Father and Son

Ning Chuan had just stepped out of the dense forest at the edge of the back mountain with his heavy basket on his back, his feet not yet reaching the dirt road leading to the village, when he ran headlong into a hurried figure.

The man was broad and sturdy, with dark skin, lingering anxiety and a hint of exhaustion on his face. It was his father, Ning Dazhuang!

Ning Chuan's heart skipped a beat. This is bad.

When he left that morning, he had only told his mother, Liu Lan, that he was going nearby to dig up wild vegetables. Yet he had been gone for most of the day, returning only when the sun was nearly setting—and from the direction of the deep back mountain!

Judging from his father's expression, he had clearly waited a long time without seeing him return, worried that something had happened, and had come looking for him.

Sure enough, when Ning Dazhuang spotted his son emerging from the woods, he froze for a moment. Then the anxiety on his face swiftly faded, replaced by an irrepressible fury that surged straight to his head!

"Ning Chuan!" Ning Dazhuang growled, his voice like muffled thunder. He crossed the distance in a few large strides, grabbed Ning Chuan's arm with one thick hand, and squeezed so hard that Ning Chuan felt his bones ache.

"You little bastard! Where the hell have you been?!" Ning Dazhuang's eyes were wide, his beard practically standing on end with rage, and his spittle nearly sprayed Ning Chuan's face.

"Huh? What did you tell your mother this morning? Digging wild vegetables? You dug wild vegetables all the way into this old forest in the back mountain? Do you even know what time it is?! Do you know how worried everyone at home has been?! Your mother was so anxious she barely ate lunch!"

The furious scolding came down on him like a storm, carrying the bluntness and anger unique to a farming man, making Ning Chuan's ears buzz.

He could clearly feel the tremor in his father's hand. It was not from anger—it was from lingering fear! It showed just how worried he had been!

A wave of guilt rose in his heart. He knew he had truly made his family worry this time.

But at the same time, his mind raced. He had to come up with a reasonable explanation immediately, or it would be difficult for him to enter the mountains again in the future.

"Dad... Dad, don't be angry. Listen to me..." Ning Chuan hurriedly said, forcing a look of panic and grievance onto his face. Even his voice carried a slight sob.

"I... I was digging wild vegetables nearby at first, but then... then I ran into Tang San..."

"Tang San?" Ning Dazhuang's anger had yet to fade, but at the mention of that name, he instinctively frowned. His grip on Ning Chuan's arm loosened slightly. "What did you run into him for? Did he take you into the mountains?"

"He didn't take me..." Ning Chuan took the chance to move his numb arm a little, speaking faster with the anxious tone of a youth eager to defend himself.

"When I was digging wild vegetables, I saw him coming out of the mountains. His basket looked like it had something in it... I got curious and asked him about it. He said... he said he had found some valuable medicinal herbs in the mountains..."

"Valuable medicinal herbs?" Ning Dazhuang's gaze flickered. Clearly, the topic had caught part of his attention.

His son had just traded a "stone" for forty Gold Soul Coins, and he had become especially sensitive to the words "valuable" now.

"That's right!" Seeing his father's mood ease slightly, Ning Chuan immediately pressed his advantage, a mix of excitement and regret appearing on his face.

"He said it was... Poria? Yes, Poria! He said the pharmacies in town bought it, and it could fetch a pretty good price! So I... I was tempted, Dad!"

As he spoke, he pointed at the basket on his back. "I thought, our family had just come into some money, so wouldn't it be even better if we could earn more? We could buy Mom and Xiao He a few more feet of good cloth and get you a jug of good wine... So I... I couldn't resist. I followed the direction Tang San pointed out and went into the mountains to look around too..."

At that point, Ning Chuan lowered his head at the right moment, his voice dropping with the timidness expected of a child who had done something wrong. "But I... I'm stupid, Dad. I don't have Tang San's skills. I searched for most of the day and only found some ordinary things... Look..."

He turned sideways so Ning Dazhuang could see the common medicinal herbs in his basket—Panax Notoginseng, Dandelion, Plantain Herb, and the like—as well as several dull gray wild mountain mushrooms.

"I only found these... They aren't worth much at all... And I made you and Mom worry... I... I know I was wrong, Dad..." Ning Chuan's voice grew quieter and quieter, his head hanging low as he looked both regretful and frightened.

Ning Dazhuang looked at the common herbs in his son's basket, which truly were not worth much.

Then he looked at his son's sun-reddened face, covered in dust and sweat, and the old clothes on his body, torn in several places by thorns. The anger in his heart unknowingly dissipated by more than half.

In its place came a complicated ache in his heart and... a faint, barely noticeable anticipation.

Ning Dazhuang fell silent for a moment and took several heavy breaths, seeming to calm himself.

Then he released Ning Chuan's arm and gave him a hard slap on the back. The force was still considerable, but it no longer carried his earlier fury. It was more like a helpless warning.

"You little brat! You've really gotten bold! Is that deep old forest somewhere you can just enter whenever you want? What if you ran into wolves or wild boars? What if you fell into a pit or got hurt?" Ning Dazhuang's tone remained stern, but his earlier rage was gone.

"Making money? Is making money more important than your life? Have your mother and I ever let you go hungry or naked? Do we need a little brat like you risking his life in the mountains to earn money?"

"Yes, yes, Dad, I know I was wrong. I won't dare do it again..." Ning Chuan nodded rapidly, his attitude exceedingly sincere.

Ning Dazhuang glared at him several more times. His gaze swept over the ordinary herbs in the basket again before he suddenly lowered his voice and asked, "You said just now... Did that Tang San kid really find valuable Poria in the mountains?"

Ning Chuan's heart stirred. He knew his father had ultimately been moved by the word "valuable."

He showed just the right amount of envy and reluctance. "Yes, Dad. I saw that his basket was stuffed full. He must have found quite a lot! Sigh, it's all because my luck was bad. I don't have his eye for it..."

Ning Dazhuang nodded thoughtfully and said nothing more. He simply turned around and said in a muffled voice, "What are you standing there for? Go home! Your mother is worried sick!"

"Okay!" Ning Chuan answered and hurriedly followed his father.

Father and son walked one behind the other along the dirt road back to the village in silence.

Ning Dazhuang walked ahead. His back was still broad, but his steps seemed heavier than when he had come, as though he were pondering something.

Ning Chuan followed behind, looking at his father's back as he secretly let out a breath of relief.

The crisis had been temporarily resolved.

He had successfully attributed this trip into the mountains to greed and youthful impulsiveness, while cleverly using Tang San as a shield.

This not only explained why he had returned late and entered the mountains, but also somewhat reduced his parents' resistance to him potentially entering the mountains again.

After all, Tang San had set an example, and there truly was money to be made.

More importantly, Ning Chuan had brought the matter of gathering medicinal herbs out into the open in a natural way.

His father had clearly become interested in it.

For a simple man determined to improve his family's circumstances, the potential wealth hidden in the mountains held considerable appeal.

As long as he handled things properly, his future trips in and out of the mountains might not provoke such a strong reaction.

Of course, Ning Chuan also knew this was only a temporary measure.

To truly avoid trouble, he still needed to gain enough strength as soon as possible, or find a more reliable way to deal with the spoils from the Heavens Trash Station.

I'm still not strong enough... Ning Chuan sighed inwardly once more.

When they returned home, they indeed found Liu Lan anxiously waiting at the courtyard gate, while his younger sister Ning Xiaohe clutched tightly at their mother's clothes.

When Liu Lan saw Ning Chuan return safely, her eyes reddened. She rushed forward, grabbed him, and looked him over from head to toe. "You child! Where did you go? You scared your mother to death!"

Her voice was full of lingering fear and concern, but there was little blame in it.

Ning Xiaohe also lifted her little face, her voice choked with tears. "Brother, why did you only come back now...?"

Warmth welled up in Ning Chuan's heart, followed by another surge of guilt. He hurriedly repeated the explanation he had prepared, emphasizing that he had entered the deep mountains because he wanted to earn more money for the family, only to have bad luck and find nothing but ordinary herbs.

After listening, Liu Lan felt both heartache and resentment. Wiping away her tears, she said, "Silly child, how can money be more important than your life? You must never do this again! Nothing matters more than being safe!"

Ning Dazhuang grunted from the side. "That's enough. It's good that he's back. Hurry up and wash up, then eat!"

The atmosphere at dinner was somewhat subdued.

Liu Lan kept putting food into Ning Chuan's bowl, while Ning Dazhuang silently shoveled down his meal. Every so often, he would glance at his son with a complicated look in his eyes.

Ning Chuan knew his father was still thinking about gathering herbs.

He did not expose it. He simply ate quietly, occasionally teasing his sister and doing his best to lighten the mood.

Night fell, and Holy Soul Village sank into silence once more.

Ning Chuan lay on his hard wooden bed, yet he had no intention of sleeping.

Too much had happened today: the risky herb gathering, the chance encounter with Tang San, processing the medicinal herbs, and his father's questioning...

Every step had been perilous, but fortunately, nothing had gone wrong, and he had achieved his initial goal.

The materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill were ready. Next, he only needed to find a suitable opportunity to try refining it inside the Station.

And there were also those twenty-seven Top-grade Spirit Stones, as well as the plan to nourish the Willow Deity True Spirit...