Chapter 45: Well, Hello There
"Qingqing, why did you bring us so much meat!" Seeing what Su Qing had brought out, Fu Yuzhen was stunned. Good heavens, such a huge piece of pork, plus pig trotters, and so many mushrooms. "You should have kept this for yourself. Don’t worry about us; it’s much easier for us to buy meat here in town."
Pan Runqing chimed in, "That’s right, Qingqing. You should take this back and eat it yourself."
"Uncle Pan, Aunt Fu," Su Qing said with a smile, "don’t you worry. This is wild boar meat, and I have a lot more at home. I brought this over just for you."
"Qingqing, you went into the mountains to hunt wild boar!" The moment Fu Yuzhen heard that, a cold sweat broke out on her back. The thought that Su Qing might have faced danger in the mountains made her legs go weak.
"I didn’t go deep into the mountains. A wild boar just happened to run out, and then it accidentally killed itself right in front of me. Besides, I had companions with me for protection," Su Qing explained, casually downplaying the event.
Fu Yuzhen didn’t believe a word of it. ’What kind of wild boar runs up to a person and kills itself? I’ve heard of waiting for a rabbit to run into a stump, but waiting for a boar?’ She was certain the situation must have been incredibly dangerous, but that this girl was downplaying it to keep them from worrying.
This thought made Fu Yuzhen’s heart ache. She took Su Qing’s hand and said, "Qingqing, you mustn’t do anything so dangerous ever again. Don’t you remember what happened to your father...?"
"Hey, why are you bringing that up in front of her?" Pan Runqing, afraid of upsetting Su Qing, quickly stopped Fu Yuzhen.
"You’re right. Let’s not talk about it, let’s not," Fu Yuzhen quickly agreed with a nod.
Su Qing knew what Fu Yuzhen and Pan Runqing were worried about. After all, her predecessor’s father had his accident while hunting in the mountains, and they were afraid she would meet the same fate.
So, Su Qing quickly reassured them, "Uncle Pan, Aunt Fu, please don’t worry. I won’t go deep into the mountains. I’ll just stick to the outskirts and gather some wild vegetables, mushrooms, and fruits."
"That’s good. You must remember: absolutely do not go deep into the mountains. And if you see a wild boar again, run away immediately, you hear?" Fu Yuzhen hastily instructed.
She had gotten lucky this time with the boar killing itself, but she wouldn’t have such good fortune every time.
"Okay, I will." Su Qing nodded obediently. ’Agreeing is one thing, but what I actually do is my own business,’ she thought. "Well, I should be heading back now."
Fu Yuzhen said quickly, "It’s getting late. Why don’t you stay here tonight and go back tomorrow?"
"No, no, it’s fine. An uncle from my village came to town on an errand with his ox cart, and I tagged along. I’ll be heading back with him in a bit, so you don’t have to worry." Su Qing quickly spun a lie. Having just gained her pocket dimension that day, she was still buzzing with excitement. ’I want to go for a stroll in Baihua Mountain tonight.’
"Then wait a moment. I’ll get you some things to take back and walk you to the cart," Fu Yuzhen said, bustling about to pack a few items for Su Qing.
How could Su Qing dare let Fu Yuzhen see her off? ’My lie would be exposed!’ So she quickly jumped up and headed for the door. "Aunt Fu, there’s no need! I’ll come again next time! Uncle Pan, Aunt Fu, goodbye!"
Before her words faded, she was already out the door. Fu Yuzhen couldn’t catch up and could only shake her head with a laugh. "Honestly, that girl."
Hearing the commotion, Granny Sun opened her door and poked her head out, looking at Fu Yuzhen. "Yu Zhen, was that Su Qing girl here to bring you something? I saw her back basket was over half full. What kind of goodies were in there?"
Fu Yuzhen just smiled. "Just some things from the mountain."
Granny Sun pursed her lips. ’That’s not it. I’m sure I smelled meat just now. Honestly, can’t even be truthful with your own neighbors.’
’It’s not like I was going to send my grandson over to beg for some, is it?’
Su Qing ran out from the staff dormitory of the machinery factory. Once she left the county town, she didn’t head back toward Lihua Village. Instead, she took a different mountain path leading into Baihua Mountain.
By now, dusk had fallen and the moon was rising. The mountain path was deserted. On both sides, the shadows of the trees danced in the dim light. All sorts of sounds drifted from the forest: birds calling, something rustling as it scurried across the ground. She even saw an owl once in a while, its round eyes glowing like tiny lanterns. A sudden glimpse of one would be enough to give anyone a scare.
Anyone else walking this path at night would have been terrified, but Su Qing wasn’t the least bit scared. ’For someone who has seen zombies, a scene like this is a piece of cake.’
Su Qing didn’t linger on the outskirts of Baihua Mountain, heading straight for its deeper regions.
This was Su Qing’s first time venturing into the inner region of Baihua Mountain. Gazing at the green mist that permeated the forest—far denser here than on the outskirts—she instantly felt her mind clear and her spirits lift. She began to continuously absorb the green mist into her Bagua Pool, simultaneously guiding it to repair the injuries in her body.
Su Qing was so happy she felt like bursting into song. ’This place is my own personal paradise!’
The only thing that frustrated her was that she had been wandering through the forest for quite some time now without seeing a single pheasant or rabbit, let alone a wild boar. ’Have they all gone back to their nests and burrows to sleep?’
’Oh well,’ she thought. ’If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain.’
Su Qing placed her hand directly on a creeping vine on the ground. She could control plants, which meant they could serve as her eyes and ears. Whatever a plant under her control could see and hear, she could see and hear as well.
Before long, Su Qing found a wild boar’s den. It was formed from a few toppled saplings, intertwined and covered with a thick layer of weeds. Inside, five wild boars—two adults and three piglets—were sleeping soundly.
The soundly sleeping boars had no idea that while a pig may rest in its den, disaster can still fall from the heavens.
GRUNT—! Just as Su Qing was slowly approaching the den, one of the boars, perhaps catching an unfamiliar scent, suddenly opened its eyes. It looked warily outside and let out a short grunt.
The sound woke the other adult boar, which also seemed to sense that something was amiss.
But their realization came too late. Just as they were warily getting to their feet to investigate, Su Qing had already commanded the vines to wrap tightly around their limbs. With a sharp tug, the two adult boars lost their balance and tumbled over, landing right on top of the three sleeping piglets.
SQUEAL—! One of the piglets let out a sharp squeal from the weight, and then fell silent.
Su Qing clicked her tongue. ’Did they just crush it to death?’ she wondered. She squatted in front of the den, a wide grin on her face, and offered a friendly wave to the two frantic boars inside. "Hey there. How are you two doing?"
The two adult boars flew into a rage. How dare a two-legged beast trespass on their territory!
Furious, the two boars forgot their legs were still tightly bound by vines and tried to charge at Su Qing. Unfortunately, their ensnared limbs gave way completely. The boars pitched forward, face-planting into the ground, all four hooves kicking in the air while their rear ends got stuck on the roof of the den.
The two adult boars: ...