Chapter 259: Chapter 256
Moving along the mountain path, Lin Wanwan tapped the ground ahead with a tree branch in her hand, disturbing snakes, and could constantly hear the rustling sound of small animals quickly scurrying away in the grass ahead.
In the spring mountains, thereâs still a certain probability of encountering snakes. Other animals didnât scare Lin Wanwan, but she was afraid of snakes.
Back when she was a child, following her grandparents up the mountain to pick plums, they encountered a cobra native to Mao County and Weng Mountain near the tree roots, almost scaring her to death.
Later, she forced herself to remain calm and backed away, narrowly escaping a disaster. At that time, the cobra had already raised its head, and if she had reacted a second slower, it might have been disastrous.
Walking on this undeveloped mountain now, Lin Wanwan felt quite uneasy.
For her spring outing, she had at least chosen a mountain with a clear path and a partially collapsed Daoist temple further up the plateau at the top.
But the current mountain road was so faint it was evident that few travelers ever took it.
No wonder women in ancient times cried bitterly on their wedding day; in times when travel depended primarily on walking, returning home was truly not easy.
Today, Lin Wanwan was on a rescue mission, so she only brought Hua Nong with her.
Whenever she wasnât going out for smuggling ventures, she preferred to take Hua Nong along; it seemed inappropriate to always bring a Kunlun slave, as noble women often traveled with maidservants.
After traversing mountains and valleys for almost half an hour, crossing a steep mountain region, she finally spotted signs of human activity.
"The valley ahead is our Hudong Village; weâre almost there," said Lin Juhuaâs younger brother as he wiped his sweat, his face flushed with exertion.
His heart was extremely grateful that the noble Village Lady of Leâan would follow him in such a manner to save someone.
His red face wasnât just from the heat but also from the embarrassment of speaking to Lin Wanwan.
He remained silent the entire journey, only speaking when Lin Wanwan asked him something.
He was already twenty years old but still single; the farthest heâd ever traveled was Wanghai Town, and the most beautiful person heâd ever seen was his sister-in-law, Lin Juhua.
Encountering a fairy-like woman like Lin Wanwan was something he wouldnât even dream of.
Heâd seen noble girls in silk and satin before; once in the town, a girl from the Fang Family rode past, the breeze lifting her veil. Comparing just by face, he thought she wasnât as pretty as his sister-in-law.
But now, having seen Lin Wanwan, he realized this world truly had women as beautiful as celestial beings. If not seen with his own eyes, it would be hard to believe anyone could look like this.
Lin Wanwan was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and as they neared their destination, she began contemplating how to carry out the rescue.
These days, busy with getting a driverâs license, spring plowing, and securing a house, Lin Wanwan hadnât properly studied medicine, only having treated her family members twice.
Fortunately, she practiced pulse-taking daily, and her first-aid kit was stocked with plenty of modern emergency medicines, including the Golden Cod Fish Roe she brought along.
Located in the valley, Hudong Village spread out seventy or eighty meters at its widest point and shrank to five or six meters at the narrowest, flanked by green mountains, with a stream running through the middle.
In May, azaleas covered the hillsides, amidst birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, the setting was much more beautiful than Lin Family Manor, but Lin Wanwan had no time to appreciate her surroundings, focusing urgently on her mission.
Hua Nong, however, sighed, "Mistress, this village really is so tranquil and beautiful, though the houses are a bit lacking."
Lin Family Manor was close to the sea and had to withstand gusts, so stone houses predominated. Hudong Village was secluded in the valley, free from severe storms, and every family was poor, with travel being inconvenient, so the view was entirely of thatch-roofed houses, their quality inferior even to the mixed households in Dafeng Village.
Hearing Hua Nongâs remark, Lin Juhuaâs younger brother blushed even more. If he werenât hurrying along, the poverty of his home might make him want to crawl into a hole from embarrassment.
Lin Wanwan didnât respond to Hua Nongâs words and continued on silently.
Hua Nong tugged on the strap of the medical case and quickly followed, refraining from speaking further as she noticed that her mistress seemed to be in a bad mood.
Descending the mountain, as Lin Wanwan and her party entered the village path, curious gazes followed them, and villagers greeted them warmly.
"Ah Si, are you back from Lin Family Manor? Is that the Village Lady of Leâan with you?"
"Wow, it really is! Ah Si, youâve brought back a fairy!"
"So beautiful, this must be the Divine Doctor of Lin Family Manor."
"Ah Si, your sister-in-law is running out of time; you should hurry and take her to have a look."
Due to Lin Wanwanâs attire and demeanor, the villagers didnât dare speak to her directly, communicating instead through Lin Juhuaâs younger brother.
Hua Nong was displeased; these villagers were truly ill-mannered: "Silence! Do not point and chatter about our mistress! Do you know her status? She is a Village Lady of the Secondary Fifth Rank! How dare you farmers talk about her?"
At Hua Nongâs words, everyone fell silent at once, not daring to continue pointing and speaking so carelessly, though demanding they "respectful observance" was impossible!
It was a rare occasion to see such a noble lady in the village, they couldnât miss such a sight! As for the Fifth Rank or whatever, the villagers had little concept, those were high and unreachable noble statuses to them; for all they knew, the Clan Leader and Village Chief were already high-ranked officials. Anything beyond that seemed incomprehensible.
Lin Wanwan glanced at Hua Nong and said indifferently, "Hua Nong, donât quarrel with them, focus on the task at hand."
Hua Nong thus held her tongue and stopped arguing with them.
Named "Ah Si," Lin Juhuaâs younger brother picked up his pace and pointed ahead at a few straw-roofed houses surrounded by people: "Our home is just there."
Lin Wanwan quickly stepped forward, shouting, "Make way! Make way!"
The noisy crowd in the courtyard, all members of the Xu Clan, spoke pointless words of comfort to Lin Juhuaâs father-in-law, Xu Youliang. Upon seeing the splendidly dressed Lin Wanwan arrive, they quickly made way for her.
They had already heard the news; Xu Youliangâs youngest son, Ah Si, had gone to Lin Family Manor seeking help.
Lin Family Manor was no longer what it once was, with a true phoenix residing there; if they could bring her here, maybe Xu Adaâs wife could escape the brink of death.
Although the midwife didnât believe anyone could save a mother exhausted of strength, allowing her to deliver safely, she couldnât utter dispiriting words either, and awaited to see how the Divine Doctor from Lin Family Manor would handle it.
Upon entering the house, Lin Wanwan instructed Hua Nong, "Clear everyone out; I need to change my clothes."
Hua Nong responded instantly, "Yes!"
Hua Nong then began ushering people out, escorting the midwife, Lin Juhuaâs mother-in-law, and an aunt who was helping out of the straw cottage.
To Hua Nong, no matter how urgent, nothing surpassed Lin Wanwanâs orders in urgency.
However, to the midwife and Lin Juhuaâs mother-in-law, Lin Wanwanâs need to change her clothes before saving someone was somewhat suffocating, yet due to her status, they dared not speak.