Chapter 32: Heatstroke

Chapter 32: Heatstroke

The Mo family didn't hold Peng Wang's attitude against him and all nodded in agreement, suggesting that they should not feed Mo Jiuye for the time being.

Despite having awakened, Mo Jiuye still had to remain in her original position, lying prone on the carriage. Seeing that matters were mostly settled, Peng Wang instructed them to continue their journey.

It was August, and due to the long absence of rain, the scorching sun baked the earth, making those traveling feel as if they couldn't catch their breath.

Among the group, the convicts wailed in misery. Some, unable to bear it any longer, knelt before the officials, begging to find a shaded area to rest for a while.

The Mo family members' faces were flushed red from the heat.

Seeing everyone's condition, He Zhiran grew worried. If this continued, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't suffer from heatstroke.

Just as she was pondering how to prevent such an occurrence, she suddenly heard cries coming from the back of the procession.

"Sir, please find a doctor for the child. The child is innocent..."

He Zhiran followed the sound and noticed it originated from the Xie family's entourage.

Her second sister-in-law also noticed this and rushed over.

Considering that the Xie family was her second sister-in-law's maiden family, He Zhiran felt she couldn't turn a blind eye to their plight.

So, she hurried after her second sister-in-law, planning to investigate.

At that moment, the Xie family members were all gathered around Xie Lin, weeping.

Xie Lin was being held by a young woman, while others called out his name frantically.

"Big Brother, what happened to Lin'er?" The second sister-in-law pushed through the crowd, asking anxiously.

Xie Chao's eyes were red with worry.

"Lin'er was fine when he woke up this morning, but he couldn't continue walking after a short while."

For a moment, Second Sister-in-law was flustered before she quickly said, "My Ninth Brother's wife is knowledgeable in medicine. I'll fetch her right away."

"Ninth Sister-in-law, I'm here. Let me take a look at the child first," He Zhiran said as she had already arrived in front of Xie Lin.

Although the Xie family had heard Xie Fang's explanation, they were still not reconciled with the Mo family.

Thus, when they realized that Xie Lin's condition was worsening, they did not immediately invite He Zhiran to examine her.

Now that she had taken the initiative to come over, the Xie family was worried about Xie Lin's life and instantly conflicted.

However, instinctively, none of them tried to stop He Zhiran.

Xie Lin had already passed out, her face flushed, and her limbs burning hot – clear signs of heatstroke.

Moreover, judging from Xie Lin's current state, the child's condition was severe. If not treated promptly, it could endanger her life.

Seeing that He Zhiran had finished her examination, Second Sister-in-law pulled her aside and asked, "Ninth Sister-in-law, how is Lin'er?"

"Second Sister-in-law, this child has suffered from heatstroke," He Zhiran replied as she walked out of the crowd.

Seeing He Zhiran depart, the Xie family grew anxious; she was their only hope for saving Lin'er's life.

The family's elder patriarch, Xie Tianhai, was the first to set aside his pride, proactively pursuing her.

"Madam, please wait, I beg of you to save my grandson's life."

He Zhiran continued walking without pause.

"Your grandson's condition is perilous and requires immediate treatment. Are you trying to delay my time to retrieve the medicine?"

Hearing this, Xie Tianhai realized he had misunderstood her.

"Very well, then I'll trouble you, Madam."

Despite understanding He Zhiran's intentions, Xie Tianhai still followed behind her, as if he wanted to convey something but was unsure how to begin.

He Zhiran was aware that he was trailing her.

"We're both exiled convicts. In terms of seniority from Second Sister-in-law, you're also my elder. From now on, just call me He or my given name, He Zhiran."

Titles mean little to her; it's more comfortable to keep things simple.

"I'll just call you Lady He from now on, then."

As they spoke, He Zhiran had already approached the Mo family's group.

Among the herbs they had picked the previous day were several that could treat heatstroke, each managed by one of her sisters-in-law.

Without wasting any time, He Zhiran obtained the necessary herbs from her sisters-in-law and turned to Xie Tianhai.

"Uncle Xie, we'll need to ask the officials for permission before we can boil the medicine."

They lacked any sort of utensils, and it was uncertain whether the officials would be willing to stop so they could prepare the remedy. It would require a polite negotiation.

"Alright, I'll discuss it with the officials right away."

Peng Wang was not far away and had overheard their conversation. He was suffering from the heat as well, and due to the snake venom, his tolerance for high temperatures was severely diminished.

Seeing Xie Tianhai turn to inquire his subordinates, Peng Wang hastily spoke up.

"There's a small river ahead, with trees providing shade nearby. Let's rest there temporarily."

Upon hearing Peng Wang's suggestion, Xie Tianhai expressed his gratitude profusely.

After another incense stick's worth of walking, they indeed spotted a small river up ahead.

The officials arranged for the convicts to rest individually and sought their own shady spots to escape the heat.

He Zhiran borrowed a pot from Zhou Laoba. His second sister-in-law volunteered to prepare medicine for her nephew.

To prevent their family from getting heatstroke, He Zhiran specifically asked his second sister-in-law to boil a large pot of herbal medicine. Apart from giving it to Xie Lin, he wanted the whole family to consume some as a precaution.

During his examination of Xie Lin, He Zhiran had already confirmed that the child was in the acute stage of heatstroke and had even lost consciousness. Merely relying on these herbs, the effect might not be significant.

Thus, taking advantage of his second sister-in-law's distraction, he discreetly retrieved some Huo Xiang Zheng Qi Water from his space and added it to the pot.

With the matter of boiling the medicine settled, He Zhiran finally felt somewhat relieved.

Gazing at the clear stream beside her, where fish swam gracefully, He Zhiran casually picked up a sturdy branch from the ground and approached Zhou Laoba.

"Magistrate Zhou, would you mind lending me your dagger for a moment?" She had all sorts of knives and daggers in her space, but it was inappropriate to reveal them in front of so many people, leaving her no choice but to ask the officer for help.

Upon hearing she wanted his dagger, Zhou Laoba became wary.

"What do you need a knife for?"

He Zhiran shrugged, holding the branch slightly forward.

"I wish to sharpen this branch. Assuming everything goes well, we might have some meat to add to our lunch."

Zhou Laoba didn't bother guessing what kind of meat she was referring to. He figured that as a young woman, she wouldn't dare to deceive him.

Thus, albeit reluctantly, he removed his dagger and handed it over to He Zhiran. Under Zhou Laoba's watchful gaze, she began to whittle the branch to a point.

With the knife returned, she turned and retraced her steps to the riverbank.

Under the watchful eyes of all, she removed her embroidered shoes and rolled up her pant legs before venturing into the water.

The female members of the Mo family gathered around as they witnessed He Zhiran's actions.

"Mrs. He, what are you doing?" asked Old Lady Mo anxiously, nearly ready to jump in and pull her out.

"Indeed, Ninth Brother's wife, what are you up to?"

He Zhiran turned to them, signaling for silence with a hand gesture, then continued walking towards the center of the river.

The water wasn't deep; it was only when He Zhiran had walked several meters that it reached her knees.

She stopped and, having chosen her target, plunged the pointed end of the branch viciously into the surface of the water.