"Mmm-hmm, I know, I'll be careful," she said.
Not going out was out of the question!
She had to seize the opportunity while her good luck boost hadn't worn off, and make a trip to the mountain quickly.
If she waited until her family members finished work in the afternoon, she would lose the chance to go out.
Li Xiuli looked at her daughter's well-behaved and clever appearance, her heart softened.
She thought about asking her sister-in-law, who was married off to the county, if she knew a way to get some brown sugar when she returned.
Tangtang was too thin, she needed to be nourished.
After watching her family leave, Lin Tang took Goudan, who had been ordered by her mother to look after her, up to the mountain.
Goudan was full of reluctance.
Ever since he was young, he heard his grandparents say there were tigers and wolves on the mountain.
Anyone who dared venture into the mountain was sure to get a beating.
But since his little aunt wanted to go, he didn't dare to refuse.
He could only follow behind her like a docile wife.
If there happened to be tigers and wolves looking to eat someone, they could eat him.
His little aunt didn't have much meat on her bones; it would be tough chewing.
Although he didn't have much meat either, he was smaller than his little aunt, his flesh was tender!
It's just... if he really was eaten, he would never see his parents and grandparents again.
With that thought, tears almost fell from Goudan's eyes.
He kept looking back at the path they came from with increasing gravity in his expression.
There was a solemn resignation, as if facing death without fear.
Lin Tang didn't notice, as she looked at the familiar mountain, she felt like a bird released from its cage, utterly delighted.
The Shuangshan Brigade was right next to the mountain, which the villagers called Big Blue Mountain and Small Blue Mountain.
Big Blue Mountain soared a thousand feet high, with perilous peaks and grotesque rocks, and a huge cliff standing upright.
Another mass laid across it, resembling a proud dragon raising its head, with its depths covered in dense jungle, lush and verdant.
The exterior was shrouded in miasma, like a primordial jungle, and few dared to ascend.
On one side of Small Blue Mountain flowed water, with a lone peak rising up, the mountain was covered with lush trees, bamboo shaded the areas, the cliffs were steep, and the river gentle.
In fact, Big Blue Mountain and Small Blue Mountain were one and the same; it was only a difference between the outer ring and the deep forest.
Though Small Blue Mountain had its dangers, they were controllable.
But Big Blue Mountain was different.
Once you entered, it was a matter of life and death.
Hence, the ancestors living at the foot of Twin Blue Mountain had erected a stone plaque on the outskirts of a secluded forest, dividing one mountain into two.
In Lin Tang's eyes, the mountains were covered with verdant trees and overshadowed by an expanse of azure and boundless sky.
The ethereal strands of clouds painted an elegant and tranquil ink-wash landscape.
This was a sight seldom seen in the metropolises of later eras.
Being here opened one's mind and heart.
The fear in Lin Tang's heart, worries that this was all a dream, gradually faded away.
She didn't even notice the shackles that had constrained her loosening in the depths of her eyes.
Reborn, she just wanted to make up for the regret of not being able to accompany her loved ones in her previous life, leading her family through the upcoming hardships, safe and sound.
Lin Tang turned her head and saw the deep resentment on her nephew's face.
"What's wrong, Goudan?"
Why does it look like you're about to cry?
Goudan looked miserably at Lin Tang, feeling that perhaps his wretched life could still be saved.
He nervously told his little aunt: "Little aunt, can we not go deep into the mountain?
My dad said there are wild beasts there and if you go, you can't come back."
Lin Tang looked at her little nephew trying to act like an adult and nodded with a smile.
"Yes, I know, I promise not to go up there."
She never intended to venture deep into the mountains anyway, okay?
Increased strength didn't mean she was invincible!
She just hoped that the good luck boost would be strong enough.
It didn't have to be ginseng or fleeceflower root, a wild chicken would do.
Upon hearing this, Goudan breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes regained their sparkle.
His life was finally secure!
Talking along the way, the aunt and nephew eventually stopped at the foot of Small Blue Mountain.
The mountain was emerald green, and a clear stream flowed into the distance.
The wild vegetables at the foot of the mountain had been almost completely dug up by the villagers.
Apart from the inedible grass, there were only the green trees and wild flowers ready to bloom.
Lin Tang felt a chill in her heart when she saw this scene.
Well!
Forget about pheasants, it would be nice to even have a mouse.
But at this moment, the air was truly wonderful!
"The air is really nice!" Lin Tang felt incredibly comfortable.
The world she had traveled to had no worries about food or drink, and everything was just a phone call away.
She could go wherever she wanted and buy whatever she desired, but the air was polluted.
Three air purifiers couldn't even clear the dust that filled the air.
The sky seemed to be covered in a layer of grey, translucent, and tattered cloth.
Never seeing the blue sky clear and open, or the clouds fluffy and bunched up.
Goudan did not understand what good air was.
He looked at her with sympathetic eyes, thinking that his little aunt was pitiful for never even having been to Small Blue Mountain.
All the things like picking wild fruits, catching fish, digging wild vegetables... Did his little aunt not know about these things?! So pitiful for only knowing to study!
Lin Tang was taken aback by Goudan's pitying gaze, "What's the matter?"
Goudan patted her arm like a little adult, "Little Aunt, don't worry, I'll take you to Big Blue Mountain later."
He didn't dare to go to Big Blue Mountain now, but once he grew up and became more capable, he would be able to go.
Lin Tang: "Huh?"
Take her to Big Blue Mountain? What for?
But still, she was happy that the little guy thought of her and didn't press further, saying, "Okay, I'll wait."
Goudan solemnly gave his oath.
"Little Aunt, if you want to clear your mind, just do it here.
I'm going to gather some firewood. Don't wander off," the young boy said, worried.
Lin Tang patted his forehead, "Don't worry, I won't wander off."
Seeing that she agreed, Goudan finally felt at ease and started collecting firewood nearby.
At this time of year, the wild vegetables in the mountains had all been picked clean.
Lin Tang walked around and came back empty-handed.
"Tongzi, is this what you call a luck buff? Where are the pheasants? The hares? The ginseng? The polygonum? You dare to call it a luck buff without these things?"
The system was taken aback by the question and was also unsure.
The usually clear prompt tone suddenly became hesitant, "Could it be because this place is too close to the foot of the mountain?"
This place was barren, nothing to be found.
Had there been anything, it would have been picked up by now.
Let's not even mention others, even the host's own nephew wouldn't let it go.
Lin Tang was silent for a moment.
That's right!
People now were so starved they were seeing spots.
The wild vegetables would be dug up as soon as they emerged, let alone anything else.
They still needed to go deeper into the mountain!
It's just...
Seeing Goudan collecting firewood not far away, Lin Tang's gaze flickered.
Picking up a stick, she headed up the mountain.
She didn't intend to go far with her nephew there; she just wanted to try her luck again.
The mountain path was not easy to traverse, overgrown with weeds and without any decent trails.
Suddenly, from deep within the underbrush, came rustling 'flapping' noises.
Lin Tang's face lit up with joy, and her breath grew lighter.
Carefully shifting her feet, she moved towards the source of the sound.
Amidst the undergrowth, a plump, colorful pheasant was flapping its wings, startling insects into a panic-stricken scuttle.
It was clearly one that had run out from the deep mountains.
Seeing the pheasant twisted up in a tangle of branches, Lin Tang's eyes curved with a smile.
The luck bonus was still effective!!!
She stepped forward and grabbed the wildly flapping wings of the pheasant.
With the taste of chicken soup in mind, Lin Tang's mouth watered uncontrollably.