Gu Jin held little An's hand as they arrived at the foot of Qingluan Mountain, breathing in the fresh air and feeling completely relaxed and refreshed.
This pleasant sensation brought a lazy, content expression to her pretty face.
In the morning light, Gu Jin looked exceptionally beautiful at that moment.
An Mingji looked up at her, momentarily becoming a bit entranced, as everyone has a fondness for beautiful things, whether adult or child.
Someone with good looks is destined to leave a favorable first impression.
Gu Jin glanced at the trees in the forest, catching the fresh scent of budding springtime trees.
She turned toward An Mingji with a gentle smile and said, "Let's take a stroll by the mountain."
"Okay."
An Mingji held her hand tightly and agreed obediently.
The two walked toward the edge of Qingluan Mountain, strolling leisurely, feeling quite relaxed.
Until someone approached from the path up the mountain, Gu Jin stopped to size up the person.
It was a rough-looking man carrying ropes and tools, holding a rabbit and two pheasants, the bloodied appearance suggesting they were all dead.
The man descending the mountain was also a villager from Qingshan Village, named Du Aiqing, and his eyes showed a moment of surprise upon seeing Gu Jin and An Mingji.
Especially An Mingji, whom he knew, as the child often wandered around the village.
This time, he wasn't filthy like before, instead, he wore clean clothes.
Looking further at the girl standing beside him, though distance made it hard to see her face, she appeared to be a graceful young woman.
As they approached, he noticed the girl's attire, wondering why, despite wearing patched clothes, Du Aiqing perceived something incongruous about her.
This girl carried an air that didn't belong to the villagers of Qingshan Village, something that alienates and even makes people feel ashamed.
Even though the girl displayed a friendly smile, it couldn't conceal her distinction.
As for what that difference was, Du Aiqing couldn't really say.
"Brother Du—"
Gu Jin called out to Du Aiqing as he approached.
The reason she recognized him is because in Qingshan Village, only one family dares to climb the mountain, the Du Family.
The Du Family are skilled hunters who frequently climb the mountain to catch wild rabbits, pheasants, birds, and other meats to improve their meals.
Yesterday, she heard from her aunt that the youngest from the Du Family went up the mountain, got surrounded by wild boars, and was carried home only to pass away after a few days.
She was aware of this event, though it was a distant memory, so she wouldn't have thought about it unless her aunt brought it up.
The Du Family had two sons in total; the one who passed was the younger son, and now the man descending with the rabbit and pheasants was the elder son.
Despite the twenty-plus-year gap, the man's face remained familiar, and she was confident she recognized him correctly.
Upon hearing Gu Jin call out, Du Aiqing also recognized her.
"Ah, it's Jin! What brings you here? At this season, the animals are restless, quickly head back home."
Spring is when animals enter mating season, becoming restless and highly aggressive.
Gu Jin squinted and showed a pleasant smile to Du Aiqing who had walked up to her, "Hmm, we're not going into the mountain, just wandering around the foothills."
Seeing the girl's beautiful face, Du Aiqing also took a liking.
Being a man with a wife, naturally, he had no inappropriate thoughts toward Gu Jin, merely an appreciation for beautiful things.
Promptly, Du Aiqing lifted one of the dead pheasants and offered it to Gu Jin, "Here, take it home and cook it."
"No way, no way, how can I accept Brother Du's things?" Gu Jin waved her hands in decline.