Chapter 56: Ambushed

Chapter 56: Ambushed

"What's wrong, Teacher?"

Seeing Ye Qing with her hands on her hips, her cheeks puffed up in anger like a blowfish, Gu Weinan couldn't help but ask curiously.

Ye Qing pointed to the patch of grass, on the verge of tears from anger:

"I caught seven or eight charr and laid them on this grass. But a cunning fox had its eyes on them and stole most of them when I wasn't paying attention!"

"There were still three left. When Gu Weibei shot the roe deer, I went to check out the excitement with you guys. When I turned back, all three were gone! The fox stole everything!"

"I'm so furious! If you have the ability, come back! Believe it or not, I'll shoot you! I could use a fox fur coat for winter!"

Ye Qing searched the woods behind but couldn't find the fox. Grumbling angrily, she returned to the original spot.

Ye Qing thought the others would stand up for her, given how angry she was. But to her surprise, when she turned back, she saw the Gu siblings shivering in fear, and even Meng Jia looked frightened into silence.

"What's going on?" Ye Qing felt puzzled.

Gu Weinan looked around and stammered:

"Teacher, this is Changbai Mountain. You can't curse the fox immortal like that. You need to quickly spit three times to ward off bad luck and apologize, or you might suffer retribution."

Ye Qing: ??? with a face full of confusion.

What on earth? My fish were stolen by that fox, and now I have to apologize?

Seeing Ye Qing's disbelief, Gu Weinan became anxious:

"Around here, foxes, weasels, and others are not to be easily provoked. Especially the fox immortal, whom people respect and do not dare to offend. There was a man in the village named Wu Fuhai, who used to be a militia member with Wu Yongbing and Gu Zhenxing. He was a well-known tough man. After liberation, he hunted for a living and finally married, having a son and a daughter. But one day, while hunting in the mountains, he injured a fox, and the fox immortal took revenge on him."

"His son suddenly fell ill and died, and his daughter inexplicably became mentally disabled. He fell off a cliff and broke his legs. His wife, unable to bear the pain, jumped into the river with their daughter. It's said that when he fell off the cliff, the fox immortal was behind it. The villagers also said his wife was bewitched by the fox immortal to jump into the river with the child. Within a month, his family was ruined, and his loved ones perished. Since then, Uncle Fuhai has been down and out, a poor and lonely old man in the village, with no hope of recovery."

"Is this story too far-fetched? Is it true or just a legend?"

Ye Qing was a staunch young believer in materialism and had never put any stock in superstitions. How could someone like her believe in such nonsense? Yet, Gu Weinan spoke with such conviction, and to her surprise, both Gu Weibei and Meng Jia nodded in agreement, their faces tense with nervousness. This sudden atmosphere of unease began to unsettle Ye Qing as well.

There was no way she would apologize to that yellow-haired bandit. She put on a calm front and stubbornly said, "Alright, alright. I respect your local traditions and folklore, and I have no intention of offending your local deities. But respect goes both ways, right? I worked hard to catch those fish, and they were all stolen without even a word. Isn't that a bit much? I'll overlook it this time, consider it a generous gift from me, but if it happens again, that would be just plain rude, okay?"

Ye Qing deliberately raised her voice, unsure if she was saying this for Gu Weinan and the others to hear or for the "Fox Immortal" hiding somewhere in the bushes.

Either way, this could be considered backing down, and the three who had come with her all visibly relaxed.

With all the fish stolen, Ye Qing had no choice but to resume fishing. This time, she was more careful. As soon as she caught a fish, she handed it to Gu Weibei, instructing him to quickly kill it, gut it, and store it in the backpack, hiding it carefully so that the fox wouldn't have another chance to steal.

By the time Ye Qing had caught another six or seven fish, Gu Weinan and Meng Jia had already finished plucking the feathers off the wild chicken.

Feeling satisfied with the catch, Ye Qing packed up her fishing gear and joined the others in preparing the ingredients. She washed the various fruits they were going to eat, along with the chicken giblets for the soup and the wild mushrooms. Then, the four of them quickly left the mountain stream behind.

After rounding a hill, they found a flat spot, ensuring they were far from the area where wild beasts like coyotes and badgers hunted. Only then did they decide to start a fire for grilling.

Ye Qing didn't need to get involved in the camping tasks. Gu Weinan and Gu Weibei were experts in that area. One dug a pit and set up the stove, while the other gathered firewood and started the fire. Their movements were quick and skillful, leaving no chance for Ye Qing or Meng Jia to help.

Seeing this, Ye Qing hurriedly took out a small bamboo cylinder from her bag. Inside was pre-prepared spice powder she had brought along before entering the mountains. She also took the wild ginger and wild onions she had found earlier, washed and chopped them, then applied some to the trout. The rest she stuffed into the belly of the marinated wild chicken.

The marinated wild chicken needed to be wrapped in large leaves, covered with a layer of mud, and then buried in the pit of hot coals. More fire was then lit on top.

Ye Qing had also brought some sweet potatoes with her. In case they didn’t have enough food on the mountain, she planned to snack on them to stave off hunger. Now that they were making a fire, roasted sweet potatoes were essential.

So, when she buried the clay-wrapped chicken, she buried the sweet potatoes with it.

Both the clay-wrapped chicken and roasted sweet potatoes required time, especially the chicken, which would take one or two hours to cook thoroughly.

The group wasn't in a rush. They left Gu Weibei to watch the fire while the other three split up to continue exploring nearby. Ye Qing went off to search for the two medicinal herbs she hadn't found yet. Gu Weinan, with her gun slung over her shoulder, roamed through the forest looking for wild game. As for Meng Jia, she didn't dare to go far and stayed within a range of one or two hundred meters, picking mushrooms and gathering wild fruits.

To her surprise, Ye Qing’s luck was quite good. After searching through the forest, she actually found another medicinal herb.

This particular herb was quite rare and difficult to find. Her keen eyesight had saved her, or she might have missed it. The plant was less than half a foot tall and was still in its first year.

Such a small seedling wouldn’t have much medicinal value. It would be a waste to dig it up now.

Ye Qing quickly looked around to ensure the other three were still busy elsewhere in the forest, at least two or three hundred meters away. With the various trees and shrubs blocking her view, she couldn’t see anyone.

She immediately felt relieved and quickly reached out, giving the small medicinal plant a burst of energy.

As the wood energy surged into it, the small plant rapidly grew tall, reaching the thickness of an arm, and quickly sprouted branches, leaves, flowers, and fruits. The fruits then burst open, and the seeds inside fell to the ground, raining down, and began to take root and sprout, forming a vast medicinal garden.

Satisfied at last, Ye Qing withdrew her hand.

Just as she was about to call Gu Weinan and Gu Weibei to help dig up the medicinal plants, she looked up and met a familiar pair of willow-leaf-phoenix eyes in the forest.

"Oh no!" Ye Qing was startled by the sight.

Those eyes, that golden-yellow fur, it must be the fox that had stolen seven or eight of her Dolly Varden trout earlier!

Ye Qing really hadn't expected that after they had left the mountain stream a li or two away, this fox had been stealthily trailing her, quietly hiding in the nearby underbrush, its large eyes staring at her intently.

Clearly, the fox had witnessed her stimulating the plant's growth just now.

At that moment, the fox's eyes gleamed with cunning, its pointed snout slightly curved as if it had gained sentience, plotting some mischief. Its eerie appearance sent shivers down Ye Qing's spine.

She inwardly cursed, wondering if Gu Weinan’s ominous words had come true. Had the fox overheard her threat and now it was stalking her for revenge?

Fearing a sudden attack from the fox, Ye Qing instinctively reached into her bag, gripping the vine whip, ready to defend herself at any moment.

To her surprise, the fox swiftly turned and vanished into the jungle with a graceful movement.

Ye Qing was left perplexed by the fox's actions. It had come and gone like a shadow, leaving her wondering what its intentions were.

Watching the forest for a while, making sure the fox wasn't faking its departure to launch a sneak attack, Ye Qing finally relaxed.

No longer dwelling on the minor incident, Ye Qing quickly called for Gu Weinan and Gu Weibei to help.

Earlier, in her excitement, she hadn't controlled the energy properly, causing the small medicinal plant to grow into an old tree stump. Now, the main root of this stump had likely burrowed more than a meter deep into the ground, and getting it out wouldn't be easy.

Gu Weibei and Meng Jia, hearing Ye Qing's call, quickly rushed over, but Gu Weinan couldn't be found anywhere.

Seeing the large medicinal plant Ye Qing had found, Gu Weibei was astonished, and when she emphasized that this was one of the last two missing herbs she needed, Gu Weibei was even more delighted, unable to help but give Ye Qing a thumbs up.

Ye Qing wasn't going to be polite with him. She handed him the hoe, signaling him to stop chattering and start digging.

Afraid that Gu Weibei might struggle to maneuver, Ye Qing first directed him to remove some of the small medicinal sprouts that had been catalyzed nearby, in order to clear the space first.

The old tree stump was tough to excavate, and the three of them took turns working. They dug a hole over a meter deep before finally extracting the medicinal plant.

After putting the medicinal plant into a basket, Ye Qing replanted the medicinal sprouts they had unearthed, keeping two sprouts for herself.

She planned to set up a small medicinal herb garden in Zou Ah Po’s backyard once they descended the mountain, specifically for growing medicinal herbs.

So, this time when she went into the mountains, she dug up all the medicinal herbs she found, regardless of their size, planning to use her unique ability to catalyze a batch of medicinal sprouts and plant them in her garden.

By making several trips into the mountains and gradually accumulating more, she could eventually gather all kinds of medicinal plants in her garden. As long as the mother plants didn’t die, she could ensure a steady supply of Chinese herbs for her clinic.

After digging up the medicinal herbs, Ye Qing returned to the campfire and sat for about twenty minutes before Gu Weinan finally came back, carrying her basket, panting heavily.

"Where were you? I called for you for a while but got no response. I was about to go look for you," Gu Weibei asked as soon as he saw his sister.

Gu Weinan flipped her eyes in annoyance. "Why look for me? I can find my way here even blindfolded. Do you think I’d get lost?"

With that, she put down her basket and grinned foolishly at everyone. "Come see what I found!"

The three of them gathered around and were equally stunned.

Gu Weinan’s basket was filled to the brim with pine nuts, estimated to be several dozen jin.

"How did you find so many?" Gu Weibei asked in surprise.

Gu Weinan grinned like she had won the lottery. "I went into the woods to look for prey and saw a ground squirrel sneaking out from its burrow. So, I quickly went to check it out. Guess what? There was a massive squirrel burrow under a large camphor tree, filled with nuts! I estimate there were more than a hundred jin!"

"Haha, I spent about half an hour digging that squirrel burrow. Look, I got so much! Not bad for a haul, right?"

The others nodded, completely astonished by her story.

Gu Weibei looked at his sister’s basket and couldn’t help asking, "Since you only filled one basket, there’s still a lot left, right? I’ll get another basket. Take me to the spot, and we can get the rest. These pine nuts are really valuable; we can use them to extract oil when we get back!"

As he spoke, the boy was about to grab the basket next to them.

They had brought four carrying baskets and a few hand-held baskets on this trip into the mountain. Now that the carrying baskets were all filled, they would need to transfer the contents to the hand-held baskets to free up an empty carrying basket.

Seeing this, Ye Qing couldn’t help but laugh and quickly reached out to stop the enthusiastic siblings.

"I think you two should know when to quit. This basket alone weighs over ten kilograms; we’ve already taken a significant portion of the squirrel’s stash. We should leave some behind. How would it survive the winter if we take it all? If we empty the storage, the squirrel might get so angry that it’ll hang itself!"

Ye Qing had encountered squirrels before in the dense forest of She Mountain in Shen City. Those little creatures were like tiny spirits of the forest. Although small, they were quite clever, and Ye Qing had grown fond of the species.

She also remembered watching an educational video about squirrels. It mentioned that squirrels can be quite temperamental. They have many hiding spots for their food and often forget where they've hidden it. But once they discover their stash has been emptied, they get very angry. Not eating or drinking is the least of their concerns; some even hang themselves from a tree branch.

Ye Qing’s explanation surprised and intrigued Gu Wei Nan and the others.

This was a moment when the generational gap became apparent.

Ye Qing had been educated with the principles of a hundred years later, where endangered and extinct species were common. She always upheld the principle of harmonious coexistence with all living beings and maintained biodiversity. Mostly, she treated wild animals with kindness and respect and was hesitant to kill.

In contrast, in the Xia State at this time, the mountains and forests had not yet been affected by environmental pollution. The flora and fauna were still plentiful, and people were more focused on filling their stomachs. They relied on the mountains and rivers for sustenance, with little awareness of species protection or sustainable development. As long as the animal was edible and non-toxic, it was considered fair game.

Thus, they considered it merciful enough not to catch and eat the squirrel. As for the impact of emptying the squirrel’s stash, that wasn’t something they considered important.

However, although they couldn’t fully understand Ye Qing’s ideas and values, since Ye Qing insisted, they wouldn’t go against her wishes.

After all, contradicting Ye Qing would definitely upset her. They were there for a pleasant autumn outing in the mountains, so there was no need to spoil the mood over such a trivial matter.

Just then, the roasted sweet potatoes in the fire pit began to emit a rich, fragrant aroma, making everyone’s mouths water.

By then, it was nearly noon. After running around the forest for a morning, everyone was feeling a bit hungry and quickly forgot about the squirrel stash, opting instead to fill their stomachs first.

Ye Qing quickly found a stick and pulled out several long, slender sweet potatoes from the fire pit, giving two to each person.

These sweet potatoes had a special touch: Ye Qing had infused them with a bit of wood-element energy. They were sweeter and more tender than usual, and as soon as they were opened, the aroma made everyone’s mouths water. Ignoring the heat, they eagerly took big bites.

"Wow, these sweet potatoes are really delicious!"

"But they're the same variety as the ones we grow at home. Why do these taste so much better?"

"I don’t know. Maybe it’s because roasted sweet potatoes taste best when enjoyed on a camping trip?"

"Makes sense!"

None of them thought much about it; they simply felt that the roasted sweet potatoes were cooked to perfection, so delicious they couldn’t stop eating.

Ye Qing wasn't particularly interested in the sweet potatoes. Her gaze fell upon the several slender-scaled salmon that had been roasted to perfection. The fish from the mountain rivers were especially fat and delicious at this time of year, and the grilled fish, seasoned with barbecue spices, sizzled with oil. Just the sight of it was enough to make one's mouth water.

Ye Qing was just about to grab one and dig in when she suddenly felt that the atmosphere was off. The three of them, who had been chattering away moments earlier, had all stiffened, sitting still.

"What’s happening?" Ye Qing paused her biting action, puzzled.

Gu Weinan stiffened, while Gu Weibei pointed behind Ye Qing, making exaggerated faces at her.

"F-Fox Immortal is here!"

Ye Qing was startled and quickly turned around.

To her surprise, the yellow fox that had fled earlier had returned!

Ye Qing was almost amused. What does this trickster want now? Was it trying to scare her for fun? Well, she wasn’t someone who’d be easily intimidated!

Initially, out of respect for local folklore, she had no intention of making a move. But since it had come back to provoke her, she was about to let loose. She wasn’t particular about the color of fox fur—yellow would work just as well!

Just as Ye Qing was about to roll up her sleeves and confront the creature, to her surprise, the fox tilted its head and carried something forward with its mouth.

It approached Ye Qing, placed the item at her feet, and then wagged its long, fluffy tail vigorously. It even rubbed against her, emitting a sycophantic, eerie laugh. The laugh was eerily identical to Daji's laugh in the *Fengshen Yanyi*, as if it was about to transform and drain her life force. Hearing this at night might just send someone to the afterlife.

Ye Qing could understand why, in ancient tales, poor scholars who encountered supernatural beings in the wilderness often met fox spirits. In a desolate area, hearing such a sound would make anyone abandon rational thinking. It was truly creepy.

Unaware of how terrifying its laugh was, the fox displayed a look of confusion and grievance.

After hesitating for a moment, it pushed the object on the ground closer to Ye Qing with its paw.

Only then did Ye Qing come to her senses and look down at the object.

When she realized what it was, her eyes nearly popped out.

???!!!

Oh my God! A huge red lingzhi mushroom! The color is so red that it's almost turning black and purple. And it's as big as half a basin—I estimate it must weigh a few kilograms!

It must be at least fifty or sixty years old. Its deep, lustrous color, perfect shape without insect damage, thick and solid texture, and large size—solely based on these external features, this clearly indicates a top-grade wild red lingzhi!

The red lingzhi is known as the emperor of lingzhi. If it were to reach a hundred years, it could be auctioned off at an auction house, with the starting bid likely reaching seven figures!

Ye Qing was nearly dumbfounded. Once she understood the fox’s intentions, she looked at it in disbelief.

"Did you bring this lingzhi mushroom specifically for me?"

The fox looked up at Ye Qing, used its sharp, pointed mouth to push the lingzhi closer to her, and gestured towards it.

At that moment, Ye Qing was certain. This fox truly came to give her a gift!

Ye Qing was utterly shocked. Wow, she had thought the fox was here to pick a fight with her. Who could have predicted such a twist?

She quickly knelt down and picked up the lingzhi.

As soon as she held it, she felt its weight, and the rich aroma of the lingzhi filled the air.

Ye Qing became more certain that this was a top-tier red lingzhi, a divine-grade mushroom with the highest nutritional and medicinal value!

At this point, Ye Qing no longer cared that the fox had stolen a few of her Dolly Varden trout earlier. Even if it had eaten a few of her fish, she would have forgiven it. Heck, she would have even called it ‘Dad’ right then and there!

Ye Qing would never admit that she was the kind of person who was swayed by money. But with the overwhelming value of this lingzhi, she felt as though she had suddenly put on a filter. The cunning, sly face of the fox in front of her now looked pleasing to the eye, almost handsome. Even its laughter now seemed to carry a clear and innocent charm, not frightening at all, but rather quite cute.

"Big boss," Ye Qing said, "Tell me, how many more fish do you want? I'll go and fish for you right now. As many as you like!"

Ye Qing shamelessly patted her chest, her face wearing a cheap smile, looking even more obsequious than the fox itself.

However, to her surprise, the fox didn't pay any attention to the grilled fish she offered. Instead, it was stubbornly fixated on the aluminum lunch box she had placed nearby.

Ye Qing was confused for a moment. Thinking that the fox wanted the grilled Dolly Varden trout she had prepared, she quickly handed over the fish along with the stick.

"You didn't come here just because you smelled the grilled fish, right? Want to have a barbecue feast with us?"

But to her astonishment, the fox showed no interest in the fish she offered. Its eyes remained steadfastly focused on the aluminum lunch box.

In a flash of lightning and flint, Ye Qing suddenly realized.

She gave her forehead a sharp slap, suddenly left in a state of confusion, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Well, now I understand what’s happening," she thought. Her aluminum lunch box contained two roasted sweet potatoes that had just been pulled out of the fire and were still uneaten. It seemed that this fox, like the weasel she encountered down the mountain earlier, had fallen for her seasoned sweet potatoes.

It was likely that the fox had sensed the wood elemental energy earlier.

So, when Ye Qing was fishing for Dolly Varden trout with water plants imbued with her abilities at the mountain stream, the fox mistook the trout for having a spiritual aura, which was why it stole all the fish she had caught.

Later, attracted by the unique scent of the sweet potatoes in her satchel, the fox followed her secretly after she left the mountain stream and entered the forest.

Probably realizing that it wouldn’t be easy to ask Ye Qing for the sweet potatoes after she had been so furious about the stolen trout, the fox devised this clever plan. It used a large, decades-old wild red lingzhi mushroom to trade with Ye Qing for the sweet potatoes!

Ye Qing almost laughed uncontrollably. What a fantastic deal! This top-grade red lingzhi had immense medicinal value. Even if it were two hundred jin or two thousand jin of sweet potatoes, it would be worth it!

Without hesitation, she took the two sweet potatoes from her lunch box and handed them over.

The fox's eyes indeed almost closed into slits from grinning, grabbed the two sweet potatoes, and ran off.

Just when Ye Qing thought the incident was over, she and Gu Weinan and the others couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Ye Qing was afraid the fox might change its mind, while Gu Weinan and the others were so nervous around the fox deity that they didn’t dare to breathe deeply.

But to their surprise, even though the fox had darted into the woods, it made a sudden return.

After putting down the two sweet potatoes, it nuzzled against Gu Weinan and the others, eating all the discarded sweet potato peels they had thrown by their feet. It chewed with great relish, leaving the three of them stunned and speechless, rooted to the spot.

After finishing every last scrap of the peels, the fox picked up the two sweet potatoes Ye Qing had given it and finally left for good, vanishing into the woods without a backward glance.

It took a while for Gu Weinan and the others to recover.

"Master, this... this fox deity, isn’t it supposed to be a carnivore? How come it’s eating sweet potatoes?"

What could Ye Qing say? Could she explain that her sweet potatoes were laced with something that made the fox addicted to her abilities?

"Oh, maybe it’s tired of eating fish and meat every day and just wants a change of taste with some light porridge and vegetables," Ye Qing lied with a straight face.

The three of them weren’t idiots, after all. If they believed her story, they’d have to be pretty gullible.

But no matter how much they racked their brains, they’d never guess that Ye Qing had special abilities. They concluded that the fox deity must be highly intelligent and had come over to warn Ye Qing after hearing her scolding at the mountain stream earlier. That must be it!

"Master, see? I told you this fox immortal is amazing. See, I was right, wasn't I? You'd better not talk recklessly in the future, or it might actually come and seek revenge."

Gu Weinan firmly believed in the stories and legends passed down by the older generations. Fearing that Ye Qing might commit another taboo, he hurriedly warned her.

The only one who knew the truth, Ye Qing, was left speechless.

The loneliness of being the only clear-headed person in a crowd really suffocated her.

"Let's eat now. I think the beggar's chicken should be about ready. After we finish eating, we need to make a quick round through the mountain to see if we can find that last herb."

The Changbai Mountains were less safe than She Mountain. This area connects to vast stretches of primeval forest, filled with all kinds of unknown dangers. You wouldn’t be surprised if a fierce creature was lurking somewhere nearby, and Ye Qing wouldn’t be shocked if a tiger or leopard suddenly appeared.

"What do we do if we can’t find that herb?"

Gu Weibei was very concerned. If they couldn't find the herb, treating his brother would have to be delayed again. What could they do then?

Ye Qing said with a shrug, "If we can't find it, we'll have to think of other ways. We can ask Dean Gu in the county town, or if not, I'll ask Farm Leader Zhao or Professor Qiao from the neighboring military farm for help. They can check in the provincial capital. If we can't find fresh herbs, there must be processed ones. Don't worry, it's not a big issue."

Hearing Ye Qing's plan, Gu Weibei felt relieved.

After finishing the grilled fish and sweet potatoes, the three of them stoked the fire and dug out the beggar's chicken that had been buried inside. They knocked off the dried mud to reveal the tender, juicy, and richly flavored chicken.

As soon as the chicken was unsealed, it outshone everything they had eaten before. Despite being nearly full, their taste buds were reawakened. They couldn't wait to start dividing and eating it.

The chicken was divided into four parts, with the two legs and wings separated. Forget about manners, they grabbed the pieces and started devouring them.

The wild chicken, which ran freely in the mountains, had meat even more flavorful than regular free-range chickens. It was so delicious that the four of them almost forgot to breathe.

In the end, even the chicken feet, tail, and bones were picked clean by Gu Weibei. The four of them burped, having accidentally overeaten.

As they each held an aluminum lunch box, they slowly sipped the savory mushroom and chicken giblet soup. Suddenly, Gu Weinan let out an "Ouch," covering his head and accusing Gu Weibei, "Gu Weibei, why did you hit me? Are you asking for a beating?"

Still savoring the exquisite taste of the beggar’s chicken, Gu Weibei was contemplating how he would showcase his newly learned cooking skills to his father and brother-in-law next time they went into the mountains. Just as he was lost in thought, Gu Weinan pushed him and his sister blamed him for something.

Bewildered, Gu Weibei pointed at his lunch box.

"I didn't hit you. I’m having my soup. Why would I hit you?"

Gu Weinan couldn't bring herself to believe him. Gu Weibei was especially fond of these kinds of tricks. He would often sneak up behind her and tap her on the head. When she tried to confront him, he would act innocent, claiming it wasn't him. After so many times, Gu Weinan had grown used to his tricks. Now, whenever she got hit, she would just assume Gu Weibei did it! This time, Gu Weibei was really innocent. He was busy thinking about how to prepare the beggar's chicken, afraid he might have overlooked a step. He was even planning to ask Ye Qing for some pointers later. How would he have had the time to hit his sister on the forehead?

"Who said I hit you? Drink your soup. After we finish eating, we'll head back into the forest to look for herbs. We need to gather everything and return before sunset!"

Gu Weibei replied angrily to his sister.

Gu Weinan was furious and genuinely felt wronged. She was convinced that Gu Weibei had hit her. He had hit her so hard that her forehead swelled up, and the pain made her see spots. Yet, he refused to admit it. How infuriating!

Just as Gu Weinan was about to drink her soup and plot her revenge, another object came flying and hit her on the forehead, landing in her aluminum lunch container. The chicken soup splashed all over her face.

"Ah! Are you kidding me?!"

When she saw that the object in her box was a large pinecone, Gu Weinan flew into a rage. She stood up and glared in the direction the pinecone had come from.

To her shock, the one who had thrown the pinecone wasn't Gu Weibei, but an angry black squirrel!

Some four or five meters away, on a tall, sturdy old pine tree, a black squirrel was hopping around on a branch. When it saw Gu Weinan looking its way, it pulled out from its puffed cheeks another pinecone, throwing it at her again.

This time, Gu Weinan dodged the attack and turned red with rage. Angrily wiping the chicken soup off her face, she cursed at the squirrel:

"So it was you, you little rascal! You have the guts to throw things, but do you have the guts to come down here and fight me one-on-one? If you dare, I’ll take you down today!"

Hearing Gu Weinan's furious outburst, everyone followed her gaze to the pine tree.

Seeing the squirrel, Ye Qing couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, well. We took food from its stash, and now it's here to settle the score."

It made sense to Ye Qing. The squirrel was here for revenge.

"You're still cursing? That squirrel is even angrier than you. When it went back and found most of its stash taken, of course it would come and attack you. If it were me, I'd be so mad that I'd want to fight you to the death!"

Ye Qing couldn't help but add a fair comment on behalf of the squirrel.

Hearing this, Gu Weinan froze. She finally realized why she had been targeted by the squirrel. It had come to seek revenge on her.

"So this is the ground squirrel whose burrow I dug into?" Gu Weinan asked in surprise.

Ye Qing hadn't replied yet when Gu Weibei, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but roll her eyes.

"Otherwise? There are four people sitting here, so why is it only targeting you? It must have seen you raiding its home earlier, so it’s decided you’re its enemy and is out for revenge!"

Gu Weinan immediately stopped her cursing. Feeling guilty, she couldn’t confidently face the squirrel.

"What should we do now?"

Gu Weinan looked at the basket in front of her, filled with dozens of pounds of pine nuts. She was really reluctant to give them back. These pine nuts were high in oil content, and she could extract nearly ten pounds of pine nut oil from them!

But with the rightful owner now present, she couldn’t keep them. Ye Qing was just about to tell Gu Weinan to return the basket of pine nuts to the squirrel's nest when, unexpectedly, the squirrel suddenly let out a sharp cry from the branches.

The sound seemed familiar, and Ye Qing’s expression immediately changed.

Sure enough, the next moment, rustling sounds filled the air around them. Soon, dozens, maybe even hundreds, of squirrels appeared in the surrounding pine trees, angrily jumping and screeching, completely surrounding the four of them!

Oh boy. This squirrel even called for reinforcements!

The Gu siblings were stunned; they had never seen anything like this before.

Ye Qing couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth.

Her earlier worry that the squirrel might get so angry it would hang itself from a branch seemed unlikely now.

Who would have thought that the bold Gu Weinan would provoke an equally bold squirrel? This little guy probably had some status in the forest. With just a few calls, it had rallied so many companions!

The situation was reminiscent of one Ye Qing had encountered on She Mountain. The only difference was that, back in Shen City, the squirrels had approached her for peanuts in a relatively friendly manner. But this group of squirrels was here for retribution, and they were furious, ready to attack at any moment!

A single squirrel might not pose much of a threat, but dozens of them were another matter entirely. If they swarmed and each took a bite, it would be a serious problem. These wild animals might carry viruses, and without timely rabies vaccinations, Gu Weinan could be in serious trouble—she might not die, but she would suffer greatly!

But this was the 1970s, and in Kaoshan Village, where would they find a rabies vaccine?

Considering the potential consequences, Ye Qing’s nonchalant expression vanished, and her face turned serious.