Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

A moment ago, when they wanted to go, Wang Dadan had stopped them. Now, when they didn’t want to go, Wang Dadan was begging them to. This, however, was exactly what Uncle Miao and Li Guihua had been hoping for.

Uncle Miao and Li Guihua secretly breathed a sigh of relief. A while back, they had received a letter from their son-in-law. Tucked away inside the letter was a hidden message, asking them to look after the elders who had arrived in the village.

They weren’t sure why these people had come to Nianqiao Village, but Li Guihua knew her son-in-law was always steady and not one to act recklessly. For him to go to such lengths to write a letter, it must be about something very important. However, even if they were to help these people, they couldn’t let Wang Dadan find out.

If Wang Dadan found anything to hold against them, they would be in for a world of trouble.

Their son-in-law was a very shrewd person, and among these newcomers, there might be someone very important to him. Since their son-in-law had asked, they naturally had to help.

At Wang Dadan’s request, they went to the shack together.

They originally thought only one person was sick, but after they arrived, they discovered that all five were ill with high fevers.

”What should we do now?” Wang Dadan asked, looking probingly at Li Guihua and Miao Dahai, trying to read some clue from their expressions.

Wang Dadan thought he could act, but Miao Dahai and Li Guihua had been doing grassroots work for years. They were far better actors. With just a little thought, they could have Wang Dadan running in circles.

”What else can we do? Of course, we need to find a doctor to treat them immediately!” Miao Dahai said irritably. ”The higher-ups sent these people to our village because they wanted us to see the effects, right? We’ve all just started observing and learning from them, and now they’re sick. This goes against the higher-ups’ directives. Get them treated right away.”

Village Chief Miao spoke with righteous indignation and powerful conviction.

Even Wang Dadan, who was looking to make trouble, was left speechless.

The village’s barefoot doctor came to diagnose and treat the men, prescribing some herbs to reduce internal heat and fever. Li Guihua led a few women in brewing the medicine and feeding it to the patients.

Afterward, Miao Dahai led a few of the village’s young men to patch up the drafty spots in the shack. They also spread some dry straw on the floor and brought over some old quilts for them to use for warmth.

While the villagers were busy, Hua Yusen and Zhao Nuanyue were growing anxious.

Zhao Nuanyue, in particular, was burning with anxiety. She had just reached an agreement with Hua Yusen, and now someone had fallen ill. ’What are we supposed to do now?’

’If the important person among them dies, how will our future plans proceed?’

At this thought, Zhao Nuanyue sought out the Little Red Carp.

”Little Red Carp, several of the elders in the village are sick with fever. What can I do to help them?” Zhao Nuanyue asked urgently. ”They’re very important to me. Please, help me.”

The Little Red Carp thought for a moment, then nodded in the water like a sensible child. ”As long as you don’t use the Dragon Scale to harm people, I can help you.”

Thinking of the Little Red Carp’s words, Zhao Nuanyue’s heart ached once more. The power of the Dragon Scale was omnipotent in the water, but Nuanyue recalled the time she had used it to stir up a wave and drag Wang Dadan under. She herself had suddenly felt a dizzy spell and then lost consciousness.

Later, the Little Red Carp told her that the power of the Dragon Scale could not be used to harm people, even if they were wicked. The existence of wicked people has its own place in the world; karma and the cycle of heaven’s way ensure that they will be punished, but she must never use the power of the Dragon Scale. Since she couldn’t use the power of the Dragon Scale, she would use the power of her intellect—of human means.

That was precisely why she had ended up cooperating with Hua Yusen.

”Wait here, I’ll go find something for you.” After speaking, the Little Red Carp flicked its tail in the water and sank to the bottom.

A moment later, the Little Red Carp surfaced again, holding a plant that looked like a strand of seaweed in its mouth. It said, ”This is a stalk of Dragon Beard Grass. Brew it into a tea for them to drink, and they will be completely cured.”

”Does it work that well?” Nuanyue asked in disbelief. ”Are you sure?”

Seeing Zhao Nuanyue’s distrust, the Little Red Carp grew a little unhappy. Its little eyes darted about. ”Since you doubt me, I won’t give it to you then.”

”No, that’s not it! I don’t doubt you, I just can’t believe something so miraculous exists,” Zhao Nuanyue quickly said, stopping the Little Red Carp from leaving. ”It’s just that... this thing works too well. They get better after just a little bit. Is there something that makes them appear unwell on the surface, but doesn’t actually harm their bodies?”

”There is, but don’t you want them to get better quickly? You seem so worried,” the Little Red Carp said, not understanding Zhao Nuanyue’s predicament. ”Since there’s a better option, why not use it?”

If their circumstances weren’t so complicated, Zhao Nuanyue wouldn’t be resorting to this.

A complex expression appeared on Zhao Nuanyue’s face as she slowly explained, ”I want to, but if I cure them this quickly, not only will it not help them, it will actually cause them to suffer through another ordeal.”

”Oh...” The Little Red Carp had a moment of realization. ”They’re pretending to be sick, so those bad people will be more cautious and won’t dare to bully them so brazenly.”

”Yes, yes, yes!” Zhao Nuanyue nodded repeatedly. ”It’s just as you said. I just want to use their feigned illness to protect them.”

”Alright, then wait here for me.” The Little Red Carp disappeared to the bottom of the water once more.

When it returned this time, it was carrying a plant that looked similar to the last one, but its color was pale red, not green.

”This is called Dragon Tail Grass. It has the effect you mentioned. It can cure their illness, but on the surface, they will still appear to have a fever. It looks scary, but in reality, it has no negative effect on them.” The reason the Little Red Carp helped Zhao Nuanyue was because she was helping others, not harming them. Otherwise, it would never have brought out something so precious.

Zhao Nuanyue was overjoyed to have the item from the Little Red Carp, hopeful that it would save the five people’s lives.

After thanking the Little Red Carp, Zhao Nuanyue quickly boiled some water, put it in a green thermos, and delivered it to the shack in the middle of the night.

Zhao Nuanyue had brought them duck eggs before, so they recognized her and weren’t wary of her.

The elders drank the Dragon Tail Grass water without issue. Although they still had fevers, they were no longer in discomfort. And so, in the relatively warm shack, they fell into a deep sleep, snoring soundly.

They hadn’t rested so well in a long time. When they woke up, it was already daylight. Although their faces were flushed, indicating they still had fevers, they felt much more comfortable than the day before.