Chapter 435: Comfort
Ultimately, the gray squirrel refused to return to the mountains, insisting on following Su Qing. Delighted, she happily led the gray squirrel out of the wilderness.
Anxious to return to Beijing, Su Qing didn’t linger in Xiuma Village. She quickly let everyone know she was safe, left the gifts she had for the villagers, and rushed back to Maqu County.
Once back in Maqu County, Su Qing called Mr. Gong. "Mr. Gong, I found the herb."
Mr. Gong had already returned to Xiyuan County, where he had been busy helping An Zhihan with his recovery. He knew an eight-hundred-year-old Purple Danshen was nearly impossible to find. Even if his ancestors had found one, who knew if any still existed after all these years? He had recently been researching alternative treatments for An Zhihan in case the Purple Danshen couldn’t be found.
However, Su Qing had given him a huge surprise.
"Really? You found it?!" Mr. Gong was ecstatic to hear the news. "Su, thank you for all your trouble."
Su Qing gave a small smile. "Don’t mention it, Mr. Gong."
’Besides, this trip to find the Purple Danshen had been quite rewarding for her, too.’
"Mr. Gong, I was thinking of delivering the herb to you in Xiyuan County." Su Qing did the math; she would still have time to get back for her final exams, so she planned to make the trip to Xiyuan County first.
"No, no," Mr. Gong said quickly. "I’ll speak with Zhi Han, and we’ll come to Beijing together. As it happens, I have a conference to attend in Beijing soon anyway."
Su Qing nodded. "All right. I have an empty courtyard house you can stay in."
Mr. Gong laughed. "No need. Both Zhi Han and I have places in Beijing, so don’t you worry. Oh, right, I’ll call Zhi Han’s grandmother and have her send you the remaining payment."
"Okay," Su Qing agreed with a beaming smile. "Thank you, Mr. Gong."
"All right, it’s settled then. I’ll go let Zhi Han know. See you in Beijing."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Su Qing wandered around Maqu County. It was a rare visit, so she had to bring back some local specialties. She was particularly fond of the beef jerky and crispy cheese pastries. It just so happened to be market day in Maqu County. She ended up buying a lot of things, and she bought out almost the entire stock of beef jerky and pastries.
After an exhausting journey, Su Qing finally stepped off the train at the Beijing railway station five days later.
"Finally back." Su Qing did the math. She’d been gone for almost two full months. ’I’ve really missed my family.’
Thinking of her family, Su Qing was eager to get home. She shouldered her bag and happily took a car back to the family compound.
"Grandpa! Grandma! I’m home!" Su Qing called out cheerfully the moment she stepped through the door.
"Oh, my Qingqing!" Mrs. Li had been sitting on the living room sofa, knitting somewhat distractedly. At the sound of Su Qing’s voice, she looked up at the entrance in surprise. When she saw that it really was Su Qing, she shot to her feet. Forgetting her age, she rushed toward the door to embrace her granddaughter. "You’re finally back! You had your grandma worried sick."
"Grandma, slow down!" Su Qing was startled to see Mrs. Li practically lunging at her and hurried forward to steady her. "I’m back now, and I’m not going anywhere. Please, don’t rush."
Mrs. Li looked Su Qing over from head to toe, and only after confirming she was unharmed did she let out a long, heavy sigh of relief. Heaven only knew how worried she’d been. "You and your antics... why must you always run toward danger?"
Her words sounded a bit off to Su Qing, who quickly replied, "Grandma, I didn’t go anywhere dangerous. I was just gone for a while, but I’m back now, see?"
"Don’t you deny it!" Mrs. Li’s eyes widened. "How dangerous is Da Hu Mountain? How dangerous is Xiqing Mountain? And yet you still ran deep into the mountains."
’Su Qing’s head started to ache the moment she heard that. How did Grandma find out? I never told my eldest uncle I was going to those places.’
Mrs. Li sighed. "You have no idea. You worried us to death. Just think, what would have happened if you’d run into danger in those mountains?"
"Grandma, don’t worry. I was wrong. I won’t go to dangerous places anymore, okay?" Su Qing could feel the genuine depth of her grandmother’s worry, and she quickly tried to soothe her in a gentle voice.
"Are you hungry? I’ll have someone make you something to eat." Mrs. Li gave Su Qing an exasperated look. She didn’t believe her for a second. ’This girl is just trying to placate me. The next time she gets a chance, she’ll be running right back into the mountains.’ But this was, after all, her own granddaughter, who had finally returned safely. She couldn’t help but worry that Su Qing hadn’t been eating properly while she was away.
"Starving!" Seeing her chance to change the subject, Su Qing quickly clutched her stomach and looked at her grandmother with a pitiful expression. "Grandma, I’m so hungry."
"Hurry, come and sit. Your grandpa went out to play chess. It’s a weekday, so everyone’s either at work or at school and won’t be back for a while. You can have a snack to tide you over, and then we’ll have a big dinner tonight." Mrs. Li pulled Su Qing over to the sofa and asked the housekeeper to whip up a quick snack for her.
"Okay," Su Qing said with a grin. "Grandma, I brought back presents for you all!"
"Oh, you. You don’t need to bring us gifts every time. All that matters is that you come back safe and sound." Mrs. Li doted on Su Qing down to her bones. Her only wish was for Su Qing to be healthy and safe. ’But this child of hers just kept running off into the mountains. She might have been lucky and avoided danger once or twice, but how can she be that lucky every single time?’
"Don’t worry, Grandma. I’ll always be safe and sound. And you’ll be healthy and live to be a hundred," Su Qing said, leaning her head on her grandmother’s shoulder affectionately.
Su Qing’s words brought a wide smile to Mrs. Li’s face. "I still have to watch you and Huanhuan get married. Don’t you worry, your grandma is still hale and hearty."
And it was true. Ever since Li Wan and Su Qing had returned, Mrs. Li genuinely felt much healthier. She chalked it up to the old saying: a happy occasion lifts the spirits. When one is happy, one’s health naturally improves.
"Mhm, and it will only get better," Su Qing said with a gentle smile. ’Now that I have the Green Liquid, getting rid of the shrapnel in Grandma’s brain will be a piece of cake.’
"That’s right. Everything my granddaughter says is right." With Su Qing home, the knot of tension in Mrs. Li’s heart finally loosened. The more she listened to her granddaughter, the happier she became.
Before long, the housekeeper brought Su Qing a bowl of dalu noodles, topped with a specially prepared golden egg crepe.
Su Qing thanked the housekeeper and chatted with Mrs. Li as she ate. After a bit of conversation, she finally learned how her grandmother had found out about her travels.