Chapter 22: Patrolling the Manor
Right at that moment, he seemed to hear his late master’s voice: “Go on, your master is calling you.”
Da Hei leapt up, clutched his sweet potatoes, and dove headfirst into the cave.
The cave was pitch-black and chilly, and inside, Da Hei’s body almost merged entirely with the darkness. He sprinted barefoot, his large soles slapping loudly against the cave floor.
He had no idea how much time passed—it felt like ages, yet also like a mere flash—before his drowsiness faded and he emerged from the other end of the cave. Following yesterday’s path, he bolted all the way back to the old house.
Staring at the strange yet familiar building, Da Hei’s heart thudded wildly.
“Master! Master! I have come!”
Jian Xingxia, who was currently boiling water, lifted her head and peeked out the window.
“Huh? Why did you bring the sweet potatoes back again?”
The sweet potatoes she had shoved into his arms right before he vanished yesterday were now being cradled right back to her, completely untouched.
Da Hei panted heavily, offering a humble reply, “Master, I am not hungry. I will not eat.”
Jian Xingxia took one look at his sunken stomach and understood everything.
“You’ve arrived at the perfect time. Eat something first, then accompany me into the mountains.”
The wild grass in the mountains grew taller than a person, and she had heard the roars of nameless beasts at night, so she didn’t dare venture in alone. Taoya and Old Man Xu were entirely unsuited for the task—one was too young, and the other’s age… well, at least his appearance was far too advanced.
Jian Xingxia told Da Hei to set his sweet potatoes down by the back door and handed him two large, freshly boiled sweet potatoes, each weighing well over a pound. She also ladled out a large bowl of the morning’s noodle broth for him.
She had eaten dried noodles and a boiled egg for breakfast, tossing in a handful of wild vegetables while she was at it. There was plenty of leftover broth, which was perfect for people like Taoya and Da Hei who had been starving for a long time, as it was easy for the body to absorb.
Da Hei felt an immense wave of bliss. Today’s noodle broth tasted even better than yesterday’s corn-water. The liquid was incredibly thick, boasting a richer color than rice porridge, and when he drank down to the very bottom, there were even one or two strands of soft, slippery noodles left.
Da Hei slurped the bowl clean. Even after consuming over two pounds of sweet potatoes, he was merely coasting on not being actively starved. But he didn’t say a word. Following his master’s instructions, he hoisted his hoe, slung a bamboo basket over his back, and packed two rolls of strange bags inside the basket.
To his touch, the bags felt neither like cloth nor leather, but they were remarkably sturdy. The pack his master wore on her back was even stranger; it was made of cloth, yet it wasn’t cotton, hemp, or silk. It resembled thin fabric, but it was far smoother and tougher. The design was bizarre too.
Da Hei upheld the excellent virtues of a Kunlun Slave—speaking less and doing more. He shouldered his hoe and took the lead to clear the path.
His master had said she wanted to inspect the mountain fields. Da Hei used his hoe to chop away the earth to the left and right, carving out a dirt path about thirty to forty centimeters wide, while Jian Xingxia used a sickle to hack away the dense wild grass and branches flanking them.
Though she wore a long-sleeved shirt, gloves, and a face mask, she still couldn’t completely block out the sharp weeds and twigs. Da Hei, however, merely had a tattered burlap sack draped over his torso, his hands and feet completely bare. Yet he swung his hoe with absolute ease, advancing as if navigating an open plain.
Last night, in addition to the electronic scale, electric kettle, and rice cooker, Jian Xingxia had purchased a batch of clearance-sale, slightly blemished clothes, fabrics, shoes, and socks online. She didn’t care about the colors or patterns; she only wanted volume and affordability. Although the temporary workers wouldn’t be able to take most of these items back with them, they could at least wear them while “laboring” here.
Following closely behind Da Hei, Jian Xingxia very quickly spotted the watermelon patch Fangfang and Hu Ming had mentioned yesterday.
The wild grass in the watermelon patch grew even more aggressively, but one could vaguely discern the melons hidden beneath the weeds. Jian Xingxia told Da Hei to rip the weeds out while she went over to inspect the watermelons.
Left untended, the melon vines had grown thick and tangled, but the yield was poor. Most of the fruits had rotted away, and the remaining specimens were either tiny or had yellowing rinds. She cracked open a few; the flavor was decent, but they were filled with seeds and the rinds were far too fragile, making them impossible to transport.
Jian Xingxia picked out two and tossed them into Da Hei’s basket, keeping them to quench their thirst along the way.
Bypassing the watermelon patch, the two forged ahead. Along the way, they could see remnants of former vegetable plots, all currently desolate. Only a few scattered seeds had quietly sprouted, fighting a grueling war against the wild grass for territory.
Jian Xingxia even discovered a patch of wheat. They were likely grown from grains left behind during a harvest one or two years ago; the stalks grew tall, but when she pinched the ears, the grains inside were entirely hollow.
The earth never lied; it returned exactly as much harvest as the effort you sowed into it. Jian Xingxia quietly estimated the layout of the fields, planning out her future cultivation arrangements.
As they walked further toward the base of the mountain, trees began to multiply. Fruit trees appeared from time to time, their bases carpeted with a layer of over-ripened, fallen fruit. Most of the fruit rotted rapidly upon hitting the ground, serving as food for birds, beasts, and insects before eventually decomposing into fertilizer to nourish the trees.
Fortunately, there was still a significant amount of fruit clinging to the branches. Setting aside those pecked by birds or bored by insects, a good number could still be salvaged.
Da Hei was tall, capable of harvesting them with a simple reach of his arm. Jian Xingxia sampled them one by one, noting down the trees with superior flavors so she could hire someone to harvest them later. However, since these trees grew wild in the mountains, their variety was inferior to the old peach tree in her courtyard. Jian Xingxia estimated that these unmanaged fruits could only be sold at a cheap discount.
But a drop in the bucket was still money, and Jian Xingxia didn’t turn her nose up at it.
Right now, she could hire at least one temporary worker every day, which simultaneously saved her money and cost her money. She saved on modern labor costs, but she also had to put more heart into planning for these ancient temporary workers, utilizing their limited wages to maximize the improvement of their lives in their native worlds.
After walking for nearly three hours, Jian Xingxia’s sneakers were caked in mud and grass clippings, turning into dusty brown clods. Da Hei, however, looked completely unfazed; he merely scraped his sole against a tree trunk to strip away the thick layers of mud.
Jian Xingxia: “……”
Some talents simply can’t be envied; I could never do that.
The two ate some of the fruits harvested along the way, along with two sweet potatoes and an egg, resting on the spot to recuperate. Jian Xingxia’s physical stamina was decent, but she was no match for Da Hei.
While she was resting, Da Hei seemed to catch a sound. He shifted his posture stealthily, leaning over to peer into a nearby tree hollow. In the next instant, he reached his hand inside and yanked out a squirrel.
Suddenly captured, the plump squirrel twisted its body frantically, emitting sharp, rapid squeaks from its mouth.
Jian Xingxia opened her eyes, thoroughly startled. “Why are you catching a squirrel!”
Da Hei perceived that Jian Xingxia’s tone wasn’t pleased. But since the squirrel was already in his grasp, he could only bite the bullet and utter, “Eat.”
When he had traveled the mountains and rivers with his late master, whenever they bypassed the main highways, running into a food crisis along the journey was inevitable. Sourcing food from the immediate environment was a critical survival skill. His late master had praised him for it, so he assumed Jian Xingxia would like it too.
Jian Xingxia realized her tone had been a bit too sharp, so she slowed her pace, saying, “It’s not that you can’t catch things, but squirrels are beneficial to the mountain forests… Ah, it’s hard to explain it clearly to you. Just remember one thing: from now on, unless you encounter danger, ask me first before you catch anything.”
Da Hei looked down at the squirrel, decided it didn’t look dangerous, and stuffed it right back into the tree hollow with a swift motion.
After their brief rest, the two officially began their trek up the mountain.
