The arrival of the young man was like a beam of light shining into the village.
It made everyone begin to feel hope.
He treated their illnesses, took them into the mountains and forests, and told them which plants were edible and which were poisonous.
He also taught them new farming methods.
Gradually, most of the surviving people from the surrounding villages had gathered in Xiangshui Village.
They began to approach life with positivity, tidying their houses, washing clothes, and foraging for wild vegetables…
Neighbors visited each other often, offering mutual help.
Their words were accompanied by smiles.
The village gradually came back to life.
Because the young man claimed his surname was Qi.
The villagers all called him – Mr. Qi.
…
“Yue girl, are you going out again?”
Aunt Li asked as she hung clothes by the door.
Jiang Xiaoyue put the bamboo basket on her back and turned back with a smile:
“Yes, I’m going to the mountains to collect some medicinal herbs. Mr. Qi said he’ll need them in the next couple of days.”
Aunt Li: “The next couple of days? Is it those people who just came from other villages?”
Jiang Xiaoyue: “Yes, they seem to be sick and came to see Mr. Qi for treatment.”
Speaking of this, Aunt Li shook the clothes in her hand, her face showing admiration.
“Mr. Qi is truly amazing. It seems there’s nothing he doesn’t know.”
“If you ask me, those who vie for the position of a wise ruler are not as good as Mr. Qi.”
Jiang Xiaoyue smiled, clearly agreeing.
“Auntie, I’m going to collect herbs now.”
“Go on, go on…”
Aunt Li waved her hand, sighing:
“If only I could remember so many herbs like you, Yue girl. Then I could also help Mr. Qi.”
Alas, her mind was not useful.
If she could still read and write.
She would definitely have her children learn something.
Even if they couldn’t be as learned as Mr. Qi, at least they wouldn’t be as ignorant as herself.
But, in this world now…
Sigh.
Never mind, never mind.
It was already a great blessing to have Mr. Qi here.
Meanwhile, Xiaoyue walked out of the village.
Along the way, many people greeted her.
It wasn’t because she was famous, but because she had recently been assisting Mr. Qi.
“Yue girl, going to collect herbs again?”
“Sister Xiaoyue, come to my house for dinner later!”
“Are Mr. Qi’s herbs not enough? Do you want me to go with you?”
Jiang Xiaoyue smiled and responded to each one, waving her hands repeatedly at the last question.
“No need, uncle, I don’t need much this time, I can do it alone.”
At this moment, an old woman sitting by the door weaving a bamboo basket showed a gap-toothed smile at Xiaoyue.
She chuckled and said, “Yue girl is all grown up now. When are you getting married?”
“Grandma…”
Jiang Xiaoyue said playfully, then helplessly, “Who has the mind to consider such things now?”
After speaking, she quickened her pace and hurried out of the village.
The tips of her ears gradually turned red.
Marriage…
In this world, it was good enough to survive.
Even so, Mr. Qi’s face appeared in her mind.
Handsome, gentle and refined…
Knowledgeable and skilled in medicine…
Any word used for him would not be an exaggeration.
‘Jiang Xiaoyue, what are you thinking about!’
She shook her head and thought, ‘Someone like Mr. Qi, someone like Mr. Qi… must be matched with the best woman in the world.’
…
“Mr. Qi is indeed remarkable, to be able to revitalize such a lifeless village.” Da Feng Novel Network
“This Miss Xiaoyue must like Mr. Qi, right? If it were me, I’d like him too.”
In the live stream, viewers watched the once desolate village gradually improve.
They saw the sickness fade from people’s faces and smiles appear.
They couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.
“This Mr. Qi is extraordinary!”
“To achieve this means he is not only skilled in medicine but also possesses all the abilities needed by a leader: coordination, decision-making, influence, and so on.”
“Got it, got it. This Mr. Qi has the abilities of a wise ruler, right?”
A person like this, in this world that was like the end of days.
He was a shining beacon of hope.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him a savior.
Who wouldn’t love and admire such a person?
…
…
“Let me see… Found it!”
Jiang Xiaoyue arrived at the mountain.
Recalling Mr. Qi’s words – where the herbs loved to take root.
She soon found the herbs under the trees.
She collected them as she went.
However, she didn’t dare to go too deep, lest she encounter any dangerous animals.
Time passed by.
The sun set, and the slanting rays of the sun warmed the land.
Jiang Xiaoyue glanced at the bamboo basket behind her; it was already more than half full.
She figured it should be enough.
She washed her hands at a small puddle and wiped her face.
After a simple tidy-up, she headed down the mountain.
Before reaching the foot of the mountain, she faintly heard the sound of horses’ hooves.
Jiang Xiaoyue immediately became alert, looking around.
She hid in the nearby bushes.
In this era, those who still had horses could only be of two types.
One was those who were vying to become emperor. The other…
Were bandits.
…
“Giddy up! Giddy up!”
“Giddy up!”
The sound of horses’ hooves approached from afar.
The braid whipped the horse, making a ‘snap’ sound.
The leader, riding a brown horse at the front, didn’t forget to look back and urge them on:
“Brothers, hurry up, the boss is waiting for us to return!”
“Yes! Third Boss.”
“Don’t worry, Third Boss, we’ll be back soon.”
The brothers behind him responded.
The sound of the horsewhip hitting the horses became louder.
The horses neighed and moved faster.
Jiang Xiaoyue slightly parted the meter-high weeds in front of her and looked at the road.
A group of over a dozen bandits, all tall and strong.
They had weapons at their waists.
On the horse in the very center, besides the bandit, there was another figure.
Wearing a light gray cloth robe and cloth shoes.
Because he was lying on the horse’s back, Jiang Xiaoyue couldn’t see his face clearly.
Judging by his build, it seemed to be a man.
“Giddy up! Giddy up!”
The bandits rode past in a hurry, leaving behind a large cloud of kicked-up yellow sand.
After they left, Jiang Xiaoyue listened intently for a while.
When she could no longer hear the sound of horses’ hooves, she waited for about another quarter of an hour.
Then she cautiously stood up from the bushes.
“Hiss~”
Because she had been squatting for too long, a tingling sensation shot through her calf as soon as she moved.
She tried to take a step and almost fell.
But she dared not linger. After sitting for a moment, she quickly grabbed her bamboo basket and ran towards the village.
However, as she ran, she noticed the hoofprints on the ground and suddenly felt something was wrong.
This direction… was towards the village!
Which village were those bandits heading to just now?!
Jiang Xiaoyue’s heart sank. Recalling the figure she had seen on the horse, she felt a sense of dread.
She quickened her pace, running towards Xiangshui Village.
Although there were several villages in this direction.
But recently, because of Mr. Qi’s presence, people from those villages had almost all gone to Xiangshui Village!
Please, let it not be what she was thinking…
Jiang Xiaoyue ran towards Xiangshui Village. Before she even reached the village entrance, she heard a commotion from afar.
The voices of the old, the young, the men, and the women.
All in a chaotic uproar.
Jiang Xiaoyue’s unease grew. She stumbled on a stone on the road and fell to the ground.
After rolling a couple of times, her knees were scraped.
Without even looking, she got up and ran into the village.
…