Chapter 22.2

Gu Sui, who Guan Yue has been thinking about, was now busy at the Educated Youth station, he was busy helping villagers with their health needs.

For headaches, fevers, and other minor illnesses, they typically went to Yang Guozhu for medicine. Today, however, Gu Sui was seeing patients with chronic conditions—arthritis, joint pain, back and leg pain, and other ailments that were harder to treat.

Most of these illnesses required good care and maintenance of health.

At one point, someone remarked, “You know, it’d be great if Guan Yue were still here to help people with acupuncture. I heard she’s really good at it—maybe a few sessions and my leg pain would be gone.”

“You never know,” said another. “My wife’s back was bad last year, and she went to Guan Yue for a few sessions. This summer, even with the busy harvest, she hasn’t complained about back pain.”

As Gu Sui finished preparing a prescription for the next patient, he called out, “Next!”

Hearing the call, everyone stopped talking and moved forward in line.

The conversation shifted back to Guan Yue—about how she wasn’t helping anymore and what happened with Guo Chuanbin and Yang Xiaomei’s marriage.

In Qingxi Village, the broken engagement and the subsequent gossip were seen as a result of poor communication and reputational damage, making it difficult for Yang Xiaomei to find a good match in the future.

Someone spoke up, “In Qingxi Village, if there’s anyone with a bad mouth, Liu Yufeng is definitely on that list.”

“Zhang Cuihua is really fierce!”

“It’s different. When have you ever seen Zhang Cuihua start trouble on her own? Every time, it’s someone else causing trouble for her. If someone bullies her right to her face and she can’t even say something tough, then that’s not good.”

“That’s true!”

“They say a person is fierce only at home; Liu Yufeng is the opposite, tough outside but bullied by Big Wu at home, she can’t even say a word.”

“That’s right, I heard… last night… she got hit… and didn’t dare go back to her mother’s home to complain… tsk tsk…”

Others made a noise of sympathy, not knowing if this woman was pitiful or hateful!

After seeing the patient, Gu Sui emotionlessly called the next.

The people in line moved up one spot, huddled together again, starting the gossip.

Gu Sui came to Qingxi Village last Dragon Boat Festival, and now the festival is coming again, so it’s been almost a year.

At first, he wasn’t used to it, but now he can completely ignore this gossip and focus on his own business.

After finishing the last patient, Gu Sui let out a sigh of relief.

The mountains are still quiet, and occasionally when Guan Yue’s interest comes, listening to her chatter, he finds it interesting, not at all annoying.

At this moment, Gu Sui was definitely a double standard dog, yet he didn’t realize it himself, thinking only that Guan Yue was cute.

Guan Yue is not only cute; thinking of how in the border jungle, she expressionlessly fought off enemies to save him, his heart ached again.

The deep blue night sky was studded with stars, and the Milky Way could be seen faintly. In the tree house, Guan Yue was hugging a blanket, sleeping soundly.

She had no idea that down the mountain, a man was secretly feeling sorry for her.

Gu Sui was a man of few words and many actions. His way of showing concern for Guan Yue was to go up the mountain early in the morning, steam a pot of preserved meat buns, and make a bowl of spicy and sour noodles.

When Guan Yue woke up in the morning, stepping on branches to leap over, seeing the breakfast laid out on the table, her eyes brightened.

“Getting to eat buns and spicy and sour noodles this morning?”

“Yeah, if you want to eat, I’ll make it for you again tomorrow morning.”

Guan Yue smiled cheerfully, “That sounds great! But it’s hard work making food, so just make one kind.”

Gu Sui smiled faintly, “It’s not hard work.”

“Today is another sunny day. Early in the morning, Yang Guozhu, down the mountain, took the attendance list, checked the names, and shouted everyone to get to work. Everyone was full of energy.”

“Liu Yufeng had a rough day today, assigned to fetch water. She grumbled in dissatisfaction, but no one paid her any attention.”

“It was clear to those with eyes—she had offended someone with her sharp tongue yesterday, so she was given the heavy task today.”

“Li Tao and Lin Haiyin didn’t go to work in the fields today. Li Tao took a large jar of sweet wine to go up the mountain to see Guan Yue, and Lin Haiyin also went along to have a look at Guan Yue for a checkup.”

“Her belly was already over five months pregnant. Although she felt strong and healthy enough to work in the fields, Zhang Cuihua thought it was better to have Guan Yue take a look.”

“As they climbed the mountain, Lin Haiyin helped Li Tao steady the jar: ‘Heavy? I said, wait until your brother gets off work to carry it.’

“Li Tao shook his head, ‘This jar isn’t big, it’s not heavy.’

“Since getting married, especially after becoming pregnant, Lin Haiyin was increasingly like a mother-in-law, her mouth running nonstop: ‘I said, I’m fine working in the fields, why do I need to specially ask Guan Yue to take my pulse? I know my own body.’

“Just take a look, Dad and Big Brother are also worried about you.’

“Lin Haiyin smiled sweetly, ‘Your brother’s a good man, that’s one thing he’s got going for him.’

“She wasn’t afraid of hard work or exhaustion—she was just afraid of not being loved or cared for. Fortunately, she was lucky; the honest, kind man she lacked from childhood was slowly being filled by Li Tao.

“Lin Haiyin recalled something: ‘Isn’t it said Guan Yue doesn’t see patients anymore? If you bring me like this, will she be upset?’

“No, Guan Yue is actually easy to talk to. It was just those people who were too much at the beginning, that’s why Guan Yue said she wouldn’t see patients anymore.’

“Lin Haiyin: ‘If you can get along well with Guan Yue, that’s the best thing ever. Finding a talented person like her once in a lifetime is a stroke of luck. However, some people who seem easygoing on the surface aren’t that easy to deal with.’

“Lin Haiyin really treated the Li family as her own. Whatever she knew, she wasn’t stingy about sharing with Li Tao, this little sister-in-law.

“Li Tao smiled a bit clumsily, much like her brother: ‘I don’t even know if I’m a friend to Guan Yue. I actually really like her; being with her is very enjoyable.’

“The two, aunt and niece-in-law, chatted as they walked, quickly reaching the mountain.

“Guan Yue was making pills to take to Teacher. She looked up and saw the jar of sweet wine in Li Tao’s arms. ‘Is that sweet wine in there?’

“Yes, for you. You said you wanted to make sweet wine from fifty kilograms of rice, but my mother said with only one person, it would take a long time to eat fifty kilograms. Also, the alcohol smell would be strong and not as fragrant. So we only made ten kilograms, two jars in total. I’ll bring the other jar later.’

“Sounds good!’

“Guan Yue wasn’t experienced with these everyday matters and didn’t know how much sweet wine could be made from fifty kilograms of rice—she was just casually mentioning it.”

“Guan Yue was eager to try, really wanting to taste what it was like.”

“Gu Sui went inside to get a bowl and spoon, lifted the lid, smelled it, and then filled her half a bowl: ‘This sweet wine has fermented for a while, it’s fully sugarized, so it has a strong alcohol taste. Just taste a little bit.’”

“Guan Yue held the bowl and took a sip, smacking her lips: ‘Why isn’t it sweet?’

“Li Tao chuckled: ‘That’s because there’s no sugar in it.’”

“Guan Yue looked at Gu Sui longingly, and he smiled: ‘I’ll make it for you to eat in the afternoon.’”

“Lin Haiyin, who was watching from the side, looked surprised. Did Gu Sui, this man from Beijing, really like Guan Yue? Would his family background accept Guan Yue’s status as an orphan?”

“Although Gu Sui had never brought up his background voluntarily, from Wang Lu, Lin Haiyin had learned a few things. If Wang Lu could come and go as she pleased, why couldn’t Gu Sui?”

“She had been wondering why Gu Sui had decided to stay; now, it seemed it might truly be because of this girl?”

“Lin Haiyin’s gaze fell on Guan Yue’s face—this girl was really beautiful.”

“Guan Yue felt Lin Haiyin’s gaze and turned to look at her: ‘Is something wrong?’

“Li Tao held his wife’s hand tightly, quickly saying, ‘At the New Year, you diagnosed my Sister-in-law’s pregnancy, and now it’s been over five months. My mother wants to ask you to take a look now, see how the baby is doing.’

“This was just a small favor. Guan Yue invited Lin Haiyin to sit down, and she took her pulse.”

“After Guan Yue had taken the pulse, it was her habit to let Gu Sui check as well.”

“After both had taken their pulses, Gu Sui spoke first: ‘You’re quite healthy, and the baby is too. Just make sure not to overexert yourself, especially now that you’re this far along.’”

“Guan Yue agreed, Gu Sui was right.”

“Li Tao nodded eagerly: ‘My mother said the same thing. We’re all working for points now; we don’t lack this little bit, but my Sister-in-law won’t listen.’

“Lin Haiyin stroked her belly: ‘I just want to help everyone out. I see other pregnant women in the village working in the fields, and I feel it’s not right for me to just sit at home.’

“Li Tao: ‘What’s wrong with that? There’s plenty to do at home—cooking, cleaning, feeding the chickens and ducks.’

“Lin Haiyin wasn’t someone who didn’t listen to advice. She smiled and agreed: ‘Fine, before the baby is born, I’ll just help out at home; I’m not going to work in the fields anymore.’”

“Li Tao: ‘That’s better!’

“Gu Sui: ‘After a year here, you seem to have adapted quite well.’

“Lin Haiyin knew what Gu Sui meant; she smiled and replied, ‘It’s one thing to endure hard work, real hardship is when your heart aches.’

“It was the busy season now, and Li Tao and Lin Haiyin had to go back. Guan Yue didn’t insist on keeping them; she went inside to get a bottle of medicine to give them: ‘This is a thank-you gift for your mother making the sweet wine for me.’

“Lin Haiyin looked at the medicine bottle, which had a sticker reading ‘Cool Pill,’ and didn’t refuse.

“Li Tao suddenly remembered something: ‘By the way, Guan Yue, can you make those pills that make people’s skin whiter?’

“She blushed, ‘I’m getting married after the autumn harvest and my skin is dark, my mother says it’s not pretty.’

“I have a recipe, but I’ve never made this kind of medicine before. Once I have some free time, I’ll research and try it.’

“Li Tao nodded eagerly: ‘Okay, take your time. I’m not in a rush.’

“Guan Yue giggled: ‘Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you look like a fair and tender bride by the time you get married.’

“Then I’ll definitely say thanks.’

“Lin Haiyin laughed, ‘If you can really turn the peaches white, my mother-in-law will definitely give you a big gift.’

“Zhang Cuihua wasn’t a fair-skinned person, and both of her children had inherited her complexion. Working hard in the fields year after year, their skin had turned dark and sallow, clearly marking them as country folk. When it came to marriage, most people only got one chance; being a little fairer and more presentable was definitely better.

“After Li Tao and Lin Haiyin left, Guan Yue continued making Qing Fei Pill (pill for lung health) and Yang Xin Pill (pill for heart health). Once she knew these medicines worked, Guan Yue was even quicker to adjust her powers when making the pills.

“Guan Yue assured that this batch of pills would definitely be better than the last. It was not easy to send these medicines such a long distance; this time, she made six bottles, one a month, enough for half a year’s supply.

“After making the pills, Guan Yue and Gu Sui packed them together. Then, she put complex designs on the bottle caps.

“Gu Sui: ‘You even know how to make these little gadgets?’

“It’s simple enough.’

“Gu Sui smiled, but it was only simple because she thought so. If she hadn’t taught him earlier, he wouldn’t have known how to open these seamless, seemingly one-piece bottles.

“Along with the Qing Fei Pill (pill for lung health) and Yang Xin Pill (pill for heart health), this time, Guan Yue also provided pills for common illnesses. It wasn’t that she was dissatisfied; her Teacher was always very talkative and said how skilled he was, but when it came down to real ability, he was only half full of sound and fury. Since she was sending them anyway, why not send a little more—just a gesture of filial piety from this disciple.’

As for the cured meat and sausages, Guan Yue couldn’t bear it. After removing the bones and internal organs from a pig, it was made into dried cured meat and sausages, leaving very little meat behind.

Besides, Guan Yue loves meat, and this little bit of meat is not enough for her. The New Year is still far away.

Standing in front of a wall of dried cured meat and sausages, Guan Yue selected a moderate-sized piece of dried cured meat and two sausages very carefully.

Gu Sui was smiling widely.

Guan Yue explained her reasoning, “They don’t lack my little bit of meat; just let them taste it.”

Then Guan Yue said again, “You also put in effort to make the sausages and cured meat, why don’t you choose a piece to send to your parents?”

Gu Sui laughed even more exaggeratedly, “Not going to send it, you keep it to eat; I’m afraid you’ll feel bad.”

Feeling bad was indeed what Guan Yue felt, but she still wanted to keep up appearances. Guan Yue quickly said, “If you don’t send it yourself, don’t say I’m stingy.”

“Alright, I won’t say anything.”

Satisfied, Guan Yue nodded.

At noon, after eating zhaozao (fermented glutinous rice porridge) with small dumplings, which Gu Sui made fresh, each dumpling was only the size of Guan Yue’s little finger. They were soft and sticky in the zhaozao porridge, sweetened with a bit of white sugar, turning the sour porridge into a sweet taste. Finally, a few bright red goji berries were added as a garnish, making the taste absolutely perfect.

Guan Yue satisfiedly ate a large bowl: “I think you make it better than Li Tao’s mom.”

On Gu Sui’s table was also a small bowl of zhaozao dumplings: “Thank you for coming to watch.”

“Polite, polite!”

After saying that, Guan Yue laughed loudly, scaring off a small bird that was grooming itself on a tree branch.

After lunch, Guan Yue took a nap in the treehouse, and Gu Sui stayed in the wooden house to rest.

In the afternoon, Guan Yue expanded her search range once more and finally found her pig in a small valley.

Guan Yue stood on a tree and looked down. The original white, chubby piglet was now completely gray and covered with dust, probably from rolling around in the woods.

Next to the piglet were three wild boars, with one of the wild piglets affectionately rubbing against her pig. Although there was a slight color difference, it still looked quite harmonious.

Guan Yue clicked her tongue, tying a vine to the piglet and sending it down to the stream to wash off. Then, with a whining piglet, she brought it back to her custom pig pen.

New batches of sweet potato vines were sprouted, and when the underground sweet potatoes matured, they were pulled out directly and stacked to one side.

Guan Yue clapped her hands: “Eat more, you need to eat chubby ones, the chubby piglets are the cutest!”

Now they could save the money to buy another piglet.

The next morning, Gu Sui was already up the mountain before dawn to cook for Guan Yue. After breakfast, Guan Yue shouldered her bag and went into the city.

She handed over the packed items to Uncle Cai, and Cai Guofu delivered them by noon.

On the way back, he told Guan Yue, “The person said, barring any issues, it should be delivered by the beginning of next month.”

Guan Yue nodded: “Okay.”

Cai Guofu also mentioned the medicinal herbs: “Since you’re back, if you have the time, go out and collect some herbs. Without your good supply of herbs, we haven’t received much good stuff in the first half of this year.”

Guan Yue chuckled: “Turns out we had stock, so this time I made Qing Fei Pill (pill for lung health) and Yang Xin Pill for heart health for my Teacher; they’re mostly used up. The next batch of herbs will probably take a month or two to arrive.”

“It’s fine; I just mentioned it casually, keep it in mind.”

“Got it.”

After delivering the items, Guan Yue set off on her way home. At this moment, Gu Sui was up on the mountain, experimenting with smoked ham zongzi (rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves).

He had ready-made ham and sticky rice, but he didn’t know how to wrap them. Also, he had only seen the wrapped zongzi leaves, never the leaves in their living state.

After soaking the sticky rice, Gu Sui went down the mountain to ask people.

“You’re going to wrap zongzi? We have zongzi leaves here; go behind the mountain temple, there’s a whole patch of them. You can pick as many as you want.”

Here, in the southwestern region, it’s also considered the south. During the Dragon Boat Festival, some families wrap zongzi, but most still prefer steamed buns due to convenience.

At this time, just before the Dragon Boat Festival, a few of the leaves at the back of the mountain temple had been picked, leaving large patches still unpicked.

Gu Sui picked a big bunch of well-grown zongzi leaves, took them back up the mountain, boiled them as advised, adding some wood ash to the pot while boiling the leaves.

When Guan Yue returned, she saw a large iron pot in the kitchen filled with gray-black water boiling with leaves. What was this stuff?

Gu Sui: “This is the zongzi (dumpling) you wanted to eat.”

Guan Yue didn’t believe him: “I know what zongzi looks like. This is just the zongzi leaf, right?”

“Correct!”

Guan Yue glanced at the dumplings soaking and the ham, red beans, cured meat, and other ingredients ready on the chopping board.

“Eating something good is really a hassle.”

Gu Sui laughed: “You’re just someone who only uses your mouth; you have no right to say that.”

Guan Yue snorted: “Can I help you say it?”

Guan Yue said: “Considering how hard you’ve worked, whatever you want, I’ll agree to it.”

“Really?”

“Really, when I say something, I mean it. So tell me, what do you want, little medicine pill?”

“I don’t want a medicine pill; I want to see where you live.”

Guan Yue was surprised: “You want to see where I live? It’s not impossible, it’s just deep in the mountains and a bit far.”

Gu Sui already knew her secret; knowing about the treehouse didn’t matter much now.

Gu Sui replied calmly, “It’s fine, you can tie me up like you did with Dogsheng and take me there.”

Guan Yue laughed loudly: “Alright, I’ll let you experience the fun of Dogsheng.”

Gu Sui took out the boiled zongzi leaves and soaked them in cold water.

Gu Sui: “The sticky rice and beans need to soak too. Tomorrow, we’ll wrap the zongzi; I’ll teach you.”

“Sure!”

Guan Yue and Gu Sui spent a leisurely day at Daqing Mountain. Meanwhile, on the southwestern border, there had just been an engagement.

Both sides had casualties, but because they had good medicine on their side, at least they managed to save lives.

A soldier whose main artery was hit and was bleeding profusely was saved by a divine medicine powder. The doctors, nurses, and the comrades guarding the door all breathed a sigh of relief.

Yan Zhenwen returned from a military meeting and, hearing about the situation here, hurried over immediately: “Can someone tell me how things are going?”

“Report, Colonel. There are twenty-three injured, nine in critical condition, but all have been successfully rescued.”

Yan Zhenwen also let out a sigh of relief: “You all did well! It was the divine medicine powder, wasn’t it?”

The responsible doctor nodded: “Yes, Colonel, it was the divine medicine powder.”

Yan Zhenwen found Gu Ci among the crowd: “Come with me.”

“Sir!”

When they were still in Qingxi Village, Gu Sui had asked Yan Zhenwen for news about Gu Ci, and Yan Zhenwen had already known these two were brothers. Despite only staying in Qingxi Village for a few days, he could see the relationship between Gu Sui and Guan Yue clearly.

Yan Zhenwen: “Major Gu, you’ve seen the situation now. The divine medicine powder…”

Gu Ci understood: “I’ll write to my brother and ask him about it.”

Yan Zhenwen patted his shoulder: “The situation is urgent. Once you write the letter, give it to my aide, and I’ll find someone to send it. That’ll be quicker. Tell Gu Sui to pass it on to Guan Yue—if she’s willing to share the divine medicine powder, any terms can be negotiated.”

At Daqing Mountain, Gu Sui cleaned and boiled the pot used for cooking the zongzi leaves, getting ready for dinner.

As the sun set, the tired birds returned to the forest, and a comfortable day came to an end.

Guan Yue looked forward to the zongzi for Dragon Boat Festival tomorrow, while Gu Sui anticipated visiting her home deep in the mountains.