The original group of five had been turned into six. The militiaman with Xie Yicheng was his cousin, the son of the brigade leader. Seeing Xie Yicheng's irreversible act of throwing good money after bad, he could only smile helplessly and then lead his men to patrol and guard the area.

After all, Xie Yicheng wasn't originally part of the plan. He had only returned from military service two days ago, and after meeting Yun Shu, he kept pestering the captain to introduce him to someone and create opportunities for him. The captain only counted him as an unofficial member of the security plan.

Therefore, it's understandable that Xie Yicheng, who works in a factory in the county town, would want to do something important on his way to work, without making any mistakes.

So Xie Yicheng continued to follow Yun Shu around with a clear conscience, forcefully integrating into Yun Shu's life in a way that was neither too close nor too distant, but with a strong presence.

……

Just as Xie Yicheng said, he was like a fish in water in Langqingshan.

Compared to the three male educated youths who were not yet familiar with the terrain, he always managed to surprise Yun Shu, while also using Yun Shu's name to take care of Lin Jing Shu.

He was proficient in everything from digging tree holes and picking monkey head mushrooms to harvesting wood ear fungus, pine cones, and pine needles. The three male educated youths were completely powerless against him and could only watch him perform.

The sheer amount of reaping the rewards made Lin Jingshu, who loves pine nuts the most, beam with joy and almost switch sides on the spot, while also making Jiang Xiucheng, the true male lead, feel a great sense of crisis.

"This man... he actually learned how to please his mother-in-law without any instruction?!"

With Xie Yicheng by their side, they truly achieved twice the result with half the effort this time. They also ventured into places Yun Shu had never been before, and incidentally discovered several hidden treasure locations, greatly expanding their personal savings.

There are fifty small yellow croakers in Yun Shu's space right now. There are also various other Yuan Shikai silver dollars, gold and jade jewelry, and weapons.

Most importantly, with Xie Yicheng's 'escort and guidance,' Yun Shu also acquired a gun and fifty bullets. This significant hidden gain immediately made Yun Shu feel more favorably toward Xie Yicheng.

This isn't some kind of demon, this is her Daji, her auspicious omen!

As a result, Yun Shu softened her attitude towards Xie Yicheng a little, which made Xie Yicheng overjoyed, while Chen Ming was heartbroken.

……

After a hard morning's work, they had a fruitful harvest. Yun Shu and the others decided to eat some dry rations and rest for a while. Xie Yicheng thoughtfully found some medicinal herbs, crushed them, and gave them to Yun Shu and the others.

“There are many snakes in the mountains, and several of them are poisonous. Snakes don’t like this herb, so it’s safer to carry it on your person.”

"We hadn't encountered them along the way, but we found them here by chance, which shows how lucky we are."

"Who said you're one of us!" Chen Ming didn't want to accept Xie Yicheng's offer, but Jiang Xiucheng, not wanting to make things too awkward, took it for Chen Ming and stuffed it into his pocket.

Xie Yicheng smiled indifferently, turned around and cleared a patch of grass. He skillfully dug out a smokeless stove for the army in just a few minutes, then placed the small pot he had brought on it, and gestured to Yun Shu and the others to pour water into it.

"It's chilly in the mountains in the morning, and the dew is still heavy. Drinking some hot water to warm up will make you feel much better and also prevent you from catching a cold."

"I wasn't well prepared this time. Next time I'll bring some ginger and brown sugar, that will really help ward off the cold."

"next time……"

Yun Shu was amazed by the veteran's technique and obediently poured the water from the kettle into the small pot, which boiled in no time.

I blew on it a little and took a small sip. It was slightly hot, but it felt really good.

The mountains and forests were quiet, with only the sounds of birds and insects.

A group of people sat together and ate a simple lunch.

Perhaps this is a unique characteristic of Chinese people. No matter how strained the relationship is, as long as they sit down for a meal together, it can ease up considerably. At least Chen Ming was no longer too embarrassed to give his rival a cold shoulder.

Of course, it's also because Xie Yicheng is too good at it.

He always had a smile on his face, as if he couldn't see Chen Ming's indifference at all, extending his goodwill to everyone equally. For example, he didn't forget Chen Ming about the snake-repelling herbs and the hot water at mealtimes.

Comparing Chen Ming's somewhat obvious hostility and competitiveness, it's immediately clear who is more mature, stable, and has more points, especially after Xie Yicheng helped Chen Ming when he encountered a snake while cutting down a tree.

And so, for the entire afternoon, Chen Ming could only watch helplessly as Xie Yicheng fawned over Yun Shu, making Yun Shu seem less like she was there to collect mountain goods and more like she was there for a picnic.

Xie Yicheng insisted on carrying all the heavy things, saying it was inappropriate. He even shouted that veterans are soldiers too and should serve the people, leaving Yun Shu so shocked that she forgot how to refute him.

Occasionally, upon hearing what Yun Shu liked, they would climb trees and go down to the river to pick or catch it. As a result, even though the six of them always acted together at a moderate distance, it was as if there was an invisible barrier separating the two of them from the main group.

They couldn't deny it; it seemed that the two of them... were slowly developing their own little world.

……

The mother-in-law was the first to betray the clique, mainly because... she was more clear-headed than Yun Shu, who was actually in it.

Jiang Xiucheng and Pei Wenyuan, being friends, naturally hoped that Chen Ming would win the heart of the beauty. However, Lin Jingshu didn't think Chen Ming, who had been consistently rejected and kept at a distance by Yun Shu, had any hope.

Because girls are just that unreasonable; if they don't have feelings, they simply don't. Even if they force themselves to be together, they definitely won't be happy, just like Chenxiang and Dingxiang in the story of the Lotus Lantern. In the end, it will only damage the bond they've built through thick and thin.

Therefore, Lin Jingshu believes that it would be better to remain friends, so that they can get along better in the future.

As for Yun Shu's interactions with Xie Yicheng, whom she had feelings for, she observed them coldly for a whole day. As a tea connoisseur from a later generation, Lin Jingshu said that no matter how good a man is at pretending, he can't hide his flaws all the time.

She thought...this kid must be something.

Although Lin Jingshu was alone, her influence was no less than that of the other three male educated youths. In particular, Jiang Xiucheng was doing the same thing as Xie Yicheng. No matter how good his family background or how high his standards were, when it came to love, they were all just the same naive young men.

Jiang Xiucheng dared not refute Lin Jingshu, so he could only abstain and remain neutral. Pei Wenyuan, on the other hand, was willing to support Chen Ming out of a desire for lifelong friendship, but it was obvious that his chances of winning were slim.

Chen Ming is caring, but Xie Yicheng is even more considerate and attentive. Chen Ming has good conditions and a good family background, but in terms of personal qualities, Xie Yicheng, a demobilized soldier and worker, has a very strong background. Especially in Fengsheng Brigade, Xie Yicheng's income easily surpasses theirs.

Of course, this is also the most important point.

That is... Yun Shu really treats Xie Yicheng differently. Even the most meticulous Pei Wenyuan couldn't deceive himself into thinking that Yun Shu could treat Chen Ming and Xie Yicheng equally.

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