Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 16. Footprint

How could Hua Xiaocao not feel the scrutinizing stares of everyone around her? She was originally a sensitive and self-deprecating person. At this moment, she lowered her head as much as possible, and the resentful look was hidden in her eyes.

It wasn't until Hua Jin stopped that everyone halted together. Looking around, the ground in this forest was covered with locust leaves, some of which had already decayed, emitting the unique smell of rotten leaves.

If not for coming here with Old Lady Hua and Sister Hua, just for these locust thorns, they wouldn't have been able to enter. Getting pricked by them is no joke.

You could tell that there really weren't many people coming here. Except for traces of some animals, there were no signs of humans.

"Hua Jin, how did you find this place so far away in such a remote area?" Liu Shi, who usually had a lot to say, couldn't help but speak up.

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Perhaps it was because the trees here were too dense, blocking out most of the sunlight, making everyone feel a sinister atmosphere. Hua Xiaomao and a few children who came along couldn't help but lean closer to the adults.

Who knows where Hua Jin got the courage to venture in alone.

"Aunt, don't worry." Hua Jin smiled politely, then looked at Hua Xiaocao.

"Hua Xiaocao, have you ever been to this place?"

"I... the mountains here look so similar, I really can't remember." Hua Xiaocao lowered her head, still looking aggrieved.

"It's okay if you can't remember, maybe I can help you recover your memory." Hua Jin gently smiled and then looked around at everyone, "Aunties, have you noticed how soft the soil is under our feet?"

Originally, everyone didn't pay much attention to it, but after Hua Jin's reminder, they realized the ground was indeed very soft. Although it wasn't like sinking into mud, it was really soft.

"Yes, it's indeed very soft." Hua Meng's wife added.

Wang Xiaoxiao and Xiaosi seemed to discover something, repeatedly stepping on the ground.

"Sister, it's really soft," Xiaosi looked up at his sister.

"Yes, it's because no one comes here, and the years of fallen leaves mixed with the soil make the soil appear very loose due to the relatively lesser soil content."

"Sister, how do you know so much?" Xiaosi admired his sister a little.

"Silly, didn't the brothers teach you how to read? You didn't learn well; naturally, I saw it in books."

Thankfully, this part of her memory was intact; otherwise, she would have struggled to explain.

"Sister, you knocked on my head again. I'm dumb because of your knocking," Xiaosi stepped aside, holding his head, accusingly looking at his sister.

"Well, Xiaosi isn't dumb," Hua Jin teasingly smiled at Xiaosi.

"Mom..."

"Stop fooling around, listen to your sister."

Xiaosi sought refuge, but it seemed useless.

Seeing his brother's aggrieved look was hilarious, but Hua Jin held back and continued, "Aunties, do you remember I asked about the weather earlier?"

Everyone nodded; it hadn't been long since she asked, so of course they remembered.

"Aunties, think about it: the soil here is already very soft, and with rain, wouldn't it be even softer?"

Though they were illiterate, this was not hard to understand, and it indeed made sense. All the aunties nodded again.

Even though Hua Xiaomao and her group of kids didn't quite understand, it didn't stop them from nodding along.

As for Xiaosi, he nodded wildly anyway, as whatever his sister said outside was always right.

Hua Xiaocao felt increasingly uneasy, regretting why she hadn't extricated herself sooner.

"So..." Hua Jin's gaze once again turned to Hua Xiaocao, "So Xiaocao, it's time to prove your innocence."

"Everyone felt how soft this ground is. It rained for a long time early that day, and you can imagine how soft the ground would be. The footprints after rain should be very clear, and comparing them should make things clear."

"But what if there are other footprints?" another auntie hypothesized, since it's not impossible.

"What's the big deal? Adult footprints and children's are naturally different, and it's unlikely to be such a coincidence."

"But what if there are no footprints? After all, children are small and light-footed," another woman chimed in.

"Xiaoxiao, could you step aside for a moment?" Hua Jin was confident about this. She had observed when they arrived that even if children walked on dead leaves, there would be traces.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiaoxiao quickly moved aside, watching curiously.

Hua Jin walked to where Wang Xiaoxiao had been standing, casually picked up a dry branch, and swept away the top layer of dead leaves, revealing a shallow footprint to everyone's eyes.

"Ma'am, there's no need to worry about this," Hua Jin said.

Indeed, no one had doubts anymore. After all, even with the weather being clear, there were still traces. The impression left by stepping on rain-soaked ground would be deeper and still very clear even when dried.

"Then what are we waiting for, hurry up," someone impatiently urged, apparently eager for the spectacle.

Hua Jin smiled without saying a word, taking the lead as she guided the way, following her vaguely remembered path to the place where the incident happened, while also paying attention to the tracks on the ground.

Indeed, she found something different. Hua Jin suddenly squatted on the ground, using the branch in her hand to brush away a layer of dead leaves, revealing a deep footprint to everyone.

The footprint faced the direction they were heading, clearly not an adult's footprint, prompting everyone to instinctively look at Hua Xiaocao.

Hua Xiaocao instinctively shook her head, adamantly refusing to admit anything.

Hua Jin didn't speak, observed for a few seconds, looked at her small foot, and then, to everyone's surprise, stepped into it. Although the edges were a bit jagged, the sole and heel fit perfectly.

"It's my footprint," Hua Jin said.

Hua Xiaocao secretly let out a breath of relief.

Hua Jin felt assured too, realizing she had indeed gone the right way, just here.

Even though she appeared confident, she was still a bit anxious. After all, although she had recalled some things, her memory was still incomplete. She only knew the general direction; she really wasn't sure about the specifics.

After finding her own footprint, things became easier.

Following her own footprints, Hua Jin actually found the place where she had discovered the wild mushrooms.

Almost a month had passed, and a large patch of wild mushrooms had grown again, which caught everyone's eye, prompting them to start picking without hesitation, ignoring everything else.

Except for Qi Shi, who was holding onto Hua Xiaocao, everyone else, including Hua Jin, was busy picking mushrooms.

Whether the truth came out or not, it didn't matter that much at this point. Since they encountered wild produce, they certainly had to pick it; otherwise, it would be a waste to carry baskets up the mountain.

Hua Jin was no slower than anyone else, knowing instinctively which ones were edible and which ones shouldn't be picked, even though she didn't recognize any of them.

In no time, she and her brother and grandmother had picked enough to fill the basket bottom. If there weren't so many people, they could have gathered even more.

Soon, the patch of wild mushrooms was mostly picked clean, except for the smallest ones.