Chapter 21

“Dad wants you to go call the team leader and the Tang family. Shen Guixiang is planning to bring her relatives over and said she’s going to smash our house,” Lu Wenhua said, panting heavily, clearly in a panic.

Lu Baiwei was about to serve the meal she had just finished preparing. Seeing Lu Wenhua, the perpetual troublemaker, rush in, she decided against bringing out the food and instead slowly walked out of the kitchen.

She and He Ting remained still, not reacting to Lu Wenhua’s frantic state, which only made him more anxious.

He rushed forward and tried to pull her along. “Sis, hurry up! If you don’t call someone, Shen Guixiang is really going to destroy our home!”

Lu Baiwei had suffered enough from this little rascal growing up. He’d always been up to no good, blaming her every time something broke or went wrong. If things didn’t go his way, he’d throw tantrums, cry, and wail endlessly.

Whenever Lu Wenhua cried, their father, Lu Jianguo, wouldn’t bother to figure out the truth and would just hit her instead. One time, he even threw a wood-chopping knife at her. If she hadn’t dodged quickly, she might not have survived.

Her heart had long grown cold toward that family.

Especially since in her previous life, Lu Wenhua had repeatedly schemed against her for money, putting her life in danger several times.

When Lu Wenhua reached out to grab her hand, she flung his hand away and gave him a light smack. “What does that have to do with me?”

It was the first time she had ever hit him. Lu Wenhua immediately burst into tears. 

“Sis, you don’t love me anymore! Shen Guixiang scratched me, and now you’re hitting me too!” 

Crying wasn’t enough for him—he started rolling on the floor, throwing a full tantrum. 

He Ting wasn’t going to indulge him. His expression turned cold, and his presence became intimidating. 

“Get out!” He Ting roared. 

Lu Wenhua froze mid-cry, his shoulders shaking as he let out a hiccup. “Brother-in-law…”

“There’s no ‘brother-in-law’ here. I’ll say it one more time—get out, and stop bothering my wife.”

He Ting didn’t waste any more words. His voice was icy, and he pointed toward the door with a commanding tone.

Despite being a notorious crybaby and troublemaker, Lu Wenhua was good at reading people’s moods. 

He Ting’s aura was terrifying, with a hint of ferocity in his eyes. Lu Wenhua was scared stiff when he met his gaze. 

Terrified, he scrambled to his feet and bolted for the door, stumbling and nearly falling over the threshold in his rush. 

He ran as if he were being chased by a ghost, tripping over the doorstep before dashing out of the clinic. 

Only after he was well outside did he dare to let out a sob, crying pitifully as he ran away.

When Lu Wenhua finally ran out of the clinic door, he whimpered pitifully, tears streaming down his face as he scurried away.

The enticing aroma of Lu Baiwei’s cooking filled the air, and He Ting, already famished, felt like his stomach was glued to his back. After chasing Lu Wenhua away, his expression softened the moment he turned to Lu Baiwei.

“WeiWei, what’s for lunch today?” he asked, his tone gentle.

“There’s no time to stir-fry dishes. I made scallion pancakes with wild onions, a chilled cucumber salad, and some mung bean soup I simmered this morning to ward off the summer heat. It’s been cooling in the water tank. I’ll serve you a bowl of chilled soup to go with the pancakes,” she replied.

Over the past few days, while the commune had been busy transplanting rice seedlings, Shen Guixiang and Lu Jianguo’s family, including Liu Chunhua, had been embroiled in an escalating feud.

According to her cousin Tang Yunling, Shen Guixiang had brought her maternal family over to ransack Lu Jianguo’s house, smashing their belongings and even beating up the couple.

Naturally, Lu Jiaojiao, who dreamt of becoming a billionaire’s trophy wife, hadn’t escaped unscathed either. 

Word had it that a patch of her scalp had been yanked off, and her face was nearly scratched beyond recognition by Shen Guixiang. 

But none of this had anything to do with Lu Baiwei. 

You reap what you sow.

Lu Baiwei watched the drama unfold with quiet amusement. 

While the charges of molestation against Yin Zhihe were still unresolved and the two families continued their chaos, Lu Baiwei took He Ting and Zhou Yanfeng up into the mountains. Joining them were her cousin Tang Yunling and a few of her male cousins.

The late June and early July weather was scorching. 

When they set out in the early morning, the temperature was still bearable. The shade of the forest canopy shielded them from the sun, and the occasional breeze brushed their faces and hair, making the mountain air refreshing. 

By midday, however, the sun’s rays had become searing. 

After half a day of hiking, everyone was feeling exhausted. 

Having spent her childhood foraging for herbs in the mountains with her grandfather, Lu Baiwei didn’t feel particularly tired. Her male cousins and Tang Yunling also seemed to be holding up well. He Ting, being well-trained in martial arts, wasn’t entirely accustomed to mountain trekking but managed to keep pace thanks to his physical fitness. 

Only Zhou Yanfeng showed signs of exhaustion. 

“Sis, cousins… how much farther do we have to go?” he asked, leaning heavily against a tree trunk, looking as if he might collapse.

“Almost there,” Lu Baiwei reassured him. “Once we get over the hill ahead, we’ll find a spot to eat our dry rations.”

Zhou Yanfeng, on the verge of giving up, slumped against the tree, completely drained. He Ting shot him a disdainful glance but couldn’t leave him in such a state. 

Despite his annoyance, He Ting poured half of the mint tea from his flask into Zhou Yanfeng’s cup. 

The icy-cold mint tea refreshed Zhou Yanfeng instantly. As the cool, invigorating flavor stimulated his senses, the heat and fatigue seemed to melt away, reWeiWeing his energy. 

With Lu Baiwei’s cousins leading the way and the encouragement from He Ting and Lu Baiwei, Zhou Yanfeng managed to keep going. 

Sure enough, after crossing the hill ahead, they reached a flat, serene valley. 

Sure enough, after climbing over the hill, they arrived at a flat valley.

A gentle stream flowed through the valley, and in the crevices of the stones in the middle of the stream grew clusters of *acorus calamus*. 

The damp areas by the stream’s edge were covered in moss, interspersed with patches of ophiopogon japonicus. Among the deep green foliage of the ophiopogon japonicus were clusters of small, pale-blue berries. 

Both ophiopogon japonicus and acorus calamus are medicinal herbs. Lu Baiwei’s hands itched to harvest some and toss them into the medicine basket on her back. 

Tang Yunling, who knew her well, had already kicked off her shoes and socks. She waded barefoot into the stream and yanked out a whole acorus calamus plant, roots and all.

“WeiWei, want this?” 

Although ophiopogon japonicus and acorus calamus are medicinal, they’re quite common and don’t fetch a high price. 

Lu Baiwei shook her head slightly. She hadn’t come all this way for ordinary herbs. 

“Maybe a little,” she replied, “but that’s not what we’re after today. My barefoot doctor certification won’t come through anytime soon, and the clinic won’t open for another month or two. Collecting these common herbs isn’t urgent.”

As they hiked up the mountain, He Ting and Zhou Yanfeng chatted with Lu Baiwei’s cousins and learned that their trip wasn’t just for hunting wild game—they were also accompanying Lu Baiwei to gather medicinal herbs. 

The mountains close to the commune had already been thoroughly foraged by the local villagers. 

Other than a wild rabbit darting through the bushes, they hadn’t encountered any game along the way. 

The sight of a single gray rabbit had Zhou Yanfeng bursting with excitement. He took off running after it, nearly tumbling down the slope. But Lu Baiwei’s cousins weren’t in a rush; they stopped him and said that the real treasures were deeper in the mountains. 

And despite all the talk of herb-gathering, Lu Baiwei’s basket was still empty after half a day’s trek. 

While munching on one of Lu Baiwei’s scallion pancakes, Zhou Yanfeng waded barefoot into the stream and sidled up to her. 

“Sis, what kind of herbs are you looking for?” he asked.

“The good kind,” Tang Yunling answered on Lu Baiwei’s behalf. “You’ll know when we find it. Just wait and see.” 

Suddenly, Tang Yunling’s eyes lit up as she pointed at Zhou Yanfeng’s feet. “Hey! There’s something under your feet!” 

Zhou Yanfeng had been standing on a stone in the stream, and now he felt something wriggling beneath him, making the soles of his feet itch. 

Having once been bitten by a leech, Zhou Yanfeng immediately bent down to look. To his horror, he saw what appeared to be a long-legged fish squirming around under his foot. 

“What the heck is that?” 

Zhou Yanfeng leapt up with a start. As he landed back in the stream, he not only splashed water all over himself but also slipped on the slippery stones, falling unceremoniously into the stream.