For several days in a row, He Kai was in charge of driving wooden stakes, Zheng Tianming used the mortise and tenon structure to assemble the fine wood together, and Shen Yunxi was not idle either, but she was not very good at these rough jobs, so she could only follow orders and do whatever she was told.
Xu Mengyu was feeling unwell and was resting inside the tent. As soon as she went outside, Zheng Tianming started yelling at her fiercely...
"I'm going out to find something to eat. There are some traps I've set nearby. You guys stay here and don't wander off," Zheng Tianming said, putting his short-sleeved shirt back on.
Shen Yunxi took out some unsoaked bandages from her bag: "Brother Zheng, give me your hand." His hands were covered in tiny cuts, which looked painful.
Zheng Tianming ignored her, knowing what she meant: if you don't want to provoke someone, you have to take the initiative to refuse.
He Kai lay on the straw mat, having worked all morning. It was more tiring than raising pigs at home, and the worst part was that it was all hard work and didn't make any money...
Shen Yunxi idly drew circles on the ground with a twig. After about ten minutes, He Kai fell asleep, and she got up and went into the tent.
"All you do is sleep. Wake up, Brother Zheng is calling you to get up and help." Shen Yunxi said, kicking Xu Mengyu's calf with her toe. She certainly knows how to enjoy life.
Xu Mengyu was covered in sweat. Hearing Shen Yunxi's words, she propped herself up and sat up: "Don't touch me, what if you have athlete's foot and infect me..."
"You..." She's wearing shoes!
Shen Yunxi glanced at it and snorted softly, "That's still better than constantly running to the gynecology hospital, don't you think, Sister Mengyu?"
Xu Mengyu put on an innocent expression: "You're asking me? Who should I ask?" Her complexion wasn't very good, and her lips were a little dry.
Everyone knows about her messy affairs, why pretend to be stupid: "Hurry up, Brother Zheng has already left."
Xu Mengyu didn't know if what Shen Yunxi said was true, but she was afraid of delaying important matters. If it wasn't true, she figured she might as well have made a wasted trip.
Zheng Tianming was digging out snake gallbladders, his military boots stepping on the snake's head, the snake's body lying in a straw basket beside him. He had combat experience, so dealing with these things was not difficult for him.
Xu Mengyu yawned, holding a basket woven from tree branches in her hand. If she remembered correctly, her mother seemed to have said that mushrooms would grow under the trees after thunder.
On her way to find Zheng Tianming, she could pick some mushrooms to eat. She might not recognize wild vegetables, but how could she not recognize mushrooms?
Shen Yunxi sat quietly at the encampment drinking water. Even if Xu Mengyu hadn't fallen into the trap, Zheng Tianming would still have yelled at her when he got back. Anyway, no one saw it; it was she who told her to go.
She could tell that Xu Mengyu wanted to get closer to Zheng Tianming, but Zheng Tianming didn't really want to talk to her. Before their relationship showed any signs of warming up, she had to find a way to make them hate each other, otherwise she would have no chance at all.
She's gotten to know Zheng Tianming's temperament pretty well these past few days. As long as she doesn't talk too much and does what she can, like when she handed him a band-aid today, he didn't take it, but his attitude was noticeably better than before.
“...”
"My mom wasn't lying to me after all." Xu Mengyu broke the mushroom off with her hands, looked at it carefully, and exclaimed "Wow!" It had actually turned blue, and it was quite pretty.
Go back and try it. If it tastes good, take some back with you when you leave and share it with the elders in your family.
She knew of a type of red mushroom with long dots that was poisonous and inedible, but she didn't know about the others...
After Zheng Tianming spread out the processed snake gallbladders to dry, he began searching for eight-petaled lotus, as there were many venomous snakes in the area, and it was better to be prepared.
Podophyllum hexandrum has a stout, horizontal rhizome with many fibrous roots and is used to treat snake venom.
Xu Mengyu picked mushrooms as she walked. She felt a little dizzy, her temples were throbbing, and her feet were often tripped by tree branches in the mud. She took each step very carefully.
A gentle breeze ruffled her hair. Xu Mengyu stopped leaning against a large tree. If she could choose, she wouldn't get close to Zheng Tianming anymore. That way, she would still be his sister, one of the most important people in his life...
After searching for a long time without finding Zheng Tianming, Xu Mengyu simply picked up the mushrooms and went back first. With his abilities, nothing would happen to him, although the possibility that Shen Yunxi was lying to her could not be ruled out.
When He Kai saw Xu Mengyu return with mushrooms, he got up and went over to her. "Perfect timing, there's some leftover chicken soup from yesterday." He usually cooks for himself at home, not guaranteeing the taste but ensuring it's cooked through.
"Mengyu, why does this mushroom change color as soon as you cut it?" He Kai picked up a blue mushroom after cutting it and smelled it. It just smelled like mushroom, with no other special smell.
Xu Mengyu felt dizzy: "I don't know, see if you can eat it." All she wanted to do right now was sleep.
He Kai thought to himself that what Zheng Tianming had found must be correct.
That's right! He thought Zheng Tianming had asked Xu Mengyu to bring these mushrooms back...
This can't be blamed on He Kai. It was Shen Yunxi who told her that Xu Mengyu insisted on going to Zheng Tianming no matter what, and she couldn't be persuaded otherwise.
"Mengyu, get up and have some soup before you go back to sleep," He Kai called out twice through the tent.
Xu Mengyu grunted twice, "You guys drink." She wasn't feeling well to begin with, and after picking mushrooms for over an hour, she felt a bit nauseous.
He Kai put the soup into the tent: "Drink it while it's hot, it won't taste good when it gets cold." After saying that, he served Shen Yunxi a bowl: "Let's drink first, I've already saved Tianming's portion."
"You've worked hard, eat more meat." Shen Yunxi said, picking out mushrooms and chicken and putting them into He Kai's bowl, although there weren't many pieces in total.
He Kai didn't say anything and drank the soup in big gulps.
Xu Mengyu drifted off to sleep, and before she knew how much time had passed, she suddenly heard a cacophony of curses outside. At first, she tried to ignore it, but Shen Yunxi's curses grew increasingly offensive.
She sat up, her throat a little dry. She picked up the soup that was beside her and took a couple of sips to moisten her throat; it tasted awful...
When they went outside, they saw Shen Yunxi kneeling on the ground, holding a bowl in her hand. Her voice had changed: "You little bitch, what do you think you are? Bah! You think you can bully me? Let me tell you, it's impossible!"
Xu Mengyu was stunned. What was going on? What had she "bumped" into? She had said long ago that the forest might not be clean, and Zheng Tianming had even said that she was just talking nonsense all day long.
"Put my pigs down, I'm not selling them anymore. We agreed on this price yesterday. Forty pigs were already on the truck. You're trying to bargain with me? If you're not selling, unload them." He Kai put his hands on his hips and pointed ahead: "Damn it, you're trying to take advantage of me."
"Go talk to Xu Mengyu's agent! Why should she steal my endorsement? I made that old hag sleep like crazy to get this endorsement, and she thinks she can just take it away with a 'not bad' comment! Who does she think she is!" Shen Yunxi wiped away her tears, crying like a baby: "Do you know how hard it was for me...?"
Xu Mengyu's right eyelid twitched incessantly. She pressed her body against the tent and slowly moved to the side. What was going on? This was terrifying.
Why isn't Zheng Tianming back yet...?
He Kai turned around and saw a pig lying on the ground. He quickly walked over and asked, "Sir, did you knock this pig over?" But as soon as he reached out, Shen Yunxi kicked him to the ground and said, "Get lost! What are you? How dare you touch me?"
It's a complete mess.
When Zheng Tianming returned, he saw He Kai and Shen Yunxi sitting on the ground cursing in hoarse voices. Xu Mengyu was far away, clutching the hem of her clothes with both hands, looking up from time to time, her face pale, looking extremely frightened. He frowned, holding a piece of skinned and cut snake meat in his hand.
I'm afraid some coward will be too scared to eat it.
As he passed by, he glanced at the mushrooms in the basket and asked, "Where did these come from?" He pointed at them.
Xu Mengyu whispered, "I picked them..."
Zheng Tianming took two steps forward, restrained Shen Yunxi who was still cursing and scratching, and pressed his hand against her stomach. After a few times, she vomited.
"When the hell are you going to grow up? Is this food for humans?" Zheng Tianming roared.
No one knows how much those two ate. Even if Xu Mengyu meant well, if they ate them to death, her future and Uncle Xu's career would be ruined. How could she dare to do that!
Xu Mengyu didn't realize that the problem was with her own mushrooms until Zheng Tianming told her.
She preferred to believe in ghosts rather than suspect that the problem lay with her...
After finishing his work, Zheng Tianming lit a cigarette. Xu Mengyu sat on the straw mat with her legs wrapped around her waist, her eyes red and swollen. All he did was scold her; she hadn't done it on purpose.
The two people lying on the ground were still somewhat disoriented and muttering to themselves, but their complexions were much better than before.
Zheng Tianming finally got a break and smoked a cigarette. Xu Mengyu, who was sitting next to him, took off her coat.
Mengyu turned her head, cupped her cheeks in her hands, and looked at him with a lovesick expression: "Brother Zheng, you have such a great body, let me play with it, especially your penis, it's so big and..."
"Hmm--"
Zheng Tianming immediately covered Xu Mengyu's mouth. What were you saying! How could he not have thought of that? Those two people drank it, so how could she not drink the mushrooms she picked herself?
Xu Mengyu struggled fiercely, so Zheng Tianming had no choice but to let go of her.
Xu Mengyu pounced on him, placing her legs on either side of Zheng Tianming's body, her hands against his chest, her fingertips slowly unbuttoning his shirt: "Shh, keep your voice down, don't let our parents hear."
Zheng Tianming, fearing that Xu Mengyu might fall, supported her waist with his hand.
"I lent you my homework, how are you going to repay me?" Xu Mengyu said, licking her lips.
Zheng Tianming cursed under his breath. What was Xu Mengyu thinking all day that she would have such a hallucination? But this scene seemed to have happened before.
"Who told you to move?" Xu Mengyu said, pinching Xiao Douzi hard through her shirt.
Zheng Tianming gasped in pain, then a soft kiss landed on his lips, her hands roaming restlessly, stirring things up...
Having been poisoned, Zheng Tianming forced himself to regain his senses.
Xu Mengyu lay on Zheng Tianming's lap and returned all the food she had eaten.
Fortunately, He Kai's cooking skills aren't great, otherwise things might have been different.
For a whole week, all three patients could only lie in bed, feeling weak all over and experiencing palpitations. Xu Mengyu's condition was more serious; she had a cold and her resistance was low.
"Brother Zheng, please do something about Sister Mengyu. I told her not to go out because it's dangerous, but she wouldn't listen. When she came back, she lied to us and said that you picked the mushrooms." Shen Yunxi hugged Zheng Tianming's arm with teary eyes.
He Kai was exhausted; he had an upset stomach and even medicine couldn't help him. "No, I thought Tianming picked the mushrooms." He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently.
Shen Yunxi wiped away her tears and pressed her face against Zheng Tianming: "I told her not to go out, but she wouldn't listen to me. She suspects that Sister Mengyu just doesn't like me and wants to kill me."
Xu Mengyu lay silently to the side. At the time, only she and Shen Yunxi were in the tent, so even if she explained, it would be useless. It was indeed she who picked the mushrooms.
“It’s not that bad.” Zheng Tianming said, pulling his arm away. “If she wants, she can just let me silence her, and I will do it.” He spoke the last four words very slowly.
Zheng Tianming hates Xu Mengyu, hates that she treats his feelings as a game, and hates that she uses breaking up as a threat even though she knows that joining the army is his dream.
When he was homesick and missed her, she broke up with him. For two whole years, he couldn't get over the heartbreak.
However, this doesn't mean that others can slander her to his face, and if he wants to retaliate, that's his business.
Shen Yunxi's heart skipped a beat; she hadn't expected Zheng Tianming to say that.
"I'll remind you one last time, I'm her brother." Zheng Tianming finished speaking and got up to leave. He just wanted to give them the medicine and make sure they wouldn't die.
Xu Mengyu was at a loss for how to react; she hadn't expected Zheng Tianming to stand by her side.
Shen Yunxi pressed herself against He Kai and cried, "How could you do this, Brother He? Please say something fair!"
He Kai gently patted Shen Yunxi: "Tianming was just teasing you." What could he say? He couldn't let things get too tense, since they would still be living together in the future.
Zheng Tianming built the house by himself. When he returned to the tent at night, he saw the other two people sleeping together, and Xu Mengyu was blinking at him.
"As expected of my ex-husband, he still knows how to speak up for me." Xu Mengyu looked at Zheng Tianming with a smile, her beautiful eyes sparkling.
Zheng Tianming snorted coldly, his eyes lowered: "You really know how to flatter yourself. Weren't we just friends with benefits from beginning to end?"
Xu Mengyu's smile gradually disappeared: "Even if you ate two pounds of chicken cakes, your words wouldn't be as awful as yours." After saying that, she turned around, hugged her blanket, and prepared to go to sleep.
This is infuriating!
With limited space in the tent, Zheng Tianming had to sleep outside. He had barely closed his eyes when he heard wolves howling in the distance, one after another.
Wolves are social animals; they will not attack rashly unless they are fully prepared.
Zheng Tianming turned his head and glanced at the tent. The three inside were in a weakened state. If the wolf pack attacked at this moment, he could only save one.
The night wind rustled through the bushes, and the wolf pack moved swiftly through the darkness. They were highly coordinated, communicating through body language and low howls; countless eyes gleamed green, and their teeth were sharp as knives...
Zheng Tianming put on his windbreaker and crawled into the tent.
"What are you doing..." Xu Mengyu was startled; she was just about to go to sleep.
Zheng Tianming braced himself on the ground, his voice low and much deeper than before: "Take this." He handed one of the military knives to Xu Mengyu: "If I'm not back by dawn, just take care of yourself and don't look for me."
Xu Mengyu hurriedly sat up, but after a moment of dizziness, she lay back down: "What are you going to do?"
Zheng Tianming didn't answer. He could only take a gamble. Either he could save them or he could trade one for three. Either way, he wouldn't lose.
He had too many worries and concerns, but he had to deal with the crisis at hand.
Zheng Tianming could take Xu Mengyu with him, but that would violate his duty and mission as a soldier.
Xu Mengyu forced herself to go outside, only to see Zheng Tianming's figure disappear into the darkness. The campfire was still burning, but her heart was freezing cold.
Because she heard the howl of wolves...
If she goes after him now, she'll only be a burden, but she's worried about him facing the wolves alone. What should she do?
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