Chapter 22: The Fox Spirit in the Storybook

Chapter 22: The Fox Spirit in the Storybook

It hadn’t rained for the past two days, and with the hot weather, fewer people ventured up the mountain. However, once you entered the forest, the shade from the trees and the occasional cool breeze from who-knows-where made it much cooler than outside.

Not long after entering the mountain, Zheng Jiamin scurried over to Fu Mingze and whispered, "Yang Qingqing is behind us. Why is she following you again?"

Even someone as clueless as Zheng Jiamin had recently noticed that Yang Qingqing, who used to merely keep an eye on Fu Mingze, had started shadowing him more frequently. She would ask about his well-being and follow him wherever he went, though she never said anything outright. Since the road was open to everyone, Fu Mingze couldn’t just shoo her away.

Now, many in the educated youth group suspected that there was something ambiguous going on between Yang Qingqing and Fu Mingze.

For instance, Zhang Zhiqiang, the envious one, had remarked that if Fu Mingze hadn’t given Yang Qingqing some sort of signal, why would a young woman like her be so keen on sticking to a poor fellow like Fu Mingze?

Fu Mingze didn’t glance back at Yang Qingqing but instinctively looked at Shen Moer.

Shen Moer turned her head curiously and spotted a figure lagging far behind. Recalling the time they went to the commune, when Yang Qingqing had subtly inquired about Fu Mingze’s business there and secretly followed him, she couldn’t help but ask, "Is she still following you all the time?"

Before Fu Mingze could answer, Zheng Jiamin darted over to Shen Moer and chimed in, "Yes, yes, she’s always following him, and it’s getting worse!"

Fu Mingze shot a cold glare at Zheng Jiamin, who remained oblivious and continued gesturing animatedly, "People in the educated youth group are saying behind their backs that the two of them are dating. Hahaha, it’s hilarious! They don’t even realize that Yang Qingqing has been pushing Fu Zhiqing so hard that he’s been walking faster lately!"

Fu Mingze had had enough and yanked Zheng Jiamin aside, "If you keep talking nonsense, you’re not coming up the mountain."

Shen Moer couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought of Fu Mingze having to quicken his pace to dodge Yang Qingqing.

Fu Mingze, his expression stern, watched as the two of them burst into uncontrollable laughter. Shen Moer, who had become fairer from not working recently, had a faint blush on her cheeks, and her eyes curved like a crescent moon in the night sky, bright and clear. Fu Mingze’s ears turned slightly red, and he couldn’t help but secretly smile.

Not wanting Fu Zhiqing to feel uncomfortable, Shen Moer stopped laughing after a while and said, "Let’s walk faster then."

She didn’t want someone following them like that.

The original owner of this body had often gone up the mountain, and after a few trips with the old ladies, Shen Moer was now quite familiar with the terrain of the back mountain. The three of them quickened their pace, and with Shen Moer deliberately taking twists and turns, they soon shook off Yang Qingqing.

Shen Moer led Fu Mingze and Zheng Jiamin straight to Pine Tree Bay.

She had come up the mountain this time in search of game. She wasn’t sure if there would be any elsewhere, but at least last time, several rabbits had escaped from here. Maybe she’d get lucky again?

Indeed, Shen Moer silently hoped to continue taking advantage of that rabbit family.

Perhaps because this area had denser vegetation and moister soil, they didn’t see many mushrooms along the way. But as soon as they arrived, they quickly found a cluster of mushrooms under the fallen leaves, and nearby, there was a patch of fresh wild vegetables.

Shen Moer handed the short hoe to Zheng Jiamin, "I’ll look around."

Zheng Jiamin looked disappointed, "Are we really just here to pick mushrooms?"

Fu Mingze wanted to remind Shen Moer to be careful, but seeing her pick up a stick at least five feet long and start tapping her way through the thick grass, he realized she was more familiar with the mountain than he was.

So he took out a short hoe from his bamboo basket and said to Zheng Jiamin, "Get to work."

Zheng Jiamin listlessly picked mushrooms, occasionally glancing back at Shen Moer and asking curiously, "What’s Comrade Moer doing?" He had previously called her Comrade Shen Moer or Comrade Shen, but now, feeling closer after their shared mountain trip, he started calling her Comrade Moer.

Fu Mingze shot him a look and suddenly regretted bringing this joker along.

He said coolly, "It’s either Comrade Shen Moer or Comrade Shen. Don’t call her randomly."

Zheng Jiamin said carelessly, "Calling her Comrade Shen Moer or Comrade Shen sounds too formal."

Fu Mingze glared at him coldly, and Zheng Jiamin, feeling a chill down his spine, made a zipping motion over his mouth, "Fine, I won’t call her that anymore, okay?"

He busied himself with picking mushrooms and digging wild vegetables but soon began glancing around again, asking Fu Mingze, "Why is Comrade Shen Moer wandering off? Aren’t there enough mushrooms and wild vegetables here? Let’s finish this area and then join her. It’s risky for her to be alone."

Fu Mingze had actually been keeping an eye on that area the whole time. He said, "I bet she's looking for rabbit tracks."

After a pause, he shot Zheng Jiamin a disdainful look. "Let's hurry up and finish this area, then head over there."

With that, he ignored Zheng Jiamin completely, just speeding up his own actions.

"Wait, she's looking for rabbit tracks?!" Zheng Jiamin's voice rose. "Could Shen Moer actually catch rabbits?! Impossible, she looks just like a little rabbit herself..."

No matter what Zheng Jiamin muttered this time, Fu Mingze stayed silent. After babbling for a while, Zheng Jiamin suddenly got excited. "Yeah, yeah, let's finish up here and go check it out!" Finally shutting up and starting to work diligently.

Fu Mingze glanced at him and sighed to himself.

Zheng Jiamin was good in many ways—simple, generous, cheerful, especially his simplicity was very precious, basically believing whatever Fu Mingze said... The only thing was, sometimes he could be a bit too noisy.

Ten minutes later, they had completely cleared the area of mushrooms and wild vegetables.

Without waiting for Fu Mingze, Zheng Jiamin eagerly grabbed his bamboo basket and hurried over to Shen Moer. Fu Mingze, busy organizing his basket, was a bit slower. By the time he looked up, Zheng Jiamin was already far ahead. Halfway there, Fu Mingze heard Zheng Jiamin's excited shout.

Fu Mingze smiled. It seemed they had actually caught a rabbit, so he quickened his pace.

When Fu Mingze got there, he saw Zheng Jiamin holding a pair of rabbit ears and laughing triumphantly. "Mingze, look, a big fat rabbit!"

He held the two rabbits, which were weakly kicking their short legs, without any pity, and blurted out, "Shen Moer said she'll invite us to her house in the next few days, she'll cook meat for us every day!" Too excited, he slipped back to calling her Shen Moer.

Besides the two rabbits in Zheng Jiamin's hands, there was another one at Shen Moer's feet.

Fu Mingze glanced at the rabbits, then his gaze fell on the small bow in Shen Moer's hand. The bow looked very simple and new, the wood of the bow arm even seemed not yet properly polished, appearing somewhat rough. Besides the bow, she also had a few bamboo arrows, the arrowheads looked finely sharpened, very sharp.

Fu Mingze guessed that today she had used this unremarkable, toy-like bow and arrow to hunt the wild rabbits.

Even though last time her method of catching rabbits was rougher, more unbelievable, and seemed more like a fluke, Fu Mingze suddenly had the thought, "What kind of girl is this?"

Shen Moer rubbed the bamboo arrows in the dirt a few times, then wiped them clean with some grass leaves, about to put them back in the bamboo basket with the bow, when Zheng Jiamin suddenly called out, "Shen Moer, can I try this bow?" Clearly seeing Shen Moer had caught rabbits, he was itching to try.

"Of course."

Shen Moer then handed the bow and arrows over.

Zheng Jiamin immediately put down the rabbits and took the bow and arrows, happily going to try.

As the saying goes, easier said than done. Seeing Shen Moer so easily catch three rabbits, Zheng Jiamin immediately thought it might not be as hard as imagined. If a little girl like Shen Moer could do it, he, a big man, could surely do it too.

But in reality, after wandering around with the bow and arrows for a while, he couldn't even see a rabbit's shadow. Finally, unable to resist, he tried shooting at some leaves, but not only did he not hit the leaves, he missed by a mile.

In the end, he had to regretfully admit that he indeed lacked this skill, and once again started his endless praise for Shen Moer from every angle.

Even Shen Moer couldn't help but secretly marvel, if this Zheng Jiamin had been born in the capital of Great Liang, just with his flattery skills, he could probably become a favorite among the city's elite.

Fu Mingze picked up the rabbits from the ground and put them into Shen Moer's bamboo basket, covering them with the mushrooms and wild vegetables he had picked. Then he swapped his and Shen Moer's baskets, shouldering the one with the items, and handed the empty one to Shen Moer. "That's about it, let's go."

He kicked Zheng Jiamin. "Let's go."

Zheng Jiamin brushed off his pants, muttering, "What did I do to upset him this time?" and cluelessly shouldered his basket to follow.

The weather was hot, and the food wouldn't keep, three wild rabbits were enough for the next few days. Similarly, they didn't need to pick too many mushrooms and wild vegetables, just enough for two or three days.

However, they still went to the bamboo forest again, digging up some bamboo shoots, which were very delicious whether stewed or stir-fried with meat.

As they were heading down the mountain, they unexpectedly encountered Yang Qingqing again.

Probably having been left behind and not daring to venture deeper into the forest, Yang Qingqing was sitting on a rock by the mountain path. Seeing them approach, she immediately called out softly to Fu Mingze, "Comrade Fu Mingze—"

Fu Mingze didn't even slow down and was about to walk past her when Yang Qingqing quickly added, "Comrade Fu Mingze, I accidentally sprained my ankle and can't walk. Since we're all part of the same educated youth group, could you help me?"

Shen Moer looked at her and inexplicably thought of the spirits from the old tales she had read. They always appeared in strange places, either having lost something, separated from their loved ones, or injured, always with some excuse to seek help from handsome young scholars, eventually leading to a romantic tale.

She had always thought those spirits were pretty clever. Otherwise, why wouldn't they seek help from old and ugly scholars?

Now, looking at Yang Qingqing, she couldn't help but see the similarities with those storybook spirits.

But Fu Mingze wasn't some chivalrous scholar. He glanced at Yang Qingqing indifferently, paused slightly, and then continued walking.

Yang Qingqing grew anxious, "I'm really injured and can't walk down the mountain. Being alone in the mountains could be dangerous. You can't just leave me here, can you?"

Out of curiosity, Zheng Jiamin asked, "So, what do you want us to do to help you?"

Yang Qingqing replied matter-of-factly, "Just have Comrade Fu Mingze carry me down the mountain."

Fu Mingze ignored her and kept walking. Zheng Jiamin looked at Fu Mingze's retreating figure, then back at Yang Qingqing. Feeling that it wasn't right to leave her if she was truly injured, he said, "Fu Mingze definitely won't carry you. If it really comes to it, I can carry you down?"

As he said this, he glanced at the mountain path, not entirely confident. He wasn't particularly strong, and carrying Yang Qingqing down the mountain would be a bit of a stretch.

Yang Qingqing immediately declined politely, "Comrade Zheng Jiamin, thank you for your kindness, but I'm quite heavy. I'm afraid you might not manage to carry me, and if we end up falling on the mountain path, it would be even more troublesome. Besides, you're a male comrade, and it might not be appropriate for you to carry me down."

So, it's appropriate for Comrade Fu Mingze to carry you down?

Shen Moer squinted, thinking that Zheng Jiamin was really unlucky. He offered his kindness, but she treated him like an old and ugly scholar. She then said, "Comrade Yang, I've been climbing mountains since I was a child, and I'm quite strong. How about I carry you down?"

Yang Qingqing hesitated, then forced a smile and said, "Comrade Shen Moer, thank you too. But no matter how strong a female comrade is, she can't compare to a male comrade. I'm afraid if you carry me, we might end up falling."

Well, male comrades aren't suitable, and female comrades aren't strong enough. In the end, the only suitable one is Comrade Fu Mingze.

Shen Moer raised an eyebrow and said to Zheng Jiamin, "Since we can't help, let's go." With that, she briskly walked away.

Zheng Jiamin looked at one, then the other, and without another word, followed.

Yang Qingqing couldn't believe they were really leaving her behind and shouted, "How can you just leave like this? There are wild beasts and possibly bad people in the mountains. If something happens to me, won't you feel guilty? How can you be so cold-hearted..."

Shen Moer's voice drifted back from the mountain path, "Comrade Yang Qingqing, don't worry. We're close to the foot of the mountain. There won't be any wild beasts. If any pheasants or rabbits jump out, you can try to catch them and take them back to nourish yourself. Oh, and I suggest you stop shouting. If you keep shouting, who knows what might happen..."

Yang Qingqing immediately fell silent.

After turning a corner, Zheng Jiamin looked back and could no longer see Yang Qingqing. He couldn't help but ask, "Are we really just leaving her like this?"

Shen Moer smiled, "Didn't you see how fast Fu Mingze was walking? He must be going back to the village to get help."

Whether Yang Qingqing was really injured or not, they might as well treat it as if she were. They could inform the village head and have him arrange for a couple of strong women to carry her down.

Shen Moer guessed correctly. Fu Mingze went straight to the village head after descending the mountain, and the village head arranged for two aunties to go up and help. However, halfway up the mountain, the two aunties ran into Yang Qingqing, who was limping down.

Yang Qingqing had indeed sprained her ankle, but it wasn't so severe that she couldn't walk. After Shen Moer and the others left, she waited for a while, but when no one returned, she cursed and made her way down the mountain herself.

When the two aunties saw this, their faces fell, and one of them spat, "Are you kidding me?!"

With that, they turned around and left.