The size of the Lingzhi was bigger than a plate, and it was very thick. Even without professional knowledge, she knew these mushrooms were of high quality.
"Thankfully, no one dares to enter this mountain. Otherwise, how could I get these mushrooms?" she laughed as she picked them up carefully.
She got a total of twenty-seven Lingzhi and stored them in the shop's warehouse. When she was done, she took out a bottle of water and drank half of it.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she let out a sigh and complained, "The weather has become hotter. I wonder when summer will end."
After storing her water, she continued venturing into the forest. When it was almost noon, she finally left the mountain in a good mood.
She thought her luck was used up after finding so many Lingzhi. Unexpectedly, she found a lot of black truffles. The price of black truffles in the system shop was not low, so she planned to auction them later.
To avoid suspicion, she filled her bamboo basket with firewood on her way back.
While she was taking her time in the mountain foothills, Wang Shen was looking for her. Standing outside the gate, she shouted, "Yao girl, are you at home?" She shouted for ten minutes before giving up.
Wang Shen didn't know where she went, but she didn't think too much about it. After all, in the past few months, Yao Zhi had often wandered around the village. Thinking about this, she let out a sigh and returned home.
At the same time, Wang Wuniang arrived at the barracks. "Sir, can you please call my husband for me? He is a Squad Leader of the sixth regiment, Xiao Wei."
Hearing this, the guard said, "Squad leader Xiao was on a mission."
When Wang Wuniang heard this, her grip on the bamboo basket tightened as she asked, "Sir, do you know when they will come back?"
The guard glared at her and said, "It's not your place to ask about military matters."
Although she knew that military matters were confidential, Wang Wuniang couldn't help but try her luck. Hearing the reprimand from the guard, she didn't dare to ask any more questions and could only return home.
Thinking about the cruelty of the barbarians, her eyes reddened, and she muttered, "Husband, you must come back safely."
Unaware of her husband's situation, Yao Zhi was on her way to the military barracks when she saw Wang Wuniang coming from the opposite direction.
Noticing her reddened eyes and worried expression, she walked up to her and asked, "Sister-in-law, what happened to you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Wang Wuniang was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard a clear, soft voice. Raising her head, she met a pair of bright, almond-shaped eyes. She was stunned when she saw the girl's face.
Seeing her like this, Yao Zhi thought she was feeling unwell and called her again. "Sister-in-law?"
Coming back to her senses, Wang Wuniang shook her head and replied, "I-I'm alright."
Yao Zhi was surprised when she heard her neighbor's gentle, polite tone. Her first impression of Wang Wuniang had been that she hated her current body. It would have been great if she hadn't glared at her. So, facing her kind gaze, she was unaccustomed to it.
Although she didn't want to interfere in other people's business, Wang Shen had helped her a lot. So, she couldn't just ignore Wang Shen's daughter-in-law.
After hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Sister-in-law, you look troubled. Do you mind if I ask what happened?"
Noticing a trace of worry in the beautiful girl's eyes, Wang Wuniang replied after a moment of silence, "My husband was sent to the border town. I'm worried about his safety."
When she heard this, Yao Zhi was taken aback. Thinking about her husband, she asked, "Sister-in-law, do you know if Fu Chen'an was also sent to the border town?"
The moment she heard this, Wang Wuniang looked at her from head to toe and asked her back, "Young lady, why are you asking this? Do you know Squad Leader Fu?"
Yao Zhi was stunned by her question. When she recalled her current condition, she finally realized why Wang Wuniang was so friendly to her.
If she told her that she had lost so much weight overnight, she might be treated as a monster and burned to death. Even if she couldn't hide her weight loss for long, it was still better to conceal it as much as possible.
Reaching this conclusion, Yao Zhi lowered her gaze and said shyly, "I-I admire Brother Fu."
When Wang Wuniang heard this, her expression turned to understanding.
Although Fu Chen'an was not as handsome as the young masters from the town, he still looked better than ordinary people. Combined with his good personality, it was normal for young ladies to fall for his charm.
It was just a pity that such a man had to marry a shrew. Not to mention, an ugly and rude one.
Reaching out, she held Yao Zhi's hand and patted it gently. "Young lady, even if you admire Squad Leader Fu, he is a married man. His wife is not someone you can offend, so it's better for you to let go of this feeling."
When she heard Wang Wuniang's earnest words, Yao Zhi was not surprised. After all, her image in the villagers' eyes was very bad. "I know, but I just can't help it," she said with a sigh.
Wang Wuniang glanced at the bamboo basket in Yao Zhi's hand and added, "You should go back."
Hearing this, Yao Zhi understood that her husband had also been sent to the border town. Thinking about him, a trace of worry rose in her heart.
Even if she didn't have any romantic feelings toward him, he was still her nominal husband. She didn't want to become a widow at the age of sixteen.
After a brief encounter, Wang Wuniang left. Since her husband was not in the barracks, Yao Zhi decided to visit the border market.