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My Tenant is a Female Ghost, and Miao Xiaoqi was ready to go home.
Miao Xiaoqi didn’t bring much with her, but Ge Shui Lian and Yang Liu seemed to be moving house, each carrying a suitcase and a backpack. Bai Zhuo, the man among them, felt quite burdened. He decided to treat this trip to Miaojiang as a vacation and wanted to invite Ouyang Shirei along. Unfortunately, Ouyang Shirei had over twenty children to take care of and was preparing for an Autumn Outing, so she couldn’t come.
Ouyang Shirei’s absence left Bai Zhuo feeling a bit disappointed. However, even without her, he was already quite the center of attention.
Ge Shui Lian was youthful and lively; Yang Liu exuded an air of grace; Miao Xiaoqi was charmingly beautiful. The three elegant girls surrounded Bai Zhuo, chattering away while he struggled to keep up with their pace, carrying two bags on his back and pulling two suitcases behind him, drawing curious glances from passersby.
With Yang Liu present, most of the expenses for this trip were covered by her as the wealthy girl in the group, making Bai Zhuo feel like a kept man.
It was Miao Xiaoqi's first time on a plane, just like Bai Zhuo. He tried to calm himself down, but when the plane took off and the fluffy white clouds appeared outside the window alongside the buildings shrinking below, he couldn’t help but gasp in excitement. He and Miao Xiaoqi pressed their heads together, competing for a view through the small window.
As the flight stabilized after some time, their initial astonishment began to fade. Bai Zhuo asked, “Qi, is your family all well?”
Miao Xiaoqi’s spirits lifted as she replied enthusiastically, “Yes! Everyone is here—my dad, my mom, and my grandmother! They’re all doing well! Even my great-grandmother is very healthy!”
“Wow~ Great-grandmother? Isn’t she quite old?” Ge Shui Lian inquired from ahead.
“Yes! My great-grandmother is already one hundred twelve years old! She loves me so much; she always gives me good things. And my sister…” Mentioning Zhu Man made Miao Xiaoqi fall silent.
Bai Zhuo comforted her, “Qi, don’t be like that. Your Mighty Sister would want you to live happily in this world. If her spirit saw you gloomy like this, she would be upset. You need to be strong!”
“Okay, Brother Bai, I understand!”
The flight went smoothly, and after about two hours they arrived at their destination. Miao Xiaoqi seemed much brighter now that she was back on her home turf. They switched buses several times along the bumpy journey until they finally reached deep into the mountains. Following the excited Miao Xiaoqi up the mountain path for about ten minutes led them to a fork in the road where an unexpected view unfolded before them, leaving Bai Zhuo and his companions in awe.
Here, the Hundred Flowers bloom vibrantly! Here, the birds sing and the flowers fragrance the air!
Is it a picturesque landscape? A paradise on earth? None of these can truly describe the beauty of this place. Perhaps only the phrase "a fairyland on earth" can do justice to its splendor!
"Brother Bai, Sister Shui Lian, Sister Yangliu, come quickly and take a look!" Miao Xiaoqi exclaimed.
Bai Zhuo followed Miao Xiaoqi's pointing finger. He saw several enormous "flower trees" standing amidst the blossoms, their flower spikes reaching heights of ten meters, resembling towering pagodas. Countless flowers clustered on these spikes, filling the mountains with a rich fragrance. The white flowers bloomed from the roots of the flower trees all the way to their tops, looking absolutely stunning.
"Brother Bai, look! These are Ramda Flowers, blooming once every few hundred years, and each time they bloom, thousands of flowers appear! Brother Bai, Sister Yangliu, and Sister Shui Lian, you are esteemed guests of our clan; even the Ramda Flowers have blossomed for you!"
Bai Zhuo patted Miao Xiaoqi's head. "Qiqi, you really know how to talk. I never realized you had such a silver tongue!"
Miao Xiaoqi playfully stuck out her tongue. "No way! I'm just speaking the truth. Brother Bai is indeed our clan's esteemed guest! Let's go; I can't wait to see Great-Grandmother! I've been away for so long; she must be missing me!"
Miao Xiaoqi bounced ahead, and Bai Zhuo could clearly feel the joy radiating from her heart.
The group walked along the village path toward the village. A woman dressed in Miao attire approached them, carrying a load of medicinal herbs. She set down her burden and exclaimed, "Oh? Qiqi is back!"
Miao Xiaoqi sweetly replied, "Yes! Grandma, I'm back!"
The woman glanced warily at Bai Zhuo and his companions before telling Miao Xiaoqi, "Qiqi, hurry and find your Great-Grandmother! You've been away for so long; she's been talking about you non-stop!"
Miao Xiaoqi nodded obediently and led Bai Zhuo and the others away.
As they followed Miao Xiaoqi further along, Bai Zhuo turned back to glance at the woman and asked, "Qiqi, is she your mother?"
"No, no! We call any older woman in our clan 'Grandma.' That was Climbing Tiger's mother. By the way, Climbing Tiger is that handsome guy at the entrance of our village. Many girls in the village like him!"
Ge Shui Lian knew what Miao Xiaoqi wanted. With an awkward smile, she quickly interrupted her, "Ah haha, Qi, I noticed that lady wasn't very friendly towards us. Are your people quite exclusive?"
Miao Xiaoqi, lacking any ulterior motives, furrowed her delicate brows at Ge Shui Lian's question and shook her head. "Not really. Although my people don't interact much with outsiders, if someone from the mountain below accidentally wanders into our village, we would still treat them warmly. I think something must have happened in the village, and it might be related to those from the mountain... Look! That loft ahead is my home! Let's go!"
What a grand loft! Loft? It looked more like a palace!
Before they could approach the Wood-Tiled Loft, a sturdy yellow dog over a meter tall came barking wildly out of nowhere! Bai Zhuo tried to grab Miao Xiaoqi, but to his surprise, she not only showed no fear but instead laughed and walked towards it! The big yellow dog ran fast and then leaped at Miao Xiaoqi's feet, wagging its tail and playfully begging for attention. It turned out this big yellow dog belonged to Miao Xiaoqi.
She huffed as she rubbed the dog's belly. "Ah Huang, you big fellow, how did you get so fat again! We need to have Great-Grandmother control your food intake!"
The big yellow dog seemed to understand her words, licking Miao Xiaoqi's palm and whining a few times to show its innocence.
"Hmph, it's good that you know you've done wrong," Miao Xiaoqi said, gesturing towards Bai Zhuo and the others. "Ah Huang, these are my guests. You shouldn't bark at them anymore, got it?"
"Wang Wang!" The big yellow dog lay down and wagged its tail at Bai Zhuo and the others in approval, making them chuckle in admiration. However, Bai Zhuo had witnessed the wonders of the Miaojiang Gu Worm; since he could communicate with the green snake, it was no surprise that this big yellow dog could understand human speech as well.
"Ah Huang! Ah Huang! Where have you gone? You want to run away before all the herbs are moved? If you keep this up, you won't get dinner tonight... Oh dear, my Qiqi is back!" A strong voice called out from afar as an old woman spotted Miao Xiaoqi.
Upon hearing the voice, Miao Xiaoqi dropped the big yellow dog and dashed towards the old woman with light steps. "Grandma! Grandma! I'm back!"
"Ah! Qiqi is back! Qiqi is back! Hahaha..."
Miao Xiaoqi embraced her grandmother tightly and affectionately rubbed against her. "Grandma, I missed you!"
"Hehe, Grandma missed you too... What about Da Yatou and the others?" The old woman asked curiously when she didn't see Zhu Man and the others.
Returning home and finding solace in her grandmother's embrace, Miao Xiaoqi broke down in tears. "Grandma... Wuwuwu... Sister... they... Sister... they're all gone! Wuwuwu..."
"Ah? All... all gone?" The old woman was moved by the news, tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. She stared blankly for a long time before tightly embracing Miao Xiaoqi. "Qiqi, don't cry... Qiqi, don't cry... at least you returned safely."
"Grandma... I... I was so useless, watching my sisters die one by one while I couldn't help at all..."
"Qiqi, Grandma knows you've tried your best. This competition had The Painting involved, and it was inherently dangerous. You did nothing wrong; don't blame yourself." The old woman wiped away her tears and looked at Bai Zhuo with caution. "Young man, who are you? This is not a place for you!"
Miao Xiaoqi lifted her head. "Grandma, these are my good friends. Please don't chase them away... Is something happening in our village?"
Seeing Miao Xiaoqi defend Bai Zhuo and the others, the old woman's tone softened a bit. "A few days ago, three outsiders came to the village for tourism but got lost. We treated them to good food and drink, but they tried to harm A Long's life!"
"What? Someone wants to harm Miao Long's Younger Brother?" Miao Xiaoqi asked anxiously. "Is he okay?"
The old woman shook her head. "Fortunately, we discovered it in time. A Long is currently safe, but if we can't find a way to save him soon, his life will be in danger within seven days!"
"Grandma, I want to see my brother! Where is he now?"
"Ah—go ahead. A Long is with your Great-Grandmother; hurry and see her. It's been so long; she misses you."
Worried about her brother, Miao Xiaoqi rushed off without even calling out to Bai Zhuo and the others.
"Well then, Qiqi... since they are all your friends, it wouldn't be right to chase you away... come with me." The old woman said this as a large yellow dog understood her cue, picking up a basket of herbs from nearby and following her.
Bai Zhuo, Ge Shui Lian, and Yang Liu exchanged nervous glances before following along.
The old woman wore a blue and red Miaojiang outfit. Her complexion was rosy and vibrant, showing no signs of being an elderly woman surrounded by grandchildren. She effortlessly carried a basket of herbs that weighed over ten pounds.
Bai Zhuo and Yang Liu were both holding their luggage when Ge Shui Lian ran up to her. "Grandma, let me help you with one of those baskets; they look quite heavy."
The old woman turned to glance at Ge Shui Lian, her gaze settling on her right hand, and she smiled kindly. "Child, look at yourself, all hurt like this, and yet you still want to help me carry things?"
Ge Shui Lian felt a bit embarrassed. She scratched her cheek with her left hand and smiled. "Hehe... I see this thing is quite heavy. My one hand is injured, but the other still has some strength. Let me help you with one!"
With that, she reached out and took a basket from the old woman's hands, considering it a favor done for her.
The Wood-Tiled Loft was spacious and divided into several sections. Bai Zhuo and the others followed the old woman, taking a full five minutes just to walk from the front hall to the backyard.
The old woman invited Ge Shui Lian, Bai Zhuo, and Yang Liu to sit down and brewed them several cups of tea.
"The altitude here is quite high; people who stay outside for too long may not adapt well. These are High Mountain Tea Leaves personally grown by my mother. Don't be shy; drink more to alleviate altitude sickness."
Having traveled such a long distance without a sip of water, the three thanked her in unison as they accepted the tea.
The old woman chuckled as she watched them finish their tea and turned to Ge Shui Lian. "You’re quite thoughtful, child. What’s your name?"
Ge Shui Lian felt a bit shy in front of strangers. Upon hearing the old woman's question, she hastily swallowed the hot tea. "My name is Ge Shui Lian—Ge from Zhuge Liang, Shui from water and fire, and Lian from pity. You can call me Lian Lian or Shui Lian."
"Haha, take your time drinking; it's hot," the old woman said as she refilled their cups. "Lian Lian, it seems you've sprained your hand?"
Ge Shui Lian set down her large bowl, her eyes widening in surprise. "Grandma, how did you know? I haven't even taken it off!"
The old woman chuckled heartily. "Though I'm old, I still have my keen eyesight." She pointed at Ge Shui Lian's shoulder. "This area is almost deformed from the twist. If you don’t reset it, keeping these casts on won’t help at all; in fact, it could leave aftereffects. If you trust this old lady, take off those things, and I’ll help you heal this injury without any aftereffects!"
Upon hearing this, Ge Shui Lian was momentarily at a loss for what to do. She stole a glance at Bai Zhuo, who nodded affirmatively at her. He believed that this elderly woman meant no harm; at least she would consider Miao Xiaoqi's reputation.
Ge Shui Lian hesitantly nodded in agreement and began to remove the plaster and gauze, revealing her pale and weak arm.
The old woman took out a Porcelain Jar from her pocket, and a Gu Worm that looked like a snake but not a snake, or an insect but not an insect slowly crawled out from it. Flying Yin Serpent Gu! Bai Zhuo was shocked and stood up suddenly. He accidentally knocked over the chair under his feet and took several steps back. The old woman frowned and glanced at Bai Zhuo, and asked, "Boy, why are you so nervous?" No, this is not Flying Yin Serpent Gu, it has no wings! "Don't be afraid, guys. Our Miaojiang Gu Worm are not just for killing people as rumored outside. They can kill people, but their mission is to save people, not harm them!" the old woman caressed her. This is a bug about the same size as the Golden Silkworm: “This is the Flying Yin Serpent Gu, which is a relatively rare species among the Gu Worm. Its venom can corrupt meat and can easily take the lives of ordinary people. But..." The old woman took out a black herb from the basket, chewed it in her mouth, and spit it into an empty bowl. "But with the addition of this herb, it's a big difference!" The old woman gently tapped the Flying Yin Serpent Gu insect's head, and saw the Flying Yin Serpent Gu insect vomiting out of her mouth. After taking a sip of the viscous liquid, with a "sizzling" sound, a line of green smoke came out of the bowl. The old woman pinched the herbs in the bowl and mixed the viscous liquid together. After a while, the originally fresh herbs were visible to the naked eye. The speed withered, and the viscous liquid became much clearer. The old woman picked up the bowl and handed it to Ge Shui Lian, "Lian Lian girl, drink it." "Uh, ah...ah?" (To be continued.) ()
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