Chapter 21: Gathering Herbs

Chapter 21: Gathering Herbs

Mo Jiuye once doubted if she was the real He Zhiran.

But witnessing her father and mother-in-law's farewell just now, he confirmed that this was indeed the genuine daughter of the He family.

As Mo Jiuye's thoughts swirled, He Zhiran had already started to cautiously search the grass for herbs.

Though the silver ring snake was highly venomous, its body was full of treasures. If she could find more of them, it would be great.

Then, she could find an opportunity to extract the snake's venom and turn it into a defensive poison.

The others from the other families had also witnessed He Zhiran and the officials dealing with the snakes. Suspecting that there might still be snakes lurking around, some women and children were already wailing in terror.

The braver men, out of necessity, imitated He Zhiran, finding sturdy branches to search the nearby grass, hoping to prevent being bitten by snakes while they slept.

The officials didn't object to the prisoners' actions, as they too would spend the night here. It was better to be safe than sorry.

However, the prisoners could only be searched, not allowed out of sight.

In fact, He Zhiran's search for more snakes in the vicinity served another purpose.

Back where she had argued with the officials, she noticed some medicinal herbs hidden among the grass nearby.

During their journey to exile, her family might suffer from minor ailments like headaches or fever. She couldn't constantly rely on modern medicine from her space to treat them.

If anyone were to inquire, she would need to come up with an explanation, which would be troublesome.

But gathering wild herbs was different; it was a legitimate activity.

Even if these herbs didn't cure their ailments, it would provide a reasonable excuse for her to fetch medicine from her space later on.

As He Zhiran searched for herbs, her pace naturally fell behind the others.

Seeing her alone, her sisters-in-law and Mo Hanyue grew worried that she might encounter more snakes and be in danger.

The eldest sister-in-law became restless.

"I'll go and see Ninth Sister-in-law."

"I'll come too."

"I'll join as well."

The other sisters-in-law also rose from their seats.

Mo Hanyue glanced at Old Lady Mo and, seeing no objection, decided to accompany them.

The group rushed to He Zhiran, only to find her holding a large bundle of grass in her clothes.

"Ninth Sister-in-law, weren't you searching for snakes? Why have you gathered so much grass?" Mo Hanyue asked.

"These are all commonly used herbs. I thought they might come in handy on our journey, so I picked some."

Upon learning that these were actually herbs, Mo Hanyue's eyes lit up.

"Ninth Sister-in-law, you mean all of these are medicinal herbs?"

He Zhiran nodded and, with casual elegance, plucked a herb from her sleeve, explaining patiently, "This is called Bitter Cress; it has the effect of clearing heat and detoxifying.

This is Plantain; not only can it be used for medicinal purposes, but it can also be cooked as a dish..."

As Mo Hanyue listened to Ninth Sister's explanations, her interest grew.

"Ninth Sister, I've memorized all these herbs. Let me help you gather them."

Although the other eight sisters didn't ask as many questions as Mo Hanyue, they attentively listened to He Zhiran's teachings.

"Sister-in-law Nine, we'll lend a hand too."

When the officials finally called everyone back, they hadn't found the silver ring snake, but the ten women of the Mo family had gathered a considerable amount of herbs.

Mo Hanyue had long put aside her disappointment about not having white steamed buns. She carried her spoils of war and went to Grandmother Mo to show off her accomplishments.

"Mother, look! I picked all these herbs myself."

Grandmother Mo lovingly stroked her head.

"Your ninth sister is wise; you should learn from her in the future."

"I understand, Mother."

While it was still daylight, the sisters-in-law joined Mo Hanyue and, following He Zhiran's instructions, carefully picked and sorted the herbs.

The members of the other families watched the Mo family women with disdain.

"I swear, the Mos must be starving to death to gather so many wild plants. Do they plan on eating them?"

"Tsk tsk, they really have guts. Don't they worry about poison in those plants?"

"Toxic would be even better. If the Mos were to be poisoned, it'd count as revenge for us."

Due to the distance and their low voices, the Mo family didn't hear these remarks.

Just as He Zhiran finished arranging the prepared herbs on the ground, a shout came from the officials' side.

"Captain, what's wrong with you?"

"Quickly, the Chief is struggling to breathe!"

All eyes turned towards the direction of the officials.

They saw several officers surrounding Peng Wang.

"Could that snake that bit the Chief really be venomous?"

Hearing this doubt, the officers instantly recalled He Zhiran's warning.

Someone made a swift decision. "Hurry, carry the Chief to find that sharp-tongued woman from the Mo family."

With a matter of life and death at stake, none of the officers dared to delay. They promptly lifted Peng Wang and rushed in the direction of the Mo family.

The Mo family members had heard the officer's words. Their gaze fell collectively upon He Zhiran.

"Mrs. He, you must act within your means," the elderly Mrs. Mo advised sagely.

From what she had observed earlier with He Zhiran leading the Mo family women to gather herbs, it seemed that she possessed some knowledge of pharmacology.

However, dealing with Peng Wang's snakebite was not something that could be resolved with mere herbal knowledge.

Should Peng Wang truly succumb to the venom, these officers, in their desperation to find someone to blame, might pin the responsibility on He Zhiran.

He Zhiran was well aware of her mother-in-law's intention behind the reminder.

"Don't worry, Mother. I won't act recklessly," she assured her.

As they spoke, the officers arrived carrying Peng Wang towards the Mo family members.

"Mrs. He, please recount your method for treating snakebites once more."

He Zhiran maintained her composure as she gazed at the approaching officials, speaking deliberately and calmly.

"The method I mentioned is effective only when applied immediately after a snakebite."

"So, what do you suggest we do now?" the officer grew anxious.

He Zhiran was well aware that one would not die immediately after being bitten by a silver ring snake.

Thus, she deliberately slowed down her pace and strolled leisurely towards Peng Wang, all to provoke the officers' impatience.

Sure enough, the officers were irritated by her sluggish movements.

"Hurry up! What are you waiting for? Tell us what to do!"

But He Zhiran was not annoyed by their urging. Instead, she stood still on the spot.

"You're the ones asking for my help. Is this how you plead for assistance?"

These officers were accustomed to intimidating convicts, but He Zhiran had no intention of tolerating their behavior any longer.

The road ahead was long, and she had no desire to live each day at the mercy of others' moods.

She must seize this opportunity to make these officers realize that she, He Zhiran, was not someone who could be easily intimidated into submission.

Seeing this, Zhang Qing was about to continue scolding, his hand already instinctively reaching for the whip wrapped around his waist.

Zhou Laoba promptly stopped him.

"The Chief's life is at stake."

Zhang Qing immediately halted his action, shooting He Zhiran a fierce glare but refraining from further comment.

Zhou Laoba rose to his feet. "State your conditions, whatever they may be."

He Zhiran, however, wasn't in a rush to propose terms. As a professional physician, her first priority was to understand her patient's condition.