Chapter Twenty-Five: Gathering by the Sea

"Hey, this is strange!"

Old Li shook his lame foot, feeling a faint tingling sensation. Ever since the bandits had cut his tendon, he’d lost all feeling in that foot, but today, for the first time, there was a sensation. He was overjoyed.

Though he still limped, he could now walk with more strength than before!

Many villagers, having heard the news, came to see the hopping old Li, clicking their tongues in amazement.

“Look, Old Li can really walk now!”

“Who would’ve thought this priestess really had some medical knowledge!”

At that moment, Qin Zhen hurried over, equally astonished.

“You actually know medicine?”

“Just a little,” Miaoyun replied modestly.

“You probably don’t know,” an outsider chimed in, boasting, “the priests from Pure Tranquility Temple often come down to treat the villagers. Many in our village were healed by Fairy Miaoyun! Just a few days ago, one of our oxen fell ill—no one could do anything, but Fairy Miaoyun came, did a few things, and the ox was fine again! It was miraculous!”

“You’re a veterinarian too?” Qin Zhen was stunned.

“What difference is there between people and animals? If I can heal people, I can heal animals too.” Miaoyun’s tone was calm, but the pride in her eyes was unmistakable. She turned to Old Li and advised, “I’ll write you some prescriptions. Take the medicine regularly. Though you may never walk like a normal person, it will greatly ease your condition.”

Old Li was so moved that he wept, nearly kneeling to kowtow before Miaoyun. Ever since his leg was crippled, he had become a useless man, unable to do any work, and the entire household relied on his wife. The hardship was beyond words. Now, with hope for recovery, it was as if he’d been given new life! Tongue-tied, Old Li could only clasp Miaoyun’s hands again and again, repeating his simple, heartfelt thanks.

Qin Zhen’s gaze toward Miaoyun changed—he looked at her as though she were a priceless treasure.

In these times, a doctor was a strategic asset! Even the wealthy and noble often died of illness, to say nothing of the countless poor who couldn’t afford treatment. Many simply endured their ailments, but in such dire conditions, endurance often meant death. Who knew how many had died tragically from disease?

In this world, the value of a doctor was beyond words—especially one like Miaoyun, who could heal both people and animals.

This was a ray of hope for Qin Zhen, who had always wanted to start animal husbandry but was held back by his lack of knowledge about animal diseases.

“Mister Miaoyun, as long as you’re willing to stay in Little Fishing Village, name any terms you wish—I’ll do my utmost to meet them!” Qin Zhen resolved that he could not let this nun slip away!

Mister?

Miaoyun’s heart fluttered, her expression odd. She had never been addressed as “mister” before. With the decline of Taoism, priests were seen as the lowest of the low, only slightly above criminals. Yet now, to be so respected by a sixteen-year-old youth—Miaoyun was not just surprised, but also increasingly curious about Qin Zhen.

The title “mister” was steeped in culture—how could a mere country lad use it so naturally? He was versed in carpentry, eloquent in speech; clearly, he was no ordinary person!

She had already planned to stay in the village, but hearing Qin Zhen’s offer, she felt a playful urge rise within her. With a half smile, she asked, “Truly, any request?”

“Absolutely,” Qin Zhen replied solemnly. “If it’s within my power, I will grant it!”

“I want to eat fish.”

Qin Zhen blinked, then couldn’t help but laugh at the look in Miaoyun’s eyes. He turned to Old Li.

“Uncle Li, go make a grilled fish for Mister Miaoyun!”

“You got it!”

In the days that followed, under Qin Zhen’s leadership, one wooden house after another was built, and the newcomers gradually adapted to life in Little Fishing Village, joining this warm family.

Perhaps because of the influx of new people, the village was filled with enthusiasm. The bachelors, in particular, were eager to prove themselves before the women who had fallen on hard times.

Land that should have taken half a month to plow was cleared in just three days; lumber was chopped and piled up, waiting for Qin Zhen to build spinning wheels.

As Qin Zhen had predicted, among the refugees, a few joined the village guard, but most joined the weaving and land-clearing teams—after all, the former was dangerous, while the latter were much safer.

As for the fishing team, few volunteered. Since the village’s fish stores were running low, Qin Zhen, after a few days of rest, set out again for the shore, determined to bring in a big catch.

“Village Chief, make sure that pit is dug before I return—we need it for raising fish!” Before leaving, he reminded the old village chief to have the reservoir ready.

Salted fish had long grown tiresome; why not dig a pond for fresh fish?

Raising the fish was only the first step—Qin Zhen already planned to ask Lin San next time if he’d buy some too. After all, business is business; what difference does it make who the buyer is?

“Don’t worry!” The old chief patted his chest in assurance. “We’ll have it ready by tonight—when you return, there’ll be a place for your fish!”

Qin Zhen trusted the old chief to handle things. Knowing the trip would take time, he wasted no more and set out at once.

Unlike last time, when the fishing team had only twelve members, this time there were seven or eight more. Most were locals drafted in to help carry seawater with wooden buckets, but the only new face among the team was Miaoyun’s junior brother, Shanhai.

“Shanhai, you really are the bravest man!” Li Han gave him a thumbs-up. “Honestly, I didn’t think you’d dare join us on a sea fishing trip.”

“Chen Shu said if I didn’t join, I was a coward! How could I stand for that?” Shanhai replied indignantly. “I’ll show him what a real man looks like!”

“Impressive!” Liu Quan also gave a thumbs-up, grinning from ear to ear.

Qin Zhen found himself curious—Shanhai was in his early twenties and should have had some sense, yet he seemed so naive.

“By the way, I can’t swim. So when we get to the shore, you’ll have to help me out,” Shanhai said seriously.

“Pfft!”

Qin Zhen, who was drinking water, sprayed it in surprise.

“If you can’t swim, you should have said so! What’s a landlubber doing on the fishing team? Are you trying to cause trouble?”

This was the sea, after all. Learning to swim at the shore wasn’t easy—one big wave and you could be swept away.

“No matter. My seniors and juniors at the temple always said I was the smartest. How hard can swimming be?” Shanhai boasted. “Don’t worry, I won’t slow you down.”

Liu Quan pulled Qin Zhen aside and whispered, “How is this fool even dumber than Li Han?”

“Maybe he’s just been too well-protected by his seniors,” Qin Zhen replied, glancing at Shanhai and Li Han, who seemed to be birds of a feather. It reminded him of his own days at university.

“In a bit, let’s not let him go into the water—just have him help pull the ropes from the shore.”