When Bai Fumin walked in holding a bowl of dark, murky medicine, he saw the heartwarming scene of the mother and daughter bonding and couldn’t help but smile.  

Liao Guizhi took the bowl and said, “Zhizhi, drink the medicine. It’s a prescription left by your grandfather—very effective. You’ll feel better after drinking it.”  

Staring at the dark liquid, Bai Zhizhi belatedly realized she was sick—running a fever.  

She had learned about this—in her dream.  

She also knew how to treat it.  

Recalling the herbs needed, the final concoction would also be a bowl of dark, bitter medicine.  

Just like the one in front of her now.  

Curious, Bai Zhizhi reached out a finger, wanting to poke at it.  

Liao Guizhi quickly moved the bowl farther away.  

Bai Fumin, thinking she was afraid of the bitterness, proudly pulled out a piece of candy. “Be good, Zhizhi. If you drink the medicine, you’ll get candy!”  

Bai Zhizhi looked over and slightly opened her mouth.  

Ah, she knew this—it was how her lost soul had been tricked before.  

Seizing the moment, Liao Guizhi swiftly poured the medicine into her mouth.  

Mmph—  

As the bowl of bitter liquid went down, Bai Zhizhi immediately frowned, sticking out her tongue in misery, tears welling up from the bitterness.  

She shot an accusatory look at Liao Guizhi.  

Unable to bear the guilt under her gaze, Liao Guizhi avoided eye contact and stuffed a piece of candy into her mouth.  

The sweetness instantly diluted the bitterness, and Bai Zhizhi’s tightly knitted brows gradually relaxed.  

It was delicious.  

A bit like the fruit she had eaten before.  

“Mom, it’s so sweet. Really tasty,” she couldn’t help but say to Liao Guizhi.  

No wonder her lost soul had liked it so much—she liked it too.  

Liao Guizhi stroked her hair. “I know, sweetheart. Lie down and sweat it out. You’ll feel better soon.”  

With that, she tucked Bai Zhizhi back under the covers.  

Bai Zhizhi obediently lay down, the sweetness lingering in her mouth and joy filling her heart.  

But before she could savor it a little longer, a familiar bitterness surged back.  

Anemarrhena, gypsum, licorice, and rice.  

It was the medicine she had just drunk.  

She could accurately identify the herbs used in the decoction.  

In a daze, Bai Zhizhi seemed to hear the voice of her ancestors again.  

“May there be no more illness in the world, even if it means our medicines gather dust on the shelves.”

It turned out Bai Zhizhi wasn’t just an ordinary hedgehog spirit. Her lineage belonged to the legendary “Baojia Xian”—the White Immortals, healers who protected families.  

But only by successfully overcoming their tribulations could they inherit the true mantle and become genuine White Immortals.  

Though Bai Zhizhi had failed her trial, she had, through a twist of fate, still received the inheritance.  

However, because her worldly bonds ran too deep, she could never become a true White Immortal. From now on, she would only be a human with the abilities of one.  

It was then that Bai Zhizhi understood what her ancestor had meant by calling her a “foolish child.”  

There was regret, but she could accept it.  

Surviving her failed tribulation without her soul scattering was already a stroke of luck, let alone gaining the powers of a White Immortal.  

Closing her eyes, she could clearly feel the medicine slowly taking effect.  

Seeing Bai Zhizhi with her eyes shut, Liao Guizhi greedily stole a few more glances at her before carefully leaving.  

They needed to hurry and eat breakfast before heading to work. They’d already wasted a lot of time—if they didn’t hurry, they’d be late.  

“Husband, I won’t go to work today.”

During the meal, Liao Guizhi shared her plan with Bai Fumin: “Zhizhi just recovered, and now she’s running a fever again. I’m worried about leaving her alone.”  

Bai Fumin nodded. “Alright, stay with her a little longer.”  

Bai Zhizhi, snapping out of her daze from the medicine’s effects, overheard their conversation—even though they had deliberately lowered their voices.  

In her memories, earning work points was crucial—it determined the family’s livelihood.  

There was a household at the foot of the mountain who couldn’t earn enough work points, leaving them hungry and poorly clothed.  

Just thinking about their miserable state made Bai Zhizhi shiver. She didn’t want to live like that.  

Quickly scrambling out of bed, she pushed open the door and walked out.  

Bai Fumin and the others were eating when they saw Bai Zhizhi emerge, startling them.  

Liao Guizhi immediately stood up. “Zhizhi, why are you out of bed? You shouldn’t be exposed to the wind right now. Go back inside—Mom will bring your food in later.”  

“Mom, I’m fine,” Bai Zhizhi said sweetly, leaning closer. “Touch my forehead if you don’t believe me.”  

This was another ability of the White Immortal—she hardly ever fell ill, and even if she did, it never lasted long.  

Plus, that bowl of medicine had truly worked. Right now, she was perfectly healthy.  

Skeptical, Liao Guizhi pressed a hand to her forehead—and was shocked to find it no longer burning. “That’s strange… Dad’s medicine was never this effective before. It never worked this fast.”  

As if her earlier fever had been an illusion.  

Bai Zhizhi stuck out her tongue. It wasn’t the medicine that was miraculous—it was her.  

Seeing how energetic she was, Liao Guizhi pulled her over to sit down and served her a bowl of porridge.  

It was cornmeal porridge, cooked with sweet potatoes—thick and hearty.  

Bai Zhizhi took a sip of the warm, fragrant porridge and couldn’t resist gulping down another mouthful.  

After tasting something so delicious, she grew even more reluctant to let it go.  

So she set down her bowl and said seriously to Liao Guizhi, “Mom, I’m fine. You can go to work—I can work too.”  

Huh?  

Liao Guizhi was baffled.  

Bai Zhizhi continued, “We earn work points to exchange for food and clothes. I won’t let you all eat roots or wear rags.”  

She wasn’t just a little hedgehog from the mountains anymore—she was part of the Bai family now. And she was determined to lead them to a better life.  

Finally understanding her meaning, the family couldn’t help but chuckle.  

Huang Xiuyun burst out laughing. “Little sis, you didn’t think skipping one day of work would leave us starving, did you?”  

Wasn’t that the case?  

Bai Zhizhi blinked in confusion. Her lost soul had always been in a daze—while she had memories, her understanding of many things remained shallow and unclear.  

“Of course not!” Huang Xiuyun laughed heartily, finding Bai Zhizhi utterly adorable.  

Liao Guizhi also sighed in amusement. “Don’t worry, Zhizhi. Our family isn’t so poor that we’ll go hungry. There’s no need for you to work.”  

In fact, the Bai family was relatively well-off in Qinghe Brigade. No one knew why Bai Zhizhi had gotten the impression they were struggling.  

Seeing their reactions, Bai Zhizhi realized she’d made a fool of herself and awkwardly lowered her head to sip her porridge.  

The family exchanged smiles and tactfully changed the subject.  

…

After breakfast, those who needed to work headed out.  

“Xiuyun, why are you so happy?” Hu Xiaoxiang, the neighbor’s wife, noticed the smile on Huang Xiuyun’s face and glanced at her stomach. “Could it be… you’re pregnant?”  

She and Huang Xiuyun had married around the same time and had a decent relationship.  

Huang Xiuyun shot her a playful glare. “No, it’s my little sister-in-law—she’s better now.”  

“Better how?” Hu Xiaoxiang was confused.  

“She’s not… you know, slow anymore.”  

“What?!” Hu Xiaoxiang exclaimed, unable to control her volume, drawing the attention of those nearby.  

“Your little sister-in-law isn’t slow anymore?”  

“Really?”  

“Junwu’s wife, has Zhizhi really recovered?”  

Huang Xiuyun lifted her chin proudly. “Of course it’s true! Not only is she no longer slow, she’s sharp as a tack now.”  

Back when her sister-in-law was still mentally impaired, the gossipy women in the brigade had never held back with their snide remarks.  

Now that she was better, let’s see what they’d have to say.  

Hu Xiaoxiang pulled Huang Xiuyun aside and whispered, “Are you stupid? How can you be happy about this?”  

“Of course I’m happy she’s better.” Huang Xiuyun gave her a strange look.  

Hu Xiaoxiang clicked her tongue in frustration. “Think about it—your in-laws already doted on her when she was slow. Now that she’s normal, won’t they favor her even more?”  

Huang Xiuyun nodded. That was true.  

“But that’s bad for you,” Hu Xiaoxiang said, her voice laced with temptation. “From now on, your in-laws will focus all their attention on her. They won’t even notice you anymore.”  

Looking at Huang Xiuyun’s rosy cheeks, Hu Xiaoxiang felt a pang of resentment. Before marriage, she’d had a better life than Huang Xiuyun. But after marriage, her circumstances had taken a turn for the worse.  

She couldn’t understand why a woman who couldn’t even bear children still lived so comfortably.  

Huang Xiuyun grew angry. “What nonsense are you spouting?”  

“It’s the truth! Look—your eldest brother-in-law is already a city man. The other two brothers were sent off, one to the army and the other to study in the city. Only your husband, the second son, is still stuck farming. Isn’t that favoritism?”  

Hu Xiaoxiang glanced at her stomach. “If you ask me, you should start thinking about yourself. Have a son soon, or else you’ll end up with nothing.”  

“Ugh!” Huang Xiuyun planted her hands on her hips and pointed at Hu Xiaoxiang. “Coming here to stir up trouble—how shameless can you be? Your face is bigger than the millstone in the yard!”  

Hu Xiaoxiang hadn’t expected this reaction. With so many eyes on them now, she felt humiliated.  

“I was trying to help you, but you’re too ungrateful to see it!” she snapped before storming off.  

“Who needs your fake concern?” Huang Xiuyun retorted sharply.  

Once the crowd dispersed, she stood there in a daze, her hand resting on her flat stomach.