The lunch had been so delicious that the two children couldn’t control themselves and had eaten a bit too much.
After finishing, they both began complaining about feeling overly full.
Lu Zhaozhao told them to walk back and forth in the courtyard to help digest.
After tidying up the pots and bowls, Lu Zhaozhao turned her head and noticed Gu Yan sharpening his knife again.
Curious, she walked over and asked,
“Husband, what are you sharpening the knife for? Going hunting?”
“Yes, my mother’s cough seems to be getting worse. I need to catch some game to exchange for money and get the doctor to check on her,” Gu Yan replied without looking up, still focused on sharpening the woodcutter’s knife.
Lu Zhaozhao nodded. Indeed, she had also heard her mother coughing in her room at night these past few days.
Although she was a doctor herself, she was an obstetrician-gynecologist and didn’t know much about respiratory illnesses like coughing. If she had access to modern medicines, she could probably prescribe something, but in this ancient time, everything was herbal, and she didn’t understand it at all.
It was better to leave professional matters to professionals.
She had read online that in ancient times, a cough could even kill someone! Such illnesses could be trivial or life-threatening. They definitely required attention.
“Mm, she should be checked. Coughs that drag on only get worse. So, Husband, are you going into the mountain tomorrow? Could I come along too? I want to see the mountain myself, maybe find some edible wild vegetables or mushrooms. That way, we can add a little extra to our meals, improve the flavor. I heard the mushrooms in the mountain are very fresh. Can I go?”
Lu Zhaozhao had thought about it and decided to voice her idea directly.
She genuinely wanted to go into the mountain. If she came across wild vegetables or medicinal herbs, she could plant them directly in her spiritual field space and sell them later. What an opportunity that would be! She really didn’t want to miss it.
Hearing this, Gu Yan immediately raised his head from sharpening the knife and said,
“Aren’t you afraid of snakes? There are snakes in the mountains.”
Last time she had been terrified just seeing a dead snake in a basket. If she encountered a live one, she would probably die of fright. Even if she didn’t, she might faint. He certainly didn’t want to carry her back—mountain paths were already difficult enough, and carrying someone would just be asking for trouble.
So, Gu Yan laid out the fact clearly, probably expecting her to get scared and back out.
Hearing this, Lu Zhaozhao did feel a little uneasy. Gu Yan was right—the mountain was densely vegetated, making encounters with snakes highly likely. Thinking about this made her scalp tingle.
Having lived in the modern world for many years, she hadn’t seen a live snake in a long time.
The last time she had seen one, it was at a zoo, but there was glass separating them, so it wasn’t scary. She could just pass by quickly.
Here was different. This was a wild, natural forest, full of potentially poisonous snakes.
Though fearful, the mountain was also a treasure trove, full of gifts from nature.
And with her spiritual field, if she found something valuable, it would be a huge profit.
In the end, her desire for money overcame her fear. She wanted to improve her living conditions too badly.
“Mm, it’s okay. I’ll find a stick and tap the ground as we walk. Any snakes will be scared away. And you know kung fu, right? If a snake really attacks me, you can protect me, can’t you?”
After saying this, Lu Zhaozhao looked at Gu Yan pitifully, as if it would be extremely unkind of him to ignore her.
Seeing no immediate response, she added,
“And don’t forget—you spent ten taels of silver to bring me home! If a snake bit me and I died, wouldn’t you have lost a lot?”
Hearing this, Gu Yan couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. She had really wracked her brain to convince him to go to the mountain, even framing herself as an object.
But seeing her so determined, he couldn’t refuse.
He nodded and said,
“Alright, you can come with me to the mountain. Bring water and dry food. We’ll leave at first light tomorrow and probably return near dusk. Going up the mountain isn’t as easy as you think; it’s exhausting. If you end up regretting it or crying that you can’t walk, I won’t carry you.”
“Okay, I know. Don’t worry, I promise I won’t.”
Seeing her agree, Lu Zhaozhao was overjoyed.
Then she remembered something and decided it was better to discuss it with him. She said,
“Husband, can you catch a wild chicken for me tomorrow?”
Gu Yan: “???”
She was already making requests before even entering the mountain. Was she really treating him like her husband? Weren’t they just partners?
Refusing seemed rude, especially since she had cooked so much for them recently. After a brief silence, Gu Yan asked, “What? Do you want to eat chicken?”
“No, I have another use. Follow my instructions, and I guarantee we can find a way to make money quickly. Then you won’t have to risk your life hunting in the mountains anymore.”
Lu Zhaozhao genuinely thought hunting was dangerous. The profit was fast, but it was life-threatening.
Even if Gu Yan was skilled, what if they encountered a large predator, like a tiger?
They only had him as a strong laborer in the family. She relied on him to chop wood, carry water, and transport goods. If something happened to him, it would be a huge loss.
Seeing Lu Zhaozhao’s confident gaze, Gu Yan nodded in agreement.
It was just a small favor anyway, and hopefully they would get lucky tomorrow and find plenty of game.
Satisfied, Lu Zhaozhao slept soundly that night.
The next morning, at the first hint of dawn, Gu Yan quietly called her from outside the door.
Lu Zhaozhao groggily got up, tidied herself quickly, slung on the small bag she had prepared the night before, and followed Gu Yan step by step up the mountain.
The Gu family lived close to the mountain, so it wasn’t long before they entered the forest.
Luckily, the sun was slowly rising, and the sky brightened gradually. Otherwise, Lu Zhaozhao would have been quite scared.
As she entered the mountain, she picked up a stick from the roadside. True to her word, she tapped the ground slowly as they walked, wary of any unpleasant animals suddenly darting out from the grass on either side.