Su Wan and the several aunties carried Liu Rongrong to the clinic, all of them panting heavily from exhaustion. Uncle Lin, who had been sorting medicinal herbs inside the room, was startled when he saw them. He quickly cleared the bed in the inner room and let Liu Rongrong lie down.
“What happened?” Uncle Lin asked anxiously.
“She was bitten by a snake, on the ankle,” Su Wan answered while the aunties stood there catching their breath.
As soon as Uncle Lin heard that, he immediately went over to examine her.
Su Wan then thanked the aunties and said, “Thank you for the trouble, Aunties. I’ll stay here and watch over her, so you can head back now.”
The aunties repeatedly said it was nothing. Thinking about the work waiting for them at home, they left.
As they walked away, they chatted among themselves.
“As expected of the brigade leader’s daughter! She’s really conscientious. Look how worried she is after Educated Youth Liu fainted!”
“That’s right, right! Su Wan is such a warm-hearted child. Just like during the autumn harvest…”
…
Hearing their comments from the doorway, Su Wan could not help feeling embarrassed.
So this is how everyone sees it? Heaven knows I’m only doing this for myself!
“Wan girl, girl!”
Hearing Uncle Lin calling from inside, Su Wan snapped out of it and answered, “Coming!”
Inside the room, Uncle Lin stood by the bed, clearly finished examining the wound. He said, “Girl, was the snake that bit her nonvenomous?”
Su Wan froze for a moment.
Nonvenomous? Didn’t the book say the snake was poisonous?
Wait…
“Su Wan, it’s not venomous…”
While they were going down the mountain, her brother had said that!
Realizing this, Su Wan nodded repeatedly and said, “Right, right. I think it wasn’t venomous.”
As expected of a heroine. Even a venomous snake could somehow become nonvenomous. Su Wan sighed inwardly.
“I saw how panicked you all were and thought she’d been bitten by a poisonous snake,” Uncle Lin said helplessly with a laugh. “Alright then, if it’s nonvenomous, she probably just fainted from fright. Let her wake up on her own. I’ll prepare some medicine for the wound. Just apply it to the injury.”
After speaking, he lifted the bamboo curtain and went outside.
Watching Uncle Lin leave, Su Wan immediately noticed how quiet the room had become.
There was not a single sound.
Su Wan knew her opportunity had arrived.
She quietly walked to the bedside and crouched down, holding her breath as she carefully reached to undo Liu Rongrong’s collar, terrified of waking her up.
At that moment, Su Wan could clearly hear her own heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
It felt as if her heart might leap right out of her chest.
After loosening the collar, the black jade was revealed. Su Wan found the knot in the red cord and gently untied it before slowly pulling it out. Then she quickly stuffed both the jade and cord into her own pocket.
She finally let out a breath of relief.
Next, Su Wan took out the imitation jade she had made and put it back around Liu Rongrong’s neck before fastening the collar again.
Success!
Once everything was done, Su Wan moved away from the bed, and her tense heart finally settled back down.
Only when she stretched out her hand did she realize her palms were covered in sweat.
Su Wan took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweaty hands. She touched the object in her pocket, thought for a moment, then took it out and carefully wrapped it tightly in the handkerchief before putting it back into her pocket.
Only a few minutes had passed.
Glancing once more at the still-unconscious Liu Rongrong, Su Wan walked outside.
When she came out and saw Uncle Lin still grinding herbs, she curiously walked over to watch.
Seeing Su Wan looking so interested, Uncle Lin enthusiastically introduced the herbs in his hands.
“…Don’t underestimate these herbs just because they look ordinary. They’re quite effective. Apply this to the wound, and it’ll heal in just a few days. Do you remember when you fell and scraped yourself as a child? I used these same herbs on you. A few days later, you were already running all over the mountains again.”
Hearing Uncle Lin bring up her embarrassing childhood stories, Su Wan felt a little awkward.
Back then, although she still retained her memories, she had not lacked a child’s temperament at all. She had run wild everywhere with her brother, climbing mountains and playing in the water, constantly causing trouble.
Seeing Su Wan grow embarrassed, Uncle Lin sighed inwardly. The mischievous little child from back then had grown into such a quiet and delicate young lady.
Meanwhile, after separating from Su Lei—
Zhao Qiuyue walked along the road with a smile on her face when she suddenly heard someone calling behind her.
“Qiuyue! Zhao Qiuyue!”
Turning around, she saw Shen Aihong running after her while carrying two baskets and panting heavily.
Only then did Zhao Qiuyue realize she had forgotten her basket on the mountain.
She quickly stepped forward and took her own basket.
“Aihong, I’m sorry!”
Shen Aihong caught her breath and waved her hand. “It’s fine. But tell me, why were you chasing after him down the mountain? That comrade is called Su Lei, right?”
As she spoke, she looked teasingly at Zhao Qiuyue.
Zhao Qiuyue blushed slightly but still said confidently, “He saved me, so I went to help him carry things. What’s wrong with that?”
“I think it’s more than that…” Shen Aihong deliberately dragged out her words.
“Oh please, what ‘more than that’?” Zhao Qiuyue could not hide the smile on her face and hurriedly changed the subject. “Let’s go check on Liu Rongrong at the clinic. I wonder how she’s doing. Luckily, that snake wasn’t venomous!”
Shen Aihong stopped teasing her and nodded. “Alright.”
When the two of them arrived at the clinic, they saw Su Wan chatting and laughing with Doctor Lin, which immediately reassured them. It seemed Liu Rongrong was fine.
Hearing movement, Su Wan turned around and smiled. “You’re here. Educated Youth Liu is lying inside. She still hasn’t woken up yet, but she’s fine.”
Zhao Qiuyue walked over with an unusually gentle attitude and said, “Thank you, Comrade Su Wan. We troubled you again this time.”
Su Wan was a little stunned.
Why is Zhao Qiuyue speaking so gently? I remember she wasn’t this kind of person.
Perhaps noticing Su Wan’s surprise, Zhao Qiuyue explained, “On the mountain, thanks to your brother saving me. Otherwise, I would have been bitten by the snake.”
Su Wan suddenly understood.
So that was why.
“It’s nothing, really. Since my brother saw it happen, of course he would save you. Educated Youth Zhao, you don’t need to be so polite.”
“That won’t do. Another day, I’ll definitely visit your home properly to thank Comrade Su Lei.”
Seeing Zhao Qiuyue’s determined expression, Su Wan could only agree.
Only then did Zhao Qiuyue smile.
“Comrade Su Wan, you should head home first. We’ll stay here and watch over Liu Rongrong. You’ve already gone through enough trouble today,” Shen Aihong said after the two finished speaking.
Su Wan was still thinking about the item in her pocket, so she did not refuse and left.
At that moment, Uncle Lin had already finished preparing the herbal medicine. Putting it into a bottle, he handed it to them and said, “Apply it to the wound once a day. It’ll heal after a few days.”
Then, as if remembering something, he added, “Bring the bottle back after you finish using it.”
Glass bottles were expensive, after all. They had to be reused.
The two nodded to show they understood.
Inside the room, Liu Rongrong slowly opened her eyes and blinked, still confused about why she was lying there.
Then she saw someone approaching—it was Shen Aihong and Zhao Qiuyue.
Seeing Liu Rongrong awake, Shen Aihong walked over and sat beside the bed.
“Liu Rongrong, are you alright? How are you feeling? Are you still dizzy?”
Hearing this, Liu Rongrong suddenly remembered what had happened.
She had actually been bitten by a snake!
Panicking, she quickly sat up and looked at her foot.
Seeing her trying to sit up, Shen Aihong helped support her and said, “Liu Rongrong, it’s fine. The snake that bit you wasn’t venomous!”
Hearing that it was nonvenomous and seeing only two small puncture wounds on her ankle, Liu Rongrong finally let out a sigh of relief and relaxed.
Then she noticed Zhao Qiuyue standing nearby.
Only then did Liu Rongrong react.
Why was she the one who had been bitten? Shouldn’t it have been Zhao Qiuyue instead?
Liu Rongrong was confused.
Could the butterfly effect really be this strong?
And in the book, she had clearly arranged for it to be a venomous snake. So why was it suddenly nonvenomous?
Still, thank goodness it was not poisonous.
Clutching the jade at her chest, Liu Rongrong suddenly understood.
It was the jade that had protected her. That was why she had not been poisoned.
Seeing Liu Rongrong sitting there blankly after waking up, Zhao Qiuyue said impatiently, “Hey, you’re awake already. Why are you still lying there? Don’t tell me you expect us to carry you back too?”
Liu Rongrong snapped back to her senses, glanced at Zhao Qiuyue, ignored her, and got out of bed to put on her shoes.
Seeing the atmosphere turn awkward, Shen Aihong quickly interrupted.
“You know what Qiuyue is like. She always talks that way. Don’t take it to heart. Come on, I’ll help you walk.”
Before leaving, Shen Aihong shot Zhao Qiuyue a look.
Seeing Shen Aihong act this way, Zhao Qiuyue stopped talking and simply followed behind them while carrying both of their baskets.