Indeed, just as she had guessed, it wasn’t long before a few rabbits came hopping over, drawn by the scent and jumping into the tree pit, followed by several pheasants and a silly roe deer.
It wasn’t clear if the scent had completely dissipated or if the smells of the small animals in the pit had masked it, but no other animals came afterward.
After ensuring there were no safety hazards, Yunyi climbed down from the tree and deftly collected her spoils into her space.
She thought about saving them for Old Master Chu after his mourning period ended, so she could eat them herself. Or, if she gathered more, she could find a place to sell them.
Realizing it was getting late, she decided against venturing further in. After all, it got dark early in the Lin Zi, and it was best to return promptly. She couldn’t afford to cause trouble right after arriving in the village. Keeping a low profile was key to a comfortable life.
By the time she reached the foot of the mountain, she took out two dead trees from her space and dragged them all the way home. By then, the sky had already darkened.
She had purposefully fried extra dishes at noon, so for dinner, she just made a pot of cornmeal porridge. She planned to eat some tonight and store the rest in her space.
Using this time, she dismantled the dead trees from outside the courtyard and neatly stacked the pieces in the woodshed. Content originally comes from n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
After securing the front door and drawing the curtains, she hurried into her space for a bath; she had gotten quite dirty in the mountains that afternoon.
By the time she emerged from her space, the cornmeal porridge on the stove was almost ready.
Yunyi removed the excess firewood, extinguishing the flames, stirred the porridge with a spoon, and let it simmer a little longer using the residual heat from the stove.
Just as she took out the leftover dishes from noon, she heard someone calling from outside, "Chu Zhiqing, are you home?"
Yunyi walked out of the kitchen. "Who is it?"
A woman’s urgent voice came through, "Chu Zhiqing, I’m Du Yuhua. My husband is Feng Guiming, the leader of the Third Squad."
Yunyi opened the door to see the woman standing outside, holding a little boy about one or two years old in her arms. "What do you need from me?"
Du Yuhua looked anxious. "Chu Zhiqing, my Maodan just injured his arm while playing in the yard. There’s no one at the clinic. I had no other option, so I swallowed my pride and came to you."
Although Yunyi disliked trouble, she wouldn’t refuse such a matter. Besides, the clinic really was empty today. "Come in."
Upon hearing Yunyi’s words, Du Yuhua let out a relieved sigh and felt immensely grateful. She had been very anxious on her way over, fearing rejection.
The child remained quiet in his mother’s arms, not squirming or crying, but the tear stains on his face were clearly visible.
Yunyi led them to the kitchen doorway, to a spot where the candlelight could reach. "Where did he get hurt?"
Looking at her son, Du Yuhua replied, "He was playing in the yard with his older brothers and sisters when he suddenly started crying. I couldn’t see where he was hurt. He just said his arm was in pain."
Yunyi reached out and touched the boy’s arm, smiling at him as she asked, "Do you still want to play with your brothers and sisters?"
As she finished speaking, there was a CLICK. "There, all better."
Du Yuhua couldn’t believe it. "Chu Zhiqing, it’s healed just like that?"
Yunyi smiled slightly at her. "Yes, it’s better now. He had dislocated his elbow, and I’ve reset it. Be careful for a while. Don’t let him strain that arm, especially the elbow."
After speaking, she took a fruit candy from her pocket and held it up a bit higher. "Here, Big Sister is giving you a candy. Reach out and take it yourself."
Candy was a rare treat. Village children barely got to eat a few pieces all year round. When he heard Yunyi’s words, the boy’s eyes instantly lit up, and he reached out for the candy.
Yunyi deliberately didn’t let him get it at first, testing his arm back and forth a few times. Seeing there was truly no problem, she then gave the candy to the child.