Stuck
Zheng Nanle hadn't noticed this before; there were few able-bodied men going up the mountain during working hours, but it wasn't that there weren't any.
Moreover, this mountain does not belong to Liushan Village alone. People from several nearby villages also go up the mountain. Although they mostly go up from the other entrance and rarely take the path closer to Liushan Village, it's not that they never go this way.
She was able to notice because the other person had been following her at a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
The mountain path is winding and steep, with tall wild trees on both sides. The vines that entwine around the trees twist and turn, connecting with wild grass to form a vast sea of leaves. If you try to avoid it, you will not only be pricked by the wild grass, but you may also get poisoned by it.
Zheng Nanle released her spiritual power and saw a giant rock, as tall as a person, standing on the mountainside ahead. She led the two of them to hide behind the rock.
Xie Ronghua squatted down, peeking out cautiously, "Er Ya, what are you doing hiding here? Is there a wild beast?"
Xie Jianhua stared at Zheng Nanle, his gaze deepening slightly. "Is someone following you?"
He didn't notice, but Er Ya did?
Where did she get her skills?
Zheng Nanle noticed Xie Jianhua's suspicions and cursed Xie Jianhua for being so suspicious.
However, knowing that spies were everywhere in this era, and that Xie Jianhua had been in the army for many years, it would be a problem if she didn't arouse suspicion. She casually explained, "I have good hearing."
Afraid that Xie Jianhua would ask more questions, she quickly shushed him, "Don't talk, he'll be here soon."
The three waited for a few minutes and then saw a middle-aged man appear on the path.
Judging by appearance alone, the middle-aged man was a typical farmer: dark-skinned, wearing patched clothes and straw sandals, with a bamboo basket on his back containing half a basket of pig feed, a sickle, and some wild fruit.
"Did he really come with us?" Xie Ronghua asked softly, full of doubt.
They've already gathered half a basket of pig feed; it doesn't look like they're following someone at all.
Zheng Nanle warned, "Don't speak."
Xie Jianhua leaned against the mountain wall, only glancing at the middle-aged man out of the corner of his eye. The middle-aged man was slightly hunched over, wiping sweat with his sleeve. His hand was dark and rough, with a thick layer of calluses on his palm, and obvious black cracks.
These are hands that have been used for farm work year-round.
However, Xie Jianhua straightened his body slightly.
His footsteps sounded wrong. Rural people don't walk so lightly; their footsteps are almost silent. They haven't practiced martial arts; walking on solid ground is their natural way of walking.
He walked forward, his gaze unconsciously drifting towards the boulder. Although he quickly looked away, he kept an eye on the rock out of the corner of his eye.
They are very vigilant.
Xie Jianhua braced himself, and the moment the man passed the boulder, he clenched his fist and struck. The middle-aged man was already on guard, and shifted his feet to the side, the force of his foot causing his body to tilt to the side, and the sound of his fist hitting the air missed.
The middle-aged man raised his hand and slashed at Xie Jianhua's wrist with his hand as if it were a knife. Xie Jianhua withdrew his fist, blocked the other man's wrist with his left elbow, and threw another punch. The middle-aged man changed his palm knife into a beak, imitating a bird pecking at the numb tendon in Xie Jianhua's arm. Xie Jianhua dodged.
In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged several moves, their movements intertwined in the blink of an eye.
Xie Ronghua originally wanted to go over and help, but the two were so busy and their moves were changing in an instant that he was dazzled. He quietly retreated so as not to cause trouble for his brother.
Just as he was about to call Er Ya to move away as well, he discovered that Er Ya had already moved to stand on a large rock and moved away long ago.
Xie Ronghua; "..."
Should he praise Er Ya for her good judgment?
Xie Ronghua stepped onto a flat, large rock next to the boulder and climbed to the top of it.
He squatted down next to Zheng Nanle, nervously watching the two fighting below, and asked, "Er Ya, who do you think will win?"
Zheng Nanle thought to himself, "Your brother."
Of course, she didn't say that.
How could an ordinary country girl like her know anything about martial arts?
The reason she didn't take action was also for this reason.
The outcome was decided quickly. Xie Jianhua used a powerful strike to send the middle-aged man flying, crashing to the ground.
The middle-aged man rolled over, and a gun appeared in his hand. He raised his hand, and the muzzle was pointed at Xie Jianhua.
Xie Jianhua's pupils contracted slightly, and Xie Ronghua froze in place in shock.
A boulder the size of a scallion pancake fell from the sky and struck the middle-aged man's arm with a "bang." The gun aimed at Xie Jianhua veered off course, grazing Xie Jianhua and hitting the mountain wall behind him.
Without pausing, Xie Jianhua seized the opportunity and, like a tiger descending a mountain, leaped into the air and tackled the middle-aged man to the ground again. As he tackled him, his hand slid down the middle-aged man's arm.
With a snap, the middle-aged man's wrist dislocated, and the gun fell to the ground.
"ah--"
The middle-aged man screamed in agony.
Xie Jianhua then delivered a swift elbow strike to the middle-aged man's chest, and while the man was distracted by the pain, he grabbed his arm with his other hand.
Zheng Nanle jumped off the rock as soon as the gun hit the ground, and kicked it away.
Xie Jianhua glanced at Zheng Nanle, then looked at Xie Ronghua, who was still squatting on the big rock with a blank expression, feeling disappointed in him.
He's a grown man, yet his reaction time is worse than Er Ya's.
His probing gaze swept over Er Ya for a moment before returning to her.
He stayed at home for more than half a month and personally witnessed how Er Ya changed. There was no possibility that she was replaced by someone else. It can only be said that humans are truly amazing creatures.
Zheng Nanle pulled a vine from the side and handed it to Xie Jianhua.
Xie Ronghua finally realized what was happening and quickly climbed down from the flat rock next to him to help control the middle-aged man.
Xie Jianhua removed the middle-aged man's arm, tied it with vines, and said to Xie Ronghua, "Go and call Grandpa. Never mind, go and call him to bring a few more people to our village."
As he spoke, he recited a string of numbers.
"Okay." Xie Ronghua turned and left.
Xie Jianhua picked up the gun, sat down on the flat stone, patted the ground beside him, and said to Zheng Nanle, "Er Ya, come here, let's talk."
Zheng Nanle sat down, knowing that she was about to be interrogated, but she wasn't scared at all.
After all, there's the real Er Ya by her side.
Xie Jianhua was very skilled at interrogation. He first talked to Zheng Nanle about the past, mentioning the history of Liushan Village, and then talked about what wild fruits were nearby, what mountains and springs there were, and other things that only locals knew about, while mixing in some false information.
Er Ya was very vigilant. From the moment Xie Jianhua opened his mouth, she was on high alert. While Xie Jianhua spoke, she spoke. If Xie Jianhua was right, she agreed; if he was wrong, she would remind him. Zheng Nanle was multitasking, listening to Xie Jianhua's conversation with one ear and Er Ya's conversation with the other, while also using her mouth to relay Er Ya's words.
She felt that she was pretty good at not having her left and right brains fighting each other.
The conversation came to an end, and Xie Jianhua could be seen to have relaxed a bit. Zheng Nanle's lips curled up slightly as he praised Er Ya, "Er Ya, you're amazing! You've grown so much in just one month."
Just a month ago, Er Ya was timid and didn't dare to say much. When you tried to communicate with her, she would stammer. Now, she can not only understand the deeper meaning behind Xie Jianhua's action of patting the stone while chatting, but also shrewdly avoid the traps Xie Jianhua set in his conversation. She can talk fluently now. That's the Er Ya of today.
The growth rate is astonishing.
Er Ya cupped her face in her hands, her cheeks flushed with excitement, "Really, sister? Am I really that good?"
No one has ever praised her yet.
"Of course." Zheng Nanle didn't hold back her praise; Er Ya was indeed intelligent.
Unfortunately, it wasn't properly explored.
"Seeing you like this now, I'm not worried about your future anymore." Zheng Nanle was very pleased.
Even if Er Ya returns to her body, she will not be easily bullied.
Er Ya looked at Zheng Nanle, smiled and nodded, but a hint of sadness was hidden in her eyes.
After that, Xie Jianhua and Zheng Nanle chatted idly for a while, just making small talk.
Xie Jianhua is nine years older than Er Ya. The age gap is already significant, and with them having not seen each other for many years, he really doesn't know what to talk about with the young girl. Zheng Nanle can help ease the awkwardness, but she finds it amusing to watch Xie Jianhua trying so hard to find topics to talk about, so she mischievously pretends to be dull.
When Xie Ronghua arrived with the police, he received a grateful look from Xie Jianhua.
Xie Ronghua: "???"
The visitors were from the county police, including Xie Jianhua's former comrade-in-arms. The two exchanged a few words with him, leaving three people to watch over the middle-aged man while the remaining two followed him into the valley.
There was a narrow pass on the path leading to the valley, about knee-high and half an arm's width. Zheng Nanle and Xie Ronghua passed through it easily, but Xie Jianhua got stuck just as he passed shoulder-width.
Seeing Xie Jianhua stuck in the middle, his hands on the ground, neither forward nor backward, Xie Ronghua laughed like a goose.
Hahaha, his brother's jokes are so rare to see. Xie Ronghua completely forgot the terror of being suppressed by his brother's bloodline in the past. Staring at his brother's threatening gaze, he leaned against the wall and laughed uncontrollably.
Zheng Nanle: "..."
Do you realize you're doing something important?
Although it's kind of funny that Xie Jianhua got stuck, okay, very funny, don't just keep laughing.
Influenced by Xie Ronghua and Er Ya, Zheng Nanle turned around and secretly smiled as well.
Xie Jianhua: "..."
"What's wrong?"
His comrade asked, and nudged his buttocks with his hand.
Xie Jianhua closed his eyes in utter despair.
He was too strong and got stuck; how could he possibly say anything?
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