Chapter 416 - Chapter 416: Chapter 409: Back Again
Chapter 416: Chapter 409: Back Again
“Thank you,” Tang Yuxin took the rabbit leg more than happy. The rabbit was split in half, with Bao Shuai tossing Gu Ning one half, which he started eating immediately. He then tore off a piece of meat and held it to Tang Yuxin’s mouth.
Tang Yuxin had planned to take it, but found her hands full. No matter, she had her mouth. She bit directly into the offered meat.
As Bao Shuai said, the meat was pure and natural, with not a hint of salt. However, after days of eating leaves, she was desperate for meat. Even though the rabbit didn’t have much taste, meat was meat. In a place like this, being able to eat meat was enough. She wasn’t picky.
Once they had finished eating, they would have to continue trekking.
“I’ll go out alone,” Tang Yuxin said. She wanted to go back to save Chengcheng’s life, so she wouldn’t be traveling with them. She had left marks on the trees along the way, so following the marks would lead her back. She remembered the route.
“Stay safe,” Gu Ning touched her hair, unable to protect her now.
“I will,” Tang Yuxin replied as she handed the medicine she had packed from her bag to Gu Ning. She also clipped her small cloth bag onto Gu Ning’s button.
“This can deter mosquitoes. It’s really effective,” she added.
“What about me?” Bao Shuai pointed at his face, which had recently been close to being devoured by insects.
Tang Yuxin thought for a moment before handing over the medicine she had packed. Since she was about to leave, she wouldn’t be needing it. Plus, she had already applied medicine on her body. She doubted that mosquitoes would bother her for a while.
Bao Shuai treasured the medicine and hung it on his waist. He noticed on their way that mosquitoes and other pests avoided Tang Yuxin. He realized that there must be something on her that was repellent to insects.
He almost thought Gu Ning’s niece had walked out of a martial arts film- she was so proficient and could even make her own medicine. He decided to ask Gu Ning if they could bring some of Tang Yuxin’s medicine on their missions. It could increase their chances of survival.
Tang Yuxin quickly checked the contents of her bag and walked away without worrying about Gu Ning and the others. They had been surviving in this area and without reaching their end goal, they would not leave.
Knowing that she was rather useless here and might even be a burden, she decided it was best not to cause trouble for others.
Soon enough, she returned the way she came. The grass that had been trampled by her gave away her trail. She tracked her way to Gu Ning and the others. When she found them, she saw that they were still there, with Gu Ning resting by a tree. The two dead wolves were nowhere to be seen.
“Eh, little niece, why have you come back?”
Being the same age as Gu Ning, Bao Shuai called Tang Yuxin his little niece with much affection.
Gu Ning opened his eyes and the hint of exasperation in his black eyes was evident.
Tang Yuxin quickly ran over and pointed behind her, “I saw them.”
Gu Ning abruptly stood up, “You saw them?”
“Yes,” Tang Yuxin nodded, “There’s a place with a house, and there are people inside. I saw from a distance, and didn’t cause any alarm.”
The smile on Bao Shuai’s face disappeared, and he exchanged glances with Gu Ning.
Gu Ning understood and, lowering his head, whispered to Tang Yuxin, “Follow us and don’t run around.”
Tang Yuxin nodded. She wouldn’t run away again.
She led them to the place she had just passed. If it hadn’t been for the Purple-red Snake she saw, which made her run here, they wouldn’t have found this place.
Surprisingly, she found that the place was inhabited. But where did all the daily necessities come from?
She looked up at the sky, blocked by the tree canopy. She wondered how the house was built and how everything was transported here.
The group huddled in the bushes. Gu Ning and Bao Shuai kept exchanging signals. Despite not understanding what they were doing, Tang Yuxin remained silent. She wove a hat out of grass and put it on her head.
Bao Shuai looked at her and wanted to laugh. “Young lady, there’s no need to disguise like that. They can’t see us. We’re not fighting enemies on a battlefield.”
Suddenly, Gu Ning squinted his eyes. He reached out and pulled Tang Yuxin’s head into his chest. Tang Yuxin dared not move. Her lips were only an inch away from his chin. She could smell his scent, the bloody scent, the sweat from the clothes he’d been wearing for days, and the earthy smell.
She peered into the distance and saw a man carrying something, looking left and right, and humming a tuneless song.
Bao Shuai gave a signal to Gu Ning, then carefully stood up and rolled to the side. Soon there was a thump, and the man fell to the ground.
Bao Shuai picked up the large barrel the man had been carrying. He looked inside and saw that it was full of noodles.
He signalled to Gu Ning, who then brought Tang Yuxin over.
“Do you have a cup?” Gu Ning quietly asked Tang Yuxin. She opened her backpack, took out a cup, and handed it to Gu Ning. He scooped out a cup of noodles and placed it in front of Tang Yuxin, “Eat some, don’t say anything yet.”
Tang Yuxin took the cup. With no chopsticks, she simply poured the noodles into her mouth. It had been a long time since she had eaten noodles, let alone bread.
Gu Ning and Bao Shuai also ate some noodles.
“What happened to him?” Tang Yuxin asked in a low voice, “Is he dead?”
“No, he’s just unconscious,” was the reply.
Bao Shuai wiped his mouth, “When he wakes up, we’ll be able to get some answers.”
Tang Yuxin crossed her arms over her chest, rested her chin on her hand, glanced at the buildings in the distance, looked at the man lying on the ground, and asked, “Is he their food delivery guy?”