Chapter 294: Trouble After Taking Notoginseng

At noon, the sunlight was just right.

Nan Qinghuan was cooling off under a tree with Youchao Xuan and the others. She had already discussed with them how to build a bridge across the canyon on both sides. She had surveyed the terrain—though the canyon was deep, fortunately there was no water in it.

That way, construction was still possible.

Building a long bridge in these ancient times was no easy task; many more factors had to be considered, so she wasn't in a hurry.

They would take it slow.

Bridge-building was men's work. Nan Qinghuan could only offer guidance and ideas, and after a while she was tired and found a spot to cool off.

Under the scorching sun, she sat on the ground covered in weeds, drenched in sweat, her skin sticky and uncomfortable.

Winter was only a few months away, yet the weather wasn't cool at all.

The weather in ancient times was strange—long days and short nights, hot at noon and hot at night. She could only endure it. Especially now that she was pregnant, occasional morning sickness made her feel unwell all over, but she persisted for the sake of opening up the road.

"If you want to get rich, build roads first"—that was the idea she had instilled in the tribe, and of course they believed road-building was the right thing to do.

And so, a plan to clear farmland and build roads in the Primeval Forest had begun.

After Youchao Xuan and Yao understood, they went with Ashu Ying to organize people to fell trees. The trees would be used to build bridges, and the land of this tropical rainforest would be cultivated into farmland. She planned to have the tribe plant cotton trees, so that by the next year when the saplings grew up, they would have cotton to use.

A transformation among the Tribe began with this road-building.

Everyone was busy at work. Nan Qinghuan sat on the ground drinking water and watching them labor. Not far away, Axi came over with a grin, carrying a bowl of Green Fruit.

"Qinghuan, have a taste."

"Green Fruit?"

Nan Qinghuan had just been thinking about eating something sour and astringent, and unexpectedly Axi brought some.

She reached out and took one, putting it into her mouth. Normally she couldn't stomach them, but for a pregnant woman like her, this was the best thing.

"So good. Axi, you have some too."

Axi looked a bit embarrassed. "Qinghuan, Ying picked these for you. I don't dare eat them."

Of course she knew Ying had picked them. That man picked Green Fruit for her every day. She had heard from A Mu that all the fruit nearby had been picked clean.

It had all gone into her belly.

Thinking of this warmed her heart, but... thinking about her senior brother and Ying not being with her troubled her. She wondered how her senior brother was doing—had the Grain Seed been sown? Had any seedlings sprouted? To be honest, she was glad he had come to find her, but he must have been heartbroken when she refused to go back. If she really could go back again, she hoped her senior brother would return and never come again.

This place was too harsh and dangerous, not suitable for him.

In the past, she had desperately wanted to escape. Now, she wanted to stay.

If before she had fled out of fear, now she stayed for love.

These fruits had warmed her heart through and through.

Seeing Nan Qinghuan lost in thought, Axi said, "Qinghuan, what's wrong? Eat up. Ying went far away to pick these. I've washed them all. Eat, don't worry..."

Nan Qinghuan snapped back to reality. She picked up a fruit and stuffed it into Axi's mouth. "You eat too. Let's eat together."

Axi was delighted that she was willing to share, but suddenly she felt unwell.

Her little face scrunched up. She crouched down, clutching her stomach. "Qinghuan, my stomach hurts..."

"What?"

As Axi spoke, she grew more uncomfortable. Nan Qinghuan grew worried and quickly made her sit down. "Axi, don't be afraid. Let me take a look."

"Qinghuan, my baby, my baby..."

Nan Qinghuan panicked too. When she saw blood seeping from between Axi's legs, her face went pale with fright. "Axi, Axi! Someone! Someone come!"

By evening, a crowd had gathered outside Axi's door, all coming to see her.

Nan Qinghuan stood by Axi's side. Their home had no wooden bed yet, so she lay on the ground.

There was no decent furniture in the house. Dashan's limited abilities meant he couldn't get a bed or a table, making the place feel cold and barren.

This was the second time Nan Qinghuan had come to Axi's home since they had split from the family.

But no one could have expected that Axi's child was gone.

"Qinghuan."

Ying and Dashan, who had received the news, rushed in from behind. Ying came in and embraced Nan Qinghuan. "What happened?"

He had been in charge of leading people to chisel rocks on both sides of the canyon. When he heard that something had happened to Axi, Dashan grew anxious too, so he had everyone come back.

What on earth had happened? "Axi."

Dashan crouched on the ground, looking at the unconscious Axi. "Axi, what's wrong with you? Wake up. I'm back. I'm back."

Axi seemed to hear Dashan's voice and quickly opened her eyes. When she saw it was Dashan, her tears instantly fell.

"Dashan, Qinghuan, my belly..."

Nan Qinghuan crouched down and took her hand. "Tell me, did you eat something? How did you lose the child?"

The child was lost.

Gone!

Actually, Axi had already expected it. Though she had been learning medicine with Nan Qinghuan, she only knew the basics and didn't understand much.

Her stomach had been hurting for days, but she hadn't taken it seriously, thinking it was just something she had eaten. It wasn't until today that she couldn't bear it anymore.

"The child is gone."

Dashan was devastated. He grabbed Axi, wanting to hit her. "What's wrong with you? How did the baby disappear? Tell me!"

"I'm sorry, I don't know either. I..."

"Dashan, have you lost your mind? Get up! Why are you grabbing her? She's very weak—do you want her to die?"

Scolded by Nan Qinghuan, Dashan didn't dare continue. He immediately stepped back, but he was utterly broken. He had finally gotten a child—how could it be gone? His grief reached its peak.

"I'm sorry, Omu..."

Dashan ran outside. Axi tried to grab him. "Dashan, come back!"

"Axi, don't mind him. Tell me what really happened. Did you eat something wrong?"

She recalled the messy foods that the clan members liked to eat; although she had said that one should not eat things indiscriminately, the clan still couldn't break the habit formed since childhood.

Nan Qinghuan asked Axi, and Axi thought for a moment, "I fell a few days ago and my stomach hurt a bit, I went to get Notoginseng and ate it, I didn't eat anything else."

"You fell? And you still ate Notoginseng?"

Nan Qinghuan felt her head about to explode, she was angry, "You, Axi, why didn't you tell me? Pregnant women must not eat Notoginseng; Notoginseng has a blood‑circulating, stasis‑removing effect, which will kill the baby."

Axi, hearing this, was even more distressed, face turned ashen, "Qinghuan, I didn't know, I…"

Axi never imagined that Notoginseng would become the prime culprit that kills the unborn child.

She cried even more sorrowfully.

Nan Qinghuan also knew there was nothing to do now, "Fine, let this be a bloody lesson; from now on don't take medicines indiscriminately, understand?"