Chapter 40 Bamboo Shoots and Glass Injured
"Come with me to pick bamboo shoots today," Gong Zhili asked. "Are you ready?"
The two little soldiers in front of him stood straight with their chubby legs together: "It's all done!"
Gong Zhili was satisfied: "Let's go!"
In October, winter bamboo shoots can be dug in the bamboo forest. Today, many villagers in the village went into the mountains fully armed, ready to dig some winter bamboo shoots for a change of taste. The village is surrounded by mountains, and everyone tacitly avoided the area of the Gong family. Gong Zhili thought this was a good opportunity to take the children into the mountains for experience. The twins also responded enthusiastically when they heard that they were going to the mountains.
They have wanted to go to the mountains to play for a long time!
Gong Zhili asked them to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, tuck their trouser legs into their shoes, put on windproof hats on their heads, cover their faces with breathable thin masks to prevent mosquitoes, and wear non-slip gloves on their hands. Except for their eyes, there was almost no skin exposed.
She wasn't sure how the creatures in the mountains would react to the twins. She had never been bitten before, but she couldn't let her children take that risk.
She has been training her child's physical strength recently, but she has forgotten about the "training" of being bitten by mosquitoes.
Although the winter bamboo shoots were hidden underground, they were no different from transparent ones in front of Gong Zhili. She was mainly here to teach the children how to identify paths in the mountains, find water sources, observe animal footprints, scratches on tree trunks, and the habits of insects. She talked about everything she saw. After half an hour in the mountains and still not reaching the target bamboo forest, she simply taught them how to choose a place to rest in the forest, sit down, and eat some fruits in the backpack to replenish their energy and water.
Nanako and Mimiko admired her immensely. Nanako asked, "Miya-sama, will we be as powerful as you when we grow up?"
Mimiko added: "We will try our best!"
Gong Zhili: "As amazing as me—if you have such determination, your wish will definitely come true."
She always believes in children's potential and knows how powerful dreams can be.
Before they take off with the wind, she can be the supporting wind. What you learn from her will never be in vain.
The two children happily followed her to the bamboo forest.
Winter bamboo shoots are hard to find, so Gong Zhili taught them how to identify their locations. The two children were strong and sturdy, so if they really dug, they could probably harvest one or two. Mimiko learned very quickly and immediately found a spot to dig.
Nanako, however, looked at Gong Zhili: "Master Gong, did we make the right choice?"
Gong Zhili smiled and said, "Let's dig it out first."
Nanako stopped hesitating and picked up her small shovel. She and Mimiko squatted at the selected place and started shoveling the soil.
The ground in the bamboo forest is not as soft as the fields at home. The roots and bamboo rhizomes under the bamboo are intertwined and difficult to dig out. The two children almost stick to the ground and have learned to use wooden sticks to dig out the soil between the roots. They are very patient.
Gong Zhili didn't have that much trouble. The hoe she used could easily break those difficult roots. The tip of the pickaxe scraped open the rotten leaves along the mud cracks, and the blade hooked the yellow-brown bamboo shoot tip and pried it up. A muffled sound of broken roots was heard, and the bamboo shoots that were almost completely hidden underground were completely peeled off with wet mud. Gong Zhili picked it up, shook it, scraped off the remaining soil on the fibrous roots, and a complete winter bamboo shoot lay in the backpack.
She dug five or six in a row, and the two children over there finally dug out the first winter bamboo shoot they had chosen.
It was a little small, but they dug it very carefully and dug out the whole thing.
Gong Zhili held up the bamboo shoots they had dug and said with a smile, "How about we eat this when we get home today?"
The two children cheered happily.
They had lunch in the mountains. Miya Chiri packed the food in a lunch box and miso soup in a thermos. The three of them finished the meal in a picnic atmosphere.
Everything was new and fresh, but the twins felt a little sleepy after eating. Usually they would have taken a nap by now.
Gong Zhili took them to the creek to play in the water.
At this time, the mountain stream was no longer suitable for wading in the water, but it was still good to just wash your face with the stream water to refresh yourself. After they woke up, Gong Zhili continued to dig bamboo shoots, no matter what they were doing nearby.
She was so focused on digging that she paid some attention to the children. After she filled her basket with bamboo shoots, the two children came over holding a garland.
"Is it for me?" Gong Zhili squatted down and let Mimiko put the wreath on her head, smiling, "It's really beautifully woven."
The wreath was made of twisted foxtail grass, with wild chrysanthemums and carefully selected red maple leaves inserted into it. Gong Zhili put it on, adjusted it, and fixed it in place, saying, "Let's go home."
--
After returning home, she took out the bamboo shoots dug by the children and prepared to make two dishes.
Gong Zhili peeled the freshly dug winter bamboo shoots and sliced them thinly. He sliced the bacon thinly, alternating between fat and lean. He added the bacon to the wok until smoke rose, sautéed it until the amber-colored fat released, and then removed it. He then slid the bamboo shoots into the hot oil and stir-fried them. When the edges curled slightly, he sprinkled in rice wine to enhance the aroma. He then returned the bacon to the wok and stir-fried it with the bamboo shoots. Finally, he drizzled soy sauce over it and served it on a porcelain plate, its color beautiful.
After blanching the smoked leg bones she'd bought at the market and knocking out the marrow, Gong Zhili placed two slices of old ginger in the bottom of a sand pot. She then cut the winter bamboo shoots into dice and simmered them with the smoked meat. Over a gentle simmer, the broth simmered until it reached a milky white. Finally, she skimmed off the foam and sprinkled green onions. The steam released a rich, sweet aroma, drawing the twins, who had just finished their shower, to the kitchen.
Because the children were covered in dead branches and leaves after coming down from the mountain, she asked them to take a bath first.
"Are these the bamboo shoots we dug?" Nanako said excitedly, "I didn't know we could make so many dishes out of them!"
Gong Zhili: "Yes, it tastes very good too." She scooped some soup into a small soup dish for them to taste. "Is it delicious?" Mimiko's eyes lit up: "It's really delicious!"
Nanako immediately climbed onto the small stool to get the rice. She was really hungry today!
Stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat and winter bamboo shoot soup are very popular. This late autumn mountain flavor has a soothing power to eat.
The salty and greasy taste of bacon, the crisp and sweet taste of winter bamboo shoots, the aroma of garlic sprouts, and the burnt aroma after frying are very delicious. After the meal, drink a bowl of winter bamboo shoot bone soup. The delicious taste of the winter bamboo shoots after absorbing the oil and the mellowness of the soup are most suitable for people who have been out all day.
The meal was very enjoyable, and the two children also regained their energy. They gathered in front of the sofa with their things and lay on the coffee table to do their own things. Gong Zhili took a shower, blew her hair, picked up her mobile phone and sat on the sofa.
Today was another day where I didn't check my phone at all. When I opened it, I saw five missed calls and some emails I received later.
"Hmm...hmm?" Gong Zhili was half lying down, but after seeing the content of the email, he sat up straight on the sofa with his legs crossed and frowned.
Gojo said in the email that they would be arriving at the village soon, and that Geto and Nozomi were injured and needed to recuperate with her?!
She remembered that Naoko had said her reversal technique could heal others, but it seemed she couldn't heal herself? The fact that Getsuko's injury hadn't been treated meant that Naoko's injury had affected her ability to use her cursed energy!
Gong Zhili's expression became serious. This email was sent an hour ago. She didn't know how they got there, but she had to make some preparations for Glass.
"Nanako, Mimiko, Gojo, Geto, and Nozomi will be here soon, so it might be a little noisy. You didn't have a nap today, so go to bed early." She closed her phone and said to the children calmly.
The two children said good night to her obediently and fell asleep quickly after returning to their room.
Gong Zhili changed out of her pajamas, put on comfortable clothes, found the medical kit at home, went to the kitchen to boil several large pots of hot water, thought for a while, and went to the lake to simply catch a few fish and quickly cook them. Just when she was stewing the fish soup and steaming the rice, she noticed the movement of the village barrier.
It was Getsu's Rainbow Dragon. It seemed that Getsu still had enough energy to control the cursed spirits after entering the village. His situation would not be too bad.
She came to the terrace on the second floor, and soon many curse jades appeared in her hands. They were all curse spirits released by Geto the moment he entered the barrier.
Is this number a bit exaggerated?
Before she had time to count them carefully, she could see Honglong and the three people on it with her naked eyes.
She stood on the lighted terrace and waved, indicating that they should land in this area.
The pergola on the terrace had now taken shape. Honglong landed directly on it. Gojo jumped down with Xiaozi in his arms. His expression wasn't heavy, but neither was he relaxed. Seeing Gong Zhili, he got straight to the point: "Those guys attacked Xiaozi during their counterattack. She was attacked by a curse master and fell into a coma. I'd like to ask for your help."
Gong Zhili frowned and said, "Put her in the room."
Gojo Satoru said "hmm" and carried Naoko inside. Miya Chiri turned around and looked at Geto Suguru, who was standing under the awning with half of his face completely submerged in shadow. "Geto Suguru, where are you hurt? Come in and I'll bandage you."
Geto Suguru didn't move.
Gong Zhili approached and asked, "Is the injury serious?"
Geto Xia Yu opened his mouth, his voice hoarse: "Glass...it's because of me that I got hurt."
Things have already happened, and he has no mood to sort out how many mistakes there were. An important companion was attacked because of his negligence, and he couldn't wake up Nozko even if he fed all the curse masters with curse spirits.
None of his own physical injuries mattered.
Gong Zhili's expression remained unchanged. She raised her hands, rubbed her arms, and said, "It's a bit cold outside. Let's go inside. I've boiled some hot water and I need your help to bring it up from downstairs."
As an injured person, he needs treatment, but now it is obvious that his mental problems are more serious.
Let him get busy first.
As expected, Geto Suguru didn't care about his injuries. He put away Rainbow Dragon and went downstairs immediately.
When Miya Chiri entered the room, she saw Naoko lying on the bed with her eyes closed. There was no pain on her face, as if she was just sleeping.
Gong Zhili didn't ask her how she became like this. Gojo sat by the bed, looked at Glass and said, "We tried many methods... but even if the curser died and the curse spirit was subdued by Jie, she still didn't wake up."
When he brought Glass here, he hoped that he would be able to see her wake up after passing through this barrier, but now this confidence is only half gone.
He considered whether this was another conspiracy of Nozomi, and whether the curse left on Naoko and the curse on Miki Fushiguro in her previous life were both his work, but - there was no mark on Naoko's head.
He continued, "Can you... help check other parts of her body? I suspect she might have marks from the curse."
Gong Zhili was stunned: "So there will be a mark - OK, I understand. Take this medical kit to the first floor and bandage Xia Yu."
Gojo stood up and said, "Please."
Gong Zhili watched him walk to the door. His tall figure revealed a hint of fatigue. She thought for a moment and said, "There's fish soup downstairs. Help yourself."
"Yeah." Gojo Satoru turned around and saw Miya Chiri sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching out and holding Nozomi's wrist.
The empty space in his heart was gradually filled with another emotion.
He was surprised at how quickly he placed his trust in Gong Zhili, and a certain intuition told him that this trust would not be betrayed.
He went downstairs and found Jay in the kitchen leaning against the wall, staring at the kettle.
"Would you like to eat?" Gojo Satoru lifted the lid of the soup pot, "Then go and take care of your wound."
--
Gong Zhili carefully looked at the skin of Ningzi and found a mark on her heart.
Although she didn't know what kind of curse mark this was, she could feel a strange feeling emanating from that place.
She blinked, and all the power flowing in the room was revealed before her.
"This evil black energy is just short of having 'I have a problem' written all over their faces," Gong Zhili sighed, "Your school is really—" Is there really no one doing anything about letting underage children suffer so much?
She stretched out her hand, covered the mark, and followed the mark deep into all the meridians in Glass's body, drawing out all the magic power and curse power in her body in one breath. The black energy was immediately torn apart and swallowed by the blue halo in the room, and turned into a force that fed back into Gong Zhili's body.
Lying on the bed, Nozomi's face suddenly turned pale. Miya Chiri knew that this was because the cursed energy in her body had been drained away until there was not a trace left - in order to avoid any hidden dangers, she really didn't leave any for her.
Glass groaned in a coma, but did not wake up. Gong Zhili checked again and confirmed that any ominous aura was gone before he let out a breath.
She didn't know how to cure the disease, but her idea of "giving it a try anyway" worked.
She blinked, and the colorful scenery in her sight gradually returned to normal.
Beads of sweat oozed from Naoko's forehead, and her brows were furrowed. Gong Zhili wiped the sweat off her face with his hands, straightened her clothes, and went out to the edge of the terrace, shouting down, "Bring up some water, and bring up the towel I prepared as well."
The kitchen was below the terrace, so Gojo and Geto naturally heard her voice. They looked at each other, quickly put down the bowls in their hands, and went upstairs with the things that Miya Chiri had prepared long ago.
Xia Yujie first looked at Naoko's face and immediately noticed that something was wrong with her. His voice became even deeper: "Noko, she..."
Gong Zhili scalded a towel with hot water, wrung it out, and wiped Xiaozi's sweat. She said, "I have drained all the curses and magical energy from her body. She must be feeling very uncomfortable right now."
Geto Xia Yu was stunned and didn't react for a moment.
Gojo Satoru took a big step forward, observed for a moment, turned around and said excitedly: "I knew you would find a way!"
Xia Yujie raised his hand: "Does this mean that Nazo is okay?"
Gong Zhili nodded: "But she doesn't have any curse power in her body right now. Her body is in an extremely weak state. She needs to rest. It's best for her to stay in the village and not go out."
Geto Suguru's hand fell on Miya Chiri's shoulder. He had many questions to ask, but in the end he just said, "...Thank you, Chiri."
Gong Zhili smiled and spread her hands: "There is still a lot of money in the card you gave me last time. Remember to continue to 'recharge' it in the future." As she said that, she took out the curse jades and handed them to him.
Xia Yujie was stunned for a moment, then looked down at the wound on his waist and abdomen and said, "Wu, come and help me bandage it."
He took the Curse Spirit Jade from Gong Zhili and whispered, "I will work hard."
Miyaji tilted her head in confusion, not knowing what he meant by that, but she knew she should urge him to treat her, so she looked at Gojo Satoru and said, "You two go down, I'll take care of Naoko."
Gojo Satoru smiled and happily went downstairs with his best friend.
Miya Chiri wiped all over Naoko's body, except for her private parts. She had wiped every part of her body when she was taking care of patients before, but Naoko might mind, so she avoided it.
As the night deepened, Gong Zhili saw that Gaozi's condition had stabilized, so he went downstairs to find the high school boys.
They didn't turn on the lights, and the moonlight poured into the living room and fell on the sofa.
Geto Suguru knelt against the wall, his bandages neatly tied around his waist, highlighting the hollows of his lean midsection. His chest muscles rose and fell with his breathing, pulling at the bruises beneath the gauze. The outline of his abdominal muscles was faintly visible at the edge of the bandages. A dark red abrasion still lingered beneath his unbandaged left rib. His usually tied-up black hair fell loose, and his long eyelashes covered his half-closed eyes, as if he were resting. Gojo Satoru leaned back on the sofa, his sunglasses long gone. His pale blue eyes were half-lidded, his white hair swept messily across his brow, his Adam's apple rose and fell with his breathing. Under his open coat was a wrinkled white shirt. He was casually positioned, his long legs slung across the armrest of the sofa, his left knee slightly bent, his right leg straight. The stretched line of his legs made the sofa seem particularly narrow.
Gong Zhili: "...Gojo, the injured person needs to lie on the sofa more."
Geto was also very puzzled. The sofa was occupied, but he didn't sit on the chair but leaned against the wall to rest. Did he have any awareness of the injury?
Gojo Satoru yawned and said, "We're about to leave the village, so let me rest for a while."
Gong Zhili raised an eyebrow: "What big things are you doing recently?"
Gojo Satoru said vaguely: "It's done, just a few finishing touches left."
If the reform is not thorough, it will be a failure.
He abandoned the old order and wanted to lead the world of magic into a new life.
Gong Zhili went to the kitchen and looked, "Haven't you had the fish soup yet?"
When I went to the living room again, I found that they were both asleep.
Gong Zhili simply carried her quilt upstairs and slept with Gaozi. As for Gojo who said he had to hurry on his way downstairs, she believed he would wake himself up.
As for Geto, it seems that he values the healing of his soul more than his body. He is young and can withstand it, so there is no need to worry.
She quickly fell into a deep sleep, and Glass slept soundly throughout the night, repairing herself in her sleep.
The next day, Miya Chiri woke up very early as usual. Naoko was still sleeping, her face much rosier than last night. She went downstairs to wash up, let out the chickens and ducks, and went to see the twins, but found that one person was missing from the room.
Wait, Geto also went out with Gojo? He was injured and still wanted to go out to work?
Well, maybe it's an advantage that sorcerers are always strong.
During lunch, Glass finally woke up.
Gong Zhili noticed that she had woken up and went upstairs to check.
Ieiri Naoko was originally sitting on the bed in a daze. When she saw her coming, a faint smile appeared on her face: "This place has changed so much, I can't recognize it."
Gong Zhili smiled and said, "Wait until you feel better and come out and we'll see."
Glass said: "What happened to me? I was targeted by the curse master before-"
Gong Zhili shook his head. "I don't know the details. They brought you here last night and left. You have no strength now because I drained all your magical power and the curse from your body. You need to recover slowly."
She asked, "Are you hungry?"
Glass: "Thank you, Chiri."
If this was a curse that even Gojo couldn't break, she could imagine that they had probably tried many methods and finally had to turn to Zhili, who was shrouded in mystery.
In fact, according to Glass's own thoughts, if she could participate in the discussion, she would choose to come to the village as soon as possible.
"A lot has happened in these twenty days," Glass said softly, "but fortunately, this world has not let us high school students down. We can be said to be on the road to saving the world, right?"
Gong Zhili raised the corner of his mouth: "What's wrong with high school students? High school students are the most powerful."
So she liked children's dreams the most. She really knew how much power was contained in them. She had relied on the same power to leave the base.
Gong Zhili brought lunch over. After eating, Xiaozi felt strong enough to wash up, so Gong Zhili waited outside the bathroom on the second floor until she finished.
Glass changed into Gong Zhili's clothes and came out, asking, "Did you help me wipe my body?"
Gong Zhili nodded calmly: "You sweated yesterday, I think it would be uncomfortable."
Glass smiled and said, "Well, thank you."
Gong Zhili asked: "Would you mind telling me what you did?"
Glass leaned back on the bed again and said, "Where should I even begin... There's so much going on, so many things are intertwined. If I really had to start, I'd probably have to start with the former Director of Curse, the three great families of the Curse World, the millennia-long conspiracy, the Curse King, and the barrier that bound the entire country."
She finished speaking in one breath, then thought for a moment before adding, "There's also the likes of Heaven and Curse Binding... The curse world isn't big, but there's a lot of messed up stuff going on."
Gong Zhili stopped her decisively after hearing this: "Let's talk about it later. You need to rest well now."
Glass smiled: "Anyway, if Nanako and Mimiko go to technical high school in the future, they will definitely not be like us."
Gong Zhili laughed: "I haven't decided to send them to technical college yet."
After sitting for a while, Glass felt tired and before lying down, she emphasized, "The technical college will be different."
Gong Zhili: "Yeah, okay. It's still a few years until they go to high school. It will definitely be different. You should get some sleep first."
When she went downstairs, Nanako and Mimiko came over and asked, "Is Sister Nitro sick?"
Gong Zhili nodded: "Yes, she needs to stay at home to recuperate, so I have a few tasks for you."
Nanako quickly answered: "I can bring food to Sister Nitro!"
Mimiko also thought: "I can tell stories to Sister Glass."
Gong Zhili patted their heads and said, "That's probably it. Sister Gaozi is recovering from her illness and can't go out. She might feel bored. You should spend more time with her."
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The author has something to say: I was stuck yesterday, so I'm catching up on two days of writing today. The plot will be as ups and downs as a roller coaster. Please eat!
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