lanhua’s movement, she pulled Tang Dashun along.

They followed secretly, planning to ask for meat and try to convince San Ya to supply them with meat from time to time. What a great deal.

Their plan seemed perfect, but Qing Li had already heard the noise. It seemed someone couldn’t resist after she left during the day. She blinked her eyes and, with a “click,” turned off the flashlight.

“San Ya, what’s going on?” Li Lanhua’s heart skipped a beat.

Qing Li silently shook her head, signaling for her to stay quiet, and then quietly led her in another direction.

Qian Guiying and Tang Dashun, who were still following, were stunned.

Now, they could only see vague shadows. They dared not waste any time, quickly following behind, but their steps were much less steady, panicked.

Damn it!

This was deep in the mountains!

After walking for a while, the figures ahead disappeared completely.

Tang Dashun and Qian Guiying stood there, unable to see anyone. They dared not stand up straight and realized the figures were gone.

They looked at each other, shivering in unison, helping each other, unsure of where to go. Wasn’t the way out this way?

But hadn’t they just turned a few corners?

They couldn’t remember, so they just followed the noises ahead, but now San Ya and Li Lanhua had completely vanished.

Qian Guiying slumped, almost crying, “Husband, let’s go back. San Ya is too smart. She must’ve realized and tricked us!”

Tang Dashun, now also scared, grumbled, “If it weren’t for you insisting on following, we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

He pulled out the flashlight, looked around, and after a moment of silence, spoke again.

Good heavens, the area was flat, surrounded by trees. They didn’t even know where the path up or down was.

Tang Dashun, frustrated, kicked Qian Guiying in the leg and cursed, “If you hadn’t insisted on coming, would we have run into this? Now look at this, that girl tricked us!”

Qian Guiying fell to the ground but didn’t dare argue. Usually, she was the boss, but in reality, her husband was in charge. She hurriedly got up and tried to please him. “Husband, let’s look around to see where we can go down.”

Tang Dashun cursed again but, having grown up in the countryside, where he used to sneak around when he was younger, quickly calmed down after a moment of panic and started looking for an exit.

However, the terrain was tricky, and one wrong move could send them into a pit. After stumbling around and getting exhausted, they still couldn’t find the way. It was too dark, and the flashlight didn’t illuminate very far. They were too scared to venture too far, afraid of running into wild animals.

After wandering around for a while, they hadn’t gotten anywhere and were now exhausted and thirsty but had no water.

Tang Dashun really couldn’t hold back anymore. Despite Qian Guiying constantly trying to please him, he was still angry and soon began to hit her.

At first, Qian Guiying didn’t dare to fight back, but when the blows hurt, she couldn’t help but retaliate. The couple started fighting, only stopping when they were exhausted. Afterward, they climbed up a tree to rest, hoping the sun would rise soon.

Back at the cave where Qing Li was temporarily staying, Li Lanhua finally asked, “San Ya, did someone follow me just now?”

Originally, she hadn’t noticed, but the person had been following from far behind. She had been so focused on her daughter that she didn’t realize it until Qing Li turned off the flashlight, led her in a circle, and then quickly ran off. They were trying to shake them off.

Qing Li handed over some meat she had brought earlier that day, smiling. “Mm.”

“And them…” Li Lanhua seemed worried. She had a pretty good idea of who it was. What if something happened? The mountains were dangerous, and not everyone had the courage like her daughter.

She had come here many times, each time feeling like she was walking into danger.

Qing Li smiled faintly. “If they die, it’s because they have bad luck. It’s so dark, I couldn’t tell who it was. They were probably bad people. What does that have to do with me?”

Li Lanhua looked at her daughter’s expression and silently closed her mouth.

Ever since her daughter had changed, Li Lanhua felt as though she was the one being controlled. She was taught and managed, and yet she didn’t feel any resistance—she was strangely happy.

Her daughter was stronger than her, and she knew her future would be better.

Li Lanhua didn’t waste time. After eating the meat, she began cleaning the cave and mending clothes, doing little tasks that didn’t take much effort but required time.

After taking care of her daughter, she prepared to head down the mountain and instructed, “Make sure the fire doesn’t go out while you sleep, alright? Don’t sleep too deeply. Hey, I told you to come down, come down now…”

Qing Li smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll come down.”

Li Lanhua grumbled, “You always say that. It’s been almost three months!”

She sighed, giving her daughter one last look before hastily heading back. Staying out so late meant she’d get less sleep, but now that she’d learned how to slack off under her daughter’s guidance, she figured she might as well do less work—after all, her work points for the year weren’t going to count toward her, so why bother?

As Li Lanhua left, Qing Li quietly returned to the cave.

Nighttime in the cave was more dangerous, so Qing Li often stayed up through the night and slept during the day. When she got back, she added more firewood to the flames and sat on a pile of dry grass covered with old cloth, staring blankly into the distance.

When she said she’d return, she truly meant it. She lived off the mountain, ate what it provided, and thrived, while the other villagers couldn’t do the same. She knew many would likely resent her for it. The Tang family had probably figured out she could hunt, and it was highly likely they would ask her to return home.

And she was planning to go back. She couldn’t stay in the mountains forever—she still wanted to go to school.

Suddenly, there was a “hiss—hiss—hiss” sound from outside. It wasn’t close, but her sharp ears picked it up. She immediately sat up straight, gripping a nearby stick. Fortunately, the anti-snake and insect mixture she had spread around worked well, and after a while, the noise faded away.

Qing Li leaned back again, her mind wandering as she thought about the next decade. What could she do?

It seemed like disaster had passed for Qian Guiying and Tang Dashun, who had survived the night. One of them had been bitten by a mildly venomous snake, but after daylight, they were finally able to descend the mountain.

On their way down, they passed some villagers who were already working in the cool morning air. Seeing the couple, the villagers laughed, “Goodness, what were you two doing? Out fighting in the fields?”

“Oh wow, looks like it was a serious fight!”

Indeed, they looked like they’d been through a battle—dusty and disheveled, with dirt on their clothes and grass stuck in their hair. Qian Guiying had a swollen face, and Tang Dashun had scratches from being grabbed.

The two were teased but didn’t dare retort. They just covered their faces and hurried home.

That evening, back home, they found Li Lanhua was in an even worse mood, constantly scolding them and acting aloof. As Qing Li had said, every time Qian Guiying raised her voice, Li Lanhua would immediately retreat.

This village wasn’t completely isolated—there wasn’t a culture of regularly beating wives to the point of death, so even though Qian Guiying was angry, she didn’t dare chase after others to hit her daughter-in-law. Eventually, it all blew over.

Every three days, Qing Li would go to town, borrowing the village chief’s cart for a small fee. The village chief was more than happy to oblige, even hoping she would use it more often. After all, it was easy money.

Soon, Qing Li became well-acquainted with the people at the black market. She started selling not just herbs but also other goods like skins and things she had crafted herself, earning more money in the process.

Though no one saw how much she made, her frequent trips back and forth from the mountains aroused jealousy among many. The villagers couldn’t hunt the mountain’s resources, but here was a young girl thriving, clearly getting stronger and healthier. It was hard not to envy her.

It didn’t take long before someone reported her to the village leader.

After all, she was just a ten-year-old girl, living off the mountain’s resources, which they hadn’t seen. It made things awkward.

The village leader didn’t want to punish the child, so he went to the Tang family to speak with them: “Little San Ya is just a child. It’s normal for her to eat a little food. Dazhu’s wife, you can’t be so biased.”

Qian Guiying didn’t dare argue with the village leader. She simply nodded and said, “Yes, I didn’t do anything. She’s just a little headstrong.”

“I won’t do it again,” she said.

“Alright, I’ll go bring the child back,” the village leader said before leaving.

Later that day, Qian Guiying, along with Tang Ersong and Li Lanhua, went up the mountain to call for Qing Li.

“San Ya—”

Tang Ersong’s voice was nearly hoarse from shouting, but no one responded.

Li Lanhua shouted once more, and soon, a noticeably healthier girl came running down from the mountain, her fair face blushing. “Mom.”

Tang Ersong’s face darkened.

“Oh!” Li Lanhua smiled.

Qian Guiying maintained a serious expression. “San Ya, you can’t keep living up there. Someone reported to the village that you’ve been taking things from the mountain. You need to come down now.”

To avoid Qing Li refusing, she added, “Don’t worry, I won’t hit you anymore.”

Tang Ersong chimed in, “That’s right. Your grandmother says she won’t hit you. From now on, no one will say anything about your food. We’re all family, and living in the mountain isn’t safe. Come back.”

Qing Li tossed a cloth-wrapped bundle over her shoulder, smiled brightly, and said cheerfully, “Alright, let’s go.”

Qian Guiying and Tang Ersong exchanged a puzzled look.

Was it that easy?

They couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.