Afterward, she comforted Zhang Dajun.
"Dajun, don't listen to their nonsense. Mother has a way."
"Mom, really? You have a way?"
Zhang Tianfu wiped his nose and looked up in surprise.
Zhao Chunhua didn't say much. She quickly tore a corner from her clothes, pulled off a strip of cloth, and tightly tied Zhang Dajun's arm to stop the venom from spreading further.
She had just seen the snake that bit Zhang Dajun. It wasn't highly venomous. As long as the wound was treated properly, it wouldn't be fatal.
"Mom, what are you doing? Dajun is almost dying, and you're still making him suffer like this?"
Seeing that Zhang Dajun's arm had been tied so tightly that it was turning even more purple, Zhang Tianbao couldn't help but speak up.
"If you don't understand, don't interrupt. Just stay aside."
Zhao Chunhua shot him an unhappy glare and said, "Hurry up and bring the water bag."
Zhang Tianbao didn't dare say anything more. He quickly took the water bag from his waist and handed it to her.
They had already been walking through the mountains for two hours, and there wasn't much water left in their bags.
But it was enough to wash the wound.
Zhao Chunhua repeatedly rinsed Zhang Dajun's wound with water.
"Look, Dajun's wound doesn't seem as swollen anymore!"
Zhang Youcai shouted.
Everyone lowered their heads to look at the wound.
Sure enough, although the wound was still somewhat purplish-black, the swelling had indeed subsided a little.
Seeing that the clean water was helping, they quickly handed their water bags to Zhao Chunhua.
"Auntie, there's some water here. Take it."
Seeing this scene, Zhao Chunhua felt slightly moved.
"No."
Water alone cannot detoxify the venom.
"You all take care of Dajun. I'll go look for some herbs that can be used."
After saying that, Zhao Chunhua stood up and began searching for herbs that could detoxify the poison.
It is often said that where there are poisonous snakes, the antidote can be found within seven steps.
Sure enough, it didn't take long for Zhao Chunhua to find some half-branch lotus nearby.
She quickly dug it up, picked two leaves, chewed them, and applied the paste to Zhang Dajun's wound before wrapping it with a strip of cloth.
After finishing everything, Zhao Chunhua wiped the sweat from her forehead and said, "Alright. Dajun will be fine."
Then she carefully stored the remaining half-branch lotus.
Scutellaria barbata could not only clear heat and detoxify the body, but also stop bleeding and reduce swelling. It was very effective for wounds caused by bites from poisonous snakes or insects.
It was almost May.
May is often known as the month of "poisonous creatures," when insects and snakes become especially active.
Unfortunately, there was only one plant of Scutellaria barbata. After using nearly half of it on Zhang Dajun, only a few leaves remained.
It would be great if she could find a few more.
That way, her family would have an extra layer of protection. If anyone were bitten, she could use the herbs immediately.
As she was thinking about this, Zhao Chunhua suddenly had an idea and remembered her mysterious space.
She had previously harvested a patch of wheat there and hadn't planted anything else since, making it the perfect place to grow some herbs.
Although the herbs she grew might not be as effective as those found in the wild, she would be able to access them immediately whenever she needed them, which would be much more convenient.
Thinking of this, Zhao Chunhua quietly placed the half-branch lotus into her space.
"Mother."
At that moment, Zhang Tianfu suddenly called out, startling her.
"You nearly scared me to death!"
Zhao Chunhua patted her chest and looked at him with dissatisfaction.
"Mom, how do you know so many things?"
Zhang Tianfu looked straight at her and continued, "First you made the wheelbarrow, then you knew how to make masks, and now you even know about herbs?"
After saying that, he took half a step back and took a deep breath.
"Are you really my mother? I remember you didn't know these things before."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.
Everyone stared at Zhao Chunhua in astonishment.
Zhang Tianbao and Zhang Dajun, in particular, felt a chill in their hearts.
Their mother had never had such abilities before.
Zhang Tianfu continued speaking.
"And another thing, how can you always conjure up jerky for us to eat?"
His voice trembled as he spoke.
He had even searched through all the bags, yet he couldn't find a single piece of dried meat.
It was as if Zhao Chunhua had suddenly turned into someone else.
"You… where did you come from? Why have you possessed our mother?"
Zhang Tianfu's voice trembled, and his legs began to shake.
The others felt a chill run down their spines and instinctively stepped back in fear.
Zhang Tianbao felt a cold sensation rise from the soles of his feet to his scalp.
How could their mother who was usually so stingy suddenly give them dried meat every day?
Only Zhang Dajun, who had always been very filial, refused to believe it.
"Second Brother, stop talking nonsense. This is our mother!"
"Dajun, are you confused? Tianfu is right. When has our mother ever known these things? The woman in front of us is probably an evil ghost who has taken over our mother's body and wants to harm us!"
Zhang Tianbao pulled the stubborn Zhang Dajun away.
At that moment, the sun was hidden behind thick clouds. Without the sunlight, the forest became dim and unsettling.
Standing in the shadows, Zhao Chunhua's expression darkened, making her look even more intimidating.
"What nonsense are you talking about? If I'm not your mother, then who else could I be?"
The vein on Zhao Chunhua's forehead twitched, but she quickly forced herself to calm down. Then she angrily raised her hand and began hitting Zhang Tianfu and the others.
"Just look at you! I'll teach you a lesson, you unfilial brats! How dare you speak ill of your own mother!"
Her slaps and fists came down in quick succession, making them cry out in pain.
But Zhao Chunhua had no intention of stopping. Instead, she seemed to grow more worked up the more she hit them.
"You ungrateful children! I worked so hard to raise you, and now you don't even recognize your own mother! You even called me a ghost? I'll teach you a proper lesson today!"
Zhao Chunhua placed her hands on her hips, pointed at each of them in turn, and scolded them sharply.
"Back then, I sold my only bracelet so you could get married! And now I realize I've raised such an ungrateful lot! How dare you call me a ghost!"
"And you," she continued, pointing at Tianfu, "you've never been a worry to me since you were little, yet you made Dadong's son fall off the hillside. If I hadn't risked my life to plead for you, Dadong would have punished you long ago!"
As Zhao Chunhua spoke, she recounted nearly all the embarrassing incidents from their childhood.
Zhang Tianbao and Zhang Tianfu had been hit multiple times; they ran off, clutching their heads and gritting their teeth.
As Zhao Chunhua recounted their past misdeeds, Zhang Tianbao's face turned as red as a cooked shrimp.
"Mom, stop hitting me! We know we were wrong!" he gasped.
Panting heavily, he leaned on his knees, begging desperately.
Damn, she had such strength. Even after just a few blows, his entire body ached as if it might fall apart.
Zhang Tianfu was in even worse shape. Because of his frail health, he had borne the brunt of her strikes.
"Mom! Please… stop hitting me. I know I was wrong, and I won't do it again…" he whimpered.
The only one spared was the injured Zhang Dajun.
Several of the other young men stood aside, gasping in fear as they watched how miserable the two Zhang brothers were.
Fortunately, this was not their biological mother.
"Aunt Zhao, please stop hitting them," Zhang Youcai said, summoning his courage to step forward and gently hold Zhao Chunhua's hand.
Finally, Zhao Chunhua seemed to tire and stopped.