After resting for a night, Du Yuhan didn't leave the space until after nine o'clock the next morning, when the sun was already high in the sky. She had been in the deep mountains for more than ten days, and it was time for her to go back.
She had a great harvest this time, collecting a lot of medicinal herbs, mountain products, and game. She was very satisfied.
Du Yuhan determined the direction and headed out of the mountains.
Meanwhile, in Luancheng, Han Yixian and Liu Gang were missing Du Yuhan.
Since Du Yuhan left, Liu Gang has resumed cooking the meals for the children in the courtyard every day.
Having grown accustomed to the delicious food prepared by Du Yuhan, Yuan Qiwen now found Liu Gang's cooking to be merely overcooked and tasteless. He missed the days when Du Yuhan was at home terribly.
Not only Yuan Qiwen, but Han Yixian felt it most obviously. Not only were there no delicious meals to eat, but there were also no nourishing soups or freshly made snacks every now and then.
In many aspects of life, Liu Gang did not take as good care of Han Yixian as Du Yuhan did, and Han Yixian also lost someone he could confide in, which made him feel that his quality of life had dropped several levels.
The people Han Yixian sent to protect Du Yuhan have been waiting in Du Yuhan's hometown since they lost track of her, but Du Yuhan has not returned home.
The man thought Du Yuhan wasn't going back to her hometown, so he went back to the county and called someone to report the news to Han Yixian. When he came back to look for Du's second branch of the family, they had disappeared.
The man quickly investigated the whereabouts of the second branch of the Du family, but the second branch of the Du family left very cleanly and neatly, leaving almost no trace. It was obvious that someone had secretly helped them.
After learning of this news, Han Yixian summoned the man back, knowing it must have been Du Yuhan's doing.
He always felt that Du Yuhan was not a simple girl; she must have her own connections.
He wouldn't ask Du Yuhan unless she brought it up herself, nor did he plan to investigate. Everyone has secrets, and he didn't want to cross Du Yuhan's line.
Han Yixian was looking forward to Du Yuhan's return as soon as possible, a feeling he had never experienced before when other caregivers came to take care of him.
Only after Du Yuhan left did he realize how important she was to him. It wasn't just about material needs; he also clearly felt his emotional need for her.
He didn't realize it until Du Yuhan was with him, but once she left, he felt that every move she made, every smile she gave, was deeply imprinted in his heart.
He felt empty inside when Du Yuhan wasn't around, and couldn't muster the energy to do anything.
He realized that he had fallen in love with Du Yuhan.
As Zhou Zhengye ate the inedible food Liu Gang had prepared, he said, "Du Yuhan has been gone for so long, why hasn't she come back yet?"
Han Yixian glanced up at Zhou Zhengye, who was eating his food with disdain, then lowered his head and silently ate the rice in his own bowl.
Seeing that Han Yixian was in low spirits, Zhou Zhengye asked, "Did Yuhan tell you where she went?"
Han Yixian couldn't say that Du Yuhan had gone to find medicinal herbs for him, so he could only reply, "She said she wanted to go back to her hometown to see her parents, so I told her to stay at home for a few more days."
Zhou Zhengye sighed and said, "I really miss Du Yuhan's cooking. I used to look forward to coming here every week to eat a meal cooked by Du Yuhan. I felt that a delicious meal would keep me energized for the whole week. Now that I don't have that privilege, I feel like nothing I do feels right. Habits are such a terrible thing."
Han Yixian felt inexplicably irritated as he listened to Zhou Zhengye's words. Deep down, he didn't want Zhou Zhengye to have much contact with Du Yuhan.
He was pleased that Du Yuhan had previously avoided Zhou Zhengye, so he didn't say anything.
Although he didn't understand why at the time, the feeling was very clear.
Looking back now, I realize it was because he had already fallen for Du Yuhan back then. Naturally, he didn't want the girl he liked to have much contact with other men, especially not a highly competitive man like Zhou Zhengye.
Even if Zhou Zhengye is his good brother, it's not okay.
Knowing his own feelings, Han Yixian began to plan in his mind how to make Du Yuhan like him too.
As Liu Gang ate the food he had cooked, he said dejectedly, "I usually watch Du Yuhan cook, and I try to cook like her, but no matter what I do, I can't make it taste the same."
Zhou Zhengye said, "Du Yuhan's cooking skills are not something that everyone can learn. I've eaten a lot of good food, and her skills are unique. Even some imperial chefs might not be able to make her taste like this."
Well, Du Yuhan's cooking has a kind of happiness in it; it makes you feel good. You'll never learn that.
Han Yixian hadn't expected Du Yuhan to be avoiding Zhou Zhengye like this, yet he still held Du Yuhan in such high regard.
Suddenly, a saying he had heard before flashed into his mind: "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."
Han Yixian felt that Zhou Zhengye should come to his house for meals less often in the future. Fortunately, Du Yuhan avoided Zhou Zhengye and did not have too much contact with him.
But why Du Yuhan was avoiding Zhou Zhengye, this mystery made Han Yixian feel inexplicably annoyed.
Yuan Qiwen went home for dinner because of the terrible food Liu Gang had cooked, intending to wait for Du Yuhan to return before coming back to the courtyard. He didn't want to torture his stomach.
Han Xiuqin was somewhat unhappy when she learned that Du Yuhan had returned home. She had asked Du Yuhan to come and take care of her nephew, but the little girl had been gone for so long. She really didn't know any better.
Han Xiuqin was worried that her nephew might be upset, so she went to see him.
Han Yixian noticed that his aunt had a problem with Du Yuhan's departure, so he defended her, saying, "Aunt, I asked Yuhan to go home and visit. She's a young girl who has never been away from home before, so she must miss home. I asked her to go home and see her parents."
Han Xiuqin said, "It's not that I don't want Yuhan to go home to see her parents, it's that I'm afraid she'll get entangled with those awful relatives and won't be able to get rid of them."
After hearing her nephew's words, Han Xiuqin felt much less objectionable. As long as her nephew had no objections, she was willing to agree to anything.
Han Yixian laughed and said, "Auntie, you're overthinking it. Do you really think Yuhan is capable of letting others take advantage of her right now?"
Han Xiuqin thought about Du Yuhan's behavior lately and realized it was quite something. She hadn't noticed until they spent time together, and now she understood that Du Yuhan was a shrewd and calculating girl. It wouldn't be so easy for anyone to scheme against her.
Han Xiuqin said, "Alright, she's your caregiver. If you have no objections, then of course I have nothing to say. But you'd better take care of yourself while Yuhan is away."
Han Yi nodded and said, "Aunt, don't worry."
Unbeknownst to many, Du Yuhan was trekking through the mountains. She didn't return the way she came, as it seemed closer to exit the mountains from the other side. She wanted to save as much time as possible.
Du Yuhan carefully moved through the forest, constantly poking at the bushes with her wooden stick.
Just as they were about to leave the deep mountains, Du Yuhan accidentally stepped on something and tripped.
She sat on the ground, rubbing her slightly sore ankle, and was shocked to find a human skull right next to her feet. She had fallen because she had stepped on the skull.
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