Chapter Twenty-Six: The Peddler Is Bad, but Ginger Is Very, Very Good!

The five members of the Jiang family were finally gathered, sitting peacefully in the small courtyard, ready for their meal.

Tonight’s dinner was quite sumptuous, featuring meat, vegetables, and a large platter of fruit. As Jiang Haohao gazed at the delicious peaches, she pondered when she would finally be able to sink her teeth into some solid peach flesh. Whether she would get to eat that peach or not, she didn't know, but she did know that she had accomplished something major today!

She had poured every drop of her immortal water into the kitchen’s water bucket, and today’s dishes were cooked using that diluted essence. She truly felt that if it weren’t for her, this entire family would have been done for long ago! She was eager to help them, to transform their physiques and meridians and make them strong enough to avoid further persecution. The way wicked cultivators, human traffickers, and deceitful "white lotus" types kept popping up in the Jiang courtyard like they were checking in for an appointment—it was clear that Haohao’s own good fortune had been hijacked; otherwise, they wouldn’t be having such terrible luck.

After the ordeal, Jiang Yunyun was still trembling with lingering fear, but seeing that the spiritual vegetables in her bowl were exceptionally delicious today, she set aside her self-reflection and buried her head in her rice. Only after filling her belly did her wits return, and she couldn't help but tear up, thinking that if she had truly been abducted by traffickers, she would never again taste her mother’s cooking.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lin, who had actually intended to go out and engage in banditry today, felt anxious. He wondered if his parents knew what he had planned. If they knew, why hadn’t they said a word or shown any reaction? If they didn't know, that was even worse, because he would likely be punished for the crime of concealment on top of his original misdeeds—a double dose of discipline!

Jiang Xu and Song Liyao ate every bit of their food, wasting not a single grain. They knew that one must eat well to see tomorrow’s sun.

Finally, it was Jiang Haohao’s turn. She buried her head in her own meal, too. She had nearly lost her life today; from now on, she had to stick close to her mother. Otherwise, if her second sister’s brain had another lapse, what would happen to her, a tiny baby who couldn't even walk yet? She had hoped to watch how her parents handled the aftermath—to see if her second sister would get a thrashing or if her older brother would be forced to kneel on durian shells. The imagination was sweet, and the desire to watch the drama unfold was strong, but Jiang Haohao had a fragile body. After finishing her milk and the vegetable puree her mother had made with the spiritual greens, she was exhausted. After a day of turmoil, she drifted into a hazy sleep.

When she woke up, she found only her father guarding her. She waved her tiny hands, tugging at his long, flowing hair while wailing. Her father seemed to understand her perfectly; he cradled her carefully, rocking her gently, and whispered, "Hush now, Haohao, go back to sleep. Your second sister is ill, and your mother is looking after her."

Haohao wasn't as sleepy anymore, and she wanted to see why her silly second sister had fallen ill. She wailed again, and miraculously, her father, who seemed to have mastered the "baby language" proficiency test, appeared to understand. He said slowly, "Alright, I know you're worried about your sister. I'll take you there."

He wrapped her in a blanket and carried her to her second sister’s room. Her mother was still there, but the sister was nowhere to be seen.

"Brother Xu, the child has a bad case of diarrhea. Maybe that peddler's water was suspicious; she must have eaten something bad!"

"I'll watch over her, you take the baby and get some more rest!"

Jiang Xu nodded, but instead of returning to sleep, he adjusted his clothes, strapped the baby to his chest, and headed toward the kitchen. Jiang Haohao knew the peddler's water was tainted with something, but it shouldn't have been that potent—it should have only knocked them out. Only she knew the truth about Jiang Yunyun’s diarrhea: it was definitely the result of her immortal water. Since her parents had suffered the same fate, her second sister couldn't escape it either. Still, letting the peddler take the blame was convenient—after all, the peddler was a villain, and she, Jiang Haohao, was a saint!

She was curious to see what changes the immortal water would bring to her second sister. Would that silly girl gain a sharper mind? Regardless, she just wanted to get away from her sister—she smelled absolutely terrible! Help!

By the time they returned with a large pot of hot water, she saw her second sister appearing, looking utterly ravaged. She was dizzy from the stench, her legs were cramping, and she was dragging herself along the wall for support. As Jiang Yunyun struggled back to her bed, she caught her little sister looking at her with an expression of profound disgust.

It was definitely disgust—her mouth was even puckered! She had seen it clearly! She had never been this sick in her life, let alone suffered such a violent bout of diarrhea. She actually understood her sister’s reaction; she really did smell awful! That peddler was a wicked wretch to ruin a young lady’s dignity like this! She vowed that, from now on, she would absolutely never eat anything from anyone else. She didn't care about her own life, but she couldn't drag her little sister down with her.

Just as she thought this, her stomach let out another urgent, violent rumble, and she scrambled toward the latrine without even putting on her shoes.

Our little treasure, Jiang Haohao, who had saved the whole family, felt her heart bloom with joy at the sight of her second sister’s plight. Let that be a lesson for your gluttony!

Jiang Haohao was carried back, her parents returned as well, and they finally settled in to sleep. Haohao, however, wasn't sleepy anymore. Looking at the vast, dark room, she felt tiny in her blankets. To her left was her mother’s gentle embrace; to her right, her father’s broad chest. This was her world—it was immense.

Haohao was happy again today.

In the darkness, snoring began to echo. Before the snores started, she heard her parents whispering to each other, "Do you know where those villains are hiding the children?"

"I heard it's in Liu Village."

...

When Jiang Haohao woke up again, the sun was already high. There was no one by her side, so she immediately let out a loud, indignant cry into the air. Hey, your little mountain queen has awakened!

"Alright, alright, big brother is here. Don’t cry, precious!"

Jiang Lin held his little sister, rocking her gently, terrified that he might accidentally break her tiny bones. Haohao expected him to take her to her mother for milk, but instead, he laid her on the bed and began to feel her all over, from head to toe!

She felt a mix of shame and murderous rage. Big brother, don't tell me you're practicing orthopedics?! She was just a baby, and he had seen everything!

Jiang Lin checked every inch of her body, from head to toe, confirming there were no fractures, signs of poisoning, or injuries, before he finally felt relieved enough to carry her outside. He remembered that in his dream, his little sister’s bones had been black, as if she had been poisoned.