Wu Yue first scanned her surroundings. Seeing no danger, she walked over.
She reached out and picked up the red fruit. The mont she brought it close to her nose, a familiar, pungent spicy aroma wafted up. It was incredibly strong, a clear sign of this chili’s potency.
’What an unexpected surprise! To think I’d find chili peppers here.’
Suddenly, the smile on Wu Yue’s lips vanished. She turned and walked toward Hong.
She held the chili pepper up for Hong to see. "Did your injured hand just touch this?"
At the sight of the familiar color in Wu Yue’s hand, Hong’s eyes shot wide open, and muffled whimpers escaped her lips.
Wu Yue reached out and pulled the wad of wild vegetables from her mouth.
A long string of drool stretched from Hong’s mouth as the wad of vegetables was pulled away.
Wu Yue’s hand froze for a second. ’Yikes, now I feel kind of grossed out by Hong... What should I do?’
"The fruit was the sa color as my na, so I thought I’d take it back to wear in my hair... Nngh..."
The pain in her hand seed to flare up again. Hong choked back a cry and glanced at the wad of vegetables Wu Yue had just taken.
Beside them, Hua Shu took the wad of vegetables and, ignoring the grass clinging to it, stuffed it right back into Hong’s mouth.
Wu Yue could have sworn she even saw two little ants on it...
She stood up and turned to Grandma Hua Shu. "This red fruit is called a chili pepper. It’s edible, but you can only use a tiny bit at a ti.
If you eat too much, you’ll get the sa feeling Hong has—like your mouth is on fire.
This one I’m holding is particularly potent. It’s the strongest chili I’ve ever seen, in fact.
Hong’s hand is probably in so much pain because it ca into contact with the chili."
With that, she glanced at Hong’s swollen eyes. "Is there a stream nearby?"
Grandma Hua Shu nodded. "There’s a small stream by our resting spot."
Wu Yue nodded and turned back the way they ca. "Let’s take her over there now."
The two males looked to Grandma Hua Shu, clearly unconvinced that such a young female could do anything for Hong’s pain.
Hua Shu nodded. "Let’s go."
’What other choice do we have?’ she thought. ’We can’t do anything for her, so we might as well let Yue try.’
The other females who had been waiting saw them return and all stood up. "Leader, how is she?"
Grandma Hua Shu didn’t answer, simply leading Wu Yue to the edge of the stream.
Wu Yue motioned for Hong to crouch, then took her injured hand and plunged it into the stream.
The forest stream was exceptionally cold, and Wu Yue couldn’t help but shiver the mont her own hand touched the water.
Hong, on the other hand, who had been sobbing her eyes out just monts before, rely blinked in confusion.
Wu Yue reached out, pulled the wad of vegetables from her mouth, and tossed it aside. This ti, Hong didn’t let out a pained shriek.
"Better, right?" Wu Yue asked with a smile.
Hong used her uninjured hand to wipe the tears and snot from her face. She nodded, sniffling. "There’s just a little bit of a warm feeling left. It doesn’t have that awful stinging anymore."
Wu Yue chuckled softly. "Just sit here and keep your hand soaked in the stream. You can take it out when it starts to feel better."
Hong nodded obediently, a little sparkle in her eyes as she looked at Wu Yue.
Grandma Hua Shu and the two males standing nearby were completely dumbfounded. They stared, wide-eyed, at the now-docile Hong sitting by the stream, then back at Wu Yue as she walked toward them, utter confusion written on all three of their faces.
Hua Shu stared at Wu Yue in astonishnt. "Hong... she’s alright?"
Wu Yue shook her head. "She’ll need a little more ti, but soaking her hand in the stream will make it much more comfortable for now."
Hua Shu gazed at the young female before her with a sigh of admiration. "Yue, you’re incredible."
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