A Farm Girl: Three Acres of Fertile Land Can Be Exchanged for a Country

Wutong curled up beside Duan Fufeng for another night. The next morning, she got up early, packed her bags, and prepared to set off.

With Li Deming waiting outside and Xu Yun giving her directions beforehand, she wasn't worried about getting out. The only difficulty was Duan Fufeng; the two were quite different in size, and for Wutong to carry him the whole way was practically impossible. She spent half an hour making a stretcher, placed Duan Fufeng on it, and then dragged him along, pulling one end.

It's still heavy, and I estimate I'll have to rest after walking a short distance, but it's better than nothing.

Dry food, herbs, spare cotton clothes... She didn't need to bring water; she brought an iron pot and a flint, so she could boil some snow water when she was thirsty.

After checking his luggage and making sure nothing was left behind, Wutong called out to the closed door of the Buddhist hall.

"I am leaving."

Her voice echoed through the cold, ancient temple. A rustling sound came from the sycamore tree in the center of the courtyard, and a snowflake fell to the ground, as if bidding her farewell.

It seems Wenxin isn't planning to see her one last time... Turning her gaze away from the motionless wooden door, Wutong took a breath, lifted the stretcher, and walked forward.

Upon reaching the edge of the cliff, she first pulled the rope up from below, secured the stretcher and Duan Fufeng, and tested it several times to make sure it wouldn't come loose. Only then did she hold her breath and prepare to lower him down little by little.

"and many more!"

Suddenly, footsteps and shouts mixed with heavy breathing came from behind.

Wutong stopped what she was doing, turned around in surprise, and saw Wenxin dressed for going out, carrying a bag and running towards her.

"Where...are you going?"

Wenxin stopped beside her, snatched the rope from her hand, and said firmly, "I'll take you down the mountain."

Wutong was flattered and immediately grabbed the rope and shook her head.

"No need, I can go down the mountain by myself. You go back."

Wenxin ignored her completely, using her strength to snatch the rope, dismantle Duan Fufeng and the stretcher, carry Duan Fufeng on her back, tightly tie the rope around him several times, and was about to jump down.

Wutong grabbed his arm, trying to tell him not to be so foolish, that not all efforts are rewarded.

He looked up at her and said earnestly, "I'll be waiting for you downstairs."

After saying that, he pushed her hand away and jumped down.

He moved incredibly fast, disappearing in a few light taps on the cliff face.

Wutong couldn't even see him, let alone chase him; she could only wait up there.

She didn't know how much time had passed when the rope was shaken three times rhythmically. She suddenly came to her senses, grabbed it, and started climbing down.

As she descended, she saw Wenxin and Duan Fufeng on the snow below.

Duan Fufeng lay there unharmed, while Wen Xin watched her intently, his gaze never leaving her no matter how slow she moved. She had no doubt that if she were to fall, he would save her before she was smashed to pieces.

The sycamore tree fell to the ground, the rope was released, and the sweat on his forehead was wiped away.

Wenxin went to take the luggage from her back, but she didn't even look at him, picked up Duan Fufeng and left.

She wasn't a parasitic plant that needed help with everything, nor was she immune to hardship. Before becoming the Queen of Eastern Qi, she had faced countless perilous situations.

Wenxin's help touched her, but it also made her feel... useless.

Rather than facing him with eternal guilt, it's better to refuse his help and grit your teeth and bear all the pain.

Duan Fufeng was heavy, and Wutong carried him unsteadily, but she wouldn't stop for a single step.

Wenxin was clever but slow-witted; at first, he didn't understand her meaning and thought she was angry because he had come without informing her. He chased after her.

apologize.

The sycamore tree neither listens nor looks, focusing intently on its own path.

Wenxin followed for a while and finally understood a little, so he didn't say anything more and just silently followed behind.

With a thud, the luggage on Wutong's left shoulder fell to the ground.

She had to stop and turn around to pick it up, but Wenxin grabbed the luggage first and carried it on her own back.

Wutong glanced at him, said nothing, and turned back to continue walking.

Wenxin followed closely behind, carrying her luggage.

Wutong kept losing things as she walked, and Wenxin followed behind, picking them up one by one.

In the end, only Duan Fufeng was left, but she was still panting heavily, and every step she took required all her strength.

If it were just her and Duan Fufeng, she would have stopped to rest long ago. But Wenxin was right behind her, and she didn't want him to see her incompetence, so she gritted her teeth and struggled on, not noticing that she had stepped on a stone.

The stones, frozen by the heavy snow, were extremely slippery. Wutong had no time to react and fell flat on her face with a thud.

Fortunately, the ground in front of her was covered in thick snow, so she didn't fall and get hurt or bleed. However, she and Duan Fufeng sank into the snow and could barely get up.

Blood filled his mouth and nose, and his nose was so frozen he couldn't breathe. He tried to open his eyes, but all he could see was a white blur.

Unfortunately, Duan Fufeng was so heavy that he kept pressing her down, making it impossible for her to get up.

Just as she was in despair, she suddenly felt a weight on her back, and then a hand pulled her up.

She was able to see the light of day again, sitting on the ground with her back against a big tree, opening her mouth to breathe deeply. The cold but fresh air returned to her lungs, and her body gradually regained sensation.

Duan Fufeng...I hope Duan Fufeng isn't hurt...

The first thing Wutong thought of after waking up was him. She saw him lying not far away and thought of getting up to check on him.

But she was so tired that she almost collapsed after standing up for only a few seconds. A pair of strong hands reached out from behind to support her, and a familiar voice rang in her ears.

"What do you want to do? I'll do it."

Only then did Wutong realize that what she had been leaning against was not a big tree at all, but Wenxin.

He's simple-minded, slow-witted, and stubborn—a complete blockhead.

However, in critical moments, he always provides her with a strong support like a big tree, rescuing her from danger.

Wutong stared at him blankly, but Wenxin had already sensed her intention, released her, and went to check on Duan Fufeng.

Kneeling down beside Duan Fufeng, he checked his pulse and breathing, then turned around and said, "He's fine, very good."

"Is it……"

Wutong nodded blankly, looked around, found a big tree, walked over and said, "I want to rest for a while, you should rest too."

Before she finished speaking, she closed her eyes and leaned against the tree, her face pale, as if she had collapsed and was no longer moving.

Only now did Wenxin dare to express the heartache hidden deep within his heart, looking at her with deep longing, separated by an insurmountable transparent barrier.

After resting enough, it got dark. They had no choice but to set up camp where they were, and had two pieces of dry rations for dinner. They also fed the ground-up rations to Duan Fufeng, and after eating, they went to sleep.

The following days were endless travel. Wutong stopped trying to be strong, knowing that gritting her teeth and forcing herself would only make her look foolish. So she let Wenxin carry Duan Fufeng and took care of all the luggage herself.

Wenxin's luggage was much lighter than Duan Fufeng's, but even so, she was still worried and kept trying to sneak a peek at her, wanting to snatch it away and take it herself when she wasn't paying attention.

Wutong could only smile wryly; under such strict guard, he had finally managed to escape the mountains.

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