“That’s right.” Li Cuihua’s face was full of worry. “Doctor Sun said your body is terribly weak, and you injured your head too. You need to lie down and rest properly, so you don’t develop lingering health problems later. Why don’t you lie down a little longer?”
Wenxi raised her arm and gently rotated her wrist, then moved her neck around a little.
Aside from a slight lingering dizziness, most of the pain from the injuries on her body had already disappeared. The swelling and redness on her face had also gone down considerably. She did not look at all like someone who had just suffered serious injuries and fainted.
She knew this was the effect of the Spirit Spring Water.
“Mother, I’m fine now.” She turned her head and smiled, her tone relaxed. “I feel much better after sleeping. I feel strong again. I’m going to find Xiao'an.”
In truth, she was extremely anxious.
She desperately wanted to confirm once more whether the Spirit Spring Space from last night was real.
If it was real, then there would be hope for Mother’s legs and Xiao'an’s health.
“Then be careful.” Li Cuihua reminded her from behind.
“I know, Mother.”
Wenxi walked quickly toward the foot of the mountain.
The mist in the mountain wilderness had not yet dispersed in the early morning. The blades of grass along the roadside were covered with dewdrops, soaking her cloth shoes.
After walking for a while, she saw a dense patch of bushes by the road, just large enough to conceal a person’s figure.
She looked left and right. The morning mist spread everywhere, and there was not a single person in sight.
Wenxi slipped into the bushes and silently recited in her heart: Enter the space.
The instant the thought formed, the light and shadows before her eyes shifted.
She had returned to the place she had visited yesterday. The suspended ancient well was still pouring out a steady stream of spring water.
It was real.
It had not been a dream.
Wenxi walked to the ancient well and once again cupped a handful of spring water in her hands and drank it.
She could clearly feel the weakness in her body gradually disappearing.
With this treasure, good days lay ahead.
After leaving the space, she looked toward the endless mountains rising and falling behind her.
The most urgent thing now was to find a way to put food on the table.
Earning money by weaving bamboo baskets was too slow, and Mother’s health was poor; sitting for long periods would damage her body as well.
Going into the mountains to gather herbs and hunt was the fastest way to make money.
In her previous life, wilderness survival had been basic training. Identifying medicinal herbs was a skill carved into her bones.
These mountains were dangerous to other people, but to her, they were a treasure trove.
As for going into the city to find work, she had not even considered it.
Looking at her current appearance—sallow and emaciated, with injuries still visible on her face—which shop would take her on?
To put it bluntly, even the lowest sort of establishment would think twice about taking her in her current state.
The distant sound of bamboo being chopped reached her ears: thunk, thunk.
Wenxi followed the sound.
“Xiao'an,” Wenxi called.
The boy turned around and saw her. He immediately set down his hatchet and ran over, a broad smile on his face. “Sis, why are you here? Why didn’t you rest a little longer? Does your head still hurt?”
The fourteen-year-old boy was as thin as a stalk of hemp, and when he stood before her, he only came up to her shoulder.
Although his own body was covered in injuries, the first thing he did was worry about whether she was in pain.
Wenxi’s heart softened. She reached out and rubbed his hair. His hair was dry and yellowed, like grass growing on barren land.
“I’m not in pain anymore. I’m much better.” Then she asked, “Does Xiao'an still hurt?”
“Xiao'an doesn’t hurt!” Wen'an puffed out his small chest, trying hard to look strong. But after he finished speaking, he could not help baring his teeth in a grimace, clearly having tugged at one of his wounds.
Afraid that his sister would worry, he quickly composed his expression again and grinned brightly. “It really doesn’t hurt!”
Seeing that he had chopped several bamboo stalks, she said, “Xiao'an, that’s enough. Drag these back first. Mother won’t be able to use any more than this, so don’t tire yourself out.”
“Okay!” Wen'an obediently nodded.
When Li Cuihua saw them return, she hurriedly said, “Why did you chop so much? You must be exhausted. Put it down and rest for a while.”
“I’m not tired, Mother.” Wen'an leaned the bamboo against the doorway. He was sweating heavily from running, yet he wore a very happy smile.
Wenxi slipped into the thatched shelter.
The earthenware jar sat in the corner. It held half a jar of water, which Wen'an had probably fetched from the river that morning.
She walked over, turned her back to the doorway, and focused her thoughts.
Spring water flowed through the mouth of the jar and mixed with the clear water inside. She controlled the amount and did not add too much.
She carried the pottery jar outside and set it down in front of Li Cuihua and Wen'an.
“Mother, Xiao'an, drink more water.” Wenxi found an excuse and said seriously, “I dreamed last night. In the dream, a bodhisattva told me that our bodies have been weak lately, and that drinking more water can nourish us and ward off disasters. So you two have to drink more.”
Li Cuihua froze for a moment.
She was a simple village woman and believed in gods, spirits, and such things.
The grain in the household had been borrowed in the first place, and there was not much of it. If she ate a little less, there would be a little more for the children.
Drinking more water would happen to fill their stomachs a little and save some grain.
So she nodded and picked up the coarse bowl, scooping up a bowlful. “All right, Mother understands. Mother will drink it now.”
Wen'an also picked up another bowl and obediently scooped up a bowl. “I’ll drink too! I’ll listen to Sis!”
The boy was good at working, but when it came to talking, he usually just copied the people around him.
“Mother,” Wenxi suddenly said, looking toward the mountains. “I want to go up the mountain and take a look.”
The smile disappeared from Li Cuihua’s face at once.
She hurriedly set down the bowl and said anxiously, “No! There are lots of wild beasts in the mountains, and wolves too! It’s far too dangerous for a girl like you to go into the mountains! No, no, absolutely not!”
“Mother.”
Wenxi turned around to face her.
The morning light fell across her face. Most of the redness and swelling in her cheeks had disappeared, revealing her delicate features.
The corners of her eyes and brows curved slightly. “Do you remember what I told you yesterday?”
Li Cuihua stared blankly.
Wenxi looked at her. “Believe me.”
The wind blew over from the mountains and fields, lifting the loose strands of hair beside her temples.
Li Cuihua looked at the daughter before her. Her daughter really was different from before.
The Wenxi of the past had been timid and cowardly.
But now she stood there like a tree rooted firmly in the earth—strong and upright, as though she could hold up the sky herself.
It was still because she, as a mother, was useless, forcing her daughter to shoulder the whole family.
She was silent for a long while. In the end, she slowly nodded, her eyes once again reddening slightly. “All right. Mother believes you. But don’t go into the deep mountains. Just walk around the outskirts and come back early. If you encounter danger, run back immediately. Do you understand?”
“I understand, Mother,” Wenxi replied.
Wen'an hurriedly raised his hand beside them. “Sis! I’m going too!”
Wenxi lightly pressed a fingertip against his forehead, pushing down the hand he had raised.
“Xiao'an can’t go. Stay home and keep Mother company. Our thatched shelter has no protection around it, so it isn’t safe. Mother can’t use her legs properly. What if some bad people come over, or some wild animal breaks in? You need to stay behind and protect Mother.”
Wen'an froze for a moment. “That’s right! I have to protect Mother! Sis, don’t worry. You go ahead. I’ll definitely watch the house and won’t let anyone bully Mother!”
And so Wenxi went up the mountain.
She thought of how the original owner had gotten her name. Her father had once said that Mother had suddenly gone into labor beside a stream, so they gave her the character “Xi” – meaning “stream” in her name.
Xiao'an’s name was even simpler. Because he had been frail since childhood, they hoped he would grow up safe and sound, so they gave him the character “An” ( meaning “peace” or “safety”).