Chapter 4 Beauty Effects

  Su Qing, who had made up her mind to go into the mountains to pick herbs and make money, organized her words and said to her mother: "Mom, I don't want to go to school anymore. I've already self-studied all the knowledge of junior high school. As long as there's an exam, I'll just go take it."

  "No, going to school is a big deal, you can't delay your studies because of the situation at home. There's mom to take care of things at home, just focus on doing well in school." Her mother's tone was firm and left no room for doubt. When it came to Su Qing's education, she had always been very particular. This was vastly different from the mindset of the villagers who thought that as long as you could recognize a few characters and tell the difference between male and female toilets when you went out, that was enough. She hoped her child would receive a better education.

  His mother was not a local, at the time she fainted on Mount Taibai, was found by Su Aiguo who went up the mountain to hunt, and was taken home. She never mentioned her own life or wanting to leave, naturally, over time, she developed feelings for Su Aiguo, and logically got married.

  Su Qing knew her mother's temperament, and she was just afraid that her grades would drop. So she said half-jokingly: "I don't need to go to class at all, it's a waste of time if I do. If you don't believe me, I can guarantee that if my grades can't stay first in the class, I'll obediently go to school."

  She was already doing very well, and with her rebirth, she had learned even more, so if she couldn't get first place again, it would only mean that she was stupid enough.

  "Besides, it's better to rely on oneself than others. I learned some knowledge of herbal medicine from the old people in our village before, and I think I can make money by picking herbs. For Su Xia's illness, Auntie said last time that the big hospitals in Beijing can cure her well. Let's save up some money and go to Beijing together a year later."

  Su Xia, who had been sitting there listlessly all along, heard his sister say this and suddenly had some sparkle in his eyes. He carefully asked: "Really can go together? The three of us don't have to be separated again?" He seemed not to care much about his own illness, but rather more worried about the separation of the three people.

  Su Qing nodded, "Look at your pale face now? If you don't eat more and take care of your body, how can you go see a doctor?"

  Su Xia listened to her sister say this, and quickly lowered her head to take big bites of the corn cake in her hand. Her sister was the best student in the village and also the smartest. She said that as long as a family doesn't have to be separated, they definitely won't be separated.

  Zhang Shuyu saw her son, choked and handed him a bowl of soup, but tears rolled down. All along, she had been holding on for his sake, but hearing her daughter's considerate words, she felt uneasy in her heart. If it weren't for her incompetence, why would her daughter have to worry about the family's livelihood at such a young age?

  Zhang Shu Yu wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes, calmed down and said: "As for studying, you make your own decisions, but no matter what, your grades can't drop. Your aunt wants you to go to Beijing to attend high school, also hoping that you'll be able to get into a good university easily."

  Su Qing nodded in agreement, knowing that her mother's affirmative answer wasn't good either. After finishing dinner, she wanted to go clean the table, but was chased back into the house by her mother to study.

  She grasped the familiar knowledge of herbs in the first half of the night, and meditated in the second half of the night. She was so desperate for a reason. When eating, Su Qing said that the Beijing City Hospital could cure Su Xia's illness, but that was on the premise of having a suitable kidney.

  Congenital kidney disease! She must have looked up countless information in her past life, the only possible cure is a kidney transplant, if not, she can only rely on dialysis to sustain her life, without mentioning the huge expenses, how long she can live is unknown.

  As for the kidney transplant, if there is no suitable kidney, not even hers would match, then it's hopeless. Now she can only work hard and hope for a miracle to break through the first layer of Linggong cultivation method as soon as possible, and start practicing the Golden Needle Secret early, maybe there will be a glimmer of hope.

  "Su Qing, have you finished digging?" Er Auntie's daughter, Su Hong, emerged from the other end of the forest with a bamboo basket on her back, walking with great difficulty, probably due to the weight of the basket.

  "It'll be fine soon." Su Qing sped up a bit, but still being extremely careful, afraid of damaging the medicinal herbs she was digging.

  Gastrodia, a precious Chinese medicinal herb, is rarely seen on the outskirts of mountains. Unexpectedly, so many were found under this unremarkable, tall shrub's green shade. If all dug up, it would be tens of kilograms, worth over 200 yuan. This is quite a bountiful harvest, considering villagers' monthly income is only around 200-300 yuan.

  Su Qing was forced to stay at home for a few days by her mother due to a head injury. During this time, she familiarized herself with the shapes, characteristics, habits and medicinal values of some common herbs. On the second day after the bandage on her head was removed, she went up the mountain despite her mother's objections. At first, she was not very familiar with the herbs for several days, and since many villagers often came in and out, most of the conspicuous medicinal materials had been picked away, resulting in a relatively small harvest.

  Fortunately, her luck was not bad today. Behind the tall shrubs, in a place that is not easily noticeable, she found so many Tianma, and the years were not low, with roots over one meter long.

  Su Qing initially called Su Hong together to dig, but she chuckled and said that she couldn't handle these medicinal materials. Then she ran far away in a flash.

  Tianma, Su Hong also knew it was a good thing, and could sell for a good price.

  And she refused, on the one hand, as she said, she wouldn't know how to handle the medicinal herbs, because different herbs not only have different ways of being dug up, but also need to be processed differently after bringing them back home, which she wouldn't know how to do and would just waste them. On the other hand, it was also that she didn't want to, Su Qing's family was already struggling enough, they couldn't farm the land and had rented it out, now their only source of income was from Su Qing picking medicinal herbs to exchange for money. How could she bear to take a share?

  "Brother, over here!" Su Hong saw her brother Su Jun's tall figure appear in the woods and hastily waved her hand to shout.

  As soon as Su Jun walked near, she excitedly showed off her spoils of war, "Brother, look at all the monkey head mushrooms I picked today, and a lot of pine nuts, hairy chestnuts... I'm exhausted." After finishing speaking, she still made a pitiful expression.

  Just a moment ago, she was abnormally excited and full of energy, but in the blink of an eye, she became exhausted. This change is really fast! Su Qing, who was packing her backpack, saw her like this and twitched the corner of her mouth a few times. She's really shameless! Pretending to be dignified without any burden at all. Only her thick-skinned cousin can do this.

  Su Jun smiled with amusement, his face full of pampering as he took over his sister's bamboo basket and slung it onto his back. At eighteen years old, this tall Northeastern lad was already quite capable. The bamboo basket on his shoulder seemed to add no extra weight to him at all.

  "Since you're so tired, just stay home and rest tomorrow. No need to follow me up the mountain." Su Qing refused Su Jun's offer to help her carry the bamboo basket, and instead carried the full load of medicinal herbs herself, heading straight down the mountain. She didn't have someone else's thick skin.

  "I was just joking with my brother. You actually believed it, if you don't call me tomorrow, I...I'll be angry with you." Su Hong threatened.

  Su Hong is one year older than Su Qing, and is currently in the second grade of junior high school in Xiaoxi Town. She has been on vacation at home for the past few days, and when she heard that Su Qing was going to climb the mountain to pick herbs, she shouted that she wanted to come along too. In fact, she was afraid that Su Qing would be in danger alone on the mountain, although it's not close to the deep part of the mountain, generally there won't be any aggressive wild animals appearing, but it's hard to guarantee that there aren't some stray fish running around the outskirts.

  She happened to pick some wild mushrooms, wild vegetables and fruits on the mountain, while the Soviet army was not far away, hunting and taking care of them.

  "Wow! Su Qing, I didn't expect that your small arms and legs, which are not even half as thick as mine, would have such strength. You've been carrying this huge basket full of medicine all the way here!" Su Hong exclaimed in surprise, looking at Su Qing's small frame carrying the large basket without breaking a sweat.

  Su Jun heard his sister's cry of surprise and glanced back at Su Qing for a moment without saying anything, then turned around and continued walking.

  Su Qing rolled her eyes at this boisterous older sister and ignored her. If she humored her, it would never end.

  Ever since she practiced the Nourishing Spirit Kung Fu, she felt her body slowly changing, with a surge in strength and a lightness that was hard to describe. Her skin had even become whiter and more delicate than before, showing that this kung fu also had beauty-enhancing effects. At least now she could save money on buying cosmetics.

  Mentioning money, Su Qing thought of the thing she had refined last night, and maybe she could make some money from it.