The Survival of the Wild Tribe

170

Perhaps the Jingguo really did the trick. After giving A Chun the second dose of Jingguo, her breathing visibly improved, the high fever slowly subsided, and she woke up the next day.

"Thank you, I'm full," A Chun weakly raised her hand, gently stopping A Qing from feeding her more broth.

The other three were happily chewing on chicken. Since they needed to stay here for two days, Luo Zhen marinated the pheasants Lu Zhan brought back for most of the day. The chicken bellies were stuffed with freshly picked wild vegetables and mushrooms, and they were roasted under the fire until fully flavored and simmered.

Despite his hunger, A Qing insisted on feeding A Chun first. Luckily, his companions were considerate and saved a well-flavored portion for him instead of letting him eat the bland, water-stewed meat. Since A Chun had just awakened and was weak, they didn't add much salt to the stew, only a small amount of nectar. While not too tasty, it was better than plain meat.

The stew had been cooked for so long that it could be easily swallowed without much chewing. However, A Chun didn't eat much. The remaining half of the pot was quickly devoured by the others.

Besides A Qing, A Chun wasn't familiar with the other three, but she remembered that Lu Zhan had taken her away from the Salt Mountain. She felt grateful to him.

"A Chun, why were you left alone in the salt cave?" A Qing received a nod from Luo Zhen and wiped the oil stains from his mouth before carefully observing A Chun's expression and asking the question.

Though reluctant to bring up the matter, it was necessary for them to understand the situation in order to help A Chun. While they could take care of her temporarily due to being from the same tribe, they already had a fixed destination for their trip and couldn't afford to spend too much time with her.

A Chun touched her flat belly discreetly, leaning against the soft animal skin backpack behind her. She didn't know what was stuffed inside it—perhaps the animal skins they collected along the way. The padding beneath her was much more comfortable.

Her brow furrowed, her expression becoming calmer. Her facial features were a bit more mature than a few years ago.
Ah Chun feels deeply grateful to these people who saved her. Though she hasn't been awake for long lately, she can sense the care they show her.

"He intended to use the salt cave to keep me alive," A Chun replied casually, as if afraid they wouldn't understand, she added, "His name is Luca."

"To keep you alive?" Lu Zhan frowned, his expression showing surprise at the unexpected answer.

"Didn't Luca mistreat you?" A Qing looked at Ah Chun's frail body, not matching the idea of good care.

"Mistreat me?" Ah Chun's eyes clouded for a moment, then a bitter smile appeared, "Why would he mistreat me? He wants me to live well."

Luo Zhen and Lu Zhan exchanged glances. "Then why did you want Lu Zhan to take you away?"

"I..." Ah Chun covered her face with her hand, a tone of despair creeping into her voice, "I would have died if I stayed, and my child would have died too."

Seeing Ah Chun's sudden emotional shift, Ah Qing patted her back to comfort her. The others remained silent, waiting for her to calm down.

Perhaps because of her experiences, Ah Chun had become stronger. She soon cheered up again and offered a slightly apologetic smile to everyone.

She had been awake long enough for Ah Qing to update her on their situation. She learned about the new tribe they formed, with Lu Zhan, previously unnoticed in the tribe, now its leader. The person who had taken care of her and had a gentle demeanor was the great witch of their new tribe.