Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

’If I get a position in the Women’s Federation, wouldn’t that put me right above Li Guihua?’ The very thought made Liu Lanhua gloat.

She knew that while she was well-liked in the village, she lacked Li Guihua’s prestige. Climbing the ladder wouldn’t be easy.

She would never have dared to dream of it before, but now, with Wang Dadan backing her and helping her strategize, replacing Li Guihua no longer seemed impossible.

"Oh, my dear brother, you’ve read my mind! Do you think you can help me get a post with the Women’s Federation?" Liu Lanhua quickly poured Wang Dadan a glass of wine. "Just think, if I get the job, mobilizing the women of the village will be a piece of cake. Making things convenient for you will make things convenient for me, too!"

’That’s right!’

Wang Dadan was ecstatic. With Liu Lanhua acting as a go-between, if he ever took a fancy to a woman in the village, it would become much easier to manufacture an opportunity to meet, get acquainted, and let things take their course.

"Not bad, not bad at all. That’s a great idea. Since you’re interested, Sister, I’ll see what I can do." After a few more drinks, Wang Dadan was feeling bold enough to make grand promises.

Liu Lanhua was ecstatic, and Li Siming was just as pleased. They drank with Wang Dadan to their hearts’ content.

Li Siming now understood. ’A person can’t be too honest or too kind, or they’ll just get bullied and never get ahead.’

After a dizzy Wang Dadan staggered out of Liu Lanhua’s house, both Li Siming and Liu Lanhua were thrilled, feeling as if their lives had a new purpose.

"Siming, if I get that Women’s Federation job, won’t I be impressive?" Liu Lanhua asked excitedly. She had drunk a little, which only fueled her excitement.

Li Siming was in high spirits. He hugged his plump wife, Liu Lanhua, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You’re a capable woman. If you can become the head of the Women’s Committee, life will get even better for our family. And it will be much easier for our Yingzi to get a job in the county seat."

"Exactly. We’ll work on this together," Liu Lanhua said. "Miao Cunzheng and Li Guihua are in the same boat. We’ll use Wang Dadan to go after them. Let two tigers fight it out while we reap the benefits."

"Right, we’ll reap the benefits. It’s like the proverb says: ’When two tigers fight, the fisherman profits.’" Li Siming chuckled foolishly, then pulled Liu Lanhua into his arms and pushed her onto the bed for a roll in the hay.

Zhao Nuanyue had been keeping an eye on Wang Dadan. When she saw him emerge from Liu Lanhua’s house, staggering and mumbling lewd lyrics like "Come on little sister, give your big brother a kiss," she had to fight the urge to summon a wave and sweep him into the river.

But the memory of passing out and losing consciousness the last time she’d tried something similar gave her pause. The lingering fear held her back.

’Even if I can’t use external forces, a guy like Wang Dadan has plenty of vices. If I’m patient, I can definitely catch him in the act and make him pay the price.’

Zhao Nuanyue’s gaze, fixed on Wang Dadan, was filled with bitter resentment.

The Little Red Carp, swimming beside Zhao Nuanyue, could sense her fury.

"Nuanyue, don’t be like this," the Little Red Carp advised. "You may not be using the Dragon Scale’s energy right now, but before it vanishes, you can let it help improve your body, to make you even more exceptional." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue froze. "The Dragon Scale will disappear?" she asked. "Does that mean after it’s gone, I won’t be able to move through the water so freely anymore?"

The Little Red Carp nodded. "That’s right. Once the Dragon Scale vanishes and fully merges with these waters, you won’t have these god-like abilities anymore."

Zhao Nuanyue was dumbstruck. She had grown accustomed to her superpowers, to this freedom.

"Then what was the point of all this? Am I getting nothing out of it?" Zhao Nuanyue asked, aghast. It was only after gaining superpowers that her ambitions had soared, believing she could become strong enough to deal with the people who had hurt her. ’If my powers disappear, how am I supposed to fight them?’

"That’s not true! You got me!" the Little Red Carp exclaimed, shaking its head. "My master left in a hurry and didn’t have time to explain everything, but he directly transferred his memories of the Dragon Scale to me. Once the scale has completely merged with this place, our fateful connection here will end. You will be my one and only master."

Hearing this made Zhao Nuanyue feel a bit better. ’At least I won’t be left with nothing. I’ll still have the Little Red Carp.’

’The Little Red Carp doesn’t have any amazing powers, but it’s nice to have someone to talk to.’

’I have so many secrets bottled up inside that I can’t tell anyone. It’s suffocating. The Little Red Carp is a great listener.’

Seeing Zhao Nuanyue fall silent, the Little Red Carp grew sad and asked cautiously, "Are you very disappointed?"

Even though it was just a fish, Zhao Nuanyue could see the cautious, worried look on the Little Red Carp’s face and in its eyes.

"I’m not disappointed," Zhao Nuanyue said with a smile. "I still have you! I was relying too much on an external power. I forgot that becoming strong on your own is the only way to be truly strong."

Hearing her words, the Little Red Carp smiled. It opened its tiny mouth, took in some water, and playfully squirted it at Zhao Nuanyue.

"I’m glad you understand," the Little Red Carp praised. "My former master used to say, ’Lean on a mountain, and it will crumble; depend on a river, and it will run dry.’ No matter what, you have to rely on yourself. For instance, if you decided you didn’t want me, I’d just stay here. And that would be fine, too."

"How could I ever not want you?" Zhao Nuanyue looked at the Little Red Carp with affection. "There are things I can only tell you. And in the whole world, I’m the only one who can understand what you say. That makes us natural-born best friends. We have a long life ahead of us, so let’s work hard and be happy together."

"Mhm!" The Little Red Carp nodded. "I’ll help you fight bad guys with you! Er, well, even if I can’t actually help you fight, I can give you all kinds of information."

Zhao Nuanyue was delighted. ’Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated.’ With the Little Red Carp, she could learn the thoughts of the despicable Wang Dadan, Li Siming, and Liu Lanhua ahead of time. If she still couldn’t handle those few, she’d be a true fool.

’If I can’t even deal with these people, how will I ever face the truly vicious wolves and tigers out there?’

As the weather turned cold, Zhao Nuanyue stayed home, doing needlework while watching her younger brother, Zhao Nuan Yang, draw in his sandbox. At night, she would secretly deliver food to the elderly folks.

Her cooperation with Hua Yusen was seamless.

The four elders and one middle-aged person were receiving decent care, and their health was steadily improving, which put Hua Yusen’s mind at ease.

Li Qiong and Wang Yuan burst in from outside, saying excitedly, "Nuanyue, the next village over is showing a movie tonight! Let’s go watch!"

Zhao Nuanyue wasn’t interested in an outdoor movie screening. She shook her head. "I’m not going. It’s too cold."