C4 The Bridge of Helplessness Was Not Easy to Pass

Why carry a stick? Because her body was so swollen that her steps were unsteady, she used it as a cane.

Sheng Nanguo, the fourth sibling, heard his sister's voice and thought he was hallucinating from being in there too long.

He lifted his head and looked over at his brother, Sheng Nanjiu, the fifth sibling. "Did I just hear our sister's voice?"

"You're talking nonsense."

The public restroom stalls were lined up, with only a low wall, less than twenty inches high, separating them. So, a quick glance up and you could see the other person.

Sheng Nanjiu was already dozing off in his squat and hadn't heard anything. He said sadly, "Our sister is gone."

Luckily, it was daytime; otherwise, he might have been scared right into the pit.

Outside, Sheng Nanzhen, who hadn't gotten a response, called out again.

"Listen, there's really a voice outside."

"If you don't answer, I'm leaving," Sheng Nanzhen called again.

"It really is our sister. Sis, is the afterlife too tough, so you came back?" Sheng Nanjiu asked.

Sheng Nanzhen: "..."

After a couple of seconds of silence, she asked, "How are you guys doing? Still can't come out?"

Sheng Nanjiu replied, "No way, one move and it's a disaster."

"You even know a phrase like that," Sheng Nanguo remarked in amazement, then shouted, "Sis, it stinks too much here. You better go. I'm about to lose my guts... and it hasn't stopped yet."

Sheng Nanzhen: "...Do you have a fever?"

"No, just feeling completely drained... and too scared to go outside."

Sheng Nanzhen understood their situation. "Hang in there for a bit, I'll find some medicine for you."

Looking up, she noticed a lone crow flying back home. If she didn't hurry, the sun would set soon.

"Where are you going?" Laosi shouted.

But Sheng Nanzhen was too focused on her path to respond.

"Stop calling out. I must have been dreaming too hard, thinking our sister had come by," Laowu said.

After walking a while, Sheng Nanzhen finally reached the levee, but she was out of breath. She had intended to find perilla, but suddenly discovered another herb. This plant had gone unnoticed until her previous life when its medicinal value was researched. Villagers used to cut it down for firewood.

This herb didn't have a specific name; in Azure Mountain Village, it was simply called "firewood grass," aptly named for its use as kindling.

Using the pole in her hand, Sheng Nanzhen pried the roots from the soil. These roots could be boiled to make a potent fever-reducing drink. She tied the roots together with some grass.

She still needed to find a few more things. Based on her memories, she aimed to find the most accessible and effective herbal substitutes.

So, when she spotted some raspberries in the bushes, she immediately picked a few and put them in her pocket. Raspberries can aid digestion, have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and may help fight cancer. Drinking raspberry-infused water can also help stop diarrhea. Later, she found some ferns and remembered there was a pot of plantain at home. These two herbs could be combined to make a soup. As for her third brother, she wasn't sure about his situation, but there were some bitter herbs at the foot of the mountain. She gathered a few just in case. These herbs are toxic and shouldn't be ingested, but they can help reduce swelling and improve circulation. By the time she found all these, it was too dark to see anything.

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