chapter 6

Thinking of that bowl of fishy, sticky soup, my stomach churned and I couldn’t help but retch.

More than a month ago, my mom said that young people like us have poor qi and blood.

We need to nourish our qi and blood more often.

I also have a habit of getting menstrual cramps, so I need to be even more careful.

So, more than a month ago,

she started making soup for me.

She said it was Five Red Soup, and that it could nourish qi and replenish blood for girls.

The ingredients for the soup were simple-just things you could find every day, like red-skinned peanuts, red dates, goji berries, and so on.

The soup came out a deep red, with a sweet yet fishy taste.

My mom said it was because she added brown sugar.

I even looked it up online at the time.

Those ingredients really do have health benefits and can help nourish qi and blood.

Mom always wants what’s best for me, so I never thought much about it.

Every time, she would personally bring me the freshly made soup, and only leave after watching me drink it with her own eyes.

Sometimes, when I was busy, I’d set the bowl aside for a while, and then, in the blink of an eye, I’d see her eyes staring intently at me through the crack in the door.

Expectant, excited, and a little bit thrilled.