Shen Yeqing nodded, "Your body hasn't completely recovered yet, so don't go too far. Just herd the sheep to the small hill behind here, and don't bother cutting grass today. You're weak and wouldn't be able to carry it anyway."
When Shen Yunfang heard this, she remembered that the eight yuan a day she earned wasn't easily obtained. Apart from herding the sheep up the mountain behind the village to graze in the morning, she also had to cut a large basket of fresh grass in the afternoon to stockpile feed for the sheep. Even now, without fresh grass, she still had to gather some dry grass while tending the sheep. Whether it was needed or not, she had to do the work.
The basket, too, was public property and was left beside the sheep pen. Today, Shen Yunfang had remembered to bring the small whip but had forgotten about carrying the basket to cut the grass.
Shen Yunfang cracked a silly grin; she was afraid of talking too much, lest people discover she had 'changed her core.' Hence, she had already decided to keep a low profile among these familiar faces, speaking as little as possible.
"Alright, it's getting late. Hurry up and go," Shen Yeqing's brow furrowed again. This niece of his had the kind of reserved nature that wasn't annoying. Now, coupled with her status as an orphan, it put him, her uncle, in a difficult position. No matter what he said or did, it never seemed right—he just couldn't win.
"By the way, since you're almost recovered, you should start earlier tomorrow. There are a lot of eyes in our village watching," Uncle Shen suddenly remembered her tardiness.
"Okay, I got it, uncle," Shen Yunfang nodded agreeably. As a little girl with the mind of an adult, she was very clear about one thing: her job as a shepherd was due to her father's status as a martyr, and her uncle's role as the production team leader. Otherwise, she wouldn't have landed such a desirable job.
"Hey, come over to my place tonight. I'll have your aunt make some good food to help you regain your strength," Shen Yeqing was about to enter the house when he stopped and turned to call out to Shen Yunfang, who was also on her way out of the production team's compound.
Shen Yunfang turned back, surprised at Shen Yeqing. In her memory, Shen Yunfang was not a child who was doted upon, especially over the past year since her mother had passed away. She had scrimped on food to save for the family, and she had been freeloading meals at various relatives' homes. Despite understanding the unwelcome and disdainful expressions and words from those around her, she would pretend to be oblivious and continue to impose herself unabashedly.
Shen Yunfang always felt embarrassed when she remembered it—that was truly shameless.
Unexpectedly, her uncle had taken the initiative to invite her over for a meal.
"Ah, sure," Shen Yunfang responded instinctively, immediately regretting her reply. As someone who had 'changed her core,' how could she have the audacity to freeload, particularly knowing that the entire family didn't welcome her?
Seeing her nod, Shen Yeqing didn't say anything more. With his hands behind his back and a frown on his face, he walked into the house, pondering what delicious dish to have his wife prepare for the evening...
Shen Yunfang left the production team's gate and followed a flock of sheep heading towards her home. After passing her own house, she went straight onto the path leading up to the big mountain.
At the very front of the flock was a robust ram, the leader of the sheep. The others all followed it, so when Shen Yunfang was herding, she only needed to keep an eye on this lead sheep; the rest would not get lost.
After walking on the mountain path for about five minutes, I arrived at a small hill in front of the mountain. This place was considered the hill closest to the village, where the usual tasks of sheep herding and wild vegetable foraging took place nearby.
Shen Yunfang saw that the sheep had automatically and conscientiously found their spots and began grazing, so she started wandering around the hillside.
In Shen Yunfang's memory, the mountain was mysterious and dangerous. She often heard the older generation say that all kinds of wild beasts lurked in the hills: bears licking people, tigers eating people, wolves carrying people off, and boars goring people—spinning tales as though they were the absolute truth. As a result, children who grew up at the foot of the mountain rarely ventured alone into its depths. During the wild vegetable foraging season in spring, most of the activity was concentrated on the hillside where she stood now. Only when they had a larger group would they venture deeper into the mountain, but even then, they would go no further than to the Pine Forest in the south.
When Shen Yunfang had previously come to the mountain to herd sheep, she would only go as far as this spot, never venturing further.
If viewed through the lens of modern thinking, whether there were tigers in the mountains or not remained to be investigated. However, the existence of wild boars was certain because earlier this autumn, a large wild boar had come down from the hills, intent on wreaking havoc on the farmers' crops, only to be frightened away by vigilant villagers beating their gongs.
After making a round, Shen Yunfang sat on the hillside, watching the sheep graze while her mind roamed from one thought to another. One moment she pondered what she could do to prosper in this era and the next she mused that the mountain itself was an endless wealth—if only she could take down a wild boar…
It wasn't until her stomach growled that she remembered the hurry she was in today, neglecting many of her usual preparations. For instance, herding sheep was an all-day affair, and she would normally carry a water bottle and some dry food with her. However, her arrival had been quite sudden, and she wasn't quite proficient in these affairs yet; all she had thought about was leading the sheep out, not remembering to prepare something for herself. It seemed urgent that she carefully reviewed the original owner's memories. Since she had to live another person's life, she needed to make the most of it and couldn't afford any errors.
But a growling stomach couldn't be ignored either.
Sitting up, Shen Yunfang glanced at the flock of sheep beside her and then looked toward her home at the foot of the mountain. It should be fine to leave these sheep here, right? She'd been sitting there all morning, and the sheep hadn't strayed much. If she went home to cook and eat and then returned, it would only take about an hour. They wouldn't wander off, would they?
Shen Yunfang eyed the sheep with some difficulty, suddenly recalling her aunt's words that these sheep were worth more than her—if she lost or sold them, she couldn't afford to repay the debt.
Looking at her home, so close at hand, and then at the dutiful sheep grazing, Shen Yunfang bit her lip, stood up abruptly, grabbed the hemp rope around the neck of the lead sheep, and led it to a small tree. She tied the rope securely around it. That should be problem-free.
And so, the foolishly brave Shen Yunfang headed home, looking back every three steps.
No sooner had she descended the hillside than she ran into a girl, who appeared to be about the same age as herself. Shen Yunfang couldn't help but take a second look—ah, she recognized her, it seemed to be her best friend, Shen Yingxue.
"Yunfang, where are you off to? I was just about to find you on the hillside. Heard you were sick, and I've been so worried. I took a leave to come and see you today. How are you, are you alright, still got a fever?"
It was clear that Shen Yingxue had come specifically for Shen Yunfang. Seeing her descend from the hillside, she quickened her pace, hurriedly took hold of Shen Yunfang's hand, and asked with a concerned face.