Chapter 13: Entering the Mountains, Seeing a Patient

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, Gu Yi touched the soil and found it quite satisfactory. She initially thought of digging up the earth and heading home, but as she looked up at the mountain, she felt an itch in her heart, wanting to venture further into the mountains.

She had studied Western medicine in school, and Chinese medicine was something she had learned on her own, at great personal cost, through connections. Herbal medicine was just a basic skill.

When she mentioned it, Jia Yue became excited.

The three of them entered the mountain. The path was difficult to traverse, but they didn’t feel tired or bothered. The excitement of exploring the mountains for the first time filled them with energy.

The mountain seemed like another world, a natural realm untouched by humans, full of dense grass and trees. Occasionally, small animals would appear.

When they couldn’t climb, they grabbed hold of grass with deep roots to help them ascend or hugged large trees to carefully make their way forward.

They were all covered in dark brown dust from the tree bark, their faces looking dirty.

But it was all extremely fun.

Jia Yue, being young, Gu Yi didn’t plan on going too deep into the mountain. They were just strolling around the outskirts.

Unexpectedly, even a short walk led to a discovery.

“Look at all these mushrooms!”

Gu Yi found clusters of mushrooms. She hadn’t eaten mushrooms in a long time, and mushrooms from this strange land might be extra delicious and sweet.

“Mushrooms are delicious!” Jia Yue exclaimed excitedly.

“Yes, they’re perfect for making soup, and they taste great. If we dry them, they can last a long time.”

Gu Yi began picking the mushrooms, one by one, and placed them into Jia Yue’s little basket.

Jia Yue helped eagerly, clearly enjoying this task.

Dalang paused for a moment. “Sis, are you sure these mushrooms aren’t poisonous?”

Gu Yi glanced at him. “I’ll eat them and show you.”

For some reason, a sudden confidence came over her, and Dalang could only hold back his complaints. His big sister was getting more and more capable, so he didn’t dare to say anything contrary.

He feared getting scolded, and there was no way to retort without getting into trouble.

The three of them searched around, showing each mushroom to Gu Yi. Once they confirmed they were safe to eat, they placed them into the basket.

Gu Yi also found a few herbs—honeysuckle and plantain.

These herbs were common and easy to manage. People usually boiled them or made tea to help with muscle relaxation and overall health, though non-medical people wouldn’t know this.

She gathered them all.

“Full, it’s full!” Jia Yue clapped her hands. Her basket was so full she couldn’t carry it and passed it to Dalang.

Seeing the sun dipping lower in the sky, they decided to head down the mountain.

They had filled a bucket with soil and returned home.

They found an old jar and poured the soil into it. Then, they cut the spring onions in half, leaving the green tops intact and burying the roots and a small section of the white stalks into the soil. Slowly, they would grow.

Gu Yi soaked the yellow beans she had bought from the county in water. Once softened, she scattered them into the other half of the jar, covered it with a layer of black cloth, and began making bean sprouts.

She also reminded her family, “From now on, use the washing water to water the plants in the jar.”

The water source was a bit far, and using clean water on the vegetables would be wasteful.

Wang Yulan knew her cooking wasn’t the best, so she started learning how to light the fire to cook.

The cooking was left to their eldest daughter.

The chicken was alive, and this was Gu Yi’s first time slaughtering one, although she had seen others do it when she was younger.

She instructed Dalang to hold the chicken’s wings tightly with both hands and press down firmly. She held the chicken’s head with one hand and took the kitchen knife with the other, making a swift cut across the neck. Blood immediately started to spurt out.

The blood dripped into the bowl, and the chicken’s blood was collected.

After the chicken stopped moving, she boiled a pot of hot water and dunked the chicken in it. The feathers were much easier to pluck after that.

Wang Yulan was washing mushrooms and sea urchins nearby while Gu Yi cut the chicken into pieces, blanched it in boiling water, and then placed it into a jar with seasoning and spices to simmer.

The longer the chicken was cooked, the more flavorful and tender it became.

“Dalang, go and bring a bowl of chicken soup to Aunt Cao!”

Gu Yi quickly offered, “Mother, I’ll go!”

She took the chicken soup and went to Aunt Cao’s house next door. “Aunt Cao, have you eaten yet? We’ve made a lot of chicken soup at home.”

Aunt Cao hurried over to take the soup, “Not yet, come in, we’re having shrimp for dinner tonight. Take some back with you.”

“Uncle Cao.”

The middle-aged man was outside mending fishing nets, and his son was sitting beside him helping. He smiled and greeted her when he saw her arrive.

Aunt Cao brought out a bowl of shrimp.

Gu Yi said, “Aunt Cao, I have a favor to ask.”

“No need to be so polite, just say it.”

“Our Dalang is the one fetching water at home. He’s still young, just ten years old. I’m afraid he might get too tired, so I was hoping you could help me contact someone in the village to hire someone to bring water for our family every day.”

Gu Yi was genuinely concerned that if Dalang kept fetching water, his back might get bent, and he wouldn’t grow properly, which would defeat the purpose.

“That’s no trouble. Just ask my husband, Old Cao, to help you.”

Gu Yi quickly replied, “No, it would be too much trouble. I’d rather hire someone formally so that everyone knows about it.”

After thinking for a moment, she added, “Our family’s situation is a bit special. I’m afraid people will talk.”

Her mother was beautiful, and if any man helped her family fetch water for no reason, there would undoubtedly be gossip. Gu Yi didn’t care, but her mother might.

Aunt Cao thought about it and then waved her sixteen-year-old son over. “Cao Xia, come here!”

“From today on, you’ll help Jiayi’s family bring water. She said you’ll be paid for it. Do you want to earn this money?”

Cao Xia looked at Gu Yi with an embarrassed expression, his dark face avoiding eye contact for a moment before he nodded. “Of course, I’ll make sure to fill your jar every day.”

Gu Yi smiled, “We’ll pay you monthly. How much do you want?”

“Just a little something, one hundred wen should be enough,” Aunt Cao said.

Gu Yi replied, “Fetching water is hard work. Dalang’s shoulders are already bruised, so two hundred wen sounds better. Thank you, Cao Xia.”

After saying this, she carried the shrimp back home.

By the time she returned, the steamed fish and sea urchin egg custard were ready. The family gathered around the small table, eagerly about to eat.

Four dishes were served, all visually beautiful with strong, aromatic flavors. It was a hearty meal that made everyone hungry, and the family sat down to enjoy their meal.

Seafood was all about freshness. The shrimp had just been boiled, and after peeling off the shells, dipping them in soy sauce and green onion oil, they were delicious.

The sea urchin egg custard was soft, fragrant, and incredibly rich. The chicken had been simmered for a long time, making it tender enough that the meat fell right off the bone. Every dish was so tasty that no one could resist.

The family of five ate heartily, and the final touch was a warm bowl of chicken soup.

Since their exile, they had developed a habit of finishing every meal. Nothing went to waste, and except for the soup, everything was eaten.

In the evening, Gu Yi and Wang Yulan went to He Hu’s house to check on He Hu’s wife’s pregnancy and ease their concerns.

Gu Yi carefully checked her pulse.

“How is the baby?”

Gu Yi smiled and nodded, “Don’t worry, the baby is doing fine. Just avoid cold and raw foods, and you’ll have a safe delivery.”

She relaxed and then remembered something. “This is my sister-in-law from my mother’s side, her name is Li.”

“Sister-in-law, this is the little doctor I mentioned, Gu Xiao Niang (refer to a young girl), and her mother, Wang Niangzi.”

Gu Yi raised an eyebrow. It seemed like they were asking for medical help.

Li, the elder sister-in-law, was a bit older than He Hu’s wife but seemed a little shy. She hesitated, avoiding eye contact as she spoke, “Little doctor, I need you to help me with something.”

A few days ago, when she heard that her sister-in-law was pregnant, she brought some things to visit her. After just touching her hand, she knew she was pregnant.

It made her think of a hidden illness her daughter had, which had been troubling her for a long time, but she didn’t dare go to a male doctor. Since this little doctor was a woman, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to seek her help.