Chapter 3 (1)

Fang Ji lowered his head and took a closer look, exclaiming, "This... this is a person!"

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Seven days later, when Feng Bao Nan saw Zhang Guangquan again, he was able to get up and move around.

The cottage's door had been reinforced with new wooden boards, and the musty smell in the air had dissipated. Bathed in the early spring sunlight, the entire room was brightly illuminated. When Feng Bao Nan entered, he saw Zhang Guangquan draping a clean blanket over a clothesline strung between the jujube trees in the courtyard. His abdomen had flattened, and his complexion had improved significantly.

Seeing Feng Bao Nan, Zhang Guangquan hurriedly put down what he was doing, walked over with quick steps, and greeted him at the door.

Feng Bao Nan stepped inside and saw Feng You standing by the doorway, his cheeks flushed. He met his eyes and called out "Dad" breathlessly before quickly lowering his head.

He had returned from running around the mountain paths early in the morning, fortunately getting back ahead of Feng Bao Nan.

Fang Ji sat in a corner of the room, tending to a small pot of herbal soup. Hearing the commotion, he looked up and greeted Feng Bao Nan with a nod.

Feng Bao Nan smiled and said, "Doctor Fang, you've worked hard these past few days."

Before Fang Ji could respond, Zhang Guangquan tightly grasped Feng Bao Nan's hand, his eyes moist. He addressed Feng Bao Nan, "Village head Feng, it's thanks to him, and thank you too..." His voice wavered, and he paused momentarily before managing to regain his composure. He continued, "I'm not afraid to admit this, but when I was in and out of consciousness, several times I thought I heard my father's voice from above..."

Feng Bao Nan smiled reassuringly at him, "Lao Zhang, don't think too much about it. Focus on recovering your health and getting back to work soon. Spring plowing is right around the corner."

(Tn: Lao means Old."

Zhang Guangquan chuckled, slightly embarrassed. At that moment, Fang Ji approached with the medicinal soup in hand and whispered, "Uncle Zhang, it's time to take your medicine."

Zhang Guangquan quickly took the bowl, offered a chair to Fang Ji, and gulped down the medicinal soup in one go.

Setting down the bowl, he noticed the residue at the bottom and suddenly remembered something. He turned to Fang Ji and asked, "By the way! Doctor Fang, you mentioned last time that you wanted to go up the mountain to look at medicinal herbs. I told you about a route, but you said you didn't understand. Oh, it's because I'm not good with words. You should talk to Village head Feng about it!"

Feng Bao Nan looked at Fang Ji and inquired, "What's going on? Do we not have enough herbs?"

Fang Ji nodded, "Yes, I was just about to talk to you about this. I thought of going up the mountain in the next couple of days to see what kind of medicinal herbs are available. Uncle Zhang gave me a rough idea of the route, but I'm a bit stupid when it comes to directions. Moreover, I remembered what you said, so I didn't want to go by myself without proper guidance."

Zhang Guangquan smiled and said to Feng Bao Nan, "I told him I wanted to accompany him, but he insisted on not letting me. He said he's worried that I might not be able to handle the journey. This kid is really considerate!"

Feng Bao Nan nodded in agreement and said to Fang Ji, "That's easy. You can come back with us first. I'll have some free time in the afternoon, and I can guide you up the mountain. Once we come down, Feng You can take you to the guesthouse to stay. How does that sound?"

Fang Ji agreed, packed his things, bid farewell to Zhang Guangquan, and then followed the father and son.

The undulating silhouette of the mountains stretched far and wide. In the expansive fields, several villagers wearing straw hats were diligently working in the fields. One dark-skinned man straightened up, clapped his stiff lower back with his hand, and absentmindedly glanced up. His gaze fixed on Fang Ji, and he froze, his eyes widening with an undisguised look of astonishment. He scrutinized Fang Ji from head to toe, as if he were observing a ghost. When their eyes met, Fang Ji politely offered a faint smile. This action, however, widened the man's eyes even more. He tilted his head slightly and said something to a younger person beside him in a hushed tone, all while keeping his gaze fixed on Fang Ji. The young man turned his head as well, and his face showed the same astonishment. They seemed to exchange words, but Fang Ji was too far away to hear.

Several others around him also raised their heads and looked toward Fang Ji, their gazes like they were staring at an anomaly.

Fang Ji's expression remained calm. He stood quietly by the field, his gaze scanning every person in the field—one, two, three... all were men. It wasn't until he saw the ninth person that his gaze suddenly halted. Half-length hair, tied loosely with a red cord. A slightly slender waist, holding an iron shovel, was bending over to fill a ditch with soil. The brim of a hat cast a shadow on the person's neck, obscuring their face.

Fang Ji's heart trembled, his gaze fixed on that woman. After a while, he finally heard the conversation beside him. She lifted her head in a daze, and their eyes met in mid-air.

Fang Ji's breath caught in his throat. Once he saw the woman's appearance clearly, his eyes darkened, and he lowered his head silently.

"Fang Ji?" Feng You halted his steps and turned back when he noticed Fang Ji wasn't following. He asked, "What's wrong?"

Fang Ji squinted slightly and said, "It's nothing. I've been in the sun for too long, so my eyes hurt a bit," he smiled and quickened his pace to catch up with Feng You, "Let's go."

When they arrived at the Feng residence, Yanzi opened the door and smiled at Fang Ji. Over the past few days, Yanzi had been delivering meals to him. She was also keeping the secret of Feng You sneaking out. As a result, they had become somewhat acquainted.

Feng Bao Nan gestured for Yanzi to take Fang Ji to the kitchen to have a meal. He remained at the doorway and turned to Feng You, glaring at him with an angry expression, "Come here, I need to talk to you!"

Feng You's footsteps halted, his face growing pale. He lowered his head and slowly shuffled towards the house.

Losing patience, Feng Bao Nan grabbed Feng You's ear and dragged him inside.

Watching the two figures disappear behind the door, Fang Ji lowered his voice and asked Yanzi, "Yanzi, what did he do again?"

Yanzi pursed her lips and chuckled softly, "I don't know! Whenever he gets scolded, he's either done something or nothing at all to deserve it." She thought for a moment and added, "Could it be that he got caught sneaking out?"

"How could that be? Do you mean someone from the village recognized brother Feng in town? And they sold him out?" Fang Ji stared into her eyes. "But since those rumors started, they've been avoiding interactions with the villagers, right?"

Pondering for a moment, Yanzi said, "There used to be that situation, but it seems like it's changed recently. I'm not sure, though. My father's matters, he doesn't share with me."

Fang Ji's gaze darkened, but he didn't say anything.

Suddenly, a very faint and almost whimpering sound came from behind. Yanzi turned her head in surprise, "A Huang"

Following her gaze, Fang Ji saw the yellow dog crouched in the shadowy corner of the courtyard, eyes downcast, tail tucked between its legs, and it was emitting a barely audible sound, not from its mouth, but from its throat.

Rushing over, Yanzi crouched down, gently rubbing A Huang's furry head, "A Huang, what's wrong?"

Just then, it let out a mournful howl, moving its hind legs backwards as if it were trying to squeeze itself into the wall. It left a pale yellow stain on the ground underneath it. Yanzi was startled, quickly reaching out to pick it up and cradling it in her arms. She examined its body closely, "What's wrong? Did you get hurt?"

"It's not injured," Fang Ji, who had somehow moved behind Yanzi, spoke with an ice-cold smile on his lips. "Maybe it saw something dirty and got scared."

Perplexed, Yanzi looked at A Huang, raising her hand to gently stroke its head, her voice soft, "A Huang, don't be afraid! I'll make you something delicious!"

"Where is it?" Feng Bao Nan's voice turned cold.

Feng You rolled his eyes, pulled his phone out of his pocket, and placed it on the table in front of Feng Bao Nan's desk.

Feng Bao Nan stared at the dark piece of metal-like object, his brows furrowing. He raised his hand to beckon Feng You, "Come and take a look. Where are his call records and messages?"

Feng You's face darkened, and he turned his head away without responding.

After waiting for a moment with no reply, Feng Bao Nan raised his head and saw Feng You acting like a brat. He scolded, "Did you hear me?!"

Feng You let out a sarcastic grunt from his nose and said, "I don't know how, you figure it out yourself!"

"You son of a—" Feng Bao Nan was about to unleash his anger, but Feng You cut him off.

Loudly, Feng You shouted, "Go ahead and hit me! Make some noise so Fang Ji can hear!"

"You!" Feng Bao Nan hid his phone under the desk and then stood up. He raised his hand to slap Feng You, but to his surprise, Feng You dodged away.

This was unprecedented. Feng Bao Nan was momentarily stunned. He stared, wide-eyed, at Feng You's face, cursing, "You've grown wings, huh? You dare dodge?! Useless piece of crap!"

Anxiety gripped Feng You's heart. He lifted his face, met Feng Bao Nan's eyes, and hoarsely retorted, "Yes! I am useless! Those capable brothers of mine, which of them still calls you 'father'?!"

Tears welled up in Feng Bao Nan's eyes. His chest heaved violently, his gaze swept around the room, finally settling on the paperweight on the table. A surge of anger overwhelmed him, and he grabbed the paperweight and hurled it at Feng You. A loud bang echoed as the paperweight narrowly missed Feng You's face, striking the door panel instead. The door panel caved in, leaving a dent, and splinters of wood scattered. If it had been slightly off, it might have hit him in the head. Feng You's complexion changed abruptly, and Feng Bao Nan was equally shocked, standing there frozen in place.

The room fell silent. Neither of them spoke, just stood there stiffly.

At that moment, a series of knocks came from outside the door, and Fang Ji's voice reached them, "Village head Feng? Are you alright?"

Returning to his senses, Feng Bao Nan forced a chuckle and shouted, "I'm fine, doctor Fang. Just dropped something."

Fang Ji acknowledged, about to leave. Feng You rushed out, but someone grabbed his arm. He froze, then turned his head to meet Fang Ji's gaze.

Fang Ji stared in astonishment at the slightly flushed side of Feng You's face and exclaimed, "brother Feng, what happened to your face?!"

Feng You was taken aback, only now realizing that the side of his face was stinging. "It's nothing, just bumped into something—"

His words trailed off because Fang Ji had suddenly raised his hand, placing the cool back of his hand against Feng You's flushed cheek.

"Is it because of your dad...?" Fang Ji furrowed his brow, his face showing a worried expression. "Is it because of me? Why did you get into trouble again right after I came back with you?"

"It's not!" Feng You was afraid Fang Ji might cry again, so he hurriedly explained, "It has nothing to do with you, don't overthink it."

Fang Ji's expression finally eased a bit, and he asked, "Do you have anything cold at home? You should apply something cold to it, or it might swell later."

Feng You lowered his gaze, his eyes falling on Fang Ji's face. The latter, however, didn't seem to notice, as if all his attention was focused on Feng You's injury. In that moment, Feng You's heart seemed to tighten. He averted his gaze awkwardly and said, "I don't have anything cold, it's fine, it'll get better."

"How about I use my hand to apply it? My hand is cold, and it'll stop hurting after a while," Fang Ji offered.

Feng You's muscles tensed up, his eyes fixed on a point in the empty space. Before long, he even started to sweat on his forehead. Fang Ji applied the cold compress for a while, but his hand grew tired. He then placed his hand on Feng You's shoulder, continuing with the cold compress using his other hand. Feng You's peripheral vision caught Fang Ji's posture, and for a moment, he had an illusion that Fang Ji was holding him. Unconsciously, he swallowed.

Suddenly, Yanzi emerged from the kitchen and saw Feng You standing in the courtyard. She asked loudly, "Brother! Have you eaten?"

Feng You was caught off guard, and before he could respond, Fang Ji quickly withdrew his hand and lowered his head. Feng You's gaze changed as he stared at Fang Ji's face in astonishment.

It seemed that Fang Ji's action was... to avoid suspicion?

Was he afraid Yanzi would see?

But why would he be afraid of others seeing...

Seeing him standing there motionless, Yanzi hurried over and tugged on Feng You's sleeve gently, asking in surprise, "Brother? What are you doing... Why is your face so red?"

Feng You's heart skipped a beat. He quickly covered his face and exclaimed, "Red? Not at all! Don't talk nonsense!"

"It's really red," Yanzi pointed at his left cheek. "Did Dad hit you again?"

Feng You's throat tightened, and he finally realized she was talking about the injury. He didn't dare to look at Fang Ji again and quickly turned around, heading toward the kitchen.

In early April, tender green buds had sprouted on the branches in the forest of the back mountains. A gentle breeze nudged the cotton-like clouds, and they floated slowly across the vast blue sky.

Using a sickle, Feng You cleared the path by slashing through the overgrown branches. He kicked the cut dead branches off the path with his foot. Fang Ji followed closely behind him, his back pressed against the mountain wall. He stared fixedly at the narrow path that could only accommodate one person at a time, sidestepping carefully. Suddenly, he stumbled, his body pitching forward. Startled, he let out a cry and quickly grabbed hold of a protruding grass stem, collapsing to his knees on the ground.

Feng You's footsteps halted abruptly. He turned around and helped Fang Ji up, asking urgently, "Are you okay?"

Breathing heavily, Fang Ji held onto Feng You's sleeve tightly. He turned his head to glance at the loose gravel that had rolled down the mountainside. His face turned pale, and he spoke hesitantly, "Thank you. I'm a bit dizzy..."

Feng Bao Nan chuckled. "Doctor Fang, you've performed surgeries on people before. Why are you afraid of this?"

Dusting off the dirt from his clothes, Fang Ji steadied himself with Feng You's help, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

Feng Bao Nan reassured, "Don't worry, this path isn't that difficult to traverse. The more you fear, the more likely you'll stumble. Just focus on what's ahead and walk confidently. I'll be right behind you. We're almost at the top. The view from there is great, and there's a lake too!"

"There's a lake?" Fang Ji's eyes brightened with interest, and he exclaimed, "How can there be a lake at the mountaintop? Shouldn't all the water flow down?"

Feng Bao Nan grinned. "If you don't believe it, you'll see for yourself in a moment!"

Fang Ji nodded, his color returning to his face. The three of them continued on their journey. After about half an hour, the landscape suddenly opened up before them.

The sky stretched endlessly, and a few lush plants swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves creating a rustling sound like the tide. Feng You put down the bamboo basket from his back and sat down in the shade of a tree, looking up at the sky to catch his breath. Dappled sunlight danced across his face through the leaves. He closed his eyes, intending to rest for a bit. However, suddenly, he twitched his nose and his face changed. He covered his nose and exclaimed, "What the hell! Where's this foul smell coming from?!"

Feng Bao Nan stared at him, scolding, "Foul smell? Are you making excuses to run away?"

Still struggling to catch his breath, Feng You rolled his eyes and remained silent. It was a sign of goodwill that Feng Bao Nan didn't push the matter.

Fang Ji spoke up, "Village head Feng, there is a smell, something like the odor of decay."

Feng Bao Nan was taken aback. "I didn't smell anything."

"Let's move forward. Maybe the smell will dissipate. Oh, by the way, Village head Feng, where is the lake you mentioned? I fell earlier and would like to wash my hands."

"It's just up ahead. I'll take you there."

The three of them continued walking for a while, but as they advanced, the smell grew stronger. Initially tolerable, it became overwhelming. Even if they covered their noses and mouths, the offensive odor seemed to infiltrate their lungs through their pores.

"I... I'm damn near getting suffocated!" Feng You's muffled voice came through his sleeve. He held onto a tree nearby, his face turned dark as he bent over and retched.

Feng Bao Nan frowned, raised his eyes to scan ahead, and his gaze fixed on a spot. Suddenly, his expression changed.

"Village head Feng...?" Following his gaze, Fang Ji looked ahead and saw a patch of dark green lake. Even from a distance, they could see flies buzzing over the surface of the water. An overpowering stench that made it hard to keep their eyes open assaulted their noses. Flies densely covered the surface of the lake, resting on the decaying twigs and leaves, constantly licking the green bubbles rising from the depths.

Feng Bao Nan stared fixedly at the lake. Below the water's surface, where the flies had gathered, a piece of dark blue cloth was faintly visible. His gaze lingered on that cloth, draining all color from his face. He covered his mouth and nose, knelt down by the lake's edge, and picked up a thick tree branch from the side. He plunged it into the lake and stirred.

As he moved the branch, most of the flies hovering on the water's surface took off, emitting a chilling buzzing noise. Using the branch, Feng Bao Nan stirred the cloth, hooked it, and lifted it up.

Fang Ji lowered his head to look closely, and couldn't help exclaiming, "This... this is a person!"