Chapter 157 - The Refugee Girl

"In just a few days, the heavy snow will arrive, and it’ll be really tough to hunt any prey during the long snow season.""And just at this time, strange things are happening, every household has little surplus food, how are we going to live then?" the elder sighed deeply.

After learning a bit about the recent situation in the village, Chen San timely cut into the topic: "If you really face any difficulties, you can come up the mountain to find people from our office, within reasonable requests, we’ll agree to help."

As he said this, everyone’s gaze shifted, observing the elder’s expression.

The latter sighed again, shaking his head: "We understand the principle that if you take from others, you owe them."

"It’s unreasonable to always seek help from others, letting those lazybones get used to it, thinking you owe us something, which won’t be beneficial for future interactions between our families."

Xu Xiaoyou pondered, listening to these words, the other party seemed unaware of the two missing personnel from the mountain watchtower?

Chen San said, "To be honest, I went to the watchtower this afternoon, Li Yin and Qing weren’t there, and I couldn’t contact them. Have you seen them recently?"

After thinking for a moment, Chen San added: "Or heard any news related to them."

"Let me think." The elder showed a thoughtful expression, then shook his head after a long time, "There have been too many strange occurrences recently, really not much aware of things on the mountain."

"But my kids said, recently there are always two adults up on the mountain taking the prey they hunted, occupying their hunting territory. I wonder if they’re related to the two people you mentioned."

"I see...." Chen San nodded.

In his impression, this matched his impression of those two, impatient and unable to endure loneliness, it was indeed possible they violated the office’s rules and went up the mountain to hunt together.

Just as he wasn’t planning to dwell on it further, the next words he heard caught his attention.

"Maybe those two guys have already been swallowed by beasts?"

Ever perceptive, Chen San jerked his head up, finding the elder calmly eating, while the woman was cleaning the two guest rooms further away, flicking dust off the rooftops.

No one else at the table seemed to notice anything unusual, including Xu Xiaoyou, who was just pondering her own matters while eating.

If there really was anything amiss, with the golden-haired girl’s alertness across from him, it would be impossible for her not to notice, this indifferent appearance.

After a brief moment, he was sure the words only echoed in his mind, was it just his illusion?

Thinking it over, Chen San shook his head, it seemed he’d been too tense mentally these days; tomorrow the capture operation was officially starting, he couldn’t let a mistake happen because of himself.

The man pondered, unaware that Xu Xiaoyou was observing his expression, her brows gradually furrowing.

"I’m full." Tang Xin put down her bowl and chopsticks.

"The room is ready for you, if you need more blankets, just let me know." The woman came over holding a thick patched quilt.

Xu Xiaoyou responded softly, also putting down her bowl and chopsticks, leading Tang Xin towards one of the guest rooms.

In the living room, the elder, as if remembering something, instructed the woman: "Go get a few bottles of wine from the outside well, it’s rare to have a few guests, and I haven’t had a good drink in ages."

"Wow, I didn’t expect this little place to have wine?" Lin Xing was slightly surprised.

"Home brewed, not much alcohol." The elder laughed.

A little later, several men in the living room started drinking, gradually becoming familiar with each other, and their discussion grew louder, ranging from the snowfields to the city, to criticizing Belvedere’s personal style and the foster home’s system, finally touching on Cosmic Heavy Industries and even further to Nest City.

Even Chen San, usually with a stern poker face, was now rosy-cheeked, no longer resisting the arm Lin Xing had draped over his shoulder gleefully, drinking the bowl of grain wine, lost in thought.

Xu Xiaoyou sighed helplessly, closing the door.

Turning around, she found Tang Xin sitting cross-legged, eyes curved into crescents, smiling at her. Her hands spread out the quilt draped over her, like a monster with its mouth open, poised to pounce and devour her.

Xu Xiaoyou smiled, after getting to know Tang Xin, she acted less reserved and shy when alone with her, showing a lively side of a girl, perhaps this was her most authentic self.

"Being wrapped in this quilt feels so good, so warm."

She also sat cross-legged beside the girl, loosening her hair tie, letting her golden hair cascade down.

"What are you thinking about, You?" Tang Xin turned to her and asked.

Xu Xiaoyou shook her head: "Things related to the Puppet Master."

"Don’t sleep too soundly tonight, I have a feeling something might happen."

Tang Xin nodded thoughtfully, the other side’s instincts were always sharp in such matters.

She stood up, tiptoeing over with the quilt, sitting down in front of the girl again, eyes smiling as she reached out to rub Xu Xiaoyou’s face a few times.

Xu Xiaoyou was amused by the move: "What’s up?"

"I always feel that since you left the city, your whole demeanor has changed, sometimes I even feel a bit unfamiliar."

"You look better with a smile after all."

"After all, being outside the city, it’s better to be more cautious." Xu Xiaoyou said, closing her eyes slightly.

Later, the banging on the nearby glass window caught the attention of the two girls. They got up and went to the bedside, discovering a little girl in the overgrown weeds at the bottom of the slope outside, jumping and throwing stones at the window, the banging was from the stones hitting the glass.

The two exchanged a glance; it was the little girl they had seen that afternoon.

Once the girl noticed them looking, her eyes lit up, bouncing and clapping to attract their attention, the same look of wanting to tell them something.

They decisively got up, tidied their clothes, and before leaving, Xu Xiaoyou left the door ajar, ensuring a beam of light shone through the crack outside.

They went to the living room, where the men were all sound asleep, sprawled out on the table, bottles rolling around on the floor, no one noticing them.

After leaving the stilted house, they went to the slope beneath where the refugee girl was. The little girl saw Tang Xin and ran into her arms, sobbing:

"Sister..."

"Huh?" Tang Xin was a bit bewildered, looking for help towards Xu Xiaoyou, who also spread her hands.

Xu Xiaoyou thought, perhaps it was Tang Xin’s overall gentle and amiable aura that always made her liked by children.

"Um, did you... mistake me for someone else?" Tang Xin said softly.