Chapter 44: Misfortune Especially Seeks the Unfortunate

Hu Xiaocao nervously looked at the woman, her expression somewhat dejected, she whispered with her lips, "Mom, I couldn't find the medicinal herb that Old Man Wu mentioned, I can't completely cure your illness, am I useless?"

The adults present, upon hearing this, all felt a sour ache in their hearts; even several grown men couldn't help but redden their eyes.

Xiaocao, this girl, is really too sensible.

At an age when children should be innocent and tender, she prematurely bore life's burdens, weighing on her frail shoulders.

While other children were playing all over the hills, Hu Xiaocao had already moved a stool, stood on tiptoe, and was cooking over a fire on a stove taller than her.

The woman could no longer bear it; her earlier sobbing turned into soft whimpering, and bean-sized tears fell onto Hu Xiaocao's body.

Hu Xiaocao felt warmth on her shoulder, then realized the woman was crying, and she hurriedly tried to comfort her:

"Mom, don't cry, Old Man Wu's medical skills are so good; he will surely think of another way to cure you."

Hu Xiaocao felt someone pat her shoulder, turned her head, and saw it was Wu Yuan.

"Xiaocao, look, what is this?"

He shook the plant in his hand; its white petals were like stars, the leaves slightly serrated, exactly matching the drawing she had previously made on her hand.

Hu Xiaocao widened her eyes, as if she had seen something extraordinary.

"This, this is evening primrose! Old Man Wu, where did you find it? Earlier I searched the mountain for a long time and didn't see it."

Wu Yuan rubbed her head, "Silly girl, I found it in your hand."

Hu Xiaocao's eyes were round and shiny like black grapes hanging from a tree, her small fleshless face actually looked somewhat cute now.

She pointed at herself, incredulous: "Found on me? Old Man Wu, I didn't pick any evening primrose."

"That's right; when you were unconscious, you were clutching this plant in your hand."

After wearing out iron shoes searching in vain, it comes easily without effort.

Hearing Wu Yuan's description, Hu Xiaocao froze on the spot, recalling how, just before she would have fallen, she kept waving her hands, as if she had grabbed onto something.

Could it be that the plant she grabbed at that time was evening primrose!

At that time, the Mountain God she saw was not far away; she also kowtowed and made offerings of the wild fruit she had picked.

Could it be that, seeing her sincerity, the Mountain God manifested its power and guided her to find evening primrose!

Actually, all of this was just an accident, but Hu Xiaocao couldn't help but imagine things.

Moreover, what a coincidence: the evening primrose grows not far from where Ye Qin cultivates; Hu Xiaocao also found this place and saw Ye Qin's divine ability manifest.

It seemed as if fate had long been decreed.

Hu Xiaocao jumped up excitedly from the bed, palms together, "Great! The Mountain God Grandfather truly manifested its power, blessing me to find evening primrose!"

She jumped about excitedly.

The woman worried a little, "You child, what nonsense are you spouting? You still have injuries, be careful."

Wu Yuan also felt puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Xiaocao, this evening primrose is clearly something you picked; why do you say it's from the Mountain God?"

Hu Xiaocao said solemnly, "Because I saw the Mountain God Grandfather cultivating, then I made a wish, and then I found it."

Everyone exchanged glances, taking it as just childish babble.

Hearing this, the woman also broke into a smile, "It's not early; today we'll first thank everyone here."

Wu Yuan and the others said their goodbyes and left.

After Hu Xiaocao and her mother simply washed up, they also lay down on the bed to rest.

Because she was too excited, Hu Xiaocao tossed and turned, unable to sleep; whenever she thought of having seen the Mountain God today, she felt extremely excited.

The woman also wondered, Hu Xiaocao had been tired from a day's work outside and was injured; logically she should have fallen into a deep sleep by now.

After who knows how long, Hu Xiaocao finally fell into a deep sleep, still murmuring unintelligibly; faintly one could hear the words 'Mountain God', 'snake', 'moon'.

The woman carefully tucked the blanket corner for Hu Xiaocao, "This silly child, where in the world is there any Mountain God?"

The next morning, accompanied by the rooster's loud crow, Hu Xiaocao also opened her eyes, got up neatly dressed.

At this time the sky was still not bright, the lingering night had not yet faded; a dark curtain shrouded the village, faintly visible cooking smoke curling.

For the city, most people are still asleep, but in the countryside people have always risen early, and the day's labor begins thus.

The woman struggled to get up from the bed, not knowing if it was due to being frightened by the heavens, her complexion looked even worse.

"Cough cough, Xiaocao, why don't you sleep a bit more?"

Yesterday Hu Xiaocao came back late, and now she's just getting up; she's only slept a few hours altogether.

At this time Hu Xiaocao, while adding firewood to the stove and simmering the clay pot, shook her head and said, "No, if I get up late, there will be even more things I won't finish."

Hu Xiaocao's movements were practiced; obviously she had done this many times before.

Since her mother fell ill, most of the household chores have fallen on her; although Hu Xiaocao is capable, there are still some things she cannot do.

The mother and daughter lack labor capacity, but fortunately the kind-hearted neighbors often send over some things.

Moreover, Xiaocao also helps others by cutting pigweed, picking firewood, collecting cicada shells and other manageable tasks to supplement the household income.

Although the mother and daughter's days are tight, they are not to the point of starving to death.

The woman felt somewhat guilty and self-reproachful, "Xiaocao, it's all my fault for not being there for you; if my body were a bit better, you wouldn't have to suffer so much, and all the household chores wouldn't fall on you."

Compared to peers her age, Hu Xiaocao is much shorter and looks unhealthy; at a glance she appears malnourished, skin and bones.

With insufficient nutrition and having to do so much, she looks like a five- or six-year-old.

Hu Xiaocao shook her head, raised her head, and said, "Mom, I don't feel bitter at all; as long as your body recovers quickly, I'm willing to do anything."

Tears glistened in the woman's eyes, "Good child."

Soon the room filled again with an indescribable medicinal aroma; Hu Xiaocao handed over the medicine, "Mom, drink it quickly; your body will be better right away."

Soon the rice in the stove was also cooked; Hu Xiaocao put some in an enamel cup, added water to the rest, placed it in the pot and stirred, thus making congee.

The woman recently has a poor appetite and can only eat this kind of liquid food.

Hu Xiaocao also took a chopstickful of pickled vegetables from the corner of the cracked soy jar; seeing the jar almost empty, she felt she had taken a bit too much.

Her hand kept shaking; finally only a few strands remained on the chopsticks, then she felt it was about right, placed it in the enamel cup—this counted as her day's meal.

This is also why Hu Xiaocao is malnourished; after all, what he eats every day is just these things.

(End of chapter)