Hua Shi didn't check it out at the moment and didn't expect that the brother and sister would secretly follow her out.

She looked at the mountain path lined with trees of all sizes, and the treetops in the forest were shaking and rustling.

The three siblings stared at each other for a long time. There was only the chirping of birds on the branches; there was no other sound.

"I'm not planning to go into the mountains." Hua Shi blinked, came to his senses, and explained.

Hua Xiao's face was filled with disbelief as she glared at her, her tone tinged with doubt. "Lying is a common tactic you use. You've already reached the foot of the mountain, and you're still saying you're not going into the mountains. Who are you trying to fool?"

Hua Li nodded in agreement.

Hua Shi didn't want to argue with the two idiots, so he asked, "Why don't you two come out and leave Xiaoying alone at home?"

As a result, only Hua's father, buried in his books, and the young and ignorant Hua Ying were left at home...

Hua Shi thought, frowning slightly, "Why are you following me?"

The brother and sister asked two questions in succession and looked at each other guiltily.

Hua Li lowered his head, his eyes wandering as he looked at the black cat beside Hua Shi. He pinched the corner of his clothes with his uninjured hand and asked without thinking, "Didn't you come out to eat secretly? Let's follow and see..."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Hua Li realized what he was saying. He almost bit his tongue. He turned his head abruptly to look at Hua Xiao beside him, and the guilt in his eyes was about to overflow.

Hua Xiao glared back at him.

Hua Shi: “…”

"Who told you that I went out to eat secretly?" She had a headache and couldn't keep up with the child's thinking.

The two of them lowered their heads, probably out of guilt or some other emotion, and did not speak for a while.

Hua Xiao muttered softly, "...I'm not wrong, you often cheated on us before..."

The little girl had her own plans in mind.

She thought that Grandma had been getting more and more impatient with Hua Shi these days. If she caught Hua Shi eating something and told Grandma, Grandma would be even angrier at Hua Shi. Maybe Hua Shi would fall out of favor, and Grandma would treat them equally and no longer favor Hua Shi...

Hua Shi looked at the two of them, took off the basket that was slung over his arm, lifted the coarse cloth covering it, revealing the empty bottom of the basket.

"Aren't you curious? Look, there's nothing."

Hua Li pried his head open and found nothing inside except a scimitar used for cutting rice.

He tugged at Hua Xiao's sleeve and whispered in a low voice, "Hua Xiao, there really isn't..."

Hua Xiao slapped his hand away. Of course she saw it. She looked at Hua Shi with some surprise and asked curiously, "Where are you going?"

She still didn't believe that Hua Shi wasn't heading into the mountains. This road was the way into the mountains. Moreover, because it was remote, this path was not usually used by people. She must have wanted to sneak into the mountains secretly, so she chose such a deserted path and hid in the mountains...

Hua Shi looked at the little girl in silence.

Hua Xiao was also stubborn, staring at her blankly with eyes full of confusion and curiosity.

Hua Shi held his forehead with his hand, "Why are you so curious? Go back quickly. Leave Xiaoying alone at home. What if something happens?"

Hua Li pulled Hua Xiao and frowned, "Forget it, let's go back..."

Hua Xiao glared at him and whispered, "Don't pull me..."

She looked up at Hua Shi several times, and after confirming that Hua Shi would not tell her, she curled her lips and muttered, "Tsk... who cares to know..."

Hua Shi saw her little actions clearly.

Hua Xiao also knew that it was useless to stay any longer, so before leaving, he did not forget to warn Hua Shi.

"If you go into the mountains, remember to worship the temple spirits!"

When the little girl said this, her voice became a little tighter.

Finally, he happily pulled Hua Li away.

The two of them pulled each other and disappeared from Hua Shi's sight.

Hua Shi followed the direction Hua Xiao had pointed and looked into the distance. Through the dense woods, he could vaguely see a small temple shrine covered with dark blue tiles.

The birds on the branches in the forest are still chirping...

"Meow……"

The black cat squatting at Hua Shi's feet licked its paws nonchalantly and meowed softly.

Hua Shi stood there for a while, making sure that the two children would not run back, before continuing to carry the basket into the woods.

She went to the Hua family's land two or three times to bring water to Li who was busy with farm work, but was seen by Li every time and sent back.

I vaguely remember going this way. It's a longer route, but there are fewer people.

I walked along without bumping into anyone.

She didn't lie. She really didn't plan to go into the mountains right now. She was going to look for Hua Yu.

I guess at this time, Hua Yu is still watering and weeding the soybeans in the field.

Li will not go to the fields today. She is probably going to look for Xie's grandmother. Ever since Hua's father passed the imperial examination, Li has either been watching Hua's father read books at home or going out to look for Xie's grandmother.

Every time they go out, they come back with a smug look on their faces...

A man and a cat walked around the winding woods and passed through a path covered with weeds and thorns on one side. Suddenly, the view opened up...

The vast wilderness, the fields stretching across the country, the gurgling stream flowing by, slowly entering my ears...

Seeing that the path was narrow and difficult to walk through, and there were thorns covered with barbs on both sides, Hua Shi bent down and held the black cat in her arms.

"Meow…?"

Suddenly soaring into the air, the black cat tilted its head back, stretched its cat head, and looked at her in confusion.

"I'm afraid you'll run around, so I'll carry you away." Hua Shi didn't know whether the cat could understand what he said, so he explained in a low voice.

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