Time passed little by little, the night deepened, and William Grant finally stood up, letting out a long breath. After working for half a day, he had managed to roll fifteen sticks, each about ten centimeters long and as thick as a toothpick.

He cut the incense sticks neatly, placed them on flat paper, and then covered them with a few sheets of white paper, so they would air-dry faster.

By tomorrow, when the incense sticks were completely dry, he would send them to the small cellar in the courtyard for storage. It would take about half a month for the various scents to blend and for the smoky smell to diminish.

This was only the first batch—after all, he needed to make sixty sticks in total.

That’s why there aren’t many people making incense by hand anymore—it’s just too exhausting and not worth the effort.

……

That night, William Grant made a total of thirty sticks and went to bed very late.

But early the next morning, he still got up on time. Without bothering to eat, he packed his things and pushed his cart out the door. Just as he left, he hurried back inside to grab three insect-repellent incense balls.

These incense balls were harmless to humans, but snakes, insects, rats, and ants absolutely hated them and would avoid them at all costs. He went into the mountains every day, so he always carried them. As for the original one—well, he had already given it to the two girls.

“Xiao Yu, you don’t look so good today.”

“Yeah, I didn’t sleep well last night. Have you eaten yet?”

“Not yet, I’ll just grab a bite on the mountain.”

“Hey, Old Walker, you’re selling souvenirs today? Where are the meat skewers?”

“Couldn’t get any duck meat, so I’m taking a break for a few days.”

Amidst the messy chatter, six or seven donkey carts emerged from the alleys and naturally lined up in a row, heading toward Phoenix Mountain.

They were all small vendors, with very unstable jobs. If there was a way to make money today, they wouldn’t go up the mountain; if there was nothing to do tomorrow, they’d pick up their loads again. The things they sold were varied, from fake lamb skewers to wholesale souvenirs, to homegrown cucumbers and tomatoes—just about everything.

This kind of business was basically monopolized by people from Phoenix Market. Not to mention outsiders—even people from East City, South City, or North City who tried to go up the mountain would be kicked out, have their stalls smashed, and be chased away.

William Grant quietly followed behind, listening to the uncles and elders brag about all sorts of things. Soon, they arrived at the old bachelor’s courtyard, parked their donkey carts, and then headed into the mountains.

They still walked in a line, one after another, each with their own stall—no one was allowed to compete for spots. He was still at the end, and in front of him was a man in his forties, surnamed Fang, who was Emily Foster’s father.

“Xiao Yu, I’ve always been worried about that girl’s grades. Do you think she can get into No. 1 High School?”

“I’ve seen Qingqing’s test papers. To be honest, No. 1 High is pretty tough, but she still has a good chance at No. 2 High.”

“Sigh, if only she had half your ability! Look at you—you were the first college student in our village back then.”

“Uncle, don’t worry. There’s still a month before the high school entrance exam. She can still cram, and besides, exams are all about performance on the day…”

No. 1 High School was the top provincial school, while No. 2 High was a level below. William Grant carried his load, comforting this worried father all the way.

Whether his grandfather was alive or not, the Fang family had always taken good care of him, and Emily Foster was like a little sister to him. But she really wasn’t interested in studying—even for No. 2 High, her chances were only fifty-fifty.

The two chatted as they walked, and it took them a long time to reach halfway up the mountain. The people ahead were already out of sight.

“Zhi zhi!”

“Gu gu!”

As they walked, a series of cries suddenly came from somewhere, sounding anxious and flustered. The two stopped, looked around, and Uncle Foster pointed to the side. “Over there!”

William Grant looked over and saw, in the dense forest to the right, a large gray squirrel caught by weeds, its foot tangled, and not far away, a green snake was slowly slithering closer.

Chapter 5 Stirring Up Trouble

“Zhi zhi!”

The green snake drew nearer and nearer. The squirrel’s foot was tightly trapped, and it struggled desperately, its cries growing shrill.

“Uncle, wait for me a moment.”

Uncle Foster wasn’t interested and waved his hand, ready to leave, but William Grant couldn’t bear it. He put down his load and turned into the woods. Stepping on the thick weeds, his footsteps rustled, and both animals noticed him, turning to look his way.

“Gu gu!”

The squirrel struggled even harder, while the green snake flicked its tongue, seeming irritated, because it smelled a very familiar and very unpleasant scent.

William Grant didn’t think much of it, relying on the incense balls in his pocket, and walked over step by step. But as he got closer, he was surprised—the snake was just restless and uneasy, but didn’t turn and leave as usual.

Huh? That’s odd!

Could the incense ball have lost its effect? That shouldn’t be—it was freshly made.

Just as he was puzzled, the green snake hissed, flicking its tongue, and ignored the human in front of it, continuing to move toward its prey. It was as if, in its mind, the squirrel had some kind of deadly attraction.

“Good grief!”

Seeing this, William Grant immediately picked up a long branch, deciding to confront it head-on. The snake seemed to sense danger, suddenly raising its head, its black vertical pupils narrowing sharply, exuding the cold-blooded ferocity unique to reptiles.

He didn’t hesitate—he’d hunted snakes on the mountain since he was a kid. He gripped the branch tightly, staring at the snake’s weak spot. Just then, with a sudden “bang,” a stone flew from behind, grazing the green snake’s body and landing on the ground.

“Whoa whoa!”