Volume One, Chapter 10: Entering the Mountains in Search of Someone, Finding Second Uncle

"Father, Mother, Eldest Brother, Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, I know you must find it hard to believe everything I’ve just said, but I would never joke about something like this."

Shen Yuehua spoke with a grave expression, only then realizing she had yet to introduce her daughter to the family. She quickly pulled Shen Shuli forward to present her.

"Father, Mother, this is my own daughter. She just returned from Qingzhou. She had been living with the Lin family there and was swapped with Wanwan at birth. My purpose in coming here is to have her recognize you as her family."

"Everything I just told you is information she brought back from Qingzhou. There is absolutely no mistake."

Shen Yuehua then recounted the story of how her daughter had been swapped at birth. The Shen family had already noticed the bruised and swollen girl she brought with her, but as Shen Yuehua hadn't mentioned it, they hadn't had the chance to ask. Only now did they realize that the granddaughter they had cherished all this time was not their own flesh and blood.

"Goodness, I never imagined our family could encounter such an absurd situation. Still, it is a relief that the truth has come to light."

Old Madam Shen carefully scrutinized this granddaughter she was seeing for the first time, hoping to find some resemblance to her daughter on the swollen face, but she failed to find any. Shen Shuli could sense that the gaze of the Shen family held no malice—it even carried a hint of pity—but there was no deeper affection. After all, they had never spent any time together; affection does not form in a single meeting.

"Grandfather, Grandmother, Eldest Uncle, Eldest Aunt, Second Aunt," Shen Shuli greeted them one by one. Noticing the absence of her Second Uncle, she asked casually, "By the way, when did Second Uncle head into the mountains? When is he expected back?"

"He has been in the mountains for a day and a night already. I expect him back by this evening at the latest," her Second Aunt replied with a smile. She had only prepared two days' worth of rations for her husband. The deep mountains were dangerous, and the longer one stayed, the greater the risk; two days was already the limit.

Shen Shuli nodded to show she understood. As she was about to speak, a thought suddenly struck her, and her face shifted. She recalled a brief description of her maternal family in the original book. Seven days later—the very day the fake daughter finally returned to Peach Blossom Village after countless hardships—a band of mountain bandits from a nearby ridge would descend to raid all the surrounding villages. Peach Blossom Village, White Mountain Village, and over a dozen others would be among those targeted, resulting in many deaths. However, every member of the Su family, except for the fake daughter, would remain unharmed, as if protected by a stroke of author-granted luck.

The Shen family, however, would not be so fortunate. The Second Uncle would suffer severe injuries after encountering a herd of wild boars while hunting. Because the Shen residence was at the edge of the village, they would have had a chance to escape when the bandits arrived. But because the Second Uncle needed to be carried due to his injuries, their progress would be slowed. They would be overtaken by the bandits, who would kill several of the younger generation and violate the women. The Second Uncle would meet a tragic end. The remaining members of the Shen family, left without any able-bodied men during their subsequent flight from famine, would soon perish.

Shen Shuli immediately leaned over to her mother’s ear. "Mom, I just remembered a plot point from the book. Second Uncle might be in danger during this hunting trip. I want to go into the mountains to find him. I hope it’s not too late."

The Shen family would likely join them in fleeing the famine, and if they were burdened with a severely injured man who was supposed to be the pillar of the household, the family would face immense pressure. Shen Yuehua’s face turned pale with worry. She gripped her daughter’s hand tightly, torn between the fear of letting her daughter go into danger alone and her anxiety for her second brother.

"Don't worry, I will put my own safety first if I encounter any danger."

Shen Yuehua nodded with difficulty and turned to her eldest nephew. "Ziqian, your cousin hasn't seen what the mountains are like. Would you mind taking her for a look?"

Shen Ziqian was the eldest grandson of the Shen family. He was tall and had learned some self-defense from Su Yunhai, often accompanying his second uncle to hunt in the mountains. He was a capable guide. Shen Ziqian glanced at Shen Shuli, looking somewhat reluctant, but he nodded in agreement.

"Let's go, cousin. I'll take you for a walk, though with the current drought, the villagers have picked the mountains clean, so there isn't much to see." Shen Ziqian warned his pampered cousin in advance to prevent her from being disappointed by high expectations.

"Yes, I understand, Cousin," Shen Shuli replied obediently, following behind him as they left.

Watching her daughter leave, Shen Yuehua took a deep breath and said to her parents, "Father, Mother, I know it is hard for you to believe this right now. After we eat lunch, why don't we go into town to inquire about the news? We can buy some grain while we are there." If the rain didn't come, grain prices would only rise day by day. Even if they didn't believe her, it would be worth it just to buy grain.

Old Man Shen and Old Madam Shen still trusted their daughter, but the matter was of such gravity that they dared not make a blind decision. "Fine. After lunch, you go with your eldest brother and sister-in-law into town. I will go to the village head's house now to see if I can find out anything." Old Man Shen was filled with anxiety, feeling as though he were sitting on a bed of nails; he couldn't sit still and desperately wanted to do something to ease his worry.

"Cousin, are you sure this is the way Second Uncle entered the mountains?" Shen Shuli climbed with such speed that she left Shen Ziqian behind. Shen Ziqian had assumed his cousin just wanted to see the rural mountains and take a casual stroll at the foot of the hills. He never imagined she would insist on entering the deep wilderness!

"Cousin, we are already very close to the deep mountains. It's dangerous here; let’s turn back quickly before we run into wild beasts." Shen Ziqian kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings while trying to persuade her.

Knowing her cousin was concerned for her safety, Shen Shuli explained, "Cousin, I was taught by over a dozen masters while living with the Lin family and have been practicing martial arts since I was a child. You might not be a match for me. More importantly, because of the drought, water sources in the mountains are scarce. Predators will be expanding their territory in search of survival and roaming aimlessly. I’m worried about Second Uncle, which is why I asked you to bring me here secretly. You don't want anything to happen to your second uncle, do you?"

Shen Shuli posed the question to him, forcing him to choose. Shen Ziqian felt a chill run through him. He had never considered that, but now, prompted by his cousin, her words made perfect sense. The more he thought about it, the more panicked he became. Without a second thought, he urged, "Cousin, you go back down the mountain immediately. I will go find him myself."

Shen Shuli curved her lips slightly. It seemed this cousin was reliable enough. She continued to track the human footprints, leaving her voice behind her: "Catch up to me first."

Shen Ziqian looked at his cousin’s retreating back and, having no time to overthink, immediately gave chase. In her past life, Shen Shuli had frequently performed jungle missions, so tracking someone in these mountains was not difficult for her. After two hours of following the trail, they finally located where the Second Uncle, Shen Yuebai, was.

Shen Ziqian looked at his uncle in the distance, who was surrounded by a herd of wild boars and taking refuge in a large tree. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "It's over! Uncle is surrounded by wild boars! What do we do? What do we do?"

Shen Ziqian looked at the scene in desperation, regretting that he hadn't brought a bow and arrow. Otherwise, he wouldn't be standing there helplessly, not daring to rush forward, muttering nervously. Seeing this, Shen Shuli stealthily drew two short daggers from her boots, handed one to Shen Ziqian, and said, "Act when you see an opportunity."

With that, she charged toward the wild boar herd like a gust of wind.