1890: I'm in Hextech Brawl in America

Chapter 38 A genuine foreign girl

Deep in the rainforest, in a clearing of moderate size.

The place is surrounded by several towering trees, whose canopies block out the sun, making it impossible to spot from above. Several wooden houses sit on the open ground, looking quite old.

These log cabins have a very simple structure, in the most primitive log cabin style, but they are made of very solid materials, all of which are thick hardwoods. The gaps are filled with yellow mud mixed with grass clippings, which is both windproof and warm.

The roof was covered with thick palm leaves, and night dew was still dripping from it.

At this moment, in the largest wooden house in the middle, the dim light of a kerosene lamp flickered.

Xiao Yuanshan sat on the edge of a simple wooden bed, holding a clean strip of cloth in his hand, carefully applying medicine to the burns on Ye Lang's back. He moved very gently, afraid of hurting the young man, pausing for a moment after each application.

But he was clearly somewhat distracted.

Every now and then, he would stop what he was doing, look up through the window—which had no glass, only a wooden plank—and gaze out at the dark woods. His wrinkled old face was filled with worry.

It's been so long, and there's still no news.

"Grandpa Xiao..."

From the other small bed next to it, a weak voice asked a question.

Xiao Lin lay on the bed, covered with the thick winter coat Fang Jianqiu had given her. Her face was still a little red, but she was in much better spirits than before.

"Brother Fang...when will he be back?"

This was already the umpteenth time she had asked this question.

Xiao Yuanshan sighed, just about to make up another reason to comfort the poor girl, saying that Brother Fang would be there soon.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, accompanied by the child's distorted shouts:

"Grandpa Xiao! Grandpa Xiao! Brother Fang is back!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuanshan seemed to have a spring under his buttocks, and he suddenly stood up. He didn't bother to wipe his hands, but just smeared the medicine stains on his clothes, turned around, pushed open the door, and rushed out.

As soon as I stepped outside, I saw the little boy carrying a double-barreled shotgun that was taller than himself, his face and clothes covered in leaves and grass roots, clearly having run all the way back.

"Don't run too fast, be careful not to fall! Where's your brother Fang?"

Xiao Yuanshan grabbed the panting child, patted his head, and stared intently into the woods behind him with his cloudy old eyes.

"Hehe, Brother Xiao, I'm here!"

In the darkness, that familiar voice came from the shadows of the woods, carrying a reassuring calmness.

A moment later, the branch shook.

Fang Jianqiu led a tall, jet-black horse out of the woods. Although he was somewhat disheveled and his clothes were covered in leaves, his spirits were reassuring.

"This place is indeed quite secluded, and the road is difficult to travel. We'll have to take a few detours with the horse."

Fang Jianqiu smiled and patted the horse's neck.

"Hahaha! Good! Great!"

When Xiao Yuanshan saw that the person had returned unharmed, he burst into laughter, a laugh filled with relief and excitement.

He strode forward, stretched out his rough, large hands, and patted Fang Jianqiu's shoulder heavily, making a loud thud.

"You little rascal! You're finally back! If you hadn't come back, this old man would have grabbed a gun and gone back to kill you! Oh, it's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright!"

He muttered to himself, his eyes slightly red.

Just then, another commotion came from the woods.

Sarah, leading the chestnut horse, also came out.

Xiao Yuanshan was excited when he suddenly saw someone behind him, and that person didn't look like someone from this place at all. He was stunned.

"Who...who is this foreign woman?"

He looked at Sarah with a puzzled expression.

This woman was too conspicuous. Her long, wavy pink hair seemed to glow in the moonlight, her tall figure, her clearly Western face, and especially her deep, emerald green eyes were her most striking features.

Why did Brother Fang bring back a foreign girl in this desolate wilderness?

But he wasn't too wary.

Because this woman came with Fang Jianqiu.

"Hehe, her name is Sarah, she's a friend I met in America."

Fang Jianqiu had already prepared his explanation, and introduced it without batting an eye:

"She knew I was down on my luck and had been sold here as a piglet, so she came all the way from afar to help me."

Sarah was simply given the identity of an "American friend," and who cares about the details and logical flaws at this point?

Xiao Yuanshan, of course, did not doubt it, and why should he doubt it?

He nodded as if he had just realized something, looking as if he had suddenly understood:

"Oh, oh, oh! No wonder! I knew it! How could a hero like you, Brother Fang, with such great skills, be sold into that godforsaken place like a pig? So you've run into trouble in shallow waters! Sigh, it seems you've had your share of hardships. It hasn't been easy, not easy at all..."

Fang Jianqiu smiled and shook his head, offering no further explanation; this misunderstanding was fine.

At this moment, Sarah also seized the opportunity and stepped forward at the right time.

"Hey, Grandpa Xiao, hello!"

She wore a warm yet polite smile, and her voice was clear and cheerful.

"Jianqiu already introduced you to me on the way, saying you're a chivalrous and righteous old hero. Thank you for sharing his burdens and helping him a lot along the way!"

In front of others, Sarah finally toned down her enchanting, fairy-like nature that she always exuded.

She stood ramrod straight, greeted everyone with confidence, and became quite serious, exuding the air of a strong woman.

But this time, Xiao Yuanshan showed a surprised expression, his eyes widening even more.

He never expected that this foreign woman would speak such fluent, even slightly rough, Mandarin! She didn't sound like a foreigner at all; her Mandarin was even more authentic than those traitors!

"Oh my! You... Sarah, you speak Mandarin so well? Even better than I do! Amazing!" Xiao Yuanshan hurriedly replied.

Then, his gaze fell on the dress Sarah was wearing.

That coarse linen coat—isn't that the same one Brother Fang wore before?

Then, thinking back to Sarah's intimate way of calling Fang Jianqiu "Jianqiu" all the time.

Xiao Yuanshan, being an experienced person, could easily see through this situation. These two were definitely more than just friends!

He immediately felt reassured, and a kind smile, like that of an elder looking at a younger person, appeared on his face:

"Come, come, give me Brother Fang and Sarah's horses first. It's late at night, and the horses must be tired. I'll take them to the back, tie them up, and feed them some hay."

As he spoke, Xiao Yuanshan took the reins from the two men.

"You all go inside and sit down first. Brother Fang, especially that girl Xiao Lin, she's so worried. She's asked me about her Brother Fang so many times on the way here. She's even ready to get up and go find you. Go and see her, don't keep her waiting."

Xiao Yuanshan pointed to the wooden house in the middle, then led his horse to the stable on the other side.

The clever little boy had already dashed into the house to deliver the message.

As soon as Xiao Yuanshan left, Sarah, who had been so serious, instantly revealed her true colors.

Like a cheerful little deer, she hopped a couple of steps and darted to Fang Jianqiu, her body almost touching his.

"Oh my~ Is Kobayashi Ken-qiu's confidante?"

She blinked her big eyes, her tone full of teasing and sarcasm:

"No wonder Jianqiu has been putting up with her all this way. He was afraid of upsetting his confidante, huh? Tsk tsk tsk, looks like I'm too late."

She leaned close to Fang Jianqiu's ear, her breath sweet as orchids, her voice becoming that sticky, seductive tone again:

"But I don't mind at all~ As long as Little Lin doesn't mind, I can totally accept it." As she spoke, she licked her lips with her tongue, her eyes flashing with a dangerous yet bold light:

"Both together...maybe it'll be more interesting? What do you think, Jianqiu?"

Listening to this mature and sophisticated woman's shameless flirting once again, Fang Jianqiu truly admired her imagination; her thought process was simply that of a female hooligan.

However, he didn't intend to explain.

Seeing Sarah's eager expression, Fang Jianqiu chuckled inwardly, thinking, "Just wait until we meet, then we'll see how awkward you are."

So he deliberately didn't explain, but just smiled slightly and said:

"Don't worry, Kobayashi will definitely like you, and you'll like her too."

After saying that, he didn't give Sarah a chance to continue her thoughts and walked into the house.