Chapter 45

She paused, closed her eyes, and carefully pinpointed the source of the sound.
Once she identified the location, Su Ling hurried over.
Anyone groaning in pain in such a desolate wilderness was likely bitten by some poisonous creature. Having inherited the original owner's identity and abilities, she naturally couldn't stand by and do nothing.
Sure enough, after walking about a hundred steps, she spotted a young man dressed like a scholar in a pale blue robe lying behind a small shrub.
The young man appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, with an unfamiliar yet handsome face. His neatly tied hair was littered with grass debris, his lips tinged with a faint bluish-purple hue. Clutching his left arm, his eyes were closed, but he was not unconscious, emitting weak, feeble sounds.
He seemed to hear her footsteps and abruptly opened his eyes as Su Ling approached, his gaze filled with hope. But upon seeing a girl younger than himself, his eyes visibly dimmed, and he said weakly, "Miss, could you please go to the village ahead and call for help?"
"The nearest village is still a half-hour walk from here," Su Ling shook her head, taking his left wrist to roll up his sleeve and examine it. "I've studied medicine and can help you. Do you remember what bit you?"
"No, no!" The young scholar, mustering strength from somewhere, frantically pulled his hand back, his pale face flushing with embarrassment as he said shamefully, "Men and women should not touch each other, miss. It's improper!"
Su Ling: “...”
Her lips twitched as she watched the struggling scholar trying to retreat further. Without hesitation, she stepped forward again, pinned him down with one hand, and with the other, swiftly lifted his wrist and rolled up his wide sleeve, revealing the distinct mark of a snake bite.
"Tell me quickly, what bit you? Do you really want to die?" Su Ling's voice turned cold and stern.
The young scholar shrank back in fear, his delicate, slightly bluish face turning even paler. He shook his head weakly, trying hard to recall, "No I was bitten by a black snake, I think it had some white on it too"
After speaking, he could feel the warmth of the other's wrist through the soft hand gripping his, and the redness on his face grew more pronounced, spreading all the way down his neck.
Su Ling paid no attention to his reaction. Gritting her teeth, she tore a strip from the hem of the young man's robe. Expecting it to be difficult, she was surprised when, with a single tug, the fabric ripped with a sharp "tear, " sound, coming off effortlessly.
The scholar swallowed the words of protest he was about to utter, stealing a cautious glance at the girl before him. He thought to himself, What fierce determination!
Su Ling remained calm, swiftly wrapping the strip around the upper part of the young man's bitten wrist and pulling it tight with both hands.
"Mm!" the scholar groaned softly, whispering, "M-Miss, please be gentler"
Su Ling gave a noncommittal "Hmm," but her grip didn't loosen. After securing the bandage, she quickly retrieved a thumb-sized porcelain bottle from one of the pouches at her waist. Opening it, she sprinkled some powder onto his wound, then took out a pill and said sternly, "Swallow this."
"O-okay." The scholar obediently extended his fair, almost feminine fingers to take the pill. After swallowing it, he quickly added, "Thank you for saving me, miss. I can never repay your kindness. May I ask" He glanced at Su Ling shyly, "Are you married?"
Su Ling replied indifferently, "No."
"Then then I" The scholar's face lit up with hope as he began to speak.
Su Ling cut him off, "I didn't save you. That was a five-step snake bite. I can't cure it. The medicine I gave you only delays the effects, the pill will restore your energy for a short while. In about fifteen minutes, you'll have enough strength to go to town and find a doctor yourself."
With that, Su Ling dusted off her hands, adjusted the straps of her two baskets, stood up, and left.
She left behind a bewildered and helpless scholar, watching her tender green figure gradually disappear into the waist-high, yellowish withered grass.
A few moments later, the scholar suddenly realized what had happened. Panic-stricken, he stared at his arm and stammered, "Th-this is a five-step snake?!!!"
The five-step snake was a venomous serpent feared by ordinary mortals in this spirit-barren land. Its victims would quickly become paralyzed and die within half an hour. These snakes were usually encountered in the wild.
While the venom could be treated, there wasn't enough time. Making it from the wilderness to a town clinic within half an hour was impossible unless one had a horse.
The scholar's face, which had been flushed with shyness earlier, turned deathly pale again, even worse than before. He struggled to get up but found his legs too weak to move. In his panic, his lips began to tremble.
Seeing the scholar, Su Ling felt a wave of relief that she had sprinkled sulfur powder on her clothes and shoes and carried a pouch of it at her waist.
It was precisely because she had taken such thorough precautions that she dared to live alone in the wild.
This area wasn't entirely uninhabited.
The town was actually a cluster of several nearby villages where people gathered for markets. Over time, it had evolved into a small town, offering many amenities typically found in cities.
Scattered around were several small villages a bit farther away, most of which were formed by wanderers who had settled and built houses there.
Thus, Su Ling didn't have to walk far before she came across signs of human habitation, which brought her a sense of comfort.
After walking for about half an hour, she encountered an ox cart on the road. She paid two coins to ride it and arrived in the town, swaying and jolting along the way.
People in this era were more hardworking, and market days started early in the morning before the sky was fully lit. As a result, those like Su Ling, who had breakfast and leisurely made their way there, missed the bustling scenes.
The shopkeepers were lazily lounging about, not even bothering to greet customers. There were few pedestrians on the street, but most of them knew each other. As soon as Su Ling arrived in town, shopkeepers began greeting her from a distance.
"Miss Su, here to stock up?"
Su Ling smiled and replied, "Yes, I'm here to buy some meat and vegetable seeds."
As a meat lover, Su Ling's favorite was pork belly, though she also enjoyed the meat of other animals, it was just harder to prepare.
"Child, wouldn't it be better to live in town? Now that you've moved away, someone else is benefiting from your family's prime location."
"It's fine. I can't practice medicine anyway," Su Ling said calmly with a smile. Everyone knew what had happened to the Su Family Clinic.
"What a shame," the speaker lamented, shaking his head. There were only two clinics in town, and now that one was gone, people had to go to the other, whose medical skills were no match for Dr. Su's.
Su Ling nodded with a smile but didn't elaborate further. She was about to head to her intended destination when, not far along, a group of aunties approached her: "Miss Su, wait! We heard you're here to buy groceries? These are vegetables we grew ourselves, they're delicious. Take some back to try!"
"And mine too! They're not worth much. If you can't finish them, just throw them away."
"…"
Before Su Ling could react, her backpack was already stuffed with fruits and vegetables. She couldn't help but laugh helplessly. Unable to refuse their kindness, she simply accepted: "Thank you, aunties. I appreciate you bringing these over."
"No trouble at all! Your parents were such good people, so of course, we have to look out for you now. If you ever need anything, just come to us, alright?" one of the aunties said, gazing at her with affection.
Su Ling nodded obediently, "Yes, aunties. I'm doing quite well now."
The original host's father was highly skilled in medicine, and her mother was kind and amiable. The neighbors always helped each other when they could, and medical fees were reduced for those who couldn't afford them. As a result, the Su family had an excellent reputation in Pingyue Town. Aside from the family that had wronged the Su Family, Su Ling actually lived quite comfortably.
It was just that the young girl, having lost both her parents, had lost her will to live.
Su Ling felt a bit embarrassed but, as this wasn't the first time she'd experienced such kindness, she thanked them and handed out small, self-made porcelain bottles of medicinal powder to each of them. The powder could help regulate women's endocrine systems slightly and had a mild whitening effect.
After handing over the items and enduring the aunties' knowing smiles, Su Ling finally took her leave, carrying a half-basket of vegetables on her back. She went straight to the butcher’s shop to buy some meat, then picked up some fabric and vegetable seeds before leisurely making her way back.
Just as she was leaving Pingyue Town, Su Ling suddenly heard an angry shout: “Su Ling, stop right there!”
She instinctively halted and saw a tall, thin middle-aged man storming toward her, his face dark with fury. When he realized she had actually stopped, his expression only grew more thunderous. “Su Ling! Where have you been hiding all this time? Who gave you permission to sell the clinic?”
This man was Su Ling’s second uncle, lazy and gluttonous, yet somehow never gaining weight. He was also skilled at putting on a show, so no one had ever realized he had been living off her parents all along.
Not long ago, after the original host’s parents passed away, he had made a scene demanding a share of the clinic, finally revealing his true colors, though by then, it was already too late.
After Su Ling arrived, she pretended to placate them, letting them turn on each other like dogs. She’d even heard they ended up in a physical fight that nearly landed them in court. Then, she swiftly sold the clinic and moved without warning, leaving them so enraged they fell ill, which was why they hadn’t come after her until now.
On her previous trips to town, Su Ling hadn’t run into them, likely because they were still recovering. Now, it seemed her second uncle had finally regained his health.
But the matter was already settled. Su Ling had no interest in dealing with them. Confirming it was someone she had no desire to engage with, she turned and walked away.
This infuriated Second Uncle Su, who had rushed over in a hurry. He had only recovered a couple of days ago, and the medical expenses had cost him a fortune, all because of Su Ling. When had he ever had to spend money on such things before?
Unfortunately, the girl was clever and had disappeared to a place they couldn’t find, leaving them powerless to do anything.
Just moments ago, he’d heard someone say they spotted Su Ling, so he scrambled out of bed in a hurry. And now this wretched girl dared to disobey him?
Second Uncle Su was so angry he felt his lungs might burst. Picking up his pace, he snatched a stone from the roadside and hurled it at her. “Su Ling, you disrespectful little bi, ”
Before he could finish his curse, the stone, which was clearly aimed at Su Ling, suddenly rebounded mid-air and struck him squarely on the forehead.
A sharp pain shot through him. He staggered back two steps and collapsed to the ground, clutching his bleeding forehead. Trembling, he pointed a shaky finger at the girl, who seemed completely unaware and continued walking. Stammering in terror, he cried, “A ghost! It’s a ghost!”
A passerby nearby watched with a strange expression.
Second Uncle Su’s wife, a plump woman, came panting up behind him. Seeing his condition, she immediately wailed, “Oh heavens, who dared to hit you? Was it that little bastard…?”
Second Uncle Su swallowed hard, grabbed his wife’s hand, and said, “Yesterday, didn’t Zhang Shi and her son come by saying Su Ling was living among ghosts? Damn it, it’s true!”
“R-really?” His wife stopped sobbing, her tear-filled eyes full of doubt.
Gritting his teeth, Second Uncle Su lowered his hand, the sight of blood stinging his eyes. “How could it be fake? Didn’t you see it just now? I threw the stone, and it bounced right back at me. Damn it, let’s go to the Zhang family and see if they have a way to deal with this…”
On the other side, Su Ling truly hadn’t noticed that someone had secretly thrown a stone at her.
She walked back with light, brisk steps.
The journey from the town to her bamboo hut took two hours each way. Even though Su Ling had set out early, it was already noon by the time she returned, with the sun blazing directly overhead.
In September, the midday heat was still quite intense.
Su Ling paused to think, then glanced at the remaining half of the fresh lettuce in the kitchen, still crisp and well-preserved, and the even more tender, newly matured lettuce in the garden plot.
Her eyes then fell on the pork belly she had bought, and an idea sparked in her mind.
Soon, Yi Heng, who was lying in bed with his eyes closed, absorbing the faint spiritual energy to heal his body, caught a familiar aroma of meat mingled with some unusual seasoning. To an ordinary person who had never smelled it before, the scent might have been pungent, but to him, it was irresistibly enticing.
The sizzling sound continued unabated, the meaty fragrance growing richer, accompanied by the noise of someone eating.
With his senses partially restored, Yi Heng could clearly hear the crisp crunch of Su Ling’s teeth biting into the fresh lettuce, which was wrapped around sizzling, golden-brown pork belly. The combination balanced the greasiness of the meat, while the subtle spiritual energy in the lettuce elevated the overall flavor.
For the first time in his life, Yi Heng found himself swallowing saliva at the aroma and the sounds.
He couldn’t help but turn his head several times to look outside, his usually calm lips pursing slightly, and his handsome brows furrowing in frustration: Why hadn’t she come to ask if he wanted to eat?