An Ning softly thanked the newlywed couple.

A few minutes later, the train attendant returned with a bowl of rice water.

An Ning propped herself up and took a few sips. The discomfort in her throat eased slightly.

A little warmth spread through her empty stomach.

An Ning finished the rice water, one small sip at a time.

Just as she was starting to feel a little better, a wave of nausea washed over her, and her stomach began to churn violently again.

"Here."

A red bucket appeared before An Ning as if out of nowhere.

At that moment, An Ning couldn’t think about anything else. She practically shoved her head into the red bucket.

"RETCH—"

"RETCH—"

In a couple of heaves, she brought up what little rice water she had managed to drink.

Master Tang, who had intervened just in time, set down the bucket. "Put on your shoes," he said. "You should go to the restroom."

An Ning’s mind blanked for a second, but she quickly understood what Master Tang meant.

She put on her shoes and, with the young wife’s help, made her way to the lavatory.

"It’s locked?"

The familiar sound of someone retching came from inside.

An Ning’s stomach began to cramp. She pointed in another direction, and the young wife, understanding immediately, helped her to the next lavatory.

Thankfully, this one was empty.

An Ning wasted no time and rushed inside as another wave of intestinal cramps hit her.

After another agonizing ordeal, An Ning emerged from the lavatory, her legs trembling.

"Thank—"

"Don’t worry about thanking me. Just lean on me."

The young wife was very kind, firmly supporting An Ning.

They were walking south down the aisle. After just a few steps, they saw another pair of people approaching from the opposite direction in the exact same pose—one person supporting the other.

When the two pairs met, An Ning’s eyes met with the person in a similar state. In that instant, they recognized a fellow sufferer. Misery loves company.

"You—"

"I—"

They both started to speak at the same time, but neither had the energy to finish.

They passed each other and returned to their respective bunks.

Just as An Ning lay down on her bunk again, the train attendant came over.

"You’re An Ning, correct? Did you eat anything before you boarded the train?"

"I bought some tea-leaf eggs."

As soon as An Ning finished speaking, the attendant asked, "Was it from the old woman in the yellow headscarf?"

"Yes."

"That explains it. You’re not the only one on the train today with vomiting and diarrhea. There are over a dozen others with the same symptoms. All of you ate her tea-leaf eggs."

An Ning finally knew the cause, but she was too exhausted to say another word.

"Get some rest. You should have someone pick you up when you get off the train."

Hearing this, An Ning called out to the attendant and changed her ticket.

’I can’t go to the provincial capital for now. I’ll just go back to Sanhe Town first.’

The attendant checked and confirmed it wasn’t a problem.

After the attendant left, Master Tang came to stand beside An Ning. "Is your hometown Sanhe Town?" he asked.

"Yes."

’He must be looking for Jiang Xia,’ she realized.

"I’ve studied some pharmacology. May I take your pulse?"

"Yes, please. Thank you."

Master Tang crouched down. The young husband from the next bunk handed him a small folding stool, and Master Tang turned to thank him.

He sat properly on the little stool and placed three fingers on An Ning’s wrist. The compartment fell silent.

"There’s a type of leaf that looks very similar to a tea leaf, but its aroma is much more fragrant."

"When used in cooking, it releases a unique, exceptionally alluring fragrance."

An Ning wanted to nod, but her head was too heavy.

"You’re right. Those tea-leaf eggs were incredibly fragrant. Several stalls were selling them, but I picked that one."

Master Tang hummed softly in acknowledgment and withdrew his fingers.

"When ingested, this leaf causes symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. If left untreated, it typically takes about three days for the body to expel the toxins completely."

An Ning understood and asked, "Do you have another way to treat it?"

Master Tang’s eyes were full of confidence, but his words were modest.

"I know a thing or two. I wonder if you would be willing to give it a try?"

"I am."

An Ning’s response was swift and resolute, which made Master Tang pause for a moment.

’I suppose I do look like a trustworthy person.’

After a moment, Master Tang stood up and nodded to An Ning. "Please wait. I need to borrow the kitchen."

Master Tang left the compartment, and An Ning closed her eyes to rest.

’My trust isn’t in Master Tang,’ she thought, ’but in Jiang Xia.’

’Although I don’t know what the relationship is between this Master Tang and Jiang Xia, I do know that Jiang Xia has gone to great lengths, using every trick up his sleeve, to lure Master Tang to Sanhe Town.’

An Ning didn’t know how long she had been asleep.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Master Tang slowly rolling down his sleeves.

In a daze, An Ning thought, ’His fingers are as elegant as Jiang Xia’s.’

"You’re awake. Just in time for some congee."

"Congee?"

An Ning sat up. On the small table between the bunks sat a bowl of white congee.

The congee had no discernible scent, not even the fragrance of rice. It seemed completely plain and odorless.

"I won’t throw this up, will I?"

The earlier bowl of rice water had made An Ning wary.

In her opinion, the misery of vomiting was worse than being stabbed with a knife.

"Rest assured, you won’t."

There was something magical about Master Tang; his words carried a weight that made them incredibly convincing.

An Ning found this to be true as well.

She took the bowl and, with a wooden spoon, stirred the congee.

As she stirred, a delicate, fresh fragrance rose from the bowl, instantly reviving her listless spirits.

"You can just eat it directly."

At Master Tang’s reminder, An Ning stopped stirring and began to eat.

After just one spoonful, An Ning understood Jiang Xia’s motive.

’This congee is incredible.’

An Ning had eaten delicious congee before, which Jiang Xia had also given her.

But this congee was different. It wasn’t just delicious; with a single bite, she felt a sense of relief.

The burning sensation in her stomach was slowly extinguished by that one spoonful.

It was like a gentle spring rain, silently nourishing but undeniably real.

An Ning unconsciously quickened her pace. When she finished the bowl, her stomach felt warm and incredibly comfortable.

Even the pain in her head had eased significantly.

"This congee is amazing."

Those four simple words pleased Master Tang.

He said nothing, simply took the empty bowl and left.

A little while later, An Ning was fortunate enough to have another bowl of the same congee.

She didn’t dare to eat anything else.

In the meantime, she didn’t vomit or have diarrhea again. However, she heard that the others with the same symptoms were still suffering terribly.

’Now I’m even more in his debt.’

The train whistled—WHOO WHOO—as it pulled into the station. Jiang Xia was dressed like a young nobleman, a Jade Pendant even adorning his waist as an accessory.

If he were holding a fan, he would look just like a young lord from a poem, touring the southern lands.

In the bustling, chaotic train station, Jiang Xia stood out from the crowd.

His eyes scanned the station entrance, searching for Master Tang.

"An Ning?"