However, there was no place to rest nearby, so the government officer had to let everyone continue on their way.
After being drenched by the rain for a full two hours, they finally found a suitable place to rest.
It was a relatively large cave.
And at this moment, the rain outside was still pouring down, showing no sign of stopping.
The government officer, after ordering someone to get food supplies, stood guard at the entrance watching over everyone.
Pei Shu’er had just rested for half an hour when Ma walked up to her and handed her a vegetable bun she had hidden.
Her eyes showed a clear intent to ingratiate.
"Shu’er, you eat a vegetable bun first."
Pei Shu’er, straightforward yet gentle, smiled directly.
"Auntie, has uncle’s condition worsened again?"
Ma nodded with difficulty. She knew that her niece-in-law was not easy to please and had already owed her three favors, fearing she might get angry.
Yet, she was the only one here who knew medicine, and she had to seek help from Pei Shu’er again.
Pei Shu’er smiled and said, "Aunt, there’s no need to be so polite. I know this ration is also saved by you. We’re all one family, helping each other is only right, don’t you agree?"
Ma finally understood Pei Shu’er’s meaning, nodding, and realizing Pei Shu’er’s intent to seek protection, she no longer felt anxious.
What she feared was that there might be nothing Pei Shu’er could appreciate.
Pei Shu’er liked speaking with clever people. Seeing this, she smiled and said, "Aunt, please take me to check on uncle."
After Pei Shu’er dealt with uncle’s injuries, she returned to her spot and closed her eyes to rest.
A man called out, "Miss Pei, could you also take a look at my brother?"
Pei Shu’er then opened her eyes and saw a handsome man in front of her. Pei Shu’er knew this man was under Tang Peizhong before exile, a commander named Lin Yu.
Pei Shu’er nodded with a smile, "Of course."
As she passed by Tang Zan, she heard him scoff.
When she looked at Tang Zan, she found that the ridicule in his eyes was undisguised.
Throughout the day, Tang Zan’s spirits were much better than yesterday, thanks to the support.
He had started to change his opinion of Pei Shu’er slightly.
Now, seeing her interact with other men, he felt even more scornful.
He must have been crazy to think Pei Shu’er was not that detestable.
Old habits die hard. Her flirtatious nature simply couldn’t change.
His fingers moved involuntarily.
He should have strangled her last night.
After last night’s events, Pei Shu’er made two decisions.
First, cooperation with the antagonist is still necessary to ensure his survival while also having means to control him.
Second, she can’t just rely on an unreliable antagonist like Tang Zan, she also needs to find more allies.
Whether genuine or interest-driven.
Otherwise, she couldn’t bear Tang Zan’s backlash alone, and even upon reaching the exile, it would be hard to quickly establish her power.
The living conditions on Gulan Mountain are not better than now, even harsher.
Pei Shu’er examined the injured, finding this person already feverish and disoriented.
Moreover, the condition had worsened, and with prolonged starvation, he was barely breathing.
Seeing Pei Shu’er frown, Lin Yu’s heart immediately tightened, and he asked hurriedly, "Miss Pei, is there any difficulty?"
There was no difficulty, but she couldn’t appear too relaxed, making it seem like it was just a minor effort.
That way, others wouldn’t be very grateful.
To win people’s hearts, it all depended on these small details.
"Your brother’s condition is grave, even an Imperial Physician might have difficulty treating him."
Lin Yu’s eyes turned red, looking as if he were mourning.
Pei Shu’er sighed upon seeing this.
"It’s just, I can talk to the government officer about finding a kind of herb nearby, which has strong anti-inflammatory properties and promotes wound healing."
Lin Yu’s eyes brightened.
"No, let me go look for it."
Pei Shu’er shook her head, "Only I know what the herb looks like, so I’ll speak to the officials about it."
Lin Yu gritted his teeth, "But it’s still raining."
Pei Shu’er smiled gently.
"Whether it’s raining now or during a life-and-death crisis, it’s imperative to go even if it’s raining knives."
Pei Shu’er’s tone wasn’t firm, yet the delicate words moved everyone deeply.
Pei Shu’er checked the unconscious exiles, and surprisingly, the whiskered ruffian who harassed her was among the most severe.
She sighed involuntarily, looking compassionate and merciful.
"Everyone has the same symptoms, I’ll try to gather more herbs for everyone to use later together."
Everyone naturally expressed endless gratitude.
Even Tang Zan lifted his eyelids to glance at her.
Pei Shu’er greeted the government officer and searched for herbs around.
She naturally found some, but she wasn’t in a hurry to return; she needed to wait for the whiskered ruffian to completely lose consciousness before returning.
Without seeing blood, how could they know the severity of the disease, or recognize her importance?
What’s more, she didn’t have the generosity to save someone who harassed her.
After staying outside for an hour, Pei Shu’er returned, removing her raincoat and hat, but her clothes were still slightly wet from the rain.
Seeing Pei Shu’er’s disheveled appearance, everyone naturally felt grateful and guilty.
They hurriedly said, "Miss Pei, please come here to warm yourself by the fire."
Pei Shu’er smiled gently at the person, "Thank you, but whether my clothes are damp or dry, it’s not more important than a person’s life."
Everyone was moved by Pei Shu’er’s words, and their impression of her had somewhat changed.
This clearly wasn’t like the unfavorable rumors, but rather she seemed like a quite kind girl.
As for those who previously witnessed her sharp and harsh demeanor in person, they couldn’t help but feel confused.
Perhaps her previous behavior was out of fear, and this was her true nature.
Of course, more than half believed Pei Shu’er was putting on an act.
Yet looking at Pei Shu’er’s expression, it didn’t seem fake.
She was indeed earnestly and patiently treating everyone’s wounds.
Pei Shu’er found some people’s injuries were already very serious, and without stitching, the wounds would be hard to heal.
She looked at everyone, "Does anyone have needles, thread, and alcohol I could borrow?"
Everyone looked at each other, and finally an old grandmother stepped forward, handing a needle and thread to Pei Shu’er.
As for the alcohol, Lin Yu went off running to buy some from the government officer.
Pei Shu’er could have taken some from her space, but with so many eyes on her now,
If she took it out like that, it would draw too much attention.
These people were not worth her taking such a risk.