Chapter 19: Suspicion

Sevenxiu would never be willing to let Yinyin be taken care of by Yang Xiuzhen—this was something Wang Guifang chose not to mention. After all, they were mother and daughter by blood; even if she was right, hearing such words would surely make them uncomfortable.

Sanxiu and Wuxiu exchanged a glance, confirming they shared the same thought. There was no real benefit for their aunt in this matter; she was simply being kind. The reason she spoke to them was probably out of concern that their mother might have opinions, and she hoped they could persuade her.

“In the end, it’s up to Sevenxiu to agree. But as for my mom, Aunt, you needn’t worry—she certainly won’t object,” Gu Sanxiu spoke up.

Wang Guifang immediately smiled; this was exactly her aim.

On the way back to her mother’s house, Sanxiu couldn’t help but sigh to Wuxiu, “Aunt really treats Sevenxiu well. Even back then, Sevenxiu was the only one to master her tailoring skills.”

“That’s not because Aunt refused to teach us—it’s just that we were too clumsy to learn,” Wuxiu rolled her eyes. “Besides, isn’t Sevenxiu good to Aunt as well? Last year, when Aunt suffered from sciatica, unable to stand, sit, or lie down, and in so much pain she cried that she didn’t want to live, Sevenxiu took care of her. When she couldn’t buy the herbs she needed, Sevenxiu managed to gather them somehow. If Sevenxiu hadn’t cured her sciatica, Aunt wouldn’t be able to take care of the child now.”

Sanxiu paused, realizing it was true.

After lunch, once Yinyin was napping, Gu Zhuo finally had a moment to check her space.

This time, she brought in her savings to store them safely inside. After all, keeping cash outside was risky. In this era, it wasn’t uncommon for rats to gnaw through money.

Gu Zhuo already had a plan for her space. For survival, she needed to use it for material production. Grains and vegetables were essential, though she didn’t intend to plant much—an acre would suffice. She’d use half an acre to raise livestock, and the lake beneath the spiritual spring would naturally be stocked with fish. The remaining acre and a half would be devoted to medicinal herbs.

Medicinal herbs were hard to buy these days, and not all could be found in the mountains. Xie Lin’s continued treatment would certainly require them, so she had to prepare in advance.

She had some seeds at home—various vegetables and sweet potatoes—but not rice or wheat seeds. She’d have to ask Da Hu and Xiao Shan about those. As for piglets, chicks, and ducklings, she could wait until she was well enough to catch fish herself.

Gu Zhuo planted all the seeds she had—even though some weren’t suited to the season, she wanted to experiment.

After all, the space itself was already beyond scientific explanation.

And then…

Her gaze fell on the spiritual spring not far away. With a thought, she was standing atop Spiritual Spring Mountain.

The book “After Transmigrating, I Became the Winner in a Period Novel” had mentioned the spring’s effects: it was said to grant perfect health to the healthy, and to strengthen the weak.

One case stood out in Gu Zhuo’s memory: a powerful figure whom Gu Min wished to befriend developed cancer, and after drinking medicinal wine brewed with spring water, though his cancer did not heal, it stopped worsening, and he survived until the book’s conclusion thanks to that wine.

Because of this case, Gu Zhuo placed great hopes on the spring.

But before using it for Medicine Aunt and Xie Lin, Gu Zhuo was determined to try it herself.

She used the enamel cup she had intentionally brought in to scoop a cup of spring water, sipping it slowly.

The water was clear and sweet, but in this era, it wasn’t particularly astonishing—Nine Family Village’s mountain streams were just as delicious.

Gu Zhuo was not disappointed; instead, she felt relieved. If it were like some novels, where one sip brought an immediate, dramatic change, she’d be troubled.

Even after finishing the whole cup, she felt no difference in her body.

She had expected as much, though she was still a bit disappointed. The novel had mentioned that the spring’s effects were gradual, not immediate.

Still, she was impatient.

Her fever had completely subsided by this morning, and she felt much more refreshed. She secretly bathed in the space, and when she emerged, Yinyin was just waking up.

She was washing Yinyin’s face when a shout came from outside.

“Sevenxiu! Sevenxiu, are you home?”

Gu Zhuo’s face lit up with a smile. She called out loudly, “I’m here, come in!” She recognized the voices.

When she went out with Yinyin, Dong Zhen, Luo Qiuyi, and Jiang Xueming were already seated in the courtyard. To her surprise, not only had the three come, but Xu Bin and Liu Yinan had as well.

There were five educated youths in Nine Family Village. Unlike others who only came in 1968, the five of them had arrived in 1962, and their relationship with the village was rather special.

When they arrived, Gu Zhuo was only twelve, full of curiosity and eager to learn. She had already reached a point where she could no longer access knowledge from books, or rather, lacked enough books. Dong Zhen’s group opened a new door for her, and she immediately latched onto them, absorbing knowledge from them.

To Gu Zhuo, the five were both excellent teachers and invaluable friends.

In her past life, they returned to the city while she embarked on her search for her daughter, and she often received their help.

“Liu Yinan and Xu Bin were worried about you, so they came along,” Luo Qiuyi explained, seeing her confusion.

“You’re alright now?” Liu Yinan touched his nose, asking a bit awkwardly.

He and Xu Bin were men, and after Sevenxiu grew older, they interacted with her more cautiously, mostly to avoid affecting her reputation. Now that Sevenxiu was a widow, they had to be even more careful.

Gu Zhuo shook her head.

Xu Bin spoke, “I guessed you wouldn’t be afraid, so we won’t offer any comforting words.”

If Sevenxiu were afraid, they could give her support and confidence, tell her not to fear. But for sadness, only time was the remedy.

Jiang Xueming glared at him, then turned to Gu Zhuo, “We actually came to discuss something with you.”

Gu Zhuo was taken aback, then joked, pointing at the canned food and eggs on the table, “So these aren’t just for visiting the sick?”

“They are for visiting you,” Luo Qiuyi laughed. “We just came by for both.”

Gu Zhuo didn’t stand on ceremony, though she was genuinely curious.

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

The five exchanged glances, and finally Jiang Xueming spoke, “We suspect Xie Lin is not dead.”

What!?

Gu Zhuo was truly stunned.

She nearly blurted out, “How did you know?” but swallowed the words, instead asking, “Why do you say that?”

Nothing like this had happened in her previous life.

Could something have changed this time, letting them notice something amiss?

But aside from saving Yinyin and Wang Qiaoling, she hadn’t done anything!