24. Nightmare

“Why isn’t it here? Why isn’t it here?”

For some reason, the more she searched, the more she felt that the jade gourd was no ordinary trinket, and her anxiety only grew.

“Dani, have you found anything over there?” Old Jiang, having turned the pigpen upside down without finding a trace, now stood outside the chicken coop, reeking of pig odor, asking his daughter. Two frightened pigs had retreated into a corner.

“No… Dad, have you found anything?”

Dani had initially been reluctant to answer but then thought perhaps her father had discovered something, so she suppressed her impatience and replied.

Old Jiang shook his head, frowning as he walked toward the vegetable patch in the backyard.

“How could it be missing? Could it be…”

Thinking of Jiang Ruo’s trip up the mountain the day before, Dani suddenly felt a pang of regret. Could it have fallen somewhere in the mountain?

If that were true, could it still be found?

A mountain so vast, and the jade gourd so small—it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

But… what if, just what if, Heaven granted her another chance at life and luck was on her side? Maybe it could be found after all.

This thought was irresistible. If it weren’t already late, Dani would have been unable to restrain her legs from scrambling up the mountain.

Wait, wait a little longer. Big Brother and Second Brother have already gone to look; maybe they’ll bring news.

Suppressing her inner turmoil, she stared at the piles of chicken droppings, unwilling to give up, and despite feeling nauseous, she continued to sift through them, especially the newly piled one from the past two days.

Inside the room, comforted by her grandmother, Jiang Ruo’s mood remained heavy. “Grandma, the jade gourd is gone. Aren’t you mad at me?”

Old Liu knew how much her granddaughter cherished the jade gourd and feared this loss would upset her more than anything.

“Silly child, no matter how important things are, they’re just things. You’re far more precious to me. Don’t worry, Grandma isn’t mad at you.”

“Grandma…” Jiang Ruo was deeply touched, tearfully throwing herself into the old woman’s arms.

“Why are you so kind to me? It’s clearly my carelessness that caused me to lose it…”

“Don’t think like that; it’s not like you wanted to lose it on purpose. It’s alright. If it’s lost, Grandma will find a way to get you another. Maybe it will turn up soon.”

At that moment, Old Liu’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think it might’ve slipped from you when you went up the mountain yesterday?”

There was no other place in the house or yard where it could have vanished. Aside from going into town today, the only other possibility was going into the mountain yesterday.

Jiang Ruo furrowed her delicate brows again, trying hard to recall.

Then she shook her head. “Grandma, I don’t know. I haven’t been paying attention. These days, I haven’t been sleeping well, always having strange dreams… my mind feels foggy.”

Upon hearing mention of dreams, Old Liu reacted. “Did you have a nightmare again? Why didn’t you tell Grandma earlier? Were you scared by your dreams?”

Jiang Ruo nodded, her lips trembling, eyes reddening further. “A little scared.”

It was so strange: whenever she saw her grandfather and grandmother’s faces, acting spoiled seemed instinctive, as if there were no distance or unfamiliarity at all.

“My dear child…” Old Liu’s heart, already aching, tightened further, realizing the jade gourd must have been lost for several days now.

“Why didn’t you tell Grandma? So that’s why you bought so many things—because you were frightened by your dream.”

She had just scolded the child moments ago, and now guilt washed over her.

Though Jiang Ruo had always liked to buy things, she had never been so excessive before.

Seeing her nod, Old Liu breathed a sigh of relief; as long as the nightmares weren’t about her son or daughter-in-law, it was somewhat reassuring.

“Tell Grandma about the dreams. Remember, with Grandma and Grandpa here, there’s nothing to fear.”

The old woman’s voice was so gentle it nearly coaxed the truth out of Jiang Ruo. Yet, reason ultimately prevailed over impulse.

She sniffled and softly said, “Grandma, the dreams started three days ago and have been the same every night since.”

Old Liu’s heart tightened again. The same dream repeatedly—that was just like before.

Gripping her granddaughter’s hand a little tighter, her voice trembling slightly without her noticing, Old Liu asked, “What did you dream about?”

Jiang Ruo glanced up at her grandmother, feigning ignorance of the hidden tremor in her voice. “It was a strange dream. Someone found ginseng up on the mountain and seemed to have sold it for a large sum of money, but…”

Her face clouded with fear; her complexion paled.

“Don’t be afraid, we won’t talk about scary things.” Old Liu quickly soothed her.

But the child shook her head, her little face growing serious. “Grandma, what happens next is very frightening. That’s why I have to tell you…”

Jiang Ruo bit her lip, determination shining in her eyes. “I… I feel like those things are real. Every scene is so vivid.”

“Enough, enough,” Old Liu hurriedly interrupted.

No wonder the child had been acting so strangely these past two days—crying bitterly right after coming down the mountain yesterday, and buying so many things today. She had been truly scared.

Old Liu thought to herself that she must secretly visit Zhang Nizi’s house in Dayu Village to perform a soul-calling ritual and calm the child’s fright.

“Let’s comfort you now. Don’t be afraid…”

Grandma poured all her attention into her, though whether Jiang Ruo believed her or not, a trace of worry remained in her heart.

The historical trajectory of this world remained surprisingly unchanged; barring unforeseen circumstances, nothing drastic should occur.

But here were the people she wished to protect, those who loved and cared for her. Since she had come, she was determined to guard and cherish them. She hoped Grandma would believe her and prepare in advance.

“Don’t be afraid. So you went up the mountain yesterday to see if there was really ginseng. Such a silly child. If ginseng were so easy to find, wouldn’t the back mountain have been stripped bare?”

“But… a few days ago, Sister Dani said someone did find ginseng on the mountain.”

A glint of suspicion flashed in her eyes. Thinking the original owner might have been harmed by Dani, she couldn’t help but stir doubts in front of Grandma.

Even if it wasn’t Dani who caused her harm, this cousin bore an inexplicable hostility toward her. They would never be close; Jiang Ruo didn’t hesitate to cast a subtle spell of doubt.

“You foolish girl. So she’s involved after all. Are you really going to believe whatever she says? Luckily, nothing happened—otherwise, how would Grandma live?”

There were wolves, wild boars, and even tigers in the mountains. Even the village hunters dared not venture deep into the forest lightly. It was truly a blessing from their ancestors that her precious child returned safe and sound.

She must secretly burn some joss paper for the ancestors, praying for their protection over the child.

“Looks like sending her to work in the fields was too easy on her,” muttered Old Liu, biting her lip as she looked at her obedient granddaughter in her arms.

“Forget that ungrateful girl. How much did you spend on all these things today? Grandma will reimburse you later.”

In the end, she realized she hadn’t cared enough for her granddaughter to notice her abnormal behavior.

Money spent was money spent—as long as the child was safe, that was what mattered.

As long as these two old folks were alive, they would protect the child every single day.

Jiang Ruo’s face fell, looking pitiful as she gazed at her grandmother. “Grandma, I spent a lot, especially on fabric. I couldn’t help but buy so much because of the dream… But your granddaughter is pretty and cute, with good connections. I met a sister at the supply and marketing cooperative, and she’s so kind…”