A Cannon Fodder Who Became The Future Queen - Chapter 13

As they were talking, Suisui, who was cooking the porridge, also came over to join in. Ji Ping’an didn’t forget to give her a piece of the pancake. “It’s yummy.”

Suisui believed her without a doubt. It was only after she took a bite that she said, “Sister… it’s so bitter.”

Shen Zhiyu shot Ji Ping’an another cold glare.

The pancakes were small, so each of them had one piece, and there weren’t many left in the bowl.

However, Ji Ping’an now knew for sure that Shen Zhiyu had not unlocked the cooking skill, so she took the rest of the batter and cooked the remaining pancakes herself.

After breakfast, Suisui wanted to go with Shen Zhiyu to collect firewood. They had used a lot to roast the wild rabbit the day before yesterday, so there wasn’t much left at home.

“Okay, but don’t collect too much. Come home if you get tired,” Ji Ping’an instructed her.

Suisui nodded. “Okay, Sister.”

After speaking to the little one, Ji Ping’an looked at Shen Zhiyu. “If you don’t know the villagers, you don’t have to greet them. Just come home if they get annoying.”

The village was a small place with not much new to talk about; everyone just chatted about the same old things.

She herself could be talked about for hours just for going up the mountain once, let alone a stranger like Shen Zhiyu. There was no telling how many people would pull her aside to ask her questions.

Shen Zhiyu looked at her and said, “I know what I’m doing.”

Her voice was cold, but Ji Ping’an thought it was just perfect. “That’s exactly how you should talk if someone pulls you in for a chat.”

After spending the past few days together, she could tell that Shen Zhiyu wasn’t the type to put up with being wronged.

Even though she hated her, she wouldn’t refuse her food or the medicine she was given.

“Is there something wrong with how I speak?”

Shen Zhiyu felt that there was another meaning hidden in the Qianyuan’s words.

Ji Ping’an immediately replied, “Your voice is better than mine, and you’re more sensible. You’re the best person there is.”

Shen Zhiyu scoffed, mentally adding the label of “hypocrite” to the Qianyaun.

Ji Ping’an couldn’t help but curve the corners of her lips. “If someone really tries to bully you, don’t try to fight back. Just go somewhere with a lot of people. If it gets really bad, just say my name.”

Even though her reputation in the village wasn’t good, it was precisely because of that that most villagers wouldn’t go out of their way to provoke her.

After all, with a normal person, you could still reason with them, but getting stuck with a troublemaker was more troublesome and unbearable than a dog bite.

Shen Zhiyu’s eyes rested on her, her meaning clear: So you know what the villagers think of you.

Before she could mock her, she felt a cool sensation on the side of her face.

Ji Ping’an had dipped her hand in water, then rubbed some dirt from the ground, creating mud, and smeared it directly on Shen Zhiyu’s face.

“You…”

Ji Ping’an cut her off. “There are all kinds of people in the village. This will keep you a bit safer. Remember to put more on yourself.”

Shen Zhiyu was truly beautiful, and in this world, beauty could only bring danger. The original owner was a perfect example of that.

After she finished speaking, Shen Zhiyu understood what she meant, but she still wiped away the mud stain that Ji Ping’an had just put on her.

She then put on some more herself, as if she was disgusted that Ji Ping’an had touched her.

Ji Ping’an pressed her lips together, finding that the future empress was still a bit childish.

After giving her instructions to the two of them, Ji Ping’an took her bow and the arrows she had carved herself and went up the mountain.

Once on the mountain, she didn’t immediately search for prey. Instead, she put on her [Prey Aiming Scope].

With the [Stamina Supplement] from last night, Ji Ping’an felt a surge of strength coursing through her body. Even the basket on her back felt as light as air.

She didn’t go deep into the forest, staying on the outskirts, but the harvest was still good.

The sun was high in the sky, and by noon, she had already hunted a wild rabbit, a wild chicken, and a fox, one of each.

When she hunted the fox, Ji Ping’an aimed for its leg. A live fox could be sold for a higher price, so after hunting it, she directly put the injured fox into her system storage space.

The day before yesterday, by this time, she would have been running out of energy and would have had to go down the mountain.

But now, with the [Stamina Supplement], she only felt hungry, but her body was still full of strength.

Ji Ping’an found a shaded spot under a tree and ate the vegetable pancakes she had brought from home. After she was full, she continued to look for new prey in the mountains.

By the afternoon, she had hunted two more wild rabbits. The sun was setting, and Ji Ping’an’s basket and storage space were full, so she packed up and prepared to go down the mountain.

However, halfway down the path, Ji Ping’an vaguely heard a cry for help.

After a moment of hesitation, she still walked in the direction of the sound. After a quarter of an hour, the sound got closer.

But when she moved forward again, she couldn’t hear the sound anymore.

Ji Ping’an was a bit hesitant. Going any further would lead her deeper into the mountains, and it would be too dangerous if she ran into a pack of wolves or something.

She could only stand there and shout as loudly as she could, “Is anyone there?”

“Someone! Someone!”

“I’m in a pit up ahead, be careful when you come!”

Fugui, who was in the deep pit, had been trapped for two hours. During this time, her cries for help had been almost non-stop. Her voice was completely hoarse, and she was constantly worried that she might attract other predators, making her look haggard.

Seeing a person’s shadow, she even doubted if it was a delusion, but still didn’t dare to give up any chance and quickly reminded the other party.

“I see it. Look up.”

Ji Ping’an followed the sound and saw a place not far from her, which was covered by tangled branches and fallen leaves.

She pushed them aside and found a deep pit about two or three meters deep with smooth sidewalls. It was almost impossible for anyone who fell into it to climb out on their own.

This kind of pit must have been dug by former hunters. Unwary prey could fall into it, but she didn’t expect a person would also fall in by accident.

Ji Ping’an first asked at the edge of the pit, “Are you hurt?”

If it was a hunting pit, there might be beast traps in it.

“When I fell, I sprained my ankle, no other injuries.” Fugui felt much less panic and worry after seeing someone and slowly calmed down.

“That’s good.” Ji Ping’an felt relieved. “I’ll go find a sturdy branch nearby and pull you out.”

Fugui looked at the distance from the pit edge and asked, “Isn’t it too deep? I’m afraid you might also fall in.”

“Why don’t you trouble the villagers? I can wait at the bottom of the pit.”

After she said this, the person who had been at the pit’s edge had already returned with a branch.

Ji Ping’an naturally knew that if her strength was not enough, she might also fall into the deep pit.

But now she had the [Stamina Supplement] from the system. Today’s her was miles apart from yesterday’s her, so she didn’t have to worry about strength at all.

She took the basket off her back, lay down on the ground, and held the ground tightly with one hand while passing the branch down with the other. “Let’s try. Remember to hold on tight.”

Fugui took her words to heart and no longer said much, grabbing the branch tightly and climbing up with her feet against the pit wall.

When she was close to the edge, Ji Ping’an quickly reached out with her other hand, held onto Fugui with both hands, and pulled her out. Only then did the two of them relax and take a deep breath.

It was then that Fugui saw that the person who saved her was Ji Ping’an.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead and said with lingering fear, “Thanks to you, I don’t know what I would have done otherwise!”

It was almost afternoon. There shouldn’t be anyone else on the mountain. If it weren’t for Ji Ping’an, she would have to stay on the mountain for at least one night.

Even if her father and mother came looking for her, the forest was so big, full of trees, and they wouldn’t know when they would find her.

“It’s nothing. I’m just glad you’re out.”

Fugui spent little time in the village, so Ji Ping’an had to think for a while to remember who the person in front of her was. She asked out of curiosity, “Why did you come into the mountains and fall into a hunting pit?”

“I used to work in the county town. I haven’t been in the mountains for a few years, and the paths are different now. I just got lost.”

Ever since Fugui’s mother learned that Ji Ping’an’s family had wild game, she had been trying to get Fugui to go up the mountain as well.

Fugui couldn’t argue with her mother anymore, so she decided to just walk around the mountain and pick some fresh wild vegetables to take home. She didn’t expect to suddenly fall into a pit.

After she finished speaking, she said to Ji Ping’an, “Come to my house for dinner tonight. I’ll ask my mom to cook something delicious for you to thank you properly.”

Although Fugui had never spoken to Ji Ping’an before, she often heard her mother say that the other party was a rascal and a scoundrel and told her not to learn from her.

But now that Ji Ping’an had saved her, Fugui felt that what her mother said might not be true.

Ji Ping’an refused. “It’s not necessary. I just gave you a hand.”

Fugui shook her head. “You still have to come.”

She wasn’t a talkative person, but she wasn’t insensible either. She had to show her gratitude, or she wouldn’t feel right.

Ji Ping’an couldn’t refuse, so she could only say, “I have people waiting for me at home, so I have to go back and eat with them.”

Fugui said, “Then you and your family can come together.”

Ji Ping’an: “…”

Fortunately, Fugui’s sprained ankle was mild. After a short rest, they went down the mountain together.

Unexpectedly, as they were about to reach the door, a person suddenly ran up from the other side of the road and said to her in a hurry, “Your Kunze is fighting with someone!”