The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: The Brat

Song Jing was indeed much faster on his own, but it wasn’t smooth sailing at first.

The slope was gentlest at the bottom, allowing him to walk upright by leaning his upper body forward. But the higher he went, the steeper it became, forcing him to use both his hands and feet, crawling his way up. He even slipped and slid back down several times.

He didn’t lose heart, though. Even when he slid all the way back to the start, he quickly regrouped and started climbing again.

The falls weren’t for nothing. From each slide, he quickly learned the rhythm and tricks of climbing, and his progress became much smoother after that.

Ji Huan seized the opportunity to teach Dabao. "Look, see? Failing and trying again, over and over—that’s part of the Robinson Crusoe spirit, too."

The words had barely left her mouth when Song Jing reached the very top.

Ji Huan was overjoyed. She leaped to her feet, waving and shouting up at him, "You did it!"

Song Jing was leaning on his knees, catching his breath. When he saw her jumping and dancing at the bottom of the slope, he couldn’t hear what she was shouting, but his eyes crinkled into a smile. He copied her and waved back.

To Ji Huan’s surprise, Song Jing didn’t head back to the village.

He busied himself with something at the top for a moment, then tossed a long rope down.

It turned out he had already made this plan when he untied the rope from the bedding earlier.

The rope was woven from a type of wild grass called "thousand-tendon vine." It was as thick as two adult thumbs and incredibly sturdy—more than strong enough to pull crops or even a handcart.

Although they didn’t have to worry about the rope’s strength, Song Jing had been climbing for a long time. His stamina must be nearly depleted. Pulling two people up at once would probably be very difficult for him.

So, Ji Huan discussed it with Dabao, suggesting he go up first.

Dabao furrowed his little brow, looking reluctant, but seeing how determined Ji Huan was, he didn’t throw a tantrum.

Ji Huan wrapped the rope around his waist several times and tied it securely. She had him lie back on the slope, figuring that pressing against it wouldn’t be too uncomfortable. ’It’s like sledding,’ she thought, ’except in reverse...’

After tying, securing, and checking it several more times, Ji Huan tugged on the rope, signaling to Song Jing that he could start pulling.

Song Jing knew he was pulling Dabao, so he didn’t go too fast.

As the rope tightened bit by bit, Dabao was lifted higher and higher. He looked both startled and bewildered, staring blankly down at Ji Huan.

Ji Huan was both worried and couldn’t help but want to laugh.

"Don’t be scared, Dabao. Big Sister is watching you. Just close your eyes, and when you open them, you’ll be at the top. Then you can help pull Big Sister up, okay?"

Dabao was as stiff as a little rock; he couldn’t even nod.

Halfway up, perhaps because he could no longer see Ji Huan clearly, Dabao struggled slightly.

Ji Huan jumped in fright and quickly shouted Dabao’s name at the top of her lungs, trying to calm him down.

Seeing this, Song Jing sped up. He pulled the boy up the last half of the way in less than half the time it took for the first part.

The rope was thrown down a second time, and Ji Huan tied the bedding and luggage to it. The items weren’t heavy, and there were no safety concerns, so Song Jing pulled them up quickly.

Finally, it was Ji Huan’s turn.

Ji Huan tied the rope around her waist. To avoid being a burden to Song Jing, she walked on her own wherever she could, using the rope merely for balance and to prevent a fall.

But on the final section, the slope was nearly perpendicular to the ground. Ji Huan couldn’t get a foothold at all and had to rely on Song Jing pulling with all his might.

Once she reached the top, Ji Huan rolled over and sat down, utterly exhausted.

Song Jing was drenched in sweat and his breathing was unsteady. He clearly hadn’t had it any easier.

Before she could catch her breath, Dabao rushed over. Ji Huan hugged him, repeatedly praising him for being a good boy.

Hearing this, Song Jing laughed and held out his hand for her to see.

On it was the clear imprint of a child’s teeth.

"The second time, when he saw I was pulling up the bedding and not you, he got angry right away. If I hadn’t stopped him, he would have tried to slide back down to find you. You haven’t doted on your little brother for nothing."

Ji Huan saw the snowy footprints from being kicked on Song Jing’s clothes and a fresh scratch mark on the side of his face. She knew he was downplaying what had happened.

She frowned, pushed Dabao out of her embrace to stand on his own, and asked with a stern face, "What did you promise me before?"

Dabao was especially sensitive to changes in people’s moods, particularly Ji Huan’s.

Realizing she was angry, he immediately hung his head, his eyelids fluttering.

"You were worried about Big Sister, and I’m very touched by that. But yesterday in the cave, you promised me that you wouldn’t bite people anymore, didn’t you?"

Dabao remained silent.

Seeing his renewed attitude of stubborn silence, Ji Huan’s anger flared. She wasted no more words, simply pulling him over and giving his bottom several hard smacks.

Though it couldn’t have hurt much through his thick cotton clothes, this was the first time Ji Huan had truly disciplined Dabao with a spanking, aside from when he first returned from the Orphanage.

Song Jing couldn’t stop her in time and said with some self-reproach, "He’s still little. You don’t have to be so strict."

Although Dabao had been kicking and biting so fiercely that he’d almost been overwhelmed, he knew the boy was just worried about Ji Huan. He thought the kid had a good heart, which was why he’d told the story to her as a joke. He never expected it would get Dabao a spanking.

Ji Huan shook her head. "It’s not a matter of his age. This isn’t the first or second time he’s bitten someone. He can clearly speak but refuses to use his words, lashing out with his fists and feet whenever he’s unhappy. This problem has to be corrected, or it’ll be too late."

She hadn’t disciplined him yesterday because the situation was urgent. If she didn’t do it now, no amount of earnest lecturing later would do any good.

She turned to Dabao. "Biting bad people is one thing, but Brother Song worked so hard to pull you up from down there. He saved you. Does being worried about me give you the right to bite him? You’ve even bitten me before..."

Dabao’s small body trembled, and a flash of terror crossed his eyes.

Seeing him like this, Ji Huan found her anger dissipating.

She put her hands on her hips, paced two circles on the spot, but still issued a stern "warning."

"If there’s a next time, it won’t be as simple as a spanking. The consequences... you can imagine for yourself."

’I had wanted to say, "If there’s a next time, I won’t care about you anymore,"’ she thought, ’but I didn’t, thinking Dabao probably couldn’t bear to hear those words.’

Dabao’s eyes turned red, but he nodded.

Ji Huan sighed. ’I suddenly understand all those future parents who spoil their children rotten.’

’When it’s your own little terror, you can’t bear to discipline them even when they make a mistake. But you have to, for their own good. It’s such a contradictory feeling.’

Seeing that the siblings had finally called a truce, Song Jing seized the opportunity. "We should hurry down the mountain. We can still make it back for breakfast."

Ji Huan stood up, brushing the snow from her clothes, and glanced at Dabao.

Dabao was tilting his head up to sneak a peek at her. When their eyes met, he quickly ducked his head again.

Ji Huan shook her head. She walked over, took his hand, and tapped him on the forehead with her free one. "Still sulking? I’m still your big sister, even after I spank you!"

The sky had completely brightened. On their way down the mountain, they unexpectedly ran into quite a few people heading up.

These people were empty-handed, so they didn’t look like they were coming to hide. And aside from a few elderly men, they were mostly women.

Song Jing went forward to ask one of them what was happening.

It turned out that the village chiefs had returned to their respective villages this morning and gone door-to-door to announce that there would be no conscription this year. That’s why these women were heading up the mountain to call their husbands, sons, and grandsons back home. After all, staying in the snowy mountains for too long was no joke.

Ji Huan and Song Jing exchanged a glance, sharing a mutual understanding that said, ’Just as we expected.’

But this meant they needed to hurry down the mountain even more.

Worried that others would see them and gossip, Ji Huan didn’t let Song Jing help carry the bedding and luggage anymore.

They consciously put some distance between them, walking down the mountain one after the other.

Even so, their actions were noted by an observant pair of eyes.

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