Mo Lixia walked down the mountain, her hand clutching a piece of warm jade she had just received.
She was worried about the man she had just operated on. She had used ordinary thread for the sutures, which would need to be removed in a few days. But more importantly, his leg. The tendons were damaged. Even if the bones healed, he would need extensive rehabilitation to walk again. In this era, physical therapy was unheard of.
When she arrived home, Aunt Qiao was waiting at the gate with a basket.
"Miss Lixia! I'm sorry for the delay earlier," Aunt Qiao rushed forward, her face beaming. "We don't know how to thank you. You and your master are truly the blessings of Quling Village."
"Aunt Qiao, you are too kind. I will need the villagers' care in the future," Mo Lixia smiled gracefully, unlocking the gate. "How are Xiaohui and the baby?"
"They are doing well, very well!" Aunt Qiao laughed heartily. Then she noticed the creature in Mo Lixia's arms. "Oh, is that a rabbit? It looks... unique."
Mo Lixia looked down at the little white ball. With a mouse-like head and a squirrel-like tail, it was definitely not a rabbit. But since rare animals were precious, she didn't explain.
"I found it in the mountains a few days ago."
"Well, look at me blabbering," Aunt Qiao said, putting the basket in the kitchen. "We brought you some eggs and an old hen. You must accept them."
"Aunt Qiao, please take them back. Xiaohui needs them more right now."
"We have plenty at home!" Aunt Qiao insisted, backing away quickly before Mo Lixia could refuse. "I'm leaving now! If you need anything, just ask. My husband is a carpenter; he can make anything you need!"
Mo Lixia remembered that two years ago, she had saved Aunt Qiao's husband's finger after a sawing accident. They had been grateful ever since.
"Thank you, Aunt Qiao. Wait, take this jar of mushroom sauce I made. It's for you to taste."
Mo Lixia didn't like owing favors, so she quickly packed a jar of her homemade sauce for them.
After sending Aunt Qiao away, Mo Lixia carried the little creature into the bedroom. Just then, another visitor arrived.
It was the midwife, Madam Fang, carrying strips of cured meat and fabric.
"Miss Lixia," Madam Fang said respectfully, bowing deeply. "My name is Ji Yue'e, but everyone calls me Midwife Fang. Today, you taught me life-saving skills. I, Ji Yue'e, owe you a debt of gratitude. Please accept my bow as a disciple."
Mo Lixia quickly stopped her. "Madam Fang, this is too serious. I have no intention of taking disciples."
"But... according to the rules, a trade cannot be taught lightly. If you teach me, I must bow to you as my master."
"Madam Fang, I teach to save lives, not to follow rules," Mo Lixia said earnestly. "My goal is to help more people stay away from pain."
Madam Fang stared at her with wide eyes, shocked by the girl's open-mindedness. In the Great Imperial Dynasty, skills were guarded jealously.
In the end, Mo Lixia accepted the gifts but refused the formal master-disciple ceremony. Instead, she spent the afternoon teaching Madam Fang more emergency techniques for difficult births.
Madam Fang left with tears of gratitude, feeling like she had met a living bodhisattva.
That night, Mo Lixia was exhausted. She collapsed onto the bed, hugging the little creature, and slept until dawn.
The next morning, she was woken up by a crunching sound.
She peeked out from under the quilt. The room was freezing because the kang had gone cold.
There, on her pillow, sat the little white creature. It was holding a ginseng root with both paws, gnawing on it happily.
Mo Lixia blinked. Wait. That ginseng looks familiar.
Her eyes widened.
"A'Mu! That's my thousand-year-old ginseng! You little prodigal!"
She screamed and lunged for it.
The creature—which she had decided to name A'Mu (Woody) because it loved gnawing on roots—was quick. It dodged her hand and darted around the room.
One person and one animal chased each other around the freezing room until they were both panting.
Finally, Mo Lixia gave up, glaring at A'Mu from under her quilt. A'Mu wagged its fluffy tail innocently and snuggled back into the warmth beside her.
Over the next few days, Mo Lixia discovered something amazing about A'Mu.
It wasn't just a glutton. It had a nose for medicine.
It loved eating herbs, regardless of the type. But more importantly, it could sniff out rare herbs in the dense forest with pinpoint accuracy.
"You are a living treasure map," Mo Lixia marveled, watching A'Mu munch on a medicinal root.
She wished she had modern equipment to do a blood test on it. What kind of animal was this?
After the ginseng incident, she locked up her precious herbs and strictly warned A'Mu. Surprisingly, the little creature understood and stopped raiding her stash.
Life on the mountain returned to calm. Mo Lixia spent her days practicing calligraphy (which was terrible) and playing with her miraculous new companion.