Zhao Jiaqi divided them into two groups. One group cleaned the purchased jars, while the other picked watermelons.
The five mu of watermelon fields yielded a total of twenty-three thousand catties, a good harvest.
She gave each family a few watermelons. They had spent these past few months together pleasantly. Everyone had taken good care of her and her daughter, so giving back this much was not a lot.
She directly set up two workshops in the local area.
One was dedicated to making watermelon paste, and in the other workshop, she bought two young lads to directly brew watermelon wine.
These two workshops began to operate in an orderly fashion. With free time, she could still go up the mountain for a stroll, thinking about implementing the cultivation of wood ear mushrooms.
She would not be staying here for too long, so she wanted to do as much as she could.
Staring at the wood ear mushrooms on the poplar logs, she heard someone speaking from behind her, "Sister-in-law, excuse me, is there a doctor around here? My brother was bitten by a snake!"
Zhao Jiaqi turned around and saw two men dressed as young masters.
She looked at the wound on the man's arm. The blood was dark, and the wound had also been cut open. A good amount of the poisoned blood had been squeezed out, otherwise, this person would have likely died long ago.
"There's an old doctor at the foot of the mountain, his surname is Cui. Hurry and go!"
The man didn't even say thank you. He carried the injured person on his back and ran off quickly. This couldn't help but make Zhao Jiaqi glance at him a few more times.
Running through the woods as if on level ground, it seemed they were quite skilled, at least comparable to her husband.
When she returned to the village, she saw the man from before sitting dejectedly by the roadside, supporting the injured person, with a mournful face, looking as if he were half-dead.
"What's wrong? Didn't you find a doctor?"
The man shook his head, "I found one, but the doctor said he couldn't save him. Moreover, my brother... my brother is breathing more than exhaling, he's at death's door. It's likely a dire situation."
Zhao Jiaqi looked over. The man's face had a bluish tint, indicating he was not far from death.
"I have a folk remedy here. Although it's not elegant, it might just save a life!"
Upon hearing there was such a folk remedy, hope ignited in their eyes. "Sister-in-law, saving a life is important. No matter if it's elegant or not, please tell us!"
She felt a bit embarrassed, as it was indeed disgusting. She whispered the remedy, and the man's eyes almost bulged out.
He roared at her, "You want me to... have my elder brother soak the injured part in a cesspit? Are you trying to die?"
She shrugged and replied innocently, "I heard this prescription from someone else. I don't know if it's true or not. Just take it as a joke. I don't want to die!"
If she knew this person was ungrateful, she wouldn't bother with such troublesome matters.
Not all good deeds are rewarded, so she turned and walked away, ignoring the situation.
"Ah Shi, don't be rude. I'm already like this. Why not give it a try? Treat a dead horse as if it were alive!" the injured person said intermittently.
Ah Shi could only obey. He carried the injured person on his back and followed Zhao Jiaqi. "Hey, you're here to treat my brother. If you can't save him, I'll still take your life!"
Zhao Jiaqi was enraged. In less than fifteen minutes, she had been threatened twice by the same person. The last person who threatened her had already gone to see King Yama.
She shouted back at him, speaking without any politeness, "Are you sick? Look at your logic. Is your rectum connected to your brain, filled with shit? Get lost!"
"Sister-in-law, don't argue with Ah Shi. Please... Sister-in-law, have mercy and save me... save my life. If you can save me... I will repay you with my life in the future. If you can't... it's not your fault, and I will never... never let you lose your life."
His eyes were half-open, speaking feebly, as if he were half-dead.
Zhao Jiaqi's inner good and evil battled, and in the end, the good prevailed.
She felt that this was a living life. As long as there was a possibility of survival, she did not want to see another person die.
So, she led them to her home and told Ah Shi to treat the patient according to her instructions. She had also seen this remedy in an ancient book. Whether he could be saved depended entirely on fate.
While the treatment was ongoing, she asked the village chief for paper and a brush, and wrote a lengthy detoxification prescription. She handed it to her daughter, "Go and see if Grandpa Cui has these herbs. If he does, get them immediately. If not, take Uncle Wei to town to buy them. Go!"
Ren Yingjun knew that someone was about to die and dared not delay. She sprinted away and soon returned, panting, holding several packets of herbs in her hand.
Zhao Jiaqi immediately began to decoct the medicine. Just as the medicinal pot was placed on the stove, Cui Langzhong arrived with his medical kit.
He had seen the prescription written by the young woman and thought it was ingenious and perhaps worth trying. If it succeeded, it could save more people bitten by snakes in the future.
Inside the house, an indescribable odor wafted into his nostrils, almost sending Cui Langzhong to the heavens. Pinching his nose, he came out of the room. "Oh, Ren Family's wife, why is the patient soaking his wound in a privy?"
Zhao Jiaqi, who was decocting the medicine, saw him frown and look disgusted by the smell, almost stifling a laugh. "This filth is said to cure diseases. I saw it in a book once, but I've never experienced it before. It's a last resort."
Cui Langzhong knew that urine could be used for medicinal purposes, and perhaps this substance could too. He went in again to observe.
Jun Jun curiously peered over, then came out pinching her nose and whispered into Zhao Jiaqi's ear, "Mom, Grandpa Cui's hobby is truly peculiar. He's observing and taking notes while watching. You wouldn't believe... I don't know how to describe it."
"You child, your Grandpa Cui is dedicated. If this method can cure snake venom, then another person will be saved in this world, and others won't have to suffer the pain of losing a loved one, right?"
Jun Jun thought of her deceased mother and the grandmother who treated her as her own granddaughter. She felt that what her mother said was very true.
When the medicine was ready, she personally brought it into the room and carefully fed the patient, no longer minding the smell. "Big brother, get well quickly so that your parents won't be sad."
A clear voice sounded in his ear. He swallowed the bitter medicinal liquid with difficulty, barely managing to open his eyes. He saw a small girl holding a bowl of medicine and feeding him. Her voice was full of concern, and he found it more melodious than heavenly music.
"Big brother has no father or mother. Even if they were alive, they wouldn't care about me!"
After hearing this, Jun Jun felt even more pity for him, thinking he was more pitiful than herself. "Then you should get better. If others don't care about you, you should care about yourself."
He smiled. His chapped lips cracked slightly, and a bit of blood seeped out. He asked her, "Little sister, are you caring about me?"
"Of course. It's not just me; my mom and Grandpa Cui are all concerned about you. None of them want you to die."
The injured person gave a bitter smile. So that was what she meant. However, at the point of death, knowing that there was still a pure land in this world, where someone could treat him as a person, he would die content.
He looked at Ah Shi, who was supporting him. "If I die, bury me here. You will protect this little girl for me. I entrust her to you!"