In her previous life, she was rejected by her husband’s family because she beat up a lecher who harassed her on the street, and was considered rough-tempered and of poor character. People even said she lacked feminine virtues, so she never remarried even when she reached twenty.
Who would have thought that here, first she became a child bride, and then a young widow. She wanted to look up and ask, Dear heavens, how did I offend you?
Beisitian wasn’t one to pity herself. Shaking her head with a smile, she refocused on the present. She needed to first nurse her body back to health, preferably by concocting talismanic water to boost her strength.
After turning twenty, Beisitian traveled widely with her father. Her biggest realizations were: firstly, to think thrice before acting, meaning to use one’s brain; and secondly, to have a strong body, having greater strength than most was invaluable!
Beisitian especially resonated with the latter. For some people, relying solely on brains isn’t enough. Sometimes, you need fists. When your fists are strong, you can win any argument!
Just like the bully family, Zhang Family, in the village.
If in her previous life she hadn’t been naturally strong, she might have just been harassed, unable to escape the fate of a rejected engagement. In the end, not only would she remain unmarried, but she’d also be labeled with a tarnished reputation, affecting her sisters’ prospects. So she never thought she was wrong!
Now, in this life, the original owner of the body was already frail, long-term malnourished, and was pushed off a cliff. Eventually, this weakened foundation led to her demise. Without her original strength, recovery was not an overnight affair.
Although her previous life didn’t end peacefully, she’d experienced all of life’s flavors—sour, sweet, bitter, bitter, sorrow, joy, separation, and union. Her master had passed away, leaving her with no attachment.
After arriving here, she discovered how different the world was and was deeply impacted by many new principles and ideas. She held a lot of interest in her current surroundings.
Crushed Huiluo Grass, along with its juices, was applied to her swollen ankle, bringing a cooling sensation. After applying for several days, about three to five days, the swelling would subside.
However, for Beisitian, this time was still a bit long. Unfortunately, she currently lacked the spirit to make talismans, so she could only wait for recovery at a slow pace.
Having already lain in bed for over a month, additional three or five days didn’t matter much.
After dinner, Luo Anping sneaked into the west room, jumping onto the heated bed and sitting on the edge with a mischievous grin, "Sis, where’s the drawing you made?"
He was incredibly curious about Beisitian’s drawings. Until now, he had never realized her drawings were so good and lifelike, enabling him to immediately recognize that Beisitian wanted Huiluo Grass.
Beisitian chuckled, handing over red-lined letter paper, which Luo Anping had secretly taken from the cabinet in the east room. It was a few sheets Luo Xudong sent along with a letter to Luo Anguo for replies.
"Sis, your drawing is amazing! I know this one; I’ve seen such a seedling under a tree, and I’ve seen this one too! Sis, it’s exactly the same!"
Beisitian smiled. She was used to using a brush and initially couldn’t wield a pencil. It took some time to adapt her grip, but it wasn’t difficult, since it was just simple drawings of plants. The force was manageable, but the drawings were atrocious compared to brush paintings and couldn’t be called art!
She didn’t take Luo Anping’s words seriously at all.
Over the course of three days, with Beisitian applying Huiluo Grass and gently massaging, the swelling on her ankle quickly disappeared. Rotating her ankle without pain, she decided to get out of bed.
Beisitian cautiously rose, avoiding placing too much pressure on her ribs. After standing, she leaned against a stack of bedding to rest a while before moving her legs to the edge of the heated bed and slowly letting them down.
Even with her legs down, she still couldn’t muster the strength to get up. Her body was too weak, her arms not strong enough to fully support her weight, and using her lower back too much would put undue stress on her ribs.
Despite trying for half a day and sweating profusely, Beisitian was unsuccessful. Mrs. Qin must have heard the noise because she slowly came over. Seeing Beisitian at the brink of the bed’s edge, she was startled, fearing she’d fall, and hurriedly walked in only to nearly trip over the doorstep in haste.
"Mother, I’m fine," Beisitian quickly called out upon seeing this. "I was trying to get down from the bed."
Mrs. Qin barely avoided falling by holding onto the door frame. Falling with her frail body would have been disastrous, especially since the family couldn’t afford more medicine.
Shocked and furious, nearly falling, Mrs. Qin burst out, "Why are you trying to get down if you’re fine! You aren’t someone who puts others at ease!"
Beisitian saw clearly that Mrs. Qin, thinking she was going to fall, had a worried, anxious expression. If she didn’t care, Mrs. Qin would navigate swiftly both inside and outside, including the yard, without tripping.
So, she didn’t take Mrs. Qin’s words to heart at all. This mother-in-law had a sharp tongue but a soft heart!
"Mother, it’s my fault. I should have told you in advance."
Mrs. Qin hadn’t expected Beisitian to speak so softly, so the intended scolding stayed unsaid. In the past, her scolding always scared Beisitian into silence for a long time, like a bullied child, let alone speaking as she did now.
With her mouth shut tight, forming deep furrows on her forehead that could squeeze a mosquito, she walked along the bed, supporting Beisitian, and with a little help, Beisitian sat upright.
"Tending to all you ancestors, once you can stand, hurry up and work. There’s so much work at home, all resting on me alone!" Mrs. Qin snapped.
Beisitian smiled, holding onto Mrs. Qin’s hand, and with her support, got down from the bed and stood on the ground.
Although her ribs hurt slightly, it didn’t affect her much. Being careful while walking wouldn’t hinder recovery and might actually aid it.
Seeing Beisitian could manage on her own, Mrs. Qin muttered a few words and then left the room to cook.
With her poor eyesight half closed, she made meals haphazardly, eating barely cleaned vegetable leaves. Dry foods hung in baskets from ceiling beams, to prevent cats from ruining them. Usually, they waited for Luo Anping to return, stepping on the outer room cabinets to hook them down.
Temporarily, Beisitian couldn’t help with cooking, nor did she think about it. She focused wholeheartedly on walking. The ground was uneven; the earth had been trampled firm, and because the house was old, the ground had become bumpy. Extra caution was needed.
Beisitian tried to walk on more level surfaces. Even so, she was sweating profusely after two instances of rib pain, so she turned back to bed, lying down carefully.
She had just lain down when the main door creaked open, and a voice from outside called, "Is Little Sweet here?"