Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Seeing the situation, Wang Yuan also sat down in the boat. When she saw Zhao Nuanyue struggling to stand and pole the boat, a hint of embarrassment crossed her face. She was older and taller than Zhao Nuanyue, yet she wasn’t poling; she was letting Zhao Nuanyue do such a dangerous job. So, she picked up the Little Red Carp to keep it from bumping against the gunwale.

Zhao Nuanyue acted as if she hadn’t seen a thing, continuing to pole the boat with all her might. Ignoring the fishing nets now, she did everything she could to head for the shore.

Zhao Nuanyue’s slender body swayed with the rocking boat. She used nearly all her strength to pole it, and from the exertion, her face flushed red while veins bulged on her forehead and neck. However, the force of nature was too great. Zhao Nuanyue’s small frame was no match for it, and after a strong gust of wind, the boat capsized.

As the boat flipped, Wang Yuan panicked. The Little Red Carp used the momentum to slip from her grasp. The boat then crashed down on top of Wang Yuan, pinning her and forcing her under. As she sank, the water was about to close over her head.

Wang Yuan thrashed about in the water. After swallowing a few mouthfuls, she finally remembered that she knew how to swim.

Wang Yuan immediately began stroking with her arms, her legs following in a rhythmic kick. Suddenly, however, she felt a sharp pain in her left leg. It was cramping. Of all the times for a cramp to happen, it had to be at this crucial moment.

’Could it be that Heaven saw I was about to do something evil and decided to punish me?’

’No, that’s not it. There’s no such thing as Heaven.’

’If good were really rewarded and evil punished, then why wasn’t the man who ruined my innocence brought to justice? Why didn’t he die a horrible death?’

’I don’t believe in it! I don’t believe in it!’

”Help! Help!” Wang Yuan couldn’t dwell on such thoughts. All she wanted now was to live. She still had to complete her task so Guo Dongmei could get her into Jincheng City and set her up with a good job. It was such a bright future, and she didn’t want to lose it.

From a spot where Wang Yuan couldn’t see them, Zhao Nuanyue gave the Little Red Carp a look, signaling it to knock Wang Yuan out.

The Little Red Carp nodded, then cried out, ”Help! Help!”

Zhao Nuanyue quickly swam over and held the Little Red Carp, shouting, ”I’m here to save you! Wang Yuan, hang in there! I’m coming to save you!”

Wang Yuan flailed in the water, enduring the pain in her leg as she glared at Zhao Nuanyue with resentment.

’I’m about to drown, and Zhao Nuanyue isn’t coming to save me?’

A person’s true nature is most revealed in a life-or-death situation.

By any normal logic, since the Little Red Carp was only a year old and completely unable to save itself, Zhao Nuanyue saving it first was the most natural choice. Wang Yuan, however, believed that if she were to die, it would be Zhao Nuanyue’s fault for not saving her in time.

As Zhao Nuanyue swam toward the bank with the Little Red Carp, it whispered to her, ”Big Sis, that Wang Yuan is a bad woman. She’s glaring at you with resentment, probably because you didn’t save her.”

Swimming, Zhao Nuanyue replied, ”She became a bad person—our enemy—the moment she accepted that bottle of poison from Guo Dongmei. People without a moral compass are selfish, especially in life-or-death situations.”

The Little Red Carp was a little confused by this, but Big Sis had told it that it was still young and would slowly come to understand the complexities of human nature.

By the time Zhao Nuanyue brought the Little Red Carp to the riverbank, Wang Yuan’s splashing had grown much weaker.

”Little Red Carp, you stay on the bank. Don’t go back in the water.” Zhao Nuanyue winked at the carp, signaling it to continue using its Mana to bring Wang Yuan to the point of collapse.

The Little Red Carp understood Zhao Nuanyue’s intentions perfectly.

Zhao Nuanyue leaped back into the water and swam toward Wang Yuan.

Wang Yuan had already swallowed a lot of water. She had struggled for a long time, but she couldn’t fight the waves and her cramping leg any longer. She was gradually sinking.

But when Wang Yuan saw Zhao Nuanyue swimming toward her, her survival instincts kicked in, giving her a renewed burst of energy.

’Maybe if I just hold on for another minute or two, I’ll be saved.’

Zhao Nuanyue swam faster and faster, quickly reaching Wang Yuan’s side.

Wang Yuan, who already had one foot in the grave, saw Zhao Nuanyue as her only lifeline. She grabbed on tight and refused to let go.

With Wang Yuan clinging to her so tightly, Zhao Nuanyue couldn’t swim.

In the water, Wang Yuan felt like a dead weight.

”Wang Yuan, you have to relax! If you keep holding me like this, I can’t swim, and we’ll both drown!” Zhao Nuanyue said urgently. ’Good heavens,’ she thought, ’I never realized saving someone was so dangerous. Even though I orchestrated this whole scene myself, people’s instincts in a life-or-death situation really are incredibly selfish.’

Treating Zhao Nuanyue as her only hope, Wang Yuan certainly wasn’t about to let go just because she was told to. In fact, fearing that Zhao Nuanyue might abandon her, she clung on even tighter.

Zhao Nuanyue felt herself being dragged down, unable to move freely.

”Wang Yuan, let go—” Zhao Nuanyue urged, but it was useless.

Wang Yuan’s eyes were wide with a fierce determination that seemed to say, ’If you can’t save me, you’re dying with me.’

Zhao Nuanyue didn’t dare meet her gaze. Instead, she struck the back of Wang Yuan’s neck. Wang Yuan’s eyes flew open in disbelief that Zhao Nuanyue would knock her unconscious. Then, her vision blurred and her eyes fluttered shut.

Just before losing consciousness, Wang Yuan had one last thought: ’I’m a dead woman. My bright future is gone.’

Zhao Nuanyue let out a sigh of relief once Wang Yuan was unconscious.

Considering the viciousness Wang Yuan had just shown, Zhao Nuanyue had been tempted to just let her drown.

With great difficulty, Zhao Nuanyue dragged Wang Yuan to the bank. She then quickly searched her and found the small porcelain vial of poison. ”Little Red Carp,” she asked, ”look, is this it?”

The Little Red Carp drew near, sensed it for a moment, and nodded eagerly. ”Yes, that’s it!”

Zhao Nuanyue pulled the stopper from the vial and was about to pour the contents into the river, but the Little Red Carp quickly stopped her. ”Big Sis, don’t pour it in the water! It’ll be bad for the fish!”

”Then... then where should I pour it?” Zhao Nuanyue asked, surprised. ”So this stuff is bad for fish, is it?”

The Little Red Carp nodded. ”Yes. I’ll dig a small hole and place a Barrier around it. You can pour it in there.”

”Okay!” Zhao Nuanyue nodded in agreement.

The Little Red Carp acted at once. It quickly dug a hole, poured the poison inside, then placed a Barrier over it, ensuring the evil substance couldn’t escape.

Then, Zhao Nuanyue rinsed the bottle in the river. Though trace amounts of the substance remained, the quantity was now so small it wouldn’t affect the creatures in the waterways of Nianqiao Village.

”Can you check if this bottle is clean now?” Zhao Nuanyue asked, wanting the Little Red Carp to use its senses. After all, they were much sharper than her own.

The Little Red Carp took the vial, sniffed it, and nodded. ”It’s clean now. Hurry and fill it with plain water, then we’ll have completed our mission.”