PWE – Chapter 98 Only when I have it with me can I feel at ease.

About ten or so minutes later, all the festering sores on the village Party secretary and those villagers had completely disappeared.

With the sores gone, the black vapor… naturally vanished as well.

Xiao Wange withdrew her hand and glanced at the Party secretary and the few villagers. “They’re fine now. They should wake up any moment.”

Zhao Lijuan was overwhelmed with excitement and hurriedly carried Zhaozhao forward.

Xiao Wange reached out and took Zhaozhao into her arms. She was about to leave with the child when Zhao Lijuan, while checking on her husband, grabbed Xiao Wange’s arm and said, “We really owe everything today to Ze Yan’s wife. If it weren’t for you, your uncle’s old life would’ve been lost. Ze Yan’s wife, thank you. You’re our family’s great benefactor. From now on, if you have anything you need, you can tell this auntie to do it for you.”

The families of the other villagers also said to Xiao Wange, “Ze Yan’s wife, you can tell us as well. You’re our benefactor too—we should repay you.”

The other villagers outside the courtyard gate all looked at Xiao Wange with smiling faces. Ze Yan’s wife was truly amazing. In such a short time, she had cured the village Party secretary and the others. Seeing how serious their condition had been earlier, they had thought there was no saving them.

Who would have thought that Ze Yan’s wife had such miraculous skill, bringing them back so quickly.

The village head also looked at Xiao Wange with gratitude and said, “Ze Yan’s wife, you are the benefactor of our entire village. Having you here is truly our village’s good fortune.”

Others echoed his words—indeed, if Ze Yan’s wife hadn’t been there today, several people in the village would have died all at once.

Xiao Wange smiled lightly. “You’re all too kind. We all live in the same village—since I was able to help, of course I should. Uncle, Auntie, I’d like to take the child home first. He’s very tired today, and I want to take him back early so he can rest.”

A gentle, kindly look appeared on Zhao Lijuan’s face. “If he’s tired, then of course you should go back and rest. But I was hoping to invite you and Zhaozhao to my place for a meal. How about this, Wange—today’s dinner, I’ll bring it over to you. You won’t need to cook tonight.”

“No need, Auntie—”

“It’s settled then. You take the child home to rest first. Once dinner’s ready, I’ll bring it over.” Zhao Lijuan said with a smile, not allowing Xiao Wange to refuse.

The families of the other villagers chimed in as well: “Then tomorrow we’ll bring food to you. We farmers don’t have anything fancy to offer, but we can manage home-cooked meals. Ze Yan’s wife, don’t cook tomorrow—we’ll bring it to you.”

Xiao Wange: “……” These people were really far too polite. What she’d done was only a small effort, yet they didn’t need to repay her like this.

“Oh right, you have a wound on your hand—should we have the doctor apply some medicine?” Zhao Lijuan asked with concern, suddenly remembering Xiao Wange’s injury.

Xiao Wange smiled. “No need. It’s just a small cut. I have medicine at home—I’ll apply some myself.”

She’d cut her palm like this before, when she saved Zhaozhao. The wounds that appeared on her body healed quickly; even without medicine, they would be fine.

After speaking, she carried Zhaozhao toward the door. “Then I’ll take the child home first.”

Zhao Lijuan and the families of the other villagers escorted her outside. Only after she had walked out of the courtyard and disappeared did they turn back and return to the main hall.

The village Party secretary and the others woke up in less than two minutes.

Zhao Lijuan, the village head, and the rest hurriedly told them how Xiao Wange had saved them earlier.

After hearing it, the village Party secretary sighed with emotion. “In the past, everyone said Ze Yan’s wife wasn’t good. But now… she’s saved several lives in our village. She’s a good child. Ze Yan marrying her is a blessing, and having her in our village is also a blessing.”

After a pause, he continued, “This life-saving kindness is greater than the heavens. Just sending her one meal is really not enough. I think we should send food for a whole month. Only by doing it for a full month can we show our sincerity!”

The other rescued villagers hurriedly agreed. “Yes, a month! It has to be a month. If it weren’t for her today, our lives would be gone. No matter how you look at it, it has to be a month.”

Zhao Lijuan and the other villagers’ family members smiled faintly.

Sending meals for a month was perfectly fine. Compared to a human life, a month’s worth of food was nothing at all. If Ze Yan’s wife didn’t mind, even two months would be entirely appropriate.

…

After Xiao Wange returned home with the child,

She originally planned to leave the child at home and then go into the mountains to check things out.

But after thinking it over, she decided to take the child with her instead.

Only by keeping him by her side would she feel at ease.

Although there was a barrier set up around her house, and she could have the hungry ghost protect Zhaozhao, what if that powerful entity broke through her barrier and defeated the hungry ghost? If that happened, Zhaozhao would be in danger.

So the best option was still to bring Zhaozhao along.

She found a carrying strap, likely one her mother-in-law had used before to carry Zhaozhao. The baby carriers of this era were somewhat different from those of later times. Back then, it was simply a wide, long strip of cloth. When carrying a child on one’s back, you wrapped the cloth around yourself and the child, binding the child securely to your body.

She first put the child on her back, then took the cloth and wrapped it around quickly.

In less than a minute, she had the child secured.

She glanced back at the child at an angle. His head was resting against the back of her neck, and he was still sleeping peacefully.

Looking at his serene sleeping face, her heart relaxed involuntarily.

Looking at him, it felt as though no difficulty was truly a difficulty anymore. Looking at that small face, it seemed that any problem could be easily resolved.

She gently patted the child’s back and murmured softly, “We’re going up the mountain,” then suddenly disappeared, as if she had tunneled straight into the earth.

…

In less than half a minute, Xiao Wange appeared on Hongta Mountain with the child on her back.

The atmosphere on Hongta Mountain had undergone an obvious change, clearly carrying a gloomy, putrid stench. This smell was somewhat similar to that of the rat demon’s lair.

Xiao Wange narrowed her eyes. She glanced around the mountain forest, then lifted her feet and walked toward the newly formed pit.

That pit was only a dozen or so meters away.

Inside the pit, everything was scorched black, and the plants around it had also been killed by the lightning strike.