Ming Zhu only glanced once, and she recognized who it was!
Hehe, lucky indeed.
The original host's fiancé—Song Chongjin.
Aiyo! Little rascal!!
Quite good-looking, huh!
A handsome figure, with eyebrows sharp as swords and eyes sparkling like stars, a high nose bridge, and distinct, chiseled lips. Although dressed simply, he still shone with an undeniable charisma, his bearing exuded an indescribable arrogance, and his physique was also extremely fine, with broad shoulders and narrow waist, muscles brimming with a sense of power.
No wonder the original host was willing to risk her life to marry him.
Song Chongjin's tone of disgust intensified, "Hehe, a misunderstanding? What now? Jumping into the river didn't kill you, so now you want to try jumping into a dung pit? No matter what you jump into, just give up on the idea, I will not marry you," as he said this, he tried to forcefully shake off Ming Zhu.
Ming Zhu had just climbed up, almost to be thrown out again.
This handsome guy seems to have a bit of a temper!!
The original host liked handsome men, but she wasn't moved by them! Were there not enough handsome men she had come across both domestically and internationally in her past life? Could a scholarly soul like hers be attracted by the mere appearance of a handsome man? Too naïve!
Can handsome men be eaten as food?
Can handsome men upgrade the System?
Can handsome men allow her to witness high-tech planes sooner and chase after a world of higher civilization?
Nope!!
So, there was no need for Ming Zhu to give him face anymore.
Once she steadied herself, she let go of Song Chongjin, "Big brother, don't be so harsh! Can't we talk things out? Whether I intentionally fell into the dung pit, I have witnesses, see? Those three Little Beans up there, I fell chasing after them, it has nothing to do with you. I had just left home after eating, how would I know you were here hunting? Don't falsely accuse me! The past is the past, and now is now; let me make myself clear today, I, Wang Yongzhu, have no interest in you anymore."
Song Chongjin sneered, clearly unbelieving.
Ming Zhu didn't bother to argue with him anymore, as the century-old ginseng awaited her in the mountains for her path to riches.
"Whenever you return the betrothal gifts my family sent, we can go our separate ways. And for today's embrace, sparing me from the dung pit trouble, you can return two fewer eggs, just say that's how I, Wang Yongzhu, am showing my resolve. My mother definitely won't make things difficult for you," she declared.
After saying that, she turned and left briskly.
The three Little Beans on the hillside were all dumbfounded.
In front of Song Chongjin, the old lady was always gently pleasing and bashfully demure; how come she dared to be so domineering today?
It seemed like their old lady's brain wasn't working right!!
Could it be that she was knocked silly?
The three Little Beans no longer dared to make Ming Zhu chase them this time, instead, they obediently waited in place and even helped her collect the basket and little shovel that had been scattered.
Then, they escorted the old lady into the mountains.
All the way there, no one dared to speak too much.
...
Meanwhile, Song Chongjin was still somewhat stunned on the spot. Did that disgusting, plump lady actually walk away?
Normally when she encountered him, wasn't she always clingy and pretentious?
So, nearly drowning in the river somehow improved her brain?
Song Chongjin sneered coldly, perhaps it was a cunning ploy, playing hard to get?
No matter what, in this lifetime, he, Song Chongjin, would never marry her, Wang Yongzhu.
...
Feeling stifled, Ming Zhu followed behind the Little Beans. Yet, having only climbed halfway up the hill, she was already gasping for air, her legs shaky and trembling as if lead-weighted, barely able to lift them.
Looking ahead at the three Little Beans who moved swiftly and easily down the mountain path, Ming Zhu felt life was just too damn despairing.
Wanting to ask Little Bean in front to stop and rest for a while, Ming Zhu truly felt embarrassed to speak up.
But if she were to continue climbing the mountain, her body simply had no strength left, and if she tried to force it, she feared she might collapse again! Ming Zhu was hesitating.
Just then, she saw Little Bean ahead stop in their tracks, jostle each other a bit, and finally, the smallest one, Jinpan, was pushed forward, timidly approached Ming Zhu, "Auntie, we've arrived. We're going to pick pigweed, Auntie, you can rest under that tree over there, there's shade there—"
After saying this, without waiting for Ming Zhu's reaction, Jinpan scampered off, dashing behind the bushes to pick pigweed.
The other two Little Beans scattered as well, disappearing from sight in moments.
Leaving Ming Zhu outstretching her arms a la Erkang, with tears streaming down her face.
Looking around, she saw the hill less than a hundred meters tall, right next to Qilidun, and it was only past this slope that one could see the unending, continuously stretching green mountains.
Ming Zhu was dumbfounded. Weren't those transmigration novels filled with heroines who could easily wander into the mountains, finding ginseng as common as cabbages, readily at hand?
But even with her lack of common sense, she knew that it was ridiculous to think a hill like this one could grow anything other than pigweed. Ginseng, on a hill like this? What a joke!
Perhaps in the continuously stretching green mountains behind her, there might be century-old ginseng, but given her own physique and physical condition, she might as well not dream about it.
The dream of striking rich with century-old ginseng shattered in an instant!
Ming Zhu felt a sense of disappointment and disheartenment.
Resigned to her fate, she trudged to the shade under the tree Jinpan mentioned, found a relatively clean rock, and plopped down, breathing out a long sigh.
It was April when the grass grew tall and the orioles sang, the trees lush and verdant, the hillside sprinkled with clusters of azaleas; a refreshing breeze wafted through, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.
If it weren't for her current situation, Ming Zhu might have admired the beautiful scenery, untouched by human destruction, a rare sight in modern society.
A simple Weibo post or something would certainly attract a crowd of fans squealing with delight.
As Ming Zhu was reflecting, suddenly, she heard the sound of a group of children arguing nearby.
"The Yellow Pine Mushrooms were discovered by us first!"
"Ha, just because you say you found them first, does that make it true? Do they have your names written on them? It was obviously our brothers who found them first."
"You... you... have no shame... You dare to push me?"
…
Ming Zhu pricked up her ears; it seemed like the voices of Jinhua and Jinpan.
Mixed within were several unfamiliar young brats' voices, all seeming to be boys.
Ming Zhu quickly got up and went over.
From a distance, she could see five or six little brats, split into two groups, arguing heatedly.
Jinhua had even been pushed to the ground by one of them.
Seeing this, Ming Zhu thought, so they dare to bully her niece right in front of her? Do they not want to get along anymore?
"Stop it! What are you all doing?"
Ming Zhu believed that her shout had made her stand clear, showing her support for her nephew and niece.
Who would have thought that Jinhua and the others would get startled? While they had been ready to argue a moment ago, now they all seemed intimidated with fear.
On the other hand, the group of Little Beans from the other faction acted as if Ming Zhu's arrival meant they had found their backbone.
They came up to her, "Auntie Zhuzhu, Jinhua, Jinguan, they wanted to snatch our Yellow Pine Mushrooms. We wanted to pick the mushrooms and take them home to make soup for Aunt Chongjin..."
Aunt Chongjin?
Then these few Little Beans must be from the Song Family, right?
But if they were from the Song Family, why would they complain to her, a Wang Family auntie?
Have they lost their minds?
On this side, Jinguan could not help but speak up first, "Nonsense, it was clearly us who found them first, and every time you pick mushrooms, you go to sell them for money. You wouldn't be so kind as to make soup for that medicinal jar, Aunt Chongjin. You're just trying to trick..."
but hesitated before finishing the sentence, too timid to look at Ming Zhu.