Yan Jing'an recalled the events of that day and said, "That day was the same as usual, nothing special. There was no movement in the woods. I thought there was a kind of tree near that mudflat that bore fruit that could be used as a food reserve. So I followed the route I had taken before."

Yan Zheng listened intently, his face expressionless.

He continued, "Later, before we even reached the mudflats, we encountered that thing. I saw how big it was and knew I couldn't beat it, so I just ran away."

As he spoke, his voice lowered by two octaves: "In the end, I couldn't outrun him, got slapped, crashed into a rock, and suffered a concussion."

He gets angry just thinking about it; he got himself into trouble because of a beast.

Yan Zheng asked, "What kind of creature is that? Is there any record of it in this world?"

"Yes, it's called the Wild Man Bear. Because it looks a bit like a gorilla, before the snow disaster, some people saw this creature near the primeval forest and mistook it for a wild man. It often appeared in some sensational newspapers and programs."

"What is the professional term... Eurasian brown bear, it has stars on its face, but it is still a bear in essence."

Yan Jing'an added, "No one has seen it for many years. It's rumored that it's extinct."

Yan Zheng frowned.

No, something feels like it's being ignored.

He asked, "Are these bears intelligent?"

Without thinking, Yan Jing'an blurted out, "It's just an ordinary bear. What's so special about it? It can't possibly be taller than a person."

After saying this, Yan Zheng's eyes suddenly darkened. Yes, can animals be more intelligent than humans?

But when he thought about the fight he had fought with it and the way it attacked him, he had some doubts.

It's not like a bear has all these thoughts and methods; it's as if someone is manipulating it.

He said in a deep voice, "Do you think it looks like it has a high IQ?"

Yan Jing'an was bewildered: "What do you mean?"

Then, he suddenly realized something.

Then, recalling how he was in the forest, being chased and surrounded by it, the beast relentlessly pursuing him yet refusing to kill him, deliberately leading him away—what was its purpose? Was it trying to use him to lure Yan Zheng over?

He gritted his teeth and sneered, "No wonder it ran away as soon as I climbed the tree. We've been targeted."

His gaze sharpened, and the knuckles of his hand gripping the basket of herbs gradually turned white: "You schemed against me."

The thought that he was not only less skilled than others, but also completely outmaneuvered filled him with resentment.

Yan Zheng raised his hand and brushed the withered leaves off the table.

He was reminded, "It's hard to say. Some animals enjoy toying with their prey, and eating them directly isn't their greatest pleasure."

"In short, if it really is someone manipulating things, we are in the open while the enemy is in the dark. We must be careful in everything we do, and we must not let Jiang Xi know about this beforehand."

Then, he stood up and patted Yan Jing'an on the shoulder, "Don't worry, if someone really comes, they'll come back if they don't achieve their goal."

He wasn't saying this to comfort Yan Jing'an. He was thinking that the person must have been watching them for a long time, and once they failed, how could they give up so easily?

Unless that wild bear is his only trump card.

I just don't know what his purpose is.

Jiang Xi, who had just returned from feeding the rabbits, pushed open the courtyard gate with a basket in hand and saw the two talking under the tree.

"What are you two talking about? Why are you so serious?"

Yan Zheng smiled at her: "I heard there are a lot of wild animals in the forest lately, so it's best not to go out alone."

"Is there?"

Looks like I need to be more careful when I go out in the future.

Yan Jing'an, who was standing next to him, nodded and said, "Just trust my brother. If he says it exists, then it definitely exists. He's been into the forest so many times."

Jiang Xi nodded: "Oh, I understand."

etc.

She opened her mouth in surprise, her fingers tracing between the two of them: "Brother? You two?"

When did these two become sworn brothers? How come she didn't know?

The two people standing nearby felt a little awkward.

Yan Jing'an smiled slyly and pointed at Yan Zheng, saying, "We just recognized each other; from now on, he'll be my older brother."

Then he touched his head and said, "I'll fix up the yard next door later and move in."

After he finished speaking, Yan Zheng gave him a look of approval without hesitation.

This guy finally got it.

Jiang Xi quickly moved closer, a bright smile appearing on her face: "If you call him brother, then wouldn't I be your sister-in-law?"

After she finished speaking, Yan Jing'an glanced at her sideways and said slowly, "That won't do. We have to discuss our own issues separately."

After saying that, he quickly carried Xiao Hei into the main house.

He thought to himself, "These two are really taking advantage of me all the time."

Jiang Xi sat on the stone bench, looking at Yan Zheng with a pout and a displeased expression, and said, "Why is he treating me differently?"

Yan Zheng grabbed her hand and whispered, "His head's been knocked out, don't pay him any attention."

"Weren't you going to plant flowers today?"

His reminder made Jiang Xi remember her own plans.

I collected a lot of flower seeds last autumn.

One type was seeds of a rose bush that Yan Jing'an had found for her in the woods.

Jiang Xi hurriedly went inside and dug out the seeds.

She had prepared well in advance. Since Yan Zheng said that it couldn't be planted against the wall of the main house, she would plant it by the ditch next to the courtyard wall and at the gate.

These plants are mostly thorny, and they were planted along walls for safety reasons. Of course, there probably aren't many thieves these days, so it's just for show.

The remaining herbaceous flowers were planted under the windows of the two bedrooms, so that when they bloom, you can smell their fragrance as soon as you open the window.

Just as she was about to do it, Yan Zheng wanted to help, but Jiang Xi pressed him back down onto the stone bench.

Actually, it was already much easier. The two men had already turned over some of the ground under the courtyard wall. She just needed to dig a hole about 20 or 30 centimeters deep where she needed to plant.

Planting in pits not only promotes germination but also helps plants take root and grow.

Two shrub roses were planted on each side of the courtyard entrance. About ten rose bushes were planted along the wall near the irrigation ditch.

Below the window, a row of herbaceous flowers was planted. Jiang Xi couldn't recognize the varieties anymore, so she just planted some mixed together.

Springtime temperatures always rise quickly. Before we knew it, the sun was warmer, and everyone had taken off their cardigans.

Jiang Xi, who is usually afraid of the cold, can now go out wearing only a thin sweater at noon.

Jiang Xi spends most of her time running between the woods and the fields.

She was by the woods collecting vines because summer was coming soon, and she urgently needed some fresh vines to make some summer clothes.

I went to the fields because I had to pull another round of weeds in the vegetable garden.

Speaking of this, she gets a headache. It's probably because this land has been barren for too long, and there are too many grass seeds and roots in it. She has to pull the weeds every four or five days. If she goes a couple of days late, the weeds will grow taller than the vegetable seedlings.