Chapter 130: It’s Trouble
“Curing illness can’t be rushed. As long as it gets better day by day, there will eventually be a day when it’s completely cured.” Shang Wan took the bamboo tube and drank the mountain spring water inside in one gulp.
A gentle breeze blew past, lifting the soft strands of her black hair and brushing lightly across Lu Chengjing’s open palm.
He instinctively grasped the strand of hair, as if holding onto the passing wind.
Sunlight shone on the jet-black black hair, plating it with a layer of warm glow.
Shang Wan leaned sideways against his shoulder, her tone somewhat lazy. “We’ve gathered most of the herbs. See what else Brother Yuan needs?”
Lu Chengjing slightly adjusted his posture to make her more comfortable, unfolded the paper, and warmly read out the names of the herbs.
The earlier ones were nothing special, only one herb was rather unique.
“Cliff ginger?” Shang Wan guessed based on the herb’s name. “This thing wouldn’t grow on a cliff, would it?”
Lu Chengjing nodded. “Cliff ginger is also known as bone-knitter supplement. It commonly grows on sheer cliffs and has remarkable effects for treating trauma and bruises and rheumatic bone pain.”
Yuan Musheng also knew this herb was hard to gather and had specially noted on the paper to prioritize safety—gather it if possible, but don’t force it if the location is too tricky or inconvenient to reach.
Leaping over eaves and running along walls was no big deal for Shang Wan, but the problem was she didn’t know what cliff ginger looked like.
She couldn’t very well take Lu Chengjing leaping over eaves and running along walls with her, could she?
Well… it wasn’t impossible.
“Cliff ginger’s leaves are feather-shaped.” Lu Chengjing held a branch in his left hand and drew on the ground for Shang Wan to see. “The rhizome is extremely similar to ginger.”
Shang Wan noted it down carefully and pulled Lu Chengjing straight toward the nearest cliff.
A patch of small white flowers bloomed on the cliff, swaying in the gentle breeze. Standing at the cliff’s edge and looking down, she could see a thin layer of mist, with the dense vegetation in the valley below and that pool faintly visible.
Of course, ordinary people couldn’t see that far, but Shang Wan’s eyesight was freakishly good.
Seeing Shang Wan with the bamboo basket slung over her shoulder about to jump down the cliff, Lu Chengjing’s eyelids twitched, and he hurriedly reminded her, “Be careful. There are many venomous snakes and insects on the cliff walls.”
Shang Wan flashed him a reassuring gesture over her shoulder, lightly tapped her toes, and leaped down.
Even knowing Shang Wan wouldn’t have any mishaps, Lu Chengjing’s heart still skipped a couple of beats. He hurriedly leaned out halfway and looked down the cliff.
Shang Wan was wearing a crimson long skirt today, making her quite easy to spot amid the greenery.
From Lu Chengjing’s angle, the person below looked like an exotic flower blooming on green vines, light and agile in her movements, just like a mountain elf.
His heartbeat gradually returned to normal. Lu Chengjing simply sat at the cliff’s edge with his legs dangling naturally, quietly watching Shang Wan’s every move.
“See if this is it.” Shang Wan stood on a thick protruding vine, tossed a muddy plant upward without looking up, and it landed right beside Lu Chengjing.
Lu Chengjing picked it up for a close look. The leaves were feather-like, the rhizome ginger-like, and it had a slightly bitter smell. It was cliff ginger, no doubt.
He replied, “It’s cliff ginger.”
“There’s a huge patch of it here.” Shang Wan glanced at the cliff wall in front of her and asked, “Does the apothecary take this stuff?”
If they did, she’d gather more.
Lu Chengjing said, “They do. Dig out the rhizomes intact.”
“Got it.” Shang Wan agreed and began harvesting.
White light flashed wherever her palm passed. She didn’t even need a herb hoe; leaves and roots were all stored into the space.
Of course, she understood the principle of sustainable harvesting, only taking those cliff gingers that looked mature, leaving the small plants and seedlings to keep growing.
She also dripped several drops of spiritual spring water on this patch to speed up their growth.
Feeling she’d gathered enough and about to head back, she suddenly heard a faint sound in her ears.
It seemed like a human voice.
Only one sound, mixed in with the wind, hard to pinpoint the direction.
She turned her head to look around, and another faint groan of pain reached her ears. Shang Wan immediately located the source.
It was on that tree sticking out diagonally below.
She grabbed a vine and leaped, her figure plummeting rapidly, crimson skirt hem fluttering like clouds—stunningly beautiful, but it scared Lu Chengjing above so much his heart nearly jumped out.
“Niangzi!”
“I’m fine.” Shang Wan landed precisely on the tree trunk and waved upward to signal no need to worry.
The faint groan came again from the dense treetop. Shang Wan confirmed there was a person inside.
The aura of a living being drew not only Shang Wan, but also a venomous snake.
The hunting snake disturbed, it hissed and flicked its tongue, raising its triangular head to threaten Shang Wan.
Venomous snakes weren’t edible. Such a big one—such a pity.
Shang Wan flicked her finger, shooting out a stone that knocked the snake flying.
The long patterned body fell uncontrollably into the valley below.
Only then did Shang Wan dive into the treetop. Upon seeing the injured person clearly, she raised her brows in surprise.
How was there a child here?
The child was about five or six years old, eyes closed, hanging on a swaying branch, little face filthy and unrecognizable.
The groan Shang Wan heard was actually the child’s delirious muttering.
Silently sighing at the child’s good fortune, she stepped onto the branches, went over, and carried the child down.
The child’s clothes were torn, body hot like burning coal, running a high fever.
Shang Wan fed him two drops of spiritual spring water. Just as she was about to carry him up, she suddenly noticed a light cyan bloodstained sachet hanging on a small branch nearby.
Probably the child’s belonging.
She picked it up casually, held the child, tapped her toes repeatedly on the cliff wall, leaped upward, and landed beside Lu Chengjing.
Lu Chengjing said in surprise, “Who is this child?”
“No idea.” Shang Wan shrugged. “Probably lost from some family. Let’s take him back first.”
Lu Chengjing lowered his gaze to examine the child Shang Wan held in her arms.
The child was filthy all over, with plump cheeks and arms. The clothes’ original color was unrecognizable, torn in many places, but the fabric was fine—clearly not something villagers could afford.
This child definitely wasn’t from the village.
He looked at Shang Wan and said straightforwardly, “This child might be trouble.”
Children from wealthy families always had servants and attendants when out. A child like this with no one watching likely had encountered a major change.
Shang Wan understood what Lu Chengjing was worried about. If they hadn’t come across him, fine—but since they had, they couldn’t just leave the child. It was a life, after all.
She said, “We’ll talk about trouble later.”
If it really turned out to be big trouble, she could save him or kill him—Shang Wan thought openly.
Lu Chengjing knew his niangzi was soft-hearted. Since he’d already warned her and she was determined to save the child, he didn’t persuade further and reached to take the bamboo basket slung over Shang Wan’s shoulder.
The bamboo basket held only two fat wild rabbits; all the herbs were in Shang Wan’s space, so it wasn’t heavy.
If Lu Chengjing wanted to carry Shang Wan, she let him. Worst case, she’d take over when he got tired.
Holding a child didn’t affect Shang Wan’s walking speed, and going downhill was always faster than uphill anyway.
Midway, they nearly ran into villagers. Shang Wan took Lu Chengjing to avoid them ahead of time, to spare explaining how someone in a wheelchair had come into the mountains.
Reaching the foot of the mountain, with no one around, Shang Wan took the wheelchair out from the space, and Lu Chengjing, carrying the bamboo basket, sat on it himself.
