On the day of the full moon banquet, Sanruwi and Minnie arrived late. Boss Hayes was also late because his wife Madam Qing had woken up. It had only been four days since her medicine was changed, so clearly the new treatment was working.
But this also meant there was more poison in her body now, so the dosage had to be handled carefully. If it wasn't, it could overstimulate her. With her current condition, she couldn't afford that kind of strain.
Sanruwi had already prepared the medicinal soup and got Madam Qing to drink it. While she was awake, they used the time to feed her. Luckily, she stayed conscious longer this time.
She drank ginseng soup, ate bird's nest, and had soft rice porridge cooked by Minnie. Before falling asleep again, Sanruwi gave her more medicine. It was the most she had eaten in months, and Boss Hayes was thrilled.
Sanruwi carefully checked her pulse and couldn't help but smile. He knew this risky move had worked. He looked at Minnie standing next to him.
She was watching him take Madam Qing's pulse with full concentration, even placing her own right hand on her left wrist, copying the posture. But the frown on her face showed she didn't understand what she was doing. What an idiot, Sanruwi thought silently.
"Girl," as soon as Minnie arrived at the banquet, Erina pulled her aside. "Why didn't you listen to my advice?"
"What?" Minnie blinked in confusion. Erina gave her a little push, and Minnie almost fell. "Don't play dumb. I mean you and that doctor!"
"What about me and Doctor San?" "What do you think?" Erina said anxiously. "You've been coming and going with him these days. Everyone in the village is saying you two are already together."
"Together?" Minnie frowned, then shook her head. "That's not true." "Not true?" "No."
Erina let out a long breath and grinned. "I knew it. After all I told you, you wouldn't still be doing something so foolish. That doctor might be pretty, but he's hard to deal with. You're better off without him."
"By the way, girl, why haven't you talked to Old Third lately? He's been really upset these days, drinking all the time. Poor guy." "There's no chance between me and him."
"No chance? Why not?" Erina asked quickly. "I'm going home. He's from here."
"Then let him go with you. If you marry someone, you follow them. Wherever you go, he'll go." Even after she said all that, Minnie still shook her head.
"It's not possible. Things are different where I come from." Minnie paused and added, "It really won't work." Erina looked at her for a moment and sighed.
"I knew the first day I saw you, you weren't like us. Forget it, it's Old Third who was aiming too high. I'll talk to him later and tell him to give up and find someone else." "Erina, thank you."
Erina gave a bitter smile and waved it off. "He's just unlucky." At the banquet, Minnie was in a low mood. She didn't see Rhett either.
Even though she knew she was handling things the right way, she still felt guilty deep down. She thought it'd be better to go back sooner. Once she returned, everything would be fine.
Madam Qing's treatment was going more smoothly. She slept less and less, now only for two days at a time. Sanruwi started going over more often.
On one hand, he used the antidote to slowly fight off the poison. On the other, he used medicine to wake Madam Qing up. Both treatments had to be used extremely carefully.
Her body hadn't recovered, and normal doses might be too much for her. Most of the time, Sanruwi stayed in Madam Qing's room. As his assistant, Minnie naturally followed and helped with everything.
The steaming treatments, medicinal baths, and acupuncture hadn't stopped either. Her work had actually increased. But being so busy helped her forget her little worries.
One day, Servant He brought over mooncakes, saying it was Mid-Autumn Festival. Minnie was stunned. So they had Mid-Autumn here too.
A full moon… her eyes lit up. Full moons always had strange legends tied to them. Could this mean she could go back?
Excited, she changed into the clothes she wore when she first came, packed her bag, and happily ran to find Sanruwi. "Teacher San, let's go for a walk!"
These days, she and Sanruwi often took walks together. It wasn't awkward like the first time anymore. Usually Minnie started the conversation, and Sanruwi would respond simply.
But if the topic was related to medicine, Sanruwi would ask more questions. Some of what Minnie mentioned intrigued him. When faced with difficult problems, he even asked her opinion.
Though he never said it aloud, in his heart he agreed with his master's words: many folk healers had rare talents and strange skills, and one should never be arrogant.
When Sanruwi saw Minnie's outfit, he was stunned. He remembered it from the first day they met. Why was she wearing it again today?
"Teacher San, please!" Minnie clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture. Seeing her hopeful face, Sanruwi didn't ask much.
They walked the same road down the mountain again. When they reached the usual spot, Minnie began spinning in circles like crazy, muttering, "Why isn't anything happening? Why is nothing happening?"
Sanruwi looked up at the full moon in the sky, thinking that Phoenix Mountain really was a great place to enjoy the moon. Minnie was getting desperate.
"Open sesame! Alibaba!"
Sanruwi was interrupted by a sudden shout while admiring the moon. She frowned and looked over, only to see Minnie pointing her right hand straight at the moon in the sky. That strange sentence just now had come from her.
"I'll destroy you in the name of the moon!"
Sanruwi's frown deepened.
"The moon represents my heart!"
Has she lost her mind? Sanruwi thought to herself.
Minnie exhausted herself with all that effort but still showed no sign of time-traveling. She plopped down on the ground and didn't want to move at all. Not even a full moon on Mid-Autumn Festival worked. What else could she hope for?
"You're back!" Jax had laid out food and wine in the courtyard. He lifted the wine pot in his hand and smiled at Sanruwi. "Want a drink?"
Sanruwi nodded.
"What's wrong?" After sharing a drink with Sanruwi, Jax noticed Minnie lying listlessly on the table. She didn't touch the mooncakes or fruit in front of her and didn't move at all. He couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Who knows, maybe she's lost her mind."
"Lost her mind?" Jax was stunned. "Minnie, have some mooncake. You should eat mooncake during Mid-Autumn Festival."
"I don't want any," Minnie mumbled.
"Are you homesick?" Jax asked tentatively.
Minnie's eyes turned red immediately.
Jax was startled. "Don't cry." He thought for a moment and asked Sanruwi, "Do you think we could go down the mountain by the end of this month? We haven't left for two months. I'm getting worried something may have happened to the escort agency."
Sanruwi considered it. "Probably in half a month. After that, I can leave behind prescriptions so they can follow them to get the medicine."
Jax nodded.
Seeing that Minnie's attention had shifted, he asked, "Minnie, do you want to come down the mountain with us?"
"Yes." Minnie answered quickly. Without Jax and Sanruwi around, she didn't dare stay alone on Phoenix Mountain. It had been two months.
She had gone down the mountain every day, and now she could walk that path with her eyes closed, yet she still hadn't time-traveled. Could she ever go back? Every time that thought came up, Minnie forced it down.
She had to go back. What was she supposed to do here? No TV, no internet, no sanitary pads. Other than too many men, there was nothing good about this place. But even on a day like this, she still hadn't gone back. Minnie was truly disappointed and scared.
"Where will you go after we're down the mountain? Back home?" Jax asked a few more questions. Considering how scatterbrained she was, she had somehow ended up on Phoenix Mountain alone.
Who knows where she might go if she wandered off again?
Hesitation showed on Minnie's face. Where should she go after going down the mountain?
"If you don't have a place in mind, why not come with us for a while?" Jax suggested. "Sanruwi and I are going the same way. First to my home in Feng City, then Sanruwi's home is in Ningshui."
Minnie had never heard of either Feng City or Ningshui. But since this place was completely unfamiliar, it might be dangerous if public safety was bad. It was still safer sticking with Jax.
So she said, "I don't have any particular place in mind. I'll go with you."
The poison in Madam Qing's body was almost fully cleared. After treating her that day, Sanruwi mentioned wanting to leave.
"You're leaving, Doctor?" Boss Hayes looked a bit panicked. Even though Madam Qing wasn't suddenly fainting anymore, he was still a little worried.
"There's no need for me now. Staying here won't help. Just follow the prescription and take the medicine for a full month."
Boss Hayes tried to persuade him to stay, but Madam Qing spoke. "Ah Da, go out first. I want to speak with the doctor alone."
Boss Hayes hesitated for a while but eventually left. Minnie looked around, wondering if she should step away too. But since Madam Qing didn't even glance at her, she stayed behind Sanruwi and didn't move.
More than two months had passed since Sanruwi began treating Madam Qing. Though she had been eating like a normal person during that time, she was still frighteningly thin. But at least her face had regained some signs of life.
Madam Qing paused for a while and said, "Doctor, since you're a healer, I'll ask directly. Is it still possible for me to get pregnant?"
Sanruwi's expression didn't change. He answered calmly, "Not right now. If you wish to conceive," he thought for a moment, "I'll give you a prescription to strengthen your body. Start taking it in half a month, and continue for three months."
"You must first nourish your body. Forcing it will harm your foundation and bring more loss than gain."
Madam Qing's eyes lit up. "So, you mean I can still conceive?"
"If within six months… if within that time your period returns, then there's no issue."
Madam Qing let out a long breath. She said softly, "I want to give Ah Da a child. That way, I'll feel like I've done something right by him."
Three years later, great change swept through Yue Country.
The former crown princess was supported by a group of old ministers and ascended the throne. The old emperor stepped down, feeling he had failed the nation and hurt the people. The new ruler governed strictly and earned the people's trust.
But strangely, the empress's palace remained empty. Even with ministers urging the emperor, nothing changed.
But that's all a story for another time.