Substitute Alpha Gets Confessed to by Her Ex’s Aunt on a Survival Variety Show – Chapter 24
by Little PandaClove Cigarettes Burn Ticks, Aloe Vera Applied Externally
Nan Huaixu quietly stared at Liu Yinxi for a few seconds, sighing with emotion in her heart that a person could truly undergo a world of difference in just a month or two.
The former Liu Yinxi, whether from Nan Huaixu’s personal contact or what she had heard from her niece, was a spoiled, pretentious snob. But ever since joining the show, Liu Yinxi’s flaws had continuously faded, instead revealing many unexpected shining pointsβit wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that heartbreak and poverty had the effect of changing her muscles and washing her marrow1.
Nan Huaixu was genuinely curious about what kind of severe beatings from reality Liu Yinxi had experienced in the two months after dumping her niece to completely change her mindset and reinvent herself.
At the same time, Nan Huaixu also felt that her own luck was very good. After the show ended, she would have to go to Yuchan Temple to offer a stick of high incense.2 If Liu Yinxi hadn’t come from the countryside of Nan’ou and possessed childhood experience in the tropical mountains, their competition this time wouldn’t have gone so smoothlyβ¦
Liu Yinxi and several other guests surrounded Yuan Fang, waiting to learn how to properly handle ticks and identify herbal medicines.
Yu Yan had Lu Yiqi first roll up Yuan Fang’s clothes. She walked over to the tree in the distance and asked Huang Heshan for her bag.
“Heshan.” Yu Yan reached out her hand to Huang Heshan.
Huang Heshan said coldly, “She’s an opponent.”
Yu Yan’s bright eyes looked straight at her: “She is a patient.”
Huang Heshan stayed silent for a moment. Her gaze shifted away from Yu Yan’s face, and she took a step aside, yielding the backpack in the grass.
Yu Yan picked up the bag, unzipped it, and fished out a small red paper box printed with gold-stamped characters from a compartment. She popped it open and pulled out a thin cigarette.
Leaning against the coconut tree, Huang Heshan watched her finish these actions. She picked up her bag and walked away without looking back. “Naive.”
Yu Yan watched her walk into the jungle. She lowered her head, reached her left hand into her pocket to take out a ferro rod, and lit the thin cigarette.
Waiting for the tobacco leaves to burn to a high temperature, Yu Yan gently blew a breath of air, walked back behind Yuan Fang, and carefully used the embers of the thin cigarette to smoke and burn the tick buried in the skin.
The smell of the thin cigarette permeated the air. Unlike ordinary cigarettes, it had a strange sweet and spicy scent, like smoked candied plums.
Liu Yinxi twitched her nose. “Clove cigarette.”
“Yes, this is rarely seen domestically. I didn’t expect you to recognize it. This is an Indonesian specialty pure-strong clove cigarette. It contains clove leaves and high-concentration clove essential oil, which locals use to repel insects.” Yu Yan raised her wrist, using a bamboo skewer to pinch off the fleeing tick, then aimed the embers at another one.
While repelling the bugs, she explained to the guests beside her, “When a tick drills its mouthparts into your skin, you absolutely must not pinch it hard directly. You must use something hot, smoke it, or use alcohol-based substances to anesthetize it so the bug pulls out its mouthparts and head on its own before you clean it up.”
Several people nodded repeatedly. In fact, they had all learned this simple skill and seen it online, but when suddenly encountering an emergency in reality, especially without the proper tools on hand, they immediately panicked.
The ticks biting Yuan Fang’s back were quickly cleared. Yu Yan then took out a small folded packet of banana leaves from her pocket, untied the grass knot, and used a knife to slice open the two thick leaves wrapped inside. She squeezed out the gelatinous juice and smeared it evenly over Yuan Fang’s festering skin.
“This is broadleaf aloe vera, which is quite common in the jungle. It prefers a sandy soil environment out of direct sunlight. Its leaves and rhizomes can be used externally to stop bleeding and fight inflammation, promoting wound healing. Boiling it in water for internal use can relieve stomach pain and lower blood sugar. Besides that, its sap can also protect the skin.”
Luo Ling said in pleasant surprise, “It can also protect the skin.”
She looked at her rough, chapped hands and asked softly, “Yu Yan, could I trouble you to take me to find some aloe vera? Or I can just trade with you directly. I want other herbs too.”
Yuan Fang’s days of itchy, painful skin finally found relief. She hooked up the corners of her mouth, but her eyes held no smile. “As expected of President Luo, talking business even faster than me.”
Yu Yan distributed the remaining aloe vera she had on her to them, and gave a piece to Liu Yinxi as well. She said apologetically, “I’m sorry, this is all I have, and I didn’t bring any other herbs. We have to spend a lot of time searching for supplies every day, so it isn’t convenient for me to take you to look for aloe vera. I’ll tell you about a few types of herbs that are very easy to find, and you can make a note of them, okay?”
Yu Yan was the only professional medical worker among this batch of guests. She was willing to help treat them and had a gentle attitude, so everyone was happy to listen to her.
Luo Ling hurriedly apologized. “I was being too abrupt. Take your time explaining, Yu Yan, we will listen carefully.”
“You don’t have any sincerity at all.” Yuan Fang opened her bag and took out a few banyan fruits for Yu Yan. “Xiao Yu-meimei, these fruits are especially sweet. Picked fresh this morning, super fresh. Take them back to eat with Huang-jie. Thank you both. Next time there’s an airdrop, I’ll bring you guys some good stuff. If it’s convenient for you, bring some extra herbs over, and we’ll toss a peach and return a plum3.”
Liu Yinxi listened silently to their bickering and looked eagerly at Yu Yan. “Can class start now?”
Everyone immediately quieted down, focusing intently on listening to Yu Yan teach them how to identify several common wild herbs, as well as their efficacy and methods of use.
Yu Yan spoke concisely and meticulously. Liu Yinxi and Nan Huaixu memorized it after hearing it once.
These were all plants Liu Yinxi recognized, just hadn’t encountered in the rainforest yet. If they could directly exchange herbs with Yu Yan, it would be more convenient. Unfortunately, with Huang Heshan’s strength, Yu Yan wouldn’t lack basic supplies, and naturally wouldn’t trade easily either.
Luo Ling and Xue Yunshao repeated the herbal knowledge they learned to Yu Yan to confirm there were no mistakes. Yuan Fang couldn’t quite remember after hearing it twice, saying she was sensitive to calculating accounts but couldn’t remember memorized texts, so she told Lu Yiqi to listen again.
Yu Yan was very patient and explained it in detail to Lu Yiqi once more, even drawing diagrams of the plant shapes on the beach to make them easier to remember.
They cleaned up the site where they ate the Red Junglefowl and prepared to return to their respective shelters. Liu Yinxi gathered some useful remnants, put on her backpack, and followed behind Nan Huaixu.
Luo Ling and Xue Yunshao left first. Yuan Fang and Lu Yiqi were going the same way as Liu Yinxi and her partner, so they walked together. Yu Yan, however, walked alone in the opposite direction.
Yuan Fang turned around and called out to her, “Xiao Yu-mei, Huang-jie left first? Are you going back by yourself?”
It wasn’t just Yuan Fang; seeing Yu Yan’s delicate and exquisite figure, Nan Huaixu couldn’t help but worry whether she could traverse the rugged jungle alone. Moreover, her walking posture had a slight limpβit was unknown whether her legs and feet were injured or if there was some hidden ailment.
Yu Yan turned back with a smile and waved. “Don’t worry, I passed the pre-match physical exam and fitness test too. Be careful on your way. Goodbye.”
Liu Yinxi raised her arms and waved goodbye. “Goodbye! You be careful too!”
The figures split into two sides, one set of footprints heading south, one set heading north.
Yu Yan stopped at the edge of the rainforest, looking up at the vast mountains and forests. She walked in, like a fish swimming into a blue sea.
Sunlight pierced through the dense leaves, spilling onto the soil and grass.
Yu Yan saw the black figure leaning against a tree ahead. She smiled beautifully and sped up to catch up.
Huang Heshan stood up straight from the tree, waited for her to get a little closer, and then turned to disappear into the jungle.
Four people walked in the coconut grove.
Liu Yinxi quietly asked Yuan Fang, “Boss Yuan, when you told Yu Yan you’d give her good stuff next time, you didn’t mean the sea salt we’re boiling, did you?”
Yuan Fang’s expression shifted. “Look at you, great minds think alike, right?”
Liu Yinxi curled her lip. “Tch.”
Yuan Fang tugged on the hem of her clothes with a smile. “Ah ya, my good Liu’er, I’ll use my supplies to trade for your salt, and then the salt will be mine. I’ll use my salt to trade for herbs, there’s nothing wrong with that, right?”
Liu Yinxi crossed her arms and turned her head away. “You think Huang Heshan won’t be able to make salt?”
Yuan Fang: “That’s hard to say. Even though Huang-jie runs fast and has strong physical fitness, able to kill chickens and rabbits with a couple of kaka knife chops, she can’t possibly attend to every aspect and know how to do everything, right?”
“Boiling sea salt isn’t some highly difficult technical work.”
“But it takes time and effort. Using the flowers and grasses that can be picked in the rainforest to trade for troublesome salt is a good deal.”
“⦔ Liu Yinxi irritably pushed away Yuan Fang’s hand that was reaching to pat her shoulder. “Step aside. If you trade salt with Yu Yan, what am I supposed to trade with her?”
Yuan Fang laughed heartily. “I was wondering why you were being so stubborn with me, turns out you’re mad that I cut off your business.”
Liu Yinxi looked at her with disgust. “Get lost, I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Eh? Liu’er? All roads lead to Rome. Your mind is sharp, and you always have more solutions than difficultiesβgood sister, what time are we boiling salt this afternoon?”
“Bye-bye, hard pass.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk, I’ve already paid with supplies, you can’t renege on the debt.”
Liu Yinxi walked around to the other side of Nan Huaixu, separating herself from Yuan Fang. Yuan Fang didn’t dare to fool around with Nan Huaixu and gave her a constrained smile.
Nan Huaixu also didn’t want to make wedding clothes for others4, but boiling salt together was a prior agreement. Having accepted the other party’s supplies, they couldn’t break their promise, otherwise, the rules would be broken, and it would be impossible to exchange supplies again in the future.
Outside the coconut grove was the cluster of reefs where they usually caught seafood. Nan Huaixu said to Liu Yinxi, “Alright, stop joking around. We should split up here. Let’s make our arrangements right here.”
Yuan Fang chimed in, “Exactly, look at Teacher Nan, so mature and steady. Liu’er, you should learn more from being by Teacher Nan’s side.”
Liu Yinxi made a fierce face at her, and Yuan Fang returned an innocent smile.
Liu Yinxi thought for a moment and said, “I’m tired today, I really don’t have the energy to boil it this afternoon. Let’s do it tomorrow morning.”
“Alright, we’re all tired.” Yuan Fang was also straightforward. “What time tomorrow?”
“7 AM, the usual place.”
“Got it, see you later!”
They bid farewell to Yuan Fang and Lu Yiqi, walking along the small path they had trodden out over the past few days into the rainforest.
It wasn’t until separating from the noisy Yuan Fang that Nan Huaixu’s nerves finally relaxed.
She stopped walking, took a few sips of water, and leaned against a banana tree to catch her breath. “I wonder how the future airdrops will change.”
Liu Yinxi followed her words, “Exactly.”
Nan Huaixu chopped a tree branch to use as an alpenstock, using it for support as she moved forward. “I can only pray every day, hoping for less torment⦔
“Mhmβ¦ me too.” Liu Yinxi walked leisurely behind, feeling that Nan Huaixu’s back looked very exhausted. It seemed that spending all morning with the several guests was especially mentally draining for her, much more so than simple physical labor.
Liu Yinxi couldn’t bear to tell her that in the original book, there were many more tricks with the airdrops, and there would be plenty of times that would rack her brains.
“Liu Yinxi, did you break up with Luo Ling after the New Year?”
The leader suddenly fired off a question.
“Ah?”
“You dumped her in February?”
“Right, yes.” Liu Yinxi felt inexplicably nervous.
“Where did you go after leaving her house? Where did you live?”
“Ahβ¦ the Old Town, umβ¦ at Zhoujin Bridge. Renting a place over there is cheap, you know.”
Liu Yinxi felt a chill in her heart. Why was Nan Huaixu suddenly asking about this out of nowhere?
“Oh?” Nan Huaixu turned around, the dappled tree shadows gently brushing across her upturned red lips. “Zhoujin Bridge, isn’t that where the ‘Charming Pan-Fried Buns’ were delivered?”
Liu Yinxi’s voice was very loud: “Ah???”
A piece of a dead, awkward memory suddenly jumped up and attacked her.
The author has something to say:
This story is set in an alternate universe. The descriptions of insect removal, treatments, and herbs in the text are all fictional and have nothing to do with reality. Please do not take them seriously! π
Footnotes
- Original idiom βζηζ΄ι«β (yi jin xi sui) is a martial arts/xianxia concept meaning to completely cleanse and rebuild a personβs body and potential, akin to a total transformation.
- To burn a stick of βhigh incenseβ is a traditional gesture of profound gratitude to the heavens or gods for bestowing great fortune or averting disaster.
- The chengyu βtoss a peach and return a plumβ means to return a favor with a favor.
- The phrase βto make wedding clothes for othersβ refers to toiling away for the benefit of someone else.
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