Chapter 28: Gone to Gather Herbs in the Mountains?
"What’s the big deal? We just ran into each other on the road."
He was quietly scheming, his attention now completely focused on Shanshan.
He had noticed that she would sneak out almost every day, carrying a small cloth bag.
At first, he thought the girl was just restless and wanted to enjoy the novelty of the mountains.
But after observing her for three or four days in a row, he discovered a strange pattern.
Every time she went out, she avoided the main road.
She would always turn into the deep, old forest behind the village, all by herself.
He recalled seeing a fleeting image of Shanshan squatting in the grass that day, clutching a handful of roots, her expression tense as she glanced around nervously.
She didn’t look like she was picking wildflowers at all.
A thought suddenly buzzed in Cao Daqiang’s mind.
A ridiculous idea popped into his head.
’Could it be...’
’Is she really going into the mountains to gather herbs for Yang Dapeng?’
He scoffed internally.
’Yang Dapeng’s condition is something even the big city hospitals can’t cure.’
’What kind of panacea could a three- or four-year-old girl possibly find?’
But then another thought occurred to him. ’What if...’
’What if Zhang Yunhua is pulling the strings behind the scenes?’
’She’s afraid I’ll find out, so she’s coaxing the child to act as her substitute, sneaking into the mountains to find those folk remedies you can’t buy anywhere else?’
The more he thought about it, the more plausible the idea seemed.
’So that’s it! That’s what’s going on!’
He secretly clenched his fists.
But he was so overjoyed that he completely failed to notice how abnormally he himself had been acting these past few days.
"Jiajia."
In the afternoon, Liu Yingzi pulled her daughter into a corner and said in a hushed voice.
"When your dad goes out later, don’t make a sound. Follow him quietly and see where he goes. Don’t let him see you."
She paused, a glint of coldness in her eyes.
"Pay close attention. See if he’s going to see that bastard child again."
"Mom..."
Jiajia blinked her large, teary eyes, her voice trembling on the verge of tears.
"Does Daddy... like that wild girl more now? Does he... not like me anymore?"
Liu Yingzi’s heart skipped a beat, but she immediately put on her most gentle smile.
"Silly child, of course not. You’re Mommy’s precious treasure. Daddy just has something important to do, it has nothing to do with you at all. The one he loves most will always be you."
Hearing this, a smile bloomed on Jiajia’s face.
"Really? Daddy loves me the most?"
"Really."
"Then I’ll listen to Mommy! I’ll follow him quietly and won’t let him find out!"
With that, she skipped away.
After lunch, Cao Daqiang was supposed to be dozing off in his wicker chair.
But instead, he shot to his feet, patted down his pants, and spoke with a sense of urgency.
"Something urgent came up at work, I have to go right away!"
Before Liu Yingzi could respond, he rushed out the door.
Liu Yingzi sat at the table, slowly wiping the corner of her mouth.
Only after Cao Daqiang had left did she turn and wink at the crack in the door where her daughter was hiding.
A child’s footsteps are light, and she trailed far behind him.
Cao Daqiang walked briskly, his mind heavy with thoughts. He didn’t even notice his shoelace had come undone, let alone look back.
He walked all the way toward the forest, finally stopping under a patch of old locust trees.
Hiding behind a stone pier, Jiajia saw her own father staring at Shanshan, and her heart clenched painfully.
Her promise to her mother to watch quietly was completely forgotten.
She gritted her teeth and ran straight for her father.
"WAAAH... Daddy, don’t you want Jiajia anymore?"
She threw herself into her father’s arms as she cried, her face a mess of tears and snot.
"It’s all that wild girl’s fault! Ever since she came, Mommy and Daddy fight every day, you don’t even sleep in the same room at night... WAAAH..."
Cao Daqiang glanced up.
He saw Shanshan’s figure getting farther and farther away, about to disappear around a bend in the woods.
He quickly looked down, pulled Jiajia into his arms, and softened his tone as much as possible.
"Don’t cry, sweetie."
Perhaps because his expression was too grim, Jiajia looked up, flinched in fear, and her crying stopped abruptly.
Cao Daqiang’s voice was low.
"Why would Daddy not want you? I was following that little girl just now because there’s really something important going on."
He paused, a hint of exhaustion creeping into his voice.
"But Daddy’s feet hurt so much, I really can’t walk anymore. Jiajia, can you do Daddy a favor? Follow her quietly and see what she’s up to."
"When you get back, Daddy will take you to the city to buy the prettiest floral dress, and a hair clip with sequins that sparkles like a little star, okay?"
"Okay! Jiajia always listens to Daddy!"
At the mention of presents, Jiajia’s tears immediately turned to a smile.
"You’re Daddy’s good little girl. Jiajia is so sensible."
Cao Daqiang gently rubbed her little head.
"Then go see what she’s looking for in the mountains. Is she digging for herbs? Remember, don’t let her see you. Watch quietly, understand?"
"Uh-huh! I’ll definitely complete the mission!"
Jiajia puffed out her small, childish chest.
With that, she turned and happily chased off in the direction Shanshan had gone.
Cao Daqiang stood where he was, a satisfied smile playing on his lips as he watched his daughter’s small figure.
A child is small and light-footed; you can’t even see them when they hide behind a tree or in the grass.
It was much better than him tailing her himself.
But he had no idea just how clever Shanshan was.
Shanshan had noticed him the moment she saw him hiding furtively behind a tree.
She pretended not to notice, but her pace slowed.
She hadn’t expected her follower to be replaced by a little girl.
’Heh, a little squirt?’
’Much less of a threat than an adult.’
So, she deliberately slowed down, turned onto a side path, and then circled back to the main trail.
By the time Jiajia came to her senses, she was surrounded by a dense thicket of unfamiliar trees.
"Waaah... Daddy, I’m scared, I want to go home..."
She looked around in a panic.
The wind in the forest suddenly began to blow harder.
The more she looked, the more frightened she became.
She could only grit her teeth and force herself to keep moving forward.
The mountain path grew steeper, muddy, and slick, offering no firm footing.
She was practically falling every other step.
Shanshan, on the other hand, was walking with light, steady steps.
She was even humming a mountain folk song, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, feeling exceptionally cheerful.
No one usually came to this part of the forest. The weeds grew wild, vines tangled everywhere, and there was plenty of Dragon Beard Grass.
Unfortunately, most of it was too young, with thin Spiritual Energy and pitifully weak medicinal effects.
For better medicinal effects, Shanshan wanted to find some with older roots.
The kind that were five or six years old, with purplish veins on the leaves and dark golden patterns—that was what she was looking for.
Just as she was looking down and searching carefully, a shriek suddenly came from behind her.
"AH! Help! Mom, Dad, help me! WAAAH..."
She looked back and saw that her little tail was gone.
"Tsk, so useless."
Shanshan tsked softly, raising an eyebrow.
"With that little courage, she dares to follow people? She must have too much time on her hands."
She shook her head and reluctantly turned to go back.
’She’s just a cub. Making a mistake isn’t a death sentence.’
Following the sound of crying, Shanshan pushed aside a layer of hanging vines and looked down.
Jiajia was caught on a dead branch, half her body dangling in the air, her legs kicking wildly.
The thin branch was bent precariously, looking as if it was about to snap.
Without a second thought, she raised her hand and cast a Spell.
A golden light flashed. Spiritual Power surged from her fingertips, twisting into a rope.
With a gentle tug, Jiajia was steadily pulled to safety.
The little girl’s eyes went wide on the spot, so shocked she couldn’t even speak.