Chapter 36: Climbing the Mountain for Medicine Causes Concern

Those village women liked to make jokes about the bedroom affairs between husband and wife. They would casually say things like, “You know what my man did last night…”

Then they’d ask Lady Song about He Yanxin—how he was in that regard, whether he “did it” last night. They were so blunt that pretending not to understand was impossible.

According to the education Lady Song received, such matters were not meant to be spoken about publicly. So, every time, she would blush deeply and stay silent, much to their disappointment.

Eventually, they stopped liking to be around her. Sometimes, they’d talk behind her back, saying she was putting on airs.

Hearing such things was painful, but she could only pretend not to hear.

After all, she was young. Occasionally, she’d cry in secret and then stubbornly think, “Fine, if we can’t get along, so be it. I don’t even want to be friends with you rustic women!”

Truthfully, neither side was really wrong. It was just that their environments and experiences were too different, making genuine friendship impossible.

Still, there were a few she got along with—besides Mrs. Chen from next door, they were all young women who had married into the village in recent years.

After becoming more familiar, two of them even came specifically to ask Lady Song to teach them embroidery so they could sew handkerchiefs to sell and make some extra money.

Lady Song didn’t keep her skills to herself. Whenever they came, she taught them sincerely, never once worrying that they might learn and take business away from her.

Usually, when she brought the children out, it was to those two households so the kids could play together while the women embroidered.

But due to the current situation, it had been a long time since she visited. The other two hadn’t come by either.

As for Song Yeqing, she actually found it easier that way—after all, she really wasn’t cut out for embroidery.

Once outside the village, Song Yeqing passed by plots of farmland, mainly planted with wheat.

Only the fields near the river had any noticeable green; the rest were sparsely dotted with wind-blown stalks.

By the riverbank, the riverbed on both sides had already cracked from drought. Only a stream as wide as a forearm and shallow as a finger remained, flowing quietly.

No one dared to block the water for irrigation, or the villages downstream would come knocking. After all, families without wells were still relying on this river for drinking water.

Song Yeqing continued downstream, found a hidden spot, pulled out a shovel, and dug a pit near the river to channel water into. Then she sat nearby, waiting for the sediment to settle.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead and neck with a piece of paper, she felt physically weak.

But starting tomorrow, she could finally use medicine. She quietly reviewed which medicinal herbs in her space could be useful—for herself and for the kids, who also needed nourishment.

He Chengze’s body was still a bit weak after recovering from illness. This was obvious just by looking—he still wasn’t as sturdy as Song Chengsi. But he was too young for medication, so food-based supplements were the only option.

Looking at the barren landscape before her, Song Yeqing couldn’t imagine how hard life was for these people.

She had said she didn’t want to play the role of a savior, but she still felt the need to do something—as long as it didn’t compromise the safety of herself and the kids.

Once back, she needed to discuss things more thoroughly with He Yanxin. He knew more about certain matters.

The water had cleared up quite a bit. She pulled out a 50-liter water container and used a small bucket to scoop water into it—just enough for their household needs for the next couple of days.

Looking at the limited amount of water, Song Yeqing sighed helplessly. It seemed like she wouldn’t be enjoying a proper bath in a tub anytime soon—not until they left Qizhou.

The “fanciest” bath she’d had since transmigrating was yesterday—she had washed the two boys with body wash and, after coaxing them to sleep, gave herself a quick rinse in the west wing room.

She was even more exhausted now than earlier. Not only had she fetched water, but she also had to constantly be on alert in case someone spotted her.

After checking the surroundings like a thief, Song Yeqing stored the water back into her space, stood up, and pulled out a black multifunctional outdoor watch.

She didn’t want to rely on guessing the time by looking at the sky, so she had roughly adjusted the watch previously.

It was around 3:00 PM—more or less. The time was still early, and since she had finally gotten out of the house, she wasn’t ready to head back yet.

As long as you knew where to look, the mountains were full of treasure. So, Song Yeqing decided to explore deeper into the mountains.

Following the river upstream, she entered the forest. Due to drought, the trees had dropped most of their leaves early—it was only October, but it looked like late autumn.

She tried to walk in lower-lying areas where plants looked healthier. While passing a small pond, she even spotted two rabbits and a squirrel.

But she didn’t go after them—there were still over 100 pounds of meat in her space. No need.

She continued deeper.

There it was! Cimicifuga (升麻), a common medicinal herb in the mountains.

Though it looked ordinary, this herb had heat-clearing and detoxifying properties. It could treat measles, sore throat, and fever-induced headaches.

It could even be used raw. Song Yeqing stored it in the designated section of her space for medicinal herbs. The space preserved freshness, so she didn’t need to worry about processing it just yet.

Not far from the Cimicifuga, she found a small kudzu root (葛根), next to two large pits.

Kudzu root is rich in starch. Clearly, someone had already come to dig some up to eat.

She didn’t dig the small one—it was still too young. This plant needed at least 2–3 years to mature.

Later, she found two more Cimicifuga plants and one Morinda officinalis (巴戟天).

Due to the lack of rain, even the medicinal herbs looked shriveled. Though they were mature enough, they were still smaller than those stored in her space.

Song Yeqing shook her head and checked the watch. 4:38 PM. Time to go home. She packed up the herbs and began heading downhill.

At the foot of the mountain, she suddenly remembered that she had nothing to show for her trip. Worried people might get suspicious, she took out the shepherd’s purse (荠菜) she had gathered earlier and carried it home.

Shepherd’s purse wasn’t just a wild vegetable; it was also a medicinal herb—good for improving eyesight, stopping bleeding, diuresis, and lowering blood pressure. Eating more did no harm. A win.

Smoke curled above the village—it was dinnertime. She didn’t run into many people on the way back, and those she did weren’t familiar, so they just nodded in passing.

The air didn’t carry strong aromas of food, so people were likely cooking bland porridge or simple dishes.

Song Yeqing pushed open the courtyard door and went inside. He Yanxin was holding the key, seemingly about to leave. Seeing her, she hesitated and slowly closed the door again. Was he heading out?

When he saw her return, He Yanxin let out a sigh of relief.

“You’re back so late. I was just about to go look for you.” In a place like this, what if she ran into danger?

He had really been worried just now—and regretted not going with her.

He kept thinking of her as a celestial master and forgot that she had become Lady Song, a weak, ordinary woman.

She had been gone for over two hours. Influenced by memories of Lady Song’s tragic fate, the longer she was missing, the more frightened he became.

He had just dropped the kids off next door and was locking the door to go find her.

“I went to the mountains to look for medicinal herbs,” said Song Yeqing, placing the shepherd’s purse by the well.

Seeing that he still looked anxious and unsettled, she frowned in confusion. “Nothing happened to me.”

She genuinely didn’t feel unsafe going out alone. After all, she had a lot of weapons in her space—even a gun.

“Try not to go out alone from now on. It’s too dangerous, I’m telling you. Just… very dangerous.”
What if she got caught by someone who had gone mad from hunger?

(End of Chapter)