章節 16: Chapter 15 A False Alarm
The value of these six Red Ganoderma was enough to change her life.
But more importantly, this experience had deepened her understanding of the importance of respecting nature and revering life.
Thus, with a heart full of joy and gratitude, she carefully packed the Lingzhi into the bamboo basket and set out on her way home.
Just as Su Yu was immersed in the joy of this unexpected find and her dreams for a bright future, a sudden and chilling coldness crept up from behind, stabbing into her flesh like an ice pick.
She turned alertly, only to see a wild dog, its fur disheveled and eyes blood red, baring its teeth and growling lowly as it furiously lunged at her.
In the face of this sudden attack, Su Yu let out a curse in shock and urgency, "Damn it!"
She immediately raised the small hoe she held tightly and swung it desperately, driven by the instinct to survive, trying to fend off the wild dog's onslaught.
Though the hoe was far less powerful than the dog's sharp fangs and claws, Su Yu's counterattack hit the dog's flank accurately, causing it to let out a piercing howl and momentarily hesitate in its attack.
Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Su Yu swiftly dodged to one side, creating distance from the wild dog. The two faced off in a tense atmosphere.
The injured wild dog became even angrier now, growling deeply from its throat as it seemed to be gathering strength for an even fiercer assault.
Understanding that the small hoe alone would not hold out long against the wild dog, Su Yu decisively drew a short knife glinting coldly from her waist, and her gaze, fierce as a torch, locked onto every move the dog made.
Even though there was only one wild dog at the moment, and she felt no fear inside, she was concerned that prolonged fighting might attract more wild animals. Alone, she would find it hard to cope.
Therefore, a quick resolution was the wisest choice now.
The wild dog also seemed to sense Su Yu's determination and strength. Although fierce, it remained highly vigilant and did not dare launch a rash attack.
Seeing this, Su Yu decisively chose to strike first. Gripping the short knife, she advanced towards the wild dog with steady steps, her eyes cold as lightning. As the blade shone, she cut straight toward the dog.
Faced with such a fierce attack, the dog's animal instincts kicked in, and it chose to back away. It twisted its body to dodge the blade and then, tail between its legs, it slunk away into the depths of the jungle.
Only when the wild dog's figure had completely disappeared from sight did Su Yu slowly lower the tense short knife, inwardly relieved that the crisis had been smoothly resolved.
However, she did not let her guard down; she quickly packed up her digging tools, slung the basket full of Lingzhi and mulberries on her back, and hurried down the mountain.
All the way, she listened carefully, watching in all directions; even a slight breeze rustling the leaves or an occasional unexplained noise in the underbrush made her nerves taut and her heart race.
Finally, when familiar fruit trees came into view and the warm sun bathed her in its golden glow, Su Yu felt her tense emotions ease somewhat.
The long period of high alert had left her legs feeling sore and weak, as if all her strength had been drained away.
She simply sat down on a patch of soft grass, regulated her breathing, and gradually calmed her racing heart.
After a short rest, Su Yu picked some large wild berry leaves from the ground and carefully placed them on top of the Lingzhi in the basket, to protect these precious herbs from being jostled.
Then, she swiftly climbed a nearby mulberry tree and efficiently picked one after another plump, dark purple, glistening fruit, gently placing them in her basket.
During this time, she didn't forget to enjoy the bounty of nature, the sweet and sour juice overflowing in her mouth—an indulgent reward for her hard work.
After harvesting mulberries from one tree, she moved on to another.
At this moment, these mulberries had reached the end of their ripening stage, their flesh plump and about to burst, as if calling out to her to quickly gather them into her basket.
However, the space in her back basket was limited, and despite her efforts to stuff it full, she could not pick them all.
Su Yu looked at the unpicked mulberries with a hint of regret, but then thought that leaving some behind as a gift to nature, allowing them to fall naturally and nourish the land, was also an act of kindness.
Thus, she smiled resignedly and continued down the mountain path, looking forward to the sunrise and the new hopes and challenges of tomorrow.
Su Yu casually glanced up and saw the red sun slowly dipping below the horizon, its golden afterglow leaving a fading trail in the sky like a drop of ink absorbed by rice paper, blending gradually into the endless dusk.
Only then did she realize she had lingered here for so long, allowing time to pass by silently.
She subconsciously quickened her pace, and although she was nearing the foot of the mountain, to completely descend, she still needed to traverse a winding mountain path.
She knew well that once darkness enveloped the dense forest, unknown dangers would lurk in every corner, waiting for the unwary traveler.
Thus, her heart burned with urgency, hoping to find a safe haven before nightfall enveloped everything completely.
Yet, fate seemed to mock her; the night sky would not delay despite her haste, but instead, covered the heavens with inky darkness as rapidly as ink staining the sky, pulling the once-bright world into a pitch-black abyss.
However, it appeared fate had other plans for her. The thick dead branches, which looked dry, were still damp and refused to catch fire, no matter what she tried.
Left with no other options, she switched to a thinner dead branch and, after much effort, finally managed to light it.
But just as she took a few steps, the faint flame was cruelly extinguished by the night wind, leaving only a wisp of blue smoke swirling in the air, as if mocking her helplessness.
Su Yu felt a surge of anger welling up inside her, but she was powerless to do anything about it.
Just then, a rustling sound came from the nearby brush, breaking the silence of the night.
Su Yu immediately stopped and held her breath, straining her ears to listen.
Quietly, she gripped the short knife at her waist tightly, the cold hilt sending shivers through the fabric and making her heartbeat suddenly accelerate.
At this moment, her heart was gripped with panic, and she thought to herself, "In this pitch dark, what on earth is stirring?"
The sound grew closer, like an invisible hand tightly clutching at Su Yu's heartstrings.
Her heart pounded like a drum, her gaze fixed on the swaying brush in the wind, the short knife in her hand now gripped even tighter, her knuckles turning white.
She silently told herself that, no matter what was approaching, she had to fight for her life.
Just at this critical moment, a familiar head suddenly popped out of the brush, and the person softly called, "Ah Yu? Is that you?"
Su Yu heard the voice and felt a huge relief, exclaiming, "Jiang Ziling? What are you doing here? You scared me to death. I thought you were a wild animal. I was about to attack you!"
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