Zhou Xuennian’s bustling event to celebrate passing the imperial examinations reached Wufu’s ears through her own "Little Ears Reporting to the Gods," and she looked upon it with disdain and ridicule, thinking that her cheap uncle was probably so proud, his eyes might as well have been on the top of his head.
It wasn’t many days before she heard that Zhou Xuennian was determined to continue his hard studies for the autumn exams. On the other hand, he was also leveraging connections to secure a low-ranking position, spending silver as if it were flowing water.
Wufu immediately handed over the task of building the house to Liu Jin and took care of the necessary silver to avoid having certain people coming to borrow from her mother.
Sure enough, Madam Lu came knocking, exhausted every kind word, threatened and tempted, and almost succeeded in extracting silver from Madam Zhou, if not for Wufu’s timely intervention which sent the intruder away.
Madam Lu left in a huff, refusing to lend even a bit of silver, and declared that in the future, they shouldn’t expect the Zhou family to support them in any way.
Madam Zhou’s face was filled with bitterness.
September had arrived, and because of the new house construction, Wufu’s family had chosen an auspicious day to break ground in early September. Before then, Wufu spent every day at home meticulously crafting a second ornament, and when she grew bored, she would practice martial arts, leading a tranquil and comfortable life.
"Liu Jin, come with me to the mountains for hunting," Wufu said, excited as the autumn scenery grew increasingly vivid, feeling that the game in the mountains should also be plump by now.
Upon hearing this, Liu Jin eagerly agreed and began preparing rations and other supplies for the trip.
Seeing their eager demeanors, Madam Zhou reminded them, "The game is plentiful in autumn, so be careful and do not venture too deep into the mountains."
Now that their family was not short on meat, Madam Zhou did not want Wufu to risk danger just for some game.
"Mother, don’t worry, you don’t know my skills?" Wufu smiled and brandished her feathered arrow, "If we can’t return today, don’t wait up for us. Just close the doors early and go to sleep."
Madam Zhou frowned, worried about them staying overnight. She wanted to persuade them otherwise, but seeing Wufu’s unwavering face, she held back.
The daughter was all grown up, her ideas about what was right and wrong were solidifying, and once she made up her mind, she couldn’t be swayed.
"Just, please, be very careful," Madam Zhou implored them once more.
With rations prepared, the two set off for the mountains early, marking the trail as they went deeper into the wilderness.
By noon, the area Wufu and her companion reached was far from the foot of the mountain, surrounded by dense forests and steep cliffs—a particularly treacherous landscape.
"Tired? Let’s have some rations," Wufu suggested, stopping for a break.
Together, they ate some pancakes with freshly boiled hot water before continuing their journey.
After climbing over a mountaintop, by late afternoon, they stood in a dark valley, devoid of any human presence, with only continuous birdsong echoing around them.
Days in autumn darken quickly, especially within dense forests, and the light in the valley began to fade. A chilly breeze blew through, sending a shiver down their spines.
"It looks like we really might have to spend the night in the forest," Wufu said, assessing the rapidly darkening sky. Turning back seemed increasingly unlikely, and even if they wanted to retreat, they would need to light torches along the way.
Liu Jin responded, "Miss, darkness falls quickly in the forest. If we hurry on our way, we might attract the attack of wild beasts!"
Wufu smiled and gently tugged at his hair clasp, "Not bad, you’re learning."
Liu Jin couldn’t help but smile, a flicker of joy passing through his eyes.
A wolf’s howl echoed from somewhere, causing both their complexions to change.
"Let’s go, we need to find a place to set up camp quickly, otherwise, we’ll be sleeping outside tonight and could end up as a wild beast’s meal," Wufu said, her eyes hardening slightly.
Liu Jin’s little face turned pale. He nodded and stayed close to his young mistress’s side.