Chapter 188 New Life
It is early summer in a blink of an eye. The seasons in this space are very unique. Winter and summer are long, and spring and autumn are short. It only takes a few days to transition from winter to summer.
Zhong Min sat barefoot on a large rock beside the stream, his feet splashing water from time to time. It was very cool in the mountains, and the water had been exposed to the sun all day, so the temperature was very comfortable at this moment.
She half-closed her eyes in contentment, the surrounding green mountains, clear waters, birdsong, and fragrant flowers delighted her greatly. This small valley was a paradise she had stumbled upon, and she loved to come and sit here whenever she had time. The dazzling array of wildflowers on the hillside filled the air with a delicate fragrance that made her feel unusually intoxicated.
Over the hillside, there was a renovated little house halfway up the mountain. Originally a temporary resting place for hunters, it was now Zhong Min's home. Not far away, at the foot of the mountain, there was a small village with a dozen or so families. Every few days, Zhong Min would visit the village, partly to exchange supplies and partly to pass the time playing with the children.
In fact, she didn't know where this place was. She only knew that it was about half a day's journey from the nearest town. Originally, she hadn't planned to live in seclusion in the mountains, but Qin Ke had brought her here.
As she left Lijiazhuang, Zhong Min was always aware of a pair of eyes silently watching her from behind, but she never looked back, letting the horse gallop away under the silver moonlight. Xiao Mingzheng was somewhat trustworthy and did not allow anyone to follow her, nor did he secretly send anyone to help her. He let her go freely as promised.
Qin Ke didn't return to the capital alone. He said that the capital wasn't where he wanted to be in the first place, and there was no reason to go back. He insisted on going with Zhong Min, and Zhong Min remained unmoved, saying that it was his own business and that he could do whatever he pleased, and not to burden Zhong Min with any psychological burden.
Later, Zhong Min stopped trying to persuade him. Qin Ke was indeed alone, and it didn't matter where he went. Furthermore, in his eyes, she was Li Jin'er after all, so he certainly wouldn't let her wander aimlessly alone.
The two of them rested for a night in a small inn. After daybreak, Qin Ke took Zhong Min directly to the place where they were staying now. This place seemed quite far from the capital. They rode horses along the way, stopping and resting, and it took them almost three or four days to get here.
Originally, Zhong Min had considered moving to a small, medium-sized town where no one knew them and where they could start a small business. Once they were comfortable living in one place, they could move on and start anew, living and traveling at the same time. But Qin Ke disagreed, saying it wasn't the right time yet and they had to wait until the hype died down.
Zhong Min understood what Qin Ke meant. Although she was no longer working for Xiao Mingzheng, that didn't mean those who had previously wanted her life would just let her go. On the contrary, without the protection of Xiao Mingzheng's forces, her situation would be even more dangerous than before.
So, after weighing the pros and cons, she didn't say anything more and honestly followed Qin Ke's arrangements. She first found such a secluded place to settle down. Fortunately, the scenery here was really good, much better than those 4A and 5A scenic spots in modern society. Since it was quiet and comfortable, she was quite satisfied.
Strangely, Qin Ke seemed to be quite familiar with the people in this village. The small house they lived in now was renovated and decorated by the villagers. Whenever these families made something delicious, they would never forget to send some to them.
The only awkward part was that everyone seemed to think Zhong Min and Qin Ke were a married couple, their gazes filled with ambiguous intimacy. Qin Ke offered to explain that they were just friends, but the villagers simply refused to believe him. Seeing this, Zhong Min simply didn't bother explaining further, lest the explanation become more confusing. After all, not accusing them of eloping or being an adulterer was already a good thing.
The villagers relied mainly on hunting, with the women also growing vegetables and fruits, and they managed to make a pretty good living. Qin Ke would sometimes go hunting in the mountains, and despite missing an arm, he always returned with a bountiful harvest. Zhong Min, somewhat enthusiastically, joined in, discovering that this guy didn't even need a bow; he could throw arrows with one hand and never missed a single shot. It was truly impressive. However, for such a skilled hunter, this felt like overkill.
After having these things sold and exchanged for other daily necessities, Qin Ke often didn't have to go hunting for a long time. When Zhong Min left Lijiazhuang, she only had some loose change and one other item with her; everything else was left behind. Qin Ke did take some with him, but Zhong Min didn't ask how much it was. He only bought her a few sets of clothes along the way, and later used up a lot more when renovating the cottage. After adding a lot of things, it seemed that he still had some money.
Now, she has changed back into ordinary women's clothes, and casually ties a braid behind her head every day. No one says anything when she goes in and out, so she feels very comfortable.
If there was one thing she still had trouble adapting to, it was the daily meals. It wasn't that Zhong Min had never been in the kitchen before; she could cook ordinary meals. However, the key issue was that this wasn't a modern place; they used wood as fuel, and the utensils for cooking really made her feel overwhelmed.
The first time, the rice was not only burnt, but also half-cooked. Not only was his face black, but his fingers also got burned and blistered. Qin Ke later stopped letting Zhong Min do these things. Sometimes he would just cook something casually, and sometimes he would ask the villagers at the foot of the mountain to take turns to make some and send it over. At first, Zhong Min was very embarrassed, but later, when Xiang'er, the little girl from his second aunt's family, said that Qin Ke paid them and they just made a little extra, he felt a little relieved.
However, even so, Zhong Min still felt a little guilty, so sometimes he would tell stories to the few children in the village and teach them to recognize words. This would make the adults even happier and they became more enthusiastic towards Zhong Min and Qin Ke.
Zhong Min also grew fond of such days. Although they were not quite what he had imagined, this peaceful and comfortable tranquility was exceptionally rare. It turned out that the ancient saying of retreating to the mountains and forests wasn't just a cliché; the experience itself was unique.
Qin Ke would go out every five or six days, and Zhong Min wouldn't ask where he was going. After all, everyone had their own privacy, and Qin Ke was different from her. He must have other things to attend to in this world. So she never said anything. She knew in her heart that this man would never harm her, and that was enough.
Every time he came back, he would bring back lots of cakes, snacks, and other treats, and occasionally even lots of fruit not available in the village, stuffing Zhong Min's mouth with everything. And whenever he went out, he would always tell Zhong Min to stay home and not go into the mountains alone, as he was always worried that she would encounter poisonous snakes or small animals that might hurt her.
Zhong Min always agreed, but as soon as Qin Ke left, she would dive into the mountains, embracing nature in an infinitely close way. This mountain stream was where she came most often, and sometimes she would spend a whole morning or afternoon there, doing nothing at all, until she figured Qin Ke was almost home, and then she would hurriedly leave.
Today's sunset was exceptionally beautiful, and the rays of light falling on her body seemed to cover her with a colorful coat. Zhong Min stood quietly in the sunset, her hair, a little messy due to the wind, floating up from time to time, revealing a white and smooth face, as delicate as jade, and her beautiful facial features becoming even more refined and elegant.
Today, she seemed to have lost track of time, her gaze gazing into the distance, unfocused and scattered, as if lost in thought, not even noticing the approaching sunset. She held something in her hand, occasionally tracing it delicately with her fingers, only then could one sense that she wasn't truly petrified.
Xiaoxiang was stunned from a distance. It was the first time she felt that this unexpected Sister Min was so beautiful and charming. When she first saw Zhong Min, she had only thought she was very friendly and good-looking, better looking than anyone in her village, but she had never thought she could be so captivating.
Xiaoxiang is only nine years old this year, but her age does not hinder her love and judgment of beauty at all. Especially this beautiful sister Min often tells them stories, teaches them to read and write, and takes them to play, so all the little friends like her very much.
After a moment, Xiaoxiang finally came to her senses and walked towards Zhong Min, shouting, "Sister Min, come down quickly! It's getting late. Why haven't you gone home yet?"
Hearing Xiaoxiang's voice, Zhong Min suddenly woke up from her deep thoughts. She responded hurriedly, quickly put the things in her hands into her arms, stepped down from the stone, and put on her shoes.
As soon as she put on her shoes, Xiaoxiang ran to her side. Although the little girl was young, she was quite tall and had already reached Zhong Min's shoulders. It was estimated that she would be much taller than her in the future.
"Xiaoxiang, why are you here?" Zhong Min patted Xiaoxiang on the head and said affectionately, "Does Second Aunt know you're here?"
"I know. My mother asked me to bring food to you and Uncle Qin."
It's strange to say, all the little ones here call Zhong Min "Sister Min", but call Qin Ke "Uncle". Zhong Min was very proud of it at the time and laughed secretly for a long time. Later, she found that everyone here is like this, and it's nothing, so she didn't find it funny anymore.
Xiaoxiang walked back holding Zhong Min's hand while asking, "Sister Min, what were you holding just now? Why did you put it away as soon as I called you?"
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