The little one's purse connects the two worlds, turning a desolate village into a paradise.

(Thanks to the owner of [流@川枫����] for the generous donation and verification!)

Zhao Hu shuffled down the mountainside along the dense forest slope, sweeping away the footprints with dry branches with each step and straightening up the fallen weeds.

They dared not leave even the slightest trace of their journey.

The sound of Da Niu telling him to leave still echoed in his ears.

Even though he was the older brother, and Da Niu was just a teenager, he could only flee in a sorry state, leaving Da Niu to face the situation alone and cover his escape.

My heart felt heavy and suffocated, a knot of guilt and anxiety tugging at my very core.

Zhao Hu gripped the entrenching tool tightly with his knuckles, his fingernails pressing deep marks into his palm.

As darkness fell, the mountain wind howled through the forest.

At the foot of the mountain, dim lights shone in Lotus Village, and the lights would brighten a little when someone walked by.

Niu Cuihua leaned against the gate of her courtyard and kept looking up at the mountain.

Tiger and Da Niu went up the mountain in the afternoon, saying they were going to check out the paths in the forest and discuss digging ditches. It's completely dark now and they still haven't seen each other.

Da Niu was reluctant to wear the clothes that Nannan had brought, afraid of damaging them, and didn't know if he would be cold.

Fang Tiesheng stood in his own courtyard, slowly practicing the Eight Pieces of Brocade with the cool evening breeze. After practicing for the past few days, his muscles and bones felt much more relaxed.

He raised his hand and stepped down with a steady, gentle pace, his breathing long and even.

However, his gaze would occasionally drift over the low wall towards the dark mountain path behind the mountain.

He knew that Tiger and Da Niu had gone to the back mountain; they might have encountered some wild animals. However, both of them carried the entrenching tools that Nannan had bought for them, which could help them fight their way out of even wild boars and tigers, let alone ordinary wild animals.

There shouldn't be any major problems.

The sky had turned completely black by the time of Xu Shi (7-9 PM). Zhao Hu avoided people and didn't dare go to Granny Liu's yard. He quietly made his way to the village chief's house.

Silence reigned.

It's time for Nannan to go to the morning market. They usually gather at Granny Liu's courtyard around 7 PM to wait for Nannan to return. The village chief should be in his own house.

Zhao Hu stood by the wooden door, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably. After a long pause, he gently knocked on the door.

From inside the house came the village chief's aged voice: "Who is it?"

"Uncle, it's me." The words escaped his throat as Zhao Hu desperately suppressed his trembling voice.

The wooden door creaked open a crack, and by the light from inside, the village chief could see Zhao Hu's deathly pale face. Seeing him trembling and panicked, his heart sank. He immediately reached out and pulled Zhao Hu inside, quickly closing the door behind him, and asked in a low voice, "What happened? Why are you the only one back? Where's Da Niu?"

Zhao Hu's eyes were bloodshot, and his lips trembled: "Uncle... there were strangers hiding in the dense forest behind the mountain. They were all carrying bows and arrows and warhorses. Da Niu was captured by those people while covering my escape."

As soon as he finished speaking, he clenched his fist and punched himself hard in the chest, tears streaming down his face. "It's all my fault, it's all my fault! I wasn't careful enough, I dragged Da Niu down with me!"

I was carrying the entrenching tool that Nannan had bought me, wearing the clothes typical of that area, and carrying quite a few eye-catching items. Da Niu, fearing I would be exposed, forcefully pushed me away, leaving himself to face the group of people alone.

It was my carelessness, my lack of consideration, it's all my fault, I've dragged him down with me!

Zhao Hu repeated himself obsessively, completely lost in guilt and disoriented.

Seeing this, the village chief raised his hand and slapped him hard on the shoulder. "Wake up! Calm down!"

The slap was hard, and the pain brought Zhao Hu back to his senses. He looked up at the village chief helplessly.

"Even if you're dressed like that kid Da Niu, he'll still let you go. If you two are both trapped in the mountains and die there, the village won't get a single word! Rushing up the mountain to rescue you will only cost more lives."

"Da Niu did the right thing. Sacrificing yourself to cover the retreat is the best approach. You're a few years older, but in a crisis, you're less composed than a teenager."

Seeing that Zhao Hu had taken his words to heart, the village chief paused and continued, "Da Niu may look simple-minded, but he's someone who survived that cannibalistic battlefield. We have to trust him. You can't act rashly; you have to find a way to help him. He's definitely waiting for us. The reason he's letting you go is because he believes in you and that you can lead people to rescue him."

Zhao Hu took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions.

Grandma Li brought Zhao Hu a cup of hot water: "Hu Zi, have some, calm down."

The old man's calm and kind gaze gradually calmed Zhao Hu's chaotic thoughts.

"Can you elaborate?" The village chief patted Zhao Hu on the shoulder and asked him to sit down.

"Yes, I'm sorry, Uncle." Zhao Hu raised his hand and wiped the dust off his face. "That group of people should be related to the young master of the official family that we killed a few days ago. I was unable to see him."

They were extremely vigilant and shot arrows from a distance.

Before anyone even appeared, Da Niu pushed me away. I could only hear very light footsteps in the distance. The footsteps were steady, and there was no sound of breaking branches. They were martial arts practitioners, like guards or soldiers.

Uncle, please call Uncle Fang, Doctor Chen, and Xinghua over to discuss this. I have a feeling it's related to that 'thing' Xinghua overheard. Da Niu guessed it might be a treasure or a weapon.

This matter cannot be delayed.

The village chief stood up, turned back and gave Zhao Hu a deep look, said nothing more, and quickly went out to look for him under the cover of night.

……

Wang Guifen started rummaging through drawers and cupboards at home early in the morning. Her husband, He Ming, who is a light sleeper, couldn't sleep because of the noise, so he simply put on his coat and came out: "What are you doing so early in the morning? What are you looking through?"

"Yesterday, the young owner of Huaya's shop had fresh wild vegetables, the same watercress we ate for lunch yesterday. The old man walking his bird had bought them all, but the little girl remembered me and insisted on saving two pounds for me. I can't let this favor go unreturned!" Wang Guifen paced around the room.

He Ming pointed to the refrigerator. "Didn't this SF Express air express just arrive last night? It's some Northwest specialties my comrade sent. Can you take half of them with you?"

Wang Guifen slapped her forehead. "Oh dear, how could I forget that! This is a unique specialty, the young boss has definitely never tried it before! Hey, you old man, you're usually so quiet, but your ideas are quite useful when it really matters."

He Ming rolled his eyes helplessly and slowly followed behind Wang Guifen, watching her excitedly repackage the food.