Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Before he departed, the Old Dragon King remained ever-grateful for the centuries of worship he had received from Nianqiao Village. Even after leaving, he still couldn’t rest easy about the place. It had to be said that this was a blessing for Nianqiao Village and good fortune for its people.

In the main hall of the Dragon King Temple, where Zhao Nuanyue was living, the Dragon King’s shattered stone statue still stood.

Despite how the people had treated the Old Dragon King, he still repaid them with a grateful heart.

Zhao Nuanyue was just an ordinary person, lacking the magnanimity of a deity. She was willing to do good deeds, but only if there was some benefit in it for her.

Zhao Nuanyue would never harm others for her own gain, and she certainly wouldn’t harm others for no gain at all.

Just as Zhao Nuanyue was focused on improving her abilities, Nianqiao Village once again fell into an uproar with the arrival of several newcomers.

It turned out the county had sent over five people from Fendao Village, supposedly all elderly. But they weren’t all old men; one was a man in his forties. This "younger" man was in a terrible state—his legs had been broken, he was filthy, and his long hair was completely matted.

The other four included a white-haired old woman and her husband. The remaining two old men were gaunt and in poor health.

As they entered the village, the newcomers were gawked at by the villagers before being herded into a crude shack.

The wind was biting and the air was damp. Even a young person couldn’t bear it, let alone the elderly!

The elders’ faces were numb and expressionless, their eyes hollow. They showed no concern for the future; it was a look of pure despair.

Zhao Nuanyue couldn’t bear to watch, so she stayed home with her brother.

That night, Wang Yuan and the others were chattering about it, planning to go see the newcomers for themselves the next day.

"Nuanyue, why aren’t you going?" Wang Yuan asked. "You’re young. Shouldn’t you be more curious?"

Zhao Nuanyue shook her head. "It just feels wrong. Since I can’t change the situation, all I can do is stay away."

Hearing Zhao Nuanyue’s words, Yang Guanghui fell silent.

"Ah, you’re right," Li Qiong sighed. "I won’t go tomorrow either. It’s too cold."

Yang Guanghui nodded. "Then let’s not go."

The group agreed they would all stay at their lodgings instead.

With no books to read, they drew a grid on the floor to play Gomoku or watched Zhao Nuanyang draw in his sandbox.

That night, Zhao Nuanyue’s consciousness slipped out to wander again.

Though Zhao Nuanyue hadn’t gone to look during the day, she was still extremely curious.

’In my previous life, only three people came to Nianqiao Village, so why are there five now? Who are the two extra people?’

’Those three from my past life were all extraordinary people. So what’s the story with these two new arrivals?’

Just then, Zhao Nuanyue saw a dark figure vault right over the fence.

Zhao Nuanyue jumped in fright, thinking someone was there to assassinate the people in the shack.

But a closer look revealed it wasn’t an assassin. The shadowy figure was actually a familiar face: Hua Yusen.

She saw that Hua Yusen was carrying two canteens, which were filled with thin rice gruel.

When a figure suddenly appeared in the shack, the two old men who didn’t recognize Hua Yusen were startled. But upon seeing that he had brought food, they didn’t stand on ceremony. They would eat their fill first and then find the strength to ask questions.

"If you want to leave this place alive, don’t make a sound and don’t speak of this to outsiders," Hua Yusen said coldly. "Even if you successfully report me, I will still kill you."

The old man who had drunk a few mouthfuls of the rice gruel felt a bit warmer. He looked at Hua Yusen and said, "If I, Gu Qingyu, were a two-faced hypocrite, I wouldn’t have ended up here. Having eaten your gruel today, I now owe you a favor. If I make it out of here alive, I will not forget the kindness of this meal."

"Good gruel," said Sun Haoran, the other old man beside Gu Qingyu, with a weak smile. "Relax. We may be old, but we still have that much integrity. Also, young man, could you bring some cold medicine tomorrow? I don’t have enough clothes on, and I’ve caught a cold."

"Alright," Hua Yusen nodded. "Just hold on. As long as you’re alive, there’s hope!"

Hua Yusen then turned to the married couple and said softly, "Uncle Qian, Aunt Qian, you’ve suffered."

Upon seeing Hua Yusen, tears streamed down Qian Zhengying’s face. He choked out, "To think that you would still come to see us, even after we’ve been brought to this..."

"I’ve been following your situation ever since I heard the news," Hua Yusen said, his heart aching for them. "Today, I’ve just brought you something to eat. I’ll get you some dry straw later. I will find a way to improve your living conditions as soon as I can."

When Old Madam Qian saw Hua Yusen, she subconsciously reached out to touch his face. "Yi Qing," she said, "run away! Don’t come back!"

Hearing his wife mention their son, Qian Zhengying couldn’t hold back his tears either. Their son was gone. ’And our daughter-in-law,’ he wondered, ’did she make it to the Suburb?’

When Hua Yusen heard the name "Yi Qing," his nose stung with the urge to cry. That had been his best classmate, and now he was gone from this world.