Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

After Hua Yusen left, Wang Dadan and Li Siming looked at each other, feeling aggrieved and depressed.

”Sigh, to think we’ve ended up like this. It’s so damned frustrating,” Wang Dadan said, an indignant and bitter expression on his face. ”What are we supposed to do now? Are we just going to let them keep us under their thumb forever?”

Li Siming sighed as well. ”For now, we just have to lay low. We can’t go head-to-head with them. Your cousin’s husband is a capable man; I’m sure he’ll be restored to his official post before long. As for my family, as long as Shanzi is in Nianqiao Village, everyone has to show me some respect.”

Hearing this, Wang Dadan had mixed feelings. ”Sigh, I guess that’s our only option. Everyone in the village is wary of us now, so we only have each other to rely on.”

”Of course,” Li Siming said matter-of-factly. ”I’m sure our two families can get through this. We just have to stick it out for now.”

Although Li Siming looked down on Wang Dadan, and even though his cousin-in-law was currently in trouble, there was no telling if he might make a comeback someday. Besides, Li Siming couldn’t really find any other allies in the village, so he had no choice but to remain friends with Wang Dadan.

”You’re right. A little impatience can spoil a big plan. It’s just... looking at those pretty young things over there makes me drool,” Wang Dadan said, his gaze fixed on Wang Yuan, Li Qiong, and Zhao Nuanyue in the distance. He could feel an itch in his heart.

’Wang Yuan and Li Qiong... with their smooth, delicate skin.’

But when he remembered how Zhao Nuanyue had brought people and ruined his plans, Wang Dadan seethed with uncontrollable anger.

’That Zhao Nuanyue... Let’s see if she can have Hua Yusen’s protection forever. The moment he leaves, hmph, I’ll teach her a lesson she won’t forget!’

Hearing Wang Dadan’s words, Li Siming knew his old habits were flaring up again. He quickly warned, ”Things aren’t like they were when we had our jobs here. That Wu Dazhu has people keeping an eye on us. You can’t do anything reckless! If you get into trouble this time, no one will be able to save you.”

At Li Siming’s warning, Wang Dadan could only say sheepishly, ”Hey, I was just talking. I wouldn’t dare do anything now!”

Li Siming reminded him, though he was cursing inwardly. ’Hmph. It’s not that you don’t dare, it’s that you don’t have the chance. If you could have just kept it in your pants, we wouldn’t be in this mess. All this suffering is because you were blinded by lust.’

”Good. Just make sure you don’t make that kind of mistake again,” Li Siming reminded him one more time. ’This Wang Dadan,’ he thought. ’Sleeping with Widow Qian was one thing. After all, she was a lonely widow, a thirsty patch of land without a man. With her and Wang Dadan, it was completely consensual, so no trouble came of it.’

”I know, I know,” Wang Dadan replied quickly.

When Hua Yusen reached Zhao Nuanyue and the others, he saw they weren’t finished with their work yet and came over to help.

”Hua, what were you saying to Wang Dadan and Li Siming just now? They’re not good people. You should stay away from them,” Zhao Nuanyue advised. ’Bad people don’t turn good just because time has passed. They’re just being suppressed right now, so they don’t dare to cause trouble.’

Hua Yusen smiled and replied, ”I saw them fishing on the sly, so I told them off. Who can they blame but themselves? They used to spend all day criticizing this person and pushing that one around.”

”Heh, when you can’t get enough to eat, everyone’s going to try and fish on the sly,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a soft laugh. ”After all, with fish right there in the river, you’d have to be a fool to go hungry. It’s just that with the system being what it is, you have to be sneaky about it.”

”Yeah, I’ve caught a fair few fish myself,” Li Qiong said with a laugh. ”And I often go up the mountain to pick wild fruit during the slack season. Oh, right, we’re going up the mountain to gather delicacies tomorrow! There are wild fruits up there, so let’s bring some sacks. If we’re lucky, we can pick some.”

”Sounds good!” Zhao Nuanyue nodded. She had found a few walnut trees earlier, and she figured they should be ripe by now.

As dusk fell, the group packed up their farm tools. On their way back to the Dragon King Temple, they passed by the livestock team’s area and picked up the Little Red Carp and a few of the elders.

The Little Red Carp, wearing clothes Zhao Nuanyue had made for her, skipped merrily down the path. She kept turning back to her sister. ”Sister, can I go up the mountain with you tomorrow?”

Hua Yusen swooped in and picked up the Little Red Carp, giving her cheek a gentle pinch. ”You little chubster, you’re so heavy! Your sister has to gather delicacies and climb the mountain; how could she possibly carry you?”

”You’re the one who’s fat! Your whole family is fat!” the Little Red Carp retorted, glaring at Hua Yusen. She then stretched her arms out to her sister. ”You’re a bad guy! A hooligan!”

Zhao Nuanyue took the Little Red Carp into her arms and shot a glare at Hua Yusen. ”Little Red Carp, don’t be rude.” Then, to Hua, she added, ”But you shouldn’t call her fat, either. It’s good for a child to be a little chubby. Little Red Carp, how about you stay with Grandpa and Grandma tomorrow? Sister will pick some fruit for you on the mountain.”

”No!” The Little Red Carp shook her head like a rattle drum. ”I have to go! If you don’t take me, I’ll cry!”

The Little Red Carp hadn’t been this childish before. After spending so much time with one of the village brats, she had picked up a lot of their little tricks.

Zhao Nuanyue kissed the Little Red Carp on the forehead and chided affectionately, ”You’re such a little pest!”

The Little Red Carp pretended to be shy, leaning close to her sister’s ear to whisper, ”Sister, I can help you find things.”

”Your powers work in the mountains, not just in the water?” Zhao Nuanyue whispered back. ’If that’s true,’ she thought, ’bringing her along could let us get twice as much done with half the effort!’

Now that they could hide anything good they found in the cave, Zhao Nuanyue hoped to gather as much as possible so they could have a proper New Year’s celebration.

”Of course! I’m the all-powerful Little Red Carp, you know,” she said, nodding eagerly. ”Please take me, pretty please, Sister?”

Zhao Nuanyue couldn’t resist the Little Red Carp’s adorable, pleading eyes. She laughed and relented. ”Alright, alright. Tomorrow, I’ll have your brother carry the big back-basket, and you can sit inside. How does that sound?”

”Uh-huh!” the Little Red Carp nodded vigorously. She had grown up in the water, and though she could see the mountains, she had never actually been on one.

Hua Yusen was up ahead talking with Elder Gu and didn’t overhear the conversation between Zhao Nuanyue and the Little Red Carp. Even so, the sound of the little girl’s cheerful laughter reached him, and a gentle smile remained on his face.

’Sometimes, when he looked at the Little Red Carp, Hua Yusen would imagine a child of his and Zhao Nuanyue’s. Their child would surely be even cuter and more beautiful.’

Once they arrived back at the Dragon King Temple, everyone ate dinner and then went to their rooms to sleep soundly.

Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen went to the cave to prepare some food for the elders—oil-fried flour and a pot of stew to help them regain their strength.

Later that night, the two of them went to the backyard of the Dragon King Temple and put the things down. Gu Qingyu then asked them to stay for a small meeting.