Before jumping from the carriage, Zhao Nuan adjusted her position, turning her back toward the outside.
Yan’er clung to her neck from the front, wrapping her legs around Zhao Nuan’s waist.
Zhao Nuan removed the bundle and padded it against Yan’er’s back.
“Be careful not to crush your brother.”
Yan’er nodded, curling up like a shrimp to position Zhou Ningyu between her and her mother’s stomach.
The haystack wasn’t very wide, so Zhao Nuan had to calculate the momentum.
She counted silently ‘1, 2, 3,’ pushed off with her feet facing outward, and rolled out of the carriage.
The first impact of her back against the ground was as expected, accompanied by a creaking sound from her bones.
By curling into a ball in time, the second rolling contact also unfolded as Zhao Nuan anticipated—Yan’er’s back pressed against the roots of hay along the roadside.
Then came the fall, still matching Zhao Nuan’s predictions exactly.
Fortunately, this was an Official Road, so the terrain wasn’t particularly treacherous. On both sides were densely wooded slopes, not too high.
It was late autumn, and the thick layer of dried leaves on the ground provided some cushioning.
But because there were three of them, the impact was significant, preventing them from stopping quickly. They could only roll passively down the slope.
Zhao Nuan’s spine and the hand holding the bundle against Yan’er’s back were nearly numb.
Zhou Ningyu, frightened, began to cry.
Yan’er hung her head—she had likely fainted.
Watching her head sway loosely, Zhao Nuan feared her neck might snap.
Gritting her teeth, she grabbed a vine, veins bulging on her arm as she strained.
“Ah!” A sharp pain shot through her arm—it must have been dislocated.
But at least the mother and her two children had come to a stop.
There was still a small slope below, and Zhao Nuan didn’t dare let go.
“Yan’er, Yan’er?”
She patted Yan’er’s cheeks, but the girl didn’t wake. Turning her head, she spotted a toad herb on the ground.
Plucking a leaf, she crushed it and held it under Yan’er’s nose.
Toad herb has leaves resembling toad skin and a square stem covered in short fuzz. When crushed, its leaves emit a minty, pungent fragrance.
Within moments, Yan’er woke up.
The little girl was terrified and started to cry as soon as she came to.
“Good girl, don’t cry, don’t cry.” Zhao Nuan pressed her forehead against her daughter’s cheek. “Mother is here.”
Despite the pain in her arm and cold sweat beading on her forehead, she soothed Yan’er first.
“Feeling better now?”
Yan’er looked around and nodded.
“Move a little and see if anything hurts?”
Zhao Nuan was worried that Yan’er might have broken a bone during the fall—in their situation, that could be fatal.
“No.”
“Good. Can you help Mother now?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Wonderful.” Zhao Nuan gave Yan’er a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going to lower you gently. Hold onto your brother’s swaddling clothes strap and slowly make your way to the flat area below, alright?Zhao Nuan was very patient; despite the urgency, she spoke to the child in a calm, negotiating tone.
Yan’er lived up to her expectations, nodding carefully as she landed.
Then, holding the swaddling clothes rope, she slowly descended the slope.
Seeing her daughter safely standing on the level ground not far away, Zhao Nuan let out a sigh of relief.
But as soon as her mind eased, the sharp pain in her left arm surged back.
Yan’er held one end of the swaddling clothes strap, while Zhao Nuan held the other, gently lowering Zhou Ningyu down.
Before jumping from the carriage, Zhao Nuan adjusted her position, turning her back toward the outside.
Yan’er clung to her neck from the front, wrapping her legs around Zhao Nuan’s waist.
Zhao Nuan removed the bundle and padded it against Yan’er’s back.
“Be careful not to crush your brother.”
Yan’er nodded, curling up like a shrimp to position Zhou Ningyu between her and her mother’s stomach.
The haystack wasn’t very wide, so Zhao Nuan had to calculate the momentum.
She counted silently ‘1, 2, 3,’ pushed off with her feet facing outward, and rolled out of the carriage.
The first impact of her back against the ground was as expected, accompanied by a creaking sound from her bones.
By curling into a ball in time, the second rolling contact also unfolded as Zhao Nuan anticipated—Yan’er’s back pressed against the roots of hay along the roadside.
Then came the fall, still matching Zhao Nuan’s predictions exactly.
Fortunately, this was an Official Road, so the terrain wasn’t particularly treacherous. On both sides were densely wooded slopes, not too high.
It was late autumn, and the thick layer of dried leaves on the ground provided some cushioning.
But because there were three of them, the impact was significant, preventing them from stopping quickly. They could only roll passively down the slope.
Zhao Nuan’s spine and the hand holding the bundle against Yan’er’s back were nearly numb.
Zhou Ningyu, frightened, began to cry.
Yan’er hung her head—she had likely fainted.
Watching her head sway loosely, Zhao Nuan feared her neck might snap.
Gritting her teeth, she grabbed a vine, veins bulging on her arm as she strained.
“Ah!” A sharp pain shot through her arm—it must have been dislocated.
But at least the mother and her two children had come to a stop.
There was still a small slope below, and Zhao Nuan didn’t dare let go.
“Yan’er, Yan’er?”
She patted Yan’er’s cheeks, but the girl didn’t wake. Turning her head, she spotted a toad herb on the ground.
Plucking a leaf, she crushed it and held it under Yan’er’s nose.
Toad herb has leaves resembling toad skin and a square stem covered in short fuzz. When crushed, its leaves emit a minty, pungent fragrance.
Within moments, Yan’er woke up.
The little girl was terrified and started to cry as soon as she came to.
“Good girl, don’t cry, don’t cry.” Zhao Nuan pressed her forehead against her daughter’s cheek. “Mother is here.”
Despite the pain in her arm and cold sweat beading on her forehead, she soothed Yan’er first.
“Feeling better now?”
Yan’er looked around and nodded.
“Move a little and see if anything hurts?”
Zhao Nuan was worried that Yan’er might have broken a bone during the fall—in their situation, that could be fatal.
“No.”
“Good. Can you help Mother now?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“Wonderful.” Zhao Nuan gave Yan’er a kiss on the cheek. “I’m going to lower you gently. Hold onto your brother’s swaddling clothes strap and slowly make your way to the flat area below, alright?Zhao Nuan was very patient; despite the urgency, she spoke to the child in a calm, negotiating tone.
Yan’er lived up to her expectations, nodding carefully as she landed.
Then, holding the swaddling clothes rope, she slowly descended the slope.
Seeing her daughter safely standing on the level ground not far away, Zhao Nuan let out a sigh of relief.
But as soon as her mind eased, the sharp pain in her left arm surged back.
Yan’er held one end of the swaddling clothes strap, while Zhao Nuan held the other, gently lowering Zhou Ningyu down.