Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Little Red Carp wasn’t materialistic. She just felt that with money, she could help her sister and brother.

”That’s right, Little Red Carp is rich now!” Zhao Nuanyue said, pleasantly surprised. She quickly asked, ”Little Red Carp, you know how to craft a Space Artifact?”

Little Red Carp nodded repeatedly. ”Of course! It’s very simple. My mana isn’t very high, but I can still make a little thing like that.”

”Great, let’s get it done tonight,” Zhao Nuanyue said excitedly. ’Heavens, having an artifact that can hold things would be absolutely amazing!’

’We could put supplies and food inside. If we ever run into danger, we’d be able to hold out for some time.’

The three of them stayed inside for a long time. When Zhao Nuanyue started to feel hungry, she quickly said, ”Nuanyang, Little Red Carp, let’s go for now. We can come back and look another time.”

Zhao Nuan Yang gazed at the calligraphy and paintings in the box, reluctant to part with them, but he still dutifully placed them back inside.

”Nuanyang, don’t worry. I’ll take these things out and hide them later, and then you can look at them in the cave,” Zhao Nuanyue urged, hoping her brother would stop lingering and leave with her.

Zhao Nuan Yang thought for a moment, then opened the box and took out three paintings. He gave his sister a pleading look and said, ”Sis, I want to take these to the cave to look at!”

”Umm...” Zhao Nuanyue hesitated. ’I’m afraid he might let something slip. That would be a disaster.’

”Sis, I’ll only look at them in the cave! I won’t take them out, and I won’t tell anyone.” Zhao Nuan Yang was no fool. ’He knew that with so much treasure, it was best if only the three of them knew. He absolutely could not tell anyone else.’

’Otherwise, these things wouldn’t be theirs anymore.’

’These paintings were masterpieces, the kind of things he’d only dreamed of. He wasn’t an idiot, why would he tell anyone?’

Seeing her brother plead so earnestly, Zhao Nuanyue couldn’t find it in her heart to refuse. She nodded. ”Alright, you can take them. But you absolutely cannot take them out of the cave, understand?”

”Yes, yes, I understand, Sis.” Zhao Nuan Yang nodded eagerly. ”I just want to study the ancient paintings. I definitely won’t take them out.”

Little Red Carp led them out, setting up another barrier as they left.

They were all covered in dust, so Zhao Nuanyue quickly helped everyone brush themselves off before they started down the mountain.

First, they went to the cave where Zhao Nuan Yang usually kept his easel, paints, and finished works. Only after stashing the three paintings inside did they feel it was secure.

Now, whenever he had free time, Zhao Nuan Yang could go to the cave to look at them.

When they got to the Dragon King Temple, Zhao Nuanyue and the others ran right into Yang Guanghui, who was hurrying out.

”Oh, Nuanyue, Nuanyang, Little Red Carp, you’re finally back!” Yang Guanghui sighed in relief upon seeing them. ”Li Qiong and Wang Yuan have already made dinner. You weren’t back yet, and they were so worried they asked me to go look for you.”

”Haha, we found a spot with lots of mountain delicacies, so we decided to pick them all before coming back,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. ”We were afraid if we came back for them this afternoon, someone else might have taken them. We just lost track of time, and it got late.”

”Well, that’s good.” Yang Guanghui smiled, then glanced at their baskets and the large hampers on their backs, all brimming with wild delicacies. Little Red Carp was nestled in Zhao Nuanyue’s arms.

”Wow, you all gathered quite a lot today,” Yang Guanghui said in praise. ”Hurry up and eat. After dinner, I’ll go with you to turn in the haul to the village commune.”

”Thanks, Yang,” Zhao Nuanyue chuckled. ”Oh, it’s so nice that dinner is already made! I love eating a ready-made meal. This afternoon, we only need to gather a few more pounds, then I’ll come back early to cook for everyone.”

Hearing this, Li Qiong smiled. ”Sounds good! I saved some mushrooms today. We can have mushroom soup tonight. The mushroom soup you make is especially delicious with some crispy crackers, Nuanyue.”

”Okay, and we happen to have a few sesame seeds left,” Zhao Nuanyue said, readily agreeing to Li Qiong’s request.

But when they started eating, Hua Yusen hadn’t shown up.

”Hey, where’s Hua? Why isn’t he back?” Zhao Nuanyue asked. ”Yang, wasn’t he with you today?”

Yang Guanghui shook his head. ”Uncle Miao assigned him to work near the livestock team. I guess he’s not done yet. We’ve left his food in the pot for him to eat when he gets back.”

”Oh,” Zhao Nuanyue nodded. ’I’ll go check on him after dinner.’

Just then, Hua Yusen walked in through the back door.

”Hey, speak of the devil! Why are you coming in from the back?” Yang Guanghui asked in surprise. ”Go wash your hands. I’ll get you a bowl of food!”

Hua Yusen’s expression was grim. He washed his hands, sat down at the table, and took the bowl Yang Guanghui handed him. ”Thanks.”

”Hua, what’s wrong?” Zhao Nuanyue asked, looking at him. ”You came in from the back, and you look so serious. Did something happen?”

Hua Yusen put down his chopsticks and sighed. ”It’s Uncle Gu from out back. Something’s wrong with his health. He suddenly fainted while working today. Uncle Sun knows a bit of medicine and took a look at him. He said it was from overexertion and his body being too weak. I carried Uncle Gu back, which is why I was delayed.”

Hearing this, the faces of everyone at the table fell.

Those elderly people were designated ”assistance personnel,” but they were around the same age as their own parents back home, which made them feel very sympathetic.

”Sigh, how pitiful,” Li Qiong lamented. ”They’re so old, with no children around to look after them. Compared to them, we’re young. At least we can take care of ourselves.”

”That’s right. We’re young and healthy, but it’s not the same for the elderly,” Zhao Nuanyue agreed. ”I hope Uncle Gu gets well soon.”

Yang Guanghui spoke as he ate. ”His recovery is one thing, but the real question is when any of us—us and the assistance personnel—can leave this place. That’s what’s most critical. But nobody knows. It feels like it could be forever.”

As she listened, Wang Yuan kept her head lowered. At first, she was startled, even feeling a pang of guilt, but that was quickly replaced by a thrill of excitement.

’After waiting for almost two months, I’ve finally heard that Old Man Gu is weakening. It proves the poison is working.’

’Later, I’ll have to personally ’visit’ Old Man Gu, and then I’ll write a letter to Guo Dongmei in Jincheng City.’

”Sigh, we’re all in a pitiful state,” Wang Yuan said with her head still low. ”After dinner, let’s go visit Uncle Gu. If he needs any help, we should do our best to provide it. Life isn’t easy for any of us.”

”Alright, everyone eat up,” Li Qiong urged. People are generally sympathetic; even if they didn’t pay much attention on a normal day, an incident like this always made them want to show a little more concern.

Zhao Nuanyue thought to herself, ’So, the second step of their plan is beginning.’

After dinner, the group went to the backyard to visit Gu Qingyu.