Chapter 16

Back in the room, with the door bolt secured, Gu Qinghuan directly entered the space.

There was no time to tidy up. Holding onto a sliver of hope, she opened the computer, only to find that the screen was completely black. It seemed that both the computer and the phone were useless.

This meant she couldn’t search for information on how to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Gu Qinghuan closed the computer in disappointment, cursing herself for not having learned more about it at the time.

Though she had a general idea of the cause now, she had no idea how to properly help him with the treatment.

As she sank into her frustration, her eyes suddenly landed on a stack of books on her desk, and an idea formed in her mind. She hurried downstairs to the vending machine to verify it.

She typed into the vending machine: Books on treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

To her surprise, there were indeed books for sale on this topic.

Gu Qinghuan immediately bought the two best-selling ones:

– Guide to Preventing and Treating Traumatic Stress Disorder

– Handbook on Treating Traumatic Stress Disorder

Once she had the books, Gu Qinghuan eagerly began reading them.

Post-traumatic stress disorder could be treated through daily adjustments, medication, physical therapy, psychological therapy, and exercise therapy.

For daily adjustments, it was essential to create a relaxed living atmosphere to keep the patient in a good mood, avoiding excessive stress or anxiety.

For more severe cases, medication was necessary. The primary medications included sertraline and paroxetine, among others.

Additionally, drugs such as bupropion hydrochloride and eszopiclone could also be used for treatment.

As for physical therapy, it required assistance through transcranial magnetic stimulation, electroencephalography treatment, and other methods.

Unfortunately, these treatments weren’t possible in this time period, so they had to be abandoned.

Psychological therapy had to be provided by doctors through interventions like psychological education, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and psychoanalysis, which could help change negative perceptions and build a correct understanding.

If there was an opportunity, she would have to take him to a big city to find a psychologist. By this time, there should be psychologists, right?

The companionship and guidance of family were also essential, providing much-needed support.

Additionally, appropriate physical exercise could help relieve stress and maintain emotional stability.

Having a rough understanding of the cause and treatment methods, Gu Qinghuan realized that the prolonged confinement, isolation from others, and the pain of being unable to take care of himself were all contributing factors to the worsening of his symptoms.

This condition was actually similar to depression, though it was more complicated than depression. Triggering his trauma would cause him to lose his sanity, and a small mistake could undo all progress.

To fully treat it, she would need to slowly help him return to a normal life.

With this in mind, she sat down, took out some paper and a pen, and began drafting a treatment plan.

First, the quality of life had to improve. A comfortable environment was important to help keep his emotions calm.

Next came medication, which she could try to purchase from the vending machine.

Then, the most important part: psychological therapy. The children had to spend more time talking with him every day, helping him engage in their innocent world, gradually restoring his sanity, and building a correct understanding. This would help him face the memories of war and learn how to manage his emotions and stress.

The most difficult part was exercise therapy. In the future, she could gradually try to release the restraints when he was awake, allowing him to move a bit. Starting with untying his legs, and eventually loosening all the ropes, she would take it slow.

In short, if she wanted him to recover, she couldn’t keep him bound to the bed every day.

After formulating the simple plan, Gu Qinghuan went downstairs and approached the vending machine.

She tried entering: Sertraline.

The medicine was available, but it was a prescription drug. Without a prescription, they wouldn’t sell it.

Gu Qinghuan scrolled down and finally found a store that didn’t require a prescription. However, when she saw the price, she was stunned.

Damn it, it was three times more expensive than other stores—how could anyone afford it?

In other stores, a box was eight yuan, which was manageable, but this store was charging twenty-four yuan for a box.

Paroxetine was also a prescription drug. Other stores sold it for three yuan per box, but this shady store was charging nine yuan.

Altogether, the two medications would cost thirty-three yuan.

The problem was, each box contained only fourteen tablets, and since the dosage was one per day, it would only last two weeks.

With this, Gu Qinghuan realized that she would be spending sixty-six yuan a month on medicine.

Treating PTSD was a long-term process. A quick calculation told her that the annual cost of medication would be nearly eight hundred yuan. She instantly felt as if her purse had a hole in it.

A sense of urgency to make money washed over her—if things kept going like this, she wouldn’t even be able to afford the medicine.

Though she reluctantly said she couldn’t afford it, she decisively placed the order for both medications, preparing to start giving them to Xu Huai’an the next day.

Next, it was time for the daily relaxation routine. She drank a cup of spirit spring water, completed her washing up, applied a facial mask, and then soaked in a bath for half an hour to unwind. Finally, she could go to sleep.

She slept soundly that night.

Meanwhile, next door, the two children and Xu Huai’an, having drunk spirit spring water and eaten their fill, were tucked under warm quilts and, for once, managed to get a good night’s sleep.

Even Xu Huai’an, who usually stayed awake until dawn, slept soundly.

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At the large tile-roofed house of the Xu family.

Liu Guifang stood in the courtyard, hands on her hips, shouting curses.

“You two old men are both useless! You want to save face, but I’m the only bad guy here, am I? If it weren’t for me being so meticulous with the budget, you wouldn’t have the good life you have now!”

Xu Huaizhi had just pushed his bicycle into the yard when he heard his mother’s voice. With a helpless sigh, he said: “Mom, second brother is already like this. If we don’t give him food, what do you expect him to eat? Are you planning to let him starve to death?”

Besides, all the retirement pay and allowances he received back when he left the military were taken by you. Altogether, it must have been a few thousand. Now, you’ve given him nothing, not even some food. That really doesn’t make sense.

Of course, Xu Huaizhi, being clever, didn’t say that out loud.

“You’re turning your back on me! If my grain is short, it’s definitely their doing!”

“That little bastard dares to bite me. If it weren’t for you stopping me, I’d have taught them a lesson today!”

“What are you giving them such good food for? Three hundred jin of grain! You don’t know how expensive it is to run a household. In famine years, three hundred jin would be enough to feed a whole family for a year!”

Liu Guifang was furious, cursing indiscriminately.

Xu Huaizhi dared not speak further and subtly signaled his son, who was watching the scene from the side.

Da Cheng immediately understood, quickly running over to hug his grandmother’s leg. “Grandma, when are we eating? I’m hungry.”

“My good grandson is hungry. Wait here, Grandma will make it for you. There are some snacks in my room; I’ll bring you two pieces to hold you over.”

As soon as the word “snacks” was mentioned, a door from the west room immediately swung open. “Mom, I want some snacks too.”

It was Liu Guifang’s youngest son, Xu Huaiyu.

Liu Guifang shot him a glare, full of frustration. 

“Eat, eat, eat—this is all you ever think about. You don’t do a single proper thing all day.”

However, when she went to get the snacks, she didn’t forget to grab two pieces for her youngest son.

At that moment, Xu Meiling, who had just returned from work, caught the scene.

“Mom, you’re biased! When I asked you for one, you refused, but now you’re sneaking two pieces to second brother.” Xu Meiling huffed angrily.

Lin Xiaomeng, fearing she might get caught in the middle, quickly set down her hoe and retreated to her room.

“You’re already this fat, and you still want snacks!” Xu Huaiyu didn’t hold back with his harsh words toward his younger sister.

Xu Meiling’s biggest sore spot was her weight—she weighed 120 jin, and hearing her third brother hit that sore spot, she ground her teeth in frustration. The two siblings began chasing each other around the courtyard, arguing and bickering.

Liu Guifang, seeing the commotion, simply shoved all the snacks into her eldest grandson’s hands and turned to start preparing the meal.

The Xu family courtyard was in an uproar.

Da Cheng, clutching the snacks, quickly scurried back inside. “Mom, snacks!”

Lin Xiaomeng bit into one of the snacks her son had brought her, but the flavor wasn’t impressive. 

She had been reborn just two days ago, and when she first returned, everything felt unreal. But now, she was finally adjusting.

In her previous life, she had abandoned her husband and child, ultimately meeting a tragic and untimely death on the streets. Meanwhile, her ex-husband, Xu Huaizhi, had become a successful entrepreneur, amassing a fortune.

She never expected that the good life she had always struggled to find had actually been hers once—yet she had thrown it away.

Now that she had been given a second chance, she vowed never to make the same foolish mistakes. This time around, she would support her husband and raise her children properly, be a good daughter-in-law, a good mother, and patiently wait for her family to prosper.

However, the events of today left her somewhat confused. Didn’t the wife she had bought for her second son in her past life die on the road?

How come, in this life, not only is she still alive, but she also has the guts to ask her mother-in-law for food?

Could it be that she’s also been reborn?

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The next morning.

Gu Qinghuan was woken up right on time by the 6:00 AM alarm.

She opened her eyes, glanced up at the ceiling of the large villa, feeling as if she were in a dream.

It took her a moment to accept the reality—she had arrived in the 1970s, and now there was a whole family of the elderly, weak, and sick to take care of.

In other words, she was the main pillar of the family.

Resigned to her fate, she got up, washed up, and put on the drab and unattractive “work clothes” before stepping out of the space.

There was still a lot of work to be done today, and she had to pull herself together.

The food she brought back yesterday was plenty, but now she had to solve the problem of cooking. The kitchen had to be tidied up.

For the past couple of days, she had been cooking in the space and bringing it out, but she couldn’t keep doing that every day.

She had thought she was getting up early enough, but to her surprise, Da Bao was already awake and sitting by the door of the main hall, organizing something in his hands.

“Da Bao, why are you up so early? Children need more sleep to grow taller.”

Gu Qinghuan said as she walked over to him.

Da Bao froze for a second. “More sleep makes you grow taller?”

No wonder he felt like he hadn’t grown in a while.

Er Dan, who was the same age as him in the village, had already grown half a head taller than him.

He couldn’t let that happen. From now on, he needed to sleep more so he could grow tall like Dad and help the family earn more work points and food.

Gu Qinghuan had no idea that her offhand comment had sparked so many thoughts in Da Bao’s mind.

At that moment, she was curiously eyeing the pile of wild vegetables in front of Da Bao.

“Did you pick all of these yesterday?”

“Mm, these wild vegetables can be made into veggie dumplings to save on food and fill our stomachs. But I’m not very good at making them. I usually just boil them. I’m not sure if this stepmother knows how to make dumplings.”

Gu Qinghuan had never tasted the most basic type of veggie dumplings herself, though the Original Owner had eaten them in the Educated Youth Courtyard.

How should she put it? It was all for survival; otherwise, no one would want to eat them—not unless they had no choice.

Still, the child deserved praise.

“Da Bao, you’re amazing, recognizing so many wild vegetables. Let’s have them for lunch.”

This was the first time Da Bao had received such praise, and to him, it was an ordinary thing, something he did every day, but now someone acknowledged it.

His mood soared, like riding a roller coaster.

He shyly lowered his head, his heart full of sweetness.

“I’ll find more wild vegetables and mountain goods in the future.”

Gu Qinghuan flipped through the pile of wild vegetables. There were dandelions, cat’s paws, ferns, wild bitter shoots, mountain celery, shepherd’s purse, and small root vegetables.

These were all common wild vegetables from the northern mountains and looked quite fresh.

But the amount was too much—she estimated there were several kilograms, maybe even ten kilograms. It might be okay to eat some fresh ones, but eating them every meal would be unbearable, especially in dumplings—she could hardly stomach even a little.

Looking at the eager expression on Da Bao’s face, Gu Qinghuan couldn’t bring herself to refuse. But these wild vegetables really couldn’t be eaten every day.

After a brief moment of brainstorming, an idea suddenly popped into her head.

She might not be able to eat them, but there were people who liked to eat them.

In the future, there would be health-conscious people who got tired of rich foods and paid high prices for wild vegetables picked by mountain people. The ones in front of her were pure wild, organic vegetables.

Why not try it? She decided to give it a go and post them on the Vending Machine. Maybe they could be sold.

With that thought, Gu Qinghuan gathered up the pile of wild vegetables and carried them off.

“I’ll take care of these. You go take care of your little sister and Dad.”