Just selling balloon flower roots would not bring in much money. She might as well wander around the mountain again and try her luck.
Luo Qingqing picked up her basket and shovel and stepped out of the Gu family courtyard once more. At this hour, everyone was taking their afternoon nap, and there was hardly anyone on the small path. Relying on her memory, she made her way into the mountains.
After quite a while, she had only gathered some mushrooms, not even catching sight of a single medicinal herb.
“System, system, can you hear me?”
“…”
“If you don’t respond, I’m quitting. I can accept transmigration without any special cheat ability, but why is my luck this bad too? Can’t you at least give me some motivation?”
“Host, please walk straight ahead.”
The system’s cold voice finally sounded.
Hehe, herbs, herbs, here I come. Luo Qingqing instantly perked up and ran forward excitedly.
“Ouch…”
Who had just come into intimate contact with the ground? She would not say.
Luo Qingqing felt like she had stepped on something. Could it be a snake? Slowly, she turned her head back. A man covered in blood lay on the ground, the visual impact was overwhelming.
She bent down to check his breathing. He was still alive. She tried to drag him along, but after one pull, she was panting ten times over.
There was no way she could carry him down the mountain alone. So she quickly got up, covered him with some branches, and rushed back home.
“Gu Jing’an, quick… come with me to the mountain to save someone.”
He looked displeased, having just woken up only to be dragged out by Luo Qingqing. He had wanted to scold her for pulling at him so familiarly, but when he saw her anxious, flushed face, he found himself unable to speak.
When they found the man covered in branches, Luo Qingqing helped lift him onto Gu Jing’an’s back. As he stood up, he staggered slightly, the man on his back was indeed quite heavy.
Without thinking, Luo Qingqing blurted out, “Are you okay? Or should we carry him together?”
“If I’m not okay, are you?” Gu Jing’an snapped back, but immediately regretted it. This feeling of losing control over his emotions irritated him, so he fell silent.
Luo Qingqing touched her nose awkwardly. Sure enough, you should never question a man’s capability, no matter the situation.
When they were about a hundred meters from the Gu family courtyard, Gu Jing’an said calmly, “Go in from here, turn left at the second door, and invite Doctor Li.”
Luo Qingqing hurried off. After bringing Doctor Li back, she went to the kitchen to cook some porridge. Then she drained the balloon flower roots and laid them out in the sun to dry.
Standing by the stove, she stirred the porridge while organizing the plot of the novel in her mind.
The original owner’s father had been a prefect. When she got married, he gave her fifty taels of silver and told her she need not return, saying that raising her to adulthood had fulfilled his obligation to her late mother. Ever since her mother’s death, he had never treated her kindly again.
“Is the porridge ready? The man we brought back has woken up.” The clear voice of a young man made Luo Qingqing pause slightly. Gu Jing’an’s voice was actually quite pleasant.
“It’s ready.” Luo Qingqing ladled the porridge into a bowl and carried it to the room.
The man leaned against the head of the bed. The blood on his face had been cleaned off, and he had changed into clean clothes. His lips were still somewhat pale, his features deep and well-defined, with long hair sweeping into his temples. He was rather handsome. Luo Qingqing glanced at him briefly before lowering her gaze.
His hands were not injured, so she handed him the bowl to eat on his own. After holding it out for a long time without him taking it, she looked up.
The man was staring intently at her face, as if looking at her, yet also as if looking through her at someone else.
Luo Qingqing grew uneasy. Could this man have noticed that she had “changed”? What if he mistook her for some kind of spirit and had her captured? After all, people in ancient times were quite superstitious. Panic set in.
She no longer remembered her past glory of arguing fearlessly with others. At this moment, she could not utter a single word.
“Is there something on my wife’s face? Why are you looking at her like that, sir?” Gu Jing’an calmly took the porridge from Luo Qingqing’s hands and asked casually.
At that moment, Gu Jing’an seemed like a savior descending from the heavens.
“My name is Shen Huaiyu. Forgive my rudeness. Your wife resembles an old acquaintance of mine. She… has been gone for a long time. I failed to compose myself for a moment, please pardon the offense.” Shen Huaiyu cupped his hands in apology.
Luo Qingqing let out a long breath of relief. What she did not notice, however, was that the moment her shoulders relaxed, a deeper look flashed through Gu Jing’an’s eyes.
Luo Qingqing left the room, gathered the dried balloon flower roots, and began preparing dinner.
As she entered the kitchen, Xuanning followed behind her. She had been stuck indoors all afternoon by her brother and was nearly bored to death.
“Sister-in-law, I’ll wash the vegetables!” The little girl chirped happily like a bird, her voice alone enough to lift one’s spirits.
“Slow down, be careful.” Luo Qingqing could not help but laugh as she watched her.
As usual, Gu Jing’an worked the bellows beside the stove, adjusting the fire according to Luo Qingqing’s instructions.
The lively laughter, the sizzling of stir-fried dishes, and the rhythmic sound of the bellows blended together in the small kitchen, creating a sense of quiet, peaceful domestic bliss.
Once the meal was ready, Gu Qiran set out the bowls and chopsticks. Gu Jing’an carried the medicine and porridge into the room, sparing Luo Qingqing from any awkwardness.
The Gu family courtyard had only two rooms, one for the two children and one for the two adults. She slept on the bed while Gu Jing’an slept on a couch.
Shen Huaiyu would likely need a few days to recover. For the next few days, she would sleep with Xuanning, and after that, she would think of another solution. Even though she and Gu Jing’an were not sharing the same bed, staying in the same room with him still made her somewhat uneasy.
After washing up, Luo Qingqing told Xuanning to return to the room first, as she needed to prepare medicine for Gu Jing’an.
Step two of Luo’s Survival Guide: humanitarian care, returning you to a healthy body.
When she arrived at the kitchen, Gu Jing’an had already begun brewing the medicine. Earlier that morning, she had checked the prescription for treating his cough, and it did not conflict with the properties of balloon flower root, so they could be boiled together.
She took two roots from the basket, crushed them, and walked over to him. “Xuanning found these this morning. They’re good for your cough. Shall we add some?”
Gu Jing’an lowered his gaze to look at her, saying nothing. Just as Luo Qingqing was about to persuade him further, he gave a quiet acknowledgement.
Luo Qingqing took the fan from his hand. “Go take a bath. The medicine needs another quarter of an hour. I’ll bring it to you later. I’ll be sleeping with Xuanning tonight.”
“Alright.”
Concise and to the point, that was very much Gu Jing’an. His favorability had not increased at all. This was far too difficult.
The smell of traditional medicine was truly unpleasant. She decided to go to the town tomorrow to buy some sweets, so he could have something to offset the bitterness after drinking it.
Knock, knock, knock—
“Gu Jing’an, the medicine is ready.”
Gu Jing’an opened the door, took the bowl, and drank it in one go. “Thank you.”
“Um, I want to go to town tomorrow to buy some things.”
“Mm, alright.”
He agreed so easily?
“Then rest early. Good night.” Luo Qingqing took the empty bowl and turned to leave.
“Good night?” Gu Jing’an murmured. What kind of phrase was that? He had never heard it before. Was her unusual behavior today because she planned to leave tomorrow?
In any case, her arrival here had been unexpected to begin with. If she left, then she left.
Luo Qingqing quietly entered the small room, blew out the oil lamp, and had just laid down when the soft little girl snuggled close to her.
Half-asleep, Xuanning murmured, “Sister-in-law, I’ve been waiting for you.”
Luo Qingqing’s heart melted. “Be good, Xuanning.” She gently patted her, and soon drifted off to sleep as well. Today has truly been exhausting.