Junior Sister is skilled in subduing demons.

Chapter 139 The Strange Old Woman
Three days later,
Shen Anzhi and Panda Tuan Tuan traveled together and unknowingly arrived at this ferry crossing with bamboo.

The bamboo around the ferry crossing is lush and green, with its slender stalks reaching straight into the sky. The bamboo leaves rustle in the breeze, and the bamboo shadows are reflected on the water's surface, swaying gently with the ripples.

Shen Anzhi stood by the ferry, looking at this unique scenery, his heart filled with joy. They had finally arrived at the bamboo forest. Tuantuan was even more excited. Its round body waddled towards the bamboo forest, its little paws constantly poking at the bamboo shoots and leaves on the ground, and occasionally sniffing the fragrance of the bamboo.

Several simple bamboo rafts were moored at the ferry crossing in the distance. The boatman on the raft was a kind-faced old man. He wore a straw hat and coarse clothes and sat at the bow of the boat waiting for passengers.

Anzhi and Tuantuan were happily heading towards the ferry when they discovered an old woman lying in a ditch by the roadside, with scattered bundles of firewood nearby, clearly indicating that she had fallen.

"Girl, please help me, I can't stand up."

The old lady tried to get up with a pained expression, but she was too weak. Shen Anzhi quickly stepped forward and gently helped her up.

"Grandpa, are you alright?" Shen Anzhi asked with concern.

The old lady dusted herself off, shook her head, and said, "Alas, I'm old and useless. That fall really hurt."

Tuantuan also came over and rubbed its fluffy head against the old lady's leg.

"Young lady, are you going to the bamboo forest?" The old lady sat on a roadside stone, supporting her legs.

Anzhi glanced at the boatmen pushing the boat away from the shore in the distance and said, "Yes, yes, yes."

After saying that, Anzhi shouted to the boatman on the riverbank in the distance, "Boatman, wait, I haven't boarded the boat yet."

"Hurry up, this is the last ferry crossing today!" The boatman's voice echoed around.

The final crossing!
Without thinking too much, Anzhi comforted him, "Old man, you should rest before you go. I have to catch my boat."

Upon hearing this, the old woman immediately plopped down on the ground and groaned repeatedly, "Oh dear, oh dear, could you please help me back home? I live not far away."

This request put Anzhi in a difficult position. On one hand, there was the boat about to leave, and on the other hand, there was the injured old lady. Helpless, he could only shout to the boatman, "Boatman, can you wait a little while?"

Although the sound was loud, there was no reply from the boatman; instead, a woman boarded the boat.

"Young lady, the boat has already left, and we won't make it. Please help us." The old lady tried to stand up, but failed several times: "Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda."

Anzhi looked at the departing ferry and asked somewhat dejectedly, "When is the next ferry?"

The old lady followed Anzhi's gaze to look at the ferry and said, "Oh, the boats at Muyun Ferry are not punctual. There may be a ferry every now and then, or there may be a ferry every few days."

The boat had left, and Anzhi gestured to Tuantuan, who was breaking bamboo in the distance, saying, "Tuantuan, come here."

Tuantuan wobbled over to the two of them, and the old lady smiled with relief: "Thank you, young lady, thank you. My home is not far away, just around the corner."

Although Shen Anzhi was somewhat unwilling, seeing the old lady's trembling appearance, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. She sighed inwardly, thinking that she had even missed the boat because of him.

She silently hoisted the firewood onto her back. The firewood was quite heavy, causing her shoulders to sag slightly. Tuan Tuan seemed to sense Shen Anzhi's emotions. It followed beside her, glancing up at her from time to time, its little eyes filled with a hint of confusion.

The old woman walked slowly ahead, her steps faltering. Shen Anzhi could only suppress her reluctance and follow behind. Along the way, she would occasionally look into the distance, the direction she had originally intended to go, her heart filled with helplessness.

"Ouch, ouch."

She hadn't walked more than a few steps when the old woman sat down on the ground again, groaning in pain. Shen Anzhi was filled with conflicting emotions; her sense of chivalry made it difficult for her to ignore the elderly woman in need of help.

After hesitating for a long time, Shen Anzhi finally squatted down and said to the old lady reluctantly, "Grandma, let me carry you home." There was a hint of helplessness in her voice.

The old lady gave her a grateful look and slowly leaned onto Shen Anzhi's back. Shen Anzhi stood up and felt a weight on her back; although the old lady was thin, she was quite heavy to carry.

Anzhi frowned and subtly adjusted his breathing.

Tuan Tuan tilted its head and watched, seemingly not understanding why Shen Anzhi seemed unhappy. It followed behind with its short legs, occasionally letting out a few low whimpers.

Shen Anzhi walked with uneven steps, and finally, after rounding several bends and passing through a bamboo forest, the old lady pointed to a dilapidated hut in front of her and said, "Girl, that's my home."

Shen Anzhi breathed a sigh of relief and quickened her pace to the front of the small house. She gently put the old lady down and rubbed her slightly sore shoulders. Tuantuan was happily twirling around beside her, seemingly also pleased with what had been accomplished.

Just as Anzhi was about to leave, the old lady suddenly called out to her, "Young lady, please help her to the end. I haven't eaten all afternoon, and my legs aren't very strong right now. Please cook me something to eat."

This request was truly jaw-dropping, but Anzhi thought that there were no boats at the ferry crossing, so he agreed anyway.

Anzhi busied herself in the kitchen. Although the stove was simple, these basic tasks were no challenge for her. She first went outside to find some firewood, then scooped out the little bit of rice from the rice jar, washed it clean, and began to cook the rice.

The meal was simple, but the house was filled with a long-lost warmth and homey atmosphere. The old lady sat to the side, her eyes full of emotion: "Young lady, you are such a good person."

Finally, Shen Anzhi finished cooking for the old lady and watched her start eating before getting up to leave.

When we brought Tuantuan back to the ferry, sure enough, the boatman was back.

"Boatman, boatman, we've finally waited for you!" Shen Anzhi shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

Hearing the shout, the boatman stopped what he was doing, looked up, and saw that it was Shen Anzhi. He frowned slightly. "Miss, it's getting late. You'll have to wait until tomorrow to cross the river. I have to go home."

"Ah! You, you..." An Zhi was so frustrated that she didn't know how to describe it: "I was held up by something just now. How about this, I'll pay you how much money you want. Can you help me cross the river?"

The boatman perked up at the mention of money and asked, "How much are you going to give me?"

Anzhi felt relieved. Fortunately, he had asked the youngest daughter for some reward when he left Shuxiang Town, otherwise he would have been unable to move an inch. However, Anzhi searched his waist for a long time but could not find the money bag.

Shen Anzhi bit his lip and said somewhat awkwardly, "Boatman, it seems I've lost my purse."

The boatman's expression changed slightly: "Tomorrow then."

After saying that, the boatman took the oar and left without hesitation.

"I'm furious."

With mixed feelings, Shen Anzhi hurriedly returned to the old lady's house. Before she even got close, she heard the sound of money being counted inside. Her heart sank, and she gently pushed open the slightly ajar door.

The old woman was sitting in the dimly lit room, with a small oil lamp lit on the table. Coins from her money bag were scattered on the table, and she was counting them one by one while muttering to herself.

Seeing this, Shen Anzhi could no longer contain her anger. She strode into the house, her voice icy: "Old lady, that's not very kind of you..."