Nothing much happened over the next few days, but Reiko certainly drove Chen Yu up the wall.
"Are you sure you aren't trying to kill someone? This is pokeweed, pokeweed, not ginseng!" Chen Yu kept swatting Reiko on the head with the ginseng-like herb she had just picked in the wild.
"I just mistook it for something else, okay?" Reiko held her head and looked pitifully at Chen Yu as she tried to explain.
"What, does it grow ginseng fruit or something? And you were going to make soup with it? Did you actually learn any medicine?" Chen Yu was furious.
Just moments earlier, Chen Yu had seen Reiko return from the wild and take out the herbs she had gathered, planning to make soup as he had taught her. When he saw them, he immediately picked one up, examined it closely, and asked what she intended to do with it. Hearing that she was making soup gave him quite a fright, leading to the scene above.
"Tell me, what have you been doing? Did you actually pay attention in school?" Chen Yu scolded her over and over.
He was so angry he nearly passed out.
Over the past few days, Reiko had either used poisonous mushrooms to make soup or prescribed poisonous herbs and herbs that conflicted with one another.
He had told her off more than once.
He was even considering having Miwa take over Reiko's work.
With Reiko being so scatterbrained, he was terrified she would give someone the wrong prescription. Just great-they had survived modern society, only to be poisoned to death when they came for treatment.
Just then, Chen Yu could no longer stay on his feet and toppled backward. At that instant, he felt someone catch him.
He opened his eyes and saw Xiao Xi, who had hurried back.
Xiao Xi was supporting Chen Yu's head with her hand. Since he seemed a little uncomfortable, she sat down and rested his head on her lap.
Chen Yu found it rather comfortable, so he closed his eyes and took a moment to recover.
Xiao Xi stroked his hair, and Chen Yu made no objection.
Before long, Chen Yu recovered.
He sat up and glanced at Reiko beside him. Just as he was about to give her another talking-to, Xiao Xi held him back.
Feeling Xiao Xi stroke his head, Chen Yu forced himself to swallow his words. "Go dry the herbs for me."
Reiko immediately ran outside.
Chen Yu watched her leave, at a loss for words.
If Xiao Xi had not been there, he would certainly have scolded Reiko until she was in tears.
He just could not understand it. Was she really a fan of his?
"Give me your hand," Chen Yu said, looking at Xiao Xi.
Xiao Xi obediently held out her hand and watched him.
As usual, Chen Yu took Xiao Xi's pulse, then felt around her throat to examine it.
Xiao Xi let him examine her without the slightest objection.
After examining her for a while, Chen Yu had a clear idea of her current condition.
"You're recovering nicely, much better than I expected. At this rate, you should be pretty much recovered by next year." As he spoke, Chen Yu adjusted her prescription.
Xiao Xi quietly watched Chen Yu. This boy was so much younger than her, yet surprisingly mature.
"Here, take this. Make sure you take it on time, okay?" Chen Yu wrapped up the medicine and handed it to Xiao Xi.
Xiao Xi smiled, nodded, and left.
Then Chen Yu left the pharmacy to find Tsukasa.
He wanted Tsukasa to set aside a few more portions of Revival Fluid. Without logistical support, they would run into difficulties at every turn.
He could not find Tsukasa in camp and was about to come back the next day when he saw him returning with a lion slung over his shoulder.
This guy...
"Chen Yu? What are you doing here?" Seeing Chen Yu ahead of him, Tsukasa shifted his right arm behind his back to hide the injury on it.
"Let me see it," Chen Yu said at once.
Tsukasa set down the lion's carcass and let the others carry it away, then obediently held out his hand.
"Honestly, you're hurt again. If it's too hard to fight, just leave it alone. Why do you have to get yourself covered in injuries every time? This time, last time, and probably when I first revived, too. What am I supposed to say to you?" Chen Yu examined him irritably, then sprinkled on the blood-staunching powder he had made.
"I'll be more careful next time," Tsukasa said, not daring to look at Chen Yu.
He was deeply afraid that Chen Yu would get angry and stop speaking to him.
"All right, don't move it around too much for the next few days, understand? And don't get it wet. I'll give you another bottle. Apply it on time every day. Is it summer now, or autumn? What a pain. I've completely lost track of time. The weather's getting cooler, so be more careful from now on. Once it gets cold, herbs will be hard to find." Chen Yu kept talking.
"All right." Tsukasa nodded.
"Oh, right. When you go back, remember to hide a few portions of the Revival Fluid in the cave. I'm worried something unexpected might happen later, understand?" Chen Yu instructed him.
"All right," Tsukasa said, smiling at Chen Yu.
"Let's go. You caught a lion today. According to the customs back home, it's time to prepare another victory feast for you," Chen Yu said after a moment's thought.
"Back home? But I've never heard of anything like that." Tsukasa thought it over. Where in the Eastern Great Nation did people hold victory feasts for catching lions?
"Idiot, I mean in novels, of course. According to those stories, catching a lion makes you a warrior of the tribe. You've caught three already, so who knows what title you'd have by now. This is a perfect excuse for a barbecue party," Chen Yu said with a smile.
Tsukasa nodded at that and followed Chen Yu as the two headed toward the base.
(My heart hasn't been doing too well these past few days. It's an old problem, but I wanted to mention it here: if I stop updating one day, something may have happened to me. If something simply delays me, I'll leave a comment on Xinghe Aha's profile or at the end of a chapter. I'll do my best to finish this book. Thank you.)
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