Free Web NovelChapter 476: Chapter 170: That Fool Is Her
Jie Jingchen frowned. ’Does this guy really think I’m lost?’
"We came into the mountains to gather herbs," Jie Jingchen said.
"What kind of herbs? I can help you get them. Leader, trust me, I know this mountain like the back of my hand. Just tell me the name of the herb, and I’ll get it for you right away," Ah Bing said, thumping his chest.
Jie Jingchen fell silent. He turned his head to glance at Qin Mei, who was fast asleep on his back. She was clearly exhausted. He was talking while carrying her, and she hadn’t even stirred.
When Jie Jingchen didn’t respond, Ah Bing assumed it was because he didn’t trust him. "Leader, believe me. It’s because I’m so familiar with this mountain that I know how dangerous it is. Once the sun goes down, if we don’t leave, it’ll get dark. The temperature in the mountains drops drastically. If you don’t freeze to death, you’ll be..."
"Let’s head down," Jie Jingchen decided instantly. He could handle the mountain temperatures, but Qin Mei’s delicate constitution certainly couldn’t.
"Huh?" Ah Bing was taken aback again. "Aren’t you gathering herbs?"
"Not anymore." ’The one gathering herbs is already asleep,’ Jie Jingchen thought. ’I’ll just follow Ah Bing down the mountain for now.’
"Right, safety first. First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll take you into the mountains to gather herbs. Then, whatever you want to find, I’ll take you to it," Ah Bing guaranteed.
Jie Jingchen remained silent.
"Your wife must be uncomfortable sleeping with that basket on. Give it to me, I’ll carry it," Ah Bing said, trying to be helpful.
Jie Jingchen didn’t refuse. He stopped and let Ah Bing take the basket off Qin Mei’s back.
"Jie Jingsi, stop messing around. I’m tired, I want to sleep." Qin Mei swatted a hand in irritation, shifted on Jie Jingchen’s back to find a more comfortable position, and fell back into a deep sleep.
Jie Jingchen understood the implication in Qin Mei’s words, and his body instantly tensed. With an outsider present, he didn’t say anything and just kept walking.
"Leader, your wife’s stamina isn’t the best. You came all the way into the mountains and haven’t even found any herbs yet, and look how worn out she is." Ah Bing jogged a few steps ahead to lead the way, the wolf trotting obediently behind them.
Jie Jingchen didn’t say anything. Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he immediately called out to Ah Bing. "Ah Bing."
"Leader, what is it?" Ah Bing stopped and turned to look at Jie Jingchen.
Jie Jingchen’s eyes narrowed, his sharp gaze fixed intently on Ah Bing. It was so intense it made Ah Bing’s skin crawl. ’The Leader’s stare is terrifying.’
"Did you see..." Jie Jingchen trailed off. He wanted to ask if Ah Bing had seen him and Qin Mei being intimate. He really didn’t want anyone to have seen them doing... *that*. Given that they were outdoors, they hadn’t taken off their clothes, but their pants...
"See what?" Ah Bing looked completely baffled.
A complex mix of emotions flickered in Jie Jingchen’s eyes. Ah Bing’s reaction didn’t seem like he’d seen anything, and Jie Jingchen let out a quiet sigh of relief. "It’s nothing."
Ah Bing thought the Leader was being a little strange. He felt a lot of pressure when facing Jie Jingchen.
"Ah Bing, do you hate me?" Jie Jingchen asked suddenly.
"No," Ah Bing replied.
"Really?" Jie Jingchen was skeptical.
"Really," Ah Bing said, looking like he was about to swear an oath. He then added, "If I hated you, I would’ve let the wolf tear your throat out just now."
"You were really unaffected by being sent back to the village?" Jie Jingchen was still suspicious.
From Ah Bing’s appearance, Jie Jingchen got the feeling he was trying to get revenge on society.
Ah Bing said, "Thanks to you, I was the first person from our village to join the army only to be personally escorted back. To say it didn’t affect me would be a lie, but I’m thick-skinned. Besides, my parents died young, so it’s just me and my grandma, and we rely on each other. She’s hard of hearing, so she can’t hear any of the village gossip anyway. Honestly, Leader, compared to serving the country as a soldier, I’d much rather be at home with my grandma."
Jie Jingchen started to see Ah Bing in a new light. ’How could a man so devoted to his family be a bad person?’
Jie Jingchen had originally planned to drive home once they got down the mountain. If Qin Mei still wanted to gather herbs tomorrow, he would just bring her back. But as it turned out, Ah Bing led him down a different shortcut.
Ah Bing swaggered along with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, the basket on his back. The only difference today was that he wasn’t just being followed by his fearsome wolf. Trailing behind him was a man whose clothes screamed "city slicker"—and that man was even carrying a woman on his back.
"Ah Bing, who are they?" a villager asked, stepping forward.
"My Leader," Ah Bing said, puffing his chest with pride.
"Your Leader?" The villager was shocked. ’Even a loafer like Ah Bing has a leader now?’ "Ah Bing, did you find a job in the city?"
"Get outta here," Ah Bing said, waving his hand in annoyance. "What city? What job? If I went to the city to find work, who’d look after my grandma? You?"
The villager didn’t dare to provoke him, mainly because he was afraid of the wolf at Ah Bing’s side. It was strange, but the wolf was incredibly obedient to Ah Bing. If he told it to bite someone, it would bite. If he told it not to, it wouldn’t.
