Just as Lu Tianlin was secretly making all sorts of guesses and doubts about the old woman's mysterious identity, he had unknowingly left Peach Blossom Village and arrived at a fork in the road at the foot of a mountain, about two or three miles away.
Leading his horse, he stood at the crossroads, where wildflowers bloomed everywhere and the grass was lush and green. A little muddy from yesterday's heavy rain still lingered at the fork in the road. One path clearly led up the mountain, while the other led to a wide, bustling, and vibrant avenue outside.
Suddenly, a rich fragrance of peach blossoms wafted over, and he seemed to instinctively raise his head and look around.
Only then did they see from afar that at the end of another road leading up the mountain, at the foot of the mountain, there was a magnificent and lush ten-mile peach forest in full bloom.
The heavy rain knocked pink peach blossoms to the ground, as if painting this innocent and simple land with a layer of crimson, which was very beautiful!
"Peach blossoms bloom first in the warm spring, their bright beauty attracting all who behold them. Alas, the fierce wind blows them down, leaving only crimson petals scattered on the mossy ground." Lu Tianlin sighed silently, smiling and lost in thought.
Just then, the little girl, panting and dragging Huan'er along, caught up and was about to run towards the ten-mile peach grove.
Lu Tianlin suddenly came to his senses and caught sight of her. He was surprised and called out to stop her: "Miss Huan'er, Miss Huan'er, please wait."
The two were so anxious that they didn't notice the handsome young man on the other road. Hearing the voice, Huan'er stopped and looked at him, then her eyes widened, and she raised an eyebrow in surprise, saying, "Young Master Lu, what are you still doing here?...Could it be...that you're lost?"
Lu Tianlin was flustered and didn't know how to answer. Then, a thought flashed through his mind, and he pointed to the peach grove at the foot of the mountain, feigning surprise, and said, "Oh, no, no, Miss Huan'er, don't worry. I... I was just passing by and saw that the ten-mile peach grove at the foot of that mountain was quite magnificent and rare, so I stopped to take a look. Miss Huan'er, why do you look so rushed? Are you in such a hurry to get somewhere? I can give you a ride."
As Lu Tianlin spoke, he raised an eyebrow and gestured with the horse's reins in his hand.
Huan'er was still pondering how to reply to him. After all, she had seen her savior again so soon and heard such heartwarming words from him. No one knew how happy she was.
However, recalling how her master had inexplicably been so resolute towards the man before her, as if not allowing her to utter a single word and choking back all her thoughts, Huan'er hesitated again.
At this moment, the lively and enthusiastic young girl beside her said without any politeness, "Great, great! With a fast horse, we can run much faster than we do now! Young master, thank you for your trouble, we want to go into the mountains to search..."
Unexpectedly, just as the little girl was halfway through her sentence, Lu Tianlin was leading his horse and about to walk over to the two of them when Huan'er hurriedly reached out and blocked the little girl's mouth from the side. The force was so great that the little girl's entire face turned red instantly.
Huan'er, while gagging the little girl, forced a smile and said against her will, "Young Master Lu, we just wanted to go to the mountains to pick some wild vegetables. It's such a small matter, there's no need to trouble you. You should hurry on your way to take care of the important matters your father entrusted to you. Huan'er will take her leave now, and we'll meet again!"
Before the words were even finished, Huan'er had already grabbed the little girl and dragged her along, rushing towards the peach blossom grove at the foot of the mountain. Along the way, she would frequently turn back to check if she was still there.
The young girl saw him and asked in confusion, "Sister Huan'er, who was that handsome young man riding a tall horse just now? I've never seen him in the village before."
Huan'er, lost in thought, said in a deep voice, "He is the savior of me and the old lady, Young Master Lu!"
“Young Master Lu… since we’re acquaintances, why didn’t Sister Huan’er let him escort us? Judging from the sword he carries, he must be a martial artist. Wouldn’t it be more convenient to have a man with us? It’s been two hours since early morning, and I wonder if we can still find Uncle Wang in the mountains? If I had known he was planning to sneak into the mountains with everyone on his back, I would have dragged him back first thing this morning. The path up the mountain from here is extremely rugged, and very few people know the conditions. Moreover, wild animals are more likely to come out, and we are just two weak women…” The girl became more and more frightened as she spoke, and she slowed her pace. In the end, she seemed too afraid to continue.
"This matter... is a long story. After all, he's an outsider. By the way, little girl, how did you know there was a path leading up the mountain?" Huan'er asked, puzzled.
"Oh, that was a few years ago. One day, I was picking mushrooms in the mountains and accidentally got lost. Just when I was at my wit's end, it was getting dark, and I happened to run into Uncle Wang. He led me home along this shortcut. If it weren't for him, I probably would have been eaten by the tigers and lions in these mountains long ago!" The little girl still seemed a bit scared when she talked about the incident from many years ago.
"A few years ago...and after that, have you ever walked this mountain path again? Do you still remember it now?" Huan'er suddenly felt a sense of worry and asked.
"I...I only went that one time, and now...I should...I should still remember it!" The young woman paced back and forth, her head bowed, her teeth clenched, and she rubbed the hem of her clothes, her words revealing a hint of uncertainty.
Seeing this, Huan'er frowned even more deeply, silently praying, "Heaven help me, Ruoxi must not be harmed, otherwise the old lady will not be able to bear this blow. Although I don't know what the old lady is doing, or why Ruoxi is so important to her, I know that Ruoxi is a good person, and also a pitiful person. She shouldn't have died so young!"
Soon, the two women reached the end of the road, turned a corner, bypassed the ten-mile peach orchard at the foot of the mountain, and arrived at the place where Xiao Nizi and Wang Er had met that morning.
The little girl pointed to an open space and said, "Look, this is where I met Uncle Wang this morning!"
Because the path up the mountain is extremely rugged and often frequented by wild animals, apart from the occasional daring person who comes to pick wild vegetables and fruits at the foot of the mountain, no one has ever been heard of daring to go up the mountain path.
If Huan'er hadn't been frantically searching for Wang Er, the little girl wouldn't have told Huan'er about these nightmarish memories of the past.
Because a heavy rain had just passed, the footprints on the ground were still clearly visible.
A woman's light, small footprints and a man's large, deep footprints clearly intersected here.
The two quickly followed the direction of Wang Er's footprints.
Sure enough, Wang Er's footprints extended all the way to that rugged path.
The two of them stopped and looked up at the dense grove of trees that blocked out the sun. It exuded an eerie, mysterious, and terrifying aura. There was also a rugged and narrow path that made people tremble with fear. If they were to fall down it, they would surely be smashed to pieces.
After a long while, the little girl finally gasped and asked weakly, "Sister Huan'er, do we... really have to chase after them?"
Unexpectedly, Huan'er didn't even think twice. She looked angrily at the road ahead and blurted out, "Of course! Chase them, we must chase them!"
Upon hearing this determination, the little girl was momentarily stunned. She stared blankly at Huan'er's incredibly firm gaze, wondering when Huan'er had developed such courage and boldness. Could it be that Wang Er had made her lose her mind?
So, she hesitated timidly and said, "Sister Huan'er, this place is too dangerous. It seems like there's the aura of wild beasts everywhere. Maybe... we should go back and find more people?"
"If you're afraid, turn back right now and don't try to persuade me anymore!" Huan'er said resolutely.
"Sister Huan'er, what deep-seated hatred do you have for Uncle Wang? He's even hiding from you in these remote mountains. Aren't we all already helping you find that girl? Why are you still pressing him? He's not as bad as you all think." The little girl suddenly spoke up, almost pleadingly.
"So that's what you thought of me, little girl, you're wrong!" Huan'er suddenly realized.
"I was wrong?" The little girl's eyes widened instantly as she stared at Huan'er's face, her sadness vanishing in shock.
Huan'er placed her hands on the little girl's shoulders, smiled and nodded, then turned to the enchanting ten-mile peach blossom forest and said softly, "At first, when I heard you say that Ruoxi had fallen down the hillside and gone missing while helping Wang Er to treat his illness, I was very angry. However, as I calmed down and thought about it carefully on the way, what wrong had Wang Er, who was already seriously ill and on the verge of death, done? If he was wrong, then wouldn't I be even more wrong? I knew that Ruoxi was blind, that the mountains were dangerous, and that even the woodcutter tried his best to stop her from going up the mountain, but I still agreed to her request."
Thinking back on all of this, Huan'er could no longer distinguish who was right and who was wrong. Perhaps all of this was destined to happen to Ruoxi, regardless of anyone's right or wrong.
If Wang Er hadn't found her barely alive in the water plants, she might have been dead long ago. And now, she risked her life to save Wang Er, disappearing without a trace. What else could she say but fate?
As she thought about it, Huan'er couldn't help but let some crystal tears slide down her face.
She quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand, then turned to the girl and said, "Little girl, I've known for a long time that Wang Er isn't a bad person. He just can't accept the fact that his parents died and he became an orphan, so he's just given up on himself. Over the years, although I've always scolded him, I know he doesn't take it to heart. You're right, he really is a good person!"
"Sister Huan'er..." Upon hearing this, the little girl reached out and tightly grasped Huan'er's hand, looking apologetic.
“Little girl, I originally chased after Wang Er just to find out exactly where Ruoxi’s accident happened. But now, standing here, I’m more worried about Wang Er’s safety. I suddenly realized that he definitely didn’t come up this mountain to hide from me…”
"If it's not to hide from Sister Huan'er, then what is it?" the little girl asked in surprise.
"I believe that in the entire Peach Blossom Village, no one knows this mountain better than Wang Er. Therefore, Wang Er must..."
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