Chapter 35: Good Brothers

"Old Gu, your wife is quite capable. To think she managed to rent a place in Beijing all on her own; you really don't need to worry about her so much."

Ling Yulin had a newfound respect for Lu Jiao'er, who had managed to settle down in Beijing without alerting a soul. Bold yet meticulous—that was his impression of her now. After learning about her actions on the train, his favorable opinion of her had skyrocketed. This woman from Guangxi was not at all what everyone had imagined; it was just that no one had bothered to discover her shining qualities.

"Actually, it's better that she isn't living at my home. Given my mother's temperament, she would have certainly had a hard time."

After finishing his phone call with Lu Jiao'er, Gu Fengji had come to terms with the situation. He realized that it was indeed more comfortable and free for his wife to live on her own.

"Old Gu, it's best if you think that way. Leave the rest to time. Besides, we are both so busy with work and heavy tasks right now that neither of us can really look after her. It’s better for them to live apart and be at ease."

Ling Yulin felt this was for the best. He knew what Gu’s mother was like—the type of person who could never accept a daughter-in-law from the countryside. It was better for Lu Jiao'er not to be at the Gu household at all.

"Old Ling, thank you for running around for me and for asking your brother to look after her."

"Don't mention it. We're brothers, aren't we? Just say the word if you need anything."

Ten days later.

Lu Jiao'er received a letter and a large money order from her hometown, along with a stack of ration coupons: meat, grain, alcohol, oil, and coal.

Furthermore, Ling Yulin’s brother had personally come to see her a few days ago, greeted her, and left his contact information before departing. Lu Jiao'er didn't know what had happened at the Gu household, but it was possible they had caused a scene on her behalf, which made her feel a bit uneasy. She decided to set the money aside and save it to return to Gu Fengji when they next met. As for the coupons, she had a real need for them, so she had no choice but to use them.

Director Huang and the elderly women in the neighborhood had already provided her with the list of medicines they needed and the quantities required. Lu Jiao'er knew many people wanted to buy medicine, but she had never expected the volume to exceed her estimates—over five hundred bottles in total. And that was just the order for the alleyway where she lived; people in the neighboring alleys hadn't even heard about it yet.

Additionally, she needed to send a batch back to her hometown. Su Yulan had written to say that if there were any medicines available, she should send more next time. The weather in Beijing had been quite pleasant over the past few days, free from the dust storms of later years, with temperatures hovering around five degrees Celsius.

At the break of dawn, Lu Jiao'er set off, carrying a water bottle, noodles, eggs, cured meat, and a small pot.

Fragrant Hill was located in the western suburbs of Beijing. It took Lu Jiao'er over an hour to reach the foot of the mountain after transferring from a city bus to a shuttle.

After more than a month of conditioning and consuming the elixirs stored in her internal space—relics from the cultivation world—Lu Jiao'er now possessed great strength and felt as light as a swallow. Having studied several medical texts on Chinese herbs before coming, she planned to head straight for the summit. Her strategy was to forage for herbs all the way down the mountain before catching the shuttle back, ensuring no time was wasted.

Naturally, Fragrant Hill did not harbor rare, precious herbs, but there were plenty of common ones. By the time she caught the shuttle home, she was carrying two bags filled to the brim with medicinal plants.

By the time she returned to her residence in the alley, it was completely dark. After eating dinner, Lu Jiao'er began processing the herbs she had gathered.

She spent five consecutive days foraging at Fragrant Hill before she stopped going out. She only purchased the herbs that were unavailable or insufficient at Fragrant Hill from traditional Chinese medicine shops. Once everything was gathered, she began preparing to manufacture the medicine at home.