RYEY – Chapter 208 A Father and Daughter Reunited

Aren’t these the herbs from the ancient medical texts? How come they were carved onto these drawers? Cheng Qiao looked at them curiously, thinking perhaps these drawers were meant to store pre-prepared pills.

She pulled open a drawer to check—empty. Unwilling to give up, she opened dozens more, but all were empty.

What was going on? Was she supposed to put the herbs into these drawers herself? Enlightened, Cheng Qiao went to the storage room to fetch the medicinal ingredients for the health pills.

Thanks to the space, Cheng Qiao’s memory was extraordinary; she had long memorized all the formulas in the ancient texts perfectly, with not a single mistake in the preparation of any herb.

Ginseng, astragalus, angelica, jiaogulan, epimedium, reishi… she weighed each herb carefully, making sure there were no errors, and poured them all into the drawers before closing them.

After a while, nothing happened. Opening a drawer, the herbs looked exactly the same—no transformation at all.

Where had she gone wrong? Cheng Qiao racked her brains, then suddenly thought of water. To turn herbs into pills, didn’t she need to steam them with water and use fire? How foolish!

She went to the well in the backyard, drew a bucket of water, and noticed that even the well water seemed upgraded—golden light rippled across the surface.

Quickly cupping some water in her hands, she drank a mouthful. It was sweet and refreshing, and compared to before the upgrade, it seemed to contain some kind of energy.

When she lifted her head, the red-headed pit viper and the sea eagle were staring intently at the water in her hands, clearly anxious. Cheng Qiao couldn’t help but laugh.

She took out two large stainless steel basins meant for the creatures, poured in the well water, and the two of them drank eagerly.

Cheng Qiao smiled faintly, not playing with them further, and drew another bucket of water. Entering the room of the ancient texts, she poured three bowls’ worth of water into the drawers according to the formula.

Her heart was anxious while pouring—what if the water leaked? Could it ruin the cabinets or cause other problems?

Fortunately, the drawers didn’t leak. Just as Cheng Qiao was pondering her next step, the drawer suddenly closed by itself.

If she hadn’t reacted quickly, it would have pinched her fingers. A few seconds later, the words “Health Pill” on the drawer flickered, and the drawer opened by itself.

Three health pills lay quietly inside, far superior in color and shape to anything Cheng Qiao had made by grinding herbs into paste and rolling them into pills herself.

She took a pill, chewed it, and whether it was psychological or due to the upgraded well water, the taste matched the ancient text perfectly—slightly astringent at first, then sweet, with the aroma rising, sinking into the dantian, warming the five abdomens, and clearing the six organs.

Cheng Qiao continued with the anti-inflammatory powder, hemostatic powder, itch-relief powder, and even poison powders, preparing them repeatedly according to the formulas. The drawers worked like modern machines, quickly producing finished products.

“Ah… ah… ah…”

Holding various pills and powders, Cheng Qiao jumped and shouted in excitement for five or six minutes before gradually calming down.

“Could my rebirth not only be about changing my own fate, my son’s, and my husband’s, but also about changing the fate of others? Was I reborn with a great responsibility?”

Her eyes sparkled with newfound understanding. In her heart, she made a plan—to plant medicinal herbs across the one and a half acres of black soil in the backyard—no, now it should be three acres.

There were also many herbs in the classical formulas that no longer existed. Whether extinct or simply not found yet, her first task in spring would be to venture into the mountains to seek them.

Cheng Qiao lightly returned to the bedroom. The little one was still sleeping. Little Cheng Li had already woken, and seeing the familiar surroundings, he played on the bed without crying.

“Come, baby, Mommy will change your medicine.”

Cheng Qiao applied the anti-inflammatory powder she had just prepared to Little Cheng Li’s face. Feeling itchy, he tried to scratch.

“No scratching! If you scratch, you’ll scar and won’t be the little handsome boy anymore.”

He paused but held back, knowing he was adorable, which was why many aunts, uncles, and older kids liked playing with him.

She took Little Cheng Li to the bathroom, fed him some rice cereal, then holding him, stepped out of the space. Outside, she heard Li Huan speaking—apparently Shouhou had arrived.

Cheng Qiao opened the door. Seeing Little Cheng Li, Shouhou ran over, hands outstretched: “Come, call uncle! Uncle will give you candy.”

Little Cheng Li puckered his lips and blew bubbles, making Shouhou extremely happy. He wondered if his own child would be as cute.

“Qiao, our things are all ready.”

Cheng Qiao nodded, indicating hers were ready too. Everyone smiled at each other. Shouhou’s smile stretched from ear to ear—he could make money again.

Cheng Qiao and Li Huan stayed in the county town for three days. On the third day, Mother Li arrived. Apparently, Li Le couldn’t resist and had told her that a bad woman had scratched Little Cheng Li’s face, making Mother Li rush over.

Seeing two faint, yellowish marks on Little Cheng Li’s face, her heart ached, and tears fell. Little Cheng Li hugged her tightly, calling “Nai, Nai.”

“Oh my, my grandson can call me grandma! My grandson is so smart, indeed my grandson! Come on, call it twice more, and grandma will buy you candy—no, chocolate!”

“Chocolate, Mom. Don’t spoil him too much, or he’ll be spoiled.”

“Go away! I’m happy to spoil my grandson.”

Mother Li shooed her daughter-in-law away like a little dog, then chatted nonstop with Little Cheng Li, both of them beaming.

“Brother Huan, Brother Huan, are you there?”

A familiar voice rang out. Li Huan immediately recognized it and hurriedly pulled Cheng Qiao outside. Cheng Qiao ran excitedly, thinking for the first time why Li Huan had made the courtyard so large.

“Cheng Qiao, my dear daughter, you’ve grown up.”

Cheng Liguo looked at the graceful Cheng Qiao—still fair and tender-skinned, still bright-eyed and white-toothed—but her aura had changed, from a pure young girl to a poised, elegant young woman.

“Dad, Dad, I missed you so much.”

Cheng Qiao threw herself into Cheng Liguo’s arms, laughing and crying. Mother Li hugged Little Cheng Li, wiping her own tears—her daughter-in-law had truly gone through a lot.

“Dad, you’ve aged so much, and your hair is so white. Here, eat this.”

Cheng Qiao placed a health pill in Cheng Liguo’s mouth. The strong taste of ginseng filled his senses. Knowing it was good, he chewed and swallowed.

Soon, warmth spread through his body, expelling the chill that had accumulated over the years, especially in his stomach. Suddenly, his expression changed.