Chapter 018: The Life-Saving Medicine, I'm Here to Find It

The snow... something’s not right! Why does it taste a bit salty? It makes the cracked wounds hurt unbearably.

The sharp pain jolted Su Yanwen awake, clearing his mind considerably. He scrambled upright and carefully observed his surroundings. This place was desolate, with an eerie sense that no living creature dared approach and no vegetation could grow.

Unused knowledge and memories quickly resurfaced. Just moments ago, Su Yanwen had been desperate, but now hope stirred within him. How could he have forgotten about alkali land when he was so focused on finding a beach?

In many regions, large-scale tectonic movements in geological history caused deposits of sodium-rich feldspar and other alkaline minerals to accumulate here. The cold, dry winters favored salt accumulation, while the hot summers caused salt to evaporate. The alternating seasons resulted in salt gathering on the surface.

Though this patch of alkali land was small, its soil had a high salt content. With reduced water evaporation in winter, a white salt crust formed on the ground. Combined with the snowfall, the landscape appeared as a vast expanse of white, making it impossible to distinguish salt from snow.

There was hope! Salvation was at hand!

Su Yanwen, now hopeful, licked suspicious-looking snow piles. “Ptooey.” The taste was unmistakably right—overly salty, bitter, and astringent. He gathered a bagful.

The salt from alkali lands is primarily sodium chloride, requiring purification before use. He quickly filled a bag and hurried home.

At Wenlun Village, Zhao Yue’e’s eyes grew emptier as days passed without a sound from Su Yanwen. She gazed out the door anxiously.

“Mother, when will Father come home?”

All the food Su Yanwen had left at home was nearly gone. Zhao Yue’e fed the last spoonful of gruel to her daughter, Cao’er.

With a bitter smile, she said, “Cao’er, be good and come with me to gather wild vegetables. Once we have plenty, your father will come home.”

“Okay!” Cao’er slung her small basket on her back, chin lifted proudly. “I’ll gather lots of wild vegetables.”

But soon her legs weakened severely, forcing her to lean on a wooden stick and move forward slowly.

“Good grief, you shameless little vixen! You got salt and didn’t even think to honor me first!” Miao Qin stormed up to the door, venting her anger at Zhao Yue’e and Cao’er as they stepped outside.

Zhao Yue’e’s eyelashes trembled as she held Cao’er tightly, her voice bitter: “Mother, look at us like this—where would the salt be?”

“Don’t talk nonsense—we know everything. That worthless woman traded a single fish for a little salt.”

“Look around—so many in the village have goiter.”

“Do you want me to become a monster with that cursed disease too?!” Miao Qin lunged forward, ready to strike.

Cao’er stood in front of Zhao Yue’e: “Grandmother, don’t hit Mother.”

But her small frame was shoved aside by Miao Qin, who immediately slapped her repeatedly, shouting, “You wretched girl, trying to harm me! Hand it over quickly!”

“Father, Father, please come back!” Cao’er whimpered while crying at the door.

Hearing Su Yanwen’s name, Miao Qin’s face contorted with hatred: “He’s been gone so many days—he’s probably dead.”

“Do you two still dare disobey me?”

“Zhao Yue’e, you married into the Su family—you live as one of us, and when you die, you remain one of us.”

“Hurry and please me, or I’ll sell you both off like worthless goods.”

Zhao Yue’e gritted her teeth, red handprints marking her face. She clutched her daughter in silence.

Finally, she said, “That salt was used long ago, dissolved in water to clean my husband’s wounds.”

“Ah! Such wastefulness,” Miao Qin sneered. “That ungrateful scoundrel is dead; let him be. Give me that saltwater—I’ll use it to pickle vegetables.”

“There’s none left... none at all,” Zhao Yue’e said helplessly.

Miao Qin dropped to the ground, slapping her thighs and throwing a tantrum. “Is this how you honor your elders?”

“You let me die before your eyes but wouldn’t spare even a pinch of salt?”

“Fine... cough cough.”

She ran onto the main road, feigning tears and wails with sharp, piercing cries: “Everyone, come see!”

“Old Master Su has salt but hoards it, letting others die.”

She pounded the ground fiercely, glaring at Zhao Yue’e. “If you don’t find that salt, I’ll have the entire village curse you to death.”

“There really isn’t any,” Zhao Yue’e’s voice was weak.

Seeing her stubborn denial, Miao Qin grew ruthless. If she couldn’t have it, no one else would.

Miao Qin’s shout shattered the silence: “Zhao Yue’e has salt!”

Like a stone thrown into a placid lake, ripples erupted everywhere.

A group of villagers suffering from goiter, previously leaning against walls or curled inside, suddenly seemed possessed by madness.

Their cloudy eyes widened, bloodshot veins spreading jealousy. Their withered hands waved wildly, pushing and shoving as they staggered toward Zhao Yue’e’s yard.

Some panted heavily, others emitted hoarse sounds.

“Salt!”

“Where is the salt?”

Lost to reason, they surged inside, knocking down already crumbling walls while searching frantically.

Zhao Yue’e’s feeble protests went ignored.

“You bastards! You scoundrels! How can you bully widows and orphans like this?” Aunt Zhang rushed over with a broom to fend them off.

Da Lang hurried to protect them, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.

Aunt Zhang stomped her feet, lamenting, “No matter how bad Old Master Su was, no one dared bully him when he was alive.”

“Now he’s just died, his bones not even cold, and they dare torment us at our doorstep.”

Watching the broken walls, Aunt Zhang shielded Cao’er.

Cao’er’s voice cracked from crying: “Go away! My father will be angry.”

“You’re the bad ones!”

“My father isn’t dead. When he comes back, he’ll beat you all.”

“Smack!”

A crisp slap echoed.

It was Miao Qin. Seizing the chaos, she grabbed Cao’er and beat her mercilessly. “You worthless brat, tell me where the salt is!”

With Su Yanwen around before, she had been stifled with frustration. Now, old grudges and new hatred burst forth.

Zhao Yue’e and Cao’er were beaten pitifully, and Aunt Zhang, trying to protect them, took a few hits as well.

Da Lang stormed into the room, powerless against the madness.

They ransacked the place.

No salt. No food at all.

“No... no salt...” the sick murmured in despair.

“Why is this happening?”

Some covered their faces, weeping bitterly.

“It’s Su Yanwen’s fault!” a sharp voice accused.

Su Cuilan, heavily pregnant, approached.

Hearing that Old Master Su hadn’t returned from the snow for days and might be dead, she hurried over.

She felt comforted by the commotion.

“Bad auntie! Don’t speak ill of Father!” Cao’er, her lip bleeding from the beating, still defended him.

“Hmph!”

“You dared to give us food...”

Su Cuilan faltered.

Because of this incident, she had been scolded by her father-in-law and even beaten by her husband that night. She could not swallow the grievance.

To the red-eyed villagers, she shouted, “Do you know why you became like this?”

“You were fine before, then suddenly turned into monsters.”

“Why, with no salt, does Old Master Su remain fine, while you all turn into monsters?”

Calling them monsters struck deep into the hearts of those suffering from goiter.

The villagers responded as if summoned by Su Cuilan’s words, glaring with bloodshot eyes at Zhao Yue’e and Cao’er.

Su Cuilan continued, “Look, why does Old Master Su have food and drink?”

“Think again: why can no one find food except Old Master Su?”

“Because Old Master Su angered the Snow Ghost.”

“Now the Snow Ghost seeks revenge, turning us all into monsters.”

“You becoming like this is all Old Master Su’s fault!”

Su Cuilan aimed to incite hatred, turning the village against the Su family.

Suddenly, a sick man asked, “If Old Master Su is dead, why are they still alive?”

Others agreed immediately.

“Yes, they deserve to die.”

“Burn them, and our sickness will be cured.”

Desperation breeds cruelty.

Shouts rang out as the enraged mob closed in on the mother and daughter.

In the snow, Su Yanwen finally saw the entrance to Wenlun Village.

Wiping sweat from his brow, a relieved smile appeared.

He was home.

Salt scarcity was no small matter. Once home, he would purify the salt properly and distribute some to every household.

With this large bag, fifty grams per family would suffice.

Hopefully, the villagers would treat Zhao Yue’e and Cao’er better from now on.

With that thought, Su Yanwen tightened his grip on the bag and stepped into the village...