The Passerby Female Supporting Character – Chapter 54
by Little PandaThe Effect of the Medicinal Soup
Song Linlin returned to the Sect in the evening. The first thing she did upon her return was naturally to head to the Affairs Hall to hand in her mission, successfully receiving the mission reward.
She had earned a large sum of money selling herbs down the mountain. Now, looking at the contribution points from the mission rewards, which might have excited the previous Song Linlin, the current Song Linlin felt numb; it felt just average.
She returned to her residence leisurely. Ever since that night in the tent on the mountain, perhaps both Song Linlin and Chi Qianning felt a bit awkward about it. Afterwards, the two of them tacitly avoided bringing up the matter. For the past few days, when night fell, both of them would lie peacefully on their beds and sleep, no longer attempting to provoke each other. Song Linlin had also honestly and properly slept for several peaceful nights.
“I’m back.” Song Linlin pushed open the room door and called out to the person inside.
She had already changed into her sect disciple uniform. Once back in the sect, she couldn’t wear her casual clothes anymore. The sky had long since darkened, and this secluded residence rarely had people passing by, remaining quiet most of the time.
Song Linlin walked into the room. As soon as she looked up, she saw Chi Qianning sitting quietly by the window. The other person was facing away from Song Linlin, resting one elbow on the armrest of the chair, chin propped in their palm, head turned to look at the scenery outside the window.
Sensing the movement behind her and the sound of Song Linlin pushing the door open, Chi Qianning finally turned her head, her bright red eyes looking at the newly returned Song Linlin.
The clear moonlight shone through the window, falling upon Chi Qianning by the window. From Song Linlin’s perspective, the hazy light seemed to drape Chi Qianning in a layer of bright, thin gauze, making her already fair skin and silver long hair appear to be glowing at this moment.
This caused Song Linlin’s step into the room to pause. Her eyes fixed on Chi Qianning not far away, Song Linlin froze for a second, her steps hesitant for a moment. However, she quickly reacted, her slow movements becoming fluid again as she walked into the bedroom and turned to close the room door.
Their gazes met again with those red eyes. The room was very quiet, and an awkward atmosphere permeated the air for a moment. After several seconds, Song Linlin finally spoke, breaking the silence.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
Song Linlin had just been out on a trip, carrying the items needed for her mission, so she inevitably had some dust on her body, and her white clothes were dusty.
Chi Qianning nodded lightly, “Mm, go ahead.”
She rummaged through the wardrobe for a clean set of clothes. Song Linlin took the clothes and exited the room. She was also absent-minded while taking her shower.
Quickly taking a shower, Song Linlin returned to her room. These past few days down the mountain, she had been staying in an inn in the city. The inn rooms were much more comfortable than her small room here, especially the beds in the inn, which were soft and large, allowing her to roll around however she wanted.
Now returning to her small place, the treatment was significantly worse. Song Linlin climbed onto her single bed. This small bed could only be said to just barely fit two people sleeping on it.
Song Linlin lay flat. These past few days in the inn, Song Linlin had been careful to maintain some distance from Chi Qianning while sleeping, lest she couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild1 and end up doing something bad.
However, now sleeping on this small bed, lying flat meant their shoulders inevitably touched, creating a certain amount of physical contact. Song Linlin could only try her best to ignore the feeling of touching the other person, keeping her hands honestly placed on her lower abdomen, hands clasped together.
She forced her eyes shut and began to sleep. Although deep down her thoughts were still restless, thankfully nothing unexpected happened until dawn, and she finally passed a night peacefully.
Early in the morning, Song Linlin got up as usual to attend morning class. As for what the lecturer actually taught, she had no idea; she just sat in her seat slacking off2. One shichen3 quickly passed. After the lecturer left, Song Linlin immediately got up. She headed towards Ziting Residence, where Zhang San lived. That little girl had mysteriously leaned close to Song Linlin when they parted last night, telling Song Linlin to come find her this morning.
Seeing Zhang San’s mysterious look, although Song Linlin was puzzled, she figured it shouldn’t be anything bad. She was also very curious about what Zhang San wanted to do.
Unfortunately, no matter how Song Linlin asked yesterday, Zhang San refused to reveal any related information. Song Linlin had no choice but to wait until today to find her, so now, as soon as morning class ended, Song Linlin headed straight towards Zhang San’s location.
When Song Linlin arrived at Ziting Residence, she stood before Zhang San’s tightly shut courtyard gate, politely reached out and knocked on the large door, calling out to the person inside: “Zhang San, are you in there? It’s Song Linlin.”
As her voice fell, a flurry of sounds of bottles and jars colliding came from inside the door. Then, after a while, footsteps gradually approached. Zhang San ran to the courtyard, opened the locked large door from the inside, and saw Song Linlin standing outside the door.
Song Linlin noticed that Zhang San had put on a white apron over her outer clothes and wore sleeve covers. Her whole body carried a strong smell of herbs. It seemed she had been tinkering with herb-related things in the room just now. But Song Linlin didn’t remember her needing to dress like this when doing alchemy. Zhang San’s appearance was more like she was doing some kind of household chore.
This couldn’t help but pique Song Linlin’s curiosity. Could it be that the sounds just now were Zhang San tidying up the room? This kind of behavior didn’t fit Zhang San at all. Song Linlin always felt that this fellow was sometimes even lazier than herself.
It seemed impossible that the other person would be tidying up the room.
Song Linlin tilted her head, her gaze passing over Zhang San in front of her and looking into the room behind. What met her eyes were various potted herbs placed haphazardly on the ground, and Zhang San’s various miscellaneous items were piled messily on the table. This place really couldn’t be considered clean and tidy. Song Linlin remembered how clean it was when she first came here; it had been completely ruined by the other person.
As the door opened, the smell from inside gradually drifted out. Song Linlin couldn’t help but sniff carefully, feeling that there seemed to be an herbal scent lingering in the air. However, this smell wasn’t bitter like traditional Chinese medicine; it actually smelled quite fragrant, making one can’t help but want to find out what was emitting this scent.
“Why are you here so early? I haven’t even finished preparing yet,” Zhang San said, wiping sweat from her forehead, sounding surprised.
She had thought Song Linlin would come at least closer to noon. Who would have thought Song Linlin would arrive so early?
Song Linlin had a carefree attitude, not feeling there was any problem with her not cultivating. She said calmly, “I had nothing else to do after morning class, so I just came straight over.”
Following that, Song Linlin looked at Zhang San with a strange expression and asked curiously, “What were you doing in the room just now? And this smell, it smells strangely good.”
“Hehe.”
Zhang San chuckled twice, still maintaining a mysterious look, not planning to reveal anything at the moment. She stepped aside, leaving enough space for Song Linlin to enter, and waved her hand, inviting her in: “Come in first! I’m a bit busy on my own right now, so since you’re here early, why don’t you just help me out on the side?”
“Oh, okay.”
Song Linlin didn’t know what she wanted to do, but she had followed Zhang San to learn alchemy for a week before, so helping her with some simple tasks was no problem. Besides, she had nothing to do right now.
Zhang San walked ahead to lead the way. Song Linlin followed behind her into the courtyard, passing through the courtyard and entering the building. The ground here was already covered with many strange and unusual herbs. Song Linlin carefully avoided these herbs.
After all, who knew if these things, which looked ordinary on the surface, might be poisonous herbs? If she accidentally touched them, she would be unlucky.
Following the steps of the person ahead, she continued deeper. Unexpectedly, Zhang San didn’t lead Song Linlin towards the direction of the alchemy furnace; instead, they went to the backyard.
Zhang San opened the kitchen door. Song Linlin had visited this place before. Seeing Zhang San walk into the kitchen now, Song Linlin couldn’t figure out what she was thinking. Could it be that Zhang San was lighting a fire and cooking in the kitchen this early in the morning? She had mysteriously invited her over just to invite her to eat a meal she made?!
That was too absurd. Anyway, Song Linlin felt it was unlikely.
Seeing Zhang San’s figure had disappeared from view, Song Linlin no longer hesitated. Driven by strong curiosity, she immediately stepped forward to catch up with Zhang San’s pace.
As soon as she entered the kitchen, Song Linlin saw a uniquely made object placed on the stove with a fire burning beneath it. The object looked very much like a stew pot in shape. What was strange was that the flame beneath the pot was emitting a peculiar blue color. It was clearly not an ordinary flame. The flame was burning strongly, and the vessel above contained liquid. At this moment, the liquid in the pot was constantly churning, accompanied by bubbles continuously rising, making a gurgling sound.
“You are…”
Looking at the scene before her, Song Linlin paused for a moment to think about her words, but no matter how she thought, she couldn’t come up with any elegant vocabulary. She could only hesitantly say, “Uh… boiling soup?”
“Huh?”
Zhang San looked at Song Linlin with the expression one would give a country bumpkin4. Such a rich herbal fragrance and the constantly overflowing spiritual energy fluctuations—in Song Linlin’s eyes, it turned into boiling soup? The two were incomparable.
Song Linlin probably knew she had said the wrong thing and could only laugh awkwardly, saying sheepishly, “I’m relatively inexperienced, please forgive me.”
Immediately after, she cleared her throat twice and asked curiously, “So what are you doing?”
Given Song Linlin’s lack of worldly experience, Zhang San could only silently shake her head. She sighed and explained helplessly, “I’m making medicinal food. Various herbs with special effects are added according to proportion. The resulting product is a great tonic and can improve and strengthen one’s physique.”
“However, you can’t just throw any ingredients into this thing. You must strictly follow the recipe. Otherwise, the medicinal effects of various ingredients will mix, and the potency will be too high. If you eat it, you might over-supplement and die.”
Upon hearing how serious the consequences were, Song Linlin quickly nodded to show she understood. This was the first time she had heard of this thing. She didn’t know how to make it and didn’t dare to add things randomly. She just stood honestly beside Zhang San, quietly waiting for Zhang San’s instructions.
Zhang San recalled the recipe she knew, picked up a pen, and estimated the required amounts of various ingredients on paper based on different physiques. From time to time, she would turn back to Song Linlin and say:
“Take two stalks of that herb with yellow flowers, and crush them.”
“That red plant root/stem, throw one in.”
“The red fruit on the left, remove the pit and put in the flesh.”
“…”
Because Song Linlin didn’t know the names of these things, Zhang San simply and directly described their external characteristics to make it easier for Song Linlin to find them faster.
Song Linlin also honestly followed her instructions, processing these things one by one and adding them into the constantly churning medicinal soup.
Soon, the herbal fragrance in the kitchen became increasingly strong. The burning flame caused the steam inside the pot to rise and permeate the air. Now, the concentration of spiritual energy in the kitchen was almost comparable to that inside a spiritual gathering array.
Song Linlin sat on a stool, watching the pot of medicinal soup. It was hard to imagine how potent this thing must be. The steam produced by the soup alone was already this powerful; how much effect would drinking it have?
After being busy for a while, time passed. It was now approaching noon. Zhang San sat beside the stove with the blue flame burning, controlling the flame while also paying attention to the situation inside the pot. The fan she originally used to fan the stove was now being used to fan herself.
“It smells so good, it should be almost ready, right?”
Just smelling this scent gave Song Linlin an urge to drink a mouthful immediately. Zhang San had put in expensive ingredients, famous potent tonics. Combined with the recipe researched by her family, the nutrition contained in this pot of medicinal food was simply unimaginable.
Zhang San slowly fanned herself, glanced at the situation in the pot, and nodded, “Almost.”
If this pot of stuff were sold outside, it would definitely fetch a high price. No cultivator could ignore something that emitted such a rich spiritual energy. Even Song Linlin, with a Pure Yin Constitution, someone who didn’t have a great need for spiritual energy, couldn’t help but feel a considerable desire for this pot of medicinal food.
The two waited for another half shichen [one hour]. Only then did Zhang San control the flame to gradually weaken until it finally extinguished. The refreshing herbal fragrance6 filled the entire house.
Zhang San put on gloves and took the pot down. Various strange herbs had been put into it. She had started stewing this pot of stuff since last night. Now, the essence of the herbs had fused, and what was left was only half a pot of golden liquid.
Looking at the liquid that had been cooked, it was exactly the same as Zhang San remembered. It seemed it had been cooked correctly.
Song Linlin tactfully went to get two bowls and was already waiting nearby. Zhang San took one of the bowls, scooped a bowl of the golden medicinal soup with a spoon, and handed it to Song Linlin.
Taking the white porcelain bowl, the liquid inside was golden in color and smelled of a strong, fresh fragrance of flowers and herbs. It looked very appetizing. The temperature of the liquid was not as scalding as expected; it was at a drinkable temperature.
Song Linlin cautiously lowered her head and took a small sip. She was afraid that this stuff might look good but turn out to be a disappointment when drunk, so she didn’t act rashly.
Her tongue touched the golden liquid. The taste upon entering her mouth was a light, sweet flavor, somehow feeling like drinking a bowl of hot herbal tea.
Swallowing a mouthful of the medicinal soup, the liquid flowed down her throat towards her stomach. Song Linlin could feel a warm sensation spreading where the liquid passed. With this one sip, her spirits lifted considerably.
Then, Song Linlin no longer hesitated. She lifted the white porcelain bowl and drank all the golden medicinal soup inside, finishing it in one go. She put down the bowl and exhaled comfortably, feeling warm all over.
Now Song Linlin felt warm all over. Zhang San didn’t pour herself a bowl; she just stood quietly to the side, watching Song Linlin drink the entire bowl in one breath.
When Song Linlin put down the bowl, Zhang San immediately came closer and asked curiously, “How does it feel? This is my first time making this too.”
“It tastes very good.” Song Linlin nodded, expressing affirmation.
“I wasn’t asking you about that!” Zhang San felt her head ache. Song Linlin’s way of thinking was probably different from most people. Zhang San continued, “I was asking, how does your body feel after drinking it?”
“Oh, oh.”
Song Linlin savored the feeling for a moment, was quiet for two seconds, and then said, “Mm… I feel warm in my stomach, and my whole body feels warm.”
She thought carefully again and said, “My lower abdomen also feels a bit warm.”
Zhang San nodded, relieved, “Very good, then it seems this pot of medicinal food was successful!”
Looking at the remaining medicinal soup in the pot, there seemed to be enough for one more bowl. Zhang San poured the remaining liquid into a porcelain bowl and handed the bowl to Song Linlin, “Here, there’s another bowl, drink it too!”
“Ah? It’s for me again?” Song Linlin was still a bit confused. She had been busy with Zhang San all morning, and she felt a bit embarrassed drinking this whole pot by herself, especially since the ingredients were all Zhang San’s.
Song Linlin declined, “How about you drink it instead?”
“No need, I specifically prepared it for you. You drink it, don’t waste it,” Zhang San said firmly.
Seeing her so insistent, Song Linlin found it hard to refuse her good intentions. She took the white porcelain bowl, “Alright then, I’ll drink it.”
“Mm-hmm!” Zhang San nodded.
Song Linlin picked up the bowl and drank the liquid inside. The warm feeling became even more obvious. She clearly felt that her physique seemed to have undergone some change. Her spiritual energy absorption speed, which was originally slow, had suddenly increased significantly, and her body had also become much healthier.
Exhaling a warm breath, Song Linlin felt the changes in her body and said, “I feel like I’ve become a bit stronger?”
It was only at this point that Song Linlin remembered she hadn’t asked about the medicinal soup’s effect. She looked at Zhang San and asked curiously, “What effect does this thing have?”
Zhang San chuckled, somewhat proudly beginning to introduce the recipe’s effect, “Strengthening physique, increasing cultivation potential, expelling hidden toxins from the body. Of course, these are just the incidental benefits. Its most important effect is that if a woman drinks this, she will…”
Song Linlin listened attentively, unable to help but ask curiously, “Will what?”
Zhang San stopped smiling and said seriously, “It can treat infertility. If fertility function is normal, it will make conception easier.”
Song Linlin: “Huh???”
The author has something to say:
Of course, she won’t have a child. I’ll write something powerful in a couple of days. I’ll let you know in advance which chapter it appears in.
Footnotes
- 心猿意馬 | xīn yuán yì mǎ | Lit. “heart like a monkey, mind like a horse”; Describes being restless, distracted, or having wandering thoughts (often about desire).
- 渾水摸魚 | hún shuǐ mō yú | Lit. “fish in troubled waters”; To take advantage of a chaotic situation for personal gain, or more simply, to muddle through or slack off.
- 時辰 | shí chén | A traditional Chinese time unit, equivalent to two hours.
- 土包子 | tǔ bāozi | Lit. “dirt bun”; A derogatory term for someone unsophisticated or ignorant, like a country bumpkin.
- 不識好歹 | bù shí hǎodǎi | Lit. “doesn’t recognize good or bad”; To not know what’s good for you, to be ungrateful, or to fail to appreciate something good.
- 沁人心脾 | qìn rén xīn pí | Lit. “permeates the heart and spleen”; Describes a scent or feeling that is deeply refreshing and pleasant.
Bruuuuuuuhhhh 😂🤣