Chapter 26: Because You Know Medicine
The laziness of the Bai Family’s eldest and second sons was plain for the whole village to see; you truly couldn’t find another family like them.
They weren’t just lazy; they were also conceited and had their heads in the clouds. If Bai Sanzhu hadn’t been propping up the family before, they would’ve been starving long ago.
"You all just don’t get it. That old lady is what you’d call smart. When it comes to scheming, none of you can hold a candle to her. Zhao Lan and Zhi are both covered in injuries right now. If they stayed with the Bai Family, they’d just be useless mouths to feed, unable to work. She’s more than happy to let the mother and daughter go freeload off someone else. Just you wait—once they’ve healed up, see if she doesn’t show up at the Hu family’s door to demand them back."
"That’s true. Judging by the character of the Bai Family, they’re more than capable of pulling something like that."
The pair continued on their way, as if they hadn’t heard the gossip.
After walking a while longer, Hu Feng saw that her strength was failing. He pointed to a large tree at the side of the road. "Let’s rest for a bit."
Bai Zhi couldn’t have been more grateful. She immediately sank down at the base of the tree, gasping for breath.
Hu Feng walked up to her and pointed at the basket on her back. "What are you going to Luoying Mountain to do?"
She tilted her head back to look at him. Standing before her under the dazzling sun, his figure was tall and straight. She couldn’t clearly see the expression on his face, only his eyes—a very handsome pair of eyes. The whites were clear, the light within them restrained, their gaze pure.
Bai Zhi raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t Uncle Hu tell you?"
"He said you were going to gather wild vegetables."
Bai Zhi nodded. "That’s right. I’m going to gather wild vegetables."
Hu Feng shook his head. "You’re lying. Tell me again."
Bai Zhi was getting annoyed, but she didn’t dare offend him, so she braced herself and fabricated a new story. "I’m going hunting. See if I can’t catch a pheasant or a wild rabbit. Our family hasn’t had meat in a long time."
Again, Hu Feng shook his head. "Wrong. Tell me again."
Even with her good temper, Bai Zhi couldn’t hold it in any longer. "Hey—what is your problem? No matter what I say, you say it’s wrong. What on earth do I have to say for you to believe me?"
Seeing her like this, Hu Feng found it somewhat amusing. His rigid expression softened slightly, but from Bai Zhi’s perspective, nothing seemed to change. She couldn’t make out his expression at all; every time she looked up at him, the dazzling sun was so bright she could barely keep her eyes open.
He mimicked her, shrugging his shoulders. "Just tell the truth."
Furious, Bai Zhi just came out and said it. "I’m going into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs. My family is too poor, so I’m gathering herbs to sell for money. Do you believe me now?"
She expected him to shake his head, just like before.
But to her surprise, he nodded without any warning. "Yes. I believe you."
"What? You believe me?" Her glistening, beautiful eyes went wide. "Shouldn’t you suspect I’m lying? I’m so young. Do you really think I can identify medicinal herbs?"
Hu Feng looked her up and down, then nodded. "You are young," he agreed. He paused, then added, "But I still believe you."
She thought she must have misheard him. "Why?"
The scene by the river from the previous evening flashed through Hu Feng’s mind. The girl, who had drowned and was for all intents and purposes dead, had been revived by Bai Zhi’s emergency treatment.
"Because you know medicine. It’s not surprising that you can also identify medicinal herbs," he said, looking her in the eye and speaking each word with deliberation.
Perhaps because she had been staring at him for so long, his face suddenly came into focus. His handsome features were set in an expression that was not at all joking, but completely serious. She suddenly remembered—the person who had pulled Yingzi out of the river the previous evening... wasn’t it him?