Chapter 8: The Poisonous Sea Urchin

Gu Yi shook her head. “It’s nothing serious. Just make sure to rest more, avoid falling, and stay away from cold and spicy foods.”

He Hu’s wife nodded repeatedly, then suddenly seemed to come to a realization.

This young woman wasn’t someone who had been sent to the village because of her family’s misfortune, was she? Yet she knew medicine—this was a blessing from the heavens for their village, a divine gift!

You see, in their village and the surrounding ones, the only barefoot doctor they had was miles away, and whenever someone fell ill, they had to go far to ask for help. Not long ago, someone had been bitten by something at sea and poisoned. By the time they brought the person back and called for the doctor, it was already too late.

For minor ailments, they simply endured. For serious illnesses, they couldn’t afford a doctor. If they had someone in the village who could practice medicine, how convenient that would be.

The couple’s attitude changed instantly, and they became even more friendly.

He Hu’s wife grabbed two salted fish and some dried squid. “We don’t have much, but take this with you!”

He Hu rubbed his hands together. “Her health isn’t great, and she’s finally pregnant. Please, visit often and check on her.”

Gu Yi smiled and took the items. She then took Jia Yue by the hand and headed home.

As soon as they left He Hu’s house, Jia Yue immediately perked up, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at her sister, as if saying, Sister, you’re amazing!

Gu Yi couldn’t help but smile and ruffle her little sister’s head.

 At home, the medicine was done, and Wang Yulan washed rice and began cooking.

Gu Yi washed the pork ribs and radishes, cutting the radish into chunks to simmer in the pot.

A little salt was all that was needed, and soon, the rich, savory aroma of the meat wafted through the air.

Checking the time, she steamed some salted fish as well.

Before long, everything was ready.

The family gathered around the table, and the dishes were served.

Jia Yue’s eyes were wide open, staring at the rib and radish soup, not blinking once.

Wang Yulan served a bowl of rice for herself.

She ate a bite of fish and then a bite of radish.

The rib and radish soup was fragrant, with every piece of radish soaked in the meat broth. The bitterness was gone, leaving behind a refreshing sweetness. Each bite was soft, flavorful, and juicy, simply delicious.

The salted fish was already full of flavor, with the firm fish meat and perfect chewiness—just right to mix with the rice.

Wang Yulan carefully removed the fish bones for Jia Yue.

“Yum, this is so good!” Jia Yue exclaimed, eating with her mouth full, a satisfied smile on her face.

Dalang’s eyes sparkled. His serious face softened into a smile, “Sister, this is delicious! Even better than yesterday’s chicken soup!”

Wang Yulan exaggerated her praise, “How can their chicken soup compare to your sister’s rib soup?”

In the memories left by Gu Yi’s previous life, Wang Yulan was the epitome of a loving mother. To her, her children could do no wrong, and when they did something well, she showered them with endless praise.

Gu Yi had never felt this way before.

In her previous life, she grew up with her father, a man of few words who never shared his feelings. Whether she did well or not, he never expressed any emotion.

A moment of melancholy hit her heart, but it was soon soothed by the delicious food.

After the meal, they went back to the beach.

Second Brother had taken the medicine and eaten a full meal. His complexion improved noticeably.

When they called him to join them at the beach, he pouted and refused. “It’s too dirty. It disgusts me. You all go.”

Wang Yulan, ever indulgent with her children, didn’t force him.

Only Gu Yi raised an eyebrow slightly.

This little brat, over eight years old, acting so stubborn in a fishing family, refusing to work and speaking so disrespectfully to his parents—he would have been beaten long ago in a family like this.

The sea continued to retreat, waves crashing in, only to be drawn back by the tide. Tiny crabs scrambled around in panic, and lively shrimp leapt about, while unlucky fish and shellfish were left stranded in the shallow pools—prime pickings for the fishermen.

Luckily, the beach was large enough, and the family ventured into a quieter area where no one else was around, beginning their hunt for sea creatures.

Soon, Dalang’s excited voice rang out, “I found an octopus!”

This cheered the others on.

Unwilling to be outdone, Gu Yi raised a shrimp, about the size of her palm, and shouted, “Look at my shrimp!”

Wang Yulan, smiling helplessly, glanced over at the little one playing with the water, before continuing her search for fish.

“Hair—ball!” Jia Yue exclaimed suddenly, and then, for some reason, began crying. “Ah!”

The others rushed over.

As Gu Yi approached, she saw that Jia Yue’s finger was dotted with small, fresh blood.

Wang Yulan quickly picked her up and held her tightly. “Don’t be scared, Yue’er. Don’t be afraid.”

“It hurts!” Jia Yue sobbed.

Gu Yi took another look at the sea urchin on the ground and immediately understood what had happened. She inspected the spot where her little sister had been pricked, and it was clearly red.

Nearby villagers, seeing the situation, quickly warned, “This thing is poisonous. We don’t pick them in the village. You need to get a doctor right away. The child’s hand will definitely swell up, and there might even be a life-threatening risk!”

Wang Yulan turned pale with fear.

Sea urchin spines were mostly poisonous, but Gu Yi took a careful look at the one that had pricked Jia Yue and realized the venom wasn’t too strong. She sighed in relief.

She squeezed Jia Yue’s hand, pushing the blood out, drop by drop.

Jia Yue cried even harder from the pain.

After squeezing out most of the blood, Gu Yi said, “Don’t worry, Mother. It will just swell up, but there’s no danger. Take Yue’er home, see if we can get the spines out with a needle and squeeze out more of the blood.”

There were plenty of sea urchins in the area, most of them edible, but unfortunately, Jia Yue had gotten pricked by a poisonous one. Gu Yi’s mood soured, and she lost her enthusiasm for the hunt.

Wang Yulan carried her daughter as they walked ahead, while Gu Yi followed behind, collecting their things to head home.

Not far away, Lin Shi came running to see what was going on.

Seeing Wang Yulan hurriedly leaving with Jia Yue in her arms, Lin Shi sneered, “Look, this is karma. They stole my family’s money, and now the smallest one has to pay the price.”

“Second Sister is so pitiful. It’s her family’s fault, but they’re making her pay with the child’s life!”

Clearly, she was certain that Jia Yue would die from the poison, and Gu Yi sneered in response.