Chapter 8: Collecting Supplies

Li Yaqin felt her sister trembling, but in her heart, she was plotting how to exploit her sister's grief.

"I know you're very sad. But we can't live in the past forever; we have to look forward."

"Sister, you still have us. We'll always be with you." But in her heart, she thought, "As long as you stay this depressed, I won't be framed..."

Li Yaqin truly felt sorry for herself, but the current situation forced her to plan for herself.

The more depressed Li Yuehua was, the safer she would be.

At least, no one would notice what she was doing for a while.

But this couldn't go on forever. She had to come up with a foolproof plan to protect herself...

"Look forward..." Li Yuehua murmured, repeating the phrase, her eyes empty and lost.

"Yes, look forward," Li Yaqin said firmly.

"We still have our own lives."

"Mmm..." Li Yuehua nodded gently, seemingly understanding Li Yaqin's words, yet also seemingly not.

“Look forward…” Li Yuehua murmured, repeating the phrase over and over, her eyes empty and lost.

Looking forward—how easy was that?

Her heart had been filled by Dayong, but now it was ripped apart, leaving a bloody void.

How could she look forward?

Should she forget everything from the past and start over?

But those beautiful memories, those sweet vows—could she just forget them so easily?

“Sister, go back to your room and rest for a bit,” Li Yaqin said, helping her sister to the bedside and helping her lie down.

“I’ll make you some porridge. Eat something and get a good night’s sleep.”

“Okay,” Li Yuehua obediently lay down on the bed and slowly closed her eyes.

Li Yaqin left the room and gently closed the door.

She stood in the courtyard, gazing up at the deep night sky.

Twinkling stars, like sparkling diamonds, were set against the black velvet.

A gentle evening breeze, carrying a hint of coolness, dispelled the restlessness in her heart.

She let out a long sigh, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"The first step, a success."

Li Yaqin said to herself.

She had secretly burned Li Dayong's breakup letter; it would never appear before her sister.

The news of her sister's pregnancy had already reached Li Dayong, far away, through letters.

As for the letter her sister received…

A sly glint flashed in Li Yaqin's eyes.

It was a carefully planned "surprise."

The news of Li Dayong's "marriage" was enough to dishearten her sister and temporarily prevent her from suspecting her.

"However, this is far from enough."

Li Yaqin knew very well that with Li Dayong's personality and abilities, he would eventually return to deal with her sister's affairs.

Then, how should she deal with it?

She had to come up with a foolproof plan that would protect her and also…

Li Yaqin's gaze fell on her sister's window.

The dim light shone through the window, illuminating her sister's thin figure.

"Sister, please don't blame me."

"I'm doing this for our own good."

Li Yaqin said silently in her heart.

She knew she was being selfish, but she had no other choice.

In this world, everyone looks out for themselves.

She had to survive, and thrive.

Only then could she use the elixirs in her spatial storage to change her fate.

Thinking of those miraculous elixirs, a glimmer of hope rekindled in Li Yaqin's heart.

Beauty Elixir, Fertility Elixir, Divine Artifact Elixir…

And the most crucial one, the Infertility Elixir.

These were her means to survive in this world.

"Once I've resolved my sister's matter, I'll begin implementing my plan."

Li Yaqin's eyes hardened.

She would use these elixirs to climb step by step to the pinnacle of life.

To live a life free from want.

"I want to make my appearance even more outstanding."

Li Yaqin touched her cheek.

She was terribly ugly now, afraid to even eat good food.

But she wanted to become one of the most beautiful people in the world.

Only then could she attract powerful and influential men.

“I need to find a suitable soldier, someone who will be completely devoted to me.”

After all, in this era, soldiers held a high status, and…

The images of several men from the original owner's memories flashed through Li Yaqin's mind.

They were all prominent figures of this era.

If she could win the favor of just one of them, she could rise to the top.

“Finally…”

Li Yaqin's eyes turned ruthless.

“I want those who hurt me to taste the bitterness of despair.”

She wouldn't forget those who had bullied her; given the chance, she would get her revenge.

Li Yaqin took a deep breath, suppressing her thoughts.

“Now, the most important thing is to resolve my sister's situation.”

She turned and headed towards the kitchen.

“I'll cook some porridge for my sister first, so she can rest.”

“Once she's asleep, I'll think about the next plan.”

Li Yaqin walked along, calculating in her mind.

She knew that every step she took had to be perfect.

Otherwise, there would be no hope of redemption.

"Li Dayong, you absolutely mustn't disappoint me,"

Li Yaqin silently prayed.

She believed Li Dayong would definitely return.

Then, it would be her chance to completely break free from her sister.

"Sister, please don't blame me."

"Blame yourself for being so foolish and naive."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Li Yaqin's lips.

She had made thorough preparations.

This time, she was determined to win.

She, Li Yaqin, was not someone to be trifled with, nor was she someone to be easily framed.

After all, the sleeping potion was ready.

She was extremely grateful to her teacher; during the professional exam, which tested the making of sleeping potions, she was able to create the potion.

As night deepened, Li Yaqin's figure disappeared into the darkness of the kitchen.

Only the faint light stubbornly flickered.

As if foreshadowing an even greater storm that was about to break.

Li Yaqin looked up at the sky; life had to go on.

It had rained heavily yesterday, but today the weather was clear.

Although the air was very damp, the withered grass and small trees along the roadside were already bent low by the downpour, drooping helplessly.

A figure walked past in a puddle, the dark shadow stretched long and distorted.

Li Yaqin, carrying a small bamboo basket on her back, hurried along the path into the mountains.

She was a 20th-century botanist, though she hadn't graduated—that didn't matter.

But because of a chance encounter while watching a spectacle, she ended up in a rural village in the 1960s and 70s, lacking medical resources.

"What bad luck!" Li Yaqin cursed inwardly.

She needed medicinal herbs, all sorts of supplies, to cope with this unfamiliar world; only then could she survive.

"Collect." Li Yaqin looked at the herbs before her; these were valuable things, not to be wasted.

Li Yaqin silently recited her mantra, uprooting the roadside herbs that had been growing there. The herbs instantly appeared in her spatial dimension, neatly arranged.

She possessed a spatial dimension, her only means of survival in this world.

The dimension could collect anything she desired within a 100-meter radius, ignoring all obstacles, and it also had a preservation function.

Inside the dimension, various pills lay quietly in jade bottles: beauty pills, fertility pills, divine artifact pills, and even pills that prevented her from having offspring.

These were her means of survival in this world.

The villagers' impression of Li Yaqin was mostly limited to "the ugly, somewhat foolish daughter of the second son of the Li family."

After all, who would give up a perfectly good life to spend all their time running up the mountain gathering worthless wild herbs?

Li Yaqin didn't care what others thought.

She knew very well that her sister was heartbroken and depressed, and her parents were too busy to care for her; this was the perfect opportunity for her to act.

She wanted to use this opportunity to collect as many supplies as possible to prepare for the future.

Li Yaqin quickened her pace, traversing the mountain paths.

The rain soaked her clothes, drenching the thin fabric, which clung to her skin, bringing a chill, but she didn't care.

Her gaze, like radar, quickly and precisely scanned every possible spot where medicinal herbs might grow.

Those precious herbs, which might be just weeds to others, were priceless treasures to her.

She would use these herbs to concoct more of the medicine she needed to change her destiny and take control of her life.

Although she didn't know how effective the medicine would be, at least it wouldn't kill her.

Damn it, Li Yaqin was really going all out to save herself.