He Yuhan and the other women stood up before she could see what the woman looked like.
This woman looked to be in her fifties, about 1.6 meters tall, with a well-proportioned figure and beautiful face; it was clear she must have been a great beauty in her youth. Even now, she still has a certain charm, but her clothing and her gaunt, emaciated appearance have detracted from her overall attractiveness.
Moreover, this woman's demeanor was unlike that of typical rural women. Even though her clothing was typical of rural life, He Yuhan felt that she possessed an innate elegance. She was certain that this elegant woman was no ordinary rural woman.
He Yuhan looked at the herbs in the willow basket on the ground and said, "Auntie, did you also come into the mountains to collect herbs?"
The woman replied, "Yes, someone in my family is sick and needs medicine. I'm gathering some herbs to treat her, and also hoping to exchange them at the purchasing station for some money to buy food. We're really starving, and now there's a sick person in the family. I wouldn't have risked coming into these deep mountains if I hadn't had no other choice."
"Little girl, you're really brave! Did your parents know you went into these deep mountains by yourself? It's so dangerous! You can't come here alone like that again. Look at this auntie, she almost lost her life here."
He Yuhan said, "I'm skilled in martial arts, can shoot arrows, and can climb trees. Ordinary wild animals can't do anything to me. Auntie, let's hurry up and leave. It's not safe here."
The woman patted the dirt off her clothes and said, "Little girl, my surname is Liu, my name is Liu Jin, and I'm from Liujiatun. What's your name, and which village are you from?"
He Yuhan knew Liujiatun, which was not far from Laohewan Village.
He Yuhan said, "My name is He Yuhan, and I'm from Laohewan Village."
Upon hearing this, Liu Jin asked in surprise, "Are you the doctor Xiao He from Laohewan Village who everyone is talking about, the one with excellent medical skills?"
He Yuhan was surprised that this aunt knew her and smiled, "I wouldn't say I have good medical skills, it's all thanks to everyone's kindness. Aunt Liu, I see that the herbs you collect are very good. You also know medicine and recognize herbs?"
Liu Jin said, "I only know a little bit about this, and I only recognize some herbs. Miss He, this wild boar isn't very big, could we take it back?"
You know everyone's struggling to get enough to eat these days. I have a sick person in my family, so even a bowl of meat soup would be nice. Don't worry, you killed the wild boar, so you can do whatever you want with it. Just give me a small piece of meat.”
Looking at the elegant Aunt Liu in front of her, He Yuhan knew that she was also someone tormented by hunger. Even so, this aunt was still very rational and did not think of taking the good things for herself, which showed that this aunt was very well-mannered.
He Yuhan said, "Aunt Liu, since we're going to work together to get the wild boar back, we should each have half. I can't keep it all to myself."
Without further hesitation, He Yuhan found a thick wooden stick, repaired it with a dagger, then took out a rope, tied the wild boar's limbs together, threaded the stick through it, and the two of them carried the wild boar down the mountain, swaying slightly.
Fortunately, the wild boar wasn't very big, and two people could lift it.
Despite their exhaustion, the two carried the wild boar all the way out of the deep mountains until they reached the edge of the mountain, where they finally collapsed to the ground to rest.
He Yuhan, panting heavily, said, "Aunt Liu, you must be exhausted. We're already on the outskirts of the mountain, we can rest now. I don't know how to butcher a pig, does anyone in your family know how?"
Liu Jin said, "My eldest brother does know how to slaughter pigs."
He Yuhan said, "Then I think we should just bring this wild boar to your house. After you kill it, just give me a small portion of the meat. I don't need much. There aren't many people in my family, and we can't finish all the meat."
He Yuhan had plenty of wild game in her spatial storage, so she didn't need any more. She wanted to save some for Aunt Liu. But it wouldn't be right for her to refuse any of it, and Aunt Liu certainly wouldn't agree.
Upon hearing He Yuhan's words, Liu Jin said, "It's fine to bring the pig to my house for slaughter, but you must take your share. I've already taken advantage of you, how can I possibly get more than half of the pork? Just leave me a piece of meat, or even just the bones and offal."
I have a child at home who is really too thin and weak, and I'm thinking of giving her some extra nutrition.
Liu Jin was truly at her wit's end. It didn't matter if the adults went hungry, but the child in the family needed extra nutrition, otherwise he would surely die.
Although the child is too young to eat meat, he/she can drink some light meat broth, which might help.
In order to save the child's life, she had no choice but to swallow her pride and beg the young girl for wild boar meat. If the girl refused, she couldn't say anything, after all, the girl had killed the wild boar and saved her life.
He Yuhan knew this wasn't the time to argue, so she changed the subject, saying, "Won't we be discovered if we carry the wild boar to your house now? After all, there's a famine going on right now, and there are starving people everywhere. I'm afraid it will cause trouble for your family if we're discovered."
Liu Jin said, "Dr. He, you've thought of everything. But don't worry, my home is not far from the mountain. It's a rather remote place, and few people go there. If we're careful, no one will find us."
He Yuhan nodded and said, "Then let's hurry to your house. I need to get home before dark, otherwise my family will worry."
The two carefully observed the wild boar as they carried it quickly home.
He Yuhan was in a better position, being young and well-fed, so she still had some strength. However, Liu Jin was already weak from lack of food, and the journey into the mountains had exhausted her.
He Yuhan tried her best to move the wild boar towards herself, to bear more of its weight and make it easier for it.
Liu Jin also noticed He Yuhan's little gesture and was quite touched. She thought to herself that this young doctor He was truly kind, quietly thinking of others.
Through this incident, she felt that Dr. He truly deserved his reputation as a kind and skilled village doctor, praised by many in the surrounding area. His kindness alone was truly rare.
The two finally stumbled their way to the Liu family's house. As soon as they entered the courtyard, He Yuhan heard a child crying inside. The child's cries were weak and feeble.
He Yuhan heard from Aunt Liu that the child in the family was sick, and it seemed that this was the child.
The two men released the wild boar into the woodshed in the front yard, and Liu Jin, despite his exhaustion, ran into the house.
He Yuhan noticed that the family's yard was very clean. Besides the three square rooms in the yard, there was a larger woodshed, and there was a backyard.
He Yuhan glanced around the yard and then followed them into the house.
Upon entering the house, He Yuhan saw Aunt Liu holding and comforting a baby. The child was clearly a newborn; judging from the tiny face peeking out of the swaddling clothes, it must be very thin and small. The baby's cries were barely loud, like a kitten's meow.
Looking at her child's flushed face, He Yuhan knew that the child must have a fever.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
