Chapter 22: Encountering a Stranger

Wu Meixia’s words made sense, and after careful consideration, Tong Lingxian ultimately decided not to take Fang Mingxi to the fields.

The moment she reluctantly agreed, Fang Mingxi hugged Tang Yao tightly and planted a big kiss on her, then broke into a smile as a trickle of liquid ran down her chin.

“Great! Great!” she thought. She didn’t have to go to the fields, her money-making enterprise was back on track.

Tang Yao grinned along with her and, without a hint of disgust, wiped the drool with her clothes before turning back to the house to get ready to head up the mountain.

Seeing the two so happy, Tong Lingxian and Fang Bo Song couldn’t help but feel a rare twinge of jealousy. This little one didn’t cling to her grandparents at all, completely unlike other children.

Still, since Yaoyao and Xixi were as close as sisters, the adults felt reassured. Wu Meixia had been right: with no peers around, these two children needed each other. Otherwise, the adults would constantly worry.

Feeling relieved, they reminded the girls to stay safe, grabbed their water bottles, and set off to work.

Up on the mountain, Tang Yao moved confidently along a small path recently cleared over the past few days. She carefully avoided the surrounding thorns while poking around the grass with a stick, searching for wild chicken eggs.

Ever since discovering white sweet potatoes on the northern side of Maple Leaf Mountain, she hadn’t ventured south.

For one, it was safer; for another, she didn’t have to worry about being caught; and finally, with no one else around, most of what she found could be enjoyed in peace.

The newly cleared path had gradually widened with increased traffic over the past few days, making it much easier to traverse.

But today, it seemed strangers had arrived on the mountain. No sooner had the two girls climbed up than they spotted an elderly woman with half-white hair, likely in her fifties, emerging from the forest with a basket on her back.

Both parties were startled, it was their first time encountering anyone in this part of the forest.

Even Fang Mingxi immediately diverted her gaze from the panel, refraining from activating the “explore forest” function.

Lin Jiangmei stared at the two children climbing the mountain alone, especially at Fang Mingxi perched on Tang Yao’s back. “Why are you two in this forest? Don’t you know hardly anyone comes up here on the north side?”

Tang Yao grew nervous and quickly averted her eyes. “We live at the foot of the mountain. I’m bringing my younger sister up to gather firewood.”

“The foot of the mountain?” Lin Jiangmei furrowed her brow and glanced at the houses below. Then, as if reaching a conclusion, she nodded to herself.

“Be careful, both of you. Very few people come up here from the north. Don’t go too deep into the forest,” she cautioned.

Tang Yao nodded. “We understand. Thank you, grandmother. We’ll be careful.”

After giving her instructions, Lin Jiangmei headed into the forest to Tang Yao’s right. As she passed, her peripheral vision flicked toward Fang Mingxi, but a second later, she looked away.

Fang Mingxi felt a pang of curiosity. That gaze was unusual, did this person know her?

Was she from the brigade or another team? At this time, everyone should have been working in the fields. Why was she on the mountain?

Fang Mingxi studied Lin Jiangmei’s figure. She wore a coarse hemp jacket with a patched hem on her trousers, yet everything was clean and tidy. While it didn’t suggest wealth, it hinted that she probably wasn’t a regular villager.

Fang Mingxi wanted a closer look, but Lin Jiangmei walked quickly and soon disappeared from view. All she caught was the contents of the basket: a pile of weeds.

Fang Mingxi’s eyes darkened. She seemed to recognize them.

White corolla flowers, fibrous roots, multiple spike flowers, long flower stalks… That had to be plantain.

Plantain was well-known for treating coughs. Many people recognized it, especially in rural areas where persistent coughs often led some to forage in the mountains for medicine.

Fang Mingxi had eaten it as a child and learned about it from her grandparents.

Seeing plantain now, she recognized it instantly.

This elderly woman, at this point on the mountain, clearly wasn’t there to earn work points. If her basket contained medicinal herbs, her identity would stand out.

She must be a doctor from the Maple Leaf Brigade Health Clinic. Fang Mingxi had heard her grandparents mention her when she first arrived. Her quick recovery from fever had been thanks to the Brigade Leader taking her to the clinic for medicine.

Although the real Fang Mingxi hadn’t survived, the kindness shown had been genuine.

Now, with her grandfather repaying the Brigade Leader’s favor, it was time to thank the doctor as well. After all, her position was delicate; encountering someone assertive could have meant refusal of treatment.

Fang Mingxi activated “explore.” Once the forest appeared on the map, she located the red dot. Lin Jiangmei hadn’t gone far, now about five hundred meters away, digging something.

She immediately searched the map for herb-related plants. In the blink of an eye, she spotted several ginseng plants three hundred meters from the red dot.

She selected all the ginseng on the map, then moved it few meters from Lin Jiangmei, ensuring no extra red dots appeared. Only then did she jump down from Tang Yao’s back and lead her toward the food.

After the two diverged, Lin Jiangmei stopped a short distance away. Seeing that the girls weren’t heading deeper into the forest, she finally relaxed and began digging wild vegetables at the base of a tree.

Just as Fang Mingxi had guessed, she was indeed the health clinic doctor. Today’s mountain trip was to gather herbs to dry.

Her transfer to the clinic had been a protective move, outwardly serving the people in the countryside but primarily to avoid trouble.

Old classmates and students hadn’t escaped the crackdown. Many had left their beloved posts, uncertain if they could ever return.

Thanks to prior warnings, she had narrowly avoided disaster. Yet some still watched her closely, looking for mistakes.

For that reason, she dared not publicly request supplies from the county. Only official channels could be used, leaving her no choice but to search the mountain for alternative medicines.

Today was Lin Jiangmei’s first visit to the north side of Maple Leaf Mountain. She hadn’t expected to encounter the two children from the cattle shed, including the little girl she had saved.

Back then, Fang Mingxi had had a fever of at least 40°C. She had doubted that such a young child could survive. Yet after just a few days, here she was, spirited and healthy.

Lin Jiangmei had never married but loved children. Seeing Fang Mingxi unharmed eased her mind.

Adults could be reformed, but what harm could come to such young children? She had struggled before deciding to save them.

Looking back, she was glad she hadn’t stood by. Had this adorable girl died, she couldn’t bear to imagine the grief her family would feel.

Once she finished gathering the herbs, Lin Jiangmei tossed her small hoe into the basket.

Standing up to head down the mountain, she spotted a few red plants hidden in the grass nearby.