Chapter 8

    Inwardly, Zhao Ying felt a twinge of frustration. Why did she have to prove herself to these people, who, in reality, had nothing to do with the soul that had come from another world? But heaven had brought her here and given her this new identity, so she would do her best. What really motivated her, though, was the concept of 'family' itself.

    In her past life, Zhao Ying once had a warm, loving family, though that warmth was fleeting. Her parents and younger brother had died in a car accident, and, in the end, her inheritance went to an uncle who once seemed kind. Left alone, Zhao Ying was sent to an orphanage, growing up with a single focus: avenging her family. And she did so, eventually. But even after achieving that revenge, her sorrow remained. Her loved ones didn’t return, and not even their spirits lingered to comfort her in her final moments.

    Thinking back on that, she took Xiao Bao’s hand and led him to the riverbank with a basket of the offal and a pile of ashes from the stove to help with cleaning. She scrubbed them thoroughly, rinsing them over and over until they were completely clean before returning to the kitchen to prepare the stove. She added Chinese medicinal herbs and, once the water reached a boil, dropped in the freshly cleaned offal.

    Just then, Madam Zhang came to fetch Xiao Bao for his bath. Before stepping into the kitchen, she caught the delicious aroma wafting out but chose not to comment.

    Zhao Ying set aside the pot of medicine broth, letting it simmer gently to condense. In its place, she put on a pot to cook the rice. Once the herbal stock started bubbling, she added scallions, ginger, pepper, and salt for flavor. She also decided to make a steamed egg custard with mushrooms, using a rack above the pot to steam it, making it soft and pudding-like—perfect for nourishing Xiao Bao.

    Although Zhao Ying had already mapped out a nutritional plan for the household, she had to navigate around the constraints of reality. She couldn’t simply pull out items from her mystical space without causing suspicion.

    She planned to go foraging in the forest tomorrow to gather wild produce, and by ‘coincidence,’ she would also stumble upon lingzhi mushrooms. This way, she could show Father Lu and Madam Zhang that her findings were authentic and use the proceeds from selling the mushrooms as an explanation for her sudden wealth.

    Zhao Ying also envisioned starting a medicinal herb garden for the family to cultivate as a steady source of income. It was a more sustainable choice than growing crops like corn or soybeans, which yielded low returns on the small two- or three-mu plot they had. Herbal cultivation would not only require less land but also be far more lucrative. Once her in-laws were self-sufficient, she would be free to divorce her husband in name only when he returned and leave with peace of mind.

    In truth, Zhao Ying could simply leave. After all, she was a soul from another world, bound by no ties to this family. Yet a strong intuition urged her to stay and help them first, and she had always trusted her instincts.

    When it was time for the meal, Zhao Ying placed the stew bowl at the center of the table. The family stared at the food, their faces filled with disbelief. Tonight’s meal was a herbal-scented, savory meat stew, and although it was only made with offal, the aroma alone filled the room and seemed almost overwhelming to those who hadn’t had a hearty or substantial meal in ages. Madam Zhang’s eyes began to redden as she looked at Zhao Ying, momentarily lost for words.

    “This…” she managed to say, but before anyone could respond, Xiao Bao spoke up, his excitement impossible to contain.

    “It smells amazing, Mother! What is it?”

    Zhao Ying smiled and replied, “This is stewed offal. It’s delicious, Xiao Bao—try it!”

    “Is this really meat? Before, only Little Uncle and Da Niu ever got to have meat,” Xiao Bao chattered on, oblivious to the past hardships.

    Madam Zhang, who could no longer hold back her emotions, let tears fall, and when she looked over at Father Lu, she saw that his eyes were also glistening. Zhao Ying sighed inwardly, reflecting on the family’s hardship. Even after finally gaining their independence from the larger household, they still carried the weight of servitude, bound by the notion of “filial duty.” They’d been given the worst of everything and had to grit their teeth and endure, placing all their hope in Lu Wenyao, who had gone off to study and was now on his way to take the Tongsheng exam.

    Fortunately, Lu Wenyao’s teacher had taken a deep liking to him, not only waiving all tuition fees but also providing him with supplies, allowing him to pursue his studies despite the family’s struggles. Moreover, Wenyao was exceptionally bright and promising.

    Setting aside any thoughts of the main family, Zhao Ying turned to Xiao Bao, whose mouth was practically watering.

    “Go ahead, Xiao Bao. Even though it’s only stewed offal, it’s really tasty and quite nutritious,” Zhao Ying encouraged him, placing a tender, slow-cooked piece of intestine into his bowl.

    Without a moment’s hesitation, Xiao Bao took a bite. “It’s delicious—really delicious, Mother! Oh…Grandmother, what’s wrong?”

    He turned to tell his grandmother to try it, only to see Madam Zhang wiping away her tears. She quickly forced a smile and said, “Oh, nothing, dear. Just a bit of dust in my eye.”

    At first, the grandparents only ate the plain rice porridge, reluctant to try the offal. They had tried it long ago and found the smell too off-putting to stomach. Zhao Ying noticed this and decided to eat a piece of lung first, showing them it was truly edible. With her plump, round face and eyes partially hidden by her full cheeks, she looked almost cute as she savored each bite—no longer eating with the gluttony she was once known for.

    Watching Zhao Ying, Madam Zhang found herself thinking that this daughter-in-law seemed familiar yet somehow different. But being straightforward by nature, she quickly brushed the thought aside.

    Eventually, the tempting aroma and the sight of Zhao Ying and Xiao Bao enjoying the meal became too much, and the grandparents finally began to try the stew themselves. After the first bite, they couldn’t stop, and before they knew it, they were all pleasantly stuffed, their bellies round with satisfaction.

    Zhao Ying was delighted by this meal, feeling it had brought everyone a bit closer. The atmosphere in the household felt slightly warmer.

    After finishing the meal, everyone remained seated. Once Zhao Ying had washed the dishes and returned to the old table in the center of the room, Father Lu spoke up.

    "I’ve already discussed the house repairs with Uncle Wang, who lives in the village. He’s a skilled carpenter and regularly takes on woodwork jobs. If we went to anyone else, it might seem disrespectful to him. Besides, he’s always been kind to our family."

    Zhao Ying was genuinely moved that Father Lu was including her in this discussion. Rural folk tended to be straightforward, returning kindness for kindness, which was a simple yet effective approach to life. She smiled and replied, "Whatever you think is best, Father. You can decide as you see fit."

    "Good, then. I’ll invite Uncle Wang to start the work tomorrow, so our little Xiao Bao can finally have a comfortable room to sleep in." Father Lu smiled, clearly feeling hopeful about the improvements.

    Uncle Wang was from the village head’s family and was close with Father Lu, so Zhao Ying felt no need to discuss this further. She instead brought up her plan to go up the mountain behind their house to gather medicinal herbs that could potentially be sold.

    Madam Zhang looked worried. The forest in that area was rarely explored by others due to its steep slopes and the many rocks at the foot of the mountain. Going too deep could mean encountering venomous snakes and other dangerous animals.

    “It sounds dangerous,” Madam Zhang said. “Why not wait until your father’s leg heals?”

    Zhao Ying reassured her, “Don’t worry, Mother. I’m only going to look around a bit. If it seems too difficult to go further, I’ll come back immediately. I won’t push my luck.”

    "Alright," Madam Zhang finally agreed, allowing her to go up the mountain alone.

    Zhao Ying then went to fetch the bundle of medicines and a wound care kit she had prepared to treat Father Lu's leg.

    "Father, please stretch out your leg here. I'll take care of the wound, and I assure you that by tomorrow, you’ll feel a lot less pain," Zhao Ying promised.

    This time, Father Lu didn’t hesitate. His leg pain was becoming unbearable, and with Zhao Ying’s reassurance that she had learned from the doctor, he was willing to take the chance. Even if the wound didn’t heal completely, he would be grateful for any relief from the pain.

    Zhao Ying carefully unwrapped the old cloth binding his ankle, now soiled and stained from absorbing blood and pus. When she saw the wound, she couldn’t help but feel alarmed. Part of the flesh had started to rot, and there was a significant amount of pus at the center of the wound.

    "Mother, could you bring the lantern a bit closer, please?" Zhao Ying asked without looking up.

    "Of course," Madam Zhang replied, immediately holding the lantern over the wound to give her better light.

    "This may hurt a little," Zhao Ying warned. "I’ll need to remove the decayed flesh first." Normally, she would have administered a muscle anesthetic, but she couldn’t reveal a syringe without drawing suspicion. Instead, she applied a few drops of topical anesthetic directly onto the wound to ease the pain somewhat.

    “I can handle it,” Father Lu replied, though his voice trembled slightly.

    Once the anesthetic had taken effect, Zhao Ying used a small scalpel to carefully clean away the decayed tissue. She continued until the wound was fresh and red again, then rinsed it thoroughly with saline solution. Finally, she sprinkled antibiotic powder over the area, wrapped the inner wound with sterile bandages, and covered it with clean cotton cloth strips she had bought earlier to hide the gauze.

    Madam Zhang, who had turned away since the wound was first exposed, didn’t witness Zhao Ying using these "strange" supplies. Father Lu, who suffered from night blindness, saw very little due to the dim light. Xiao Bao, who observed everything, was simply excited that his mother was helping his grandfather.

    "All done. The doctor insisted that you must keep the wound dry and not touch it. We’ll change the dressing tomorrow evening," Zhao Ying instructed, following proper wound care protocol. With that, they all went to their separate rooms to rest.

    That night, Xiao Bao came to sleep in Zhao Ying’s room. At first, she felt slightly unfamiliar with this arrangement, but it reminded her of her childhood, when her parents would take turns telling bedtime stories to her and her younger brother—a memory that had once brought her great happiness.

    "Would you like me to tell you a story before bed?" she asked Xiao Bao.

    "Yes, please, Mother!" Xiao Bao’s eyes sparkled in the darkness. It was his first time sleeping alone with his mother, and she was even offering to tell him a story.

    After telling him the story of "The Tortoise and the Hare," Xiao Bao was too excited to sleep and only drifted off around midnight.

    As for Zhao Ying, the long day had left her exhausted. Once Xiao Bao was sound asleep, she quietly entered her spatial realm to bathe and change into fresh clothes. She returned to her bed, pulled Xiao Bao close to her, and fell asleep beside him...