Chapter Ten: The Lost Memory

  On the way back, Zhi Xiao knew that she was holding a string of roasted chestnuts in her hand. At the city gate, she saw the little soldier who had asked her for the entrance fee yesterday, collecting money from people entering the city.

  When the little soldier inadvertently looked over this way, she was so frightened that she quickly ran away.

  Ran far away before stopping, heart pounding and jumping non-stop, don't know how that uncle spoke to this little soldier yesterday.

  She thought that even if she were a thief, she wouldn't be as guilty as this. She shook her head and laughed to herself. Who made her have such a good mood today?

  When walking down to the foot of the mountain, I just realized that I forgot to bring back the basket I brought with me, and it was left at the cave entrance next to the city gate. Remind myself to go back and get it tomorrow, after all, it's my first handmade basket, which has some commemorative significance.

  My mind is preoccupied with the fishing nets that came down from the mountain this morning, wondering if they caught any fish. I'm thinking of quickly running up the mountain to put down the roasted buns in my hands and take a look.

  When approaching the wooden house on the mountain, she saw that the door was open. She clearly remembered locking it when she came down the mountain, but now it was wide open. What's going on?!

  Zhī xiǎo shuāng yǎn dèng dà, tōu tōu de jiǎng zhe jiǎo wǎng nà shān wū fù jìn de yī cóng ǎi shù hòu mian duǒ le qǐ lái, xīn qíng yǒu xiē jǐn zhāng, gāi bù huì jìn xiǎo tōu le 89.

  Translation:

  Zhixiao's eyes widened, and he quietly tiptoed to hide behind a clump of short trees near the mountain house, feeling somewhat tense, hopefully not becoming a thief at the age of 89.

  But there's nothing valuable in this broken house. Maybe this mountain house doesn't belong to her, she just borrowed it, then where will she live now?

  Biting her lip, staring wide-eyed, closely watching the movements in the house, constantly focusing on her own interests, this is now the only place she can set foot, and must not be taken away by others.

  At this time, two people's voices came from the house from time to time. Xiaoxiao leaned sideways and listened carefully, secretly listening in.

  "Go back to 89, you're ill, I'll wait here." A man in his thirties supported a young woman wearing coarse cloth clothes, about twenty years old, and walked out of the house, standing at the door.

  "If I hadn't gone to see my sister at this time, it would have been fine. Now, I've lost track of Xiaoxiao. Fortunately, Li Jia Erni came to tell me that Xiaoxiao has been going down the mountain for the past two days, but who knows what she's doing there... "

  Lan Niang didn't dare think about it anymore. All these years, staying in this village and being isolated from the world was still considered safe. If this girl were to run out and encounter...

  Lan Niang's heart was burning with anxiety, and she coughed a few more times before gasping for air and leaning against the door frame to look outside.

  "Am I not taking care of you while you're ill?"

  "This illness, what's the big deal? It's just a minor cold. You think I'm still that pampered?" She said, glaring at him with her eyes.

  Knowing in the corner next to eavesdrop, the voices of these two people can be vaguely transmitted to her ears, but still can't hear clearly.

  She quietly shifted her body and leaned over to listen, but accidentally stepped on a withered branch, making a crisp "crack" sound.

  Realizing too late, she scolded herself for being so careless.

  My heart is racing tightly, will those two hear it? Probably not, they are quite far away, and besides, they can't even hear themselves speak clearly.

  Nodding in understanding, comforting myself.

  Suddenly, the woman in gray clothes with patches appeared out of nowhere in front of Zhi Xiao, scaring him so much that his body fell backward and he landed on the ground. How did she manage to be discovered so unfortunately?

  Lan Niang frowned, pursed her lips and puffed out her cheeks as she scanned the little girl in front of her. A hint of worry still flashed across her face, but in the end, she couldn't help but scold:

  "Look at you, all dirty and bruised from fighting with someone again? Are you cold?" He pulled Zhi Xiao up from the ground.

  When she saw the three buns still in her hand, one of which had been bitten by her and was hanging from the string on her hand, Han's daughter was taken aback, immediately scowling with a frown and glaring at her with anger, shouting:

  "Where did this bun come from?! You didn't go and snatch someone else's food again, did you?! You little glutton, when will you ever get rid of this bad habit?!" Lan Niang said helplessly, with a hint of frustration in her tone.

  Knowing that she heard this, just opening her mouth to argue, what kind of person is she? But thinking again, it's better to forget it, they are completely two different people, anyway that person is not herself.

  It seems that these two are not here to rob her house either, so she can rest assured. She shook off the arm that was being pulled and walked inside.

  Lan Niang saw that Zhi Xiao ignored her, but she went into the house alone and exchanged a glance with Liu Jian, also hastily following him in.

  Knowing that the tea water was boiled early in the morning, he raised his head and drank enough, put down the pot, wiped his mouth, looked at the woman in front of him, "Who are you?"

  Lan Niang was taken aback, her mouth had just opened to scold a few more sentences, but now she didn't know what to say. She took two steps back in surprise, staring at her, and the couple behind her also stared at her without blinking.

  "What's wrong with you?" Lan Niang shook off Liu Jian's support and asked anxiously: "I'm your mother, it's only been a few days since we last saw each other, how can you not recognize me? Are you angry with me for not coming to see you for two days? Didn't I tell you that I would go out with your father just this once and come back soon?" As she spoke, her eyes turned red.

  "Lan Niang, don't be in a hurry and ask properly." Liu Jian said helplessly beside her. This daughter-in-law is just too impatient. Now that she knows everything, what's there to worry about? Everyone has returned.

  "Look at the way she looks at us, it's as if we're strangers." Lan Niang pointed with her knowing eyes, accusingly telling the story, and then tears really started flowing out.

  She knew that she couldn't let others see her cry in front of them, so she pouted and said, "I hit my head and got hurt, I don't remember anything from before." She lifted up the hair on her forehead to show them the scabbed wound. Thinking to herself: Look at 89, I didn't lie to you.

  "How did this happen? Oh no, such a big wound will leave a scar, won't it?" Lan Niang started to worry again and stepped forward to take a closer look at the injury, but Zhi Xiao subconsciously dodged, not liking to be touched by strangers.

  Lan Niang saw her carefully guarded and thin appearance, her heart seemed to be torn apart, she didn't know how to persuade her to come back. She used to know that she was mischievous and playful, but where did this careful and defensive gaze at people come from? It was all caused by those villagers, otherwise she wouldn't have moved to the mountain and become like this.

  Knowing that the couple in front of her were supposed to be her parents, she didn't feel any closeness, just wanting them to leave quickly. She was busy and had a lot to do, still needing to make several more fish baskets and search the mountain for other places where wild vegetables might grow. It's possible there were some. She looked at them with some resentment.

  "Do you know it hurts? Come and let me take a good look." She stepped forward to pull Zhi Xiao over, but was dodged by Zhi Xiao. "What's wrong with you, I'm your mother, he's your father." Pushing Liu Jian forward to have her recognize him.

  "Dad? Mom?" Knowing that they were not paying attention, she smiled and shifted her gaze from one person's face to another, thinking to herself, I don't have parents who would let their child fend for themselves in the mountains.

  She didn't think it was worth knowing about this body, enduring the sudden sourness that rose to the tip of her nose, and asked coldly with a slanted gaze at the two people: "Am I your biological child?"

  Lan Niang and Liu Jian's bodies were both stunned, looking at each other for a moment before quickly flashing away, trying to cover up the sudden unease in their hearts. With puzzled and worried expressions, they looked at her tightly, wondering if someone had said something to this girl over the past two days?

  Lan Niang quickly grabbed the hand that was about to be revealed, frowned and glared angrily: "What are you thinking about all day? Of course, you are our biological daughter. Who has been slandering you? Tell me, who is it? I'll go find her."

  Under the strong pressure, a shock suddenly rose in his heart, and his face was stern. He continued to say, "Tell your mother, what have you been doing down the mountain for the past two days? I heard that you ran down the mountain every day?"

  At this time, I didn't notice anything unusual about them and just thought they were a pair of ruthless parents.

  "I may have lost my memory, but I clearly remember that when I woke up, there was only me by myself, and I was left to live alone on this desolate mountain. Parents like you are no better than having none at all. Leave now, I don't want to see you again." Knowing that with a wave of his hand, he would chase them away.

  She deliberately glanced at them with a nonchalant expression, then furiously said in a low voice: "From now on, let's go our separate ways!"

  She felt a lump in her chest, and tears she couldn't control kept welling up. She didn't know where the sorrow in her heart came from. The two of them were so similar, both living such lonely lives. That was already hard enough to bear. Why did they have to appear before her now, stirring up her emotions? It pained her to think about it.

  Ling's daughter got angry and scolded: "You stinky girl, what are you talking about? Say it again and I'll beat you up."