Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1236

Chapter 1236: Mountain Trip ( 2 )
Zhang Yulan nodded at An Xuyuan’s words and added, “After we finish foraging in this area, I want to check out another place.”

“There is still another place?” An Xuyuan asked in surprise.

He knew the mountains were full of resources, but he hadn’t expected them to be this abundant.

“There are a lot of places with wild vegetables, mushrooms, medicinal herbs, and even grains. I want to look around. If we are lucky, we might find a field of grains,” Zhang Yulan said as she put down her bamboo basket and started harvesting mushrooms.

Hearing this, An Xuyuan’s mind filled with ideas. He hoped they really would be lucky enough to stumble upon a field of grains. If they could find wild grains, they might be able to solve the seed shortage before planting began.

As they foraged, he kept glancing at the girl. Even though she was much younger than him, he couldn’t figure her out at all, unlike most people. It wasn’t because she had a deep mind, but because she was so straightforward that he never knew what she would do next.

Being with someone as simple as her was unexpectedly relaxing even though she was unpredictable. He didn’t have to overthink or guard against people’s schemes or plots.

Half an hour later, Zhang Yulan filled her bamboo basket. Turning to look at the man who was working silently, she asked, “Vice team leader, are you done?”

Hearing this, An Xuyuan looked at her for a moment before he suddenly asked, “Comrade Zhang, do you know my name?”

Taken aback by his question, Zhang Yulan was speechless. She had never cared to ask, so how could she know?

Seeing her embarrassment, he knew she didn’t know his name and said, “An Xuyuan.”

“Huh?” Zhang Yulan looked at him in confusion.

“My name is An Xuyuan. You don’t have to keep calling me ‘vice team leader.’ Just calling me by my name is fine.”

The moment she heard this, Zhang Yulan quickly waved her hands and said, “That won’t do! You are the vice team leader, and you are much older than me. Calling you by name would be impolite!”

Hearing her words, An Xuyuan frowned and said, “I’m only 25 years old, three years younger than your brother. How can you say I’m much older than you?”

“You are still seven years older than me. Asking me to call you by name—are you trying to look younger?” Zhang Yulan muttered under her breath.

An Xuyuan raised an eyebrow and asked, “What did you say?”

“Ah? Nothing!” Zhang Yulan replied instantly.

Raising his head, An Xuyuan glanced at the sun and said, “It’s almost noon. If you want to visit another place, we should hurry.”

When she heard this, Zhang Yulan quickly packed up her tools and said, “Comrade An, if you are busy, you can go back first. I will come with my brother later.”

Hearing her calling him so formally, An Xuyuan said, “I’m free today. Let’s go.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he walked toward the mountains. Once they entered the forest, they would reach the mountain area, where the risk of encountering wild beasts was higher than in their current location.

Noticing that she hadn’t followed him, he stopped, turned around, and said, “Stay close to me. Otherwise, I won’t be able to save you in time if you are in danger.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yulan snapped back to her senses and quickly followed after him. Since this was her first time entering the mountains, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t scared. But thinking about the open field her brother had found, she also wanted to try her luck.

Due to the rotten leaves and mud, the path was difficult and slippery. Every time she lost her footing, An Xuyuan would reach out to catch her. After several times, he found it troublesome to keep ensuring her safety this way, so he directly took her hand.

Feeling the warmth of his broad palm covering hers, Zhang Yulan instinctively tried to pull away and asked, “W-what are you doing?”

Tightening his grip, An Xuyuan said, “Don’t overthink it. This is just to keep you from falling and breaking your neck.”

Hearing his nonchalant tone, Zhang Yulan realized she was indeed overthinking. The man in front of her was known as a ‘cut-sleeve’—he wouldn’t have any interest in her. With that thought, she stopped resisting and let him lead the way.

While she was calm, An Xuyuan regretted his impulsive decision. Holding her small hand, he felt his heart beating too fast and his breath become unsteady. His palm was sweating, sticky against hers.

He wanted to wipe the sweat on his hand, but if he did, it would be difficult to hold her hand again, and he needed to always keep an eye on her in case she slipped. Considering the trouble of letting go, he forced himself to endure the uncomfortable feelings and continued walking stiffly.

As they moved forward, Zhang Yulan suddenly tugged at his hand and said, “Wait a moment.”

Feeling the pull, An Xuyuan stopped and turned around while asking, “What is it?”

Zhang Yulan pointed at an inconspicuous plant with small pinkish-purple flowers and said, “It’s Didancao!”

Hearing this, An Xuyuan walked over with her and asked, “Zhang Yulan, how do you know about this plant?”

“I was born weak, and my parents often took me to see Doctor Xie. He was the one who taught me about some medicinal plants,” Zhang Yulan explained while gathering the herbs.

“Don’t be fooled by its ordinary appearance. This plant can be used to treat fevers and heal wounds. It has many medicinal uses, but I’m not very knowledgeable—I only know these two functions,” she added.

Hearing this, An Xuyuan went silent for a moment before he replied, “You are very smart.”

At his words, Zhang Yulan’s face lit up with a smile. She chuckled and said, “Only you and my mother say that I’m smart.”