CHAPTER 86: CHAPTER 84: ONLY QI NANFENG SCOFFS

Seeing this fruit, Cui Zhu was taken aback: "Miss, where did you get this from? It’s so cold outside, yet there’s such a thriving big fruit?"

Ruan Mian casually replied: "I’m curious too; perhaps it’s a wild fruit unique to Wuheng that we’re unaware of. I had one earlier, and it tasted exceptionally good."

Rui Ge’er was at the age where he craved snacks, so he looked over eagerly. Following Ruan Mian’s gesture, he took a bite, and with juice bursting forth, the icy sweet taste made his eyes widen!

Adding the tangy tomato slush, along with the hot fragrant chicken stewed mushrooms, the family felt harmonious, and the fatigue of the entire day was immediately swept away.

Those government officers saw Ruan Mian and her brother’s efficient method of transporting wood, and early the next day, they had Ruan Qingsong teach others to make skateboards.

They could drag more timber and bring it down from the mountain without expending much effort.

The idea was simple; it was just that no one had thought of it before.

Only Qi Nanfeng scoffed at it.

He had eaten those mushrooms yesterday and was still having diarrhea.

Seeing Ruan Mian now perfectly fine, he was convinced she was behind the mischief.

"A woman won’t stay peaceful in the reception camp for long; I want to see when she’ll be besieged by people!!"

Furious, he picked up a handful of snow and rubbed his face, his flushed skin appearing even thinner.

As he turned, he suddenly faced a smiling woman.

Her cheeks were flushed like those on a plateau, and her slender eyes squinted into slits. Her robust physique made Qi Nanfeng instantly recall the tigress in the Xuanjia Army!

Suddenly, he felt a chill all over... Qi Nanfeng didn’t think much, immediately got up to avoid this woman, especially since her gaze held a different meaning, it made him uneasy.

The memory of the tigress tormenting him was still vivid, and each time it came to mind, Qi Nanfeng felt nauseated.

But he wasn’t willing to die on the exile road just like that! No matter what, he had to keep himself alive.

He firmly believed that one day he would return to the court, after all, he had once saved King Yan’s life. If King Yan succeeded in his rebellion, glorious riches would be within reach!

However, as soon as he ran, the woman chased after him, carrying a bow and arrow, with her two thick braids swinging behind her.

In Qi Nanfeng’s eyes, this woman appeared both ugly and robust, as if she could crush him all by herself.

Unlike Ruan Jiao, a Jiangnan woman, tender as water.

But this woman’s identity seemed unusual, following him as he weaved through the lumber yard, with no government officer intervening.

Meanwhile, during a brief respite, Ruan Mian, Shaoxi, and Yun Xiu planned to hunt some game nearby; they might also find more winter mushrooms.

Though the place was frozen, it was an excellent habitat for some mushrooms.

As long as they avoided certain poisonous ones, like winter mushrooms, button mushrooms, and wood ear fungus, their various cooking methods would make them taste fresh and flavorful, never tiring to eat.

Longchang Mountain extended over hundreds of kilometers, with a terrain not too high, and plenty of primeval forest, so the extent of their exploration was less than one percent.

In such latitude and climate, treasure was abundant in the forests everywhere.

But as they approached the edge of the woods, Yun Xiu, with his keen ears, quickly heard a different sound and promptly drew his sword!

Shaoxi also quickly pulled Ruan Mian behind her, readying her bow.

Upon listening closely, it seemed someone was calling for help: "Is it coming from the southeast?"

"Is someone calling for help?"

The sound was unclear; sometimes it seemed like cries for help, sometimes like animals whimpering.

The three exchanged glances, and under Ruan Mian’s signal, they slowly headed towards the direction of the sound.

As the sound grew louder, they could hear it more distinctly; it was a boy’s voice, and... an animal sound.

Yun Xiu locked onto the direction and kicked out his sword sheath toward a particular direction!

With a "whoosh," the sheath sped forward at incredible speed!

But after a certain distance, it unexpectedly fell straight down and disappeared.

There was an ice cave ahead.

She warned Yun Xiu and the others to be extra careful not to fall in.

The three held hands, steadied their bodies, and moved toward that side.

Peeking from behind a tree, they saw a small boy dressed in animal skins, trapped in the ice cave, unable to climb out.

On his face were painted a few colorful totems, and on his head, he wore a mink hat adorned with antlers.

He was holding a little deer in his embrace.

Seeing Ruan Mian and the others, he cautiously stopped making sounds.

Ruan Mian smiled warmly and pulled out a rope for bundling wood from her bag, tied one end to a tree trunk, and lowered the other end into the ice cave, signaling the boy to climb up.

Sensing her goodwill, he reached out and grabbed the rope, slowly climbing with borrowed strength, and upon reaching the top, handed the little deer over to Ruan Mian and jumped back into the ice cave. Just as Ruan Mian was about to speak, she saw him climb up with another little deer.

Feeling the warmth and dampness in her palm, Ruan Mian noticed this little deer she was holding was injured, blood flowing into her palm.

She then took out a bottle of hemostatic medicine from her bag, sprinkled it on the wound, wrapped it with a cloth strip, and stopped the bleeding first.

Otherwise, if it continued to bleed, not even an immortal could save it.

The boy was finally pulled up by Yun Xiu; he had thick eyebrows and big eyes, gazing curiously at Ruan Mian. Seeing her tending to the little deer, his gaze softened.

"Are you a doctor?"

He was older than Rui Ge’er’er but younger than Yun Xiu, probably around ten years old.

Dangling from his earlobe was an antler earring made of jade.

Ruan Mian smiled, and just then, a sound suddenly came from behind them. They turned and saw a massive deer burst from behind a tree!

Shaoxi’s eyes brightened, quickly nocking an arrow!

Almost at the same time, Ruan Mian and the boy spoke in unison.

"No!"

"Don’t shoot!"

Shaoxi didn’t release the arrow, and Ruan Mian hurriedly stopped her, whispering, "You can’t hunt this deer."

Just as she spoke, the boy whistled, and the deer immediately turned and disappeared into the shrubbery!

Ruan Mian breathed a sigh of relief and quickly explained, "We weren’t trying to hunt your deer, and these two little deers are injured. Do you want to take them back, or should I help save them?"

She knew the boy’s identity wasn’t simple.

The boy repeated: "Are you a doctor?"

Ruan Mian nodded: "I can help; if you trust me, let’s meet here again at this time a week from now, and I’ll return the little deer to you in good condition, how’s that?"

The boy pondered briefly, with some reluctance in his eyes, but he also knew he couldn’t take them back.

The journey was still long, and by the time he returned, the little deer would die.

He glanced at Ruan Mian, then suddenly pulled out a dagger from his waist. Yun Xiu immediately became alert, but the boy simply cut his own finger, letting fresh blood drip onto the pristine snow.