The herbs were so large that they directly covered the entire width of the stream, obscuring the view of what was happening in the water.
First, they passed the village girls, then slowly approached Ning Wei and the others.
Ning Wei was seated at the very front, followed by Tang Tang, Zhu Yilian, Yuanyuan, and another girl named Wang Jing.
While no one was paying attention, Ning Wei made a blood bead appear on her fingertip.
As the herbs floated by, she pretended to be curious and bent down to look, but in reality, she dropped the blood bead onto the herbs.
The blood bead seeped through the gaps in the herbs and fell into the water. The feeling of being constrained vanished instantly.
What's more, Ning Wei noticed that the small white flower from the herbs, which had been aiming for her instep, stopped midway because of the blood bead.
However, the people behind her were not so lucky. As the herbs passed Yuanyuan, a splash of water hit her, and the small white flower stuck firmly to her fair instep.
She yelped in fright, like a startled bird. Even a tiny flower made her extremely nervous.
If it weren't for Aunt Zhang's previous warning, she probably would have already kicked the flower away.
The herb cluster continued downstream, passing Wang Jing's feet without any intention of stopping.
Finally, the herb cluster drifted further and further away until it was out of sight.
"Alright, you can get up now," Aunt Zhang commanded, and everyone quickly lifted their feet.
The white flower on Yuanyuan's instep, as if it had grown there, remained stuck even after being lifted out of the water.
Aunt Zhang was very satisfied. She smiled and walked over to Yuanyuan, removed the small white flower from her foot, and placed it in the water to float downstream.
"Your name is Yuanyuan, right? You're going to be very rich and prosperous this year."
Yuanyuan's face was pale, but she managed a weak smile. "Thank you for your good wishes, Aunt Zhang."
Aunt Zhang looked at her feet for a moment with a gleam in her eyes.
After everyone put on their shoes and socks, they left one by one. Soon, only Ning Wei and a few others remained.
Remembering Aunt Zhang's earlier warning, Ning Wei looked at her with a forced smile before leaving. "Aunt Zhang, we've washed our feet. Can we leave now?"
Aunt Zhang nodded repeatedly, her smile as bright as a flower, completely devoid of her earlier oppressive demeanor.
"You all go back first. I'll have your uncle send over a chicken later. We picked a lot of mushrooms in the mountains the other day, and chicken soup would be perfect. You can't get such delicious food in the city."
Aunt Zhang left after speaking. She truly seemed very happy.
Back in the courtyard, all the male passengers gathered around to ask about the situation.
Zhu Yilian recounted everything that had happened, leaving no detail out.
At this point, Yuanyuan was a bit frightened because, compared to the other four, she was the only one who had touched that small white flower. She scared herself, thinking it was a bad omen.
Seeing that she was not in good spirits, Wang Jing took her into the house. The others also expressed their concern, telling her to rest well in the room and not to help with cooking today.
Soon, Aunt Zhang entered with a basket. The basket contained a prepared chicken and some dried mushrooms.
Fearing they wouldn't know how to cook it, she personally took charge until the chicken was in the pot before she felt at ease.
She glanced around and then asked, "Why don't I see that girl named Yuanyuan?"
Tang Tang replied, "She's feeling a bit unwell and went back to her room to lie down."
"Then I must go and see her." Aunt Zhang didn't give anyone a chance to refuse, saying as she walked towards the room.
It was strange, but there were four rooms in total, and she walked straight to the one Yuanyuan was staying in.
Seeing her walk in so accurately, Ning Wei became suspicious and quickly followed.
Because she was afraid alone, Wang Jing was also in the room with her.
As soon as Aunt Zhang entered, she saw Yuanyuan lying on the bed, her eyes closed, her face pale.
She reached out to touch Yuanyuan, but her hand was stopped by a sudden appearance. "Aunt Zhang, don't touch her. You just touched the chicken and haven't washed your hands yet."
It was Ning Wei, who had just walked in. She was very suspicious of Aunt Zhang and didn't want her to have any contact with them.
Aunt Zhang glanced at her hands and indeed saw some grease.
She casually wiped them on her clothes, muttering, "You city girls are too delicate."
Despite her grumbling, Ning Wei was determined not to let her touch Yuanyuan today.
Having no other choice, Aunt Zhang instructed Ning Wei to take good care of Yuanyuan.
Ning Wei readily agreed and then escorted Aunt Zhang out of the courtyard.
Aunt Zhang also realized that she wasn't very welcome, so she left hesitantly.
After watching her leave from a distance, Ning Wei returned to the courtyard and closed the wooden door.
"Closing the door in broad daylight, isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Song Zhi asked tactfully.
"Aunt Zhang comes here eight hundred times a day. Closing the door will make her realize her place."
Knowing she couldn't win an argument with Ning Wei, Song Zhi remained silent.
Yuanyuan in the room had already fallen asleep, but she didn't seem to be sleeping peacefully, her brows furrowed and her fists clenched.
Wang Jing tiptoed out. Zhu Yilian asked, "Aren't you going to stay with her?"
"She's asleep. I came out to see if there was anything I could help with."
"There's nothing. We're almost done with dinner. We'll call you later," Tang Tang said casually as she passed by, carrying a bundle of firewood.
Seeing that she couldn't help, Wang Jing turned and went back inside.
The house was low and lacked any windows, so it was very dark inside, even in broad daylight.
Yuanyuan was asleep and felt a bit scared being alone. She left the door ajar to let in some light.
The sounds of people walking back and forth outside were incredibly reassuring.
Wang Jing leaned against the wall and dozed off.
No one noticed that Yuanyuan, lying on the bed, had unconsciously relaxed her brows. The paleness on her face faded, and a blush slowly appeared.
She seemed to be having a good dream, her clenched fists slowly unclenching, her fingers opening as if holding someone's hand.
All of this happened quietly. The people outside were busy preparing lunch and had no idea of the changes happening inside the room.
When the food was ready, Tang Tang gently pushed open the door. Seeing Wang Jing asleep, she gently patted her and silently mouthed the word "Eat."
Wang Jing glanced back at the sleeping Yuanyuan and noticed her flushed face. Thinking it was due to the thick quilt, she gently lifted a corner of the quilt to let in some air.
Seeing only Wang Jing come out, Mei Nan asked in confusion, "Isn't Yuanyuan eating?"
"She's asleep. We'll save her portion, and she can eat it when she wakes up," Wang Jing stated her plan.
Yuanyuan had indeed looked unwell earlier. Since she was now asleep, it was acceptable for her to eat after waking up.