Chapter 76

Ling Yue: "……"

No need to be like that.

The Wild Boar King's wife and children were lounging on the heated kang, feeling delighted and not knowing how to express it, so he could only order his underlings to tidy up: "Doctor Ling, don't leave—I want to give you a big gift!"

Even the mother pig lying in the nest said: "Don't you dare go—you're the lifesaver of me and my piglets!"

It looked at the Wild Boar King: "Honey, you must give Doctor Ling a big surprise!"

Ling Yue instinctively glanced at the sky; the sun was setting westward.

At her pace, she feared she wouldn't get down the mountain until dark, so Ling Yue was about to politely decline, but the Wild Boar King went pat-pat-pat over to her, blocked her, and said: "We'll personally escort you down the mountain soon, Doctor Ling—don't rush."

The dog was already completely dumbfounded, looking admiringly at Ling Yue; after reacting, each held their heads high and chests out, saying to the remaining boars: "Envious? Jealous? This is our good friend!"

Little Yellow proudly said: "Yueyue, we already hid your sack before we came; soon I'll help you carry it back!"

Big Yellow sized it up from head to toe: "With your little frame, can you handle it? Or should I do it?"

Ling Yue couldn't help but curl the corner of her mouth.

She hadn't forgotten other matters; her gaze fell on the mother pig, she furrowed her brows and said: "But I'm leaving tomorrow—how will your wound be treated?"

The mother pig had already been bound into a stiff mummy; hearing this, she blinked in surprise: "Huh? Then what should I, I do?"

Wild boars don't have nimble human fingers; their rough hooves landing could directly crack the wound—let alone changing the dressing.

Ling Yue couldn't possibly bring the mother pig home; just after giving birth, the jostling on the way would surely rupture her wound—more harm than good.

Ling Yue suddenly had a good idea and said: "I'll pay the doctor down the mountain to change your bandages; when the time comes we'll video call, and you won't struggle."

The mother pig eagerly agreed, then saw Ling Yue pull out a small bag that rustled, and in an instant all the animals' gazes fell on Ling Yue.

The dog subconsciously licked its lips, gazing at her eagerly.

The mother pig recalled the fragrant milk curds she'd eaten; she didn't like the big radish at all—only that hard, fragrant thing tasted good!

Slurp~~

Thinking of that flavor, the mother pig couldn't help swallowing a mouthful of saliva, her pig eyes fixed on the bag: "This——"

Just then, the Wild Boar King came running back hurriedly, the thing in his mouth dropping to the ground; he was also panting heavily: "Doctor Ling, this, this is my gift!"

"Please don't disdain it; I've waited a long time, finally waiting for it to mature—look, how big is this radish?"

The Wild Boar King said, lightly scraping with his hoof, and Ling Yue stared in astonishment at the supposed gift—it was actually a half-meter-long ginseng!

Slender, moist roots, each fine and delicate, the bright skin wrapped in damp earth, as long as an arm, nearly a meter!

This is the big radish the Wild Boar King specially hid away; it's not a completely closed-off country pig, having once seen the wider world!

It was a deep autumn when a pig‑transport convoy passed nearby; the Wild Boar King seized the chance to lift the cage lid, other pigs trembled with fear, but he leapt down in one go and fled into the mountains overnight.

Also thanks to its old mother; it's said to be a cross between domestic and wild boar, yet even so the Wild Boar King has endured plenty of hardship!

Later, relying on itself, it painstakingly built up a sizable estate; the Wild Boar King didn't know what ginseng was, but he knew that such radishes were rare on the whole mountain, and such a large one was especially precious to him!

But now, he is willing to give the big radish to Doctor Ling!

"You are the lifesaver of me and my wife—what's a mere big radish?"

Soon, the other pigs came trotting over, each carrying various local mountain specialties, and they piled them up in a big heap.

Ling Yue couldn't even refuse.

She placed the milk curds beside the mother pig and said: "Then I'll give you these—this is the pet food I made; it's good for your health, tastes decent, I didn't bring much on the trip, but when I return I'll send you a sack."

The mother pig looked at her with delighted surprise, her small eyes bursting with bright light: "Doctor Ling, are you really telling the truth?!"

The joy came too suddenly; if her body allowed it, she'd probably already be twisted into a pretzel.

As Ling Yue's words fell, she suddenly felt the surroundings too quiet, lifted her gaze to meet the dog's and the other boars' eyes; the Wild Boar King restrainedly sniffed, his nose almost pushing forward: "Me, I also want to eat?"

Ling Yue: "……"

"This is your wife's postpartum recovery meal…… Forget it, forget it—this stalk of wild mountain ginseng could buy plenty; Ling Yue nodded and agreed: 'Sure, but you can't eat these now; wait until the delivery arrives, then you can have them—these are your wife's current recovery meal; she just gave birth and is lacking nutrition.'"

"I'll have someone send them over to you."

After saying that, she turned her head, met the pitiful gazes of several dogs, and Ling Yue hesitated: "——and you too."

Her milk curds were really running low; Ling Yue thought it was also time to set up a factory.

Going up the mountain is easy, coming down hard—referring to the rugged mountain paths—but with the Wild Boar King's escort, Ling Yue was more relaxed than when she came.

The Wild Boar King carried her in front, while behind were the fully loaded hemp sacks; wherever the boar herd passed, it was mighty and grand—Ling Yue had never imagined she'd have such an adventure.

The dog lagged behind, relying on the boar's might, and stubbornly marched with a step that ignored even close kin.

Ling Yue almost laughed herself to death.

The sky grew darker and darker, they sped up, wondering how Manager Chen was doing.

Chen Ming and his wife were nearly going crazy.

No matter how he thought about it, he never expected that in the time it took to turn around, Ling Yue had vanished without a trace; they searched the whole village, saw no sign of her, and called, but no one answered.

Even Ling Yue didn't know—her phone had long run out of battery.

The old woman instinctively looked toward the mountains: "Master Ling couldn't have…… gone into the mountains, could she?"

Chen Ming's heart leapt, and he didn't dare give a definite answer.

The old woman instantly panicked—behind them the wild mountains had plenty of game, but likewise plenty of beasts! Recalling scenes from years past, she shuddered, slapped her thigh in regret: "Oh please, don't let this happen—these years our living conditions have improved, so few people go up the mountain, and thus the mountain's bounty has grown."

"Back when I went up the mountain to pick mushrooms, I once nearly collided with a huge wild boar—lucky I could run fast!"

The village head puffed on his dry tobacco, face full of worry: "There's den after den of wild boars on the mountain—not a big problem in itself; what's frightening is running into something that eats meat!"

Chen Ming listened, his heart sinking ever deeper.

He wasn't an indecisive man; after weighing things in his mind, he resolutely said: "I'll go up the mountain to find someone!"

The old woman blinked, then slapped his head: "You silly child, what are you spouting nonsense about!"

"Even if Master Ling went up the mountain, she's capable of coming back down—what about you? You're just an ordinary person!"

Chen Ming was speechless, then said: "That's exactly it—I can't just ignore it, you also said there are many beasts on the mountain; what if I scare Master Ling?"

Mother and son each held their own view; in the end, Yu Fengping stepped forward: "Let me suggest an idea."

Moments later, the entire village—men, women, old and young—stood at the mountain's base holding torches, not out of enthusiasm but because the money Cen Ming had given them was simply too much.

In an instant, there were at least several dozen people; the flames blazed and merged into a sea of fire as they gathered at the mountain's foot, ready to move, when the nearby thicket suddenly rustled loudly.

"What the hell is that?!"

"Let's go check it out—what the hell is this, you damned person!"

The villagers jumped, raised their torches and surrounded the thicket; the noise grew louder, everyone held their breath and crept closer—then the sound abruptly ceased, and a dog's head materialized out of thin air.

Everyone: "!!!"

Xiao Huang grinned and greeted everyone: "Good evening, everyone ^_^"

Those who had reacted: "……"

"Whose dog is this? It scared the hell out of me!"

"Oh my, don't stop me—I've got to give it a few slaps!"

Xiao Huang was quick-witted, springing out of the thicket, followed by Da Huang, Xiao Bai, and the stray dog, who ran to the forest entrance, sat down, and stared intently into the deep woods.

The moon hung high, its pure light unable to pierce the dense thicket; from afar it looked like a black-as-ink blood basin gaping open, a chill crawling up the spine that made one shudder despite the warmth.

The villagers who witnessed this were terrified; even with a 200‑yuan reward they wouldn't dare, shoving each other, when someone suddenly yelled: "What... what is that?!"

They were so scared their words came out trembling.

Following his gaze, the crowd saw only a black mass approaching; a breeze blew, sending a cool draft straight up their sleeves.

Cen Ming involuntarily swallowed and thrust the torch forward.

In the next instant, a disheveled, blood‑soaked figure stepped out; the crowd gasped and kept backing away.

"Ahhhhh, a ghost!"

"Mom, it's a mountain ghost—the mountain ghost is demanding our lives, run!"

"Cough cough." Ling Yue gave a light cough; Cen Ming, sensing something amiss, stared blankly for a moment: "Ling... Ling Master?"

He could barely recognize her, seeing her blood‑stained, oxidized clothes, his brows knotted tight.

Ling Yue: "……It's me."

"The blood on me isn't mine—I just had a minor hiccup, didn't break any laws."

As she spoke, a few grunts came from behind; the wild boar king stepped forward two steps: "Doctor Ling is right—I can bear witness!"

It strutted proudly, head high, chest out, walking up to the torch Cen Ming held; the firelight fell on it, and the villagers stared, nearly fainting: "Wild... wild boar!"

"My goodness, what a huge group!"

Wild boars move in herds, capable of driving off tigers and devouring wolves—not just boasting; this creature has tremendous power, thick hide and flesh that scoffs at pain, and a charge could rip open a person's intestines.

In the previous century, wild boars became a scourge, and many hunters who ventured into the mountains met their demise this way.

The villagers' faces turned ashen; they all stumbled back in a mass, and the next moment they beheld an unbelievable sight.

Before Ling Yue, this herd of wild boars was astonishingly tame; a soft sound revealed a large bundle on their backs; when it hit the ground, the boar king nudged it with its snout.

Cen Ming: "What... what is it doing?"

He already suspected the truth, staring at Ling Yue in disbelief.

Ling Yue smiled: "I inadvertently did the wild boar king a small favor; these are its local specialties as a gift."

"Whoosh!"

At those words, the crowd gasped, staring at her; aside from her blood‑soaked garments, Ling Yue's exposed face was spotless—she had washed the blood from her skin with mountain spring water, but the clothes were beyond saving.

Afterward, Ling Yue shouldered a sack of mountain produce taller than herself and headed home; the wild boars likewise returned home in a mighty throng, while the villagers at the mountain's base remained unaware that this was merely the beginning.

The next morning, the sky was dull and overcast; Ling Yue readied herself to depart for home.

The stray dog lay at the village entrance; seeing them, it sprang up: "I really don't want you to leave QAQ"

"Me too." Xiao Huang said, flopping onto the ground and exposing his soft belly: "Give me a rub; after this you might not be able to touch me anymore~"

Ling Yue's heart melted; she gave each a rub; the dog went "eng eng eng" as it lay down, and Xiao Bai coughed: "Don't forget……"

Ling Yue: "I won't forget you!"

Xiao Bai: "Don't forget our little milk curds……"

Having said that, it lay on the ground, unwilling to meet anyone's gaze.

Ling Yue: "……"

Well, she finally saw clearly; after a furious rub of the dog's head, she then left.

Watching their retreating backs, the mischievous dog suddenly felt a pang of reluctance.

Inside the brightly lit large villa.

Ling Yue sat on the sofa, eyes downcast, seeing the circle of cute creatures gazing up at her; she smiled: "……All right, this is what I've experienced these past few days—I brought back nothing but genuine, good chestnuts from the mountains, super delicious!"

Da Hei "crack—" bit open the chestnut shell; the soft, sticky, sweet taste spread in its mouth, and it kept nodding: "Delicious delicious!"

Unfortunately, there were too few; the dogs hadn't even filled the gaps between their teeth before they ran out.

Da Lao Hu Junjun lay at Ling Yue's feet, its soft white fur swaying; eyes full of regret: "Master said that, the Liu Xian's strength should be quite good—but a misstep ruined a century of cultivation in an instant."

The Xuan Mao Queen perked up, although it might amount to less than a fraction of that person's.

The smaller cats and birds gazed at Ling Yue in awe: "Master is so awesome!"

"Isn't the mountains especially fun, with so many trees—scratching our claws must feel wonderful!"

Ya Ya off to the side, wings spread in excitement: "Definitely! I heard the mountains have lots of fruit—too bad I didn't go along; the chestnuts Master brought back are absolutely delicious!"

"I like mushrooms even more—so fresh and fresh!"

Ling Yue rubbed the kitten that had climbed up; seeing its plump belly, she knew it had eaten a lot; she looked around and said: "If you all like hearing this, when I go home I'll tell you all."

Ya Ya squawked: "Great! Master, whenever you go far away, you must bring me—I'll never sleep in again!"

The treasure‑seeking rat clutched a large chestnut, took a bite—sweet, sticky, and slightly grainy, it melted on the tongue; it squinted with satisfaction, not for anything else, just because the Xuan Mao Queen's recent focused gaze—if it could also look at me with that focus……

The treasure-finding mouse died of happiness from its own fantasy.

It raised its paws: "Me too, me too! I want to go! When I come back, I'll tell everyone a story!"

The Mysterious Cat Queen froze: "What story will you tell?"

The treasure-finding mouse chuckled: "Of course I will, although my story isn't as wonderful as the master's, but it's hilarious!"

Xunbao Shu Duo Duo put down the big chestnut, sat upright on the table: "Everyone knows, before being rescued by the master, I lived in the residential complex; one day I sneaked into a high-end residential complex..."

"The high-end residential complex is especially grand, just like our villa now, with elevators that are one per household, surveillance cameras everywhere; I, the little mouse, can't even find trash to pick up."

"Because the trash stations are all-in-one, there are literally no trash bins!"

"I almost starved to death, secretly eating the cat food of the stray downstairs; later the master found out, she didn't mind that I was a mouse and even said she'd find me an owner—I was so free back then, I didn't want an owner!"

"The main character of this story is the older sister and her cat."

The treasure-finding mouse self-taught how to whet people's appetites.

"One day, the older sister suddenly squatted down and asked me, 'Have you seen a stray cat that's timid, a bit thin, all yellow?'"

"There aren't many orange cats in the residential complex; the few treasure-finding mice I've seen have all run into them, usually just a glance, cat chases mouse!"

"Those orange cats are so fat; I risked my life stringing bridges and lines, none of them were hers, so I went to find my yellow weasel brother—he's been in the complex longer than I have."

The yellow weasel looked at me strangely and said, "All the cats in the complex are big and fat, there's no skinny cat at all."

"The older sister, unable to find the stray cat, felt disappointed, still gave cat food as usual, even though she knew the little stray had disappeared—"

"Then, she ran into the yellow weasel."

"She grabbed and hugged the yellow weasel!"

"All the small animals were stunned, their brains still processing: 'Why hug it? What did the yellow weasel do?'"

The treasure-finding mouse continued with a solemn expression: "Back then the older sister, tears and snot streaming, said, 'I thought you were gone! I fed you bite by bite until you grew this big—won't you come home with me?'"

"I only then realized the older sister had fed the little cutie all winter; she said super cute means a slightly thin stray cat… that's my brother—the yellow weasel⊙﹏⊙"

A silence fell.

After reacting, Ya Ya slapped its chest and laughed loudly: "Hahaha, how could there be such a silly human? This is just a story you made up, right?"

The treasure-finding mouse, angry, jumped over to hit it; the room erupted in giggles and chatter, Ling Yue also started laughing—others might find it noisy, but Ling Yue thought it was just right, the room lively and full of energy.

Suddenly she heard an ethereal voice: "Master."

The canary Qing Ling spoke, seeing her look over, paused then said: "I've rehearsed a piece; do you want to listen?"

Ling Yue blinked, her gaze falling on the canary; it seemed very nervous.

Ling Yue nodded: "Sure."

The canary was indeed extremely nervous, having learned from last time's mistake; it had high hopes for this second attempt, and soon, under its direction, the bird chorus was all in place!

The lively little canary led the way; a melodious sound rose, each bird joining in with low hums, their beautiful wings folding together in a praying pose.

Ling Yue sat upright, her eyes fixed on the bird chorus, the yellow or green multicolored little birds—in her view, weren't they just little spirits nurtured by nature?

Qing Ling opened its beak; the ethereal song flowed like a quiet river, calm and even toward the distance, where occasional rushes were the chorus of the tiger-skin parrot couple, their tribal slang adding a touch of childlike fun.

Ling Yue blinked, then suddenly began to feel drowsy.

The song was like a gentle breeze, warm sunshine, a mother's tender hand brushing her cheek; the other birds' soft, melodious voices were like leaves rustling in the forest.

The piece ended, Ling Yue excitedly clapped: "Beautiful, beautiful!"

"Is this a lullaby? Listening to it makes me feel like I'm back in childhood, to my mother's lullaby, swaying, about to fall asleep."

It wasn't boredom-induced drowsiness, but rather a spiritual fulfillment that naturally made her want to rest, to sleep.

Ling Yue yawned, thrusting her thumb toward the bird chorus: "Absolutely, healing!"

Qing Ling heard her words, its eyes instantly lit up, as if it had found a kindred spirit; its greatest love in life is singing.

The lullaby is a simple, healing adaptation of a tune it learned as a chick, perfect for the current bird chorus.

Ling Yue then said a few other things; aside from some minor flaws, this piece is nearly perfect.

"Really?!" The lively canary became even happier, flipping end over end, hugging its partners, even happier than Ling Yue.

"Hahaha, I knew it—we're definitely the best bird chorus in the world!"

Ling Yue: "After you practice a bit more, I'll take you to Jing Shi's best recording studio to record a song—such a wonderful song shouldn't be heard by just me."

She spread her arms, gaze blazing toward the bird chorus: "Do you want all the people in the world to hear your song?"

The birds answered her without hesitation: "Yes!"

Of course they do; they even dream of it.

Originally they just wanted to work to support themselves, but now these are no longer enough for them.

The tiger-skin parrot mister said narcissistically: "This damned innate baritone of mine—how could it be wasted?"

Hearing its words, the birds burst out laughing, doubling over.

In the cheerful atmosphere, only Qing Ling seemed out of place; she had anticipation but remained calm, looking at Ling Yue.

Meeting its gaze, Ling Yue instantly understood; she opened her palm, the canary flew up and landed on her gentle hand.

Ling Yue left the indoor space for the happy birds; outside, it was them and the sky full of stars.

"Are you missing your partner?" Ling Yue asked directly.

The canary's eyes lit up: "I really miss it."

Immediately after, she lowered her head, dejected: "But I don't know where it is."

The longer they've been apart, the more it longs for its partner, yearning for every moment together; only work can let it temporarily forget the sorrow.

Ling Yue stroked its head: "Don't worry, I've calculated it—you'll meet again soon."

In the canary's expectant gaze, Ling Yue curled her lips slightly: "Let me tell you another piece of good news—we're heading to Mianyun Mountain Range tomorrow to find you a partner!"

"Really, really?" The news was so sudden that even though it's usually calm, it couldn't stay composed.

Ling Yue: "Of course it's true, but I don't know where you and your partner live—will you come with me tomorrow?"

She flicked her fingertips, the goldfinch spread its wings and flew down, looking at her excitedly: "I want to go, I want to go!"

As soon as it finished speaking, it realized this wasn't something a restrained lady could do, but so what, the goldfinch spread its wings: "May I sing you a song? It loves listening to me sing."

Under the moonlight, the goldfinch, all over a tender golden hue, perched on a gorgeous rose blossom, beneath it a color like red velvet; it shook its wings, and when that ethereal, melodious song like heavenly music rang out, everything in the autumn night fell silent.

Its song and melody, prolonged like accumulating clouds, brimming with wholehearted sincerity, were the goldfinch's paean to love, its affection for its mate.

It sang with its whole body trembling, exerting two hundred percent of its power, completely captivating every small creature that heard the song.

The treasure-seeking mouse lounged by the window, one paw propping its chin, tail lightly swaying: "It's so beautiful to hear, it makes me want to fall in love."

It said while glancing sideways.

The Black Cat Queen startled, then slapped a paw onto its little tail: "Don't even think about it!"

Early the next morning, Ling Yue had already set off, changing into convenient mountaineering gear; Da Hei, the treasure-seeking mouse, and the goldfinch were all by her side.

Ling Yue set out early, first heading to Little Green Mountain; she had promised something before, and it wouldn't do to break her promise, but she hadn't expected that meeting again would be like this.

Cucumber and the green snake lay on the mountain grass, lazily basking in the sun, while a little weasel played happily, running all over the mountainside.

Upon seeing Ling Yue, the two large animals sprang to their feet.

Cucumber rubbed its eyes: "Wow, it's really you! You came to see me?"

Ling Yue shook the can, gave a slight smile: "Not just that."

She also brought the milk curd; feeling Cucumber and the green snake's eyes welling up, the green snake even more so: "Boo hoo hoo, if it were before, I would have already given you my treasure!"

"But now there's nothing left!"

The green snake's eyes turned red; hearing Ling Yue say she wanted to go into the mountains, it grew increasingly nervous, suddenly bringing up its past.

"I never used to be here; I was the tyrant of the Mianyun Mountain Range! When I went out, everyone feared me!"

Cucumber instinctively retorted: "Wow, that's impressive—so how did you escape? Sharing a mountain with a single dad like me?"

By order, Little Green Mountain is the outermost part of the Mianyun Mountain Range.

The green snake, being squeezed by it to death, flared up: "I'll just crowd with you, crowd!"

Watching their childish talk, Ling Yue felt dazed; earlier meetings hadn't been like this, but she could tell Cucumber and the green snake got along well—look, they'd come out together to sunbathe.

Although she wanted to watch the primary-school chicken squabble, she couldn't delay the matter; Ling Yue cleared her throat: "If we don't speak now, we'll have to leave."

The Mianyun Mountain Range is vast; following the goldfinch's indicated direction, a round trip would take considerable time, let alone if something unexpected occurred.

Green snake: "I'll say, I'll say, don't rush."

It now recalled, still feeling lingering fear, trembling as it flicked its tail: "Originally my little life was blissful, but one day a madman came, seized my mountain, and even wanted to kill me!"

"Infuriating!" the green snake's tail lashed, it pounded the ground resentfully: "If it were other animals I could still put up a fight, maybe even draw, but it—it is actually my natural enemy!"

Upon hearing this, the people and animals all froze.

Ling Yue furrowed her brows, several kinds of animals flashing through her mind—all natural enemies of snakes—but she wasn't sure, still hadn't asked the green snake.

Another voice suddenly rang out; the anxious goldfinch miss flew down from Ling Yue's shoulder: "Is it a very large hawk?"

The green snake blinked: "How do you know?"

It had clearly never said so, but none of that matters; the most important thing is—

The green snake spat hatefully: "This bastard, it has no martial virtue!"

"I'm crawling on the ground—how could I fight it when it's flying in the sky, and it even kicks me with its feet!"

"Heavens, is there any justice left? I've got no claws to provoke anyone!",,,