Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

The villagers were overjoyed by the sudden appearance of this aquatic grass. Not only did it mean everyone could eat well and have full bellies, but it was also an omen that the village would soon be blessed with many intelligent children.

And so, the young wives who weren’t yet pregnant and the women who wanted another child all diligently ”did their homework” with their husbands at night, hoping to give birth to a future scholar.

Of course, this was all just a legend, and the villagers were skeptical. But the aquatic grass tasted wonderful, and everyone loved it.

Zhao Nuanyue, however, knew it was a treasure, and its effects were exactly as the legends described. The Little Red Carp had told her so—it was truly magical.

He Qiang was also very fond of the Dragon Wisdom Grass. Unable to wait for Hua Yusen and Zhao Nuanyue to bring him some, he went to harvest it himself and gathered a large amount.

The appearance of the Dragon Wisdom Grass sent Nianqiao Village into a lively buzz.

The grass grew in the water and didn’t appear every year, so it wasn’t considered part of the public grain quota and didn’t need to be turned over to the county’s procurement station. At the same time, outsiders didn’t recognize it and were unaware of its value, so it couldn’t be sold for a good price. Therefore, whoever harvested it got to keep it, though it could only be brought home to be eaten.

So, while enjoying plenty of fresh grass to eat, the villagers also stockpiled a large amount of dried Dragon Wisdom Grass.

In just half a month, Zhao Nuanyue noticed her skin had become even more delicate and fair. Even if her face was smudged with dirt, a bit of sweat would reveal the smooth, pale skin underneath.

Li Qiong and Wang Yuan were also amazed. Li Qiong exclaimed to Zhao Nuanyue, ”Nuanyue, look! Don’t you think my skin is a little fairer and smoother than before?”

”Yes, your skin has definitely gotten much fairer and smoother,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. ”We haven’t done anything different, other than eating the Dragon Wisdom Grass. It seems there’s some truth to the village rumors after all.”

”Of course!” Li Qiong said. ”Just yesterday I heard the young wives and middle-aged women in the village saying their skin has improved. It’s all thanks to the Dragon Wisdom Grass. It’s even written down in the village records. And you haven’t seen the half of it—there are twenty or thirty pregnant women in the village now, and the number is still growing!”

Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue burst out laughing. ”When I went to Director Li’s house yesterday, he had such a long face. It turns out it’s because so many women in the village are pregnant that he’s having trouble assigning work. This means our tasks will be even heavier from now on.”

”Yeah, but now that we have enough to eat, a little extra work is nothing,” Li Qiong said with a laugh. ”I think I’ve gotten used to the labor in Nianqiao Village. Even when I’m exhausted, a good night’s sleep makes me feel energetic again. The villagers all say Nianqiao Village is a blessed land, and it’s no lie. It’s really true.”

”Alright, that’s enough talk. Let’s get to work,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. She watched as everyone’s condition slowly improved, but her brother’s transformation was even more obvious. She noticed his eyes were no longer hazy as they once were; they were now full of Spiritual Energy.

These were all benefits her brother had gained from the Dragon Wisdom Grass, and Zhao Nuanyue was deeply grateful to the Little Red Carp.

The Dragon Wisdom Grass not only improved her brother’s mental state but also his physique, making him taller and stronger.

Even his painting skills had shown tremendous improvement. He Qiang was now guiding Zhao Nuan Yang all day long and even wanted to take him on as a formal apprentice.

But after witnessing Zhao Nuan Yang’s miraculous progress, He Qiang hesitated. He worried, ’If I take him as an apprentice, it won’t be long before he surpasses me. Then I won’t be able to guide him any further, and that would only hold him back.’

Therefore, He Qiang decided that as soon as correspondence was possible again, he would write to his own master and ask him to take Zhao Nuan Yang as an apprentice. His master’s guidance would be much better for Zhao Nuan Yang’s future development.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was July—the hottest month of the year, and also the month marking a full year since Zhao Nuanyue and the other young people had arrived in Nianqiao Village.

They had no time to commemorate their one-year anniversary, because the fishing season had begun. It was time to start catching fish.

With the fishing techniques they had learned last year, the young people weren’t overwhelmed this time and could complete their daily tasks.

Dong Sanshu, the accountant, was a rather fair man and never gave the young people a hard time over the weight of their catch.

Because the conditions in Nianqiao Village were relatively lenient, after fulfilling their quotas, everyone would secretly catch a few extra fish to take home and eat.

After all, the fish were just being caught from the river, and they had already completed their assignments. It was something all the villagers did, so everyone turned a blind eye.

When there was a chance to eat their fill, no one wanted to go hungry.

Hua Yusen would sometimes follow the old hunters in the village up the mountain to hunt. If he was lucky, he could even bring down a wild boar.

However, a large animal like a wild boar had to be handed over to the village. In return, Hua Yusen would receive a twenty-pound share of the pork, which was a lot. Brought back to the Dragon King Temple, it was enough for the young people to have several good meals.

But Hua Yusen would also secretly stash a few rabbits, a few wild pheasants, and even a sika deer in a cave. Then, at night, he and Zhao Nuanyue would come to prepare them, making them into braised meat to deliver to the several elders.

Those who live by the mountains, eat from the mountains; those who live by the water, eat from the water.

Nianqiao Village was backed by mountains and surrounded by water on all four sides, so the people who lived here were always able to eat their fill.

Choosing this place as a safe haven for Elder Gu had been a carefully considered decision.

But as the weather grew hotter, the rains in Nianqiao Village became more frequent, and the water in the ditches was threatening to overflow.

The Little Red Carp frantically sought out Zhao Nuanyue in the dead of night.

”Little Red Carp, what’s wrong?” Zhao Nuanyue rubbed her eyes and submerged her consciousness into the water. ”Is it something urgent?”

”Of course it’s urgent! With all this rain, the groundwater is abundant, and an underground river is battering the foundation of the Dragon King Temple. If we let the water from above and below hit Nianqiao Village, it will inevitably cause a catastrophic flood,” the Little Red Carp said urgently. ”We have to find a way to block the outlet of the underground river to save all of Nianqiao Village.”

Hearing talk of a flood, Zhao Nuanyue was stunned. She stammered in fright, ”Then how do we block it? Do I need to rally the villagers right now? Should we all block it together and fight the flood?”

”Of course not!” The Little Red Carp wagged its tail back and forth. ”The mission the Old Dragon King gave you back then was to protect Nianqiao Village’s safety—this flood is that mission! Now you’re needed.”

Zhao Nuanyue was dumbfounded, on the verge of tears.

”Little Red Carp, my body, weighing less than a hundred pounds, can’t possibly plug those huge holes in the underground river!” Zhao Nuanyue cried out in terror, thinking the carp wanted her to use her own body to block the river’s outlet. ”I have so many people I care about! I don’t want to die!”

She still had her brother, she still had her lover, and she still had a wonderful life ahead of her. She didn’t want to die.