Chapter 174: A Scene of Two Women Fighting Over One Man
Looking in the direction the wild boar was charging from, she caught sight of a not-too-thick tree nearby and, in a moment of inspiration, said, "Climb the tree."
Almost simultaneously, Xie Yunze also made a judgment: "Quick, get behind that tree behind me, I'll lure it away."
"No, that's too dangerous."
Xu Zhili objected.
In a flash, she saw a dense thicket of thorny brambles nearby.
With a thought, several wild fruits she had collected earlier to feed the rabbits appeared in her palm. She threw them with all her might behind the thorn bushes!
The wild fruit fell to the ground with a dull thud, which, as expected, attracted the attention of the wild boar.
It hesitated for a moment, then turned towards the thicket of thorns.
"Now's the time, let's go!"
Xie Yunze seized the opportunity, grabbed Xu Zhili's wrist, and quickly retreated behind a huge rock to the side, using the terrain to hide his figure.
The wild boar rooted around in the thicket a few times, but finding nothing, it seemed to have lost its target and slowly walked away, grunting.
The two only breathed a sigh of relief when the wild boar's sounds completely disappeared.
Xie Yunze still held her wrist tightly, his palm warm and even a little sweaty.
Xu Zhili could feel her heart pounding like a drum, unable to tell whether it was from fear or something else.
Xie Yunze looked down at her, his eyes filled with lingering fear and a new kind of scrutiny and admiration: "You were very brave and smart just now."
He paused, his voice a little hoarse, "Don't take such risks next time, it's too dangerous."
Xu Zhili struggled with her wrist, and he released her as if he had been electrocuted. "I can't just watch you take the risk alone."
She turned her face away and whispered, her ears turning slightly red.
After this small ordeal they shared, the atmosphere between them was noticeably different.
After bypassing the rocks, we hadn't gone far when the view suddenly opened up before us.
A patch of wild hawthorn trees came into view, the bright red fruits hanging from the branches like countless little lanterns, looking especially tempting after being washed by the rain.
"So many hawthorns."
Xu Zhili exclaimed in surprise, her earlier tension greatly reduced.
"Hmm, looks good."
Xie Yunze laughed and tied the pheasant in his hand somewhere.
The two began picking.
Xie Yunze was tall, so he easily picked the plumpest fruits from the top and handed them to Xu Zhili.
"Ah Li, be careful."
Xu Zhili looked up and smiled as she accepted the gift; the two worked together seamlessly.
Xu Zhili carefully selected them and told him, "Pick these that are dark red and a little soft to the touch; they're sweeter. Those over there that are too green are sour they'll make your teeth ache."
Xie Yunze tried very hard to identify them, but occasionally he would pick one that was extremely sour, which made Xu Zhili laugh.
After collecting a lot, the two sat down to rest on a large, dry rock.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, creating dappled patterns.
Xu Zhili took out a water bottle and handed it to him. Xie Yunze took it and naturally took a sip.
Xu Zhili picked up a bright red hawthorn, wiped it with her handkerchief, and handed it to him: "Try it? It's sour, but it'll whet your appetite."
Xie Yunze took it, put it in his mouth and took a bite. It was so sour that his facial features wrinkled slightly, but it quickly became sweet and refreshing.
"How about it?"
Xu Zhili asked with a smile.
"...It's very refreshing."
Xie Yunze spoke honestly, and the two looked at each other and smiled.
Looking at the village rooftops appearing and disappearing below the mountain, enjoying the sunshine and tranquility after the rain, and sharing the sweet and sour hawthorns, a simple yet warm atmosphere lingered between the two.
Forget the outside world's troubles for a moment, only the mountain breeze, the fragrance of fruit, and the people beside you.
After resting, Xu Zhili's consciousness stirred slightly, wanting Ya Ya to also experience the atmosphere of the mountains.
Suddenly, she felt the bud in the space tremble slightly, conveying a faint, directional sense of curiosity.
"What's wrong?" The observant Xie Yunze noticed her slight pause.
"It seems... there's something over there."
Xu Zhili followed the direction Ya Ya pointed out, which was at the foot of an inconspicuous rock wall.
Xie Yunze followed closely behind, cautiously observing his surroundings.
There were only a few ordinary weeds and a gray stone half-buried in the ground.
Xu Zhili squatted down, and Ya Ya's senses became clearer.
She brushed away the soil and moss on the surface of the stone and found that it had a warm and smooth texture, with a faint, jade-like luster, and a strange warmth to the touch.
"This stone..."
Xie Yunze also squatted down, examined it carefully, and tapped it with his finger. "It doesn't seem to be ordinary mountain rock. The texture is very special, and..."
He also felt that unusual warmth. "It's warm?"
Xu Zhili nodded, understanding that this was probably thanks to Ya Ya for discovering the spiritual treasures in the mountains.
She looked at Xie Yunze and found him looking at her. His eyes no longer held simple doubt, but a deeper, gentle gaze that was filled with inquiry and understanding.
"Sister... always seems to be able to lead me to discover something unusual."
He spoke softly, his tone devoid of fear, only showing acceptance and curiosity.
Xu Zhili's heart stirred slightly, but she didn't deny it. She simply stroked the warm stone gently: "Perhaps. This thing... might be useful if we keep it?"
She seemed to be asking him a question, or perhaps talking to herself.
"If you think it's good, then take it."
Xie Yunze spoke naturally, as if accepting all her incredible aspects was the most normal thing in the world.
He helped her dig out the stone; it wasn't big, just the right size to hold in her palm.
Xu Zhili carefully put it away.
This little incident, like a silent promise, allowed Xie Yunze to enter Xu Zhili's inner world even further.
Xu Zhili carried a plump pheasant steadily in her hand, following behind Xie Yunce, and the two walked down the mountain at a leisurely pace.
Strangely, it seemed that no one's attention was focused on their descent from the mountain.
Xu Zhili noticed this and felt inexplicably relieved.
Xie Yunze's lips curled up slightly. He knew that Xu Zhili was thin-skinned. If he couldn't help but secretly laugh at this moment and Xu Zhili saw it, it would definitely make her unhappy.
As she walked, Xu Zhili noticed that many people were rushing forward. It was work time, so why did everyone look so excited?
Curious, she casually grabbed a passing middle-aged woman and politely asked, "Auntie, what's going on? You all seem so excited and walking ahead."
The aunt turned her head and saw that it was Xu Zhili. She smiled and said, "Oh, it's little Xu, the educated youth. It's nothing serious, just a scene of two women fighting over one man. The scene was quite exciting."
"No, I have to go and check it out right away. If I get there and the argument is already over, I'll be at a huge loss."
"Little Xu, why don't you go join the fun?"
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