《The Divine Mistress Physician Shows Mercy with Her Needles》 Chapter 1 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Let go!¡± said a teenage boy beside Chen Mengtian¡¯s ears. His voice was raspy because he was going through a voice change. When she heard this unfamiliar voice, she held the item in her hands even tighter. Water! She was surrounded by water. She fell into the sea and drowned. No one saved her. Just when she felt Death calling to her and sensed her life flowing from her body, the raspy voice beside her ears caused her mind to become a little clearer. This was the voice of a teenage boy going through a voice change. It might be raspy, but it was really pleasant to Chen Mengtian. She felt like she was holding onto salvation, and it was helping her not to drown. She held onto the item in her hands with all her strength and swam toward the shore to the best of her ability. But in truth, Chen Mengtian was just lying in bed and squirming around. She thought that she was surrounded by water and tried her best not to let it get over her face so that she would not have to face the despair of sinking. Despite that, she was still holding onto the arm of the teenage boy who was sitting at the edge of the bed. The boy¡¯s young face was aloof and distant, and he wore a faded black robe. The clear lines of his smooth and pale face made him appear cold and handsome. His dark and profound eyes shone with an indifferent light. If anyone got near him, they could sense that the teenager was radiating an air of displeasure. Chen Mengtian gripped the boy¡¯s arm so tightly that it was about to get snapped. The boy narrowed his long and hooded eyes. His cold gaze landed on Chen Mengtian, who still lay in bed and was subconsciously holding onto his arm with all her strength. His gaze could not be considered cordial, but he did not show ill will. He was just unhappy. Standing beside him was a woman in an old linen dress. Once she saw that Jiang Zebei¡¯s arm was held so tight that his blood circulation was about to be cut off and there were even traces of blood on his sleeve, she walked forward and slapped the person in bed. Slap! The middle-aged woman was Madam Chen, and she slapped Chen Mengtian¡¯s face. The boy sitting at the edge of the bed remained unmoved at the sight of it. His expression did not change, either. It was as if he saw nothing. But he did not fling Chen Mengtian¡¯s hand away. ¡®It hurts! My face hurts!¡¯ Chen Mengtian¡¯s thick and long eyelashes fluttered a little. She summoned all her strength to open her bleary eyes, but she only managed to open them midway, and while her vision remained blurry, she saw the contours of the things around her. She was no longer surrounded by seawater. With watery eyes, she saw the general outline of the area around her. Everything around her was unfamiliar, and the furniture was not made with exquisite craftsmanship. There was also a blurry figure sitting beside her. She could somewhat tell that it belonged to a man. The person standing beside her was a woman. Chen Mengtian reached out to point at them after letting go of the boy¡¯s arm. ¡°Y-You saved me?¡± Before they could react to her words, she felt a sharp stab of pain in her brain and shut her eyes again. She could not stay awake. When Madam Chen saw that she had fainted, she sighed in relief. Madam Chen remembered how ferocious and unreasonable this girl was, so she knew that the girl would definitely cause a major ruckus if she knew that Madam Chen had hit her. Yet when she fainted, Madam Chen had no joy on her face. Worry even painted her ancient face. She looked at Jiang Zebei and said softly, ¡°Zebei, I¡¯ll take care of Mrs. Jiang. Since she woke up, she¡¯ll be fine. Go to school, don¡¯t be late for your lessons.¡± Jiang Zebei cast a glance at his bleeding arm. His black robe had already been dyed crimson, and a dark patch had formed on his sleeve. Chapter 2 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Jiang Zebei heard what Madam Chen said, he looked up, and his long, narrow, hooded eyes were full of gentleness. ¡°Thank you for your kind reminder, Madam Chen. I¡¯ve already asked for three days¡¯ leave from school. It¡¯s already late, and Big Brother Da Long should be back from work by now. You should cook for him.¡± Madam Chen turned her head to look at the sky outside and slapped her thigh. ¡°My word, you¡¯re right! Da Long should be returning from work in town. Zebei, take care of Mrs. Jiang for now. I¡¯ll go back and cook. Then, I¡¯ll send some food for you. Don¡¯t go cooking on your own at home.¡± Jiang Zebei did not reject her offer. ¡°It would be rude of me to decline your offer. Thank you for taking care of me over the years, Madam Chen.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been neighbors for years, child. Why are you still so polite with me?¡± Jiang Zebei had a gentle smile on his fair face while he exchanged pleasantries with Madam Chen. Then, Madam Chen left. Jiang Zebei sent her off and returned to the inner room. As he stared at the unconscious girl lying in the bed, his gaze lost its gentleness. The girl in bed was no one else but his child bride. If she were well-behaved, Jiang Zebei would not be so aloof toward her nor dislike her so much. It had been nearly three years since she married into the Jiang family and became his child bride. Girls with sweet looks could win over people easily, especially young boys like Jiang Zebei. In the past, Jiang Zebei liked Chen Mengtian a lot, and he even dreamt of having her as his wife. But she did not care for him. Her heart held another young man living in their village. He was a worthless and useless person with looks and nothing else. However, this was not enough to make Jiang Zebei think that his pride had been stomped upon. The worst deed Chen Mengtian did was going to the forest in the mountain behind their village with her lover, Chen Qing, and Madam Chen saw it. Jiang Zebei could not tolerate this, especially since they stayed nearly four hours in the forest. There was no way anyone would not overthink things when they knew that a man and a woman stayed for such a long time in the forest. Yet when Madam Chen told him about this, he did not go back home immediately to confront Chen Mengtian. Instead, he asked Madam Chen to not spread a word of this. Once she agreed to it, he went back home to confront Chen Mengtian. He did not expect that she would admit to it directly and even refuse to change her ways. Even to the present day, Jiang Zebei could still remember what Chen Mengtian had told him: She did not like him, and on the day her lover married her, she would leave the Jiang family. Yet when Jiang Zebei mentioned that he wanted to divorce her, she threw a tantrum and refused. She was still foolishly waiting for that pretty boy who only knew how to use sweet words to deceive girls. She did not know that he had never been sincere to her. Her lover, Chen Qing, had long since been engaged to Chen Baozhu. She was Mr. Chen¡¯s daughter, and Mr. Chen was from the Chen family who sold Chen Mengtian into the Jiang family. This was what Jiang Zebei learned from Madam Chen when he came back from school. Chen Mengtian had fallen into the water when Chen Baozhu learned of her affair with Chen Qing. They had quarrelled by the river, and Chen Baozhu pushed Chen Mengtian into the water. Fortunately, someone saw her, and she did not lose her life. Jiang Zebei looked away from Chen Mengtian and walked to the table nearby to sit down. He brought out a book from the linen bag on the table and started reading once he lit up the lamp on the table. The imperial examination was in three years, and he would be fifteen years old at that time. Jiang Zebei intended to take the exam. His ambitions did not give him the time to handle his adulterous wife. It was quiet in the room. No loud arguments could be heard, which was something rare in the house. The girl in bed was very quiet. Chapter 3 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation At that moment, Jiang Zebei did not know that the girl in bed was no longer Chen Mengtian, the idiot who foolishly had her feelings toyed with. He also did not know that a chaotic life that belonged to the two of them had officially started. ¡­ Madam Chen was Jiang Zebei¡¯s neighbour. In the second year Chen Mengtian married into the Jiang family, Jiang Zebei¡¯s parents passed away, and they held their funeral. Over the next year, Madam Chen had been taking care of the twelve-year-old Jiang Zebei and thirteen-year-old Chen Mengtian. Jiang Zebei was well-loved by his parents since young, and ever since he became sensible, he was sent to school to be enlightened, so he naturally did not know how to cook. And ever since Chen Mengtian married into the Jiang family, she did not do any work. If Jiang Zebei ordered her to cook, they would end up not having anything to eat since her cooking was horrible. Jiang Zebei ate the food Madam Chen made and gave her some of the grain at home. Even if she tried to reject it, Jiang Zebei insisted on her taking his gift. Even though he did not know how to make tasty food, he knew how to cook basic things, so there were some easy-to-cook ingredients at home. Once Jiang Zebei finished eating, he washed himself and walked to the only bed at home. He stared at the unconscious girl, then reached out to pick her up and moved her next to the wall. After that, he crawled under the blanket and slept next to her. Over the two years, they had always slept in the same bed. Jiang Zebei was already used to it, and it was what his parents had asked for as well. Right now, even if he did not want to sleep with Chen Mengtian, there were no other rooms in the house for him to use. His parents had just left the land of the living half a year ago, so he could not possibly use their room. For some reason, when Jiang Zebei smelled the feminine scent that wafted into his nostrils, he felt a little restless. However, when he remembered all that Chen Mengtian did over the two years, the restlessness in his young body was extinguished. It was as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him in winter. Jiang Zebei stared at the girl beside him in the dimness of the night, and a dark light shone in his black eyes. He gave off an aloof presence in the dark. Before long, Jiang Zebei looked away from Chen Mengtian. He turned around and faced away from Chen Mengtian as he shut his eyes to sleep. But Chen Mengtian did not have a good time as she slept next to the wall. While she was unconscious, she received all the memories of the girl she had become. She was not Chen Mengtian, but she was also Chen Mengtian. But she was not the Chen Mengtian who lived in the remote Chen Village in Cold West. She was Chen Mengtian from the twenty-first century. Earlier, when Chen Mengtian woke up and saw the unfamiliar surroundings, she felt a sharp sting of pain in her brain. Then, she appeared in another unfamiliar environment, or rather, her mind appeared in another dimension. Right now, Chen Mengtian was digesting all the memories of the original Chen Mengtian along with the legacy the dimension gave her. Yes, the dimension gave her a legacy. The dimension where Chen Mengtian was currently located was a place called Green Lotus Dimension, and it was a legacy given to her by her bloodline. She was originally a doctor who had just received her doctor¡¯s license and worked in Chinese Traditional Medicine Hospital in the twenty-first century. But when she went to the beach to celebrate with her colleagues who had also received their license at the same time, she encountered an accident. Their ship overturned, and she fell into the sea. She then got submerged in seawater. Then¡­ she died? Chen Mengtian looked at the plants, cottage, and earth around her. If she did not die, she would not have come to this place, much less transmigrated into the body of a girl with the same name and surname as hers. Chen Mengtian did not have the time to pay attention to her surroundings. When she thought of the memories she received, she gritted her teeth. She¡­ did not know what to say about the body¡¯s original owner. Chapter 4 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The original owner of the body was called Chen Mengtian. She was a pitiful child who first lost her mother, then her father as well, which left her with no one to love her. Right after her father died when she was ten, her aunt sold her to the Jiang family as a child bride. Now, it was her third year in the Jiang family. She became a graceful girl and, at the same time, started paying attention to boys. She might have been the child bride of the Jiang family, but she did not like the good-looking Jiang Zebei. Their relationship was not great. They might live in an era in which men were more valuable than women, but the original owner¡¯s temper was one that made Chen Mengtian clap for her. The original owner was fierce and unreasonable, without a single sign of a weak personality. It was especially so when she faced Jiang Zebei. Both of them had even fought before. It was as if there was some sort of magnetic reaction between them, and they just kept rejecting each other. As they grew older, this aversion became even more prominent. The original owner did not like Jiang Zebei. She liked Chen Qing from the same village, who was just a pretty boy. His words were as sweet as honey, and he had a loose tongue. He even talked about sex with the original owner, even though he never responded to her advances. The original owner was utterly flattered by him, and her heart belonged solely to him. She liked him so much that she wanted to marry only him. At first, the original owner thought that she would definitely be able to marry Chen Qing. Even though she was the Jiang family¡¯s child bride, she had never slept with Jiang Zebei, and she did not like him either. That was why she thought that it was only natural that she would be able to marry Chen Qing, but reality gave her a cruel awakening. Chen Qing was actually engaged to Chen Baozhu, who was her cousin and the daughter of the aunt who sold her to the Jiang family. When she learned of this news, the original owner was furious. She first went to look for Chen Qing. When she could not find him, she went to look for Chen Baozhu. They quarrelled by the village¡¯s river. Their argument soon escalated, and they fought. The original owner¡¯s strength let her down, and she was pushed into the river by Chen Baozhu. When Chen Mengtian recalled this drama of two women fighting over one man, her lips twitched. It would be fine if they were fighting over a man with unmatched looks, but he was a weak pretty boy, so she could not understand why they were fighting over him. The original owner even lost her life because of it, and the villagers would now gossip about her. In the past, no one knew about her and Chen Qing. But now, she had fought with Chen Baozhu. Besides, after the villagers appeared, Chen Baozhu reproached her. She said that Chen Mengtian seduced her fiance despite being a married woman, which was incredibly shameless. She also said plenty of other humiliating things. Chen Mengtian was a woman of the twenty-first century. Despite that, she still felt embarrassed by those things. Chen Baozhu¡¯s cusses even involved the private parts of men and women. They were the things the original owner heard with what remained of her consciousness when she was saved from the river. The discussions of the people around her and Chen Baozhu¡¯s slander made her so angry that she nearly fainted. Chen Mengtian wondered whether the original owner died of anger because Chen Baozhu twisted the truth and said all those dirty, shameful things. Now that she thought about it carefully, she felt that it was possible. After all, how could a person die once they were brought out of the river? Once Chen Mengtian familiarized herself with the horrible original owner¡¯s memories, she stood up in Green Lotus Dimension and observed her surroundings. She felt that all the things she received came straight from a fantasy novel. Even if she was out of the loop, she knew that transmigration was a movie genre that had been popular for years. She had watched a few such movies. But now that it happened to her, she found that she had quite the hard time accepting it. She wanted to return to the twenty-first century, where she had a phone, air conditioning, and all sorts of entertainment. Chapter 5 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Mengtian simply could not accept certain things in the original owner¡¯s memories. The status of women in this era was simply too low. Just when Chen Mengtian was wondering how she could go back to the twenty-first century, wind stirred in Green Lotus Dimension. There was even sand in the wind. Chen Mengtian covered her mouth and nose as she looked in the direction from which the strange wind came. ¡°Chen Mengtian, you belong to the Green Lotus Bloodline. You are the last remaining member of the bloodline among thousands of worlds. Chen Village¡¯s Chen Mengtian is you. She is you, and you are her.¡± Chen Mengtian heard the airy voice in the dimension, and fear flashed in her eyes. ¡°Who are you?!¡± ¡®Damn it! Don¡¯t scare me like this!¡¯ She had transmigrated into a horrible woman¡¯s body, and now, she had this strange dimension. Chen Mengtian needed great courage to accept this, let alone a strange voice saying that she was Chen Village¡¯s Chen Mengtian. This was just too shocking! After she voiced her question, the wind stopped. The androgynous voice also vanished. Chen Mengtian stayed rooted to the spot. She looked around warily. Thud¡­ Suddenly, the door of the cottage near her opened. Chen Mengtian trembled. ¡®Oh my God! There¡¯s a ghost!¡¯ But even if Chen Mengtian¡¯s body gave off a natural fear response, she was someone with a curious heart, and she boldly took two steps forward. ¡°Who is it? Who spoke just now?¡± She looked into the cottage. Right when her voice faded away, something flew out of the cottage. Chen Mengtian¡¯s heart thundered. She stared at the item flying in her direction, and she could not help but take two steps back. The item that flew out levitated in the air in front of Chen Mengtian. It was a painting of a woman dressed in a green ruqun [1]. Cheng Mengtian could not see the person¡¯s features clearly. She could only tell that it was a woman with a decent demeanor. ¡°Chen Mengtian, since you have come, settle here. You will be in charge of passing down the Green Lotus Medical Technique. You are the last remaining member of the Green Lotus Bloodline in this world.¡± The voice from before spoke again. This time, Chen Mengtian was certain that the voice came from the painting in front of her. Perhaps it was because the voice repeatedly told her that she was the last remaining member of the Green Lotus Bloodline that the last traces of fear in Chen Mengtian¡¯s heart disappeared. She took a bold step forward. ¡°You mentioned that the Chen Mengtian in Chen Village is me. What do you mean?¡± The painting levitating in the air trembled a few times. ¡°She is the incarnation of one of your many past lives. To make sure that your soul doesn¡¯t scatter, I brought you to the current era. She has always been you, but she never gained the intelligence of a member of the Green Lotus Bloodline.¡± Chen Mengtian was still slightly puzzled. It was just too difficult for her to accept that she could be a woman who fought someone for a pretty boy and even lost her life because of it. ¡®Hmm? Where did that burning scent come from?¡¯ Chen Mengtian scrunched her nose and sniffed the air for the burnt smell. The next moment, she noticed that the levitating painting was on fire! Upon seeing this, she became flustered and went forward to try and extinguish the flames. ¡°Hey, you haven¡¯t told me how to go back! I don¡¯t want to stay here!¡± However, when she came closer to the burning painting, the painting acted as if it had its own consciousness and swiftly drew back. ¡°Chen Mengtian, you are the last remaining member of the Green Lotus Bloodline. You must pass down the medical techniques of the Green Lotus Bloodline. If you want to go back, you must¡­ pass it¡­ down¡­¡± When the voice faded away, the painting was burnt away by the flames. It did not leave behind even a single speck of ash. Chen Mengtian¡¯s eyes went wide, and disbelief appeared on her face. Translator¡¯s Note: [1] Ruqun: A traditional Chinese attire consisting of a short jacket worn under a long skirt. (Source: Wikipedia) Chapter 6 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Mengtian looked at the quiet dimension around her. The shock in her eyes never left. ¡®What the heck is going on? I don¡¯t know anything. ¡®What is this Green Lotus Medical Technique and legacy? At least tell me what to do!¡¯ She stared at the empty space in front of her and felt really tired, but also calm. She remembered the last sentence mentioned by the painting. If she wanted to go back, she had to pass down Green Lotus Medical Technique. Was this her only way to go back? Did that mean that her body in the modern world was perfectly fine? So, her stomach did not explode from seawater? She was not eaten by the fish in the sea either? Suddenly, Chen Mengtian smiled self-deprecatingly. What she thought about was really strange. She looked at the cottage nearby and walked to it. It felt like there was something leading her there. She could not control herself. She just walked to the cottage. The door of the cottage was wide open, and Chen Mengtian stepped inside. It did not look amazing from the outside, but the decorations inside were really exquisite. They gave off an ancient feeling and an elegant, scholarly air. There were many bookshelves in the cottage. They were arranged in rows, and each bookshelf was stuffed full of books. Practically two-thirds of the area in the cottage was occupied by bookshelves. Chen Mengtian did not stop after walking inside. She headed toward the nearest bookshelf. She reached out and picked the really eye-catching wooden box in the middle of the bookshelf. It had beautiful and exquisite flower carvings on its surface. With the dust-free wooden box in hand, she walked to the only table in the cottage. She reached out and placed the box in her hands carefully on the table. Then, she opened it and revealed the items inside. There was a medical book at the top. ¡°Green Lotus¡± was written on its cover. Chen Mengtian picked up the medical book and opened it to see what¡¯s inside. A set of silver needles was fixed at the top of a good silk cloth. There was also a set of golden needles, which looked even more attractive. As Chen Mengtian observed the silver needles and golden needles, she was unable to resist taking them into her hand. Just like that, she held the medical book in one hand, and the silver and golden needles in the other. A sharp pain rose in her mind. She felt like she was stabbed by the needles. The medical book slipped from her grasp and floated in front of her. Due to the pain, Chen Mengtian could not help but shut her eyes. A large wave of words surged into her mind. It was the Green Lotus Medical Technique! The medical book had diagrams with the acupressure points and the methods to insert needles into them. The most shocking thing was that the amazing medical technique could even resurrect the dead and regrow flesh. Chen Mengtian took note of the acupressure points and the ways to insert the needles. But that was not all. After she was done, the other books on the bookshelves fell off on their own. They floated in front of Chen Mengtian and forced their information into her. After absorbing the information of nearly one hundred books, Chen Mengtian¡¯s face grew pale. Huge beads of sweat gathered on her forehead, but the bizarrities in the cottage finally ended. It was as if the books knew that Chen Mengtian could no longer accept anything new, and they stopped. Everything was just too bizarre. After the books returned to their places, only the book with the diagrams of the human acupressure points was left on the table. Chen Mengtian was also still holding the silver and golden needles in her hand. Once she was no longer forced to accept anymore knowledge, Chen Mengtian relaxed. Her body was weak, as if all her strength had been sapped from her. She opened her eyes and immediately supported herself with the table next to her, then plopped down on the bench. She had received too much information just now, and it made her feel as if her brain was about to explode. Chen Mengtian tossed the golden and silver needles to the side, then wrapped her hands around her head and started tugging at her hair. Chapter 7 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation All the words from the medical books crashed into each other in Chen Mengtian¡¯s mind, and it felt like her head was about to split open. If there was a wall in front of her right then, Chen Mengtian would ram her head against it without hesitation. Just when she could no longer stand it, she finally obtained release. Chen Mengtian magnificently¡­ fainted. ¡­ When the sky started turning bright, the chickens the villagers reared in Chen Village started crowing. Once the boy lying in the bed of the Jiang family heard the chickens outside, his eyelids twitched. Jiang Zebei was used to waking up early. He had his meals in the school in town and stayed there. Every day, before the sky even turned bright, he had to wake up to memorize his books. When he opened his eyes and saw the familiar room, his eyes became clear. He sat up and turned toward the girl in the bed. Her complexion was much better, and her cheeks were rosy pink. She even had a smile on her lips. It seemed like she was having a nice dream. A different emotion appeared in Jiang Zebei¡¯s originally profound and aloof eyes. This was the first time he saw the girl with such a cute and obedient look. Chen Mengtian was born with a sweet face. When her pink lips curled up and she formed a slight pout, she looked really cute. It made him really want to kiss her a few times, because her lips would definitely taste amazing. Confusion flashed for an instant in Jiang Zebei¡¯s eyes, and then, a hint of disgust showed up in his eyes. The disgust was not targeted toward the sleeping Chen Mengtian, but toward himself. He was once deceived by this obedient and attractive appearance. The girl might appear obedient now, but the moment she opened her eyes, she would show her displeasure toward him. She would look at him with hate. When he remembered the suffocating feeling that was present whenever they conversed with each other, Jiang Zebei looked away and prepared to get out of bed. But the moment he was about to move, he stopped. He remembered the rumors in the village and scowled a little. A grave look that should not belong to someone his age showed up on his young face. Jiang Zebei turned around once more and looked at the girl sleeping beside him. Once she woke up and learned about the rumors in the village, what would she do? Would she go and fight Chen Baozhu, or would she cry and complain about it to Chen Qing? And what was he supposed to do? Was he to let her go? This was a problem he had to face. Jiang Zebei narrowed his eyes and stared at the sleeping Chen Mengtian. The first time he mentioned that he wanted to divorce her, it was because Madam Chen told him that Chen Mengtian went into the forest with Chen Qing. That time, he was just trying to frighten her. He wanted to know what they did in the forest. If something did happen, he would definitely not allow Chen Mengtian to stay in the Jiang family. In fact, he would even ask Chen Qing to be responsible for her. In the end, Chen Mengtian seemed to have been frightened. When he prodded her to confess, she cried and told him that they did nothing. But what about this time? What should he do? Jiang Zebei narrowed his eyes and bent his back to approach the sleeping girl. No matter what, she had already accompanied him for nearly three years. Was he to really just throw her aside and ignore her? Just when Jiang Zebei drew closer to Chen Mengtian and their faces almost touched, the sleeping girl opened her eyes. Jiang Zebei¡¯s gaze met hers before he could look away. The distance between them was very suggestive, but there was no amorous atmosphere in the room. When Jiang Zebei met Chen Mengtian¡¯s gaze, he was stunned. What he saw in her gaze was fear, desire, and panic. Chen Mengtian had always been fierce and unreasonable, but now, she had fear in her eyes. Jiang Zebei thought about it and quickly understood why this happened. She nearly died. If nobody had saved her, she would have been a ghost by now. Chapter 8 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation While Jiang Zebei was busy looking for a reason behind why Chen Mengtian was scared, Chen Mengtian¡¯s originally fearful eyes began to shine with infatuation when she saw the fair and smooth face in front of her. The young boy had exquisite features. His hooded eyes were charming, and even though he was young, if she were caught off guard, she would sink into his eyes. They looked as if they could suck a person¡¯s soul out. Where did this handsome boy come from? Even though he was dressed weirdly, he had a really handsome face. The boy did not look old, but his face made it certain that he was going to be a major hottie in the future. He would certainly be the type of hottie who could easily take a woman¡¯s breath away. His face visibly moved Chen Mengtian. She could not help but extend her hand toward the handsome face. Even though this was not proper for a girl, she could not control herself. She reached out for the exquisite face in front of her. She was a person attracted to good looks, so she could not control herself. Chen Mengtian placed her hand on Jiang Zebei¡¯s face and found herself a little addicted. Jiang Zebei sized up Chen Mengtian for a long time with a really strange gaze. But Chen Mengtian did not notice his strange gaze. At that moment, she was enamoured. ¡®Wow¡­ his skin is so good! ¡®Look at those hooded eyes! They¡¯re sentimental and also loving. They¡¯re so alluring, too, but a little cold. ¡®He already looks so good despite being so young. I wonder just how good-looking he will be when he grows up. ¡®Huh? ¡®This handsome youth looks familiar¡­¡¯ Suddenly, Chen Mengtian widened her eyes and stared in disbelief at the face that bewitched her. Then, she shuddered and felt goosebumps rising all over her skin. When Jiang Zebei saw that she had snapped out of her daze, he hissed at her through gritted teeth. ¡°Chen Mengtian, are you done fooling around?¡± The hand on Jiang Zebei¡¯s face retreated with a whoosh. Chen Mengtian finally remembered why this person appeared familiar, and she wanted to cry. The boy in front of her was clearly her young husband. A cold glare shone in his dark eyes, and Chen Mengtian smiled bashfully. ¡°Haha¡­ I wasn¡¯t fully awake just now. Hahaha¡­¡± Jiang Zebei got up and left, which immediately took away the originally suggestive distance between them. The moment he left, Chen Mengtian felt that it became much easier to breathe in the air around her. She got up as well and sat on the bed. In the meantime, Jiang Zebei had already put on an undershirt after getting out of bed. At that moment, he was putting on his outer robe. Even when the boy was only dressed in an undershirt, with Chen Mengtian¡¯s keen eyes, she could tell that he was built. It was rare for a boy to have such good looks and a good body. Chen Mengtian felt like her eyes were blessed. Once Jiang Zebei was dressed up, he turned around and saw Chen Mengtian¡¯s infatuated gaze again. He could not bear seeing her looking at him like this. When he saw Chen Mengtian acting like this again, Jiang Zebei¡¯s lips twitched. He wondered whether he woke up at the wrong hour today, because everything that happened was just too bizarre. Chen Mengtian had become a little different, and he found himself unable to get used to it. ¡°Hmph!¡± Jiang Zebei flung his sleeves and left the bedroom. When he vanished, Chen Mengtian lost her enamoured expression, and slight pity appeared in her eyes. He was a naturally born handsome boy. If he were in the twenty-first century, he would definitely be a popular, young, and handsome celebrity who could attract the masses¡¯ attention. It was already bright outside. The morning sun that shone through the window lit up the room clearly. As she looked at the unfamiliar yet familiar surroundings, a rather troubled expression appeared on Chen Mengtian¡¯s face. She knew that she could not go back for the time being and could only stay in the tiny Chen Village in Cold West. Chapter 9 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation If she wanted to go back, she had to pass down Green Lotus Medical Technique. And when it came to passing down a legacy, she could only pass it to those of the Green Lotus Bloodline. Was she supposed to give birth to a baby? When Chen Mengtian thought of this, she shook her head vigorously. Then, while she was shaking her head, she remembered something. If she remembered correctly, the hottie she was drooling over just then was her husband, and he was just twelve years old. Chen Mengtian slapped her face. She now felt ashamed to face people. She actually nearly drooled over a minor. Even though he did not look like he was twelve, reality would not magically change his age. ¡®I can¡¯t live this life anymore.¡¯ When she remembered that she had to stay with this person in the future, Chen Mengtian blushed. This time, it was due to embarrassment and regret. This was some shameful history. She really had to stop drooling over faces. Whenever she saw someone who looked handsome and beautiful, she would instantly drool over them. It was really harmful. What happened today was definitely going to be the most shameful moment of all shameful moments in her life. But she was not to be blamed. Jiang Zebei looked like a sixteen-year-old teenage boy. If he were in the modern age, he would have gone through sex ed a long time ago. So, she was not to be blamed. Those who were ignorant were blameless. Fortunately, Chen Mengtian was a shameless person, so she soon found an excuse for herself. With that excuse, she buried her embarrassment in her heart and got up nonchalantly to get dressed. She attempted to put on a worn out, pink linen dress, but it took a long time before she was finally able to wear it. The traditional clothes really took a lot of effort to put on. One time she did not tie the ribbon of her undershirt, and another time she tied the rope belt outside wrong. At yet another time, she did not put on the dress properly. She removed her clothes and put them on repeatedly before she was finally able to put on her dress properly. Once Chen Mengtian had properly put on her dress, she folded the blanket on the bed. Then, she cast a glance at the wooden face wash basin in the room. She walked over and picked up the empty wooden basin. Then, she walked outside. It seemed like ever since she accepted the fact that she was going to be staying here for the time being and would not go back anytime soon, she grew increasingly more used to her surroundings. Chen Mengtian walked outside while holding the wooden basin. Then, a resigned smile showed up on her face. ¡®Since I¡¯m already here, I have to settle down. This is the only thing I can do.¡¯ Just when she stepped out of the house, she saw her young husband swinging a stick in the courtyard. Jiang Zebei might be twelve years old, but he was already around 170cm tall. When she saw his still growing body and how he swung the wooden stick in such a mighty manner, admiration shone in Chen Mengtian¡¯s eyes. The infatuation and fixation she previously had were completely gone. The hottie was just twelve years old. No matter how shameless she was, she could not lust after a minor. Speaking of which, Jiang Zebei was a person who excelled in both academics and martial arts. The Jiang couple were farsighted people. They sent Jiang Zebei to school to be enlightened since he was young. In fact, the deceased Mr. Jiang was also skilled in martial arts, and he taught Jiang Zebei martial arts. The Jiang family had arrived in Chen Village late in their lives. Apparently, they reached it as refugees. They did not have a farm in Chen Village even now. The Jiang family relied on hunting in the mountains to survive, so the master of the Jiang family was definitely skilled in martial art skills. Every time he went into the mountains, he would bring back a lot of prey. Once the Jiang couple passed away, Jiang Zebei was the one who hunted in the mountains. He and Chen Mengtian were the only ones left in the family now. If they wanted to survive, they had to eat and drink. On average, Jiang Zebei went to the mountains once every half a month, and he sold the game he brought back in town. He gave some of the silver he earned to Chen Mengtian, while the rest was kept for emergency purposes. Perhaps it was because Chen Mengtian¡¯s staring was too obvious, but Jiang Zebei stopped his training. He lowered the wooden stick and turned around to give Chen Mengtian a puzzled look. In the past, when she saw him training, she would stay as far away from him as possible. Chapter 10 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jiang Zebei used his sleeves to wipe away the sweat on his face without looking away from Chen Mengtian. Why was she watching him for so long today? When Chen Mengtian saw Jiang Zebei looking over, she took out the towel from the wooden basin and walked over. Since the beginning, she had a fitting smile on her face. The hate and slight resentment in her eyes when she looked at Jiang Zebei in the past were no longer around. Jiang Zebei narrowed his eyes. He remained where he was to see what she wanted to do. However, when Chen Mengtian really walked over and wiped his sweat with the towel, Jiang Zebei was stunned. He received his child bride¡¯s hand in marriage three years ago, but this was the first time she was so intimate with him. Even if Jiang Zebei appeared to be level-headed on the outside, he was still a teenager, and his ears burned. Since he had been practicing martial arts just now, his face was red from the training, and even his ears were of the same color. That was why Chen Mengtian did not notice anything odd when she was wiping his sweat for him. Right now, her thoughts were simple. It did not matter what the original owner¡ªor rather, one incarnation of her many past lives¡ªthought of the boy in front of her. Her current self just wanted to live harmoniously with Jiang Zebei. After all, she was going to be staying in this era for a long time. The time was going to be so long that she did not dare to think about it. After she received the medical skills in Green Lotus Dimension, she knew that things were not going to be simple. She first needed to thoroughly understand and learn all the medical skills in the dimension. There were more than one thousand medical books in the cottage. She will probably have to spend the next few years of her life reading books. For the sake of having a stable life in the future, she could no longer be on bad terms with the boy in front of her. Chen Mengtian gently wiped off the sweat on Jiang Zebei¡¯s face and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you going to school today?¡± ¡°No. I still have two days¡¯ worth of holiday,¡± Jiang Zebei answered, unable to control himself. He was puzzled by the girl in front of him. She was being really gentle, and he did not know what to do about it. This was one of the rare times they spoke to each other cordially. When Chen Mengtian heard that he was not going to school, her smile grew wider. ¡°Then, are you going to the mountains?¡± Her voice was filled with expectation, and her smile grew even brighter. When Jiang Zebei saw her behavior, his expression went cold. He originally did not have any expression on his face, but when he heard her words, he immediately pulled a long face. He took two steps back and avoided Chen Mengtian¡¯s hand to stop her from wiping his sweat. He said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll go and hunt in the mountains today. It hasn¡¯t been half a month since the last time I went hunting. Spend more frugally in the future. It¡¯ll be half a month later when I come back next time.¡± Once he finished, he did not give Chen Mengtian the chance to speak. He just went into the storeroom with the stick in hand. ¡®We¡¯ve been talking perfectly fine, so why is he suddenly so cold?¡¯ Chen Mengtian could not figure it out. She felt a little baffled while standing in the courtyard, but her expression was absolutely, utterly, completely flabbergasted. Just what exactly happened? Was this a stage unique to boys going through puberty? Then, she recalled Jiang Zebei¡¯s words, the anger in his voice, and the meaning behind what he said. She ran the memory a few times through her head. Finally, understanding dawned on her face. She had figured out what was going on. He had to be thinking that she was asking him to go and hunt in the mountains because she wanted money. So, he asked her to be more frugal with the silver. Chen Mengtian instantly let out a bark of laughter from anger while still standing in the courtyard. She started walking to the storeroom with the intention to explain things to Jiang Zebei, but as she was going there, she gradually slowed down. No matter what, she had just come to this place. In the past, Chen Mengtian did not get along with Jiang Zebei. In fact, the moment they disagreed about something, they started arguing. Every time it happened, they threw vicious insults at one another. Chapter 11 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Chen Mengtian thought about it, Jiang Zebei was not to be blamed for misunderstanding her just now. If she thought about things from his position, she found his anger understandable. But she did not stop walking and headed into the storeroom. Coincidentally, when Chen Mengtian arrived at the entrance, Jiang Zebei came out. His expression was as foul as before. Chen Mengtian still retained her smile. ¡®I¡¯m older than you are, so I¡¯ll be considerate to you.¡¯ ¡°You misunderstood me. I¡¯m not asking for silver. I want to go into the mountains with you.¡± But her explanation did not make Jiang Zebei¡¯s expression any better. He had a disapproving look on his face. ¡°Why would you want to go into the mountains?¡± In the face of the disapproving gaze, Chen Mengtian retained an elegant smile. ¡°I want to see whether there are any medicinal herbs in the mountains.¡± When Jiang Zebei heard what she said, he was surprised, but he did not seem to be rebuking her for fooling around. The moment she saw this, Chen Mengtian put on a pleading smile. ¡°You know that my father was considered a physician in the village. I want to go into the mountains to see whether there are any medicinal herbs I can recognize. If there are, I can pick some to sell or keep at home.¡± Jiang Zebei naturally knew that his deceased father-in-law was considered a physician in the village and was even a scholar of the Chen family. Why was he only considered a physician? Because Chen Xiucai could heal anyone with a headache, a cough, or other minor illnesses. He had learned his medical skills from his father, but only some of them. Apparently, someone from three generations ago in the Chen family was once an imperial doctor in the palace, but committed a crime and was demoted. Of course, this was something he learned from the people in Chen Village discussing it. At that moment, when Jiang Zebei heard what Chen Mengtian said, the crease between his brows was no longer as tight as before. But the disapproval on his face did not fade away. The mountains were too dangerous. If they ran into wild beasts and he could not take care of her, the consequences would be dire. Chen Mengtian seemed to know what Jiang Zebei was thinking, so she quickly said, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m asking you for a favor in the past three years. You won¡¯t be so petty as to not agree to it, right?¡± She pouted and stared at Jiang Zebei with an aggrieved expression, as if she was going to start crying if he did not agree to it. When Chen Mengtian acted this way, Jiang Zebei felt troubled. He placed a hand on the door frame of the storeroom and gripped it loosely. Then, he asked, ¡°Why are you suddenly thinking about looking for medicinal herbs? Can you recognize their shape and functions?¡± This was not something difficult for Chen Mengtian. Yesterday, she had received knowledge from dozens of books in the dimension regarding medicinal herbs. Once she remembered the pain she endured when she received the knowledge from the books, she could not stop her expression from twisting a little. The pain was too insane! Even though she had never given birth before and even if the pain she experienced last night was definitely not a ten out of ten like giving birth, it had to have been at least a five or a six. When Jiang Zebei saw Chen Mengtian¡¯s face twist in pain, he thought that she could not describe anything. At this moment, he relented. It was not as if he could not bring her into the mountains. She should be fine as long as they did not go deep into the mountains. Even so, he would normally avoid this sort of trouble. But what Chen Mengtian said next caused Jiang Zebei to widen his eyes so much that they nearly popped out of his eye sockets. ¡°Fish mint can relieve heat, cure poison, get rid of carbuncles, and get rid of pus, so it¡¯s good for the kidney to produce urine. Isatidis radix can relieve heat, cure poison, cool blood, get rid of swells, and is good for curing swollen throats. The common self-heal can detoxify the liver, brighten vision, lower blood pressure, and remove blockage in the body. ¡°Chrysanthemums can get rid of the common cold, calm the liver, detoxify it, brighten vision, relieve heat, and cure poison. Atractylodes macrocephala can eliminate dampness in the body, nourish the spleen, provide the nourishments lacking in the spleen, strengthen the defensive system of the skin, induce diuresis, and stabilize fetuses. The Chinese rhubarb helps purge heat, relieve constipation, cure poison, and get rid of bruises¡­¡± Chapter 12 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Mengtian was tired of speaking, so she took a small break before she continued. ¡°Honeysuckles relieve heat, cure poison, fight against bacteria, are anti-inflammatory, can protect the liver, nourish the liver, and have other functions. Dandelions are sweet, slightly bitter, and cool. They can relieve heat, cure poison, reduce swelling, and clear blockages in the body. ¡°These are all common medicinal herbs. If we use them reasonably, they have a lot of functions.¡± Chen Mengtian saw the shock on Jiang Zebei¡¯s face and continued, ¡°There¡¯s also treasures like ginseng, cordyceps, vitis flexuosa, ganoderma. I don¡¯t need to mention their functions to you, right?¡± Jiang Zebei looked at Chen Mengtian¡¯s proud face and her moving lips. He felt his mouth drying. The girl was really attractive like this. She had really good looks and smiled sweetly. When she smiled, her eyes curled up as well, making them look as beautiful as crescent moons. She was the most beautiful girl in Chen Village. It was no wonder why the young men in the village coveted her. Even that weak Chen Qing also cast his eyes on her. No one would not like her face. Jiang Zebei looked down. It was a pity that she disliked him. He smelled her fragrance, and he did not want to be alone with her. Since Chen Mengtian managed to name so many medicinal herbs and their functions, he came to his decision. ¡°Alright. Once we have breakfast, we¡¯ll go into the mountains together. We¡¯ll just be wandering at the perimeter of the mountains, though.¡± It was not like they lacked the small amount of money that could be earned from medicinal herbs. He just wanted to divert her attention. The matter with Chen Qing and Chen Baozhu would definitely not come to an end just like that. When Chen Mengtian saw that he agreed, she immediately smiled. ¡°You promised, so don¡¯t you dare go back on your word!¡± She was worried that the boy in front of her would go back on his word again. In truth, she did not mind going into the mountains alone. But she had just come to the place, so she still needed to get used to her surroundings. Besides, Chen Mengtian¡¯s reputation was ruined. If Jiang Zebei were around, it would be easier to explain things if anything happened. When Jiang Zebei saw how happy she was, his face relaxed as well. His voice became slightly gentler, which was something rare. ¡°I won¡¯t go back on my word. Go wash up.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± With Chen Mengtian leading the way and Jiang Zebei trailing behind her, they reached the well in the courtyard. Jiang Zebei used the wooden bucket to lift up water, and Chen Mengtian was the first to wash her face and rinse her mouth. Once she was finished, Jiang Zebei used the remaining half of the water to wash his face. It might be winter already, but the coldest days had yet to arrive. Soon, they would have to use hot water to wash their faces every day. When Jiang Zebei remembered that he would have to prepare hot water at home in the future, he turned around to look for the girl. When he looked back, he realized that she was no longer next to him. Could it be that she thought it was cold and went back inside? Jiang Zebei wiped his face and poured the remaining water in the courtyard before he placed the bucket by the well. He turned around and headed into the kitchen. By the looks of it, he would be cooking breakfast today as well. Last night, when he gave Madam Chen grain, he saw that there was still grain at home, along with some eggs, some wilted vegetables, and the meat left from his last hunt. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± When Jiang Zebei reached the entrance to the kitchen, he heard coughing inside. His expression changed, and he walked faster to enter the kitchen. When he saw what happened in the kitchen, he had a strange look in his eyes again. Cured meat was on the cutting board, and whipped eggs were in a bowl. ¡°Cough, cough¡­¡± The coughing sounds came from Chen Mengtian. She was squatting in front of the furnace. She had been trying to light up a fire just now, but could not do it. It might have been because she was too serious, but she did not notice that Jiang Zebei had walked in. When he saw how clumsy she was, he walked in front of the stove and lifted the pot lid. There was water and grain inside. There were also two steamed buns on the steamer above the water and grain. Chapter 13 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Jiang Zebei arrived in front of the furnace, Chen Mengtian finally noticed his presence. She looked up, revealing her face. It had been washed clean just moments ago, but now, it was covered in soot. Jiang Zebei put the lid back on the pot and looked at her dirty face. His lips twitched. It was less than half a month since they last met, so how did she get this clumsy? He did not know that the Chen Mengtian squatting in front of him was a modern woman of the twenty-first century. She had never used such an ancient furnace before. Jiang Zebei saw Chen Mengtian¡¯s aggrieved eyes and sighed softly. ¡°Get up and go wash your face. I¡¯ll make a fire.¡± Chen Mengtian got up, but she did not listen to him and did not go out to wash her face. Instead, she stood by the side to watch Jiang Zebei make a fire. He placed weeds in the furnace before he placed dried twigs. Then, he used a tinder tube to light a fire. He held dried twigs in his hands gently, and when the fire became stronger, he put slightly thicker branches inside. Once Chen Mengtian saw how Jiang Zebei made a fire, she put the process to memory and walked out of the kitchen. When she reached the entrance, she remembered something and turned around to speak to Jiang Zebei. ¡°Little Bei, when the water starts boiling, don¡¯t forget to put the cured meat and the eggs in the bowl inside the pot.¡± When Chen Mengtian called him Little Bei, she did not find anything strange with it, but Jiang Zebei could not wrap his head around it. For a while, he could not even figure out who she called. Then, when she mentioned the things at the back, he finally understood that she was talking to him. There was a strange look on his face, and his lips twitched a little. With movements as stiff as a machine¡¯s, he slowly turned his head around and stared at the girl standing at the entrance. ¡°Wh-What did you just call me?¡± he asked. Chen Mengtian tilted her head to the side and said, ¡°Little Bei. What¡¯s wrong?¡± When he heard the title again, Jiang Zebei¡¯s expression turned dark, and he said through gritted teeth, ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± His attitude puzzled Chen Mengtian. ¡°You¡¯re younger than me by a year. Calling you Little Bei is showing that there isn¡¯t a huge difference in our statuses.¡± There was no problem with her explanation, but Jiang Zebei just could not accept it. He put a few more twigs into the furnace before he got up and walked over to Chen Mengtian. At this moment, Jiang Zebei gave off a displeased presence, and no matter how slow to the uptake Chen Mengtian was, she noticed it. When she saw him walking over, she took two steps back and waved her hands at Jiang Zebei. ¡°What do you want to do? If you have something to say, just say it. A gentleman only uses his mouth, not his fists!¡± Chen Mengtian looked like she was warning him not to come over and hit her. It made Jiang Zebei so exasperated that he laughed. ¡°Wow. I can¡¯t believe that you know that gentlemen are only supposed to use their words to solve problems, not their fists.¡± It sounded like he was mocking her. But Chen Mengtian did not seem to have noticed the mocking in his words and said proudly, ¡°Of course. You¡¯re an intellectual, so you can¡¯t use your fists.¡± This was the first time Jiang Zebei witnessed how truly shameless this girl was. He quickened his footsteps and soon arrived in front of Chen Mengtian. She had nowhere to run to now, and she put on an obsequious smile. ¡°Let¡¯s talk properly. If you don¡¯t like me calling you Little Bei, I won¡¯t.¡± She believed that Jiang Zebei had become unhappy because she called him Little Bei just now. Yes, that was probably it. She also remembered something else. No matter how old boys were, they did not like girls calling them little. Jiang Zebei looked at the obsequious expression of the girl in front of him and reached out to her with his hand. His fingers might be long and as smooth and fair as jade, but there were thin calluses between his fingers. Chen Mengtian stared at his outreached hand, and while she appeared to be afraid, not a single hint of fear could be detected in her eyes. Instead, there was amusement in them. Chapter 14 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jiang Zebei placed his hand under Chen Mengtian¡¯s chin and gently tilted her face. He stared at her calm eyes with a gloomy and unreadable expression. He knew that there was something off about Chen Mengtian. She no longer showed disgust when she looked at him, and her words were no longer meant to stung him when they talked. This Chen Mengtian was very good. But she changed too late. If Chen Mengtian had acted this way in the past, he might actually like her. But now, she argued with Chen Baozhu in the village, and the rumor about two girls fighting over one man had spread out. After she woke up, everything about Chen Mengtian attracted his attention, and her personality changed quite a lot, especially her attitude toward him. These things forced Jiang Zebei to overthink things. Did she want to do something to make up for her mistakes? Even if rumors about her and Chen Qing spread through the village, he would never say that he no longer wanted her, but the prerequisite was that Chen Mengtian would not mention that she wanted to divorce him herself. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me.¡± Chen Mengtian originally did not feel any pain when Jiang Zebei lifted her chin, but later, he increased the strength of his grip, and she yelped in pain. When he heard her complaining that it hurt, Jiang Zebei relaxed his grip a little. He stared deeply at the girl in front of him. ¡°Chen Mengtian, do you still want to marry Chen Qing?¡± If she wanted to, he could help her do it. It was just that the methods he would use would not be entirely honorable. He had thought about it for quite some time. Since Chen Mengtian liked Chen Qing so much and insisted on marrying him, he did not mind using some abnormal methods to help her. It was not because he liked Chen Mengtian that he would do it for her, but because the Jiang family bought her, and it was not by her own will that she married him three years ago. The Jiang family did not owe her anything, but at the end of the day, she did not marry into the family due to her own will. When Chen Mengtian heard what Jiang Zebei said, a small crease appeared between her eyebrows. ¡°What did you say? I didn¡¯t hear you clearly.¡± ¡°Do you still want to marry Chen Qing?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Do you want to divorce me?¡± Chen Mengtian quirked her eyebrows. Jiang Zebei saw that she appeared calm and was not agitated. She did not appear sad either, so he did not know what she was thinking about at that moment. But when he heard her talking about divorce, he could not stop the hand gripping her chin from moving a little. The soft flesh under her chin was very pleasant to the touch. Her skin was very smooth as well. For a period of time, Jiang Zebei was reluctant to stop. He caressed the skin under her chin a little more before he let go. He stared at his fingertips and rubbed them against each other gently. ¡°Just tell me. Do you still want to marry Chen Qing?¡± ¡°Heh¡­ Of course not. He¡¯s a coward who only has a pretty face. Why would I like him?¡± When Chen Mengtian thought of the Chen Qing in her memories, great scorn appeared on her face. Jiang Zebei saw her expression, but his own expression did not change when he saw it. He looked down at the hand hanging by his side. The warmth from the girl¡¯s skin still remained between his fingertips. He could also still remember the smooth and comfortable feeling of her skin. At that moment, he felt as if something tugged at his heart, but it was so faint that it felt like nothing had happened. Even so, he had to admit that when he heard what Chen Mengtian said, he sighed in relief. After all, they had stayed together for three years. Even if he did not like her, he could not bear watching her march to her own grave. Chen Qing was not a good man at all. Jiang Zebei looked up and stared into Chen Mengtian¡¯s eyes. He said seriously, ¡°I won¡¯t divorce you. I just want to tell you that since it has already happened, you don¡¯t have to curry favor with me. We can live together like before. ¡°But you¡¯re not allowed to have any interactions with Chen Qing. I will settle whatever has happened, and I promise that the villagers won¡¯t gossip about you.¡± When Chen Mengtian heard this, she stared at the boy in front of her with wide eyes. His face was young, but it was full of seriousness. His words also made her want to believe in him, for some reason. Chapter 15 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Mengtian remembered the troubles the original owner of the body left for her and pondered over Jiang Zebei¡¯s words. Then, she thought that his arrangement was pretty good. So, she just nodded obediently. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Jiang Zebei was satisfied with how obedient she was and felt very pleased with it. It would be great if she would continue being so good. ¡°Alright. Go and wash your face. We can eat soon.¡± Jiang Zebei turned around and walked to the furnace again. He had only put a few twigs into the furnace earlier, so he added some more now. Chen Mengtian had a resigned smile as she looked at his back. He might be young, but he was slowly growing taller and broader. In truth, she did not try to curry favor with him. It was just that she wanted to be on good terms with him so that they could live harmoniously with each other in the future. But Jiang Zebei had said those things and promised that he would solve her troubles for her. This misunderstanding was actually pretty good for her. So she decided not to explain anything and just turned around to head to the courtyard. When Jiang Zebei heard her leave, he turned his head to look at her retreating back. ¡®Let it be. Let¡¯s live together like this for the time being.¡¯ He would not divorce her, but he would wait for the day she said that she wanted to divorce him. She never liked him, and he no longer had the hope he had when he was younger. Perhaps, in a few more years, she would meet someone she liked and that person would be good to her. He should just let everything happen naturally. As long as she stayed in the Jiang family, he would be responsible for her wellbeing. He might have mentioned that he did not want to owe her anything, but Jiang Zebei knew that there was something else behind why he decided to not divorce her. The Jiang family had decided to buy Chen Mengtian as a child bride three years ago because Jiang Zebei had become gravely sick. His parents once told him that he coincidentally met Master Yi Chen of Cold West when he was born. Master Yi Chen had been the abbot for three terms in Land Guardian Temple. All people in Cold West and other countries wanted to get a few words of encouragement from Master Yi Chen. But he seldom made predictions for people, and even the royal family had to rely on luck and fate to be able to hire him. However, Jiang Zebei was fortunate. He met Master Yi Chen after he was born. The abbot said that he would meet a disaster in his life, and before he was ten, he had to be engaged. It would be best for him if the girl was brought over to be taken care of by his family as well. His parents originally paid no heed to it, but when he was nine years old, he fell sick. His body heated up, and he fell unconscious. No matter how much medicine he took, he didn¡¯t get better. Instead, he got worse. That year, his parents remembered what Master Yi Chen said. They immediately used twenty silver to buy Chen Mengtian as his child bride. Speaking of which, it was pure coincidence, but she was the most suitable in regards to age in the whole village to be his wife. The others were either older than him by a few years or were too young. On the second day Chen Mengtian married into his family, he became energetic and perfectly fine. This was too bizarre, but his parents were really good to Chen Mengtian and treated her like she was someone really important. At that time, he was also fond of this beautiful girl and liked following her around. When he saw her exquisite features, he found her pleasing to the eye, and his mood was very good. Unfortunately, they spent too little time together. He had to go to school, and he could only share the same bed with her when he came home. They would talk to each other in the beginning, but later on, this slowly changed. Chen Mengtian got to know Chen Qing, and she started to look at Jiang Zebei in resentment. How did he feel at that time? Jiang Zebei got up and placed the cured meat on the cutting board and the eggs in the bowl on the steamer in the pot. He remembered now. At that time, he felt horrible. He had believed that Chen Mengtian was going to be the person who would spend the rest of her life with him. Just like his parents, they would be together forever. But she did not like him. Later on, he learned of Chen Qing¡¯s existence. They argued and quarrelled with each other, but he found it meaningless. Chapter 16 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As time passed, he grew numb to his sadness and began to treat Chen Mengtian aloofly. But no matter what, she was his wife in name and the person who saved him when he was nine years old. His parents had also sincerely loved their daughter-in-law. That was why even though Jiang Zebei ignored Chen Mengtian, he still treated her a little differently. Perhaps it was due to a sense of responsibility. Because of this responsibility, he never thought about divorcing her, unless it was absolutely necessary. When Jiang Zebei remembered all the things his parents did to shower love on Chen Mengtian, he felt sad. His father had suffered from hidden injuries. They were from the time when he was attacked by a fierce beast while he was out hunting. Then, a year ago, his father¡¯s health suddenly failed, and no matter how much medicine he took, he didn¡¯t get better. Jiang Zebei could only watch as his father grew thinner and, in the end, lost his life. He cried, he shouted, and he complained, but nothing helped his father survive. But this was not what caused his heart to hurt the most. Before they could even hold a funeral for his father, his mother left together with him. She only left a letter saying that she was worried that his father would be lonely in the underworld, so she wanted him to bury them together. At that moment, Jiang Zebei felt his world collapse and like he was the only one left in the world. He lost his parents in an instant, and they were the only family he had. There was no way he could accept it. He felt dejected and lost. But in time, he gritted his teeth and endured it. If it were not for Madam Chen and Big Brother Da Long keeping him company, he did not know how he would have gotten back on his feet. At that time, where was Chen Mengtian? He remembered that she was flirting with Chen Qing. These were Jiang Zebei¡¯s scars, and every time he touched them, his heart hurt. His parents had left half a year ago, but he was walking forward, just like his parents wanted. Most of the villagers in Chen Village were honest. Madam Chen and Chen Long were both illiterate, but Madam Chen snapped him out of his sadness while he was at his most dejected. She said that his father had taught him martial arts and sent him to school since he was young because he wanted Jiang Zebei to be successful. She also added a whole load of other things. Chen Long did not have a good head on his shoulders, but he had raw strength and liked Jiang Zebei a lot. During those days, Chen Long did not go to town to work but instead stayed with him for a long time at home. Many of his classmates also tried to persuade him to get back on his feet, but Chen Mengtian did not. At that time, he came to a realization. Letting go of each other would mean sparing each other of misery. ¡­ Chen Mengtian finished washing her face in the courtyard without any idea what Jiang Zebei was thinking about. She also did not know just how many things the original owner did to hurt Jiang Zebei in the past. Even though she received the memories from her body, those were just the important memories. She did not have the details. Chen Mengtian carried the wooden bucket into the house. She was thinking about Green Lotus Medical Technique. If she wanted to learn everything in those medical books, she had to start from identifying medicinal herbs. The key was in those herbs. As long as she got familiar with the herbs, she could be considered halfway through finishing her mission. Green Lotus Medical Technique was unlike modern medicine. Everything about it involved medicinal herbs. One small shrub of a medicinal herb could be a lethal weapon, but also a medicine that would save a life. Once she was familiar with medicinal herbs, she would have to practice the ways to insert the golden and silver needles into the acupressure points. Using silver needles to treat an illness was alright for her, but golden needles could perform miracles. They were harder to control than silver needles. Even though Chen Mengtian was a Chinese traditional medicine practitioner before she died, she was not familiar with acupuncture. Similarly, she could not recognize all the medicinal herbs. The first thing she needed to do was follow Jiang Zebei into the mountains to see whether there were medicinal herbs there. She had read some books about medicinal herbs in the dimension the day before, and the information was still fresh in her mind. Chapter 17 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Even though the names of the medicinal herbs, their appearances, and effects were in her head, she needed to apply that knowledge. Chen Mengtian placed the wooden bucket back in the house and the towel on the rack beside her. After she smoothed her dress, she walked out. When she reached the kitchen, Jiang Zebei had already opened the pot and brought out rice gruel. He also brought out the cured meat and egg custard. The tempting smell of cured meat and sesame oil from the egg custard wafted into her nostrils. When Jiang Zebei saw her appear, he called out to her, ¡°Come and eat.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Chen Mengtian was famished, so she eagerly walked over. She repositioned the bench by the table and sat in the position where the original owner usually sat. These were all subconscious actions, just like how she took the initiative to go into the kitchen to cook after she washed her face and felt hungry. These were all things that the original owner usually did. However, she found that there were still plenty of things she was not used to, since she was only just starting to fuse with the body. As time went on, she would definitely be able to get used to everything and become the real Chen Mengtian. Jiang Zebei sat across from her, and both of them picked up their chopsticks to eat. Chen Mengtian used the spoon in the egg custard bowl to scoop up a spoonful of egg custard to place in her rice gruel. Then, she started shoving the food into her mouth with chopsticks. The smooth and fragrant egg custard instantly filled her mouth. ¡°Tasty!¡± Chen Mengtian gasped. When Jiang Zebei saw how she acted, he quirked an eyebrow and reached out to get himself a spoonful of egg custard, too. He had to admit, it tasted really good. It was no longer as tasteless as what he made, though he did make it too salty or too watery on occasion, too. This time, the degree of saltiness was just right, and the egg custard was really smooth. Once Jiang Zebei finished a mouthful, he got himself two more spoonfuls and said, ¡°It¡¯s pretty good.¡± When Chen Mengtian heard that, she seized the opportunity to say, ¡°I know, right? My father often made it for me in the past. But unfortunately¡­¡± As she spoke, she became gloomy. She bit down on the steamed bun in her hand and looked sad. She appeared to be grieving. Jiang Zebei could sense that there was something wrong with her, and he raised his head to look at her. Then, he lowered his head and looked at the egg custard on the table. After some time, he finally understood it. ¡°Are you saying that this is what your¡­ what Father-in-law often made for you in the past?¡± Chen Mengtian opened her eyes, but her gaze was still sad. ¡°That¡¯s right. After I fell into the water yesterday, I dreamt of my parents. I thought that they came to fetch me, but when I woke up, I found that it was just a dream.¡± Bah! There was no way she would have dreamt of Chen Xiucai and his wife. Chen Mengtian was just bullcrapping with a straight face. She had to do this. The original owner did not know how to cook, after all. This was something she learned after she took a spoonful of the egg custard. When the original owner was hungry, she would cook for herself, but the things she made could only fill her stomach without giving her food poisoning. Jiang Zebei believed what Chen Mengtian said and pursed his lips. He did not know what he should say. Should he offer his condolences? But those were just empty words. They were not used to comfort people. In the end, he let out a long exhale and told Chen Mengtian, ¡°Next time, have Madam Chen cook for you. I¡¯ll give her one silver tael every month.¡± This arrangement shocked Chen Mengtian so much that she waved her hand in dismissal. ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯m no longer saddened by it. I¡¯ll cook on my own in the future. My parents could cook really well. They were taught by my great-great grandfather. ¡°My great-great grandfather once worked in the palace as an imperial physician in the previous dynasty. He could cook a lot of tasty food as well. I loved eating them, so I learned some. Earlier, I couldn¡¯t put my past behind me, but now, I¡¯ve already died once. I won¡¯t make things hard for myself anymore. You can say that I¡¯ve finally understood that this is how life is meant to be.¡± Chapter 18 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After Chen Mengtian finished speaking, she even put on an expression as if she had seen through all the lives and deaths in the world. With a profound gaze, she stared at the furnace nearby as if she had seen through all worldly affairs. Of course, Chen Mengtian believed that she was putting on such an expression. Meanwhile, Jiang Zebei felt that there was something really off with Chen Mengtian when she behaved this way, because the girl in front of him was behaving exactly the same as the lunatic who often sat on the rock at the entrance of the village. There was a lunatic in Chen Village who had arrived two years ago. The lunatic originally looked pretty normal, because she behaved no differently from a normal person. However, the moment she spoke, they could tell that she was mad and a fool. All she talked about was the king of hell and ghosts, and she jumped around in the village like she was performing in a theater. But the moment the lunatic calmed down, those who were ignorant of her condition would definitely think that she was normal. She would put on a desolate look, just like the girl in front of him right now. It was a bizarre expression that made it seem like she had seen through all worldly affairs. Jiang Zebei compared the two of them, and his lips twitched. He decided not to say anything about it. This was abnormal. Too abnormal. He did not know how long Chen Mengtian would continue acting insane before she became normal again. Then, he shook his head lightly and thought that it would be best that she did not act normal. This was pretty good. If she acted this way, she would no longer be as hateful and annoying as before. When she behaved like a lunatic, he actually felt at ease. Chen Mengtian did not know what Jiang Zebei was thinking. She believed that he was persuaded by her act, so she continued eating with him. They seldom ate together over the past half a year, and it was even rarer for them to quietly like this without arguing and flinging stinging words at each other. After they finished eating, Chen Mengtian took the initiative to clean the table and wash the dishes. Jiang Zebei had been in charge of making the fire, cooking the food, and serving the dishes, so she had to be in charge of cleaning the table. If they divided work clearly, they could avoid conflict. Jiang Zebei watched as she worked. The girl could no longer be compared to who she was in the past. He left and went to the storeroom in the courtyard. He was already late in leaving for the hunt today. Even if he was not going deep into the mountains, he had to bring tools. He picked a bow, some arrows, rope, the wooden stick he trained with every day, and other items. Just when Jiang Zebei got all the items he needed to enter the mountains and wanted to leave, he saw the longspear in the storeroom. It was his father¡¯s silver spear, whose speartip was incredibly sharp. While his father was alive, he often taught him how to use the spear, and he looked forward to it all the time, because he could feel his blood rushing whenever the silver spear danced. But ever since his father passed away, he had not touched that silver spear again. Whenever he trained, he used the wooden stick as a replacement. Jiang Zebei placed the tools he used to hunt in the mountains on the floor and headed to the sharp and domineering silver spear. He grabbed a linen cloth by the side on the way and covered the spear with it once he got close to it. Since he had decided to become a civil servant, he decided not to touch the silver spear again. The current emperor of Cold West was incompetent and unjust. Corrupt officials were also in power. But Jiang Zebei wanted to become a civil servant so that he could serve his flawed country. After Jiang Zebei covered the silver spear, sadness filled his eyes. Compared to being a civil servant, he actually preferred being a military official. Unfortunately, it was simply too difficult to become a military official in Cold West, especially for people with no status and background, like him. Even if he worked for ten or twenty years, he might not even become a captain. Since the corrupt officials were in power, the father-in-law of the emperor was governing the country. He also controlled the military. After Jiang Zebei covered the silver spear, he no longer expressed his sadness. He turned around to leave the storeroom, but before he left, he grabbed the tools he needed to hunt in the mountains. Chapter 19 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation After Chen Mengtian cleaned up the kitchen and came out, she was just in time to see Jiang Zebei come out of the storeroom. Their gazes met. She was very observant, and she could see the sadness he did not manage to hide in time from his eyes. ¡®What happened? Is the boy missing his parents? ¡®He¡¯s a pitiful boy. He¡¯s only twelve, but has already lost both his parents. ¡®When his dad died, his mother chose to commit suicide and leave with him.¡¯ With the belief that he was missing his parents, Chen Mengtian moved toward him. She did not ask what was wrong with him, because when she approached him, she saw that the sadness in Jiang Zebei¡¯s eyes was long gone, and he gave off an aloof presence, warning everyone to stay away from him. ¡°Little Ze, what else do we need to bring when we go up the mountains? Are we leaving now?¡± Since he was not paying attention, Jiang Zebei did not notice that she called him Little Ze. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered faintly. Chen Mengtian watched him head to the gate in the courtyard with the tools in hand, and she immediately smiled before she followed him. They locked the gate and walked into Chen Village. They were headed in the direction of the mountain. The Jiang family¡¯s house was located at the center of the village. Even though they did not live in one of the better houses in the village, they still lived pretty good lives. Whenever the villagers saw the people from the Jiang family go out to hunt, they were envious. The money they earned just by going to the mountain to hunt once was enough to cover a month¡¯s worth of expenses. Even though the rewards for going into the mountains were great, the villagers did not dare to go themselves. There were wild animals and vipers in the mountains. Now that it was winter, there were also bears around. The villagers who were wandering around outside knew that Jiang Zebei was going into the mountains when they saw him carrying a bow and arrows. They had envy in their eyes, but when they saw Chen Mengtian following him, their gazes changed. When they looked at Chen Mengtian, there was contempt, scorn, mockery, and all sorts of unbearable emotions aimed at her. With a poised manner, Chen Mengtian let herself be the center of attention. She even put on a sweet smile. When they saw her behaving this way, the villagers were puzzled and turned their eyes to the person beside her¡ªJiang Zebei. At that moment, everyone had one thought in their minds. ¡®Since he only came back from school yesterday, doesn¡¯t he know that Chen Mengtian quarreled with her cousin over a man yesterday and even got into a brawl with her when she couldn¡¯t win?¡¯ The young married women and the old ladies around them were incredibly hostile toward Chen Mengtian, because Chen Baozhu had cried and voiced her complaints while Chen Mengtian was unconscious. She said that Chen Mengtian had tried to seduce her fiance, but she failed, so she wanted to do something horrible that could not be undone. She also said all sorts of other shameful things. At that time, the young married women who were there blushed when they heard it. That was why Chen Mengtian was a bad woman in their eyes, a vixen who stole other people¡¯s husbands. If Chen Mengtian learned of the title these people gave her, she would have started laughing smugly. Since ancient times, vixens were only women who were breathtakingly gorgeous, so, was she a great beauty in the eyes of the people? Just when the two reached a spot with the most villagers, someone spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re off to hunt in the mountains again, lad?¡± Jiang Zebei looked at the middle-aged man in the village and answered with a smile, ¡°Yes. Tian Tian wants to drink chicken soup, so I¡¯m going into the mountains to see whether there are any wild chickens I can catch for her.¡± There were men and women around them. When the ladies heard what Jiang Zebei said, they became energetic and ready for action. Since the son of the Jiang family referred to Chen Mengtian with such an intimate nickname, it was clear that he did not know what had happened the day before. With such a ¡°good¡± thing happening, those who enjoyed exciting events could no longer stay still. Chapter 20 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The first one who was unable to remain silent was Madam Liu. She was a widow. She was known for being familiar with all matters that happened in other people¡¯s families. In any case, Madam Liu was the blabbermouth of the village. She knew everything in the village, and if anything came out of her mouth, she made it sound so realistic that even fake news became real. ¡°Lad, you don¡¯t know about this, but your wife fought against her cousin yesterday, and it¡¯s because of a man. He¡¯s Chen Qing, and he¡¯s the boy with the fair and clean looks¡ª¡± As Madam Liu spoke, the area turned silent. Even Jiang Zebei and Chen Mengtian stopped moving, but one of them was smiling, while the other had a dark look on his face. The one who was smiling was naturally the carefree Chen Mengtian. With a sour expression, Jiang Zebei stared at Madam Liu. When the bystanders saw that Madam Liu had no intention of keeping quiet, they watched on, expecting a good show. Jiang Zebei¡¯s lips curled up into a cold sneer, and he interrupted Madam Liu. ¡°You have to provide proof for what you said. My wife is innocent. Does Chen Qing have mountains of gold and silver piled up in his house?¡± Madam Liu was stunned. She thought that the son of the Jiang family would definitely fly into a rage and teach Chen Mengtian a lesson, but to her surprise, he did not believe it, and he even asked whether Chen Qing¡¯s family was rich. But that was plain nonsense! If Chen Qing¡¯s family was rich, why would they stay in Chen Village? Madam Liu glared at Chen Mengtian, then spoke to Jiang Zebei with annoyance. ¡°Of course he doesn¡¯t. If his family is rich, then pigs can fly.¡± Someone could not help but snicker and ask, ¡°Why would pigs start flying just because Chen Qing¡¯s family got rich?¡± Madam Liu turned her head around to glare at the old lady who spoke. She sneered in disdain. ¡°Who would want pigs to fly? I¡¯m saying that they¡¯re not rich!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± The villagers around them laughed. Madam Liu ignored the laughter around her and looked at Jiang Zebei. ¡°What do you mean? What does this have to do with your wife cheating on you?¡± Earlier, the cold look on Jiang Zebei¡¯s face had faded a little, but when he heard Madam Liu¡¯s words, his expression turned cold again. ¡°If Chen Qing isn¡¯t rich, he¡¯s definitely not some landlord. Why would my Tian Tian fancy him?¡± After saying that, Jiang Zebei ignored Madam Liu who was scowling after hearing what he said. He turned around and wrapped his fist in his palm to salute the villagers around them. ¡°My fellow villagers, the Jiang family has been in Chen Village for nearly ten years. Over the years, we have never done anything to harm the village. When my father was around, he also helped the villagers. ¡°I know what happened yesterday, but I believe that Tian Tian is not that sort of person. I¡¯ve already promised her that I will marry her when I pass the imperial exam and am hired as a civil servant.¡± The people became puzzled. It was true that, at most, Chen Qing¡¯s family had a few acres of land for farming purposes, while the son of the Jiang family could go into the mountains to hunt, and he was also very knowledgeable. The village chief¡¯s son went to the same school as Jiang Zebei, but he was not as knowledgeable as Jiang Zebei. According to the village chief, the son of the Jiang family was definitely not going to stay with them for long. In the future, he was absolutely going to leave Chen Village. When Jiang Zebei saw their expressions change as they started to doubt what they had heard, he continued, ¡°Tian Tian has married into my family for nearly three years. She has long since become part of the Jiang family. I believe none of you have forgotten how she joined my family. ¡°Allow me to say something crass. When Tian Tian¡¯s father had just passed away, she was sold into the Jiang family by her aunt. That is why I refuse to believe anything Chen Baozhu says.¡± Chapter 21 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Madam Liu heard this, she refused to accept it. She believed that there was something between Chen Mengtian and Chen Qing, because at that time, she was the first to see Chen Baozhu and Chen Mengtian arguing with each other. Chen Qing¡¯s name kept coming out from between their lips and popping up in the argument. If two women argued while shouting a man¡¯s name, what other reason aside from love would cause them to argue? That was why she immediately retorted, ¡°Lad, are you saying that Chen Baozhu is lying?¡± Jiang Zebei cast an indifferent and aloof glance at Madam Liu. He ignored her question and spoke to the villagers again. ¡°If anyone gossips about Tian Tian behind my back and destroys her reputation, even if I have to risk my life to do it, I will bring that person to court. ¡°If anyone has questions, you can come and question me. Tian Tian is terrified after she fell into the water. If she suffers any losses because of certain people due to certain things, I will also look into this until the very end. ¡°Time will reveal to us just who is lying in the future.¡± Once he finished speaking, he did not even look at Madam Liu. He grabbed Chen Mengtian¡¯s hand, and they went toward the mountains. He was angry now, and he showed it clearly. It had to be said that the villagers were actually not familiar with Jiang Zebei. He was sent to be enlightened from a young age, and he spent long amounts of time in school. Whenever he came back, he would only stay for a few days before he went back to town. The only person who was quite familiar with Jiang Zebei was Chen Qishan, the village chief¡¯s son. If Chen Mengtian was really falsely accused, then even if the son of the Jiang family was angry, he was still being magnanimous. The villagers could not help but start reflecting on what happened. Madam Liu was the only one who spat at Chen Mengtian¡¯s back. When the villagers around her saw this, they left. In truth, the villagers were most worried that if Jiang Zebei really passed the imperial examination in the future and became a civil servant, he might remember this event and take revenge on them in the future. ¡­ Jiang Zebei strode away with Chen Mengtian, who just kept smiling while she was dragged around. She did not say anything before. One of the reasons was because she noticed that she knew most of the villagers, and she could even identify them. The other reason was because she had just arrived and did not know what to say. She was worried that she would say something wrong. Earlier, when Jiang Zebei explained the situation to the villagers and threatened them, he had also given her a hint by pressing her hand down to not act rashly. As for the threat? Chen Mengtian was not an idiot. There was no way she could not figure out the underlying meaning behind Jiang Zebei¡¯s words. He was going to take the imperial examination in the future, and he believed that he was definitely going to pass it, so he said he was going to officially marry her at that time. And the villagers were terrified of people who became civil servants. She did not expect that the boy holding her hand had a pretty good head on his shoulders. Because of it, the rumors in the village would indeed lessen, and as time went by, this matter would be left to its own. Chen Mengtian giggled, and when Jiang Zebei heard it, he could not help but stop. He turned his head and gave her a puzzled look. When he saw how brightly she smiled, he cocked his eyebrows. ¡°Why are you so happy?¡± Chen Mengtian¡¯s sweet smile grew wider. ¡°You told the villagers that you will marry me when you pass the imperial examination and become a civil servant. If you don¡¯t manage to do it, won¡¯t that mean that you were lying to them? What if they bring this up again at that time?¡± She asked this question with a smile, without treating it too seriously. After all, since Jiang Zebei was the one who asked her the question, she could not just say directly that she had managed to vent her frustrations when he threatened the villagers. That was why she gave a casual reply to answer his question, but when Jiang Zebei heard her words, he could not help but overthink things. His rather pleasant countenance instantly sank. Chapter 22 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jiang Zebei let go of Chen Mengtian¡¯s hand and strode along the path up the mountains. When he heard what Chen Mengtian said, he knew that she had never thought about officially marrying him. But even if he knew about it, he still found it hard to accept it when she mentioned it. Was he really that bad? That coward Chen Qing was a few years older than him, but he did not even look like a man. He looked even weaker than the crazy woman in the village. However, Jiang Zebei did not remember that the crazy woman was famous for being a burly girl. Even two Chen Qings could not compare to that one crazy lady. Even though Chen Qing was a pretty boy and did not look like a man, he should not be compared to the crazy lady. Jiang Zebei was still angry. He did not know why Chen Mengtian fancied Chen Qing. While Jiang Zebei was angry, Chen Mengtian stared at his back a little speechless. Did she say something wrong again? This boy really had too many thoughts running in his head. As she stared at Jiang Zebei¡¯s back, she pouted and caught up to him. While she was chasing after him, she shouted, ¡°Little Ze, you mentioned just now that you¡¯re going to catch a wild chicken to make soup for me. Don¡¯t come back empty-handed later. I¡¯m hungry because of what you said, I want to drink chicken soup today¡ª¡± Jiang Zebei was ahead of her, but he still heard what Chen Mengtian called him, so he came to a swift stop. He turned around, and his face revealed his anger. With a dark look in his eyes, he stared at Chen Mengtian as she was chasing after him. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Little Ze, and don¡¯t call me Little Bei either!¡± Chen Mengtian did not expect that a name could make Jiang Zebei so angry. Look, his expression was so dark that it looked like there were thunderclouds above him. ¡®He¡¯s so young, so why is he so hot-tempered?¡¯ Chen Mengtian was not angry. Instead, she found her heart aching for him, because she felt like she had just bullied a child, but she never considered the fact that she was currently only older than Jiang Zebei by one year. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t call you Little Ze or Little Bei anymore. How about I call you Zebei?¡± Chen Mengtian walked over to Jiang Zebei and spoke in a tone of appeasing him. Jiang Zebei actually liked this, and his expression became much better. When he saw Chen Mengtian catching up to him, he turned around and continued walking forward. Chen Mengtian caught up to him and continued with what she was saying earlier. ¡°Hey, you said that you¡¯re going to make chicken soup for me. Don¡¯t go back on your word now.¡± Her eager voice echoed at the foot of the mountain. The boy had a disdainful look on his face as he walked ahead of her, but Chen Mengtian could not see it because of the angle. However, he still answered her. ¡°Alright.¡± And since Chen Mengtian had excellent hearing, she heard his answer. ¡°You promised, so you can¡¯t go back on your word now!¡± Chen Mengtian was really happy, but it was not only because she could drink chicken soup later. What she cared about most right then was her height. Jiang Zebei was one year younger than she was, but he was nearly 170 cm tall. Yet she was not even 160 cm tall. She was just too short. Drinking chicken soup could make her taller. When Jiang Zebei heard Chen Mengtian laugh happily because she could drink chicken soup, the derision on his face grew while he walked ahead. This Chen Mengtian was not just more foolish, but also less ambitious. He believed that he had never mistreated her in terms of providing for her. Even though he could not give her meat for every meal, whenever he went to town, he would come back and leave enough meat at home so that she could eat meat once every few days. Chen Mengtian did not know that Jiang Zebei had decided to label her as someone who had no ambition, was a glutton, and silly. With a foolish smile, she followed behind him and dreamt of her previous height of 173 cm. She did not have a lot of demands, but she wanted to have the same height as she did before she transmigrated. Chapter 23 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation However, Chen Mengtian did not know that she would never reach 170 cm in this life. She was destined to only possess the height of a little girl. In the future, Jiang Zebei would grow to be more than 180 cm tall, and the discrepancy in their heights would make her suffer quite a lot, especially when it came to the affairs in the bedroom. She would suffer quite a lot because of it. But those were things in the future and should not be mentioned for the time being. With their own thoughts in mind, Jiang Zebei and Chen Mengtian headed into the mountains. Since it was not easy to traverse the mountain path, Jiang Zebei slowed down and occasionally looked at the girl behind him. The mountains behind Chen Village were so large that those who entered the forests could get lost. Usually, the villagers seldom came in, because they were most likely going to end up getting lost. Those who entered could rarely get out, and those who got out were often heavily injured. Jiang Zebei wanted to bring Chen Mengtian to look for medicinal herbs, regardless of whether she really wanted to do what she said earlier or it was just the spur of a moment decision. He decided not to go deep into the forest and just wander about the outskirts. It might just be the outskirts and there might not be any large animals around, but if they were lucky, they could run into boars, deers, rabbits, wild chickens, and other animals. After they entered the mountains at the back of the village, Chen Mengtian started paying attention to the plants around her. To her, every item had certain effects. Even though winter had arrived, there were still plenty of tenacious plants that remained green. While she was paying attention to the medicinal herbs, the foolish smile on Chen Mengtian¡¯s lips faded away, and a serious as well as stern look replaced it. After she came in, the fragrance of plants seemed to have found its way into her nose. There were many fragrances, and all of them gave off the refreshing scent of plants, causing her to be unable to identify them for a period of time. Jiang Zebei was hitting the plants ahead with his wooden stick. It seemed that he was chasing away the insects in them. At that moment, Chen Mengtian stopped moving. She stared at the dried plants under her feet. If she did not inherit Green Lotus Medical Technique, she might be unable to identify the medicinal herbs under her feet right then. She squatted down, and the name as well as the functions of the medicinal herb under her feet flashed in her mind. Thorowax root. Spicy, a little bitter, and slightly cooling. It could ease the feeling of burning during fever, ease the body while it suffered from chills and heat at the same time, the feeling of bloated pain in the chest, and irregular periods. What were the people of ancient times most afraid of? When the people of ancient times mentioned that their bodies were burning, in modern terms, it meant that they were suffering from fever. The medical techniques of the current era were still not advanced, and they could not find good fever reducers. That was why the elderly, children, and even some young adults died when their bodies heated up. Chen Mengtian squatted down and dug out the few thorowax roots around her. They were not too valuable, but if she sold them, it would be enough to cover a month¡¯s worth of expenses for a normal family in Chen Village. She used her hands to dig them out. When she went out, she did not bring any tools, because she did not think she would be doing this at that time. It stung a little when she used her hands to dig the thorowax roots out. After all, she never did any housework when she was in the Jiang family, and her tender hands had never suffered this sort of hardship before. But Chen Mengtian only frowned a little and used her fingernails to dig at the dirt around the thorowax roots. Jiang Zebei was still walking ahead, but after some time, he did not sense Chen Mengtian¡¯s presence, so he realized that something was not right. He stopped and turned around to search for Chen Mengtian. The moment he turned around, he saw Chen Mengtian squatting on the ground while digging out something. He could guess that she was digging out a medicinal herb, but he did not know what it was. He could not help but move his legs and return to the girl. When Jiang Zebei arrived beside her, Chen Mengtian had already dug out six thorowax roots with just her hands. Chapter 24 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation When Jiang Zebei saw that Chen Mengtian¡¯s fair and smooth hands were covered in dirt and were slightly red, he placed his tools on the ground. At that moment, Chen Mengtian noticed that he had arrived, and she immediately put on a foolish smile. ¡°Look at these thorowax roots, they have pretty good effects for relieving heat, fevers, and regulating women¡¯s periods.¡± Originally, Jiang Zebei had a gentle smile when he listened to her talk about how the thorowax roots could relieve heat, but when he heard how it could help regulate period, the young boy became stiff, because he already knew the ways of a married man and woman in bed. His ears immediately turned red, and with displeasure in his eyes, he cast Chen Mengtian a glance. ¡°Don¡¯t say that sort of thing. You¡¯re a girl. It won¡¯t be good if others hear you talk about that.¡± Chen Mengtian originally had a foolish smile on her face, but when she heard his words, she pulled a long face. What she said was pretty normal, right? ¡®I can¡¯t even mention periods? He¡¯s young, but he¡¯s such a male chauvinist.¡¯ How were they going to live together in the future? At that moment, Chen Mengtian could not help but worry about their life together in the future. However, she still did not know that there were no female physicians for civilians in the country. The only female physicians in the country could be found in the palace, and they were tasked to treat the important ladies in the harem. Those female physicians had to have clean backgrounds or be people from powerful families before they could be chosen to work in the palace. Women had to observe the three obediences and four virtues and had to be careful of their speech and mannerisms. Even though the ladies in the village often talked about periods, just like what Chen Mengtian did, Chen Mengtian was a girl, and she was talking about periods to a boy who had just turned twelve years old, so this was not appropriate. It did not fit the mannerisms of a girl. Even though Jiang Zebei knew the affairs between men and women, he still felt embarrassed. That was why he rebuked her so sternly. From this, it was clear that Jiang Zebei never intended to let Chen Mengtian become a physician. Physicians had to appear before people and treat all sorts of illnesses. To him, this was not something a girl should do, and there were no precedents in Cold West. It was not that Jiang Zebei was a male chauvinist, but he was born in Cold West, and he had accepted all the rules in the country. However, all his beliefs would be destroyed one by one by the girl beside him in the future. The red in Jiang Zebei¡¯s eyes slowly faded away. He brought out a small metal shovel from the linen bag on his back. The bag carried all his tools. ¡°Take this. Don¡¯t use your hands to dig. You¡¯ll damage your hands that way.¡± When Chen Mengtian saw the small shovel handed to her, her eyes lit up. ¡°This shovel looks really convenient. Why didn¡¯t you bring it out earlier?¡± Chen Mengtian might have sounded like she was grumbling, but there was delight on her face. Jiang Zebei said nothing about it. But he thought, ¡®You should have given me the chance to bring it out.¡¯ Without a single word, Chen Mentian had started digging. If his senses were not sharp, he might not have noticed that she was longer following after him. Jiang Zebei squatted down beside her and organized the tools that had spilled all over the ground. Chen Mengtian worked on the medicinal herbs, and when Jiang Zebei put the tools on his back again, she had already dug out the last thorowax root. With the small shovel, she had become much faster, and she did not hurt the roots of the medicinal herbs. She turned around to look at the medicinal herbs beside her, and happiness showed up on her face. She had taken the first step forward, so there was a little less distance to the final step. She had come a little closer toward achieving her goal of returning to her original world. When Jiang Zebei saw the happy smile on her sweet face, he felt a strange feeling in his heart, and he also became happy. Since the beginning, his eyes never left Chen Mengtian. Chapter 25 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°If you put the medicinal herbs in the bag, won¡¯t they get squashed?¡± Jiang Zebei moved toward her and took out the linen bag he had already prepared. Chen Mengtian cast a glance at it and shook her head swiftly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± As she spoke, she picked up all the thorowax roots fro the ground and stuffed them into the linen bag. ¡°You really prepared everything.¡± Jiang Zebei said nothing. He carried the stuffed bag and continued onward while Chen Mengtian followed behind him. They continued forward for a time but stopped before traveling too far. Chen Mengtian had discovered other medicinal herbs. Platycodon roots could help with coughs, phlegm, sore throats, raspy voices, and other things. Largehead atractylodes could strengthen the spleen, improve vigor, expel heat, promote fluid circulation, stop sweating, and stabilize fetuses. It was used to help those with weak spleens, bad appetite, and unstable fetuses. Common monkshood roots were used to expel wind, get rid of excess humidity in the body, expel chills, and serve as painkillers. They were mainly used to cure the flu, arthralgia, other types of joint pain, numbness in the body, and stiff lower body. They could also be used to numb pain. Some of the medicinal herbs that grew in this season were medicinal herbs whose functions were currently unknown to those in Cold West, but others were medicinal herbs that everyone knew. The moment Chen Mengtian ran into medicinal herbs people knew and which were valuable, she dug them out or harvested them. Very soon, half of the linen bag was stuffed with medicinal herbs. All along the way, Jiang Zebei just followed Chen Mengtian and carried the bag on his back. While going around with her, he discovered some traces of animals, but he was not in a hurry to hunt them. When he saw Chen Mengtian¡¯s sweet face and how happy she was when she discovered medicinal herbs, he could not help but be in a good mood as well. Chen Mengtian suddenly stopped walking at the outskirts of the forest. Her eyes were trained on lush green plants nearby. Fruits that were smaller than red grapes were hanging from their branches. If she identified them correctly, she was going to be rich. Since they were quite a distance away, she could only see their general outline. Chen Mengtian could not help but increase her speed and walk over to the lush green plants with fruits that were smaller than red grapes on their branches. She was used to acting on her own, so she did not think about Jiang Zebei at all. But Jiang Zebei had been paying attention to Chen Mengtian. At the moment she stopped moving, he too stopped. When he saw Chen Mengtian heading over to the pit nearby without seeing it, he hurried over and grabbed her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Chen Mengtian pointed at the spot nearby. Now, she could see the green plants clearly. ¡°I want to take a look over there. Look at those green plants. They also have medicinal properties.¡± This time, Jiang Zebei did not let Chen Mengtian go. Slight disapproval appeared on his young but exquisite face. ¡°There are weeds all over the bushes, and there¡¯s a huge pit over there. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Chen Mengtian had never come here before, so she did not know, but Jiang Zebei knew the general outline of the forest. They might be on the outskirts, but there were dangers lurking everywhere in the forest. There was a decently sized bottomless pit at the spot where Chen Mengtian pointed, and it was covered by dense vegetation. It could not be easily found, and he once nearly fell into it. When Chen Mengtian heard it, she just smiled without any worry on her face. ¡°You¡¯re here. Come with me. If I¡¯m not wrong, it¡¯s ginseng.¡± Jiang Zebei originally had disapproval on his face, but when he heard Chen Mengtian mention ginseng, he blurted out, ¡°Are you sure? Doesn¡¯t ginseng grow on trees?¡± ¡°Pfft¡­¡± When Chen Mengtian heard his words, she laughed before she could stop herself. ¡°Who told you that ginseng grows on trees?¡± However, her question made Jiang Zebei look at her strangely. Chapter 26 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± Jiang Zebei was looking at her strangely, like she was some sort of weirdo. Chen Mengtian could not help but be shocked when she saw this. ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right. I remember now. Are you talking about the ginseng Viridian offers as tribute every year? Theirs grows on trees, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The moment she said this, Jiang Zebei¡¯s expression returned to normal, and he nodded in a very reserved manner. ¡°That¡¯s right. Viridian offers ginseng to our country as tribute, and they cause a ruckus every year. Viridian is the only country that has ginseng, and while plenty of merchants go there to buy it, the trip back and forth is really long, so ginseng is worth gold.¡± As Chen Mengtian listened to Jiang Zebei, she stroked her chin deep in thought. But she forgot that she had dirt on her hands, and the moment she touched her chin, the dirt smeared her fair chin. Jiang Zebei¡¯s gaze darkened. He walked forward and reached out to bring down Chen Mengtian¡¯s hand from her chin. ¡°Don¡¯t use your hand to touch your face. You were digging out medicinal herbs just now, so they¡¯re covered in dirt.¡± After he said that, Jiang Zebei used his sleeve to wipe the dirt off her chin. He did not notice that his actions were really gentle. This was a form of intimacy that he and Chen Mengtian never had before. Chen Mengtian was originally a little shocked by his action. Even though he was just twelve years old, Jiang Zebei was really mature, while she was an adult. This action was a little too intimate, and it made her feel a little stiff. When she heard what Jiang Zebei said, she looked at the dirt on his sleeve. Then, her expression became normal once more. She hid away the stiff look on her face and put on a grateful smile. ¡°I forgot it for a moment. Thank you.¡± Her smile was like a flower, and it was so bright that Jiang Zebei could not look at it directly. He looked away and cast his gaze once more on the plants with the strings of red fruits. ¡°Do you still want to go over? Those bushes are definitely not ginseng, and it¡¯s too dangerous, so don¡¯t take the risk.¡± ¡°No. If those are ginseng, then we¡¯ll be missing a chance to get rich,¡± Chen Mengtian immediately disagreed. Jiang Zebei turned to look at her with cocked eyebrows. ¡°Ginseng grows on trees. It¡¯s impossible for it to grow on the ground.¡± Chen Mengtian just gave him a look that said that he knew nothing. ¡°The Viridianers say that ginseng grows on trees, but I refuse to believe it. I read my great-great grandfather¡¯s medical books before, and the ginseng¡¯s shape was recorded in them. Most of them grow in the ground in forests, not on trees.¡± Jiang Zebei¡¯s face was calm, and his eyes did not even flicker. Clearly, he did not believe Chen Mengtian¡¯s words. But when he saw how stubborn she was, he put on a slightly resigned expression. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you over there. Don¡¯t run around, and when you walk over, you must observe your surroundings properly. If you miss a step, I won¡¯t be able to save you.¡± He was not trying to scare Chen Mengtian. That spot was really dangerous, and if she were careless, she would miss her step. The vegetation around the place was not easy to clear away either. Chen Mengtian nodded. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll definitely be a good girl and won¡¯t run around randomly.¡± Jiang Zebei extended a hand to her. ¡°Hold my hand.¡± Chen Mengtian did not hesitate. She placed her small hand in the boy¡¯s large hand. Right now, his hands were still very clean, and they could even be said to be young, but they would be the pillar of support for Chen Mengtian in the future so that she could live however she wanted in a carefree manner. Her hand in Jiang Zebei¡¯s big hand might have been small and soft, and it was even covered in a considerable amount of dirt, but Jiang Zebei felt something tug at his heartstrings. His mood became much better, but he did not know the reason behind it. Perhaps it was because this was one of the rare times this girl was obedient. It caused his lips to curl up into a gentle smile. Chapter 27 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation With Chen Mengtian trailing behind Jiang Zebei, they headed in the direction Chen Mengtian pointed out some time ago. Soon, they reached the green plants with strings of red fruits on them. As Jiang Zebei stared at the plants that looked like weeds, he could not understand why the girl beside him would think that they were ginseng. He had not just heard that ginseng grew on trees, but had also seen ginseng before. Before his father fell gravely ill, Jiang Zebei followed his mother to the apothecary to buy ginseng. One small piece cost a silver tael, and the entire ginseng looked like a human doll. Chen Mengtian walked among the green plants, and the delight on her face grew. They were really ginseng bushes, and they did not even have leaves. She could tell with just one glance that they were quite old. This sort of ginseng had even stronger medicinal properties. She immediately forgot about Jiang Zebei¡¯s warning from before and flung off his hand to walk forward. Jiang Zebei watched as she moved among the green weeds and crouched down to begin digging. He remembered what he said to her just a moment ago, and he narrowed his eyes as he stared at Chen Mengtian. Slight displeasure appeared in his eyes. ¡®This Chen Mengtian¡­ She¡¯s far too fearless! ¡®The moment she falls into a pit, it¡¯ll be hard for her to climb out. Besides, I don¡¯t even know whether there won¡¯t be anything in those pits.¡¯ When he nearly fell in last time, he had heard hissing beneath him. Also, when he looked there, he could not see the bottom. The pit was dark, and it made his skin crawl. In truth, Jiang Zebei had an idea as to what made those hissing sounds. Only one type of creature could make that sort of sound¡ªsnakes. Up to this date, he still remembered the hissing. There was more than one creature down there, and the moment he heard it, his heart thrummed with fear. When Jiang Zebei saw that Chen Mengtian did not continue forward, his expression became a little more pleasant. Even so, the anger on his face did not fade away because of this. He moved beside Chen Mengtian. Right when he schooled his expression to make sure he had a steely look on his face and intended to speak, he saw the object in her hands. It was white, plump, and larger than her palm. A ginseng that looked like a small human lay in Chen Mengtian¡¯s palm. No matter what, Jiang Zebei was still a boy. When he saw the ginseng, an indescribable look of shock appeared on his face. He was so shocked that his facial features became a little twisted. Chen Mengtian sensed the shadow over her, and she lifted the ginseng in her hands so that Jiang Zebei could see it clearly. ¡°Look! It¡¯s really ginseng.¡± She might not know how much ginseng was worth in Cold West, but she knew that it was definitely worth a lot of money. Jiang Zebei stared at the ginseng she lifted up high, and he could not even keep a firm grip over the wooden stick in his hand. ¡°Is that really ginseng?¡± He could not believe it. When Chen Mengtian saw how he reacted, she smiled even more brightly. She stood up and plopped the ginseng in Jiang Zebei¡¯s hands. ¡°Look, isn¡¯t this ginseng?¡± Jiang Zebei touched the white and plump ginseng in his hand, and he tossed the wooden stick in his other hand to the side. He then used his hands to touch the ginseng. It was still a little wet from the dirt, but he was certain that it was a ginseng. He had personally witnessed a physician cut a small piece from one when he was in the apothecary. The ginseng in the apothecary was much smaller than the one in his hands. Chen Mengtian stared at the ginseng in Jiang Zebei¡¯s hands with a dissatisfied look on her face. Just then, when she was digging out the ginseng, the roots were left in the dirt. What a waste. Without the appropriate tool, she could not dig out the roots. The roots could also be mixed into medicine, and their medicinal properties were no lower than those of the ginseng itself. Suddenly, Jiang Zebei squatted down and looked at the ginseng under his feet. ¡°Th-These are all ginseng?¡± Chen Mengtian squatted down as well and agreed. ¡°Yup. They¡¯re all ginseng.¡± Chapter 28 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°But doesn¡¯t ginseng grow on trees?¡± The moment Jiang Zebei said this, he remembered what Chen Mengtian said just now. He looked up and stared at the girl beside him, unable to believe what she said. ¡°Do you still have your great-great grandfather¡¯s medical book?¡± Expectation laced his tone, and there was even slight excitement on his face. No matter what, Jiang Zebei was sent to be enlightened since he was young, and he had been studying in school for nearly ten years. His vision was naturally wider and longer than that of others. The ginseng in front of him made him think about medicinal herb trade opportunities between countries and that this could become the wealth of Cold West in the future. If he could use this properly, it could even make Cold West become stronger. But similarly, if he were careless, it would be used by officials who only thought about profit. The moment he thought about it, he could understand why Viridianers said that ginseng grew on trees. The Viridianers had kept the truth of where ginseng grew a secret. Then, what about the other things? Chen Mengtian did not know what Jiang Zebei was thinking. At that moment, she was just thinking about her own problems. In the future, she was definitely going to be reading medical books, and this was going to last for a long time. Jiang Zebei was the closest person to her, so she would be unable to hide it. She wondered whether she could bring the medical books from the dimension out. If she could, then they would serve as her perfect cover. Because she would know things that other people did not know. But as long as she said she learned those things from the medical books, it would be much easier for her to offer an explanation to the people around her. She thought over her words, then said, ¡°I remember that I brought some medical books when I came to your house. I¡¯ll go back and see whether I can find them.¡± When Jiang Zebei heard this, he was delighted. But soon, his smile faded away. Slight displeasure appeared on his face. ¡°¡®Your¡¯? Right now, we¡¯re the only ones in our family. Shouldn¡¯t you be saying ¡®our¡¯?¡± Chen Mengtian had said it offhand, and after she did it, she found that her wording was wrong. Hence, once Jiang Zebei mentioned it, she just smiled and agreed to it. Then, she saw the boy¡¯s expression turn for the better, and she asked, ¡°Can we sell these ginseng for money?¡± Jiang Zebei placed the ginseng back into Chen Mengtian¡¯s hands. ¡°If we only have a few of them, we can sell them. But if we have a lot of them, it¡¯ll bring suspicion, and it¡¯ll cause us trouble.¡± Chen Mengtian did not have other opinions about that. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll just sell a few of them. How much silver do you think we¡¯ll get?¡± Jiang Zebei shook his head. ¡°At most, we can only sell three of them. The one in your hands will earn us from three hundred to five hundred silver taels.¡± Chen Mengtian¡¯s jaw fell slack. Her mouth was so wide open that she could swallow an egg. The expenses of the villagers were less than one silver tael a month. Some of the families even only spent a few hundred coins a month. But one ginseng could be sold for a few hundred silver taels. It was enough for a normal family to not have to worry about their livelihood for the rest of their lives. When Jiang Zebei saw how shocked she was, he reached out and helped her shut her mouth. Before he pulled his hand back, Chen Mengtian grabbed it. ¡°Jiang Zebei, we¡¯re rich! Once we sell three ginseng, we¡¯ll be able to live without worry for the next few years. Three years later, you¡¯re going to take the imperial examination, right? At that time, we¡¯ll have the silver necessary for you to take the examination.¡± Jiang Zebei looked down at the hand the girl held, and no one could tell what was on his mind. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered softly. ¡°Then, let¡¯s sell them. We¡¯ll sell three of them, and I¡¯ll try to learn medicine. After I fell into the water, I have felt that learning medicine is really important. I can save a lot of lives that way. ¡°But I need a lot of money to learn medicine. I also need a lot of medicinal herbs to examine. Some of the medicinal herbs don¡¯t grow in this season, so I won¡¯t be able to find them in the mountains. I need to buy them from the apothecary, and I need silver for that¡­¡± Chen Mengtian let her mouth run off, which made it seem like what she said was the truth. Chapter 29 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jiang Zebei listened to the girl¡¯s voice while he kept staring at the spot where the soft hand grabbed his hand. When Chen Mengtian noticed that he was not saying anything, she could not help but wave her hand in front of his eyes. ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m talking to you, did you hear me?¡± When she waved her hand in front of the boy¡¯s eyes, she let go of Jiang Zebei¡¯s hand. ¡°Yes, I did.¡± He looked up and stared at Chen Mengtian. She did not notice the spark in his eyes. She smiled and said, ¡°Then, we¡¯ll sell three of them. Study properly over the next three years, and I¡¯ll study medicine properly too. We won¡¯t bother each other, alright?¡± This caused Jiang Zebei to frown. ¡°Not bother each other?¡± ¡°Yup. I won¡¯t bother you when you¡¯re studying, and you shouldn¡¯t bother me when I¡¯m studying medicine,¡± Chen Mengtian said seriously. She only had one goal¡ªlearn Green Lotus Medical Technique and pass it down. She had not thought about how she was going to pass it down and to whom she should pass it down. Right now, what she needed to do was to learn medicine. ¡°Alright,¡± Jiang Zebei agreed. He agreed to her request readily, and it got Chen Mengtian smiling sweetly. ¡°Then, let¡¯s dig a few more ginseng. We should dig the ones that are older. The one under your feet is pretty good. We should be careful when we dig it out¡­¡± Chen Mengtian dragged Jiang Zebei over, and they started digging out the ginseng. They dug out six ginseng and decided to sell three of them while keeping three at home. They might be useful in the future. If an emergency happened and they needed one, they would need to waste a lot of time going into the mountains to dig it out. Once they dug out the ginseng, Chen Mengtian placed them in the linen bag that she used to carry the other medicinal herbs. Jiang Zebei was still the one carrying it. He also held his hunting bow, arrows, and the stick. ¡°Will these ginseng die if we leave them here?¡± Jiang Zebei looked at the ginseng on the ground, and worry appeared on his young face. ¡°They won¡¯t. They¡¯re very sturdy plants.¡± Chen Mengtian was not worried in the slightest. For the first time, she took the initiative to hold Jiang Zebei¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s go. For some reason, I suddenly feel that this place is giving me the creeps.¡± This was not her imagination. The moment she said these words, Jiang Zebei looked up, and his expression changed. When he looked at Chen Mengtian, his expression turned dark, and he instantly released killing intent. He brought up his stick and rushed to the girl. This sudden change stunned Chen Mengtian. When she registered the situation, the stick in Jiang Zebei¡¯s hands had already grazed her cheek. Then, a faint scent of blood wafted into her nose. Jiang Zebei threw away the stick in his hands and pulled the petite Chen Mengtian into his arms. He held her while he stared ahead at the spot where Chen Mengtian previously stood. At that moment, a snake the size of a girl¡¯s wrist was pinned under the stick. Chen Mengtian immediately saw the sight nearby while in Jiang Zebei¡¯s arms. The snake had a triangular head, which meant that it was a viper. When Chen Mengtian remembered the chills she had, she was filled with fear. That thick viper was very close to where she stood. If Jiang Zebei hadn¡¯t noticed it and pulled her away, the viper would have bitten her for sure. Right now, she did not have the confidence to be able to cure herself of poison once a viper bit her. Jiang Zebei watched as the viper hung its head and died slowly. Then, he observed the situation around him. They were standing at a spot that was quite close to the pit where he nearly fell into last time. The viper had to have crawled out of that place. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Chapter 30 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation ¡°Hiss¡­¡± Jiang Zebei¡¯s ears twitched. Multiple bone-chilling hissing sounds came from around them. Chen Mengtian also heard the sound of the snakes hissing. She grabbed the boy¡¯s shirt. ¡°Jiang Zebei, wh-what are those sounds?¡± Jiang Zebei felt his hair stand up. The memories from when he had passed by this place last time awakened in his mind. At that time, he had also felt chills creeping down his spine and thought that the place was terrifying. The underlying dangers in the dark caused Jiang Zebei to clench his fists tightly at that time. He lowered his head to draw closer to the girl¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Later, turn around and run. Don¡¯t look back. Just run down the path we took to come here. I¡¯ll catch up to you soon.¡± At that moment, Jiang Zebei was just twelve years old. No matter how calm he was, he still trembled. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± ¡°Hiss¡­¡± ¡°HISS¡­¡± The sounds grew louder, and their density was really scary when he heard it. When Chen Mentian thought of the flexible snakes, her legs became weak. ¡°What about you? What¡¯re you going to do? We have to run together!¡± she whispered. Her voice quivered a little. Jiang Zebei let her go. ¡°Snakes search for prey based on scent. We can¡¯t leave together right away.¡± The moment Chen Mengtian understood that the boy wanted to stay alone, she could not bear it. As the hissing sounds grew closer, Jiang Zebei swiftly pushed Chen Mengtian out of his arms and into the direction from which they had come. He hissed at her, ¡°Go! I¡¯ll catch up to you soon!¡± Then, he tossed the bag full of medicinal herbs and ginseng by Chen Mengtian¡¯s feet. Chen Mengtian stared at the boy. He might just be twelve years old, but he was already very tall. Even so, Chen Mengtian still felt panicked, and her thoughts were a mess. She was afraid of death. She was also afraid that the boy would die if she left just like this. The conflict and panic in her heart caused Chen Mengtian to be unable to do anything even after a long time had passed. Jiang Zebei¡¯s expression turned grave. His cold and fierce eyes were trained on Chen Mengtian as he growled, ¡°I¡¯m telling you to leave and not hold me back! Go!¡± When she saw that he was really angry now, Chen Mengtian grabbed the linen bag from the ground and ran back the way they had come. Her footsteps were chaotic, and she was sobbing, too. Jiang Zebei could naturally hear her voice, and some emotion appeared on his face. ¡®She¡¯s crying. Is it because I was cross with her?¡¯ ¡°Hiss¡­¡± The sounds were getting closer, so Jiang Zebei did not have time to think further about this. He cast a glance at the trees around him and found one with some leaves on it. He immediately climbed up that tree and plucked those leaves. After sliding back down the tree, Jiang Zebei looked in the direction of the hissing sounds. He put one leaf by his mouth. A rhythmic sound rose. It was not pleasant, but there was a great sense of rhythm to it. The sound was strange, and it caused discomfort to the heart, but something strange happened. Just when Jiang Zebei used the leaf to make those sounds, the hissing around him lessened. Jiang Zebei did not notice the snakes that covered every inch of land five meters away from him. They were vipers of all sorts of colors. After they smelled the blood of their kind in the air, they climbed out of the pit. There was the scent of strangers in the area. Something had entered their territory and threatened their safety. That was why the numerous vipers had slithered out of the pit. They wanted to get rid of the strangers¡¯ scent, and to do that, they had to bite them and kill them. But when they drew close to one of the strangers, they heard a sound that stopped them from moving forward. If this sort of sound appeared in Miaojiang [1], those in the know would be aware that this was the sound to control snakes. Translator¡¯s Note: [1] It¡¯s in the southwest region of China. Chapter 31 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jiang Zebei might know how to control snakes, but he still held an abnormal dislike for these soft creatures. This was why he had not come to this place since he had heard the snakes. If Chen Mengtian had not insisted on coming here, he would have never stepped foot in this place. Jiang Zebei was still blowing into the leaf in his hand, while the brood of vipers around him slithered on the grass-covered ground. Suddenly, they turned around and slithered back from where they came. They retreated. However, an accident happened the next instant. The leaf Jiang Zebei was blowing into snapped. After all, the leaves in this season were not sturdy and flexible. Besides, he did not have a flute, so he could not produce any sound to control the snakes. When the sounds stopped, the brood of vipers became restless again. However, Jiang Zebei had thought about this possibility happening, so he plucked a lot of leaves from the tree. He immediately switched to another leaf. But when he placed the leaf by his mouth and the sounds rose, he felt a sharp pain in his ankle. While Jiang Zebei blew into the leaf to control the snakes, he looked down. He saw a green viper by his leg. It was currently twisting and turning with its soft body due to the sounds Jiang Zebei made, which made it look harmless. But it was a fact that it had bit Jiang Zebei. When he sensed the pain coming from his ankle, Jiang Zebei¡¯s expression became really dark. In the end, he was still attacked. Since that was the case, he could no longer delay. The sounds he made suddenly rose by a few tones, and the brood of vipers around him started twisting and turning madly. As if they had gone mad, they headed to the pit. The green viper by Jiang Zebei¡¯s feet wanted to slither away as well, but killing intent rose in the boy¡¯s eyes. He was not a kind person. All his kindness was for his family. He always acted swiftly. His parents taught him from a young age that he was supposed to take care of himself, because the world was going to destroy him if he did not. Besides, the animal beside his feet had to die now that it injured him. Jiang Zebei brought up his uninjured leg and stomped on the green viper. He crushed it right away, and the smell of blood spread in the air. The brood of vipers smelled their kin¡¯s blood once more, but this time, they only cared about slithering into the pit. They retreated hastily. They acted as if their mortal enemy was chasing after them. Jiang Zebei¡¯s wound no longer hurt, but he knew that this was not a good sign. He immediately stopped blowing into the leaf, and the sounds stopped. He carried the bow, arrows, and hunting tools as he headed down the mountain. Hopefully, he could last until he reached his house. If he did not take any antidote after he was bitten by a viper, there was a high chance that he would die. Jiang Zebei¡¯s head was a little dizzy, and his thoughts were a mess. He remembered his gentle mother and his stern but loving father. His father had never had a good body, but he was skilled in martial arts. His mother loved his father a lot. This was something he knew. Otherwise, she would not have left with him so soon after his father died. There was something about them that made them unable to fit in with the rest of the villagers in Chen Village. His mother had a strange skill to control snakes. She was boisterous, but there was something noble about her as well. His father was skilled in military tactics. Whenever Jiang Zebei returned from school, his father would personally teach him the art of war. This was not something normal villagers did. It was not as if he had never asked before, but whenever he did, his parents would fall silent. Then, they passed away and left him alone. Thus, they became unanswered mysteries. When Jiang Zebei remembered the past, he shuffled his way down the mountain a little faster. Chapter 32 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Even if Jiang Zebei felt that he could no longer support his body anymore and wanted to faint so that he could just sleep, he still gritted his teeth and persevered. He could not fall. He absolutely could not fall. He was not alone. Chen Mengtian was waiting for him at home. That girl might not like him, but his parents chose her as his wife. She was the only one waiting for him at home. They might not be destined for each other, but even if they were not destined to be together, he could not cast her aside. At that moment, someone rushed over to him. Jiang Zebei found the person strangely familiar. It looked like his wife, Chen Mengtian, but didn¡¯t she leave? Jiang Zebei could no longer see the things in front of him clearly. He shook his head to see the person in front of him properly. ¡°Jiang¡­ Ze¡­ Bei¡­¡± He seemed to hear someone calling out to him. The girl standing in front of him was indeed Chen Mengtian. Her eyes were red from crying, and she reached out to support Jiang Zebei. Right now, they were still hundreds of meters away from the foot of the mountain. If they walked another half an hour, they would reach Chen Village. Chen Mengtian had run away as ordered and should have rushed to seek help from the villagers or carelessly waited for Jiang Zebei at home, but she did not. When she remembered how the teenager had held her in his arms and asked her to run at that dangerous moment, she was unable to leave free of ease. Once she got down the mountain, she thought about asking for help from the villagers. That way, she would not have cast aside Jiang Zebei alone in the mountains. But she knew clearly that no one would help. She could ask the villagers for help, but her words would definitely end up gathering no help. No villager would go into the mountains without a large group. Entering the mountains was something terrifying for them. Even if they eyed the treasures in the mountains, they obediently stayed in their village and farmed their land. They did not want to risk their lives. And if the villagers tried to gather a large group, it would require a lot of time. Chen Mengtian thought about many things within a short time. Once she thought things through, she found herself running up the mountain. When she was halfway up it, she saw Jiang Zebei swaying down the road. His face was purplish, and his lips were pale. This was a clear sign of having been bitten. Chen Mengtian reached out to pat the boy¡¯s face. ¡°Jiang Zebei, look at me. Can you see me clearly?¡± A venomed person had to retain consciousness. Even if Chen Mengtian was a little panicked, her mind was quite clear. Jiang Zebei¡¯s eyelids were growing heavier, and it looked like they were about to fall shut soon. Chen Mengtian tried to support him, but found herself lacking the strength to do so. She was shorter than him by a head, and her body was a little weak as well. She could never support his weight. Chen Mengtian cast a glance at the tree nearby and pushed the boy toward it. At the current moment, Jiang Zebei did not have any strength left. He was already in a semi-conscious state. They were only around six steps away from the tree. But Chen Mengtian and the boy leaning against her took more than ten steps to reach it. Besides, with every step they took, Jiang Zebei broke out in a thin sheen of sweat. In a while, Chen Mengtian finally put him down and made him lean against the tree behind him. But she did not have the time to relax. She started searching for wounds on Jiang Zebei¡¯s body. Soon, she found a bite mark on his ankle. The bite mark consisted of two bleeding wounds. The skin around them was purplish and badly swollen. ¡®What should I do¡­ What do I do?¡¯ There were no blood serums in this era. How was she supposed to save him? It was not practical to suck the venom out with her mouth. She could only relieve him of the symptoms, but not get rid of the venom completely. Would he die? Yes. Blood serums were necessary to cure venom from snakes. Otherwise, the venom would just act up. Was she really going to watch him die? Chen Mengtian¡¯s face turned pale. She shook her head vigorously. She could not do that. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. Chapter 33 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Mengtian remembered Green Lotus Dimension. Her body vanished from the spot. In the blink of an eye, she entered Green Lotus Dimension. She stared at the cottage in the dimension and thought about using the golden needles she had found last time. Chen Mengtian headed to the cottage. Her footsteps were a little irregular, and she nearly fell a few times. When she stepped into the cottage, her eyes immediately fixed on the table and the exquisitely carved wooden box that she placed on it before she fell unconscious. She swiftly walked over and picked the golden needles before she disappeared. Once Chen Mengtian came out of Green Lotus Dimension, she held the golden needles in hand and squatted beside Jiang Zebei. His face was pale. She did not know what to do. She did not know anything. But based on the information she obtained from Green Lotus Medical Technique, the golden needles could perform miracles. She placed the golden needles on the silk cloth on the ground, then picked up a few from among them. But she did not know where to start. She was so anxious that her face was covered in sweat, and her grip on the golden needles was getting stronger and stronger. Chen Mengtian suddenly shut her eyes. In her mind, she searched for the method to stop venom from spreading. Suddenly, some words surged into her mind. ¡°If you want to get rid of venom, you need to shut off six important acupressure points. ¡°Green Lotus Spirit Drops can also be used to cleanse bones and marrows, thus making the body immune to venom and poison. The effect will be even more prominent if three drops are used. They can be used by both men and women.¡± ¡®What is this?¡¯ Chen Mengtian opened her eyes wide. She ignored the information about the spirit drops mentioned later on. With trembling hands, she removed Jiang Zebei¡¯s clothes. Then, she quickly pulled her hands back and inserted the golden needles into the acupressure points in Jiang Zebei¡¯s body. If she sealed the six major acupressure points, the venom would not spread. Soon, based on the knowledge in her mind, she sealed off the six major acupressure points with the golden needles. But what was she supposed to do next? Green Lotus Spirit Drops? What were those? Where was she supposed to find them? Chen Mengtian observed Jiang Zebei. His complexion did not become better, but it did not become worse either. She gritted her teeth and vanished from the spot once more. Once Chen Mengtian entered the dimension, she found herself standing in the cottage again. She cast a glance at the bookshelves around her. She stared at the wooden boxes and the small decorative drawers on them. She opened some and started searching around. Since they were called Green Lotus Spirit Drops, they had to be in the dimension. She needed to find them. Jiang Zebei¡¯s complexion was bad. Even if she sealed off his acupressure points so that the venom would not spread, that did not mean that he would not experience other complications later on. However, even after Chen Mengtian searched through the entire cottage, she did not find any Green Lotus Spirit Drops. She did not even learn what those Green Lotus Spirit Drops were. She had looked through all the medical books in the cottage, but even so, she did not stop searching. Her entire being was focused on looking for those Green Lotus Spirit Drops. The floor of the cottage was littered with medical books. Any one of those medical books would cause a ruckus if they were brought to the outside world, but she cast them casually on the floor. It was just wasting treasures. Cheng Mentian could not find them. She just could not find them. She stopped whatever she was doing with a lost look in her eyes. Why did she come to this world? Why was she trying to save a person with whom she had only spent a single day What was all this for? Yes. She should have died. But she transmigrated into the body of one of her many previous incarnations. She was now working hard to survive and return to the modern world. Yet the boy she saw the moment she opened her eyes was about to die. She had received all the memories from her previous incarnation and fused with the body. And now, she could neither control her emotions nor figure out what she felt toward Jiang Zebei. Even so, he was the first person she saw when she opened her eyes in this era. Chapter 34 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation If Chen Mengtian ignored the fact that she was someone who liked pretty faces and loved Jiang Zebei¡¯s face, what shocked her the most was that when they were in danger, Jiang Zebei had pushed her away without hesitation, even though he was only a twelve-year-old boy. She did not know what he did later on, but she knew that the boy was about to die. Even if he did not die, the venom would stay in his body for a long time, and she could not begin imagining the consequences of that. The moment Chen Mengtian thought about Jiang Zebei dying or becoming paralyzed or mute, her heart ached as if there were needles piercing her. She felt like the idol she loved was about to forever vanish from her sight. Jiang Zebei was only twelve years old. If he had not cared about her at that time and ran away on his own, he would not be in such a situation. Chen Mengtian stared at the medical books in the cottage. The anger she felt after she learned that she transmigrated flared. She reached out to sweep away all the medical books in front of her on the floor. ¡°Spirit drops! Where the hell am I supposed to find these spirit drops!¡± Just when her voice faded away, wind stirred outside. But Chen Mengtian was controlled by her emotions right then, and she did not notice this bizarre phenomenon. After she swept the medical books on the floor away, she felt drained, and an indescribable feeling of discomfort rose in her heart. She had just arrived a day ago, and she could not accept the fact that the boy whose looks were of super high quality and who was well-read would die just like this. Her eyes stung a little, and something seemed to have slid out of her eyes. Wind swept into the cottage, and Chen Mengtian sensed something floating past her. She rubbed her confused eyes and stared at the item in front of her. A milky-white liquid levitated before her. She stared at the three drops of milky-white liquid, and her eyes widened. Three drops. The voice in her head had mentioned that ¡°Green Lotus Spirit Drops can also be used to cleanse bones and marrows, thus making the body immune to venom and poison. The effect will be even more prominent if three drops are used. They can be used by both men and women.¡± Chen Mengtian stared at the three spirit drops floating in front of her, and the confused look in her eyes was replaced by surprise and delight. She knew that the liquid drops in front of her were the spirit drops. As she stared at the spirit drops floating in the air, she started wondering how she was supposed to bring them out of the dimension to give them to Jiang Zebei. He would be fine as long as he drank the three spirit drops. They could be used to cleanse bones and marrows, thus making the body immune to venom and poison. This alone made it clear that they were good stuff. Chen Mengtian looked through the cottage for a bottle or a cup for drinking water. But she was bound to be disappointed. There were no such things in the cottage. When she remembered that time was ticking away, she scrunched up her face. Chen Mengtian looked down and thought about it. Then, she suddenly raised her head and opened her mouth in the direction of the spirit drops. They looked like they had a mind of their own and flew into her mouth. The moment Chen Mengtian took them into her mouth, she imagined herself getting out of the dimension. She found out that she could enter and leave the dimension at will while she was in a hurry to look for a method to cure Jiang Zebei. With one single thought, she could enter the dimension, and it was the same with leaving the dimension. It all depended on her control over her thoughts. The moment Chen Mengtian left the dimension, she squatted down beside Jiang Zebei and pursed her lips as she stared at the boy leaning against the tree. His complexion was the same as before¡ªpale and ashen. But his condition didn¡¯t seem severe. ¡®That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good¡­¡¯ Chen Mengtian thought. She reached out and lifted Jiang Zebei¡¯s chin. She tightened her grip over his chin a little and forced him to open his mouth. At that moment, Chen Mengtian was only thinking about saving him and did not know that her actions made it look like¡­ she was harassing Jiang Zebei. Similarly, she did not know that when she drew closer to Jiang Zebei¡¯s lips, his eyelids twitched. He was about to open his eyes. Chapter 35 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Chen Mengtian wanted to hand over the spirit drops to Jiang Zebei, but she trembled a little because his lips were cold. She was about to move away when she remembered the spirit drops were medicine to save a human life. She endured the chill of his lips and transferred the spirit drops over. The three spirit drops tasted like sweet honey as they were transferred into Jiang Zebei¡¯s mouth. When the spirit drops entered his mouth, gas formed around the boy leaning against the tree. He was unaware of this. After a moment, he opened his eyes. With dark and profound eyes, he stared at the girl in front of him. He sensed what happened between them, and he also sensed her warmth. Since she was still close to him, he also saw the practically transparent hair on her face. Because she remained close to him, he could also sense how soft she was and taste the sweetness in his mouth. Perhaps due to his instincts, Jiang Zebei could not resist moving a little. He wanted to taste more of that sweetness. It was really good. It tasted like fruit and desserts, but also like honey. He never knew that Chen Mengtian could be so sweet. What did she eat every day? It was really sweet and fragrant. The moment Jiang Zebei moved, Chen Mengtian froze up. She retreated swiftly and widened the distance between them. She did not expect that the boy would be awake. She did not even consider that he might wake up this soon. After Chen Mengtian moved away, Jiang Zebei opened his blurry eyes. He wanted to ask what Chen Mengtian did, why she treated him this way, and why she put on such an expression. It was as if he had forced himself on her. It was clear that she had done it, and he was the one who was forced. She did not forget to torment him even when he was so weak. Yes, to Jiang Zebei, it was torture. His heart raced. He felt like he was no longer himself, and all of this was because of Chen Mengtian. Yet just when he was about to open his mouth to speak, pain came surging through him and made him whine in pain. His voice surprised Chen Mengtian. She immediately went forward with worry in her eyes. ¡°Jiang Zebei, how do you feel?¡± ¡®Hurts! It hurts!¡¯ Jiang Zebei felt like his entire body and even his bones hurt. He had never felt such pain before. It was as if all of his bones were broken. Even when he was young and forced to practice martial arts, the horse stance, and splits because of his father, he had never endured such pain. Jiang Zebei curled up on the ground, and some of the golden needles fell off his body on the ground because of his movements. Large beads of sweat rolled off his face and landed on the dirt under his body. When Chen Mengtian saw him reacting his way, she felt so anxious that she wanted to cry. ¡°Say something. What¡¯s going on?¡± Perhaps it was because her voice was quivering due to her anxiety, but Jiang Zebei answered her. ¡°Hurts¡­ It¡­ hurts¡­¡± he hissed. ¡®Hurts?¡¯ Chen Mengtian was stunned. She picked up the golden needles from the ground and removed the remaining ones from Jiang Zebei¡¯s body. At that moment, the panic on her face was long gone. Her expression was stern, as if everything was in her control. When she heard Jiang Zebei mention that it hurt, she remembered the acupressure points that could stop pain. Her tiny hands still had baby fat in them. She observed Jiang Zebei¡¯s body seriously while holding the golden needles. With swift movements, she swiftly inserted them into his body. This time, the golden needles were inserted into the three acupressure points to stop pain. The effects were immediate after the golden needles were inserted. Chapter 36 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation As Jiang Zebei lay on the floor, he no longer appeared to be in pain, but huge beads of sweat were still rolling down his forehead. ¡°Jiang Zebei, how are you? Can you hear me?¡± Chen Mengtian reached out to pat his sweat-covered face. When he heard the worried voice by his ears, Jiang Zebei opened his eyes, and judging by his steely look, he was still enduring pain. ¡°It hurts¡­ My body hurts¡­¡± He could not tell which part of his body hurt. It just hurt. ¡°Which part hurts?¡± When she heard his pained grunts, Chen Mengtian¡¯s voice filled with anxiety. She thought that he was still in great pain. Suddenly, Jiang Zebei¡¯s expression turned unpleasant. His young face showed that he was enduring something that he could not mention. Jiang Zebei¡¯s face was hot, but he spoke to the girl beside him. ¡°Help¡­ me up.¡± Due to him having been bitten, his face was still pale, and no one could tell that he was feeling uncomfortable. Chen Mengtian helped him put on his clothes and get up. But she did not remove the golden needles. She just draped the linen on his body. After Jiang Zebei stood up, his body became tense. At that moment, he really wanted to go to the toilet. There was also something in his body that was acting restless. ¡°Lean against this tree for a bit. Let me take a look at your wounds.¡± Chen Mengtian let go of Jiang Zebei¡¯s arm. She squatted down and lifted Jiang Zebei¡¯s pant leg. The sun was setting, and the dim light from the setting sun shone on the ground as well as Jiang Zebei¡¯s wound, which allowed Chen Mengtian to see it well. The wound had been purple a moment ago, but by then, it had already healed. Even the swelling was gone. Chen Mengtian could not help but sigh in relief. At the same time, she was shocked. ¡®Green Lotus Medical Technique is actually¡­ so amazing?¡¯ This was awesome. In the modern world, it would be considered a game changer. When she remembered hearing that Green Lotus Medical Technique could even resurrect the dead, she felt that it might actually be true. The moment she thought about how she actually had that ability now, she felt excitement burn in her. While Chen Mengtian checked the injury, Jiang Zebei could barely hold it in anymore. He really wanted to relieve himself. He stared at the girl before him, then took a step to the side to move away from Chen Mengtian so that he could head swiftly away. He chose the direction of the village. He really could not hold it in anymore. As Jiang Zebei walked, he did not notice that he was moving as if the wind was behind him. Or that his body started expelling some black substances. Chen Mengtian was left behind. As she stared at Jiang Zebei leaving, she quickly stood up to chase after him. She left the bow and arrows he used for hunting near the tree, along with the other hunting tools, and the linen bag she had been carrying earlier, which was filled with medicinal herbs and ginseng. They did not have the time to care about any of them. Chen Mengtian just followed Jiang Zebei, who was going to Chen Village. Jiang Zebei might have been heading to Chen Village, but he did not enter the village. Instead, he headed to the river next to it. He naturally heard the footsteps following close behind him. The river was right in front of him, but the person behind him just kept following him. Resigned, Jiang Zebei could only stop. He turned around and looked at the girl chasing arduously after him. Fatigue shone in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me. I need to relieve myself.¡± After he said this, Jiang Zebei¡¯s face and ears turned a little red. Chen Mengtian had been intending to continue chasing, but after she heard him, she staggered and nearly fell on the ground. ¡°Huh? Oh, you¡¯re going to the toilet¡­¡± Chen Mengtian had a strange look on her face. ¡®If he¡¯s going to relieve himself, it means that he¡¯s going to poop, right? ¡®The words he used are so reserved.¡¯ When Jiang Zebei saw that she understood him, he pursed his lips and schooled his face, making sure that his embarrassment could not be seen. Chapter 37 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jiang Zebei checked that Chen Mengtian did not intend to follow him, then walked faster toward his destination. As Chen Mengtian watched him disappearing in a panic, she remembered the medicinal herbs and ginseng that she left behind. She turned around and quickly headed to the foot of the mountain. Jiang Zebei soon reached the river of Chen Village. He stared at the simple toilets nearby and headed to the one on the left. Half an hour later, he came out of the toilet and went to the river to wash his hands. When he squatted down and touched the cold river, he finally realized that there was something wrong with his body. Normally, after he was bitten by a viper, he should have been unable to walk so far. The time it took for him to fall down was also much longer than he thought it would take. He cast a glance at his swollen ankle and examined it with puzzlement. At that moment, he could not help but remember the sweet taste in his mouth when Chen Mengtian kissed him. Jiang Zebei scrunched up his nose, and a foul stench attacked his nostrils. The smell was getting stronger. He scowled and held his breath. But the smell was too pungent. When Jiang Zebei looked down, he saw the black substance that came out of his body. The foul, black substance stuck to his body. It was also the origin of the foul stench. Jiang Zebei¡¯s eyes went wide, and he stared at his body in disbelief. He did not know from where the substance had come. He reached out to tug at his robes, and he noticed that they were covered by the foul, black substance. Jiang Zebei could not bear this. He immediately stood up and removed his robe. At the same time, the golden needles fell off him as well. Jiang Zebei noticed the golden needles, and understanding soon flashed in his eyes. He could guess that the golden needles belonged to Chen Mengtian, so he picked them up and put them away. Jiang Zebei did not even want to look at his body. He jumped straight into the cold water. At the moment he landed in the water, he sucked in a sharp breath. It was too cold. Yet he could also see the black substance staining the clear river. Jiang Zebei only had the courage to look at it once before he quickly looked away. Right away, he moved his body and swam to the cleaner water by the side. The bone-chilling cold cleared Jiang Zebei¡¯s head. He had been bitten by a snake, but before he could reach home, he was cured. The golden needles and the sweet substance in his mouth when Chen Mengtian kissed him¡­ He believed that those were the key things that took care of the venom. But he did not know what was the black substance that came out of his body. He now, though, believed that Chen Mengtian really had some medical skills. She could identify medicinal herbs and even find ginseng in the mountains. When he was bitten by the viper, she also managed to cure him. He cast a glance at his ankle. Only bite marks were left behind on his ankle, and Jiang Zebei felt a little strange. By the looks of it, he had no understanding of Chen Mengtian, even though he had lived with her for nearly three years. Was there anything else about her that he did not know? Would she bring more surprises to him in the future? And were all those changes due to her falling into the water? Then, in the future, would Chen Mengtian return to how she was before and just stay around Chen Qing? When Jiang Zebei thought about this, he found it hard to accept this possibility. While he was overthinking things, Chen Mengtian slowly dragged the bag full of medicinal herbs and his hunting tools back. Chapter 38 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Earlier, she had seen Jiang Zebei easily carrying the hunting bow and arrows, along with other hunting tools. But when she tried to carry them herself, she found that she could not even put them on her back. She could only tie them together and drag them along. ¡®Seriously, when you compare yourself to others, it just makes you angry.¡¯ At the same time, she was still worried about Jiang Zebei¡¯s condition and whether he was completely cured. When she reached the river by the village, Jiang Zebei was still soaking in the cold river. When Chen Mengtian saw this, she tossed aside the items in her hands and headed to the river. She waved at the boy in the water and shouted, ¡°Hey! Jiang Zebei! It¡¯s cold, you can¡¯t soak in cold water! Get out!¡± Jiang Zebei had already seen Chen Mengtian walking over. Yet when he wanted to get up, he noticed that his robes by the river were all stained by filth. It was the beginning of winter, but even though he was in cold water, he felt like his entire body was releasing steam. This was the most awkward thing he had ever run into. When he saw that Chen Mengtian looked at him with urgency, his expression turned a little stiff. Even though he could not stay in the water, he stared at Chen Mengtian, refusing to comply with her wishes. He also looked down to hide away the uneasiness and hesitation in his eyes. He tried to sound as natural as possible and make it seem like he had the right to make the subsequent request due to his disadvantage. ¡°Go¡­ to the house and get a set of clothes for me, will you?¡± In truth, he was hiding his panic. It should have been completely natural for him to make that request and even have a hint of arrogance in his voice, but when Chen Mengtian heard it, he just sounded cute. In truth, she saw how uneasy Jiang Zebei was. His hands were clenched tight, and he looked downcast. His voice did not sound confident despite his best efforts, either. If the setting sun did not shine on him, though, she would not have noticed how uneasy he was. Chen Mengtian swept a glance over the area. Jiang Zebei¡¯s robes were beside the river. She walked over them and bent down to pick them up¡­ When Jiang Zebei looked up and saw what was happening, he immediately spoke up to stop her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch them!¡± But it was already too late. When he spoke up, Chen Mengtian had already grabbed his robe. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing these robes?¡± She picked up his clothes, and a pungent, sourish smell wafted into her nose. It was an indescribably sour smell. She frowned a little and brought the clothes closer to her nose. The smell became stronger. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Mengtian turned around to give the boy soaking in the water a puzzled glance. When Jiang Zebei saw this, he felt that his dignity was completely ruined, so he decided to just give up on trying to retain it. He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. All of a sudden, I found my body expelling this black substance, and my robes are dirty now. Please go back and get another set of clothes for me.¡± When Chen Mengtian heard what Jiang Zebei said, she remembered something, and a contemplative expression appeared on her face. That was why she did not immediately agree to Jiang Zebei¡¯s request. She was thinking about how Green Lotus Spirit Drops could cleanse bones and marrows and make a person immune to poison. When it mentioned that it could cleanse bones and marrows, did it mean that it would expel the impurities in the body, just like what Jiang Zebei was going through now? It would repair a person¡¯s body and make it as clean as a newborn baby. No impurities would remain in their body. These were all Chen Mengtian¡¯s guesses, since she did not have a clear grasp of the situation right then. However, she was certain that Jiang Zebei¡¯s current condition was related to Green Lotus Spirit Drops. And judging by his appearance, he should be fine. Jiang Zebei was waiting for Chen Mengtian to speak, but she said nothing even after a long time had passed. So, he got worked up. ¡°Chen Mengtian, are you going or not!¡± Chapter 39 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Jiang Zebei thought that Cheng Mengtian did not want to go, so his tone was not very nice. But Chen Mengtian snapped out of her daze when he spoke. She cast a glance at Jiang Zebei¡¯s upper body. He might be in the river right then, but his fair and muscular upper body was above the water, and a flash of admiration appeared in her eyes. It was followed by a mischievous smirk. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? I¡¯ll go back and get your clothes for you, but you have to wash these ones. They stink!¡± As she spoke, she quickly threw the sour- and foul-smelling clothes into the water. After she was done showing her scorn, she turned around and left. When she left, she did not forget to take the linen bag stuffed full of medicinal herbs and ginseng, which she had placed beside the hunting tools. As Jiang Zebei watched the girl leave, anger burned in his eyes. Chen Mengtian actually regarded him with scorn! At that moment, Jiang Zebei was in a really bad mood. But the moment he cast a glance at the foul-smelling clothes that drifted in front of him, he could not retort. Yet the feeling of being exposed was really horrible, especially when the person who did that to him was Chen Mengtian. He could not accept it. An aggrieved look appeared on Jiang Zebei¡¯s face, but once he accepted his fate, he started washing his clothes. Half an hour later, he finished washing. At the same time, he heard someone running toward him. The girl was dressed in a light pink dress, and as the last rays of light shone on her, she ran over. She was carrying something in her arms. Jiang Zebei knew that she was most likely carrying his clothes in her arms. They might be far away from each other, so he could not see the girl¡¯s face clearly, but he knew that there had to be a faint layer of sweat covering her sweet face. Jiang Zebei remained in the water as he watched the girl run over to him. The dim, yellow light of the setting sun shone on the girl, making her give off a warm feeling. The anger and grievance Jiang Zebei felt a moment ago disappeared like the wind at that moment. The sight of the girl running toward him warmed his cold heart. Chen Mengtian soon brought the dark blue clothes in her arms to the riverbank. After she went back home, she did not even waste time to drink some water. She just started looking through the familiar but unfamiliar room. Once she found the dark blue clothes in the closet, she ran out of the house. It was already the beginning of winter, and Jiang Zebei had just been cured of a viper¡¯s venom. Staying soaked in cold water for a long period of time would definitely cause him to fall sick. Cheng Mengtian stopped beside the river and extended her arm to beckon Jiang Zebei over. ¡°I brought your clothes! Come up quick!¡± Jiang Zebei pursed his lips tight and stared at the girl with a complicated gaze. Or rather, he was staring at the sweat on her forehead. He could sense that Chen Mengtian was different now, but he could not tell just what about her was different. Her actions seemed more authentic and like she was a proper human being nonw. When he saw her beckoning him over, Jiang Zebei¡¯s lips twitched. No. He should say that Chen Mengtian had become siller than before. The complicated look in his eyes turned into contempt. ¡°Put the clothes on the ground. I¡¯ll put them on later. Go back home and wait for me.¡± Chen Mengtian could not understand his real meaning. When she heard that he wanted to continue staying in the water, she immediately became frantic. ¡°Hurry up and come out! If you stay in the water, you¡¯ll fall sick!¡± The worry and concern in her eyes was real. Jiang Zebei sighed long and hard, then growled at her. ¡°Go back first.¡± ¡°Come out first and put something on!¡± Chen Mengtian decided to start arguing with him. When Jiang Zebei heard what she said, he ground his teeth. ¡°How am I supposed to put them on while you¡¯re here? Do you want to stay here and watch me put on my clothes?¡± Chen Mengtian finally understood what he was trying to say. Speechless, she stared at the boy in the water. Chapter 40 Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Even if Cheng Mengtian really wanted to do something, she would not seduce a minor. Besides, he was just a twelve-year-old boy, so what could she do with him? Also, her body was just thirteen years old, so she could not do anything either. Even though the people in this age were already producing children while they were just fifteen or sixteen years old, Chen Mengtian did not intend to follow their customs and join the footsteps of her ancestors. Forget about the fact about whether her body had even gone through puberty and whether she could actually do anything in the R-18 category, she was a doctor, and she knew that when someone who was too young engaged in sexual acts, it caused great harm to the body. For the sake of surviving and living long enough to pass down Green Lotus Medical Technique, Chen Mengtian would stay far away from sexual acts. Her gaze was on Jiang Zebei, who was still in the water. Suddenly, she thought of something, and a strange smile showed up on her lips. She suddenly placed a hand on her hip, then pointed at Jiang Zebei before she smiled. ¡°Are you shy? Don¡¯t you worry your pretty little head over this. I won¡¯t look down on you, after all, you¡¯re still young, so you¡¯re definitely small down there.¡± The moment she said this, Jiang Zebei was stunned. Then, his eyes immediately lit up with anger. ¡°Chen Mengtian! You¡¯re dead!¡± he hissed with exasperation. When Chen Mengtian heard his enraged voice, she threw the clothes she brought to the ground and ran away. While running away, she did not forget to shout at the boy behind her. ¡°I saved you, so you can¡¯t bully me! If you do, you¡¯ll be biting the hand that saved you! Jiang Zebei, you¡¯re a learned man, so you can¡¯t hit me!¡± Even when Chen Mengtian was far away, her voice still echoed in Jiang Zebei¡¯s ears. When he heard what she said, he let out a bark of laughter from his anger. In the past, Chen Mengtian would never say such things to him. As he pondered over her words, he found that it sounded like she was already blaming him before he even dared to hit her. Jiang Zebei had been angry, but soon, a smile formed on his lips, and it was one of happiness. He could not deny it. The current Chen Mengtian was really good. She was so good that he was starting to be fond of her. She had become much more authentic, and he felt that she was no longer out of reach. The hate they once had for each other in the past was no longer around either. More importantly, he really wanted to bully her current self. He could not control it. He just wanted to see her become even more expressive when she was angry. Then, once Chen Mengtian vanished from his sight, Jiang Zebei began to walk out of the cold water. Ripples formed in the cold river. The boy slowly straightened up, and if it were not because the weather was not the appropriate occasion, it would not be wrong to say that he was a beauty coming out of the water. As the boy¡¯s sturdy body was slowly revealed, his long hair was a little disheveled, which gave him a wild, masculine beauty. If anyone looked at the boy¡¯s lower body, they would know that he was born with such good body parts that he would cause fear in all those who looked at him. He was just twelve years old, but that thing between his legs was already about the same size as an adult man¡¯s. Even the men in Chen Village would be jealous if they saw the boy¡¯s great body parts. If Chen Mengtian saw the parts Jiang Zebei had, she would definitely not have said what she did moments ago, either. In the future, Jiang Zebei would use this matter to pin her down and bully her repeatedly. Jiang Zebei stared at that particular part of his and felt distressed. He still remembered having seen Chen Qishan¡¯s crotch once. Chen Qishan was his friend and the son of the village chief. They were also studying together in the same school. He was the same age as Chen Qishan, but Chen Qishan¡­ was not as big as he was. Jiang Zebei looked at himself for a while. When he sensed the chill in the air, he picked up the clothes on the ground and put them on.