Chapter 18.3

Cai Guofu turned to Deng Weimin. “You should get Guan Yue’s household registration sorted out soon. Even though she doesn’t travel far, having a proper registration will make things more convenient.” 

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t even need Colonel Yan for this. I’ll handle it myself,” Deng Weimin assured him. 

“That’s even better,” Cai Guofu replied, relieved. 

After lunch, the Cai couple prepared to leave. Guan Yue packed two pieces of cured meat and three pounds of sausages for them to take home. 

Deng Weimin, planning to pull some strings for Guan Yue’s registration, stopped by the Educated Youth settlement to inform Yan Zhengwen. Then, he accompanied the Cai couple down the mountain. 

Once they were gone, Gu Sui turned to Guan Yue and asked, “Once you have Qingxi Village registration, are you still planning to live up here in the mountains?” 

“Of course. I’m staying in the mountains. Don’t expect me to go down and farm, do you?” 

Living in the mountains provided her with everything she needed. Why bother going down to suffer unnecessarily? 

Gu Sui, however, was more concerned about her unique abilities. On one hand, living away from people seemed safer for protecting her secrets. On the other hand, he worried that such long-term isolation wasn’t good for her. 

But Guan Yue wasn’t interested in his internal debate. Feeling drowsy, she announced, “I’m tired. I’m heading back to the treehouse for a nap.” 

Life in the mountains was repetitive, monotonous even, to many people. But to Guan Yue, these quiet and peaceful days were the best kind of life. 

Having delicious food every day, being able to rest without worrying about her safety—this was her dream existence. 

When she returned to the treehouse, she called Gou Sheng over. Stroking the dog, she said, “You’re a grown dog now. Just look at you—so strong and intimidating. People are scared just seeing you. When spring comes, it’ll be time for you to head deeper into the mountains. Go claim your territory, be the boss, find yourself a mate, and live a good life of your own.” 

Sheng lowered his head and let out a low whimper, his big head kept rubbing against Guan Yue’s hand.

Guan Yue was stroking his fur, and honestly, she felt a little reluctant.

“How many years do you have left in this lifetime? I could take care of you for your whole life.”

Sheng licked the back of Guan Yue’s hand with his tongue. Guan Yue was so disgusted she pulled away immediately, “Forget it, such a big wolf, and male too, better off going out to find food for yourself.”

Sheng really had developed a human-like sense of disdain, glaring at this fickle woman!

Deng Weimin had been gone for two days and was still not back by the third day, but Yan Zhengwen was eager to leave.

“This is only the third day of the Lunar New Year? Are you guys really that busy with work?”

“Yeah, it’s quite hectic. I think I’m pretty much back to full health now; see, I had treatment this morning, can I leave this afternoon?”

“You can!”

With Deng Weimin away, Guan Yue could get away with some minor tricks that no one would notice.

On this day, Guan Yue increased her use of her abilities, resolving the issue in one go.

After acupuncture, Yan Zhengwen felt his body almost fully recovered to his peak state.

He excitedly looked at the silver needles in Guan Yue’s hands, “These silver needles are really powerful?”

Guan Yue raised an eyebrow and smiled lightly, “It’s just ordinary silver needles.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s Doctor Guan’s acupuncture technique that’s amazing!” Yan Zhengwen respectfully called out Doctor Guan.

Yan Zhengwen was about to leave, still wanting to buy some medicine from Guan Yue, “Best to get something for treating fevers, inflammation, and stopping bleeding.”

Guan Yue understood; he meant something for external injuries.

“I can spare some for you.”

Yan Zhengwen stood up and sincerely thanked Guan Yue, handing over a thick stack of cash and tickets in return.

“Those tickets are good nationwide,” Guan Yue nodded, understanding.

Yan Zhengwen left the mountain, and Guan Yue did not see him off. Gu Sui accompanied him for a part of the way, returning with a serious expression.

Guan Yue raised an eyebrow, “What happened?”

Gu Sui replied, “I might have to leave for a while.”

“Where are you going?”

“To the southwest, to see my brother.”

Gu Sui had a twin brother, and while he studied medicine, his brother, Gu Ci, joined the military. Originally stationed in the northwest, Gu Ci had been reassigned to the southwest due to the tense situation there.

While Yan Zhengwen was having acupuncture on the mountain, the soldier who had delivered the message that morning mentioned the border fighting had started, with heavy casualties among the front lines. A commanding officer named Gu, presumed to be Gu Ci, was missing when Yan Zhengwen arrived; they had not found him yet.

Gu Sui knew his brother was likely the one missing. When he sent Yan Zhengwen off, he had confirmed it was likely the case. At that moment, Gu Sui felt a chill in his heart.

Separated by distance, family still managed to live their lives well. The thought of something happening to Big Brother, Gu Sui couldn’t imagine how their parents would feel.

Gu Sui was preparing to leave the next day, so in the afternoon, he went into the mountains to gather herbs, taking Sheng with him.

Guan Yue offered to help, but Gu Sui shook his head, saying it was his business and he would handle it himself. He only asked Guan Yue to help him make medicine balls.

Having been here for a while, Gu Sui knew where various medicinal herbs grew on Daqing Mountain.

At a cliffside, Gu Sui spotted a patch of bloodstanch grass with sufficient age. He quickly tied one end of the rope to a tree and the other around his waist.

Sheng lay at the base of the cliff, watching silently. After a while, he suddenly howled at Gu Sui.

“Stop howling! I’ll be up in a moment. What if you bring the wolf here?” Gu Sui scolded.

He carefully made his way down, clinging to the cliff, collecting every usable herb along the way.

Sheng on top was frantic, running in circles, then suddenly sprinted into the forest.

Once Gu Sui finished collecting the herbs, he clung to the cliff, ready to head back. Just then, the rope above loosened, and he uncontrollably fell backward off the cliff, trying to grab onto anything—trees, grass—everything slipped from his grasp.

Suddenly, two familiar green leaves shot toward him, and behind them were dark vines.

Before Gu Sui could react, the vines wrapped around his waist, pulling him up with incredible force.

Once his feet hit the ground, Gu Sui only then realized how close he had come to disaster.

Guan Yue stood beside him, frowning, “For a few plants, are you willing to throw away your life?”

Only then did Gu Sui notice the broken rope on the ground, cut by the sharp rocks at the cliff’s edge.

Gu Sui patted Sheng’s head, “Did it call you to come and save me?”

The cliff wasn’t high, and he had prepared well, thinking he was safe, only to encounter the unexpected.

Xiao Hei jumped in front of Gu Sui, demanding attention. Gu Sui turned his head, pretending not to see.

Xiao Hei wasn’t giving up, twisting his slender waist and trying to get closer, but Gu Sui turned his head away again.

Guan Yue crossed her arms, smirking at Gu Sui, “Playing the deaf-mute act now? Back at the cliff, it was still you who was tailing the incident. I don’t believe someone as meticulous as you didn’t make any connections when you saw so many Devil’s Snare vines.”

Gu Sui sighed, “I told you, if it’s not something I should know, I don’t want to see it.”

Guan Yue lifted her chin arrogantly, “Now you’ve seen it.”

Xiao Hei was desperately finding ways to be noticed, brushing his leaves all over Gu Sui’s face, acting like a lecherous little rascal.

Guan Yue scoffed, “You knew how many medicinal herbs I had, yet you still stubbornly refused to ask for my help. Big man syndrome, huh? You too embarrassed to ask for help from a woman?”

Gu Sui stood up, brushing off the dust from his clothes. He showed her the empty bag on his back, “The herbs are all gone; they fell to the bottom of the cliff. Please, help me out, I need some medicine. I have to find my brother.”

Guan Yue let out a humph, “Alright, consider it an advance on your pay, just don’t forget to come back and cook for me!”

“I’ll go check on my brother, make sure he’s okay, then I’ll be back soon!”

Guan Yue was more generous with Gu Sui than with Yan Zhengwen, leading him directly to the room where she stored the medicine, “In the cabinet on the right, I’ve got the medicines ready. Just take what you need.”

Gu Sui carefully selected what he needed—medicines for stopping bleeding, anti-inflammatory, and so on.

Guan Yue handed him a packet of hemostatic powder, “This one works really well for treating external injuries, take it with you.”

Gu Sui took the packet of hemostatic powder from her, “Thank you!”

Receiving such a formal thank you made Guan Yue feel a little awkward.

After all this time, did they really need to be so polite?

The overpoliteness had its consequences. After Gu Sui left, when Guan Yue was sitting down to eat, she suddenly remembered the damp, hot jungles of the southwest with their abundance of snakes, insects, and pests—more than even Daqing Mountain. She quickly found a package of insect repellent powder and a bottle of universal detox medicine, then decided to send it down to Gu Sui.

Yes, down the mountain, to Gu Sui.

It was now evening, and the bustling square was filled with people. Women were playing with their children, men were gathered playing chess, chatting, and having a lively time.

Guan Yue had never been down to Qingxi Village before; she only knew Gu Sui lived in the Educated Youth Compound but had no idea where it was.

Someone in the crowd noticed Guan Yue and called out, “Hey, look! Guan Yue is down the mountain.”

Guan Yue smiled broadly, “Yes, I’m down! I’m looking for Gu Sui; do you know where he is?”

“I know where he is, I’ll take you to the Educated Youth Compound.”

“Bullshit, he’s over at the village head’s place to get a letter of introduction.”

“He’s been gone for a while now, so he must have the letter by now and is probably heading back.”

A crowd of people chattering, each eager to guide Guan Yue.

Guan Yue didn’t like being surrounded and certainly wasn’t used to having so many people behind her. She said, “You all go ahead; I’ll follow behind.”

“Sure thing.”

At that moment, Guan Yue had a chance to closely observe Qingxi Village.

No wonder they managed to bring down the cliff—Qingxi Village had only a few mud-brick houses, with the majority of buildings made from stone. The demand for stone here was not small.

By the time Gu Sui had received his letter of introduction and was packing his bags at the Educated Youth Compound, Guan Yue followed the crowd inside and for a moment, doubted if she was seeing things correctly.

“Why are you down the mountain?”

“I forgot to give you something.”

“Give me something?”

“Just look.”

Gu Sui opened the bag, revealing two large packets of insect repellent powder and a big bottle of universal detox medicine.

The few people at the front craned their necks to get a look, and those who could read recognized the labels, announcing, “This is insect repellent powder and detox pills.”

The crowd stared at Gu Sui with envy—being friends with Guan Yue definitely had its perks, getting such a generous gift. Most couldn’t even get their hands on one packet.

Gu Sui packed the medicine away, “Did you finish eating?”

“Yeah, I ate before coming down.”

“You made the trip down just for this? Let me show you around?”

Guan Yue refused, “No need, I need to get back to the mountain.”

Gu Sui grabbed her hand, and Guan Yue glanced at him, then let go.

“Why don’t we go visit Li Tao’s house for a bit? Li Tao has been wanting to invite you over.”

“Yeah, yeah! Come to my house! I’ll get my mom to make fermented glutinous rice with eggs, it’s really delicious—my mom only makes it when there are guests!” Li Tao hurried over when she heard Guan Yue was down the mountain.

Guan Yue cleared her throat—was she really that greedy? She just wanted to visit Li Tao’s house. Could she really keep refusing people’s invitations?

Zhang Cuihua was thrilled to see Guan Yue, “Welcome, come in, sit inside!”

Guan Yue smiled, “Your house is really spacious!”

Li Tao leaned in, “My brother is planning to build a bathroom at the back for me and Sister-in-law.”

Lin Haiyin came over to greet Guan Yue and invited her into the house.

In the kitchen, Li Da called out, “Mom, the water’s boiling!”

“Coming!” Zhang Cuihua dashed into the kitchen.

A little while later, Zhang Cuihua came out with two bowls of fermented glutinous rice eggs. She didn’t mind sharing, even giving Lin Haiyin a bowl as well.

Each bowl contained two poached eggs, soft and runny, sitting in a bowl of fermented, slightly soured rice, and topped with a piece of brown sugar. One sip and the hot, tangy sweetness filled the mouth.

It tasted good, and Guan Yue took another sip.

“Why just drink the broth? Eat the egg too!”

Guan Yue took a bite of the poached egg, the yolk half-set, so fragrant—she’d have to ask Gu Sui to make this for her later.

Lin Haiyin took a bite of her egg and suddenly looked uncomfortable, as if she was going to vomit.

Li Da happened to come out at that moment, panicking, “What’s wrong? Are you poisoned? It’s definitely Mom’s fault—she’s so stingy; she must have let the fermented rice sit too long and it’s gone bad.”

Guan Yue was enjoying her meal when she heard this; looking at the bowl, the fermented rice still smelled perfectly fine.

Zhang Cuihua slapped Li Da on the back, “Get out of here! My fermented glutinous rice is just fine.”

Zhang Cuihua pulled Lin Haiyin over to Guan Yue’s side, “Please, check her.”

“Check what?”

“I think Haiyin might be pregnant.”

“Pregnant with what?” Guan Yue and Li Tao were completely confused.

Zhang Cuihua stomped her foot, “Pregnant, with a baby!”

Pregnant? Li Da was overjoyed, but Lin Haiyin was confused—how long had they been married?

Guan Yue finished her last bite of fermented glutinous rice egg and took Lin Haiyin’s pulse—yes, she was pregnant, and still early on.

“Hmm,” was all Guan Yue could say.

The next day, Gu Sui left. He promised to return soon, but instead, he was gone for over two months.

During those two months, spring had painted the mountains green, grass at the base had sprouted new shoots, and Guan Yue had lost five kilograms.

With Gu Sui gone, Li Tao had taken over Guan Yue’s kitchen. However, Li Tao’s cooking skills were not quite up to Gu Sui’s standard.

Guan Yue realized she had changed—she had even started being picky with her food.

When would Gu Sui be back?

Guan Yue gave Zhang Cuihua a thumbs up, “Incredible!”

Zhang Cuihua was proud, “If it’s about life experience, you girls just can’t compete with me.”

Coming down the mountain had been unexpected; witnessing such a joyful event was a pleasant surprise.

Gu Sui was waiting at the road junction, and Li Da’s voice carried a mile away. He heard it too.

After Guan Yue came out, he took her up the mountain, “It’s good to come down and mix with others every now and then, just don’t let anyone discover your secret.”

Guan Yue stretched lazily, “If it wasn’t to give you something, I wouldn’t have wanted to come down.”

Gu Sui laughed, “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“I still want to eat fermented glutinous rice eggs.”

“Alright, when I get back, I’ll make you some glutinous rice dumplings with it.”