Lin Anniang led Meng Xuan and her son through the noisy crowd to a relatively quiet corner beside the official road.
There, several makeshift medical tents were set up, with white curtains fluttering gently in the breeze.
A faint scent of herbs could still be smelled in the air, a stark contrast to the previous atmosphere of bloodshed and despair.
"This is it."
Lin Anniang pointed to one of the medical tents.
At the entrance of the stall, a girl of about thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a simple blue cloth shirt, with her hair neatly combed, was intently grinding medicinal herbs.
Her features were delicate and her expression focused, standing out starkly from the chaos around her.
"Xiaoyu, come and see this child," Lin Anniang called out.
The little girl looked up at the sound and saw it was Zhang Yu from Zhangjia Village.
After arriving in the desolate mountains, she followed Tong Yiwen to learn. Although her medical skills were still immature, they were quite systematic.
She put down the medicine grinder in her hand and walked over quickly, her gaze falling on Meng An's pale face.
“Let him sit down,” she said in a clear, crisp voice.
Meng Xuan quickly helped her son sit down on a low stool.
Zhang Yu stretched out her small hand and gently placed it on Meng An's wrist, closing her eyes and concentrating for a moment.
Then, she took out a snow-white pill the size of a soybean from a small cloth bag at her waist.
"Open your mouth."
Meng An obediently opened his mouth, and Zhang Yu put the pill into his mouth.
"Swallow it and don't overthink it."
Meng An swallowed as instructed.
Before long, his originally sallow and lifeless face gradually regained a rosy hue.
The violent cough gradually subsided.
He even felt that the suffocating pain in his chest had lessened considerably.
"Mother, I, I feel much better..." Meng An looked at her hands with surprise, her voice still hoarse but full of energy.
Meng Xuan could hardly believe her eyes!
She reached out with trembling hands and gently stroked her son's forehead and then his cheek.
Warm and bloody!
Meng Xuan knelt down with a thud and kowtowed several times, facing both the medical tent and the desolate mountain.
"Mountain Goddess, you are so merciful! Thank you for your help!"
Tears streamed down her face, her voice choked with sobs: "This humble woman has no way to repay you, but I am willing to serve the Mountain Goddess as her ox or horse for all eternity to repay this life-saving grace!"
Lin Anniang stepped forward to help her up, her tone remaining calm.
"The Mountain Goddess is merciful. Helping people is her own wish, so she doesn't need you to be her slave."
She paused, then changed the subject.
"However, our soon-to-be-established factory is lacking quite a few inspectors."
"Inspector?" Meng Xuan was somewhat bewildered.
“Exactly,” Lin Anniang explained. “Everything produced in our barren mountains, whether it’s clothing, tools or anything else, must be of the highest quality.”
"The inspector's duty is to carefully inspect every process and every finished product, and never let any defective product slip by."
"This job has extremely high requirements; one must be meticulous, have keen eyesight, and be incorruptible."
Lin Anniang looked at Meng Xuan: "Are you willing?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Xuan's heart tightened.
She was just an ordinary peasant woman; what did she know about supervision?
"I... I'm afraid I won't do a good job..." She lacked confidence, afraid of letting down this trust.
Meng An, who was beside her, tugged at her sleeve and looked at her with a determined gaze.
"Mother, you can do it!"
The boy's voice carried an innate trust.
"When you do things at home, aren't you meticulous and clean in every single thing? The soles of the shoes you sew and the clothes you sew are even better than those in the shops!"
"Besides, when anyone has any delicate chores, don't they all come to you for help, Mother?"
"You manage everything very well and have an excellent memory. You're sure to be able to handle this job!"
Her son's encouragement was like a warm current flowing into Meng Xuan's heart.
Yes, although I don't know many characters, when it comes to being meticulous and patient, I'm no less than anyone else.
She took a deep breath, her eyes gradually hardening.
"Sir, I am willing! I will do my best and never fail to live up to the grace of the Mountain Goddess!"
Lin Anniang nodded in satisfaction.
"very good."
She added, "Children from families working in factories in the wilderness can attend the wilderness school for free to learn to read, write, and acquire skills."
"What?" Meng Xuan's eyes widened instantly, and her breathing became rapid.
Read and learn to read!
This was something she never even dared to dream of!
If An'er could study, she wouldn't have to live like them, toiling in the fields and being bullied by others!
"Thank you, Steward! Thank you, Mountain Goddess!"
Meng Xuan knelt down again, but this time Lin Anniang pulled her back.
"Doing good deeds is the best way to repay the Mountain Goddess."
Meng Xuan nodded vigorously, her heart filled with unprecedented enthusiasm.
No matter what, she has to do her best to make this job the best it can be!
Soon, the manager of the barren mountain came over, ready to take Meng Xuan and Meng An, who had recovered considerably, to the training point in the barren county.
He was followed by a number of people, all of whom were selected apprentices.
Just as the mother and son were filled with hope for the future and preparing to leave this place of trouble.
Suddenly, a woman squeezed out from the crowd.
It was the woman Zhou Wencai had brought over yesterday.
She witnessed Zhou Wencai's tragic death yesterday and was too frightened to utter a sound, but for some reason, she has mustered up her courage today.
"Why should I!"
She screamed, pointing at Meng Xuan and her son, her face full of resentment.
"Why can they get treatment without waiting in line? Why can they leave Yunzhou and go to some nice place?"
"We're all stuck here waiting, isn't our life just another life?"
Her shout immediately sparked a flurry of discussion among some of the disaster victims who were unaware of the facts or harbored resentment.
"Yeah, that's not fair, is it?"
"Could they be relatives of the person in charge?"
The whispers were tinged with doubt and discontent.
Upon hearing the sound, Lin Anniang slowly turned around.
She looked at the woman, a half-smile playing on her lips, but her eyes were icy cold.
"I had completely forgotten about you."
Her voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, instantly silencing all the discussions.
"When that person was distorting the truth and slandering the innocent yesterday, why didn't you come out and say a word of justice?"
"Now you're jumping out to complain about your own situation?"
Lin Anniang walked step by step toward the woman, and the invisible pressure made the woman involuntarily retreat.
"You ask why they, mother and child, didn't have to wait in line and received preferential treatment from the Mountain Goddess?"
Lin Anniang paused, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding disaster victims, and her voice suddenly rose.
"Then I'll tell you why now!"
She turned to Meng Xuan, her tone softening slightly.
"Madam Meng, please tell me what you learned in the literacy class in the wilderness yesterday."
"Let everyone hear how the person I, the one chosen from the desolate mountain, is different from others!"
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