CHAPTER 235: CHAPTER 227: SUDDEN EMERGENCY

"You fell into the water? Are you alright?" Tang Qingying, upon seeing Han Qiwu’s appearance, quickly grabbed a towel to help him dry off in concern.

"I’m fine. I just saw a fiery duck egg earlier and went to pick it." Han Qiwu grinned, showing his pearly white teeth. "It’s not cold now anyway. Once we start walking, my clothes will dry. Let’s head down the mountain and carry the goods directly."

Aunt Hong Mei chimed in hurriedly, "No, no, you can’t do that. There’s a lot of cursed wind in the mountains. You need to dry off properly before you go, or you’ll end up with a crooked mouth and drooling every day."

"Exactly! What if you get a stroke?" Tang Qingying nodded in agreement, taking the towel to continue helping Han Qiwu dry off.

Han Qiwu smiled helplessly and sat there obediently.

While drying him off, Tang Qingying muttered intermittently:

"Your hair texture is so much better than mine. How do you take care of it?"

"Your skin’s so good too! It doesn’t even turn red when I rub it!"

"Wow! You don’t have a single pimple on your face."

Han Qiwu felt uneasy listening to her remarks. As soon as she finished drying him off, he quickly stood up and said, "Mr. Tang, achieving this is actually very simple."

"How?" Tang Qingying pressed him for details.

Every girl wants to look prettier, and she was no exception.

"Diet therapy and exercise," Han Qiwu said earnestly. "Simply put, grow your own food and eat it."

"Well, I would love to, but I have so much on my plate right now. My uncle even warned me a few days ago to speed up my experiments, and he seemed really anxious." Tang Qingying said resignedly but then optimistically patted Han Qiwu on the shoulder. "No problem, though—I’ve got you."

Han Qiwu chuckled, "That’s right, you’ve got me." Then he thought of the whitening effect of pear blossoms and added reassuringly, "Tonight, I’ll make you some pear blossom soup for brighter skin."

"Great! Sounds amazing!" Tang Qingying clapped her hands eagerly.

The three packed up their things and slowly headed back along the trail they had come.

After walking for over half an hour, Tang Qingying, holding Aunt Hong Mei’s arm, praised her admiringly, "Auntie, you’re incredible. I’m already feeling like I can barely move. If we’d taken more earlier, it’d be almost impossible to come back now."

"That’s true. Haste makes waste. The road is always there, so take your time." Aunt Hong Mei said with a cheerful smile, "The weather’s looking good according to the forecast. Come back for another hike when you have the time."

"Okay, you’re the best, Auntie." Tang Qingying replied with a cheeky grin, "Next time, we’ll get Han Qiwu to make us some delicious food again."

"Sure." Han Qiwu smiled and continued plucking wild vegetables along the roadside naturally.

Thanks to the instincts of the mountain spirit, his hand effortlessly gathered double the amount each time.

It felt wonderful.

Two hours later.

The weary trio sat on a motorcycle ready to head home. Feed sacks on either side of the motorcycle’s back seat were stuffed full with bamboo shoots, pear blossoms, tender sprouts, and other finds.

Alongside the day’s sunlight, the return journey seemed sturdier than before, making it easier to walk.

The sunlight had softened greatly by now, warmly embracing them. Tang Qingying, somewhat worn out, unconsciously leaned against Han Qiwu and, swayed by the vehicle’s movements, slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

When Tang Qingying leaned into him, Han Qiwu’s muscles instinctively tensed up in nervousness, but he quickly forced himself to relax and focused on choosing the smoothest path to ride.

While sleeping, Tang Qingying’s hand unconsciously slipped into Han Qiwu’s pocket to steady herself.

Aunt Hong Mei, watching from behind, couldn’t hide her full-faced grin.

The thirty-minute ride back turned into over an hour before they finally reached the gateway of their home.

At the sight of the gate approaching, Aunt Hong Mei gently patted Tang Qingying on the shoulder and said, "Qingying, wake up, we’re here."

"Ah," Tang Qingying rubbed her eyes and groggily looked around, giving Han Qiwu a silly smile. "It’s been so long since I napped in the sunlight."

"If you want to sleep more, I’ve got a deck chair." Han Qiwu offered while unloading the goods.

"I’m fine; if I sleep now, I won’t be able to sleep tonight." Tang Qingying smiled back, washed her face in the house, and quickly joined him to help unload.

After dividing up the goods, Aunt Hong Mei excused herself, saying she had things to handle at home, leaving with her portion. The spacious courtyard was now left with just Tang Qingying and Han Qiwu.

"Since we’ve got some downtime, how about drying the bamboo shoots first?" Tang Qingying suggested after some thought. Then she bent down and began peeling the bamboo shoots.

"No need; I can handle it later on my own. Take a break," Han Qiwu interjected.

Tang Qingying waved her hand dismissively, "I can’t help with cooking, but preparing the ingredients is something I can manage."

Seeing he couldn’t convince her otherwise, Han Qiwu relented. "Alright then, I’ll go make a rejuvenating stew for dinner."

"Sounds good." Tang Qingying agreed.

Han Qiwu went into the kitchen, took out pork belly, green beans, and potatoes, and began preparing them. After processing them one by one, he placed the ingredients into a pot and started simmering them on medium heat.

After finishing the stew, he thought for a moment and pulled out pear blossoms and willow sprouts for further preparation.

Willow sprouts are bitter if eaten directly, requiring repeated rinsing with water first.

Once done with these, he also cooked a pot of dragon rice.

Just as he was finishing, a painful groan sounded from the courtyard.

Han Qiwu ran out swiftly, only to see Tang Qingying sitting in a small chair with a pained expression, her right hand clutching her lower abdomen, cold sweat covering her face.

"What’s wrong?" Han Qiwu asked urgently.

"It’s that time of the month. Can you grab my bag for me?" Tang Qingying said through gritted breaths.

"Got it." Han Qiwu quickly retrieved her bag.

Tang Qingying reached out for the bag and struggled to stand and walk into the house.

But the intense pain left her knees shaking, making it impossible for her to stand.

"Don’t move," Han Qiwu commanded sharply, then carefully scooped her up in a princess carry.

After taking a few steps, he reminded her, "Hold onto my neck. Don’t strain your waist."

"Alright," Tang Qingying responded bashfully.

Han Qiwu carried her into the house, gave her some instructions, and then turned to leave, shutting the door behind him.

Back in the kitchen, he took out Ice River Whitefish, examined its special properties, and skillfully began its preparation.

With expert knife skills, the tender white fish meat quickly found its way into the pot, simmering rapidly.

Han Qiwu stepped outside and called through the door, "Are you done?"

"Yes," Tang Qingying replied.

Han Qiwu entered the room holding a hot water bottle and asked, "Mr. Tang, does this happen to you often?"

"I’ve had menstrual cramps before, but this time it feels especially painful. Not sure why." Tang Qingying placed the hot water bottle against her abdomen and replied weakly.

"Maybe you’ve been overworking. Just rest for a while. I’ll bring you some fish soup later."

"Thanks for the trouble."

"It’s my responsibility."