Afterwards, he carried the bowl and walked out of his yard.

He knocked gently on the mottled wooden door next door.

Knock knock knock.

After a while, the door creaked and was opened a crack from the inside.

An old lady with gray hair and a wrinkled face groped her head out.

Her eyes were gray and lifeless, and she seemed to see nothing.

It was Yi Yao’s grandmother.

"Is that Xiaomu?" Grandma Yi asked, tilting her ear.

"Grandma Yi, it's me." Su Muyun's voice was obviously much gentler than the one he had just had in his own yard.

He handed over the bowl in his hand.

"I hunted two rabbits today and roasted them. I'll send one over for you and Yaoyao to try."

"When Yaoyao comes, you two can eat together."

Grandma Yi stretched out her skinny hand and carefully took the bowl.

The bowl was still hot and the aroma of meat filled it was fragrant.

The old lady's eyes, which were always wet and lifeless, seemed to be even redder.

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"Oh, Xiaomu...you kid..."

"Over the years, thanks to you for taking care of us old lady and Yaoyao..."

"We... really don't know how to thank you..."

The old lady's voice was choked with sobs.

"Grandma Yi, what you said is out of place." Su Muyun interrupted her, "We are neighbors, and we should help each other."

He paused, and glanced around the courtyard, but didn't see the familiar figure.

"It's almost dark."

"Where did Yaoyao go today?"

"Why haven't you come yet?"

When talking about her granddaughter, the gratitude on Grandma Yi's face was immediately replaced by deep sorrow.

"Oh, don't mention it..."

She sighed, anxiety evident in her voice.

"We ran out of firewood at home, so she said early in the morning that she was going up the mountain to chop some."

"But it's already so late, and she hasn't even come to eat lunch..."

"I'm feeling really nervous, and I don't know if something happened on the mountain..."

Su Muyun's brows immediately frowned.

"Grandma, don't worry."

"You go inside and rest first."

"I'll go look for her."

Grandma Yi's skinny hands tightly grasped Su Muyun's arm, as if she had grabbed a life-saving straw.

"Oh, Xiaomu... thank you so much..."

The old lady's voice was filled with tears, and tears seeped out of the corners of her cloudy eyes.

"Don't worry, I'll go find her right away." Su Muyun responded in a deep voice, carefully supported the old woman, sent her into the house, and settled her on the kang.

The old lady sat on the edge of the kang, wiping her tears and muttering, "I hope nothing happens to this child..."

Su Muyun looked at the old man's back as he sat alone in the dim room, then looked up at the rapidly darkening sky outside the window, and suddenly a nameless anger rose in his heart.

This damn girl!

It's the weekend, where did you go?!

Can you chop wood? It's almost dark and you're still not home?

Just throwing a blind old lady at home, doesn't she feel any resentment? !

He came out of the Yi family courtyard with a gloomy face.

It was really getting dark, and there were already sporadic lights on in the village.

He walked quickly to his yard and grabbed a coat that was washed white and still thick from the house and put it on.

It's cool in the mountains at night.

He planned to look for it in the nearby forest to the east.

Just walked a few steps to the east.

A timid voice sounded behind him.

"Mu...Brother Mu?"

Su Muyun paused.

This voice... is Yaoyao?

He turned around suddenly.

Fruit.

In the dim twilight, Yi Yao was standing on the dirt road not far away, carrying a half-empty bamboo basket on her back, looking towards him.

Her hair was a little messy, with a few broken grass leaves on her forehead, and her little face was gray, as if she had run a long way.

The strange thing is that she came from the west.

Su Muyun ran over and stood in front of her.

He frowned and looked at her, his voice carrying a barely perceptible harshness.

"How did you get here from the west?"

The road to the mountains west of the village is longer and more difficult to reach.

Villagers are used to going to Dongshan to chop firewood.

Yi Yao felt a little uncomfortable when he looked at her, and subconsciously avoided looking to the side.

The grayness on her face seemed more obvious, and her expression froze for a moment.

"Nothing... nothing."

She lowered her head and kicked the stones under her feet, the sound as small as a mosquito's hum.

"It's just... I just want to try chopping wood in a different place..."

Su Muyun stared at her obviously guilty face.

His intuition told him that this girl was definitely hiding something from him.

However, he did not ask any further questions.

never mind.

People come here safely.

He reached out, casually took the light bamboo basket from her shoulder, and put it on her back.

"Let's go home."

"Grandma is worried to death."

The two of them walked home, one in front and one behind.

Su Muyun made small talk to break the silence.

"I was lucky today. I caught two rabbits."

"I roasted them and left one for your family."

Yi Yao's eyes lit up and she whispered, "Brother Mu is really amazing."

Su Muyun nodded, but didn't stop.

After taking a few steps, he seemed to suddenly remember something and spoke casually.

"That's right."

"This afternoon, your friend..."

He paused deliberately, turned his head, and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"...It's that girl called Fu Qingqing who came to my house."

"Something seems to have happened at her home."

"Do you know?"

"My friend?" Yi Yao was stunned at first, then she reacted.

“Is it Qingqing?!”

"What happened to her?!"

"Is it... is it that Jiang Erniu and the others are causing trouble for her again?!"

As soon as the words fell.

Su Muyun, who was standing in front of the teacher, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He stopped and turned around.

The street lights were still dark, and his face was barely visible in the gathering shadows.

Only those dark eyes, in the dim light, looked as sharp as an eagle's.

He lowered his head slightly, his gaze cast heavily on Yi Yao's little face which was filled with panic.

The voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of cold scrutiny.

"How do you know?"

"Is it the Jiang family who is causing trouble for her?"