Chapter 60: Confession and Making Medicine

Su Yue brought the seven medicinal herbs home, but for the remaining four she could only wait for news from Xu Can. Fortunately, three days later, Xu Can came over and handed her four packets of medicinal materials.

“My grandpa happened to have these four herbs, so I brought some for you,” Xu Can explained.

Su Yue was overjoyed and quickly thanked her. “Sister Xu Can, thank you so much. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known where to find them. By the way, these four herbs must be rare, right? How much are they? I’ll give you the money.”

She reached for her purse, but Xu Can immediately stopped her. “No need. I didn’t buy them with money. My grandpa already had some, so I just asked him for them. He didn’t take any money, so why would I take yours?”

Su Yue frowned slightly. “How can that be? These herbs are precious. How could I accept them for free?”

Xu Can waved her hand with a smile. “Enough. I treat you sincerely as a friend, so don’t be so polite. If you really feel bad, then how about this; you can make me some more of the cake you gave Nini last time, and I’ll bring it to my grandpa. We’ll consider that as my payment.”

Hearing that, Su Yue stopped insisting and nodded readily. “Alright, that’s easy. I’ll make extra for you. In addition to the cake, I’ll prepare some other pastries as well.”

Xu Can beamed. “Good, that makes me much happier than money.”

Her family was not short of money anyway. Compared with cash, they valued delicious food more, especially since even with money, not everything could be bought in those days. Su Yue’s pastries were so delicious that they could not be found anywhere outside. Giving them as gifts to elders was thoughtful and meaningful, and in Xu Can’s eyes, their value was anything but low.

Su Yue grateful for the favour, began making pastries that very day. In addition to the cake she had given Nini, she also prepared red bean cakes, egg yolk pastries, and crispy twists that paired well with wine.

When Han Aiguo returned home, he found her busy in the kitchen. While helping her, he asked, “Who are you making all of this for?”

Su Yue told him about Xu Can helping her acquire the herbs.

Han Aiguo frowned slightly. “Why did you gather so many medicinal ingredients?”

Since the hemostatic powder was intended for him, Su Yue could not keep it a secret. She explained honestly, “I know a recipe for a medicine called Zhixue Powder. When sprinkled on a wound, it can stop bleeding quickly and help the wound heal faster. I wanted to make some for you to carry, just in case. What you’re doing now is too dangerous, and I can’t trust anything else.”

Su Yue knew he would be suspicious, so she had already prepared herself for his questions.

Han Aiguo’s eyes widened with surprise. “Yue’er, where did you get such a recipe? I’ve never heard of it before.”

Su Yue hesitated. She had considered lying, just as she had when she claimed to have gotten the leg treatment prescription from an old doctor. But this time, she gave up the idea. Han Aiguo was not a fool. One prescription might have been a coincidence, but two? No one with sense would believe that.

More importantly, he was her husband; the person she trusted with her life. She didn’t want to deceive him, even if she could not reveal the truth about the system.

“Aiguo, do you believe me?” she asked softly, looking into his eyes.

His expression grew serious. He held her gaze and answered slowly, “I can give you my life, Yue’er. You are the one person I would entrust it to without hesitation.”

Su Yue smiled, leaned in, and kissed his lips. Then she whispered, “Then I’ll tell you the truth. This recipe didn’t come from anyone else; it’s my secret. Only I know it in this world. But I can’t tell anyone else about it, not even you. So, can you not ask me? Don’t worry, I haven’t done anything wrong, and I’ll never harm you.”

Han Aiguo looked at her with complicated eyes, hesitated, and then asked quietly, “Yue’er… was the prescription for treating my leg really from that old Chinese doctor?”

Su Yue’s heart skipped. “Why… why do you think that?”

Han Aiguo explained, “I had someone check. There was no trace of the old doctor you mentioned. And honestly, I always felt that the prescription wasn’t from him at all; it was from you.”

Su Yue hadn’t expected him to be so perceptive. She thought he had believed her excuse all along. Clearly, he had harbored suspicions but had chosen not to confront her. His mind was deeper than she had realized.

She did not deny it. Instead, she asked, “Then why didn’t you ask me earlier?”

Han Aiguo sighed, pulled her into his arms, and kissed the top of her hair. “Because I trust you and since you didn’t want to tell me, I didn’t ask. I was willing to wait until you wanted to. Yue’er, you are what matters most to me. Even if you have secrets, it doesn’t matter. I’ll help you keep them, as long as you’re with me.”

Su Yue’s heart was overwhelmed. This man wasn’t clueless at all, he knew, yet chose silence, quietly supporting her all along.

Leaning against his chest, she murmured, “Han Aiguo, thank you.”

He gently patted her back, though his tone was serious. “But Yue’er, what you have is too precious. You know the saying: the innocent suffer for harboring treasure. If someone else learns of it, it could bring disaster instead of blessings. Be careful. If you need anything, tell me. Don’t reveal too much, even to people who seem trustworthy.”

Han Aiguo had been a soldier since he was fifteen. Though he still held the heart of a pure soldier, he was no longer naive. The army was far from pure, and power struggles never ceased. He had experienced enough to know the dangers. Though willing to risk his own life, he could not bear even the thought of Su Yue being harmed.

Su Yue felt his worry and kissed him gently in reassurance. “I know. I’m not foolish. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell Sister Xu Can why I needed the herbs. Even if someone gets suspicious, they won’t find anything.”

She was fully aware of how precious the prescription was. If made public, countless people would covet it. With no power to protect themselves, the safest option would be to hand it over to the state.

In truth, she didn’t oppose that idea. Giving it to the country would help many people, just as she had done with the leg treatment. But this hemostatic powder was different; it required twelve herbs, and one of them was Blind Grass which had long been extinct in this world. The only place she could obtain it was from the system’s store.

One stalk cost a thousand points; nearly equivalent to the entire prescription’s worth. She had saved frugally for months, accumulating two thousand points, only to spend half in an instant. Now, she was once again broke.

Worse, a single stalk only produced one small porcelain bottle of medicine. If she wanted to make more, she had to keep exchanging points.

This formula could never be mass-produced in her world. It could only exist in her hands, to protect Han Aiguo.

Hearing her reassurances, Han Aiguo finally eased a little, though he added, “If you ever need more herbs, tell me. I’ll get them for you.”

Su Yue grinned, imitating a soldier’s salute. “Yes, husband!”

Since he already knew part of the truth, she no longer needed to hide when searching for herbs in the future.

After speaking, Su Yue finally felt at ease. As expected, after sharing her secret with the person closest to her, she felt relaxed. She no longer had to act secretive in front of Han Aiguo.

Then, she suddenly remembered something. She realized she still didn’t know Xu Can’s identity, so she asked, “Do you know whose wife Sister Xu Can is? I forgot to ask her.”

Han Aiguo found it a little funny. This girl had known Xu Can for so long and still didn’t know who she was and only now did she think to ask. She was really careless.

Su Yue pouted, unconvinced. “Getting along with her is my own business. Why should I care who her husband is?”

Han Aiguo thought it over. His wife had always looked at people, not at their status. That was actually very good. He didn’t need her to make friends on his behalf and her being happy was enough for him.

He said, “From what you said, I’m guessing she’s the wife of our regiment leader.”

Su Yue nodded without pressing further. Whoever Xu Can’s husband was had nothing to do with her anyway.

Once the pastries were ready, Su Yue thought about it carefully. Since Xu Can was usually not home during the day, if she delivered them openly, people might gossip. It would be safer to deliver them at night. So she planned to go after dinner.

Xu Can’s home was in another building, which required a short walk. Han Aiguo worried about Su Yue going alone at night, so he accompanied her downstairs. However, to avoid suspicion, he did not go upstairs, instead waiting for her below.

Su Yue went up with the basket of pastries and knocked on the door. It was opened by a man in his thirties, with a square face and thick eyebrows. His expression was serious, and he bore a striking resemblance to Han Aiguo.

Su Yue guessed that this must be Sister Xu Can’s husband, Commander Yu. She quickly explained, “Commander Yu, I came to see Sister Xu Can. Is she home?”

Yu Weiliang studied her calmly, up and down. He guessed that this must be the Su Yue that his wife had often mentioned these past few days. He nodded, let her in, and turned to call, “Xu Can, someone is here.”

Xu Can came out as soon as she heard her husband’s voice. When she saw Su Yue, her eyes lit up. She hurried over, took Su Yue’s hand, and said warmly, “Why are you here so late at night?”

Su Yue lifted the cover of the basket with a smile. “Look what I brought for you.”

When Xu Can saw the contents, she gasped in delight like a child. “Wow, it smells amazing! You made all this yourself?”

Little Nini, who had been playing in the room, smelled the fragrance and dropped her rag doll before running out.

When she saw the basket full of pastries, her face lit up with joy. She rushed over and swallowed hard. “Auntie, did you bring this for my family?”

Su Yue gently touched her head. “Yes, I brought it for you and your mother.”

“Wow!” Nini exclaimed, immediately reaching for an egg yolk pie. She stuffed it into her mouth and her little face broke into a happy grin. “It’s delicious!”

Xu Can quickly snatched the pastry from her hand. “Didn’t I tell you to wash your hands first? Be careful, or you’ll get germs in your stomach and end up with a stomachache. Then you’ll be crying later.”

Startled, Nini darted to the bathroom to wash her hands. But in less than a minute she came back running and eagerly continued eating pastries.

Xu Can couldn’t resist taking one herself. Halfway through eating, she suddenly remembered that she hadn’t introduced her husband yet. She said quickly, “Sister, let me introduce you. This is my husband. You can just call him brother-in-law.”

Su Yue greeted him politely, “Brother-in-law.”

Yu Weiliang wasn’t much of a talker. He only nodded in return.

Xu Can knew her husband’s temperament well and didn’t mind his silence. She pulled Su Yue into the room, and the three females; two grown, one small, chatted happily for a long while.

But when Su Yue remembered Han Aiguo waiting downstairs, she excused herself and said goodbye.

Xu Can reluctantly sent her to the door and reminded her to come visit whenever she was free.

After Su Yue left, Xu Can closed the door and said to her husband, “She didn’t want to cause trouble, so she came at night to deliver these.”

Yu Weiliang nodded. “Both she and her husband are good people. Han Aiguo didn’t even come upstairs. He stayed downstairs just to avoid suspicion.”

“What?” Xu Can was startled, then exclaimed, “Sister Su Yue’s husband is here too?”

Yu Weiliang nodded. “I saw him through the window. He was waiting downstairs the whole time.”

“No wonder Sister Su Yue was in such a hurry to leave. So her husband was waiting for her.” Xu Can smiled at the thought. “See? This proves she isn’t befriending me for our family’s position.”

Yu Weiliang didn’t comment further.

But Xu Can felt it clearly; Su Yue was not getting close to her for ulterior motives. She truly just enjoyed their friendship, which warmed Xu Can’s heart.

In the past, the other wives in the compound often came to her, pretending to chat but clearly trying to build connections. Some even brought gifts, hoping her family could help their husbands’ promotions. Xu Can never agreed to such things, so she gradually distanced herself from them. Over time, she found herself much freer.

Although many people whispered behind her back, calling her aloof and difficult to approach, she didn’t care.

—–

The next day, Su Yue carefully took out the Blind grass she had spent a fortune in points to redeem from the system. She cradled it more carefully than she would do for gold.

The value of this single herb was comparable to that of a house. Because of it, she had become completely broke. If it were damaged, she couldn’t afford another. Without it, the medicine couldn’t be made.

She laid out the other eleven medicinal ingredients and began preparing them with the utmost care, following every detail of the recipe. She dared not make a single mistake. Before taking each step, she reread the instructions several times to confirm.

Even though it was the middle of winter, she was drenched in sweat from the sheer concentration and effort.

After working for an entire day, she finally finished. She didn’t even pause to wipe the sweat from her forehead. Instead, she carefully placed the medicinal powder into a small porcelain bottle, sealed it tightly with a stopper, and at last, the medicine was ready.

But she still wasn’t at ease. She didn’t know how effective it really was. Though the system’s products were guaranteed, this medicine was meant for Han Aiguo’s life-and-death moments. She couldn’t be careless so she had to test it.

Yet, there were no animals or test subjects at home. The only living being available was herself.

Su Yue hesitated, then gritted her teeth. She went to the kitchen, grabbed a vegetable knife, and made a cut on her index finger. Bright red blood immediately welled up and flowed out.

Han Aiguo happened to come home at that moment. His face changed drastically when he saw her bleeding. He dropped everything in his hands, rushed over, and grabbed her wrist. “What are you doing!”

Su Yue chuckled guiltily. “It’s fine. I just wanted to test the medicine.”

“Su Yue!” Han Aiguo’s lungs nearly burst from anger. How could she test medicine like this? “Are you insane!”

He held her hand tightly, ready to bandage it with gauze, but Su Yue quickly stopped him. She pulled out the porcelain bottle and said, “Don’t bandage it. We have medicine now. Use this, use this!”

Seeing him refuse to cooperate, Su Yue rolled her eyes. Taking advantage of his distraction, she quickly sprinkled a bit of the powder onto her bleeding wound. Han Aiguo tried to stop her, but it was too late.

The moment the powder touched her cut, an intense sting shot through her finger. Su Yue’s face scrunched up in pain, and Han Aiguo panicked. He immediately picked her up, ready to rush her to the hospital.

But before he could step outside, Su Yue called out, “Wait! Honey, look at my hand!”

Han Aiguo looked down. The blood had already stopped. A faint scab was beginning to form over the wound.

He froze in shock, eyes flashing with astonishment.

Su Yue’s eyes widened in delight. “It’s amazing! In just a few seconds, the bleeding stopped and the wound scabbed over. This medicine is incredible!”

With this, no matter how severe an injury, a life could be saved.

But instead of sharing her excitement, Han Aiguo’s expression darkened. He set her down, silently pulled out gauze, and carefully wrapped her finger.

After finishing, he said nothing, not even glancing at her. He went into the kitchen and quietly served the food.

Su Yue blinked. Her good-tempered husband was actually angry with her.

Scratching her head, the joy she had felt just moments ago faded, replaced by worry.