Mangshan is very large. We only walked around half of it with Hanhan and it was almost noon. There was not much shade on the mountain, so the sunlight was even stronger. It felt like we were walking on a furnace, with heat rising everywhere.
"Alright, let's call it a day!"
Jing Zhe wiped his sweat, looking somewhat weak.
Hanhan glanced at him, seemingly disgusted by his weak physique, and said in a low voice, "Young chieftain, go back first, I'll go get you some food."
Back at my lodgings, I was drenched in sweat.
The simpleton was quick; just as Jing Zhe finished changing his clothes, he brought the food into the house.
Looking at the rice and vegetables on the table, Jing Zhe lost his appetite.
I took two bites and almost threw up.
"Who's the cook on this mountain? I won't even mention how bad his cooking is and how undercooked he is, but what's the meaning behind this dish? Is he cursing me to be cuckolded?"
Jing Zhe held a small white cabbage with a black bottom and a bright green top, looking disgusted.
"Go back and tell my older sister to get rid of this cook right away! With skills like that, he might as well raise pigs!"
"..."
The simpleton stood there, silent, his large face slightly flushed.
"What? Does this cook have some kind of background?"
He shook his head sheepishly.
"If you have no connections, what are you afraid of? Just kick them out and say it was me who said it!"
“That…Young Master…”
He hesitated and fidgeted for a while before finally managing to utter, "There's no cook on the mountain, so I made this meal..."
"..."
...
Jing Zhe admitted that he couldn't match Han Han's cooking skills.
His determination to escape down the mountain grew stronger, because he feared that eating too much of this food would shorten his lifespan.
I lay in bed for a while, but I was incredibly thirsty.
Hanhan had already gone back, and Jing Zhe was too lazy to call him. He took the kettle and prepared to go to the well to fetch some cool water.
We didn't see a single person along the way.
It seems that what Hanhan said was right. It's too hot at noon, so everyone is hiding indoors to rest and cool off. Only a fool would go and rob people.
The well water was icy cold. After drinking it, Jing Zhe felt refreshed. He looked around and suddenly an idea came to him:
Why not take this opportunity to escape?
He quickly went back to his room, packed his luggage, and cautiously came out.
The mountain road was rugged and difficult to walk, and the weather was hot. Jing Zhe was exhausted and weak, but he dared not rest for a moment.
I don't know how long we walked, but we finally arrived at the foot of the mountain.
Jing Zhe turned to look at the towering mountain stream and grinned.
Ignoring how uncomfortable his sweat-soaked clothes were clinging to his body, Jing Zhe didn't stop and continued along the path.
According to my memory, Yongzhou is about four or five miles ahead.
In another half hour, once he enters Yongzhou City, even if Lu Li knows he has escaped, there will be nothing she can do. She wouldn't be so bold as to enter the city to snatch him, would she?
He'll rest in the city for a day, and tomorrow he'll rent a horse-drawn carriage to leave the city!
Jingzhou, here I come!
Big sister, I'm here!
Thinking of this, Jing Zhe felt his steps become much lighter.
But he stopped after taking only a few steps.
Staring at the familiar, tall figure ahead, his smile gradually froze.
What are you doing here?
The two spoke almost simultaneously, then chuckled and said, "There's not much food left on the mountain, so the chieftain sent me to the city to buy some."
As she spoke, she waved the half-bag of rice in her hand in front of him.
Is this the time... to buy rice?
Jing Zhe couldn't believe it no matter how he listened.
But at this moment, he didn't dare to ask, and could only laugh awkwardly and say, "My eldest sister is the chieftain, and she is highly skilled in martial arts. If I, as her younger brother, am powerless, wouldn't that be too embarrassing for her? So I thought I'd come down the mountain to exercise and practice my skills!"
The simple-minded man exclaimed with admiration, "No wonder you're the young chieftain!"
His gaze shifted downwards, noticing the luggage in Jing Zhe's hands, and he asked with a suspicious look, "If you're practicing martial arts... why are you carrying luggage?"
"hehe…"
Jing Zhe remained calm and asked in return, "Have you ever heard of carrying a heavy burden forward?"
Seeing that Hanhan was shaking his head, he continued, "It's like exercising while carrying heavy objects; the result will be twice as effective!"
Hanhan, being a martial artist, immediately understood after being pointed out by him. While praising him, he also put the half-bag of rice in his hand on Jing Zhe's shoulder.
"Young chieftain, your luggage is too light. It won't be as effective. You should carry this bag of rice instead!"
Jing Zhe: "..."
...
It took Jing Zhe about an hour to walk down the mountain.
It took him more than two hours to walk up from the foot of the mountain!
Especially that half-bag of rice on my back, it's all tears when I think about it!
Back at his lodgings, Jing Zhe collapsed onto his bed. When Hanhan brought him dinner that evening, he simply waved him off, too lazy to even utter a word.
Lying in bed that night, he reflected on his bad luck. He had just come down the mountain and encountered the simpleton buying rice; he could only say he was incredibly unlucky.
After a night of rest and recuperation, you'll be full of energy again the next day.
That noon, Hanhan went home early after delivering the food.
Half past noon, Jing Zhe, having finished his lunch, slipped out again.
I bought rice yesterday, I can't buy more today, can I?
Having learned from yesterday's experience, he ran down the mountain with ease this time, and his speed was much faster.
He was stunned when he arrived at the foot of the mountain.
There he was, with another half-sack of rice on his back, grinning at him: "Young Master, practicing your skills again?"
"hold head high…"
Jing Zhe, panting heavily, pointed at his half-bag of rice and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Didn't you just buy half a bag yesterday? Why are you buying more today?"
Hanhan scratched his head, "The chieftain said there are too many people on the mountain, and half a bag of rice isn't enough, so he told me to come down here again!"
"..."
"Young chieftain, you are truly diligent. Go back and tell the chieftain how hard you work; she will be very happy!"
"..."
"Young chieftain, give me the luggage!"
In a daze, the luggage in Jing Zhe's hands was snatched away by Hanhan.
Immediately afterwards, the half-bag of rice was placed on his shoulder again, heavy and steady...
"..."
...
They say once is enough, twice is too much, but three times is not enough. Jing Zhe rested for a day, and on the third day, he started his escape plan again.
Having learned his lesson from the previous two times, he plans to leave at night this time!
Surely you can't go out to buy rice at night, can you?
As night fell, the wind on the mountain became unusually cool.
During the day it was hot, so the bandits hid inside their houses. But at night, the outside was bustling with people who had eaten and were out enjoying the cool air, making it much more lively than during the day.
Jing Zhe also went out and joked with them, everything seemed normal.
After 7 PM, everyone gradually returned to their houses.
Jing Zhe was not in a hurry. He waited in the dark room until midnight, then carefully opened the door. There was no one outside.
The moon was bright and the stars were few; the mountain path was well-lit.
A cool breeze is blowing, making it very pleasant.
Of the three escapes, this was the most comfortable one. I hope it ends well.
Jing Zhe thought to himself.
But when he ran down the mountain and saw the tall, familiar figure standing there blankly, his mentality completely collapsed.
The shadowy figure drew closer, and its grinning, round face became exceptionally clear in the moonlight.
After a long silence, Jing Zhe, his face ashen, slowly opened his mouth and spoke with a hoarse voice.
“how old are you???”
————
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
