Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 152

“My Lords, wait a minute!”

At the entrance of Tuyan Village, Pei Che and Jiang Miao are saying goodbye to Village Chief Huang, preparing to leave, when suddenly, a figure emerges from the trees beside them, shouting for them to stop.

Jiang Miao immediately recognizes him—it’s the boy who just served their food. He looks around fourteen or fifteen, with a thin, dark frame; his face still carries a hint of youth, but his hands are already covered in calluses.

“What do you need?” Jiang Miao asks, standing by the carriage, sizing up this slightly flustered young man.

The boy presses his lips together and says, “I just overheard you two saying you’re planning to go into the deep mountains to find that type of tree, right? If you’re going, I can guide you!”

Jiang Miao smiles. So, he’s offering himself as a guide—quite bold for his age. Aside from the village chief, no one else in the village really dares speak to them.

“No need. The deep mountains are dangerous, so we’ve given up on the idea. You’re young, so you’d better not risk going in there either. After a while, the government will assign those trees in the mountains for your village to manage, and rations will be issued to you,” he says gently.

“My lord, the mountains aren’t as dangerous as the chief says. I’ve been there several times, and I’ve always come back safely! You should go see for yourselves—those trees are really there!” The boy doesn’t seem relieved by Jiang Miao’s words. Instead, he becomes even more eager to persuade them to enter the mountains.

“What’s your name?” Pei Che suddenly asks.

The boy freezes. “…My name is Zhang Quan.”

“Zhang Quan, with the surname Zhang?” Pei Che repeats, pondering for a moment before continuing, “A woodcutter who went missing a few years back also had the surname Zhang. What’s your relation to him?”

Jiang Miao looks at Pei Che in surprise. He hadn’t expected Pei Che to make a connection between the two based on a surname alone. And judging by the boy’s expression, Pei Che has guessed right.

Zhang Quan’s eyes turn red, and he chokes up as he replies, “He’s my father. My father’s name is Zhang Da, and he went missing three years ago.”

“So, you want to go into the mountains not just to make a living but to search for your father, right?” Jiang Miao looks at him, feeling a pang of sympathy. It seems the boy can’t accept that his father might have died.

“My father isn’t dead!” Zhang Quan shouts passionately. “He’s definitely somewhere in the mountains; he’s alive! He—”

“Quiet!” Village Chief Huang hurries forward, interrupting Zhang Quan, then bows to the two men. “Please don’t mind him, my lords. Ever since his father went missing, the boy has been obsessed. Every few days, he insists on going into the mountains, convinced his father is still alive. Alas!”

On his way back earlier, the village chief had glanced over his shoulder and noticed the carriage hadn’t left. Curious, he decided to come over for a look—only to find young Zhang shouting when he arrived.

“Village Chief, my father really isn’t dead!” Zhang Quan’s eyes are bloodshot, his voice hoarse. “Even though that piece of clothing was his, I’m sure he’s still alive!”

The village chief sighs helplessly. “You say your father’s alive, fine. Then tell me—if he’s alive, why hasn’t he returned? It’s been three years. How could he survive alone in the mountains all this time?”

The chief’s series of questions leave Zhang Quan at a loss for words. After a long silence, he still insists, “Regardless, my father must be alive!”

“You really are… sigh!” The chief looks at his stubborn expression and sighs deeply.

Pei Che and Jiang Miao, listening to the conversation, grow increasingly curious. Is Zhang Quan merely unable to accept his father’s disappearance, caught up in a delusion, or is there something more? Why is he so certain his father is alive?

To get to the bottom of this, they return to the small blue-brick house, with Village Chief Huang and Zhang Quan in tow.

“So tell us, why are you so certain your father is still alive?” Pei Che asks.

Zhang Quan takes a deep breath, working to calm himself. Then he says, “My father may have been a woodcutter, making a living by chopping firewood, but he also knows some hunting skills. He often brings back wild pheasants and rabbits. He can also track animal footprints and avoid areas with wild beasts.”

“But that alone doesn’t mean your father couldn’t have met with an accident,” Jiang Miao points out. “He avoided predator territories, sure, but animals go out to hunt, too.”

“But after Uncle San disappeared, my father said that back then, there weren’t any beasts in the mountains big enough to drag a person away, let alone only leave behind a piece of blood-stained clothing!” Zhang Quan replies.

Everyone is somewhat shocked, including Village Chief Huang. “But why didn’t your father tell anyone about this? If there weren’t any large beasts, then where did those people go?”

“My father mentioned it once, but back then, everyone believed that Uncle Ah-San had offended the mountain god, who then sent beasts to take him away. No one believed what my father said.” Zhang Quan breaks into tears. “My father thought Uncle Ah-San might still be alive, so he secretly went up the mountain to look for him… but he never came back either.”

Seeing Zhang Quan crying uncontrollably, Jiang Miao feels deep sympathy. When his own grandparents passed away, he, too, struggled for a long time to accept it. Yet, he knew deep down they were gone, while Zhang Quan still holds onto hope.

“You said you’d gone up the mountain a few times. Did you find any clues?” Pei Che asks once Zhang Quan’s emotions have calmed a bit.

Zhang Quan nods. “I went up the mountain twice. The first time was the day after my father disappeared, before the officials arrived. I searched for a long time by myself and only found a few marks my father left in obvious spots—nothing else. The second time was the day the officials went up to search for the bloodstained clothes. I followed them, and in a spot where there’d been nothing before, I found my father’s bloodstained clothes and a patch of blood on the ground. The officials said it was from a wild animal, but there was nothing there before!”

“Did you tell the government officials at that time?”

“I did, but they didn’t believe me. They said I was just a kid and couldn’t have gone up the mountain alone. Since there were other missing persons cases, they thought I was only trying to delay the search.” As he recalls this, Zhang Quan’s jaw clenches, his face contorting in frustration.

“What happens later? Do you find anything else when you go back up the mountain?”

Zhang Quan nods. “Because of my father and Uncle Ah-San’s disappearance, the village chief forbids anyone from going up the mountain. But I am certain my father is still alive, so I sneak up along a small path. Once, after it rains, I find some footprints in the mountain.”

“Footprints?”

“Yes, adult footprints. The chief has banned villagers from entering the mountain, so who could have left those prints? That’s why I think someone must be in the mountains!” Zhang Quan speculates, wondering if his father has been taken by these people.

“I want to keep looking, but it’s raining that day, and the path is slippery. I accidentally roll down a slope and get injured. When I get home, my mother finds out. She holds me, crying, and makes me swear never to go into the mountains alone again, or else she’ll die of grief. I know she’s terrified I’ll disappear like my father.” Zhang Quan sighs. “For the past three years, people have continued to go missing from other places, and no one in our village dares to go into the mountains. Even if I want to go with someone, I can’t find anyone. After that, I never went up the mountain again.”

……

On the way back to the city, Pei Che seems lost in thought. Jiang Miao calls his name a few times before Pei Che finally turns to look at him, appearing slightly dazed.

“Are you still thinking about Zhang Quan?” Jiang Miao asks.

Pei Che nods. “Yes. This whole situation is full of suspicious points. It seems that once we get back, I’ll need to pull out the case files from previous disappearances and go through them again.”

“Yes, something definitely feels fishy. But if there really are people in the mountains, what could they be doing with all these strong men they’re taking? Surely they’re not cannibals, are they?!” Jiang Miao shivers at his own speculation.

“A tribe that eats humans? Cannibalism is tragic beyond words,” Pei Che replies, unfamiliar with the term, but he grasps the meaning.

“I’m just speculating; I doubt that’s the case,” Jiang Miao says, shaking his head. “I just can’t figure out what they’d need so many people for. Maybe for gathering mountain goods? Or digging for treasure?” His guesses, though somewhat plausible, start sounding absurd even to him.

A flash of thought crosses Pei Che’s eyes, but he says nothing more.

As soon as they reach the city, he hops off the carriage and heads straight for the records room. Jiang Miao shrugs and walks toward the courtyard.

In the courtyard, the two young ones have already returned from school. Since tomorrow is a rest day, he has let them come home early today.

“Brother!”

“Brother Miao!”

“Meow meow!”

Three voices greet him at once, and Jiang Miao can’t help but laugh. The two boys, along with a cat, are sitting on the stone steps, all munching on something in sync, with identical expressions and eating styles. Jiang Miao can’t help but think of the saying, ‘Birds of a feather flock together.’

“Have you finished your homework?” This is the question Jiang Miao asks daily in his role as the household elder.

he two young ones nod obediently. Having developed the habit of studying before playing, they always complete their assignments as soon as they get home.

“Good kids. I’ll make something special for dinner,” Jiang Miao says, patting their heads and feeling relieved. They are nothing like troublesome children.

Xiao Shitou and Pei Mu cheer in excitement. Jiang Miao has been busy lately, so most of their meals are cooked by a hired chef. The food is fine, but they prefer Jiang Miao’s cooking.

Feeling a bit guilty, Jiang Miao goes to the kitchen that night and prepares a spread of five dishes and a soup. Although there are many dishes, each portion is modest, just right for the four of them.

After finishing the cooking, Pei Che still hasn’t returned, so Jiang Miao sets aside a portion of each dish, then calls the two boys to eat. Watching them enjoy the meal with such gusto, Jiang Miao’s own appetite grows, and the three of them soon clean off the plates on the table.

“Later, you’ll go find Chan Yi and Wen Jing, and have them take you for a walk to help with digestion. I’ll bring some food to your brother Che.”

“Okay, brother, don’t worry!” Xiao Shitou promises they’ll behave.

Jiang Miao packs the saved dishes into a food box, then sets out to find Pei Che.

By now, it’s dark, and Pei Che is in the office, reading case files by candlelight. He only snaps out of his focused, dreamlike state when Jiang Miao places the meal in front of him.

“Eat up. Those files aren’t going anywhere. Really, how long could it take you to come home for a meal? You’re just counting on me to bring it to you…” Jiang Miao mutters, tidying up the files Pei Che has finished reading.

As Pei Che eats the warm meal, he watches Jiang Miao’s half-complaining, half-caring expression, feeling a warmth spread in his heart.