026. The Realm of Thought, Nature's Bounty

After Jing Qingxin finished her poised self-introduction, she kept her gentle smile, though inwardly she was thinking: Now that I've said this, let's see if you still have the nerve to gossip! At her words, the murmurs ceased, and those who had just been talking showed a hint of embarrassment on their faces. No one had expected this young woman to speak so forthrightly and openly, and the contrast in mindset was instantly clear.

She was a knowledgeable and educated woman, skilled in medicine and pharmacology, who had come all the way from the city to care for a wounded soldier who had been injured defending the country—a matter of honor. Compared to that, their idle gossip seemed petty. Her actions were admirable, while their behavior bordered on slander.

“It’s a good thing if he can be cured.”

“That young man is still so young. Otherwise, what a pity it would be.”

“I heard he’s even a minor official.”

A new round of conversation began among the crowd. This time, it was the men talking more, whereas earlier the women had been gossiping. Clearly, wherever you go, the women’s tongues are always the most restless.

“What are you all talking about? From now on, everyone needs to be more careful with their words. There are plenty of nurses in the hospital—can’t they care for a patient? This is a new era; we can’t have so many outdated ideas. Gaoshen had Dahua report this to me yesterday. If his leg can be healed, it’s a good thing! Spend less time gossiping and more time working in the fields—it’s more practical! Enough, get to work!” The production team leader’s words were stern and commanding.

Then, turning to Jing Qingxin, Captain Li spoke politely, “Miss Jing, you’re not from our village, nor are you on the list of those sent down to support rural construction, so you don’t need to join the labor.”

“No worries, Captain. I don’t need to watch over Gaoshen all the time. If I can help with something, I’d be happy to,” Jing Qingxin replied with a smile.

Captain Li thought for a moment, then said, “Very well, you can follow Li Dagen’s family.”

Li Fugui hadn’t expected much. After all, what work could a delicate city girl do? She might even hold them back. But since she volunteered, what could he say?

“All right,” Jing Qingxin answered with a gentle smile.

With the captain’s orders given, the villagers dispersed, each setting about their day’s farm work. Jing Qingxin followed behind the Li family, walking with them to the foot of a mountain.

“Miss Jing, you can go with Xiaomei to the hillside over there to pick wild vegetables. The rest of us will handle things here,” Mother Li said with a cheerful grin, not wanting to burden a guest with heavy labor.

“Alright! Aunt Li, just call me Xiao Jing. No need to be so formal,” Jing Qingxin replied with a smile. In truth, the way she was addressed felt awkward.

She couldn’t help but complain inwardly—these descendants of the new era really liked to make a fuss over titles. Why insist on such awkward forms of address when the usual ones were just fine? It made her uncomfortable.

“Alright, then I won’t stand on ceremony. Xiao Jing, you go with Xiaomei to pick vegetables, but be careful not to hurt yourself,” Mother Li said, her smile wide with joy. She had been polite because, after all, this young woman was from the city. But since Xiao Jing had insisted, she must truly not mind mingling with their rural, uneducated folk.

Mother Li felt genuinely happy—this was the feeling of being respected and valued. The only reason she’d hesitated with forms of address was that the female educated youths sent down to the countryside had once mocked them for their casual kinship terms. That had annoyed her greatly, for in their village, this was just how people spoke; who needed all those complicated rules?

Now, she could see that city folk varied too. Clearly, this young woman was not only pretty but also genuinely polite and easygoing—a truly well-bred city person, unlike those others.

“Yes, of course!” Jing Qingxin accepted happily. She understood Aunt Li’s good intentions. She’d only wanted to experience things for herself, and she knew she wasn’t suited for fieldwork, especially given her attire, which would only get in the way.

She didn’t know how long she would remain in this era, but since she’d decided to show herself, she ought to get a sense of the village, or rather, the circumstances of this time. Going to pick vegetables with Li Xiaomei would be a good chance to chat.

“Xiaomei, take good care of your sister Jing!” Mother Li reminded her repeatedly.

“I know, don’t worry!” Li Xiaomei replied with a laugh.

Jing Qingxin looped her arm through Li Xiaomei’s, smiling. “Let’s go, Xiaomei.”

Li Xiaomei was a little nervous at this sudden gesture, but she was visibly pleased. She hadn’t had much schooling, and compared to the educated women sent from the city, she’d always felt inferior. She knew many city folk looked down on uneducated villagers like herself and generally kept their distance.

But this young woman was willing to spend time with them, even taking her arm so warmly. Li Xiaomei felt this sister was truly kind, and she happily led Jing Qingxin to pick wild vegetables.

“Sister Jing, are there really small buildings everywhere in the city? I’ve heard there are even little cars. I’ve only ever been to the small town,” Li Xiaomei said, full of longing and awe.

Jing Qingxin was momentarily taken aback. That was a tricky question. She knew the general conditions of this era but couldn’t possibly know the specifics of every county or city.

“Most of the time, yes,” Jing Qingxin replied vaguely.

To keep her from asking more, Jing Qingxin quickly asked, “Xiaomei, are there animals in these mountains?”

“There are! But we usually only pick vegetables on the hillsides. We can’t go to the back mountain. My father says there are fierce tigers in these mountains. Once, someone from the village went deep into the woods to hunt, and they never came back. People said they heard tiger roars from the forest, so after that, no one dared to go into the back mountain. At most, they catch wild chickens or rabbits on the front slopes, but even that’s rare—only if there’s no food at home would anyone take the risk,” Li Xiaomei explained. The village children had been sternly warned by their elders since they were young and would never venture deep into the mountains to play.

“I see,” Jing Qingxin nodded. But her mind was already turning over how she might enter the mountains. In her own time, there were no animals left in the village mountains, not even wild herbs. Natural resources were scarce, and many species were extinct. How different it was now, with these mountains still brimming with the bounty of nature!

(The original publication of this book is at Xiaoxiang Shuyuan. Please do not reprint.)