They had only covered about a third of the way. If they delayed any longer, the sun would set, and nothing would be accomplished today.
Seeing the branches scratch her face multiple times, leaving red marks on her temples, and her snow-white shoes stained with mud, Peng Fei dared not disobey her.
"We can't rest. If we don't reach the destination before dark, we can't set up the traps, and there will be no harvest tomorrow. If you can't walk, don't walk anymore. I'll carry you."
They were walking uphill, steep and difficult. They already had a lot of luggage, and now he had to carry her?
Zhan Jingchun was currently acting like a spoiled brat and a villain, wishing for an accident to get rid of this child. She raised an eyebrow and extended her arm.
Without complaining about the hardship or fatigue, and even having to support Zhan Jingchun from time to time, Fang Fang, worried about her brother, said, "Then I'll carry your bag."
"No need. I'll put the bag in front. It's fine."
Fang Fang knew she couldn't argue with her brother, so she quickly went ahead, clearing a path for them with her bare hands.
"Then I'll walk in front. Sister-in-law, be careful not to get scratched by the branches."
Peng Fei's bag was stuffed with pots, bowls, and pans, weighing over twenty catties. It hung on his chest, quickly reddening his neck. He also had a person weighing over eighty catties on his back, truly tormenting him.
However, the hand holding Zhan Jingchun's leg was strong and steady. He walked firmly with every step, showing no impatience.
Looking at the frail but hardworking Fang Fang, and then at his sweat-soaked face, veins bulging with exertion, Zhan Jingchun felt a growing sense of emptiness.
Their willingness to endure hardship made her see her own shamelessness. The education she had received was ultimately condemning her.
After walking for more than ten minutes, she cursed herself for being a bleeding heart while deliberately asking Peng Fei,
"Are you tired?"
"Not tired," Peng Fei even had the time to look back and check on her.
"Are you tired? Is it pressing on your stomach? Do you feel uncomfortable? Tell me if you do."
Sigh.
This was truly an indescribable person, someone she didn't know how to face.
To prevent her overly compassionate nature from taking over, Zhan Jingchun simply closed her eyes, refusing to look at them.
She told herself that Peng Fei had brought this upon himself; he owed her and deserved to be tormented.
If she felt uneasy every day, he deserved to be unhappy too.
The three of them walked forward in silence. Swaying on his broad shoulders, after a while, Zhan Jingchun started feeling sleepy again.
Just as she was drifting off, she suddenly heard a scream, followed by a crashing sound. Peng Fei stopped.
"Fang Fang!"
Zhan Jingchun opened her eyes. Fang Fang was no longer in front of her.
Peng Fei looked back at her, his face filled with anxiety. "You get down and stand for a moment. Fang Fang fell. I'm going to get her!"
Fell? Fell where?
Zhan Jingchun quickly slid off his back.
Peng Fei unstrapped the bag from his chest, threw it on the ground, and ran a few steps forward over the fallen leaves.
Spotting a pit covered with fallen leaves, he immediately dove to the ground without hesitation.
"Fang Fang, are you alright? Give me your hand! I'll pull you up!"
After a struggle between the siblings, Fang Fang was pulled out by him.
Because she fell unexpectedly, she was injured.
Her face, arms, and legs were all scratched by dry branches. Many places were bleeding, looking shocking.
Zhan Jingchun was frightened. Regardless of whether they were enemies, she rushed to check on her.
"No broken bones, right? Where does it hurt? Let me see."
"Your injuries are quite serious. Do you have any band-aids?"
Fang Fang moved her limbs. Apart from the scratches, there were no major issues. She smiled dismissively.
"It's fine, no broken bones, I can still move, see."
"What are band-aids? No need. It will dry up in a while."
Zhan Jingchun: "..."
Her body was fine, but she was a girl. Such long scratches on her face would leave scars and wouldn't be good-looking.
"No, your face needs to be treated quickly..."
She stopped mid-sentence, assuming they wouldn't have any high-tech medicine, and held back her words.
Although she hadn't finished speaking, the genuine worry and concern she had shown were clearly seen by the siblings.
Peng Fei felt a bit happy and touched.
He knew Zhan Jingchun was a good person. Although she usually didn't give him a pleasant look, she didn't mean to.
She just wasn't used to it. As long as he treated her well, she would eventually be moved and willing to stay.
"It's okay. We are mountain kids; bumps and scrapes are normal. It will heal in a couple of days. Let's go."
"Fang Fang, look carefully before you walk next time, don't fall again. Here, I'll carry you."
The three of them took three hours and finally reached their destination before sunset.
No wonder they insisted on walking so far; there was an old wooden cabin left here in the mountains.
Fang Fang stayed to clean the house and set up the pots and pans, while Peng Fei went out to set traps.
Zhan Jingchun didn't need to do anything, nor could she do anything. She leaned by the door, lost in thought.
She had loved art since she was young and attended art school for college, especially loving to paint.
Her parents supported her entrepreneurial venture, saying they would provide her with startup capital after graduation to open her own studio.
If nothing had happened, she probably would be...
At this moment, the sun was setting, the mountains were layered, the trees were lush, and flocks of birds flew past the fading light. Looking at it for a long time, she missed her paintbrush.
"Fang Fang."
"Yes, sister-in-law."
"Do you have paper and a pen?"
"I brought a notebook and a ballpoint pen. What's up?"
"Can I borrow them?"
She sat by the door painting. Fang Fang would occasionally run over to watch her, her admiration reaching a new peak.
"It's so beautiful! You're so good at painting! Sister-in-law, I didn't expect you to be a painter!"
Zhan Jingchun wanted to say there were many things she didn't expect, but she didn't.
"Do you like it? If you like it, I'll give it to you."
Fang Fang was overjoyed. "Really? Thank you, sister-in-law!"
Seeing her so happy over such a small thing, Zhan Jingchun couldn't help but be moved again.
Looking at her scabbed face, she asked, "Do you want a sketch?"
"What's a sketch?"
"I'll draw your portrait."
Fang Fang had never had her photo taken in her life and became shy.
"Can I? Are you tired?"
"Sit down, I'm not tired."
When Peng Fei returned, Zhan Jingchun had just finished painting. He saw the two of them drawing from behind and stood at the doorway without entering.
Only after Fang Fang received the painting did he go to look.
Upon seeing it, he felt inferior again.
His wife could even paint? And so well, so lifelike. Even the dust on Fang Fang's face was visible.
He didn't know what to say, so he could only lower his head and find something to do, setting up the pot and heating the steamed buns.
A sliver of the sunset remained, blood-red and romantic.
Zhan Jingchun sat in front of the sunset, watching him busy, silent, and insecure. She quietly drew a portrait of him too.
For dinner, the siblings ate steamed bun slices, while Zhan Jingchun ate the last of the chicken soup noodles.
She didn't want to eat them. Seeing the perfectly roasted steamed bun slices, she wanted to give the noodles to Fang Fang, but Fang Fang refused.
"The chicken is yours; I won't eat it. If you don't want to eat it now, save it for tomorrow."
Only then did Zhan Jingchun realize that after so long, she had eaten so much meat, while Fang Fang and Peng Fei had never touched any.