Chapter 37
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Chapter 37: "She Likes Useful People."
Du Yinsui had her best sleep since crossing over. Ginseng was indeed different from wild grass. Two roots consumed brought internal warmth that effectively eased the midnight poison attacks. Last night’s pain barely reached twenty percent of what she’d endured at Sanqiao Post Station initially. Du Yinsui felt only slight discomfort before falling back asleep.
Come morning, she tested her injured left hand and leg. Yesterday’s fracture pain had faded to a light soreness. Lifting her sleeves and pant legs revealed the scabs: once reddish-brown, now pale brown, dry and brittle with edges curling. They’d likely shed within days.
Not only were her injuries mostly healed, but her intermittent sense of smell had stabilized. Though not constant, it lasted longer—perhaps forty to fifty percent restored from its peak during the apocalypse. Worth yesterday’s effort.
Which raised a question. Du Yinsui rose from the kang’s left side, stepped over the sleeping Chu Xiulan and Qin Haoyang, and approached Qin Chongli in the far corner. Bending down, she inspected him.
Seeing dried blood crusting his mustache from his nostrils, she sighed with relief. "Every single day… Waking to fresh blood startled me."
Qin Chongli was the truly startled one! Having slept late, he felt barely rested when someone disturbed him. Opening his eyes to a face looming above, he scrambled upright in alarm.
"The ginseng roots worked, Teacher. You move well today… though perhaps too well. Had a nosebleed?" Du Yinsui touched her own nose in demonstration. "But why the dark circles? They’re like fists beneath your eyes."
Qin Chongli turned away, hastily wiping his nose with his sleeve. Hearing her last remark, he couldn’t suppress an eye roll.
Dark? He’d hardly slept! Nearly drifted off when his granddaughter’s chatter reached him.
He should’ve spoken up immediately. But he hesitated—and lost his chance.
Within moments, "should we call her mother?" became "who wants to call her mother?" then shifted to "can we call her mother?"…
The little one wasn’t yet four; her fanciful thoughts were understandable. Jiang Wu started correctly, clarifying he didn’t intend to call Little Du girl mother. Yet upon sensing the child’s thoughts, he steered the conversation off course.
Then Qin Chongli heard it: his daughter-in-law Chu Xiulan had once offered to be a mother figure, only to be refused. He froze. He’d never known this. Why would Yao’er refuse when Chu Xiulan treated her as lovingly as her own son Haoyang?
His confusion likely mirrored Jiang Wu’s then—one silenced, the other gently probing.
"Brother wants a mother too. Auntie holds me, not him. He’s envious but won’t say—poor brother. Auntie is brother’s mother. I won’t share."
After a long silence, the milky voice returned, stating facts plainly. Qin Chongli pictured it: Chu Xiulan comforting Yao’er while Haoyang watched from afar, noticed by the child.
But don’t all mothers share love among multiple children?
Is that… true?
Unable to speak, Qin Chongli pondered through the night, revisiting this until he doubted his own certainty.
At that moment, Qin Chongli couldn’t dwell on those words further. Ever since Yao’er spoke, the conversation between the other two had veered completely off track. No one knew where the little one heard about "two women becoming wives," "not knowing who should call whom ‘wife’," or "can’t even manage a child yet call themselves wives"… Qin Chongli suspected it was during their imprisonment, when Chu Xiulan mentioned the Liu family women’s daily curses that the child had absorbed.
Yet when the little one brought it up last night, it wasn’t to repeat insults, but rather…
"Can you call her Zi, not Mama?"
Even now, recalling that soft question gave Qin Chongli a headache. Fortunately, Jiang Wu had endless patience, coaxing and explaining repeatedly.
Once the little one understood that "wife" didn’t mean "Mama" and "Zi," and grasped that "married couple" resembled her own "father" and "mother," a fresh problem emerged.
His granddaughter! His Qin-blooded granddaughter! Actually asked whether calling Du Yinsui "mama" meant calling Jiang Wu "dad" and changing her name to Jiang Ruoyao!
Qin Chongli nearly choked on his rage.
And Jiang Wu, who’d explained everything so reasonably, ended up swept along…
By the end, they’d spiraled from that wild fantasy into debating how many people needed to agree to make it real.
How many more people could there be!
Just those present in the room!
Why not ask him!
With a foolish student and a granddaughter whose loyalty leaned outward… How could Qin Chongli sleep!
Then there was the nosebleed little Du girl noticed early that morning… Qin Chongli stared at the dried blood on his palm, unsure if the ginseng caused it or if last night’s frustration brought it on.
Yet…
It wasn’t entirely beyond understanding.
Breakfast consisted of black bread loaves from the guards, served with dried vegetable and salted meat noodle soup made from yesterday’s provisions. The hot broth and toasted bread warmed them from stomach to heart.
After the meal, both Yao’er and Jiang Wu drank their medicine. Before Jiang Wu finished his brown sugar ginger tea, little Du girl scooped a tiny spoonful for Yao’er to "sweeten" her mouth. The bitterness vanished, replaced by a spicy heat that had the child frantically fanning her tongue, cheeks puffed in outrage. Yet after little Du girl gathered her close, murmuring "baby, sweet baby," Yao’er just blushed and hummed twice.
Hustled out by the guards, they saw the donkey cart waiting at the courtyard gate. A large black donkey, coat gleaming, rivaling the Kong family’s prized animals. The wooden cart behind looked worn but was clearly built from quality timber – old yet sturdy, far more solid and spacious than their makeshift door-plank cart, easily holding four adults and two children.
Ten days of exile. Blisters formed, burst, and reformed on their feet, the pain like a clinging parasite, only growing heavier.
They’d braced for months of agony. Yet on the eleventh day, it ended abruptly, jolted away on the bumpy but merciful donkey cart.
That greedy dog Kong Fangqiu must have lived lavishly before.
Sitting by the cart, Qin Chongli swung his legs.
The food, drink, supplies, medicine, even this donkey cart – frankly, little Du girl had secured it all.
People naturally admire strength, especially in hardship. Little Du girl’s capability gave even him a sense of security, let alone a not-yet-four-year-old orphan.
Besides, Yao’er seemed utterly captivated by little Du girl’s cycle of riling her up and then soothing her.
Thinking it over, Qin Chongli felt useless as a grandfather. He couldn’t comfort the child, couldn’t grasp her countless thoughts, and had even led his family into exile…
That Qin… didn’t seem like a surname they had to keep.
Among the prisoners at the back, those who had been too angry to sleep last night changed their minds because of the donkey cart.
In the leading carriage, Xu Lv was so furious he held onto the cart. "What were you thinking? How could you get them a donkey cart? Sitting on a cart without their feet touching the ground—is this even exile? It’s like they’re on a spring outing!" Xu Lv only realized they were already seated when he came out. He didn’t dare kick them off then and there, and Tan Wang was missing until just before departure—now they were on the road!
Yesterday, the Deposed Crown Prince had called for a doctor. Xu Lv learned it was for menstrual cramps. Of course, a doctor was needed, and medicine too, but this was the perfect chance to make the Deposed Crown Prince suffer. None of them except her could push that heavy wooden cart all day, especially while in pain. It was a key part of his mission!
But Tan Wang quietly ruined it!
Xu Lv was livid and spoke harshly, but before he could say more, Tan Wang cut him off. "Didn’t you tell me to handle things like I used to? They found a ginseng plant, gave us half, and traded the other half for this donkey cart and some supplies." Tan Wang looked up through the carriage window at Xu Lv’s grim face. "Don’t worry, Master Xu. When we reach Linzhou, you’ll get your share too. That’s how I always did it—everyone present gets something."
Xu Lv fell silent. They counted on Tan Wang’s old greed, his habit of doing nothing without pay. How did they find ginseng when they had nothing left?
The people on the donkey cart knew nothing of Xu Lv’s anger. Freed from walking, they relaxed, especially since the guard driving the cart was an old friend.
"Tan told me to drive, so I went straight to Li Village and found the biggest, sturdiest cart," Ma Datou said, patting the wooden cart. "How about that, isn’t it good?"
"Very good!" Du Yinsui praised, then tugged Qin Chongli’s sleeve. "Teacher, come learn to drive. We can’t let Ma Datou do all the work. When needed, we can take turns."
"Tan wouldn’t let you drive yourselves," Ma Datou waved a hand.
"But the Kong family drives their own," Qin Chongli said, climbing onto the cart and moving toward Ma Datou.
Ma Datou laughed awkwardly. "Their two carts barely fit them. Your whole group is on this one."
"Don’t worry, Ma Datou. We won’t touch anything without your say-so. We just want to learn. In Linzhou, more skills mean more ways to earn food," Du Yinsui said politely, giving Qin Chongli a look to hurry and learn.
"Listen to you, so formal. With your knack for catching bamboo rats and rabbits, or snagging wild chickens and ginseng, why would you bother with easy work like driving a donkey cart?" Ma Datou teased, less awkward now, and let Qin Chongli sit beside him.
Watching the donkey’s tail sway, Qin Chongli suddenly remembered the last words spoken before sleep by two unreliable people the night before.
Yao’er had asked Jiang Wu first: what kind of person did little Du girl like, and how could she make little Du girl like her?
Jiang Wu, who was good at soothing kids, said, "Our Yao Yao is so lovable. Du girl already likes you a lot. Just stay as you are—Du girl really likes you."
Clearly, Yao’er wasn’t happy with that.
In the dark, Qin Chongli heard a soft, annoyed snort.
Jiang Wu, being closer, heard it too.
Then Qin Chongli heard Jiang Wu ask, "Why? What do you think she likes then?"
It was a tough question, Qin Chongli thought.
But the next moment, Yao’er answered: "She likes useful people."
It brought sudden clarity!
After all, whenever Yao’er found bird eggs, Haoyang cooked simple meals, or Qin Chongli handled chores, little Du girl would heap praise on them!
Now, urged to learn driving from Ma Datou, Qin Chongli saw the wisdom in Yao’er’s words.
Yes, little Du girl had done plenty. They all needed to be useful people.
Starting with learning to drive a donkey cart.
Heading north, they really should pick up practical skills.
But Qin Chongli’s ideas about "useful" and "skills" were a bit off.
Especially later, when he watched little Du girl stand behind Jiang Wu, guiding her hands to use a dull stone shard to slit a living creature’s throat… that was when the gap felt biggest.
