The poor girl from the 1970s was forced to kiss by the damp educated youth.

When Zhao Yiqing brought up Chen Zhi's past, Chen Zhi felt embarrassed.

She didn't want to leave a bad impression on Li Zhou'an.

She also didn't want others to belittle her in front of Li Zhou'an.

So she left.

Chen Zhi walked briskly for a few minutes and saw several newly sprouted bamboo shoots ahead. She took a sickle and went over to cut them off at the base.

She's clearly lucky!

Chen Zhi was furious. One day, she would prove to those people that she was very lucky, not bad at all.

Chen Zhi was holding her breath, cutting down bamboo shoots and picking mushrooms whenever she saw them, not even letting any wild vegetables go unpicked. The bamboo forest was dense, and sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, dappling the ground.

Chen Zhi's basket quickly filled up, and she found a rock to sit on and began peeling the bamboo shoot leaves. The bamboo shoots weren't big, and the leaves took up most of the space. By the time the shoot flesh was peeled out, the basket was more than half empty again.

After peeling the bamboo shoots, Chen Zhi was hungry. She ate the potatoes she had brought from home, but her stomach was only half full.

Chen Zhi looked at the mushrooms in the bag; there were more than twenty, not a lot, but better than nothing. Chen Zhi planned to find a place with water to wash the mushrooms and then roast them.

Water is plentiful in the mountains; you can often see water droplets falling from the mountain walls, gathering into thin streams.

On her way to find water, Chen Zhi found half a basket of bamboo shoots and heard the call of a pheasant.

The clucking sound was a bit like a hen laying eggs at home.

Chen Zhi's eyes lit up, and following the sound, she found a nest of wild eggs in the grass half an hour later. Each egg was small, a size smaller than the ones she kept at home. Chen Zhi counted them; there were twenty-six. She carefully placed the eggs in a bag, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with a smile.

Her lunch is sorted!

After collecting the eggs, Chen Zhi ignored the hen that had run off somewhere; pheasants can fly, and she knew she couldn't catch it.

After another ten minutes or so, Chen Zhi successfully found a water source, a cool and sweet stream flowing down from the mountain.

Chen Zhi drank a few handfuls of water, then began to wash the mushrooms.

Suddenly, a sound came from behind.

Chen Zhi turned around abruptly and saw the familiar dark blue color. Before she could speak, Xi Lang, who was standing properly, was suddenly hit by something and knocked to the ground.

Xi Lang also saw her, suddenly got up from the ground, and strode towards her.

Chen Zhi sensed danger and tried to escape, but she seemed to be bound in place by some force and couldn't move.

"you--"

As soon as Chen Zhi opened her mouth, Xi Lang stuffed something into it. The thing was icy cold, like a jelly, and slid down Chen Zhi's throat into her stomach.

Chen Zhi shivered; it was so cold!

Chen Zhi looked at Xi Lang accusingly and demanded, "What did you feed me?"

Xi Lang didn't answer. He turned around and slashed with his sword. There was clearly nothing in front of him, but he could smell a burning smell. Chen Zhi saw a wisp of green smoke appear out of thin air and then quickly disappear.

Chen Zhi's eyes widened. What was that?

Xi Lang seemed oblivious to the terror on Chen Zhi's face. He calmly wrapped the wooden sword in Chen Zhi's hand with a dusty cloth before looking up at Chen Zhi. "Are you feeling unwell anywhere?"

Chen Zhi shook her head and asked again, "What did you give me to eat?"

"There's a medicinal herb from the mountains, good for women's health. It has to be taken within half an hour of being picked, otherwise it will dissolve. You've gotten a good deal." Xi Lang said calmly. He wasn't telling the truth; what he gave Chen Zhi was a rare and precious herb. This herb was born from yin energy and was ripe today. If any unclean things in the mountains ate it, they might become spirits. Even if he ruined it, he couldn't let those filthy things have it.

But he wasn't wrong; this stuff can only be given to women, especially Chen Zhi, who has eaten the Wood Spirit, as her body can digest that Yin energy.

Chen Zhi didn't believe Xi Lang's words. "What will happen if I eat that stuff?"

"You'll be healthier." Xi Lang came to the water's edge, took a few sips, and seeing Chen Zhi still staring at him, he sighed, "I'm not lying to you."

Chen Zhi snorted twice, "It had better be that way, otherwise if something happens to my body, I won't let you off the hook. By the way, what were you doing just now?"

"Sword practice is one of my ways of training my body," Xi Lang said without a hint of embarrassment. "Do you have anything to eat? I'm hungry and have no strength left."

Chen Zhi: "......."

Xi Lang brought a lunchbox, which he used to boil eggs.

The two sat by the fire, Chen Zhi peeling bamboo shoots while Xi Lang tended the flames. Xi Lang wasn't wearing his straw hat today, and his hair was shorter, highlighting his sharp, defined features; he looked menacing. His deathly pale complexion, devoid of any color, amplified his menacing aura.

Twenty-six eggs, several at a time, were boiled, and it took three attempts to finish them all.

After boiling the eggs, I started boiling the mushrooms. When the mushrooms were almost cooked, I added the wild vegetables that Chen Zhi had found that day.

"Thirteen eggs per person," Chen Zhi said.

Xi Lang had no objections; his long, slender fingers were exceptionally nimble, and he peeled an egg in no time. He ate one egg at a time without drinking a drop of water, and he didn't seem to choke.

He is truly gifted.

Chen Zhi complained inwardly.

"I'll give you a chicken back tomorrow," Xi Lang said.

Chen Zhi didn't believe her. "Where did you get this chicken?"

"pheasant."

"Can you catch him?"

"Okay, I'll give it a try."

That means they might not be able to catch them; it's just empty talk.

Chen Zhi didn't take it seriously.

After finishing the eggs, Chen Zhi was already full, but she could still eat more.

"You can have the mushroom and wild vegetable soup, I don't need it."

After Xi Lang finished speaking, he leaned against the rock behind him and closed his eyes, seemingly falling asleep.

Chen Zhi didn't stand on ceremony with him. She let the scalding soup cool down for a while, and when the temperature was about right, she held the lunchbox, used chopsticks made of tree branches, and slowly ate the wild vegetables and mushrooms while drinking the soup, looking quite content.

After Chen Zhi finished eating and washed the lunchbox, she hesitated whether to wake Xi Lang, but then she saw Xi Lang open his eyes. "Going down the mountain?"

Chen Zhi shook her head, "The basket isn't full yet, it'll be a while longer."

"Then I'll go with you," Xi Lang said, taking the lead.

Chen Zhi: "Are you also looking for bamboo shoots?"

Xi Lang: "Mmm, braised bamboo shoots are delicious."

Chen Zhi had never eaten braised bamboo shoots. Her family was short of oil, so they usually boiled bamboo shoots, made them into cold dishes, or pickled them.

Chen Zhi and Xi Lang entered the bamboo forest, keeping a distance of five to ten meters between them. Sometimes Chen Zhi would accidentally wander off and disappear from Xi Lang's sight, but Xi Lang would always find her after a short while.

By the time Chen Zhi's basket was full of bamboo shoots and meat, the sun was about to set.

The two started walking back.

The two didn't speak a word along the way, and at the village entrance they tacitly parted ways and went home separately.

Chen Zhi ran into Chen Peng again in the village. Chen Peng walked towards Chen Zhi with a smile, but Chen Zhi dodged him.

"Is little sister Zhizhi afraid of me?" Chen Peng stared at Chen Zhi's little face. He hadn't seen her for several months, and she had grown more and more beautiful. In the past, when others said Chen Ye was pretty, he didn't think so. He thought Chen Zhi was prettier, like a wildflower on the mountain, tenacious and full of wildness.

It's a pity they're from the same village and share the same surname, otherwise he would definitely have married Chen Zhi.

Chen Zhi rolled her eyes at Chen Peng and replied irrelevantly, "It's getting late, I need to go home."

Just then, the workers returned from their shifts. Chen Peng dared not stop Chen Zhi any longer, and Chen Zhi seized the opportunity to stride towards home.

After a hearty meal in the mountains, Chen Zhi wasn't very hungry that evening. She held the half-bowl of porridge and savored it slowly with some cold bamboo shoots.

"This bamboo shoot is very tender and delicious," Chen Da praised.

"The bamboo shoots that have just sprouted are naturally tender." Grandma smiled and put another bamboo shoot into Chen Da's bowl. "You must be tired from working. Eat more."

"I'll go look for bamboo shoots tomorrow too," Chen Fu said.

Chen Ye wanted to go too, but her mother told her to work in the fields to earn more work points and save some money to buy her a new outfit at the end of the year. Thinking about the new clothes, Chen Ye felt that the hardship of farming wasn't unbearable. Besides, her mother said she would arrange blind dates for her at the end of the year and was already looking for potential partners. If she appeared capable, more people would come to her door, giving her more choices.

Thinking of this, Chen Ye glanced at Chen Zhi beside him with disdain in his eyes. So what if she became beautiful? This younger sister has such a bad reputation. She's dreaming if she wants to find a good family.

After a dreamless night, Chen Zhi woke up feeling completely refreshed, full of energy, and extremely comfortable.

It seems that Xi Lang didn't lie to her yesterday; what she ate must have been some kind of good tonic.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Chen Zhi tilted her head, looking at Chen Ye with confusion.

Chen Ye's face was pale. She couldn't understand how Chen Zhi, who had looked haggard and tired last night, could have become so fresh and tender overnight, as if she could squeeze water out of her skin.

Chen Ye was insanely jealous!

She snorted coldly, said nothing, and left.

Chen Zhi rolled her eyes, not taking the other person to heart.

After breakfast, Chen Zhi took two roasted potatoes from her grandmother. Looking at the potatoes, which were smaller than yesterday's, Chen Zhi pouted, "I'm not full, I don't have the energy to look for bamboo shoots."

Grandma remained unmoved. "You took matches with you yesterday, and you ate slowly last night. You must have had something good to eat in the mountains. Aren't you hungry now?"

Chen Zhi was extremely frank, "I didn't eat."

Grandma sneered, "Let's see if I believe you."

Believe it or not.

After saying that, Chen Zhi went out.

Chen Zhi left home even earlier than yesterday, thinking she could avoid Chen Peng, but to her surprise, Chen Peng jumped out from behind the bushes as soon as she reached the foot of the mountain.

Chen Peng was covered in dew, which showed that he had been waiting for her for quite some time.

Chen Zhi's face darkened. "What do you want to do?"

"I thought my sister knew." Chen Peng walked towards Chen Zhi step by step, a triumphant smile on his lips, his eyes scanning Chen Zhi up and down with naked desire.

Chen Zhi felt a chill run down his spine, and goosebumps rose on his skin.

"If you dare to mess with me, I'll tell your dad and your grandpa, and they'll break your legs!" she said, trying to appear calm.

"Nobody will believe that. With your reputation, nobody wants to be near you, or more precisely, nobody wants you. Zhizhi, everyone except me despises you." Chen Peng reached out to touch Chen Zhi's face. Wait, she didn't dodge; he touched her!

What a smooth face!

It's so tender and smooth, even more tender and smooth than tofu!

Are the other parts of your body this smooth and tender as well?

Chen Peng's pent-up desire flared up, and he said impatiently, "Little sister, I'll cherish you and make you happy—"

Snapped!

boom!

Chen Zhi slapped Chen Peng across the face and then kicked him hard in the stomach.

She used all her strength, and Chen Peng was kicked back two steps and fell to the ground.

Chen Peng sat on the ground, clutching his lower abdomen. The intense pain rendered him speechless for a moment.

Chen Zhi was also stunned. When did her strength become so great?