"Naturally, Xiaoqun and I have been back often over the years to take care of things. Just look at the condition of the Xiu Family’s house next door," Ruan Wei pointed to the Xiu Family’s house with a hint of pride.

The Xiu Family and Ruan Family are neighbors. The Ruan Family’s mud-brick house is well-preserved and still suitable for habitation, whereas the Xiu Family’s house next door has completely fallen into ruin, with beams poking through the roof and holes everywhere in the walls, looking like a haunted house.

Back then, Xiu Jianlin and Liu Mei were both taken into custody. Xiu Jianlin is still not out, and Liu Mei had died in custody long ago. As for Xiu Cheng, it’s said he was sent to an orphanage at first, but what happened to him after that, nobody knows.

Ruan Jiaojiao didn’t want to know about their situation either. She just nodded her head when she heard them, and the group entered the courtyard.

In the courtyard, there was a large pile of firewood stacked around, messy but orderly. What impressed Ruan Jiaojiao the most about this place was the courtyard’s atrium. Back then, as soon as school let out, her brothers would line up and squat behind chairs to do their homework. After meals, they would sit in the atrium to chat and talk.

Just by looking, Ruan Jiaojiao could vividly recall the scenes from back then.

The group wandered from the atrium to the main hall, then from the main hall through various rooms, and eventually into the back courtyard when Ruan Jiaojiao noticed a wall that was noticeably different from the others and paused.

"I remember this spot! A wild boar ran into the house back then and crashed into the wall!" Ruan Wei said, pointing at the wall.

"Really?" Lu Zishu widened his eyes, somewhat skeptical.

"There’s a lot you don’t know," Ruan Lei turned and looked at the back mountain, feeling nostalgic.

Over the years, the Ruan Family continued to lease the back mountain for raising animals. But as the Ruan Family’s business grew, so did their demands, and it’s no longer purely wild as it was when they first started the restaurant. The animals are now domesticated and bred, but since they are raised in free-range conditions, the taste isn’t much different from before.

Upon entering the back mountain, looking at the familiar hills and trees, Ruan Lei couldn’t help but sigh, "Back then, this back mountain really was once my nightmare."

"Yeah, who could say otherwise," Ruan Feng echoed his sentiments.

"I used to love it, but later I was terrified," Ruan Qun reflected.

"Later on, I dreamt multiple times of being trapped inside, sweating profusely from anxiety," Ruan Bo added.

Ruan Jie and Ruan Chi didn’t speak; they simply exchanged a glance and then simultaneously looked at Ruan Jiaojiao and chuckled.

Back then, Ruan Jiaojiao had two incidents occur on the back mountain, both under their watchful eyes. Even now, they vividly remember it, especially the time Ruan Jiaojiao was taken by monkeys—the brothers still shiver at the thought.

Afterwards, apart from Duan Xi occasionally heading to the back mountain, the rest of them haven’t set foot there since.

"What do you mean by that?" Lu Zishu asked, puzzled, "What’s the deal? Are you bullying me because I’m not a Ruan?"

"Lu Zishu, at that time you didn’t even know us," Ruan Wei said.

Listening to their stories, Ruan Jiaojiao also recalled the past events and then turned to look at Duan Xi.

Back then, she didn’t know that Duan Xi was like a wolf; he suddenly rushed to the front mountain to save her and led her out, which deeply shocked her.

It’s only been ten years, but to her, it feels like a lifetime ago... Well, it truly is like a different lifetime.

She couldn’t help but want to reach for Duan Xi’s hand, but before she could, she heard a rustling sound above her head.