Before heading to the mountains, Yunyi visited the village clinic. She prepared three days’ worth of traditional Chinese medicine for the injured man next door.
When she arrived with the medicine, Liu Chenglin was splitting firewood in the courtyard. "Liu Zhiqing, this is medicine for three days," she said. "Boil three bowls of water down to one, and take it half an hour after meals. Also, ensure the wound doesn’t get infected over the next few days. If possible, it’s best to take the patient to the hospital. They can handle any unexpected issues promptly there."
It wasn’t that she wanted to meddle. However, the wound was significant, and with the hot weather, she worried it might become inflamed if not handled properly, leading to other adverse outcomes. Besides, she didn’t want to invite trouble. She had clearly heard their conversation last night. Helping was one thing; getting entangled was another.
Liu Chenglin nodded. "Alright, thanks for the reminder."
He accepted the three packages of traditional Chinese medicine. "Chu Zhiqing, how much is it in total?"
Considering their identities, and as a patriot who wanted to do her small part, Yunyi said, "Let’s forget about last night. After all, that comrade was injured protecting our country, and I prepared those medicines myself previously."
Lifting the medicine packages in her hand, she continued, "These three batches of medicine are from the village clinic. Just pay for these, and that will be fine."
Although Liu Chenglin hadn’t interacted much with Yunyi, he somewhat understood her character and her intentions. "In that case, I won’t argue. Thank you," he said.
Seeing Yunyi with her basket, Liu Chenglin knew she was heading to the mountains. Realizing he didn’t have any small change, he said, "Chu Zhiqing, I’ll bring the money to you when I go to work later."
Yunyi waved her hand. "Tomorrow will be fine. I’m going to the mountains to gather herbs today, and I don’t know when I’ll be back."
When Liu Chenglin heard she was going to gather herbs in the mountains, he recalled Doctor Gong’s mishap and couldn’t help but frown. "You’re going into the mountains to gather herbs? Is this your own idea, or did the village cadres ask you to?"
Yunyi knew what he was worried about. "I volunteered and mentioned it to the Branch Secretary. After all, if I’m in this position, I need to do what’s required. As you know, I have some skills; self-protection isn’t an issue for me."
Liu Chenglin knew Yunyi was a prudent person who made careful plans. Since it was her decision, he didn’t say more, only cautioning, "Just don’t go too deep into the mountains. Be sure to stay safe." Read complete version only at novᴇlfire.net
Yunyi nodded at him and then left.
As soon as she entered the mountains, she quickened her pace, heading straight for the deep forests.
She had recently asked people from the production team about the mountains. Wild animals often emerged from the back mountain, and after several incidents of them injuring people, no one dared to venture deep into its hinterlands.
This meant the vegetation there was largely undisturbed by humans. She felt a thrill of excitement; the abundant natural resources seemed to beckon her.
She collected items as she walked: dead trees, pine needles, fresh mushrooms, and mycelium. She also gathered various wild vegetables not found in her interdimensional space. Most thrillingly, because so few people ventured this deep, she managed to find a good number of Lingzhi.
Of course, she also gathered plenty of medicinal herbs along the way.
Upon entering the hinterlands of the back mountain, she discovered a waterfall ahead. Seeing fish in the pool below sparked an idea.
Previously, while practicing her skills in the interdimensional space, she had found a large, naturally formed concave area some distance behind the stone house. I wonder if I could collect some water from the outside world to use as a pond here in the future, she had thought.
Action is better than just thinking about it, she mused. Especially since there’s no one else around in these deep mountains. Why not give it a try?
She submerged her hand into the pool’s water, focusing her will to draw it into her space. To her surprise, it actually worked!