"Zhenzhen, my good child, you can't leave your mother and Yi'er." Her voice was dry and hoarse, as if a single sentence had drained all of Yun Shi's strength. The hand gripping Qi Zhenzhen's also loosened.
"Mother, I won't leave you and Yi'er," Qi Zhenzhen replied, squeezing Yun Shi's hand back. She said softly but firmly, "I'll help you up. You should eat something first. I'll brew some medicine later, and you'll get better quickly after drinking it."
After speaking, Qi Zhenzhen used all her strength to help the frail Yun Shi up, leaning her against herself. She then picked up the soaked flatbread and fed it to her spoonful by spoonful.
Having eaten more than half a bowl of flatbread, Yun Shi felt a little stronger. She propped herself up to sit, and Qi Zhenzhen placed a pillow behind her, allowing her to recline comfortably.
"Zhenzhen, I dreamt you rolled down a hillside and lost your life," Yun Shi said fearfully. "The dream felt so real, and I was terrified. I wanted to wake up and find you, but I couldn't."
Rolled down a hillside? The original body had indeed experienced something like that. It seemed the saying about mothers and daughters sharing a connection was true.
"Mother, dreams are often the opposite of reality. Look, I'm fine, aren't I? I even found wild ginseng in the mountains and brought back medicine for you. We even have some money left over. Our lives will get better," Qi Zhenzhen said with a smile, comforting Yun Shi. She didn't mention going to the capital, because in the original body's memories, Yun Shi didn't want any further connection with the capital.
Yun Shi's eyes reddened. "It's all my fault. If I were stronger, you and Yi'er wouldn't have to suffer with me."
Qi Zhenzhen waved her hand. "What suffering is this? As long as I can be with you and Yi'er, any life feels sweet."
Qi Yi also came closer. "As long as I'm with Mother and Big Sister, Yi'er doesn't feel bitter."
Yun Shi pulled them both into her embrace, secretly vowing to herself that she would be more spirited from now on. She wouldn't wallow in self-pity like before. She would be a pillar of strength for her two children, and even without that place, she could live well.
After spending some time with Yun Shi, Qi Zhenzhen hastily ate a flatbread with warm water, then helped Yun Shi lie down to rest. She took Qi Yi into the kitchen.
The hot water from earlier was still there. Qi Zhenzhen poured some warm water for Qi Yi to soak his feet. She herself placed the medicine pot on the small stove and started a fire to brew the medicine.
Brewing medicine was a skill. Qi Zhenzhen greatly missed the convenient inventions of her previous life, like automatic medicine pots. Fully automated, unlike now, where she had to stare at the pot and the fire out of boredom.
During this time, Qi Yi finished soaking his feet and brought a small stool to sit beside her. However, it wasn't long before the little fellow's head began to nod like a pecking chick. Qi Zhenzhen carried him back to the room, took off his clothes, tucked him into bed, and tucked in the corners of the quilt before returning to the kitchen to watch the medicine pot.
She was Qi Zhenzhen now. She had a mother and a younger brother. She had promised the original body that she would protect them well. Besides that, there was the Changping Marquis Manor in the capital... Thinking about how she had made a trip according to the original body's wishes and only met a steward, and then considering how her mother had never mentioned it for three years, she decided to treat that place as if it didn't exist.
She had never been accustomed to relying on others. Without that place, she wouldn't be unable to make a living, would she? In the mercenary world, when carrying out missions, she hadn't even flinched in situations worse than this, so there was no need to worry about whether she could make a living.
After the medicine was brewed, Qi Zhenzhen put one portion in the cupboard and took the other into the room to help Yun Shi drink it.
After washing the bowl clean, Qi Zhenzhen poured some warm water to soak her feet. Then, she added more slow-burning logs to the stove and covered the opening with a stone slab, leaving only a thin crack. This would allow the firewood to burn very slowly, sending a continuous stream of heat into the kang stove, so they wouldn't be cold at night. The water urn in the kitchen would also remain hot, ensuring hot water was available first thing in the morning.
Having done all this, Qi Zhenzhen stretched, then crept into the room in the dark and climbed onto the kang. Listening to the steady breaths of Yun Shi and Qi Yi, her heart suddenly felt very calm, and she soon fell asleep.
As if by biological clock, Qi Zhenzhen woke up at the first hint of dawn the next day.
She quietly put on her clothes, then carefully got off the kang, trying not to make any noise that might wake the two still sleeping figures.
She took a piece of ginseng and left the house, heading towards Doctor Mo's home.
It was very early, so she didn't encounter anyone along the way.
Doctor Mo's front door was shut tight. Qi Zhenzhen pulled the door knocker and knocked a few times. Soon, Aunt Mo's voice came from inside, "Who is it, so early in the morning?"
"Aunt Mo, it's me, Qi Zhenzhen," Qi Zhenzhen replied after taking a deep breath.
There was a sudden silence from inside the house. Qi Zhenzhen stood outside for a good while before the door opened a crack.
Aunt Mo poked her head out. "Zhenzhen, your Uncle Mo returned quite late from a house call last night and hasn't woken up yet. As for your mother, I'll tell your Uncle Mo when he gets up."
"Aunt Mo, Uncle Mo already prescribed medicine for my mother yesterday, and she's doing much better now. I've come to see Uncle Mo to ask about the grain." Qi Zhenzhen said in a soft voice.
Aunt Mo's eyebrows shot up, and her tone became very impatient. "Qi Zhenzhen, you're such a big girl, are you truly ignorant or just pretending? Your Uncle Mo is kind-hearted and has helped you a lot, seeing that your family is having a hard time. You should know how to be grateful, understand? You can't be like a leech, sucking and never letting go! Your Uncle Mo also has to support his family! We don't have any extra grain!"
With that, she slammed the door shut with a "bang"—