Chapter 9: The Second Ascent of the Mountain

At the first light of dawn, the people at the cattle shed rose early. After a quick breakfast, they hurried off to the fields to harvest the rice. As the "double harvest" season was still underway, Fang Mingxi was once again entrusted to Tang Yao’s care. Since there were no other children of her age at the shed, Tang Yao was naturally delighted. She cradled the still-sleeping Fang Mingxi and watched the others depart.

Once they were out of sight, Tang Yao prepared to return for breakfast. Looking down, however, she noticed that Fang Mingxi, who had been fast asleep just moments ago, now had clear, alert eyes, showing no signs of drowsiness.

Tang Yao carried Fang Mingxi back inside. "Xi-xi, are you hungry?" She placed the child on the bed and went to warm the milk bottle that Tong Lingxian had left for her in a basin of water.

Food was scarce at the cattle shed. Last night’s meal had been the first truly filling one they had enjoyed in a long time. When they first arrived, it was thanks to the production team leader who had lent them grain that they managed to survive those foodless days. Even so, everyone lived from hand to mouth, let alone Fang Mingxi, who was not even nine months old. This morning, she had even heard Grandma Tong mention that they would have to stop the rice soup for Xi-xi; the little bit in the bottle was the last of it.

Tang Yao sighed. Poor Xi-xi—not only did she have no milk to drink, but now even the rice soup was running out. She tested the temperature of the warmed soup on her hand before placing the nipple into Fang Mingxi’s mouth.

Glancing at the empty wicker basket by her feet, Tang Yao’s mind drifted to the mountain outside. Since she had been so lucky yesterday, should she try her luck on the mountain again today? Grandpa Yu had said last night that if the termite mound of the chicken mushrooms wasn't too badly damaged, new ones would sprout in a few days. He had also emphasized that one must look for them early, otherwise they would grow too quickly and spoil within hours. Tang Yao had been very careful while foraging yesterday; surely she hadn't destroyed the nest. Why not run over there now while it was still dark and try her luck? The people she had encountered yesterday were likely still asleep, making it the perfect time to avoid them. Plus, with everyone else working in the fields, it would be easy to call for help if she ran into any danger.

Although this was risky, the potential rewards were proportional to the danger—a principle her grandfather had taught her when he was still alive. Tang Yao felt this advice was invaluable and wanted to put it to the test. She glanced at Fang Mingxi, who was focused on drinking her rice soup. The mountain was heavy with dew, and Xi-xi had just recovered from a major illness; would taking her along cause her to fall ill again?

Tang Yao hesitated. She had never found mushrooms while gathering firewood before, but yesterday, the first time she brought Xi-xi along, she had found so many. The child was truly a little lucky charm. After much deliberation, Tang Yao decided to take Fang Mingxi with her. She returned to her room, retrieved a thick blanket to wrap around Fang Mingxi, secured her with a carrying strap, and then covered the child’s head with the other end of the blanket.

Fang Mingxi had been racking her brain for an excuse to go up the mountain, but before she could say a word, Tang Yao had already bundled her up. With the rope wrapped several times around her legs and the blanket, she realized she was being prepared for an outing. She felt like a little bear. Her expression could no longer be described as merely surprised; it was sheer shock. She wanted to bow to Tang Yao on the spot. She couldn't put into words what it felt like to be so perfectly in sync with someone, but she knew it felt wonderful.

Tang Yao paced the room a couple of times with Fang Mingxi on her back. The extra blanket made it a bit heavy and stuffy, but it was manageable. She washed the milk bottle, locked the door, and set off toward the mountain with the wooden bucket in hand.

Having been delayed, the sky was already brightening by the time she left. From the cattle shed, one could see the Red Leaf Mountain in the distance. At night, the mountain had a mysterious presence; mist rolled through the forest, and the path leading upward looked like a dark hole, daunting to those looking up from below.

The Maple Leaf Production Team was the closest to the Red Flag Commune and was the most prosperous, as the residents relied on the resources of Red Leaf Mountain to survive during the famine. Generally, the team leader forbade members from hunting on the mountain on their own. There were tigers in the woods, and he couldn't handle any accidents. Furthermore, just beyond the mountain range lay the border, where there was a possibility of spies slipping through. If a member were to accidentally encounter such people and let slip sensitive information, the consequences could lead to imprisonment. Therefore, the mountain was usually monitored quite strictly, and people were only allowed to gather firewood on the outskirts, and only in groups.

If not for the relaxed vigilance due to the double harvest, Tang Yao would never have dared to roam the southern side of Red Leaf Mountain, let alone find so many mushrooms yesterday. Standing at the foot of the mountain, Tang Yao swallowed hard, feeling a flicker of hesitation as she looked at the forest ahead. No one had told her what the mountain was like at this hour. Compared to yesterday, it felt like a completely different world.

Fang Mingxi, clutching Tang Yao’s neck, made little "ya-ya" sounds, trying to encourage her. "Ji... ji..." *Keep going, don't be afraid, we're in this together.*

Tang Yao turned her head and, seeing the child's face, felt a sudden surge of confidence. Why be afraid when she had Xi-xi with her? She wasn't alone, and since she had already come this far, she had to at least go up and see if there was anything to find. Between starving to death and being scared to death, Tang Yao firmly chose the latter. Summoning her courage, she relied on her memory from the day before and stepped onto the path toward the mountain.

Behind her, Fang Mingxi immediately opened the interface. The cooldown had ended, and there were more exploration attempts available. She clicked "Explore," and in an instant, the two versions of the forest overlapped. Seeing that Red Leaf Mountain hadn't suddenly turned into broad daylight, Fang Mingxi felt relieved. The "Mountain Foraging Game" was quite intelligent, knowing how to adjust to reality; otherwise, she wouldn't have known how to explain the sudden change in light. *Is this your dream, or are you hallucinating?*

The route was the same as yesterday, and by the time Tang Yao reached the mountain, the sun was peeking over the horizon. Fang Mingxi estimated it was around six o'clock. Looking down from the mountain, she could see the group of people buried in their work in the fields. Her expression darkened. How would she face that group led by He Xi if she ran into them again? With her tiny arms and legs, she couldn't fight them; at most, she could only curse them in her heart. *So annoying. It’s the helplessness of wanting to slap someone through the screen—why did I have to be reincarnated as a child?*

"Xi-xi, it seems the chicken mushrooms from yesterday are gone." Tang Yao knelt under the tree where she had found them yesterday, turned over the soil, and looked at the empty grass with disappointment. She used a wooden stick to pry at the earth, but finding nothing, her heart sank.

Fang Mingxi pulled the blanket from her head and pointed forward, signaling Tang Yao to keep climbing. "Go... ji."

Tang Yao stood up, hands on her knees. "What did you say, Xi-xi?"

Fang Mingxi reached out, pointing ahead, and made a few sounds. "Ji... sister." *Go up, let's go up, the good stuff is further up.*

The way she called her "sister" left Tang Yao momentarily dazed. She followed the direction of the child's finger, where a few small flowers grew, and beyond them, the path continued further up the mountain. She looked at the wooden bucket in her hand, then back at the excited Fang Mingxi, and smiled, picking a small yellow flower to hand to her. "Xi-xi, you can actually call me sister now? You play with this for a bit, and I'll take you further up to look around."