After the meal, Xiao Man and Xu Errui continued digging rabbit holes, while Jiang Zhi stayed home.
The kudzu roots had been brought back and needed to be processed as soon as possible. She went to Xiao Man’s house, first thanking Xiaoman’s grandfather for helping repair the house.
Xiaoman’s grandfather waved his hand, telling her not to mention thanks again. Pointing excitedly at the pile of kudzu roots stored inside the house, he said, “What I did was just manual work, Errui’s Mother. But this is life-saving stuff, and that too!”
On the other side were the Cyclobalanopsis acorns soaking in an earthen pit. Now, they picked green fruits daily, taking turns soaking and grinding them into powder, which could be used to make porridge or pan-fried cakes.
With these two things, he no longer worried about starving to death.
Moreover, kudzu roots could also treat illnesses. Last night, after Da Zhu ate stewed kudzu root, he said he felt his thirst and bitter taste in his mouth had improved.
Xiaoman’s grandmother also said she couldn’t handle heavy labor, but washing and scrubbing wasn’t tiring.
Old people feared most becoming useless; feeling needed brought a sense of security, especially since there were still two dependents at home.
Seeing that both were quite satisfied with their current state, Jiang Zhi didn’t say anything overly formal. Instead, she taught them how to extract kudzu root flour.
In fact, the process of extracting the flour was similar to that of the Cyclobalanopsis acorns. First, the kudzu roots were pounded into a paste, then washed with clean water to extract the flour. After repeated sedimentation, the murky water on top was skimmed off, and finally, the flour settled at the bottom of the container was taken out and dried.
Xiaoman’s grandmother understood immediately.
When she learned that kudzu root flour tasted better than Qinggang powder and was more beneficial to health, she couldn’t stop smiling, her already clouded eyes gleaming with light: When had they ever been picky about food while fleeing hardship? Even in past famine years, such a thing had never happened.
Jiang Zhi and the other two spent the morning smashing the kudzu roots with wooden sticks, then filtering out the residue with cloth, washing out the flour, and letting it settle.
Nini held the little rabbit and watched from the side, her small yellow face beaming with joy.
She loved the little rabbit. Xiao Man had built a nest with stone slabs, lining it with dry grass to raise the rabbit.
The little rabbit was still weak and couldn’t eat Cyclobalanopsis acorns, so Xiaoman’s grandmother took out precious cornmeal and sorghum to feed it.
But relying solely on grain wasn’t sustainable—these were things even people couldn’t bear to eat. Fortunately, they discovered yesterday that the rabbit would eat kudzu root, solving a major problem.
The house had already been repaired by Xiaoman’s grandfather. Taking advantage of the free time, Jiang Zhi decided to level the courtyard ground in front of the door as well.
When building the house, they had only roughly leveled it with a hoe, leaving it looking crude and incomparable to the stone slab-paved ground Xiaoman’s grandfather had made.
Now, with mountain ash settling on it, it was black and sticky, impossible to sweep clean.
Fortunately, Jiang Zhi had helped her grandfather prepare grain-drying grounds as a child and still remembered the process vividly.
She and Qiaoyun first loosened the surface soil in the courtyard, cleared away any stones, and crushed the clumps of earth. Then, she took a small amount of the white lime she had carried from the village and mixed it evenly.
Qiaoyun sprinkled water over the soil with leaves, and once the ground was thoroughly dampened, they pounded it with wooden sticks.
They pounded “clang, clang, clang” until the ground was firm and level. After pounding, they scattered dry grass cuttings and pounded once more while the dampness remained.
Finally, Jiang Zhi went to find thin stone slabs and neatly laid them in a circle under the eaves to prevent the eaves drip from damaging the earthen surface.
With this arrangement, the smooth and tidy courtyard ground instantly transformed the appearance of the small hut.
Qiaoyun sat on the steps in front of the house, imagining children crawling around here in a few months, and couldn’t help but smile shyly.
Xu Errui and Xiao Man returned relatively early, and the two families gathered again at Xiao Man’s house under the cliff.
This time, they only found two rabbits, and they also brought back some bad news.
The mountain fire showed signs of spreading toward other peaks.
Over the past two days, besides digging rabbit burrows, they had been monitoring the fire situation. Whenever they encountered lingering embers, they were responsible for extinguishing them.
The areas where the two families lived had already been burned once, so the likelihood of another fire breaking out was low. However, they still feared that the flames might backtrack and merge with the fire in their vicinity.
Now, they were even more eager for rain, as only rainwater could truly extinguish the mountain fire.
That evening, as usual, they stewed soup and boiled Kudzu Root. Although they still ate their fill, the initial joy was gone.
Instead, Houttuynia cordata root was served on the table, and all the children enjoyed it. Even Nini and Xu Da Zhu tasted it.
After the meal, Jiang Zhi didn’t rush to leave. While playing with Nini, she chatted casually with Xiaoman’s Grandmother.
Meanwhile, Xu Errui, Xiao Man, and Xiaoman’s grandfather were busy building a kang.
They had prepared the materials for the kang the day before the fire broke out. Unexpectedly, the mountain fire struck that very night, and the soil and stones they had gathered ended up covering their grain stores. Only now did they have the time to start building it again.
To make space for the kang, Xu Da Zhu’s bed board was moved next to the fire pit.
By the firelight, Jiang Zhi could clearly see his face—an ordinary young man from the countryside, but so emaciated that his features were sunken, his eye sockets frighteningly deep.
Perhaps it was because he had eaten meat over the past two days, or perhaps it was the warmth of the firelight, but Xu Da Zhu’s pale face seemed to have regained a bit of color.
Xiaoman’s Grandmother chatted with Jiang Zhi about everyday matters like eating, drinking, sleeping, and other trivialities.
But intentionally or not, Jiang Zhi gradually steered the conversation toward the details of Xu Da Zhu’s treatment back then.
The villagers only knew that a doctor had been called to treat him, but no one knew exactly how the treatment had been carried out.
In a faint, weak voice, Xu Da Zhu said, “At first, it felt like thousands of ants were biting my legs, and I couldn’t lift them.
The doctor said my spine was misaligned. He carried me on his back, facing backward, and walked around the room to realign the bones. The pain was so intense that I passed out.
When I woke up… I found that although my legs were no longer numb or painful, I couldn’t even feel it when someone pinched me, and I couldn’t lift them anymore.”
Jiang Zhi fell silent instantly.
Xu Da Zhu had been harmed by a quack doctor.
Bone injuries were most sensitive to improper handling, let alone being carried backward and jostled around. This was a case of mistaking a spinal cord injury for a herniated disc, worsening the condition.
But she couldn’t say that.
Bringing it up now would only add to the guilt of the two elderly people, without any practical benefit.
The doctor had been called by them, and the treatment had been carried out right before their eyes.
If they learned now that their grandson’s condition had worsened under their watch, they would carry that regret for the rest of their lives.
There was nothing to be done about it.
Not only was folk medicine inconsistent in quality, with skilled doctors hard to come by—healing often depended on fate—but even with modern medical technology and advanced equipment, spinal cord injury sequelae remained incurable. There was still the possibility of someone walking into a hospital and being carried out.
Seeing that Aunt Jiang had stopped asking questions, Xu Da Zhu cautiously spoke up, “Auntie, can… can I use herbal medicine?”
Ever since he heard that Kudzu Root could treat illnesses, the thought had lingered in his mind.
Jiang Zhi didn’t answer directly, only vaguely saying, “You can try using herbal medicine, but you need to eat well first. Build up your body, gain weight, and strengthen yourself. Only then will you have a chance to use medicine. Otherwise, even if your bones heal, you won’t be able to stand.”
“Stand?” Xu Da Zhu’s eyes lit up.
Jiang Zhi nodded, silently repeating three times: I am not a doctor, I cannot take responsibility for my words, I am only comforting him now.
At this stage of the illness, dietary nourishment is more effective than medicinal supplements. The first step must be to regulate his body through other means.
That means eating—eating all kinds of things to replenish what his body lacks.
Xu Da Zhu may never stand again, but his upper limbs can still move.
Once his strength recovers, he can use a wheelchair, leave his bed, watch Nini grow up, and care for his aging grandparents, without becoming a burden to Xiao Man.
As long as there is a glimmer of hope in adversity, a person can become incredibly resilient. Sometimes, human willpower can change fate.
Meanwhile, knowing that he might stand again, Xu Da Zhu visibly perked up.
Not only did he have the mood to watch Xiao Man and the others build the kang nearby, but he also offered a few reminders. Unconsciously, even the volume of his voice grew louder.