Jiang Lin looked down at Yu Xiaolian with displeasure, "I thought it was someone else; isn't this the little nemesis of the Yu Family?"
Upon hearing his words, Yu Xiaolian smiled slightly, "You're Jiang the Hunter's son, little Jiang the Hunter, aren't you? Could you help me out of here first?"
Little Jiang the Hunter?
Jiang Lin frowned, "Getting you out is doable, but how are you going to compensate for ruining my trap?"
Yu Xiaolian was taken aback, "You set a trap that made me fall in, I've hurt all over, and I haven't even asked you for medical expenses. Now you want to turn the tables, huh?"
Jiang Lin, about to pass a rope down, reattached it to his waist and sneered, "Medical expenses?"
"You seem to be planning to stay here as dinner for the wolves tonight? Sigh, there are too few people who care about wildlife like you do. Oh well, I won't stop you from being tiger fodder, feel free to stay, I'll pretend I wasn't here."
Just as Jiang Lin finished speaking, the shadow over Yu Xiaolian's head disappeared, prompting her to shout urgently, "Hey, don't leave! I'll agree to any conditions you set, but let's be clear, I have no money."
Upon hearing Yu Xiaolian's plea, Jiang Lin indeed didn't leave. He crouched down, looking at her in the trap with a teasing expression, "You... do you really mean you'll agree to any condition?"
Yu Xiaolian closed her eyes momentarily and said with determination, "Let's hear it!"
Just when Yu Xiaolian expected Jiang Lin to make an unreasonable demand, a hemp rope dropped, hitting her right on the head.
Looking up, she saw Jiang Lin holding the other end of the rope, grinning mischievously at her.
"What are you standing there for? Coming up or not? If not, I'm leaving."
"Yes, yes." Yu Xiaolian smiled apologetically, first packing the wild vegetables and mushrooms into her basket, then tying it to the rope for Jiang Lin to pull up.
When Jiang Lin lowered the rope a second time, Yu Xiaolian grasped it with both hands and was hauled up by him with effort.
Once Yu Xiaolian lay on the ground, panting heavily in amazement, Jiang Lin suddenly said, "I'll be waiting for you at the foot of the mountain tomorrow morning, use the excuse of gathering vegetables to leave early."
This guy really is...
Never gets up without a reason!
We're from the same village, what was wrong with giving me a hand? Especially since it was your trap I fell into.
But, a promise is a promise, and Yu Xiaolian wouldn't go back on her word.
Yu Xiaolian picked up her basket, "Thank you for getting me out."
Jiang Lin didn't even glance at Yu Xiaolian, just walked on ahead, "Remember tomorrow morning, come out early."
As Yu Xiaolian and Jiang Lin walked side by side toward the foot of the mountain, they spotted Yu Changhe limping anxiously while looking around.
"You kid, you really worry us too much, coming back so late just for wild vegetables. Do you know how dangerous it is up the mountain at this hour? Luckily, Jiang Lin bumped into you and kindly helped to look for you."
On the way back, Yu Changhe kept scolding Yu Xiaolian, his tone anxious yet full of concern.
"Jiang Lin? Did you ask him to go find me on the mountain?"
"What else, at this late hour, who else would be willing to go up the mountain?"
Yu Changhe took the basket from Yu Xiaolian, feeling its weight, "Next time, gather less. If you pick too much, you can't carry it."
So Jiang Lin knew all along she might have fallen into a trap, and yet he had the nerve to negotiate terms with her, huh!
Originally she was planning to repay his favor the next morning, but it seems unnecessary now.
When Yu Xiaolian and Yu Changhe returned home, it was already dusk, and Sun had prepared the evening meal.
Initially, Yu Xiaolian expected the meal to be another thin gruel, but it wasn't.
Sun had made vegetable balls with wild plants and cornmeal, a pot of wild vegetable soup, and a small plate of fragrant pork lard bits on the side.
But to wait for Yu Xiaolian for dinner, the vegetable balls, made earlier, had turned cold.
Despite Yu Changhe dusting her off on the way home, Sun still noticed the dirt on her clothes with sharp eyes.
Seeing Sun's gaze on her clothes, Yu Xiaolian quickly said, "Mom, I can wash the clothes myself. I'll go to the river to wash them tomorrow morning."
Sun replied sternly, "Wash your hands and eat!"
The family ate dinner in silence. For some reason, Yu Xiaolian didn't dare brag to Sun about the mushrooms she picked, nor did she dare to speak with her. She felt Sun emanated chilliness all over.
Yu Xiaolian chewed on the somewhat bitter vegetable balls, occasionally sipping soup to help it go down.
Honestly, this stuff wasn't very tasty; it scratched her throat.
Yu Changhe placed a piece of pork lard into Yu Xiaolian's bowl and said, "Eat this, it's delicious."
Seeing Yu Changhe's expectant expression, Yu Xiaolian didn't reject his kindness and put the pork lard in her mouth, "It's really tasty!"
Yu Changhe smiled, pushing the pork lard toward her, "Eat more."
Glancing at Sun's chilling presence, Yu Xiaolian dared not eat more pork lard.
She ate one vegetable ball and drank two bowls of wild vegetable soup, unable to swallow without the soup.
After dinner, Sun took out the embroidery cloths and materials for making sachets.
Seeing this, Yu Changhe suggested, "It's already dark; make them tomorrow. Doing this at night strains the eyes."
Sun didn't stop her hands, "Go heat some water; we'll bathe shortly."
Thinking of Yu Xiaolian covered in dirt from falling into the pit, indeed, she needed a wash, so Yu Changhe went out to prepare.
Sun took out the materials for making knots, settling by the window where a faint light remained.
Sun didn't ask Yu Xiaolian for help, and she quietly began working after sitting down.
Once Sun finished one, Yu Xiaolian took it and inspected it, realizing that Sun was making something akin to a Chinese knot, with an adjustable gap in the middle likely for matching different Jade Pendants.
Yu Xiaolian also knew how to make these, although not as well as Sun.
Seeing that Sun alone worked too slowly, Yu Xiaolian just reached for the colored strings when Sun stopped her, "Don't touch without washing your hands."
Yu Xiaolian blushed immediately; she just finished eating, her hands weren't dirty.
Clearly, during the day, Sun treated her kindly, but how had she changed overnight?
Yu Xiaolian went to fetch water to wash her hands again, then reached for the colorful strings. This time Sun said nothing, but they only managed to work a little before it became pitch black.
Yu Changhe brought in the bathtub and prepared the water temperature, smiling, "You two should stop and have a bath."
He approached the oil lamp and lit it.
Sun frowned, "Don't light the lamp; we can manage."
Yu Changhe chuckled, "It's brighter with it; hurry and wash, I'll keep watch at the door."
Sun just finished the one in her hands and carefully stored it, saying to Yu Xiaolian, "You go wash first; I'll get your change of clothes."
With that, Sun opened the cabinet under the kang, took out a set of worn clothes, and handed them to Yu Xiaolian.
Yu Xiaolian accepted them but didn't enter the bathtub yet. After a glance at her, Sun seemed to understand her thoughts and left the room.
Only then did Yu Xiaolian enjoy a hot bath thoroughly. She hadn't realized before, but the dirt on her body was so much, turning the whole bath into a muddy soak.