Chapter 18: Liu Xiu Feng
Upon hearing her sister Mo Xiaohong’s words, Yiyi smiled and waved her hand, saying, "Sister, you see the bruise on my forehead is almost healed, which means the herbs I gathered are useful. So gathering herbs will definitely earn money, don’t worry." With that, she waved her hand and went up the mountain alone.
Watching her sister’s departing figure, Mo Xiaohong bit her lip, then turned to Ding Yuejun and said, "Mom, I’m heading out for a bit, please take care of Shanshan."
Ding Yuejun noticed this and quickly asked, "Xiaohong, where are you going? Yiyi just said you don’t need to go out to work, so where are you going? You mustn’t make any hasty decisions."
Mo Xiaohong quickly laughed and said, "Don’t worry, Mom, I know what I’m doing." She kissed her daughter Mo Shan’s forehead and then left, heading straight out of Luwei Village towards the neighboring Liujiawan.
Seeing Mo Xiaohong arrive, Liu Xiu Feng quickly smiled and said, "Xiaohong, you’re here, come in and have a seat."
Mo Xiaohong responded with a smile, "Sister Liu, I won’t sit down. I just wanted to ask if there’s any work available in town. Going far away is too distant for me, I can’t bear to leave, especially since Shanshan is still so young; I’m not comfortable with it."
Liu Xiu Feng glanced at Mo Xiaohong, then couldn’t help but shake her head.
She had heard about Mo Xiaohong’s divorce from Jiang Huirong and felt quite sympathetic towards this hardworking young woman. So without hesitating too long, she nodded and said, "Alright, since you’re not comfortable going far away, I’ll arrange work for you in town. Once there’s a definitive update, I’ll let you know. But the wages in town are slightly lower than elsewhere."
Liu Xiu Feng was known in Liujiawan as the head of labor arrangements.
Whenever there’s work, be it short-term or long-term, she would arrange for villagers to do it, taking a portion as an introduction fee. Her acquaintance with Mo Xiaohong was a chance encounter; last time Mo Xiaohong was working in the fields, she happened to see Liu Xiu Feng fall by the ridge and quickly helped her up. That was how they met, and Liu Xiu Feng was very fond of Mo Xiaohong.
Upon hearing Liu Xiu Feng’s words, Mo Xiaohong quickly said, "Sister Liu, it’s okay if the wages are lower; this way I can come back often to see Shanshan. Besides, my mother and sister aren’t comfortable with me going far away, so to reassure them, I would rather not travel far."
"Yes, working in town is actually better. Your mother and sister are both quite thoughtful."
Speaking of Ding Yuejun and Yiyi, Mo Xiaohong nodded in agreement and said, "Yes, my mother and Yiyi are really good. They treat Shanshan very well."
Seeing Mo Xiaohong’s genuine smile, Liu Xiu Feng felt a sense of relief, and couldn’t help but advise, "Xiaohong, I’ve been through similar things. A woman’s life doesn’t have to revolve around a man. Since Jiang Huirong is involved with Widow Li, leaving him is the right choice. What use is a man like that? In the future, when you earn money and raise your daughter, life will certainly be enjoyable."
Hearing Liu Xiu Feng’s words, Mo Xiaohong felt firmer in her decision.
"Sister Liu, I think so too. I just want to raise Shanshan well; I don’t care about anything else."
Seeing the brightness in Mo Xiaohong’s eyes, Liu Xiu Feng nodded and said, "Yes, that’s the right mindset. Okay, you should go home and wait for the news today; I’ll notify you by tomorrow at the latest."
"Alright, thank you, Sister Liu."
Liu Xiu Feng waved her hand and said, "Oh, don’t say thank you. Although I’m much older, we are like sisters."
Mo Xiaohong smiled and nodded, "Yes, you’re forever my Sister Liu."
Hearing this, Liu Xiu Feng also laughed gently.
She admired Mo Xiaohong for actively divorcing Jiang Huirong and fighting for custody of her daughter, which only deepened her preference for her. She was determined to find Mo Xiaohong a good job.
On another side, after Yiyi reached the mountain, she went straight to the place where she previously found Sanqi and Seven leaf Lotus. Before, she didn’t know there was space; now, knowing it, she wouldn’t miss any herb and planned to plant all the types she had once seen into that space.
Halfway up the mountain, Yiyi indeed saw the Sanqi and Seven leaf Lotus she hadn’t finished gathering last time.
After collecting these two herbs, she continued upwards. There were no other herbs at the base and middle of the mountain, so she decided to go to the top. She remembered hearing as a child from the villagers that this Songshan was rich with rare herbs; whether it was true or not, no one knew.
But after walking for half an hour, Yiyi still found nothing.
Finding a clearing to sit, Yiyi couldn’t help but sigh.
This morning, she confidently told her mom and sister that gathering herbs could earn money, yet she didn’t find anything at all. Turns out what that old villager said when she was a kid was exaggerated. No wonder no one in the village found any valuable herbs here on Songshan in years; there was nothing at all.
After resting enough, Yiyi looked at the dense forest ahead, determination in her eyes, planning to keep looking — she wouldn’t go back empty-handed.
But as she moved forward, Yiyi felt she might have gotten lost, with trees looking identical everywhere and losing sense of direction, "Oh no, am I truly lost?"
Yiyi began to feel a bit anxious. If she really got lost and couldn’t get out, her mom and sister would be worried. However, she calmed down quickly. The worst thing right now was to panic; she’d surely figure out how to get out.
𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖
After calming down, Yiyi looked around again, chose a direction, and pushed through the thick leaves, carefully moving forward.
"Ah..."
Before moving far, Yiyi suddenly felt herself losing balance, quickly sliding down.
Fortunately, Yiyi remained calm even at such a moment, not panicking and instead, cleverly grasped a nearby vine, agilely reducing her descent’s speed. By the time she completely stopped, she found herself hanging in mid-air, below foggy scenery, hardly able to discern what was beneath.
Just when considering climbing up, the vine she clung to unexpectedly snapped...
"Ah..."
This time Yiyi truly panicked, and upon landing below, felt severe pain throughout her body, unable to stand up.
"Phew..."
Exhaling slowly, Yiyi regained some composure. She first moved her limbs and, discovering no breaks, felt some relief; her luck hadn’t run out.
After lying for a while longer, Yiyi stood up gradually and finally perceived the scene before her.