Chapter 7: The Ginseng Doll

Warmth filled Wen Jiuyue’s home, nestled at the foot of the north mountain.

“Xiaotian, listen to Old Wen, don’t go to the Soul-Summoning Valley anymore, okay? People who have been to that valley before…” Wen Jiuyue swallowed the ominous words, unwilling to let Xiang Wentian risk his life even if it meant going hungry.

Although they had only been together for less than two days, Wen Jiuyue had grown to deeply like this seemingly cold but inherently righteous young man. His protectiveness towards Leng You especially moved her.

“It’s not dangerous, don’t worry,” Xiang Wentian said, stuffing two bags into his army coat pocket.

After sending Leng You to Wen Jiuyue yesterday, he went to the deep valley and dug a whole bag of sweet potatoes, keeping half for Wen Jiuyue and sending the rest back to Xiang Huaixin.

There was still a large area at the bottom of the valley. If stored properly, it would be enough to solve the food problem for both families for the next year. He wanted to dig up all the sweet potatoes as soon as possible to prevent them from rotting.

“Brother, I’ll go too.” A soft, tender voice rang out just as Xiang Wentian was about to turn, a small hand grasping his sleeve.

“No!” As he looked down, Leng You’s clear, glass-like eyes, full of expectation, met his gaze.

Despite the difficulty, he tried to pry open Leng You’s thin, alarmingly frail hand.

“Brother, you know I can do it.” Leng You looked up, still clutching Xiang Wentian’s sleeve, her gaze stubborn. The meaning of her words was understood only by them two.

“Oh my god! You, You can’t be so reckless! You were covered in blood yesterday from your fall, how can you forget so soon?

In this heavy snow, it’s life-threatening!

No, no, no, absolutely not!

No one is allowed to go!”

Leng You’s words startled Wen Jiuyue, who stood up abruptly, her face stern, blocking the doorway.

“Let Uncle Bai check you again.” Xiang Wentian looked away from Leng You, seemingly conceding.

“Yes, let Divine Doctor Bai check on You. After falling into such a deep valley, it’s impossible to be completely unharmed.” Wen Jiuyue nodded repeatedly, stepping aside without hesitation.

“Get on!” Xiang Wentian crouched down.

“Huh?” Leng You was too stunned to react.

“Let your brother carry you! In this heavy snow, the deeper parts might be up to your neck.” Wen Jiuyue looked at Leng You, whose height was far shorter than other children her age due to severe malnutrition, feeling a pang of heartache and sadness.

“No…” Xiang Wentian merely turned his head slightly, and Leng You obediently shut her mouth, climbing onto his back.

Although she was already wearing the warm cotton-padded clothes, hat, and shoes that Wen Jiuyue had painstakingly prepared for her, Xiang Wentian still wrapped Leng You in his thick, long scarf, tying a secure knot at his waist before pushing open the door.

“Don’t go back to the valley, do you hear me? Old Wen will have dinner ready when you come back!” Wen Jiuyue called out from the doorway.

The snow was incredibly heavy, instantly engulfing the two small figures and Wen Jiuyue’s shouts, hiding them in the boundless expanse.

“Brother, you can put me down now.” Once out of Wen Jiuyue’s sight, Leng You gently poked Xiang Wentian’s shoulder.

“No!” Xiang Wentian replied with two simple words.

Actually, he had regretted it the moment they stepped outside. He shouldn’t have lost his resolve, unable to resist those eyes that pierced his heart, full of longing and determination.

Such terrible weather was unsuitable for a frail child.

“It’s inconvenient for you to go to the bottom of the valley while carrying me.” Leng You wasn’t denying Xiang Wentian’s skill, but rather expressing confidence in her body, which had undergone “strange” changes. She felt light and full of energy.

She subconsciously raised her right hand, but because it was wrapped too tightly, she couldn’t see the cluster of blooming grape blossoms on her wrist.

“It won’t be.” Xiang Wentian quickened his pace.

The snow outside the village, almost thigh-deep, didn’t hinder his progress much. He was once again amazed by Leng You’s intelligence. The little girl had immediately understood his intentions and cleverly concealed it from Wen Jiuyue.

Leng You: “…”

Well! Although this shoulder was still a little thin, it was incredibly comfortable. If she wasn’t worried about being too obvious, she would have liked to sleep on this warm back.

More importantly, as Wen Jiuyue said, the snow outside the village, where even birds were scarce, was definitely deep enough to submerge her. She didn’t want to be the ginseng doll, dug out of the snow by Xiang Wentian.

Despite yesterday’s experience, Leng You was still shocked by Xiang Wentian’s skill. Carrying her, he moved like he was on flat ground, running and jumping along the valley wall before steadily standing at the bottom.

Suppressing the urge to check the grape blossoms again, she was certain that she and Xiang Wentian had both received a “cheat code.”

Besides her rapid healing of internal and external injuries, her vitality had become incredibly strong, while Xiang Wentian, already physically extraordinary, had become even stronger.

This result made Leng You unable to imagine how powerful and terrifying Xiang Wentian, Mr. Xiang San, would become twenty years later.

Before her death in her previous life, the name Mr. Xiang San was a mysterious, powerful, bloodthirsty, and even ambiguous legendary figure for people in Pingdu City and even the whole of China.

Leng You only knew he was a soldier; she knew nothing else.

Snapping back to reality, she pondered whether this magic was due to the grape blossoms on her wrist, the purple mist, or a connection between the two… ultimately, it remained unsolved.

The only solution was that it was a blessing from her rebirth.

This realization made her head buzz.

But she was also fortunate that Xiang Wentian, the only glimmer of light in her previous life, received the same blessing. Although it was only the beginning, it was already like this.

Perhaps it was fate, a return for his kindness in his past life.

“Brother is amazing!” Although her soft, cute tone only suited her eight-year-old body, not a nearly thirty-year-old soul, Leng You still looked up, her admiration genuine.

Only then did she realize that standing in front of Xiang Wentian, who was already 1.75 meters tall, she was barely up to his thigh, like a small bean sprout.

“Grow up quickly!” Clearly, maintaining a condescending perspective wasn’t something Xiang Wentian enjoyed. He reached out and gently stroked Leng You’s fluffy little head.

In fact, this child, who looked even smaller than a normal four-year-old, made him feel a kind of heartache, something that had appeared in his brain for the first time.