Chapter 239
Chapter 239
Unsurprisingly, they had come because of A-Ming’s drowning.
A-Ming and his family thanked Jiang Yunsui as soon as they arrived, then had A-Ming kneel and kowtow to her.
“Thank you so much. We have nothing valuable to offer, but we hope you’ll accept this chicken.”
They accepted the gift. Then the village chief asked whether they could teach the rescue method to the people of the stockade.
The stockade depended on the Wu River. Children loved to play, and no matter how often their parents warned them, they still went to the river.
Even children who knew how to swim could encounter an accident like A-Ming’s.
Someone drowned in the Wu River almost every year or two.
“Of course,” Shen Qingzhu said. “Please select several people to learn from us, Chief. We need both men and women.”
Jiang Yunsui left the arrangements to Shen Qingzhu.
Oh, right. There was another first-aid method.
“Shen Qingzhu! Shen Qingzhu!”
“There’s a way to save someone who’s choking too.”
She might as well teach that one to Shen Qingzhu as well.
Its name was rather awkward to pronounce.
“It’s called the Heimlich maneuver.”
She slowly sounded out the unfamiliar name from her memories.
“You stand behind the person and wrap your arms around them. Make a fist and push here…”
Jiang Yunsui pointed to a spot above her navel.
Shen Qingzhu raised an eyebrow. How did this little girl know so many strange things?
Jiang Yunsui was too small to demonstrate the maneuver on someone else.
Instead, she played the patient and had Shen Qingzhu hold her from behind.
After some guidance, he was able to perform it properly.
Both first-aid methods required close physical contact. That was no issue when treating children, but in this era, contact between unrelated men and women could be especially damaging to a woman’s reputation.
Therefore, Shen Qingzhu taught both men and women. If an emergency arose, a woman could rescue another woman without causing as many problems.
Jiang Yunsui went to watch the lesson.
As soon as she arrived, a flock of children surrounded her, chattering and asking questions. Their eyes were filled with admiration.
Jiang Yunsui was immensely pleased.
“Little Yunsui, do you want to go into the mountains? There are lots of tasty berries now.”
In April, all things awakened. In mountainous Guizhou, it was the most beautiful season of the year.
Vast swaths of flowers gradually opened across the mountains. Some grew in great fields, others in scattered clusters. Tender green leaves emerged from the trees, and everything radiated new life.
The villagers were also beginning their spring planting.
Because the stockade stood near the river, irrigating most paddies was easy. But digging channels to higher ground remained difficult.
“I want to go.”
Of course Jiang Yunsui wanted to explore the mountains.
Shen Qingzhu was practicing medicine here to win the goodwill of Wuhe Stockade and gather information about the Phoenix-Mimic Bird.
The day after he finished teaching the villagers first aid, Jiang Yunsui ran into the mountains with a crowd of children.
Her animal companions followed.
Milk Tea could fly well now, so the golden eagle came with them too.
It had learned by following the two enormous roosters, but its natural talent was excellent.
Jiang Yunsui had nourished it with Imperial Flowing Essence while it was still inside the egg. Its congenital weakness had long since vanished, and it had already grown a magnificent coat of golden feathers.
“Is Milk Tea coming with us too?”
The children stared with shining eyes at the golden eagle perched in a tree.
They had seen eagles before, but never one of this color, nor one so large and handsome.
It was smaller than the two roosters, but looked far more impressive.
Jiang Yunsui gazed at Milk Tea with a great sense of accomplishment. She had raised this magnificent golden eagle herself.
“Yes. It can fly really well now.”
Since arriving here, Milk Tea had rarely appeared before the villagers.
It worked hard to practice flying and hunting.
Without parents to teach it, its only instructors were the two roosters.
They could take it into the mountains to fight snakes and catch rabbits, but learning to soar high and strike prey from above was up to Milk Tea itself.
Thus, Milk Tea left early and returned late nearly every day. It was quiet too. After returning, it usually perched in a tree, on a roof beam, or atop a roof, rarely showing itself.
It appeared only when Jiang Yunsui called.
As they headed into the mountains, Milk Tea flew overhead. It soon became a black dot and vanished from sight.
“Jiang Yunsui, come here! There are ripe raspberries.”
“Yunsui, over here! These silverberries are delicious.”
The mountains truly held many tasty things, even if they were only little wild fruits.
They were small, but genuinely delicious. Picking a handful and pouring them straight into one’s mouth was immensely satisfying.
There were medicinal herbs and mushrooms everywhere too.
Jiang Yunsui also saw plenty of pheasants, wild rabbits, snakes, squirrels, and other small animals.
“Shh! Shh!”
Jiang Yunsui suddenly spotted deer in the woods. She hushed the other children and lowered her voice.
“Over there. Look over there.”
Everyone followed her gaze and widened their eyes.
“Are those… sika deer?!”
They were indeed-a whole herd of them.
“Keep quiet. Don’t scare them away.”
“What do we do? Should we chase them? We can’t run that fast.”
The children were anxious and excited.
They feared losing such large prey. They had no ranged weapons, and humans on two legs could never outrun deer on four.
But they were thrilled to see them. Adults had brought deer back before, yet this was their first time encountering an entire living herd in the mountains.
The two mastiffs beside Jiang Yunsui were already eager to spring.
“Aaargh!”
A sudden scream made all the absorbed children jump. The deer’s upright ears caught it too, and the herd immediately fled.
“Dazhuang, what are you doing? You scared the deer away!”
The boy called Dazhuang flushed red and clutched his bottom, nearly crying.
“Which one of you pushed me? I landed on this rock and my bottom is bleeding!”
The stone was extremely sharp.
Jiang Yunsui, several quick-reacting children, and the two dogs were already racing after the herd.
“Don’t run! Don’t run away!”
They chased the deer while shouting with twisted expressions.
The deer might have wondered whether they were idiots. Were they supposed to stand still and be caught?
Jiang Yunsui reacted quickly and started fast, but her short legs were an insurmountable weakness. Gradually, everyone pulled ahead.
By the time she realized it, the unlucky little thing was completely alone.
Jiang Yunsui fell silent.
Being the only person with middling speed was disastrous!
Why had she reflexively run after everyone in the first place?
“Zuozuo! Youyou!”
“Si Si!”
Ji Si instantly appeared before her.
Jiang Yunsui sighed in relief and hurriedly hugged his leg.
“Thank goodness. You followed me.”
Ji Si was relieved too. Fortunately, Jiang Yunsui had not used her concealment ability this time. Otherwise, he truly might have lost her.