With the grass growing tall and orioles flying, in the warmth of spring when flowers bloom, walking along the mountain path always brings the scent of blossoms and greenery.
Zane Zhuang ignored John Chou and simply sighed helplessly. As they entered the mountain trail, after walking for a while, Isabelle Frost couldn't take another step. Her feet were blistered and she began to cry from the pain.
"Young master, you must understand the difference between men and women. At her age, how could the young miss handle such a mountain road?"
John Chou wanted to argue, but after thinking about it, he let it go. In just half a day, they'd be back at the rear mountain of the Henderson Family—their nearly two-month journey was finally coming to an end.
At this moment, John Chou felt incredibly relieved. Without Zane Zhuang's help, he'd solved the problem on his own. This made him a bit excited, and he planned to tell Henry Henderson and Zachary Peel once he got back.
Isabelle Frost was so exhausted that she fell asleep on Zane Zhuang's back. It was just past noon, and fortunately, the occasional mountain breeze kept it from getting too hot.
"Young master, when we get back, I'll go to Linzi City to find a doctor. There's a highly skilled physician there."
"It won't help. I'm afraid it's a psychological issue—medicine can't fix that."
John Chou knew exactly what Zane Zhuang was thinking. Isabelle Frost's condition was dire—being unable to speak was a heavy blow for anyone. Even if Zane didn't say it, John knew his own mother sometimes showed traces of sorrow. Though it was just a little, John understood that after so many years of being unable to speak, his mother had suffered greatly. When the Branch Family was still around, some would occasionally mock and ridicule her as a mute.
"Still, we should find a good doctor to take a look. What if they have a solution?"
As dusk approached, John Chou looked joyfully at Henderson Town at the foot of the mountain—they had finally arrived. He wiped the sweat from his face, excitement shining through as he breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.
"Take a rest, Uncle Zane."
"Miss, we've arrived."
After Zane Zhuang woke Isabelle Frost on his back, she startled like a frightened bird. At first she was dazed, but soon her face filled with fear—the unease brought on by strange people and unfamiliar surroundings was clear. No matter how much Zane tried to comfort her, Isabelle couldn't adapt right away.
Zane Zhuang didn't push her. He took out some dry rations and handed a piece to Isabelle Frost. She accepted it cautiously, looking at Zane with eyes full of gratitude.
"Eat up, Miss. When we get back tonight, I'll have someone make you something delicious—you can't get food like this in Qiland."
Isabelle Frost bit into the dry rations, nodded slightly, and made a soft sound of agreement.
"She may be a little slow, but at least she understands what's being said. Otherwise, things would be much more difficult."
John Chou started talking again from the side. Isabelle Frost couldn't help but shoot him a sideways glare, and Zane Zhuang looked at John helplessly.