Meng Chengping pushed a flatbed cart loaded with all their belongings. Nan Jianli pushed the wheelbarrow, where Meng Lou and Meng Boyang sat, while Meng Zhu walked beside her, refusing to get on no matter what.
Zhang Shi carried a small bundle and supported Old Mrs. Meng as they followed behind.
By the time they reached the village entrance, quite a few people had already gathered. The village head, who was also the patriarch of the Meng clan, was counting heads with his son.
Beiping Village was considered a large village, with over a thousand residents, but they were divided into four clans by lineage. Although the Meng clan patriarch served as village head, in these special times, the villagers naturally followed their own clans.
So the villagers setting out today were only the Meng clan members and some outsider households living in the village—like the barefoot doctor Feng Yanchang and his family of three, and the hunter brothers Shen Jiang and Shen He…
Old Mrs. Meng had barely found her footing when her gaze swept to Feng Yanchang in the crowd. Her eyes lit up, and she patted Zhang Shi’s hand before walking straight over.
“Brother Feng, you’re coming with us too.”
Feng Yanchang was squatting on the ground smoking a pipe. Hearing the voice, he looked up, and seeing it was Old Mrs. Meng, quickly rose and cupped his hands in greeting: “Old sister has arrived. The Meng clan is righteous and kind—my family still needs to rely on the clan’s goodwill.”
“Don’t say that! The road ahead is long and treacherous. With you here, we all feel a bit more at ease.” Old Mrs. Meng smiled politely.
Then a hint of embarrassment crept onto her face as she spoke: “Brother Feng, this old woman would like to ask you to take a look at my eldest granddaughter.”
“She was knocked unconscious yesterday by that black-hearted Liu. There’s a big lump swollen on the back of her head. I’m worried, so before we leave, I’d like to trouble you to check on her.”
Hearing this, Brother Feng tapped out his pipe and quickly agreed: “What trouble? No trouble at all. Come, let me take a look.”
With that, he turned, took down his medicine box from his own cart, told his son and daughter-in-law, and headed toward where the Meng family was.
Nan Jianli hadn’t slept well last night. She had been leaning silently against a tree by the roadside, resting, and paid no attention to the activities of those around her.
The villagers were used to her silence, only finding it a little odd that the fool wasn’t smiling today.
Nan Jianli kept her head down, resting with her eyes closed, when she suddenly sensed someone standing before her. She opened her eyes at once. A thin, withered old man stood in front of her. Their eyes met, and a flicker of shock passed through the old man’s gaze.
Old Mrs. Meng walked over and, seeing Nan Jianli standing there dumbly without greeting anyone, quickly patted her and said: “Ah Li, this is Brother Feng. You should call him—”
“Dried-up old man, what are you doing?”
This remark earned Nan Jianli two more iron-palm smacks from Old Mrs. Meng. The old lady, frustrated at her lack of improvement, pinched her arm hard enough to make Nan Jianli grimace in pain before she let go.
“You dead girl, can’t you ever say anything proper! Your Grandpa Feng is here to examine you—how can you be so rude?”
She then turned and put on a smiling face, bowing repeatedly to Brother Feng: “Brother Feng, please don’t take it to heart. This child’s mind isn’t quite right, and she speaks without a filter. I apologize on her behalf.”
But Brother Feng didn’t respond. He raised a hand to stroke his goatee, his gaze lingering on Nan Jianli’s face with growing curiosity.
“It’s fine, old sister, no need to be upset. I do share some connection with this child. I used to run into her when gathering herbs in the mountains, and I taught her about medicinal plants for a few days. But today, her eyes look clear and bright—almost as if… she’s recovered.”
Nan Jianli had the memories of the simple-minded elder sister, so she naturally knew about the relationship between the original owner and Brother Feng. The old man claimed to be teaching the original owner about herbs, but really, he was having her gather herbs for him.
Every time, he would give her some food. The original owner and her younger siblings managed to stave off hunger thanks to that bit of charity.
As for why she called him “Dried-up old man”—it was because the simple-minded sister had once shoved dried herbs at him, earning him that nickname.
Nan Jianli met his gaze, then suddenly curled the corner of her mouth and said in a clear, crisp voice: “Mm, your eyes are sharp. I have recovered.”
“She’s recovered, but she has a wound on the back of her head. Check it and see if she needs medicine.”
Brother Feng nodded, gesturing for Nan Jianli to extend her hand so he could take her pulse. Old Mrs. Meng quickly pulled up her granddaughter’s hand, rolled up her sleeve, and offered it to Brother Feng.
After a moment, Brother Feng withdrew his hand and examined the wound on the back of her head. Finally, he shook his head and said to Old Mrs. Meng: “Old sister, no need to worry. The child is perfectly fine. She’s just a bit low on energy from lack of rest. Once you stop tonight and she gets a good night’s sleep, she’ll be right as rain.”
“Lack of rest?” Old Mrs. Meng looked at Nan Jianli in surprise, her expression clearly asking, ‘Did you go move a mountain last night or what?’
Nan Jianli rubbed the tip of her nose and said vaguely: “Last night I heard noises in the yard… and then I spent half the night catching—”
She didn’t finish her sentence, but Old Mrs. Meng understood. Her eyes widened, yet she couldn’t bring herself to say a word.
Brother Feng’s gaze swept over to Meng Zhu and Meng Lou, who were playing nearby, a smile tugging at his lips. Seeing that nothing else was needed, he took his leave.
Old Mrs. Meng pulled five copper coins from her bosom, intending to pay the consultation fee, but Feng Da’er waved his hand and refused.
No sooner had Feng Da’er left than the clan chief, Meng Shande, walked over. Seeing Meng Chengping’s family and the three children of the second son all present, with only Mrs. Liu missing, he couldn’t help but frown and ask Old Mrs. Meng, “Sister-in-law, where’s your second son’s wife?”
“Don’t even mention it.” Old Mrs. Meng waved her hand in disgust and said through gritted teeth, “That damned woman beat my eldest granddaughter and ran off. It’s infuriating.”
“Ran off?” Meng Shande frowned and looked at Nan Jianli, who stood to the side.
The girl was small in stature, her thin arm resting on the cart handle, standing there woodenly without a word. Her complexion didn’t look well.
When the surrounding villagers heard that Mrs. Liu had actually run away, they immediately erupted into a clamor, chattering away in discussion.
“How can anyone leave alone in times like these? In the wild mountains and forests, and a woman at that—aren’t you afraid of running into wolves or bandits?” An old woman carrying a cloth bundle clicked her tongue, her face full of disapproval.
“How do you know she left alone? Maybe she’d already hooked up with some other man and gone off to live a better life.” A wiry man beside her curled his lips, his tone dripping with malicious speculation.
“Heh heh, look at you, what would you know…” Someone joined in the jeering, glancing toward Old Mrs. Meng with a look of relish.
“If you ask me, Mrs. Liu leaving was the right call.” A hoarse voice suddenly rang out from the crowd—it was Zheng Lao’er, the village’s old bachelor. He scratched his neck and said, “Her leaving is better than dragging along three burdens. And there’s that simpleton…”
As he spoke, his gaze swept over Nan Jianli, and he deliberately raised his voice with a hint of mockery: “Auntie Meng, how about I do you a favor and take your simpleton eldest girl as my wife? That’ll save you a mouthful of food.”
Hearing this, the gathered villagers immediately burst into laughter. Meng Chengping’s face flushed red with anger. He pulled out the sickle hanging on the cart frame and charged at Zheng Lao’er.
He grabbed Zheng Lao’er by the collar, spittle flying onto the other man’s face: “Zheng Lao’er, have you got nothing better to say? Daring to set your sights on my A’li—I’ll kill you today!”
Zheng Lao’er’s smile froze instantly. He hurriedly raised his hands to push Meng Chengping’s arm away and forced a smile: “Chengping, Chengping, what are you doing? I’m joking, just joking… Auntie Meng, please, say something!”
Old Mrs. Meng stood to the side with her hands tucked in her sleeves, her face dark and grim as she said coldly, “Daring to set your sights on my eldest granddaughter! Eldest, chop him to death!”
Nan Jianli raised an eyebrow slightly, not expecting that the seemingly kind mother and son pair could be so fierce.
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