Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Little Red Carp was overjoyed. She scurried on her short legs to catch the shuttlecock and kicked it back to Leng Che.

”That’s right, just like that! You’re great, Brother Che!” Little Red Carp clapped. She had heard the old man call the older boy ”Che’er.” ’Now that we’re friends,’ she thought, ’I can call him Brother Che. A big brother to play with me!’

”Brother Che?” Leng Che murmured. For the first time, he thought the name didn’t sound half bad.

The two of them kicked it back and forth for a while.

Watching Little Red Carp’s smile, Leng Che smiled too. His usual stern expression vanished, replaced by a touch of boyishness.

Although Liu Wenqiang was fond of Little Red Carp, he found playing children’s games incredibly boring. Now that another kid had come to play with her, he was content to watch from the sidelines.

When Zhao Nuanyue came out, she was greeted by this amusing scene.

Zhao Nuanyue didn’t rush to make Little Red Carp stop. Instead, she walked over to Mr. Huang and said with a small laugh, ”Mr. Huang, I hope my Little Red Carp isn’t bothering you again.”

”Not at all, not at all,” Mr. Huang said. ”At my age, I love seeing children so lively and adorable. My grandson here is just too serious. He doesn’t act like a child at all.”

”He’s just mature for his age,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a complimentary smile. ”My sister, on the other hand, is a real handful, but she’s exceptionally kind.”

”Yes, she is very kind. Look how happily Che’er is playing with Little Red Carp. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him this happy,” Mr. Huang said with a laugh. ”You should bring her over more often.”

”I’d hate for her to cause you any trouble,” Zhao Nuanyue replied with a smile. She glanced at her watch. It was almost eleven o’clock. They still had to go fishing and then make a delivery to Immortal Grass Hall.

”It’s no trouble at all. You’re too kind,” Mr. Huang chuckled, his eyes never leaving his grandson as he played.

Zhao Nuanyue waved and called out with a smile, ”Little Red Carp, we have to go now! Say goodbye to your big brother, you can play again tomorrow, okay?”

Hearing her sister’s call, Little Red Carp quickly replied, ”Okay!”

Leng Che looked a little disappointed at this. ’Playing shuttlecock is actually pretty fun,’ he thought. ’It’s not childish at all.’

”Brother Che, I’ll bring a kite tomorrow and we can fly it together, okay?” Little Red Carp asked as she picked up the shuttlecock from the ground.

”Okay!” Leng Che answered. ”Do you like Furong Cake?”

Furong Cake?

’That sounds delicious.’

”Is it yummy?” Little Red Carp’s eyes widened as she looked at Leng Che hopefully. ”Furong Cake... is it made from hibiscus flowers?”

”ER... maybe? I don’t know what it’s made of, but I know Furong Cake is super yummy,” Leng Che said quietly. ”I’ll bring some for you tomorrow, okay?”

”Okay! Thank you, Brother Che!” Little Red Carp beamed. ”Then I’ll see you tomorrow! Be there or be square!”

After saying goodbye to Leng Che, Little Red Carp ran to her sister’s side.

Zhao Nuanyue took out a handkerchief, wiped the sweat from Little Red Carp’s brow, and straightened her clothes. Then she picked her up and said, ”Mr. Huang, we have some business to attend to, so we’ll be leaving now.”

”Alright,” Mr. Huang nodded. ”Goodbye, Little Red Carp.”

”Goodbye, Grandpa! Goodbye, Brother Che!” Little Red Carp waved her chubby little hand at Mr. Huang and Leng Che. ”Brother Che, don’t forget the Furong Cake tomorrow!”

”Okay,” Leng Che nodded with a smile. ”I’ll definitely bring it for you!”

Zhao Nuanyue felt a headache coming on. ’Little Red Carp is such a little glutton.’

’How embarrassing! What do I do?’

”Um, Little Red Carp, you can’t just ask people for food,” Zhao Nuanyue said, starting her lecture after getting into the car with Little Red Carp in her arms.

Little Red Carp frowned and retorted, ”I didn’t ask anyone for food! Brother Che said he’d bring me Furong Cake tomorrow!”

’Alright, that’s not the point.’

”Little Red Carp, you can’t just accept food from anyone. What if a bad person gives you something to eat to trick you, or puts something bad in it?” Zhao Nuanyue cautioned, not wanting her sister to get into trouble later on.

”I don’t just eat things from anybody,” Little Red Carp replied, though she felt her sister had a point. ”I only eat things from friends and family.”

Zhao Nuanyue felt like she wasn’t getting through to her, so she just nodded. ”Alright, you’re a smart girl, Little Red Carp.”

”Of course I am,” Little Red Carp said smugly.

Liu Wenqiang, who was driving, couldn’t help but burst out laughing. ”Little Red Carp is the smartest and most impressive kid I’ve ever met,” he said. ”Earlier, that Leng Che kid called her childish, so she just took the shuttlecock and kicked it right at his head! I thought for sure he’d throw a fit and start crying, but then she actually invited him to play with her. In just a few minutes, they were best friends.”

Zhao Nuanyue could just imagine the scene.

”Little Red Carp always loved playing with the other kids back in the village. All of them adored her,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a proud smile. ’My sister is a powerful red carp spirit, after all!’

’A full-fledged one!’

They chatted and laughed the whole way, and Liu Wenqiang soon had Zhao Nuanyue and Little Red Carp back home.

Zhao Nuanyue carried a fishing rod, while Little Red Carp held a tin can containing the earthworms she had caught for bait the day before.

Seeing the fishing rod, Liu Wenqiang’s eyes lit up. ”Nuanyue, let me! Let me do it!” he said eagerly.

”Alright, you can do the fishing,” Zhao Nuanyue said with a light laugh. ”Whether we eat on time today depends on your skills.”

”Just you watch,” Liu Wenqiang said proudly. ”You’re about to see just how good I am at fishing.”

They went around back. Liu Wenqiang started fishing while Little Red Carp played nearby.

Sure enough, even without Little Red Carp’s help, Liu Wenqiang managed to catch several fish within half an hour—plenty for their lunch.

While Liu Wenqiang was fishing, Zhao Nuanyue fashioned a simple trap out of a basket and some fishing line. She gutted the fish, placed the entrails inside the basket as bait, tied a rope to it, secured the other end to a tree, and gently lowered it into the water at the lake’s edge.

Perhaps by noon tomorrow, there would be more fish in the trap when they returned.

Liu Wenqiang was thrilled to have caught several fish. Since it was almost time to eat, they hurried on their way.

Seeing that time was short, Granny Sun only made one braised fish, saving the other large fish to make something delicious for dinner.

「The next day.」

Liu Wenqiang had to drive Sun Haoran on a long trip, so he wouldn’t be able to go fishing with Zhao Nuanyue for a few days, which he found to be a real shame.

Zhao Nuanyue took Little Red Carp to the hospital. As they passed the small garden lawn, Little Red Carp looked around but didn’t see Leng Che. She felt a little disappointed.

’What about the Furong Cake he promised?’

Zhao Nuanyue brought Little Red Carp to Hua Yusen’s hospital room. While she was busy taking care of Hua Yusen, Little Red Carp was bored out of her mind.

’Liar!’

’Big fat liar!’

’Furong Cake... yummy Furong Cake...!’