Chapter Four: The Qin Family's Wrath

Perhaps it was the way she called her “sister” that delighted Mu, who laughed and said, “Little girl, do you want to go with your sister to the pharmacy tomorrow?”

“Witch doctor sister, can Ah Yu go too?” Gu Weiyu asked expectantly. She had never been to the county town before.

“If I say you can, then you can.” Mu reached out and pinched her cheek, smiling. “From now on, you should call me Sister Mu.”

Gu Weiyu didn’t particularly like having her face pinched, but remembering that Mu was the tribe’s witch doctor and had promised to take her to the county town, she let it pass.

She took off her little basket, showing off proudly. “Sister Mu, I dug up a lot of herbs today! Look!”

“Ah Yu, you are so capable!” Mu praised her, picking up the red berries from the basket. These were fine medicinal ingredients, though with the Nine-leaf Lotus Pearl found earlier, they paled in comparison.

Gu Weiyu straightened her little chest—yes, she thought she was quite capable herself!

Why was Ah Yu so adorable? Mu couldn’t help but reach out to rub her little head again.

Gu Weiyu, already prepared, tilted her head out of reach. “Sister Mu, I need to go home now. I’ll come find you tomorrow.”

Mu awkwardly withdrew her empty hand and resumed a serious tone. “Alright, we’ll leave at dawn tomorrow. Remember to come early to the chieftain’s place.”

Gu Weiyu nodded eagerly, took her basket, and skipped home.

“Ah Yu is back?” Along the way, people kept greeting her. Gu Weiyu responded with a bright smile to everyone.

There were even some well-informed women, both jealous and envious, who said sourly, “Ah Yu, I heard you not only dug up lots of herbs but even caught a huge snake this time?”

“Auntie, you must have heard wrong. The snake was already dead—I just happened to see it. Next time, let your Ah Qing go up the mountain; maybe she’ll get lucky and find something too.”

Gu Weiyu’s quick tongue left the woman both embarrassed and irritated.

Gu Weiyu didn’t care about that. Seeing Ah Qing’s mother’s sour expression made her secretly pleased.

“Father, Mother, I’m home!” Before she even reached the house, she couldn’t help but shout with joy. As soon as her voice rang out, a little figure shot out of the stone house and crashed into her arms, looking around eagerly. “Sister, where’s the big snake you caught?”

Gu Weiyu: “…”

How had the story gotten so twisted? Why didn’t she remember ever catching a snake?

“Little Stone, do you want to eat sweet candied hawthorn?” Gu Weiyu took her younger brother’s hand, changing the subject as they entered the stone house.

Little Stone was disappointed not to see the snake, but was soon distracted by the promise of candied hawthorn, sucking his fingers with anticipation. “Sister, will you really buy it for me?”

Gu Weiyu was about to nod when she saw Mrs. Qin staring at her with a dark expression. Little Stone sensed something was wrong and quickly shut up.

“Mother, what’s wrong?” Gu Weiyu was puzzled. She had a bountiful harvest today and was in high spirits, unable to figure out why Mrs. Qin was upset. “Is Father’s chest feeling tight again? Mother, I have good news to tell you…”

“Come here!” Mrs. Qin interrupted her daughter sternly.

Gu Weiyu’s spirits sank, and she lowered her head as she walked slowly to her mother’s side. Another harsh command sounded in her ear. “Kneel!”

Gu Weiyu looked up in shock—was this really the mother who always doted on her?

“Hurry up and kneel!” Mrs. Qin trembled with anger and repeated her command.

Seeing her mother’s frail figure shaking with rage, Gu Weiyu’s joy dissolved into grievance as she knelt slowly.

Mrs. Qin closed the door, grabbed a cane nearby, and lashed it across Gu Weiyu’s back. “Do you know what you did wrong?”

Gu Weiyu knelt upright, stubbornly raising her head. “Mother, I don’t understand what I did wrong!”

“Waa—” Little Stone, who had been watching silently, suddenly sat on the ground and began to cry loudly, pleading, “Waa—Mother, don’t hit Sister—”

“Fine, then I’ll tell you!” Mrs. Qin’s voice was harsh. “First, your mistake was in seeking gain and forgetting danger! Everyone says Ah Yu is wonderful, but Mother knows that a big snake like that is not easily found. You only saw the small benefit before you, forgetting the possible danger! If anything had happened, how many lives would you have left to lose?

Second, you are too eager for praise and short-sighted! Did you ever think what would happen if you got hurt again? What would Mother do? Your father’s health is poor, Little Stone is so young—if you… our family can’t endure any more trouble!”

As she spoke, Mrs. Qin could no longer continue. Her tears flowed uncontrollably, and she sobbed quietly.

Gu Weiyu’s straight back was already bent, her heart no longer aggrieved; she realized Mother was worried about her!

Seeing her mother cry made her heart ache. She crawled over, tears streaming down her face. “Mother, don’t cry. Ah Yu won’t let you worry again…”

Mrs. Qin hugged her daughter tightly, her heart aching as she saw her bruised and dirty, silently regretting her earlier harshness…

In the adjacent room of the stone house, Gu Yun lay quietly on the bed, listening to the mingled cries of mother and children from outside. He weakly pummeled the stone wall—he blamed himself. If not for him, how could Ah Yu be out gathering herbs at such a young age?

If anyone was to blame, it was not Ah Yu, but himself! Back then, he only thought of saving Ah Nu, forgetting that he was not just a warrior, but also a husband and father, the pillar of the family!

————

After a long while, Little Stone finally stopped crying from exhaustion and came over, mumbling, “Mother, Little Stone’s tummy is hungry.”

Mrs. Qin wiped her tears and got up to prepare dinner.

Gu Weiyu took Little Stone into the room. “Father, I have something to tell you!”

Gu Yun looked at his daughter with guilt. “Ah Yu, what do you want to say to Father?”

“Father, I found a Nine-leaf Lotus today. Sister Mu said we can trade it for healing medicine to help you recover. Then you won’t have to stay in bed all the time!” Gu Weiyu said happily.

Gu Yun’s eyes widened in disbelief, his heart filled with guilt and excitement. “Ah Yu, what did you say?”

He had suffered severe injuries. The witch doctor once said it would take at least three to five years to recover, but now, from Ah Yu’s words, it seemed it would not take so long? Thinking of this, Gu Yun’s spirits rose.

“Father, you will get better!” Gu Weiyu looked at her father with certainty. She was determined to earn money and help him recover quickly!

This world was so full of wonders—she was sure she could find a spiritual medicine to heal her father’s arm!