CH 9

Editor: zed001

After checking out from the supermarket, Ning You walked along the road, as if he didn’t know Li Mu was walking behind him. 

Although in this unfamiliar environment, Ning You wouldn’t be able to move without Li Mu, at least right now he knows all they need to do is return to the elementary school to lead the horse and therefore doesn’t require Li Mu’s guidance.

Without Li Mu leading the way, he doesn’t need to deal with Li Mu this way. Ning You walked ahead alone, silently protesting Li Mu’s address to him.

Li Mu, who was walking behind, didn’t disturb Ning You, since daxiaojie was obviously still angry with him.

The two strolled along the quiet path, one behind the other, neither initiating a conversation. 

A few minutes later Ning You missed the intersection, as Li Mu predicted.

“This way.” Li Mu standing at the intersection called out to the sullen Ning you.

Realising he’d taken the wrong path and couldn’t save face, Ning You turned around asking in a dignified manner, “Are you sure?”

Then without waiting for Li Mu’s answer, he walked back to the intersection continuing in the direction Li Mu pointed out.

There was a very soft chuckle behind him.

Back where Hari is tied up, school children have already started their lessons; where sounds of rigorous reading resonated through the classroom.

As Li Mu loaded the bedding on Hari’s back, he passed the kavas to Ning you and said, ‘Take it’.

Only then did Ning You realise that Li Mu brought for him the beverages he wanted. Ning You’s sulking resembled a balloon deflating bit by bit after being pierced by a needle. 

Ning You realises that Li Mu’s heart doesn’t seem as rough as his appearance.

“I didn’t say I wanted to drink it.” Taking the Kavas, Ning You took the initiative to talk to Li Mu. Of course, what he said didn’t count as a gesture of goodwill.

“Then you look at it for half a day?” Li Mu faced Hari and continued to arrange the ropes that tied the bedding.

“I was curious,” Ning You said. He hadn’t seen this honey fermented drink elsewhere, so naturally he couldn’t help but look twice. 

“Po sbe’gf meglber, ags la.”

Ljnlcu rjlv atja, bcmf Ol Ze olclrtfv alvslcu atf yfvvlcu, tf rjlv “P’w ublcu lc”, atfc aegcfv jgbecv jcv kjixfv lcab atf fifwfcajgs rmtbbi.

Obbxlcu ja Ol Ze’r yjmx, Rlcu Tbe mbeivc’a tfiq yea ecrmgfk atf mjq bo Bjnjr jcv tjnf j ajraf.

It tastes like honey and beer but without the bitterness of beer and the feeling of alcohol, it is just like a sweet beverage with a fermented taste. 

It’s really delicious.

Ning You couldn’t help taking another sip, when suddenly a commotion stirred from school. He saw that the cause of commotion was Li Mu coming out with an empty milk bucket and many small heads scrambling to greet Li Mu from their class window.

Is this man so popular?

Ning You couldn’t help but wonder, was Li Mu very attractive? 

How couldn’t he see it?

After fixing the empty milk bucket and a litre of processed fresh milk to Hari’s back, Li Mu directed Hari out of the village.

Ning You consciously followed Li Mu, chatting with him: “They all call you brother, don’t you feel ashamed?”

In Ning You’s opinion, it’s impossible to live alone in the mountains and forests without rich life experience. Experience needs to be accumulated by age, therefore Li Mu can’t be a young man. 

In fact, judging from the rough beard, Ning You felt Li Mu should be around 35 years old.

How could a man in his thirties be called a brother by a group of children?

“What do you think they should call me?” Li Mu asked inexplicably.

“Uncle.” Ning You stated. 

Li Mu didn’t know that he’d been judged by Ning You as having gone through vicissitudes of life but at his age, it was indeed okay to call him brother or uncle, so he said, “It’s all pretty much the same.”

Ning You didn’t dwell on the issue of Li Mu’s age. It was just casual talk, there’s no need to divide a boundary between brother and uncle. He continued to question, “You’re not a local, are you?”

The locals’ accent carries a strong post-nasal sound, while Li Mu speaks standard Mandarin.

“No.” Li Mu didn’t say much. 

This made Ning You wonder, what kind of person would be willing to live in the mountainous areas of the border to work as a forest ranger?

Recalling the debate on civilization, Li Mu should have received higher education. Ning You probed, “Where did you go to college?”

“A very far away place.” Li Mu still didn’t say it explicitly.

Chatting is a skill that not only requires careful use of words, but also detecting the other’s desire to chat. 

Obviously, Li Mu didn’t want to discuss his private affairs and Ning You didn’t pry any further.

He estimated that the “very far away place” based on Li Mu’s accent should be a coastal area. However, what he didn’t know was that the location where Li Mu went for college was actually abroad.

Before leaving the village, Li Mu led Hari to the door of a beautiful building.

Ning You had seen this red brick building when he entered the village earlier, but he didn’t care too much. And now when he approached, he discovered that it was a public toilet built for tourists. 

I must admit that the public facilities in this scenic spot are really well repaired.

“I’m going to go to the bathroom, are you going?” Li Mu tied Hari to the side of the road.

Ning You shook his head; he had just clearly displayed in the forest, and so didn’t feel the need to go again.

After a while, Li Mu came out of the bathroom, and while untying the reins, he asked Ning You: “Are you sure you don’t want to go? There is no bathroom on the mountain, you better solve it before we go back. ” 

“Wait a minute.” Ning You suddenly realised the seriousness of the problem. He held his breath and felt it for a moment. Finally, he felt that he could go.

“I’d better go.” Ning You stuffed the supermarket purchase into Li Mu’s hand, turned around and walked two steps, then turned back to Li Mu and said, “Don’t wait for me here, you go around the village.”

Li Mu asked, “Why?”

Because Ning You will be very uncomfortable. 

When a person is waiting for someone, he will unconsciously estimate how long he’ll have to wait. Therefore, he will also unconsciously imagine the other persons’ progress.

For example, if you have an appointment with a friend to eat at a restaurant and your friend is late. At this time, you will imagine whether or not your friend is stuck in traffic, or whether or not the restaurant door will open any second.

If Ning You is going to do something else, he doesn’t mind Li Mu waiting for him at the door, but he was going to the bathroom to defecate. He doesn’t want Li Mu to grasp his progress. If he can, he doesn’t even want Li Mu to know what he’s doing.

“You go around, I may be long.” Ning You said. 

“How long can it be?” Li Mu asked.

Of course, Ning You wouldn’t answer the question of how long it would take for him to defecate. He said uncomfortably, “Anyway, you go look around. I’ll be fine when you come back.” ”

Li Mu didn’t answer. He looked at Ning You in confusion when he noticed a suspicious blush colouring his pale cheeks. Only then did he fully grasp the situation. It turns out that daxiaojie didn’t want him to guard him when he defecated.

It’s really a little funny, Li Mu thought to himself. 

Ning You is not like him. He is a white swan, noble and elegant on the surface of water, but the two feet under the surface of water are desperately paddling, doing their best to maintain calmness on the surface.

“I was wrong.” Li Mu suddenly had a bad idea, “I shouldn’t have called you daxiaojie.”

Ning You showed a strange look.

“You should be a little fairy. Your farts are fragrant.” 

Unseemly words popped out of Li Mu’s mouth without warning, and Ning You’s face flushed red. He flew into a rage out of humiliation: “Li Mu!”

Li Mu smiled softly, turned around and walked toward the village. He waved his hand with his back to Ning You: “I’ll go around the village and let Hari wait for you here.” ”

The author has something to say: 

Li Mu’s real age is 25 ∠( ? 」∠)_

Editor’s note: My apologies to everyone for the delay. I’ve been very unwell. Now that I’m back, I’ll do my best to help our dear translator with regular updates ^-^