Chapter 26

After finalizing everything with Manager Li, Yue Jiaojiao followed Zhao Zhan back to Willow Village the next day and taught him how to grow more bean sprouts.

The tofu he made yesterday was ready. In the afternoon, Zhao Zhan made a plate of fried tofu according to Yue Jiaojiao’s instructions.

“It would be great if chili could be added in,” Yue Jiaojiao’s tastebuds never had spicy food ever since she came to this place, and now that she thought about it, she couldn’t help but crave it. “Zhao Zhan, all the injuries on my body have healed. Can you add chili to the meals next time?”

“Chili?”

“Is it something fresh like soybeans?”

Zhao Zhan couldn’t think of an explanation even after racking his brain as to what it was.

“No way? Don’t tell me there’s no chili here?” Yue Jiaojiao was instantly filled with despair. With a bitter face, she felt that there was nothing left for her to live for.

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“It’s like a kind of red and pointy millet pepper. It’s about the size of my pinkie actually. When I eat it, my mouth feels like it’s on fire.

“There’s also a bigger one. It’s edible regardless of whether it’s green or red. It has wrinkly skin and is smooth. Think about it. Have you seen it on the mountain?”

Zhao Zhan’s eyes brightened slightly when he heard her description, and then he subconsciously avoided Yue Jiaojiao’s gaze without saying a word.

Yue Jiaojiao sat on the stool sadly, feeling that the tofu on the plate was no longer fragrant.

She didn’t even finish the meal like she usually would. Zhao Zhan silently waited for her to finish and quietly cleaned up the dishes. Seeing that she was a little sleepy, he carried her to the cave for an afternoon nap.

As soon as Yue Jiaojiao fell asleep, Zhao Zhan went deep into the forest with his bow and knife on his back.

If he remembered correctly… He should have seen this chili item that Jiaojiao was talking about, but the place where it was located was dangerous. If he brought Jiaojiao with him, he was afraid that he would not be able to take care of her safety.

Zhao Zhan walked alone in the mountains for an hour.

The deeper he went, the more he felt that the mountain became deathly silent.

The muscles on Zhao Zhan’s arms were tense. His eyes were like those of a hawk as he looked forward, his ears listened in on the movements around him.

Soon, he walked to the place solely based on visual memory.

He didn’t see the crumpled chili, but he saw a large patch of pinkie-sized chili that was mentioned.

Zhao Zhan carried the basket on his back and quickly picked them.

His movements were very light, and he would check his surroundings from time to time.

Suddenly, the roar of an animal came from not far away. Zhao Zhan’s eyes widened, and the speed of plucking sped up. When a basket was full, he took out the bag he carried with him and continued to pick the rest.

The things in the mountains could be destroyed by the prey at any time. The more he picked, the longer she would stay. That was what he hoped for.

Thinking of Yue Jiaojiao, Zhao Zhan could not help but be distracted for a moment. At this moment, a tiger that had been waiting for an open opportunity pounced forward.

Hearing the sound of the wind behind him, Zhao Zhan immediately protected the chilies beside him. As he rolled away, he moved the basket to a low-lying area near the root of a tree.

Having failed in its first attack, the tiger breathed heavily and stared at Zhao Zhan with its golden eyes.

Zhao Zhan’s hair stood on end!

This was the tiger’s territory, and he had been here for too long, so he had been discovered.

Zhao Zhan — who was half-crouched on the ground — quietly reached out to grab his bow and arrow. The tiger heard the movement and quickly ran over.

Before he could even draw his bow, the tiger had already arrived in front of him.

The fangs were bared with saliva that hung from the sides of its mouth. The tiger, who had been hungry for a long time, stared at its prey, Zhao Zhan.

Yue Jiaojiao was awoken by the tiger’s roar from the depths of the mountain forest. It was only then that she realized that Zhao Zhan was not in the cave with her. She took another look at the place where Zhao Zhan usually kept his hunting tools. His bow, arrows, and long saber were not there.

The tiger’s roar was getting louder and more frequent. It was obviously a roar of threat. For the first time in her life, she experienced what it meant to be burning with anxiety.