The person hadn't truly stepped out but remained hidden behind the tangled undergrowth.
According to her calculations, she shouldn't have been exposed.
It was only Shen Yun's incredibly sharp eyes that gave her away.
"What's wrong? Hurry up," Su Xiaoqi nudged Shen Yun, seeing him standing still as a statue.
But then she noticed his gaze fixed on the area behind her, and she seemed to understand. She tried to turn her head to look.
However, Shen Yun quickly grabbed her, preventing her from turning.
Su Xiaoqi grew anxious. They had come out to gather wild buckwheat and earn a little extra money, and now he was hugging her.
"Hey, stop messing around."
"Shh, there's something behind you," Shen Yun rested his head on her shoulder and whispered into her ear.
Su Xiaoqi's body stiffened with fear, her voice sounding unlike her own.
"What, what is it?"
In these deep mountains and dense forests, what could possibly be behind her?
Could it be...
She nervously hugged Shen Yun tightly, yet her eyes couldn't help but strain to look back.
Sometimes, people are just like that.
Even knowing that it might be better not to look at certain things.
But they couldn't always resist.
She slowly turned her head, but Shen Yun still held her in place.
He found it somewhat amusing.
He never expected that the Su Xiaoqi he knew, who feared nothing, would be afraid of some vague, ethereal thing.
If Su Xiaoqi knew what he was thinking, she would definitely retort.
After all, having grown up under the red flag, she was an atheist.
But ever since she inexplicably transmigrated into this book.
She felt that her previous understanding and worldview were clearly insufficient.
Therefore, it was better to show more reverence for what warranted it.
With her heart pounding, Su Xiaoqi turned her head and caught a glimpse of a figure.
Coupled with her sharp ears hearing human breathing.
She immediately realized.
Shen Yun was playing a trick on her.
"You, you tricked me!"
She swung her small fists and gently thumped Shen Yun's chest twice.
Shen Yun felt wronged and said helplessly, "I didn't trick you. I just didn't have time to finish speaking before you got scared."
"Who is it?" Su Xiaoqi, knowing someone was following her, didn't turn her head again.
Before figuring out the person's intentions, she didn't want to alert them.
Shen Yun whispered, "From the village chief's household."
"Zhao Xiaohua... No, Zhao Hai'e." That seemed to be her name.
Ever since she arrived here, this woman had been antagonistic towards her.
She didn't even know why.
She could only explain it as "sitting at home, but trouble comes knocking."
"What does she want?" Su Xiaoqi stared intently at Shen Yun.
Shen Yun spread his hands. He had some guesses but found it difficult to voice them.
Then, he suddenly leaned down and bit Su Xiaoqi's rosy lips.
"Mmmph..." Su Xiaoqi had a lot she wanted to say, but her mouth was blocked.
She could only think, "You damn Shen Yun, taking advantage, aren't you?"
"Wait, something's wrong. Why didn't I level up this time?"
"Kiss me again, still no upgrade. Heavens, could it be malfunctioning?"
Su Xiaoqi's breathing became labored from Shen Yun's kiss, her cheeks flushed, but the upgrade she anticipated didn't arrive.
Only then did she realize that after reaching level ten, Shen Yun's kisses seemed to be less effective.
Just like reaching level eleven required several kisses.
Where was the problem?
Su Xiaoqi felt a bit lost. Her space was too capricious.
It was as if it had its own consciousness, dictating its rules and upgrades.
As its owner, she had become a mere tool.
Unwilling to accept this, Su Xiaoqi wanted to try if more kisses would work.
So, after a brief pause, she proactively leaned in, but Shen Yun pushed her away.
"She's gone." She had left in extreme anger.
Su Xiaoqi responded with an "Oh." The feeling from before had dissipated. She thought it was more important to get things done.
She took out a sickle from her basket to cut the buckwheat.
Shen Yun, mistaking it for some useful medicinal herb, followed her and started cutting as well.
However, the area of wild buckwheat was vast, scattered and covering about ten mu in total.
The two of them worked for a whole morning and only managed to cut one mu.
"Alas, this won't do, it's too much. I need to think of a way."
Su Xiaoqi looked at the expanse of wild buckwheat before her, her mind racing.
Thinking of Zhao Hai'e, who had followed them, she quickly came up with an idea.
She pulled Shen Yun and told him they should stop cutting and go home for lunch.
Shen Yun, however, said, "If we don't cut it now, there might not be much left by the afternoon."
He implied that their activity had been seen, and given Zhao Hai'e's nature, she would surely spread the word back in the village.
In the past, the villagers didn't recognize what this was or its uses.
Now, seeing them cut it, they likely realized it was useful.
And it was wild, so they couldn't stop them.
Su Xiaoqi clapped her hands, looking nonchalant, "Let them."
After all, for some reason, people in this era didn't even recognize buckwheat, which could be eaten as food.
This led to them starving and selling their children during famines without ever coming to the mountains to cut it.
Even if they followed suit and cut it now, it wouldn't be of much use.
Furthermore, Su Xiaoqi actually hoped Zhao Hai'e would rally them to cut it.
Given the vast amount, it was impossible for just her and Shen Yun to manage.
So, she devised a plan.
Seeing that she had an idea, Shen Yun leaned in, pretending to accidentally brush her hand.
As expected, he heard her inner thoughts: "Let them pick it. I'll buy it with money."
Shen Yun curled his lips. He had indeed thought it wasn't in Su Xiaoqi's style to personally come and cut this stuff.
This time, it was more like her.
The delay on the way there made the return trip shorter.
Su Xiaoqi pulled Shen Yun, not even stopping for lunch at home, and rushed directly to the village head's house.
As they walked, she briefed him.
She asked him to tell the village head that she wanted to buy buckwheat from Yuanbao Mountain for medicinal purposes.
And to organize the villagers to go and cut it.
Two wen per jin.
Shen Yun, naturally, handled this small matter perfectly.
Su Xiaoqi waited for him outside for the time it took an incense stick to burn, and he came out.
"Did it work?" Su Xiaoqi asked excitedly. Then she remembered someone secretly following them and couldn't help but ask more.
"Has Zhao Hai'e returned yet?"
Shen Yun shook his head. He said he had specifically searched the courtyard and hadn't seen anyone.
It was easy to imagine that Yuanbao Mountain was so high and densely forested that ordinary people couldn't ascend it.
Zhao Hai'e, who had stomped off earlier, likely wouldn't dare to leave alone.
She must have been hiding in some mountain nook, following them down the mountain.
That's why she was behind them.
The two were correct in their assumptions.
Not long after they left, Zhao Hai'e returned, looking disheveled.
She didn't dare to go home directly and first went to Zhao Xiaohua's.
She told her everything that had happened that day.
Zhao Xiaohua was also a shrewd person.
Upon hearing that both Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun were harvesting.
She instinctively felt that those things were very useful.
She hurriedly dragged Zhao Hai'e to find her father, the village head.
She wanted to use this opportunity to gain some prominence in the village.
However, as soon as she spoke, she was glared at by Zhao Baoren.
He said they were being opportunistic. Just now, he had already gathered the villagers.
They were now preparing their tools and would set off to cut it shortly.
Being a step too late, Zhao Xiaohua stomped her foot and glared at Zhao Hai'e.
"Sister Xiaohua, why are you glaring at me?" Zhao Hai'e looked bewildered.
Zhao Xiaohua certainly wouldn't reveal her true thoughts to her. Her expression shifted a few times.
Thinking of the eyesore Su Xiaoqi, she eventually regained her usual gentle and kind demeanor.
"No, my eyes hurt. By the way, how is it going with you and Uncle Dexing?"
Speaking of this, Zhao Hai'e also looked annoyed.
She said that Zhao Dexing was really useless, and she couldn't find an opportunity.
"How about I help you think of a way while everyone else is busy?" Zhao Xiaohua's eyes darted around quickly, her mind full of calculations.
Zhao Hai'e readily agreed, hugging Zhao Xiaohua and calling her a good sister for a long time.
She completely failed to notice Zhao Xiaohua rolling her eyes almost to the heavens.