Chapter 10

Since neither of them wanted her to stay in the hospital, Xue Miaoyun didn’t press the issue. She went out for a stroll and directly took out a can of adult milk powder and a can of protein powder from her space.

She tore off the outer packaging and grabbed some snacks before heading back to the ward and placing the items on the cabinet.

“Uncle Xun, Uncle Zhao, these things are for you. You both need to replenish your strength,” she said.

“What’s this?”

“It’s adult milk powder and protein powder, to help with strengthening your bodies.”

“…Did you go to the black market?” Zhao Fengnian immediately guessed, his face turning tense.

Xue Miaoyun was silent for a moment; this could indeed serve as an excuse.

“Did your mother tell you? I was afraid of this. For the past few years, seeing you so obedient, I stopped worrying. But now… it’s all for us…” Zhao Fengnian’s face grew grim. Lihua had frequently visited the black market in the past, looking for medicine and ways to improve their health. As individuals who had been exiled, they weren’t allowed to leave their designated areas unless there were special reasons.

When an unexpected disaster had struck, both he and Xun Jinian had fallen seriously ill. Lihua had frequently gone to the black market to find medicine to treat them, even getting injured a few times.

“Miaoyun, you can’t go to the black market; it’s too dangerous. If you’re caught…” Zhao Fengnian’s anger wasn’t directed at Miaoyun, but at their own helplessness.

“Uncle Zhao, I know. Don’t worry, I won’t get into trouble. I won’t go to the black market unless it’s absolutely necessary,” Xue Miaoyun reassured him, not wanting to make her elders worry.

Zhao Fengnian looked at his niece, whose eyes were as stubborn as her mother’s. He felt a wave of helplessness.

They had once watched helplessly as Lihua, their little sister, passed away. Now, they faced the same helplessness with the younger generation’s stubbornness. Had they known their actions would cause trouble for them, they would have never come to Shuize Village.

“Child, it’s not worth it.”

Xue Miaoyun was confused for a moment, then realized that Zhao Fengnian was referring to the risk she was taking for their sake.

She couldn’t tell him that she wasn’t taking risks—the things were all from her space.

“Uncle, it’s not about whether it’s worth it, but whether I want to do it, and whether I’m willing. I consider you and Uncle Xun as my elders, and I do this willingly. I believe that even if my mother knew, she would support me,” Xue Miaoyun said with a smile.

Zhao Fengnian was deeply moved. “You…”

The following day, Xue Miaoyun didn’t go to the town. Instead, she went to the beach. Shuize Village wasn’t by the sea, but it wasn’t far from the coastline. She wanted to test whether the ‘Jiao Spirit Essence’—her golden finger—would allow her to swim freely in the sea.

She found a secluded spot on the shore, gazing at the rising and falling tides. The sight felt incredibly familiar, as though the sea was her true home.

Indeed, the ‘Jiao Spirit Essence’ gave her a sense of belonging to the ocean.

Without wasting any time, Xue Miaoyun took off her clothes and stored them in her space, diving straight into the sea.

The original owner could swim, but Xue Miaoyun had never learned. In fact, she had always been terrible at sports, and physical education had been her weakest subject in school.

However, once she entered the water, Xue Miaoyun felt an overwhelming sense of comfort. All the distractions in her mind faded away, and she simply wanted to swim freely in the sea.

Before she knew it, she had swum farther from the shore and deeper into the ocean.

By the time Xue Miaoyun felt satisfied, she was far from the coastline, surrounded by pitch-black water. Yet, to her surprise, the darkness didn’t hinder her vision at all. She could see clearly everything around her. Various kinds of fish swam around her, and she was mesmerized by the sight.

Most of the fish were unfamiliar to her, but some she recognized.

There was a school of golden-yellow fish with yellow bellies and long, narrow tails—the big yellow fish, prized for its delicious taste. In a few decades, wild big yellow fish would be considered an endangered species.

But for now, a group of big yellow fish swam around her, big and small, scattered in every direction.

The thought of the delicious taste of the fish made Xue Miaoyun smile.

Xue Miaoyun almost drooled at the sight of the fish.

She quietly swam over and selected medium-sized big yellow fish—one, two, three… ten. Once she felt she had enough, she stopped, eager to explore other types of seafood.

There were what seemed to be silver pomfret, sea bass, cod… a rich harvest indeed. Xue Miaoyun was ready to head back. By now, she understood the power of her golden finger—it allowed her to breathe underwater, her vision remained unaffected, even clearer, and although she didn’t know exactly how deep she was in the sea, she felt no water pressure. In fact, it seemed like the sea was nourishing her body.

This sensation was indescribable, but she just knew it to be true.

Xue Miaoyun closed her eyes, relaxed, and let her body float calmly in the sea, swaying with the ebb and flow of the water. She didn’t know how much time had passed, but when she opened her eyes and stretched out her hand, she saw a small, red-bean-sized bead glowing with a faint blue light in her palm.

This was energy she had drawn from the soothing currents around her.

Once it had gathered, she knew immediately what it was—Life’s Blue.

The sea was the cradle of life, and with her Jiao Spirit Essence, she could extract life energy from the ocean. However, this energy would quickly dissipate if taken out of the sea. Luckily, she had her space to store it.

She carefully placed the Life’s Blue into her space.

Realizing it was getting late, Xue Miaoyun quickly began to swim upwards.

Once she broke through the surface, she saw nothing but the vast ocean around her—she could no longer see the shore.

After sensing the surroundings, Xue Miaoyun swam in a chosen direction.

She felt the water rush past her body as she swam at full speed. Her velocity felt fast—she imagined it might be comparable to that of a high-speed train.

This was impressive.

About half an hour later, Xue Miaoyun arrived back at the spot where she had originally entered the water.

She quickly changed back into her clothes and took a basket to place two big yellow fish and one silver pomfret inside.

The sun was already nearing the horizon, and she didn’t have time to worry about her appearance. She hurried home.

By the time she returned to Shuize Village, it was completely dark.

“…Always out and about, who knows what she’s up to? As expected, not a proper person.” The voice from next door grumbled, but Xue Miaoyun paid it no mind as she opened the door.

Having experienced the chaos of information overload, she no longer cared about these trivial comments.

Once inside, she placed the fish into her space. Although the weather had cooled down, it would still make the fish less fresh if left out overnight.

She hadn’t felt hungry while swimming for such a long time, but after the swim and the walk back, she was both tired and hungry.

She had no energy to cook.

She ate four meat buns and immediately collapsed into bed, drifting into a deep sleep.

In her dream, she transformed into a mermaid, swimming freely in the ocean, enjoying the boundless freedom.