CHAPTER 336: CHAPTER 334: TOO UNUSUAL (SECOND UPDATE)

Since marrying into Er Gui Village, it’s been almost a decade, and Yu Si Niang has never been to Niuwei Mountain.

Because there are too many legends about Niuwei Mountain, nearly all of them involve man-eating beasts.

Almost every year, someone at the foot of the mountain gets dragged away by wild beasts, leaving no trace of their bodies.

Even Lu Yuanfeng’s mother was taken away by the beasts from the mountain.

Along the way, Yu Si Niang was trembling with fear. Every step made her legs shake, and when they reached the edge of the creek, she dared not go further.

"Shuangshuang, Fengzi, why don’t we go up there? It’s not safe above, I’m scared..."

"Mom, you don’t need to worry. With Fengzi and me here, we won’t let anything happen to you. If you’re really scared, why don’t you wait down here, and I’ll go with Fengzi to pick some gold and silver flower."

"No, I want to go with you. I won’t be at ease if you go." Yu Si Niang shook her head, disagreeing with her daughter’s suggestion.

"Aunt Si, why don’t you just gather some bitter vegetables at the foot of the mountain? There’s quite a lot there.

Gather more, dry them at home, and they can be used to feed the piglets. As they grow, they’ll definitely need more food."

"Yes, Mom. You don’t have to worry about Fengzi and me. It’s not our first time going into the mountains, and he has a bow and arrow. Besides, you’ve never been to the mountains, and if anything happens, you might not be able to run."

Mu Shuangshuang wasn’t worried that her words would upset Yu Si Niang because going to the mountain indeed carried some risks.

Even Lu Yuanfeng couldn’t absolutely guarantee his safety, and adding her and Yu Si Niang to the mix would only make things worse.

"Alright," Yu Si Niang nodded helplessly.

"Mom, remember one thing. We’re not going up the mountain now, and later don’t go just out of curiosity or worry. Absolutely don’t go!"

Mu Shuangshuang was cautious, but no matter how cautious, constant reminders to those around her were necessary.

These were lessons learned from years of experience—it wasn’t scary to leave someone in a safe area; the true fear was if that person wandered into a danger zone without you knowing.

"Mom knows. You two come back early!"

On the mountain, Mu Shuangshuang set Little Black free. It was at home in the forest, and going up meant returning to its territory.

Little Black was thrilled, darting and running about, but it never strayed too far from Lu Yuanfeng and Mu Shuangshuang.

In short, both Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng could always keep an eye on it.

The place they went to gather gold and silver flowers was halfway up the mountain, not far from Mu Shuangshuang’s usual spot for picking wild vegetables, and not within the beast zone, so they felt relatively relaxed.

The path was still challenging, but Lu Yuanfeng supported Mu Shuangshuang the whole way, worried she might trip.

Finally, they reached halfway up the mountain.

The fragrance of gold and silver flowers could be smelled from far away. Mu Shuangshuang set down her basket and started picking the flowers with both hands.

Soon, Lu Yuanfeng joined in. Both were adept at the task, and Mu Shuangshuang’s hands worked tirelessly.

Lu Yuanfeng watched her hands constantly move, and in an instant, more white blossoms were added to the basket.

Watching Shuangshuang work was truly enjoyable; she worked gracefully, exuding an air of elegance.

It felt as though she was not doing farm work, but like she was threading a needle or playing a musical instrument.

"These gold and silver flowers are really fragrant, plentiful too, enough for us to make quite some money selling them in town."

Three wen per pound for dried gold and silver flowers, and just thinking about it filled Mu Shuangshuang with energy.

While working, she chatted with Lu Yuanfeng, "Fengzi, about buying dry land, it might have to be postponed.

I asked my sixth uncle, and he said that now everyone has crops in the fields, and it’s unlikely anyone will sell land.

Plus, it’s not worthwhile. Better to buy one or two mu of dry land to grow vegetables and rapeseed, and next year, plant cotton. What do you think?"

Previously, Mu Shuangshuang planned to buy land for Lu Yuanfeng, as he had refused his share of Silver several times before.

"Alright, I’ll buy dry land too!" Lu Yuanfeng naturally agreed.

Once settled, Mu Shuangshuang resumed working.

No matter how quick their hand speeds, the small size of the gold and silver flowers took quite some time.

After about half an hour, the playful Little Black suddenly let out a strange "hissing" sound, harsh on the ears.

Mu Shuangshuang quickly said, "Little Black must have encountered something. Let’s go take a look."

The two followed the grass and unexpectedly found the source of Little Black’s hissing—there was a snake.

The snake’s body was dark, about the thickness of a human wrist. It spat its tongue as its eyes gleamed with a terrifying cold light, and when staring at Lu Yuanfeng and Mu Shuangshuang, something unidentifiable appeared at the corner of its mouth.

Underneath it lay a motionless black puppy that seemed bitten by the snake, not knowing if it was dead.

"Fengzi, this little beast’s gaze is off, be careful."

Mu Shuangshuang hadn’t seen this type of snake before, but it was definitely venomous—otherwise, the black dog beneath it wouldn’t be motionless.

Just as Mu Shuangshuang finished speaking, the snake coiled and lunged at them, and despite Mu Shuangshuang and Lu Yuanfeng’s quick reflexes, they were somewhat flustered.

Lu Yuanfeng had his bow and arrow ready, while Mu Shuangshuang picked up a large stone and climbed a tree.

With a shared glance, they understood each other’s intentions.

The snake was agile, more so than any others Mu Shuangshuang had seen. Wherever Lu Yuanfeng went, it would swiftly block his way.

It’s like it wouldn’t rest until it had eaten Lu Yuanfeng.

The saying "man’s heart is insufficient for snakes to swallow elephants" was apt—this snake, merely wrist-thick and far from being an anaconda, dared to try to eat a human.

With a swoosh, Lu Yuanfeng’s first arrow shot out, striking the snake’s body but only scraping off a bit of skin, not even causing it to bleed.

Mu Shuangshuang seized the chance, aiming a forceful blow at the snake’s head.

Unfortunately, she missed; the rock struck the snake’s body, making it even more ferocious. It whipped its body around, focusing entirely on Lu Yuanfeng.

"Fengzi, aim for its seven-inch spot, hit it there."

Being attacked by a snake not even quite large was embarrassing; thankfully, Lu Yuanfeng was agile and adapted swiftly to escape.

A few rounds later, he was drenched with sweat.

Mu Shuangshuang kept searching for opportunities but then saw the pitiful Little Black move towards the puppy, persistently reaching out its paws.

The puppy tried to rise but soon its head drooped again.

Witnessing this, Mu Shuangshuang felt a sharp pang in her heart, as if something stabbed it painfully.

She jumped down from the tree and grabbed a wooden stick to smash the snake forcefully.

Simultaneously, Lu Yuanfeng’s arrow flew through the air, striking the snake’s seven-inch point.