Shen Nian'an opened her eyes groggily, saw Lin Wanqiu, weakly tugged at the corners of her mouth, and whispered, "Mother... I'm not... not in pain..." Before she could finish speaking, she started coughing again, curling her body into a ball, which made Lin Wanqiu's nose tingle. This child had suffered in the Shen family since she was a child, and she didn't even dare to say that she was in pain when she was sick, for fear of offending people.

"Silly child, just say it if you're feeling unwell, Mother's here." Lin Wanqiu gently picked up Shen Nian'an and let him lean against her chest, her other hand secretly reaching for the jade pendant around her neck—the key to activating the space. With a thought, her consciousness instantly entered the space warehouse filled with modern supplies, her eyes quickly scanning the shelves: fever reducers, anti-inflammatory drugs, thermometers, saline solution... She had previously stockpiled a lot of children's medicine from the space's medical area just in case, and now it came in handy.

But then she thought again and was in trouble. Even aspirin was a rare commodity in this era. If she directly took out a well-packaged modern medicine and someone saw it and questioned her, she would have no way to explain it. Lin Wanqiu bit her lip, her gaze falling on the Chinese medicine shelf in the corner of the space—she had an idea! She would use the Chinese medicinal herbs in the space to brew medicine! This would both conform to the understanding of this era and avoid the risk of exposing the space.

Holding Chen Nian'an in her arms, she quickly scanned the space around her: the child had a persistent high fever and a cough, requiring a formula to clear heat, relieve exterior symptoms, moisten the lungs, and stop the cough. Soon, she identified several herbs: mint, honeysuckle, loquat leaves, and licorice root—all mild and non-irritating, suitable for children. She reached down and grabbed several fresh herbs from the shelf, their leaves vibrant green and their aroma rich—far superior to the dried-out, stale herbs found in pharmacies.

"An'an, be good. Mom will boil some water for you to drink. You won't feel so bad after you drink it." Lin Wanqiu put Chen Nian back on the bed, wrapped him tightly in her tattered cotton-padded coat, and took out a piece of rock candy from her spatial storage. This was a rare item in the 1960s, and it could enhance the taste of bitter medicine, making it easier for children to accept.

Just as she reached the kitchen, she heard hurried footsteps outside the gate, followed by Aunt Li's loud voice: "Wanqiu! Is Wanqiu home? I heard that An'an is sick, so I specially cooked some rice porridge for her!" Lin Wanqiu felt a warmth in her heart. Aunt Li was her next-door neighbor, a kind-hearted person who had spoken up for her when Zhang Lan caused trouble before. She was a rare source of warmth in this cold and indifferent Shen family compound.

She quickly opened the door and saw Aunt Li carrying a chipped, rough porcelain bowl filled with a rice-water-like porridge, still steaming. "Aunt Li, please come in quickly, thank you for your trouble." Lin Wanqiu took the bowl, her eyes welling up with tears. In those days of scarcity, a bowl of rice porridge was a delicacy; Aunt Li's willingness to share showed how much she truly cared for the children.

Aunt Li walked into the room and immediately saw Shen Nian'an lying on the bed, delirious with fever. She couldn't help but sigh, "This child, how come she has such a high fever? Those heartless Shen family members, didn't a single one of them come to check on her?" As she spoke, she took out a small paper packet wrapped in a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to Lin Wanqiu, "This is some fever reducer that my husband got from the commune clinic. There's only half a tablet left. You can try giving it to An'an first, it might bring down her temperature a little."

Lin Wanqiu took the paper package. Inside was indeed half a yellowed pill, its edges somewhat worn. She knew that this half-pill had probably been hidden away at Aunt Li's house for a long time, meant for emergency use. "Aunt Li, this is too precious. Please keep it. I have a way to help you." She didn't want to disappoint Aunt Li, but the medicinal herbs in her spatial storage were more effective and safer; there was no need to waste this precious pill.

Aunt Li wouldn't have it, and shoved the paper package into her hand: "Don't be so polite! The child's illness can't be delayed! If you think it's not enough, I'll go ask other families if they have any extra medicine." Lin Wanqiu couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she had no choice but to accept it for now, secretly remembering this kindness in her heart—she would definitely repay Aunt Li properly when she had the chance in the future.

After seeing Aunt Li off, Lin Wanqiu immediately got to work. She first took out a thermometer from her spatial storage and took Shen Nian'an's temperature—39.5 degrees Celsius, a little higher than before. Not daring to delay, she quickly washed the mint and honeysuckle from her storage space, brushed off the fuzz from the back of the loquat leaves, and put them into a ceramic jar along with the licorice root. She then fetched some purified water from her space—this water was clean and sterile, much safer than the village's well water.

The earthenware pot sat on the stove, the firewood crackling and the aroma of herbs quickly filling the air. Lin Wanqiu stood guard by the stove, occasionally lifting the lid to stir it, her eyes constantly fixed on Shen Nian'an in the inner room, fearing something might happen to the child. Just then, Shen Nian'an coughed again, his voice heavier than before, and he was wheezing. Lin Wanqiu's heart sank; she realized the child might have more than just a common cold, perhaps developing bronchitis, and she needed to quickly add more herbs.

She entered the space again and rummaged through the Chinese medicine shelf, finally finding a suitable fritillaria cirrhosa. This fritillaria cirrhosa was cultivated in the space; the grains were plump and the medicinal effects were potent, far superior to those sold in pharmacies. She took a small pinch, ground it into powder, and sprinkled it in when the decoction was almost ready. She also added a small piece of rock sugar and stirred well.

After the medicine was brewed, Lin Wanqiu scooped out a spoonful, blew on it to cool it, and tasted it—it had a slightly sweet taste amidst the bitterness, which should be acceptable to Shen Nian'an. She carried the bowl of medicine into the inner room, gently picked up Shen Nian'an, let him lean against her chest, and fed him the medicine little by little with a small spoon.

Although Shen Nian'an was delirious with fever, she was still very obedient. She obediently opened her mouth, frowned when she tasted the bitterness, but did not spit it out. She just asked softly, "Mom, will I feel better after drinking the medicine?"

"Yes!" Lin Wanqiu said confidently. "After An'an takes his medicine and takes a nap, he'll be back to being a little man who can dig for wild vegetables with his mother." Upon hearing this, Shen Nian'an's eyes brightened. He drank two more spoonfuls of medicine and soon became so sleepy that he couldn't keep his eyes open. He leaned against Lin Wanqiu's chest and fell asleep.

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