Hesha was a very simple little girl. She had grown up here since childhood, had never been to a farther place, and she was young, only in her teens. After talking with her for a while, Meili learned quite a lot of information from her mouth, and also confirmed that she really had not seen that thin, elongated figure that looked suspiciously like a swamp monster in the swamp just now.
The afternoon sunlight was passionate and romantic, and with the moist water vapor left behind by the heavy rain, the short forest was coated by sunlight with a layer of brilliant gold. Having not seen that strange figure earlier, Hesha quickly began searching for white mushrooms in the short forest.
Meili absentmindedly surveyed the surrounding scenery, chatting casually with her, but in her heart she was still thinking about that monster from before.
She truly had not expected that this world actually had such non-human things existing.
Seeing that thing twice in a row, and confirming that she was neither seeing things nor dreaming, made her feel as if her worldview had been somewhat overturned.
Perhaps coming to a new world required a new worldview, but this was really too sudden.
Many pine trees grew in the forest. Naturally collapsed big pine trees lay across the forest, moss growing on the rotting trunks, and at the same time clusters of white mushrooms were growing at the moist bottom of the trunks.
Round in shape, more than a dozen of different sizes squeezed together into a big family.
When pulling the mushrooms from the trunk, not only was there the original fragrance of the mushrooms, but also mixed with a refreshing scent of pine.
Hesha carefully picked mushrooms. In no time her basket was almost full. When she turned her head and saw that her companion’s basket only had a thin layer at the bottom, she teased her lively about being slow, and then casually grabbed more than half from her own basket to give to her.
What a cute little girl.
After hearing the little girl’s secret recipe for mushroom soup, the two parted ways at a fork in the road on the way back.
The daylight at this season seemed to last very long. Meili hung the heavy basket on her arm.
On the small path paved by golden sunlight, only her slender figure was present. The distant forest, the nearby slope and grassland were dotted with wildflowers.
A scene of fresh and beautiful pastoral scenery like an oil painting—unfortunately, within such a picture, something discordant suddenly appeared.
In a muddy pit that had not yet dried after the heavy rain, there was a sudden surge. From the muddy pit, as if being pulled long, there emerged a thin and elongated figure, right ahead of Meili, blocking her path.
When this monster fully stood up, its shoulders and back were still slightly hunched. Backlit by the golden light, its exact appearance could not be seen clearly, only that its body outline was infinitely close to certain gray-white abstract human sculptures she had seen in her previous life.
More than two meters tall—its height was awe-inspiring. In the pair of hands that almost hung down to its knees, it held two broken pieces of wooden sticks.
—They were the sticks she had hit the monster with last night, resulting in them being broken.
What did it mean by coming to block her way now with this weapon—coming to take revenge on her?
Meili, who had just relaxed due to the beautiful scenery, instantly tensed up again. She stopped her steps, and cautiously watched the fierce beast blocking her way ahead.
This thing… was it because it discovered that she could see it, so it followed her? Being followed by a monster was definitely not a good sign. According to the development in horror movies, people who were followed by ghosts or monsters would soon be killed.
Meili quickly looked over the terrain around her. Although there was only one road, the surrounding wild land was still walkable. She lifted her skirt and stepped into the grass, directly avoiding the position of that monster, not giving him another glance.
Her skirt was stained with green grass juice, but she couldn’t care anymore. Listening to her own nervous breathing, after running a distance with her head lowered, she turned her head to look back, only to find that the figure in the muddy pit behind her was gone, and in a muddy pit ahead, a familiar figure appeared.
He could actually move freely through muddy pits. This kind of “flashing” movement was simply cheating!
She cursed inwardly — why were there so many muddy pits after the heavy rain!
Tying up the troublesome skirt, just like a warrior crossing obstacles, avoiding every muddy pit where the monster might appear, she rushed forward like the wind.
The elongated figure relentlessly followed behind, appearing in every muddy pit, the feeling of being forced step by step made her heart pound wildly, as if she were participating in a horror movie where one was hunted down by a monster.
The grassland covered with green grass and wildflowers was not easy to walk on. Hidden mud pits would appear from time to time. Meili failed to notice and, as she ran, suddenly saw a gray head emerging from the spot where she was about to step next.
In that brief moment of glancing, she urgently accelerated, directly leaping over the thing’s head before it had fully emerged.
Her light and agile posture was almost like a little deer in the forest.
Once again failing to keep up with her pace, the monster with half its body grown out of the mud pit pulled out its two long arms, looked at the two broken wooden sticks in its hands, and then disappeared into the mud pit.
After running desperately for a while, she was almost home. The section of road near home seemed to have no mud pits. If that monster could only emerge from mud pits, then she would soon be safe…
Just as she thought this, the lingering monster emerged from a mud pit ahead, posing as if it had been quietly waiting for her by the roadside. Meili felt she had run off half her life, utterly exhausted, while the monster chased her like a cat playing with a mouse. For a moment, evil surged from her gallbladder.
Seeing the monster stretch out its arms, holding the broken wooden sticks toward her, as if wanting to hit her, Meili simply raised her basket and flung it headlong toward him.
A large basket of white mushrooms obstructed the swamp monster’s slow movements. Meili seized the chance to lower her body and run past through the gap beside him.
She had finally escaped, but the originally large basket of white mushrooms now only had a dozen or so left swaying at the bottom of the basket.
Fortunately, the wild rabbit at the bottom of the basket wasn’t lost, otherwise she would really be heartbroken. This was bought with money for an extra meal. The money Meili had was decreasing with each use and could not be wasted in vain.
After returning home, Meili still felt uneasy. Putting down the basket, she checked the house from front to back, even filling a small mud pit the size of a bowl with soil and stones.
Hah, let’s see how that thing can emerge from the mud pit now.
Because of the experience of encountering the swamp monster for two consecutive days, Meili stayed home for a few days, not daring to go out casually. After several days of strong sunshine had passed, she reckoned the mud pits by the roadside might have dried up, and only then did she cautiously go out.
She still went to the market, planning to buy some vegetable seeds and seedlings.
Having nothing to do these past few days, she had cleared two plots of land next to the house, preparing to grow some vegetables for self-sufficiency. Most people here grew their own vegetables to eat. If one had to buy vegetables every day, there wasn’t that much money to squander.
Having lived alone for ten years, arranging her own life since her teens, Meili could be considered a meticulous budgeter.
Her patron, Madame Qin, did not treat her harshly in terms of living expenses; on the contrary, she was quite accommodating. However, Meili herself was unwilling to enjoy it with a clear conscience; she was always very restrained in spending money.
Although seemingly targeted by a swamp monster, life still had to go on, and work still had to be done.
Growing vegetables was imminent.
After asking the vegetable-selling aunt for advice on growing vegetables, Meili hurried back. Before she had even left the market, she encountered Hesha again, this time with her younger brother, also a young teenager, who stared at her with curiosity and a bit of fear.
“You’re going to grow vegetables? It’s best to plant them today. It should rain tonight, which will just water the ground.”
Hesha was busy with work and only briefly spoke with her before leaving with her younger brother. Meili watched them go, noticing the younger brother still constantly turning his head to look at her, as if she were some rare person.
Many people in the market treated her with this attitude: curious, yet somewhat avoiding.
From these people’s attitudes, Meili could infer that the former Meili and her mother were likely reclusive, eccentric, and unwilling to interact with people. Such a personality and behavior inevitably attracted discussion.
She had also overheard a few idle men chatting behind her back about Meili’s mother, Madame Pegg, saying she was really a beauty in her youth, but what a pity.
The tone was somewhat uncomfortable.
Returning home safely, Meili breathed a sigh of relief.
As she dug the ground, she wondered if her first attempt would yield any rewards. She had chosen to try her hand at growing cabbage, peas, potatoes, and kohlrabi.
In the evening, clouds began to gather. Just as Hesha said, it might rain tonight.
Digging noises, duk duk, had been sounding frequently these past few days. At the window on the second floor, where the curtains were always drawn, a thin woman silently appeared.
Mrs. Pegg, with a haggard expression, stood by the window at some unknown time. Against the backdrop of the dark green curtains, her red hair looked like burning flames.
Looking down from above at the girl swinging the hoe below, her emerald green eyes were filled with indifferent apathy and a cold scrutiny.
She stared at the “daughter” below for a while, then looked far into the horizon. Clouds were gathering at the edge of the sky, forming a lead-gray line.
Before the heavy rain fell, Meili finished her planting task, ran into the house, closed the door, and locked everything tightly. After it turned dark, she decided not to go out again.
The white mushrooms and wild rabbit she brought back today had all been made into soul-soothing delicacies.
Especially the white mushrooms that Hesha had passionately recommended — they were indeed delicious. After delivering a meal to Mrs. Pegg, Meili sat alone at the table, silently gnawing on the mushrooms, starting to regret wasting that huge basket full of them.
The house was dim. Even after lighting the lamp, it was still pitch-black, with only the area near the oil lamp illuminated.
Seeing the oil lamp reminded her of that night a few days ago — when she rushed outside to search for Mrs. Pegg, that lamp must have fallen somewhere.
It hurt a little — the price of an oil lamp was not low, and now she would have to spend more money again.
After writing today’s “letter” with the oil lamp lit, she once again took out her notebook to keep accounts.
By that time, it had already begun to rain. Raindrops tapped against the window — drip, drip — and before long, they connected into sheets, turning into the sound of pouring rain.
She blew out the lamp, lifted the blanket, and lay down on the bed to sleep.
Half-asleep, half-awake, suddenly, a clear “pa” sound jolted her awake. With the dazed confusion of being pulled from sleep and some impatience at being disturbed, she turned her head toward the window from which the sound came — and shockingly saw two long hands, like withered branches, slap against her window with a pa, like a vengeful ghost claiming a life.
