Granny Qin placed her hands on her hips and looked up at Zhao Liangcai, then down at the indignant Zhao Rui.
With a scoff, she turned and walked away.
Today was to give the pretty little hammer a face; next time, she, the old lady, would take action.
Besides, the little hammer couldn't control the three people on the ground; they were all sweet on the outside but bitter and cold-hearted within.
If an ordinary woman would be so scared by seeing a dead person that she'd be bedridden for three days, these three had likely seen much worse on their journey from the city to this mountain.
After crying for a while, they could still accept a bowl of congee and want to drink it?
Even most grown men might not be able to stomach a meal.
After eating, everyone gathered and began their journey, with Elder Doctor Sheng and his grandson leading the way.
Sheng Yining ran to Qin Junyao's side to chat and tease Axe.
She sought out Qin Junyao because Qin Junyao was the most idle.
The Hou family had two girls of similar age, but they were skilled at everything, from gathering firewood and cooking to looking after children.
Even Qin Xiaoyu followed behind Qin's mother, handing her things. Qin Junyao, most of the time, sat on the side with a straw mat.
After walking for half an hour, the Qian family mother and daughter behind them couldn't keep up, so the soldiers had to let them ride horses.
After getting on the horses, they got off again because branches scratched their heads, forcing them to walk. It was a back-and-forth affair.
Qian Duo wanted to impress Zhao Liangcai by walking the entire way herself, but along the road, Zhao Liangcai was constantly talking with Qin Sen and the Hou family, paying no attention to her.
She just had to wait. By the end of the year, she would not only make Zhao Liangcai look at her properly but also make him treat her as an honored guest.
It was already two hours after the meal when they found the small spring that Sheng Yining had mentioned.
The mountain path was difficult, taking a lot of time. They didn't cover much distance, even with Elder Doctor Sheng guiding them.
The spring was small, located at the foot of a cliff where the ground was moist. Only after digging with a hoe did some water slowly seep out.
"Little Fly, I didn't know the grass would be eaten by nearby animals. I only found two for you," Sheng Yining said, holding out two small blades of grass to the black horse, Little Fly.
"Sister, didn't you find one too?" Axe, who had been resting on his brother's back for a while and walking beside Qin Junyao for a bit, was in good spirits.
"Now you have to call me Sister Qin. The one I found was too small to be worthy of feeding Little Fly," Qin Junyao said as she put the grass into her spatial dimension. She wanted to try planting any plant that wasn't already in her dimension.
"Oh, then let's go look for more," Axe said with a cheerful voice, no longer showing fear.
"Axe, if you want to look, your mother will go with you. Don't trouble others," Qian Shi said, reaching out to pull Axe away. Axe didn't dodge and followed her, but he kept looking back at Qin Junyao.
After all, Axe was only five years old. No matter how much a child might feel unloved, they still wanted to be close to their mother.
"Sister Jun, aren't you angry? She just took Axe away like that," Sheng Yining asked, looking at Qian Shi's retreating back.
"That's Axe's birth mother. What reason do I have to be angry? Come on, let's go watch them get water."
At the small spring, a pit the size of a washbasin had been dug, with stones placed inside to help the soil settle.
The pit now contained half a basin of clear water.
The congee eaten at noon had used a lot of water, and the donkeys and horses also needed plenty to drink. Everyone discussed and decided to rest here for the night and resume their journey tomorrow.
Elder Doctor Sheng said that the mountain with the stream was still a day's journey away. It was already noon, and it would be better to fill the water at this spring before setting off.
Provisions were limited, so there was no meal at noon, only some food prepared for the children.
Qin Junyao, carrying a basket, followed her Qin brothers into the woods to gather firewood. Zhao Liangcai led his men to patrol the area around the spring, hoping to catch some prey.
Seeing Zhao Liangcai leave, Zhao Rui wanted to pick a fight with Granny Qin, but Qian Shi stopped her.
It was not advisable to make a move when the enemy was completely unknown.
Granny Qin, who was drinking a bowl of rice soup made for the children, was hoping Qian Shi and her daughter would cause trouble. If little hammer wasn't around, she could have beaten the mother and daughter duo, but it was difficult to act with people present.
Dry firewood was easy to find in the woods. Qin Da Niu taught Qin Junyao which wood was easy to ignite and which burned for a long time.
Qin Junyao diligently remembered everything. She also casually put some of the gathered firewood into her spatial dimension and onto the donkey cart. Anything useful was a treasure to her now.
When the few of them returned with their baskets full of firewood to the resting place, Zhao Liangcai and his men had already returned, bringing prey with them.
Qin Junyao, walking at the very back, saw the prey and froze on the spot.
Rats. Thin, long, gray rats.
Five rats held by their tails by stool legs, hanging upside down and still squeaking.
The scene at the city gate hadn't caused Qin Junyao such a strong emotional reaction. These few rats had broken her defenses.
Her most hated, most disliked, and most unbearable thing was gray rats.
Gritting her teeth, clenching her fists, and turning around, Qin Junyao, with trembling lips, walked back towards the woods.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the "small animals" they hadn't seen in days and the casual talk about stool legs. Only Zhao Liangcai noticed Qin Junyao turning and leaving.
He got up and followed.
"Three times five is fifteen, three times six is eighteen, three times seven..." Qin Junyao recited multiplication tables as she walked.
This was her little trick to calm herself down. For her debut performance, she had walked onto the stage reciting multiplication tables to maintain her composure. Su Dan Novel Network.
Zhao Liangcai, listening to the "Nine-Nine Multiplication Tables" behind Qin Junyao, habitually twirled his right fingers, a habit he had when thinking.
He would twirl any object within reach, or his fingers if there was nothing else.
Did these "Nine-Nine Multiplication Tables" hold any deep meaning? Or were they like martial arts routines, practiced as a form of cultivation?
After reciting it three times, Qin Junyao calmed down and told herself: Don't think about pink elephants.
Immediately, a pink elephant appeared in Qin Junyao's mind, replacing the five upside-down rats.
Very good.
Turning around, the heavily bearded Zhao Liangcai replaced the elephant.
So annoying.
"Miss Qin, I was a bit worried when I saw you heading into the woods alone. I mean no harm."
"Mm, thank you," Qin Junyao replied coldly, avoiding looking at Zhao Liangcai.
This was impolite, but Qin Junyao didn't want her stunning voice to come from "Li Kui's" mouth.
"Uh, we just..."
"Shut up!" Qin Junyao's eyes widened, and she stared directly into Zhao Liangcai's eyes. The scene she had barely suppressed almost reappeared.
What sound, what "Li Kui," none of it mattered as much as the two words Zhao Liangcai was about to utter.
Zhao Liangcai was stunned by Qin Junyao's command to shut up. In his adult life, no woman had dared to look him directly in the eyes and tell him to shut up, let alone with such ferocity.
"Miss Qin, I just wanted to say that we just..."
"I told you to shut up! Don't mention what you caught! I don't want to know," Qin Junyao said, almost through gritted teeth.
How could anyone be so annoying?
It was then that Zhao Liangcai realized that Qin Junyao might be afraid of rats, so he made a decision that was like jumping on Qin Junyao's nerves.
"Rats? Miss Qin, are you not allowed to mention rats?"
"Zhao Hammer~~~~"