Take Me Away, My Love - Chapter 4 - Rebirth
On the horizon, waves continuously surge toward the shore, occasionally carrying inexplicable objects, though most are taken back by the sea. Today, however, seems to be an exception. From a distance, a little girl with braided pigtails, dressed in a white cotton dress, holding a basket, and barefoot, is skipping towards this direction.
She is here to collect crabs.
Because her mom told her that if she collected crabs, she would make her Crab Rice today. Thinking about the tempting aroma of Crab Rice, the girl volunteered eagerly to gather crabs.
However, she hadn’t yet collected enough when she saw two dark figures on the distant beach.
They appeared quite large, yet she was too young, so she was frightened and didn’t dare to approach.
Taking a few cautious steps forward and looking more carefully, she suddenly recalled the story her dad had told her about sea monsters.
Startled, the frightened little girl abandoned her basket and dashed towards her home.
As she ran, she shouted for help, “Mom, Dad, something terrible is happening! There are sea monsters, two big sea monsters outside!”
The villagers, alerted by her cries, grabbed bamboo poles, wooden sticks, and other weapons, cautiously approaching the area.
Finally, they saw clearly that it was actually a man and a woman lying on the beach.
Strangely, a thick rope was tied around their waists, binding them tightly together.
“Xiao Ru’s mom, since it was your child who discovered them, your family should take them in and care for them.”
Since the patriarch had spoken, Xiao Ru’s parents could only comply.
When Li Minchun opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the wooden house and its simple furnishings.
As she was wondering, she heard footsteps approaching.
“Who?”
Li Minchun inquired softly, but the unfriendly tone in her voice frightened little Xiao Ru, who had just rushed in, causing her to run crying into her mother’s arms, exclaiming, “Mom, that auntie is so scary!”
Realizing that Li Minchun must have woken up, Xiao Ru’s mom hurried into the room.
Seeing Li Minchun fully awake, she showed a gleeful expression: “Thank heavens you’ve finally woken up. What would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you!”
Li Minchun observed Xiao Ru and her mom closely, noticing how similar they looked with their round faces and eyes, giving off a very cute and simple vibe.
Seeing that they were dressed in cotton clothes, Li Minchun guessed that they might not intend to harm her, yet she remained cautious: “Where is this place, and how did I end up here?”
Xiao Ru, no longer afraid, replied with a smile: “This is called Zhenmu Island.”
“Zhenmu Island?”
Li Minchun swore she had never heard of this place before.
Seeing her puzzled expression, Xiao Ru’s mom explained with a smile, “We don’t know exactly when people started living on Zhenmu Island. The surrounding sea, though harsh, is full of treasures, so we settled here for generations. Now, there are about four hundred people and a hundred families living on the island.”
“What about Jian Yiqing? The man who was with me, have you seen him?”
Suddenly, Li Minchun remembered Jian Yiqing.
Recalling the dangers they had faced together, she broke out in a cold sweat. She had managed to swim over driven by sheer will to survive, but could it be that he…
Li Minchun dared not continue the thought.
Knowing she would be worried about him, Xiao Ru’s mom quickly pointed to the next room and said, “He’s in the next room, but he looks quite seriously injured.”
Due to the limited medical facilities and their lack of medical knowledge, they dared not treat Jian Yiqing’s injuries.
Li Minchun swiftly rushed into that room and, sure enough, saw Jian Yiqing lying still on the bed, his eyes tightly closed. Although he had a faint breath, it was uncertain how long this man could hold on.
While in the sea, Li Minchun had already treated his wounds briefly. Unfortunately, due to the prolonged exposure to seawater, his injuries had become inflamed and infected.
The wound’s surface had a thick layer of yellow-white pus, looking terribly worrisome.
Ignoring her own recovery, Li Minchun quickly helped clean Jian Yiqing’s festering wounds. Only after ensuring that he was otherwise stable did she allow herself to collapse weakly by his bedside.
Dragging an injured man through the water for so long would exhaust even a strongman, let alone a pregnant woman.
“Oh younger sister, you need to be careful! What if you harm the baby in your belly?”
Noticing Li Minchun’s face turn alarmingly pale from fatigue, Xiao Ru’s mom hurried over to support her.
This surprised Li Minchun. She was just over two months pregnant, and though her belly only showed slightly, Xiao Ru’s mom had noticed.
But seeing little Xiao Ru silently peeking from the side, it all became clear to her.
A woman who had gone through pregnancy would naturally be well aware of such things.
“Thank you for saving me!”
As she spoke, Li Minchun intended to kneel in gratitude, but Xiao Ru’s mom quickly pulled her up: “Sister, such a grand gesture, we really can’t accept it. I think this brother here is suffering from quite severe poisoning. You should get a doctor to look at him properly.”
“Poisoning!”
Li Minchun’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing these words.
She had only examined his external injuries and had missed that Jian Yiqing was actually poisoned.
An elderly local doctor was summoned, and upon examining Jian Yiqing, he told Li Minchun: “I had already diagnosed him earlier, and after consulting several medical books, I am now more certain that he is afflicted by the rare soul-terror toxin. To cure the poison, you must find Yuekang Soil, cook it with hot herbal oil, and then mix it with water before taking it. Consuming this should detoxify him.”
Oh my, where on earth was Li Minchun supposed to find Yuekang Soil?
Back when she was part of the organization, she had indeed heard about this kind of toxin. But her knowledge was limited to books, and she had never encountered it firsthand, nor did she know where to find Yuekang Soil.
Legend has it that the soul-terror toxin comes from the juice of a rather beautiful plant. Just a tiny touch could paralyze the central nervous system, leading to death in a short time.
And this plant happens to grow on Yuekang Soil. It’s said that in nature, where there’s a potent toxin, there’s often an antidote nearby.
Soul-terror toxin and Yuekang Soil are such a pair.
“Have you heard of a place where this soil could be found?” Li Minchun asked anxiously.
The elder shook his head, expressing helplessness, which filled Li Minchun with a sense of despair. But then he said, “While Zhenmu Island doesn’t have Yuekang Soil, it does have another antidote treasure called Millennium Leaf Sand. Although it might not completely neutralize the toxin in him, it can extend his life by two years.”
“Two years?” Li Minchun exclaimed. “The Millennium Leaf Sand sounds powerful. Why only two years?”
The doctor looked pained. “Miss, I only know where to find Millennium Leaf Sand, but Yuekang Soil is simply nonexistent here. If possible, you could use the Millennium Leaf Sand to give him two years’ time, during which you might find another solution.”
The doctor tried to be reassuring, and Xiao Ru’s mom chimed in, “Yes, don’t underestimate what Zhenmu Island can offer. Although our island is small and sparsely populated, it holds many treasures. If you have the ability, I’m sure you can find them. Not only can you find Millennium Leaf Sand, but possibly even Yuekang Soil.”
No matter what, for the sake of giving her unborn child a complete family, Li Minchun was willing to give it a try.
“Could you please tell me where to find this Millennium Leaf Sand?”
