Dragon, Truly Shameless (Yuri Futa, Farming) - Chapter 21

The mountain excursion for sightseeing was meant to make their interactions more natural, but unexpectedly, it ended up being even more awkward. Now, not only was the little girl reserved, but Long Qing also became uncomfortable. This awkwardness was especially pronounced when they were alone, becoming like facing a formidable enemy at bedtime.

Living under the same roof with such discomfort was imaginable. Fortunately, life always extends a helping hand at the right time, though sometimes this helping hand isn’t particularly welcome. Their strained circumstances forced them not to indulge in strange shyness, and life continued day by day.

Shen Qingming felt a chill as soon as she woke up and stepped out of the cave today. The north wind swept over Black Dragon Mountain, chilling her face and making it even colder.

Winter was probably still a month away, and at this point, she and Long Qing’s “entire fortune” consisted of only four velvet antlers.

Because she had mentioned the velvet antlers last time, Long Qing always specifically looked for sika deer antlers when hunting afterward. However, male deer generally shed their antlers in spring and summer, and the period for velvet antler growth had passed. The antlers were mostly hardened now and worthless, so despite all their efforts, they only obtained one pair, and its quality was not as good as the initial pair. Velvet antlers were no longer dependable; finding a second means of livelihood was urgent.

Fortunately, Shen Qingming had gained some ideas in the past few days. Every day, walking through the forest, she could smell the scent of fermenting, rotting fruit. Wild fruits were abundant in autumn, and many could still be seen hanging on trees, but in another month, they would all fall to the ground and rot. Perhaps there was a way to utilize them. She focused her attention on the persimmons Long Qing had brought back earlier.

The mountains full of persimmon trees gave her hope. Persimmons were difficult to preserve, but dried persimmons (persimmon cakes) were not. After peeling and air-drying persimmons, the water evaporated, leaving behind a highly concentrated syrup. Sugar would further crystallize and precipitate as water evaporated, forming a “persimmon frost” on the surface of the dried persimmons, acting as a natural preservative. Making dried persimmons was also very simple, requiring only peeling and drying.

Coincidentally, Long Qing had brought back many persimmons a few days prior, each one round and red, with good appearance. Long Qing mentioned that a few miles north, deep in the mountains, there was a persimmon grove where the persimmons were of very good quality. If they could pick all the persimmons there and make them into dried persimmons, then sell them in winter when fruit was scarce, it would be a decent income.

Shen Qingming took the persimmons out and peeled them one by one. Since Long Qing’s place was truly bare, lacking everything, even a winnowing basket or bamboo sieve. After thinking for a while, the simplest method was to first make hanging dried persimmons.

Shen Qingming quickly set up a bamboo drying rack and tied the persimmons to it with grass ropes, hanging them in rows. The peeled persimmons were orange-red, with a layer of sugary juice oozing from their surface. In the setting sun, they shimmered with a translucent luster, arranged in strings like small lanterns, quite delightful. Shen Qingming couldn’t stop smiling.

The daylight hours in deep autumn were getting shorter and shorter. In just a short while, only a faint, pallid red glow remained on the horizon. The azure sky was gradually replaced by deep purple, with a few wisps of cloud hanging in the sky, and the surroundings dimmed.

Shen Qingming’s face showed anxiety, and she constantly peered down the path Long Qing usually returned from.

Why wasn’t she back so late?

Shen Qingming kept looking. Since Long Qing hadn’t told her where she was going or how long she’d be, she was now worried seeing how late it was. After waiting a bit longer, still no sign of Long Qing, Shen Qingming couldn’t sit still. Although logic told her Long Qing was much more familiar with this forest than she was, she couldn’t help but worry. What if something unexpected happened? If Long Qing accidentally fell into a pit and couldn’t climb out, just thinking about it made her not dare to delay.

Shen Qingming found the machete Long Qing left in the cave. Despite her poor combat skills, she picked up the machete and resolutely entered the dangerous dense forest.

Night fell, and the forest was swallowed by an eerie darkness. The scattered points of firelight brought no warmth; instead, they were accentuated by the dark, solemn forest, appearing like ghostly flames, chilling and terrifying. She walked, waving the torch, shouting loudly in all directions, both wanting Long Qing to hear her and hoping to scare away nearby wild beasts.

However, no matter how loud she shouted, the only response was silence. Her voice echoed in the empty wilderness, a deathly silence that made her increasingly uneasy.

“A-Qing!”

Shen Qingming’s eyes welled up with tears. Her throat burned from prolonged shouting, and she coughed violently a few times. When she tried to shout again, nothing came out; her voice was completely hoarse. Tears blurred her vision, and as time passed, a stronger sense of unease grew within her. She had never been so afraid, even more so than when she was driven out of the Old Shen family.

In her anxiety, she stumbled and stepped into a pit. The torch fell to the ground, and the sparks met the dry fallen leaves, instantly igniting a flame. Shen Qingming desperately clung to the edge of the pit, her eyes bloodshot from the strain. Just as her strength was about to give out, a hand reached down from above, grabbed her, and pulled her up.

Her weakened legs touched level ground. The solid feeling of the earth beneath her feet finally allowed Shen Qingming’s heart, which felt like it had been on a rollercoaster, to settle back into her chest. She smelled a cool fragrance and quickly looked up, meeting a pair of familiar, anxious eyes. Illuminated by the firelight, Long Qing was breathing heavily, seemingly having rushed there.

“Did you fall?” Long Qing nervously scanned the little girl. Fortunately, she had arrived just in time; the little girl only had scraped hands, no major injuries. But even this pained Long Qing greatly.

“Long Qing?” Shen Qingming looked at Long Qing, who appeared like a god descending, her expression dazed, calling out uncertainly, as if she didn’t recognize her.

Long Qing found it amusing, “What? You don’t recognize me after such a short while?”

Initially, Shen Qingming was extremely worried, but seeing that the culprit still had the mood to laugh, she suddenly felt incredibly wronged. In her anxiety, her thoughts blurted out, “You’re still laughing? Why did it take you so long to come back?”

These words sounded like a perfectly normal question, but the problem lay in her tone. Long Qing paused, the seemingly resentful tone leaving her unsure how to respond. Shen Qingming also seemed to realize how… ambiguous her words had been, so she quickly changed her tone, “Why are you so late today? I thought something happened to you. I came out to look but couldn’t find you.”

Long Qing understood; so she was worried about her. The little girl hadn’t been raised in vain, after all. She explained, “I was delayed on the way back. But you don’t have to worry; I’m very familiar with this forest. Nothing can get the better of me, and besides, Ah Hu is with me. What could happen to me? As for you, next time if I’m late, just wait for me in the cave. Don’t come out by yourself. How dangerous it was just now!”

Long Qing picked up the torch from the ground and then stepped on the burning leaves to extinguish them. Shen Qingming had just stepped into a natural culvert, very deep, and the consequences of falling would have been unthinkable. The little girl really was a handful.

Long Qing thought Shen Qingming would be obedient after her mishap, but to her surprise, she only lowered her head and quietly mumbled, “You were the one who didn’t come back on time.”

Her tone was still very resentful.

Long Qing felt as if a cat’s paw was scratching at her heart, making it itch. She walked to a nearby spot, picked up the bag that had fallen to the ground, and took out a fruit.

“Yes, I was late. Here, consider this an apology.”

It was a bright yellow, translucent fruit, oval and plump, its surface covered with small pale brown dots. Shen Qingming was greatly surprised; it was a snow pear.

“Didn’t you say you wanted autumn pears last time? I saw there weren’t any nearby, so I went a bit further. Not only pears, but also honey peaches, look.” Long Qing produced a peach as if by magic. The mountain peaches Shen Qingming had seen were generally small and reddish-green, with a tart and bland taste. But the peach in Long Qing’s hand was entirely pink, almost the size of her palm, and she could seemingly smell its rich peachy aroma.

Looking at the perfectly colored honey peach and snow pear, Shen Qingming hesitated to take them. These fruits made her realize something she had never experienced before: being cared for. Her eyes suddenly felt very sore, and she blinked incessantly. Soon, some liquid welled up from the edges of this little girl’s eyes, who had been strong since childhood.

Long Qing was startled. She quickly put down the honey peach, “Do you dislike honey peaches? Then don’t take this one. I’ll get you something else another day—apples? Chestnuts? Just tell me what you want?”

The more she spoke, the more agitated Shen Qingming became. The liquid accumulated in her eyes finally overflowed, and she began to cry outright. Despite living for a thousand years, Long Qing didn’t understand humans very well, and emotions were completely alien to her. Looking at the little girl crying, her eyes blurred with tears, she had no idea what to do, only frantically repeating, “Don’t cry.”

At that moment, a pair of slender little arms reached out, embracing her waist for the first time, and then a small, bony body pressed against hers.

Long Qing froze, her hands hovering in mid-air, unsure where to place them. Although she slept holding the girl every night, being proactive and passive were ultimately different. The little girl hugged her very tightly; she felt her waist was about to break. After a moment of adjustment, she finally placed her hands on the girl’s back, patting gently. The little girl was too thin, her spine bones clearly defined, so Long Qing had to make her movements as light as possible, afraid that a little force would break the girl.

“What’s wrong?”

“Long Qing, thank you.” Shen Qingming buried her face in Long Qing’s embrace, her tears soaking half of Long Qing’s clothes, not from sadness, nor from relief, but from the hardships of many years. Having endured countless slights, she realized for the first time that she was also valued, cared for. Long Qing, this woman she had never known, had given her all this beauty. This beauty impacted her past, and she felt an irresistible urge, as if all her past suffering had been for this moment, for this moment of embracing Long Qing.

Long Qing grew even more embarrassed. She was not good at handling emotions, and facing the sincere little girl, she didn’t know what to say. Awkwardness, truly, she was awkward all over. Seeing the little girl had brightened up, she found an excuse to push her away.

Shen Qingming watched Long Qing’s hasty retreat, momentarily unable to react, until she noticed Long Qing’s crimson ears and the discomfort on her face. Only then did she understand, and her face instantly flushed completely red. Her small head dropped again, and she sheepishly followed Long Qing, just like a little shadow.

How dared she proactively embrace Long Qing, especially in such an embarrassing situation?

How dared she!