Chapter 61: Cousin’s Future

“What are you doing? Let go of me!”

“This is a crime! I know your involvement in Grandaunt’s death. If I die, my family will never forgive you.”

Gurgle… gurgle…

“Brigade Leader, isn’t this Comrade Tong? How could she have drowned in the pond?”

A large pond flashed before Fang Mingxi’s eyes. Tong Xueyan was pulled from the water, soaked through. On the nearby bank, a crowd had gathered. At the forefront, the Brigade Leader frowned deeply, saying nothing.

The onlookers were all members of the Maple Leaf Brigade. Their expressions were a mix of panic and disbelief; no one could believe someone had drowned in the pond.

Fang Mingxi’s body shuddered violently. A cold sweat surged down her back, her heartbeat quickened, and her breathing grew heavier.

“What’s wrong, Xixi? Are you cold?” Tong Xueyan noticed the change and tightened Fang Mingxi in her arms, wrapping her protectively.

Fang Mingxi’s lips turned pale. She buried her head in Tong Xueyan’s chest and murmured, “No… it’s just… my butt feels wobbly.”

Tong Xueyan adjusted Fang Mingxi’s position, placing her on her lap. “Better like this? Next time, we’ll bring a mat.”

Fang Mingxi nodded and then remained silent, hiding herself in the folds of clothing. She stared at the sliver of light seeping through, trying to calm herself.

Her cousin… drowned in the pond? That was impossible.

The Maple Leaf Brigade had no rivers, only a spring at the mountaintop. The brigade had a few ponds stocked with fish. The nearest river ran along the border with another brigade. That river was shared, primarily used for irrigating fields in alternating turns. Every household had its own well, so there was no need to fetch water from a pond.

The spot where her cousin had been pulled from the water wasn’t the river Fang Mingxi had visited before. From the footage, the area was surrounded by trees; it was likely one of the brigade’s ponds.

How had her cousin fallen into a pond? Who had put her there?

And the voice at the start, was that her cousin speaking to someone? She had fallen into the pond immediately afterward.

Who was trying to harm her family, leaving no one untouched, not even her cousin?

Fang Mingxi’s mind spiraled. Recently, the jade pendant’s warnings had all been premonitions of the tragic fates awaiting her loved ones.

Was it revealing that even if she hadn’t come, the Fang family’s outcome would still be dire? That even relatives not in the direct bloodline would meet a grim fate?

And the Brigade Leader… the last time she saw the footage of Liu Damazi, the Brigade Leader had also been raided, with Liu Damazi leading the attack. The Brigade Leader had been so kind to them; would he also fall victim?

A heavy sense of helplessness washed over Fang Mingxi. Her small body felt powerless against danger.

She hadn’t even sorted out the original situation. Her parents’ unknown danger was still unclear, and now her cousin’s death had been added to the mix.

Was her family cursed? Evil spirits and hidden enemies seemed to circle them endlessly. And it wasn’t just He Xi’s family; the enemies in the shadows had been eyeing them for a long time.

Fang Mingxi slammed her hands on her head. No, she couldn’t succumb to despair.

The jade pendant had already issued warnings, so why waste time blaming fate?

First, she had to ensure her cousin never went near a pond alone. From now on, she could stick to her cousin every day. As long as she was always nearby, no one could harm her cousin.

Second, she likely knew the person behind this, or at least knew who was orchestrating it. Once they returned, she would ask her grandparents about the mastermind plotting against her family. Grandmother should have some leads.

With a preliminary plan in mind, Fang Mingxi opened the instant-refresh panel to check potential items for the week.

It said five days remained until the next refresh. She sighed and closed the panel.

If only she hadn’t eaten that large bun last time, then she could have refreshed the items the next day. Waiting five days was frustrating.

Fang Mingxi drifted into a daze and eventually fell asleep. When she awoke again, they had already arrived at the county town.

Tong Xueyan thanked the elderly man driving the tractor and asked when he would return. He was heading back the next day, so the two agreed to wait there again tomorrow. The man agreed happily, pocketing a yuan, and drove off.

Tong Xueyan stood by the street, holding the still-groggy Fang Mingxi, and asked her way along the main road to the state-run restaurant.

“Hello, comrade. I’ll take six meat buns and half a jin of dumplings, eat here, please.”

After paying, Tong Xueyan found a table for them.

Fang Mingxi fully embraced her role as the curious first-time visitor to the city, looking around with wide-eyed wonder.

“Sister, it smells so good. I can smell the meat!”

Tong Xueyan wiped Fang Mingxi’s hands with a napkin. “Good. Eat a lot. After we finish, we’ll get a room at the guesthouse.”

“Mm!” Fang Mingxi continued inspecting the state-run restaurant curiously.

This restaurant was much larger than the one in town. Two extra waiters had been added, and the stream of diners never stopped. Soon, the restaurant was full.

At the next table sat a grandmother with her granddaughter. The girl was a few years older than Fang Mingxi, sitting quietly without speaking.

The woman, presumably the grandmother, looked surprised as she overheard Fang Mingxi and Tong Xueyan chatting easily.

“Comrade, is this your little sister? She looks just over a year old. Can she really talk this much?”

Tong Xueyan replied, “Yes, she’s my cousin. My little sister is indeed smart; she walked at eight months, spoke at nine months, and now, a little over a year, can converse fluently. We’ve been quite amazed ourselves.”

Qu Lianying gazed at Fang Mingxi’s well-behaved demeanor, then glanced at her own granddaughter, silent and expressionless.

“So nice. I wish my granddaughter could speak normally.”

Her eyes were full of envy. Though her granddaughter was almost three, she rarely spoke. She could say “hungry” or “thirsty,” but couldn’t speak normally. Sometimes she wouldn’t even eat without being fed.

Seeing Fang Mingxi speak fluently at just over a year, Qu Lianying felt overwhelming jealousy.

Cannot speak? Fang Mingxi and Tong Xueyan exchanged a look.

Earlier, they had just thought the girl was unusually quiet. Now it was clear something was wrong.

The girl’s gaze was empty, attention detached from the people around her, lost in her own world while holding chopsticks.

Despite Qu Lianying’s words, the girl showed no reaction, not even when Fang Mingxi stared at her.

Fang Mingxi instantly understood. If her memory served, this was a case of autism.