Chapter 24: Treatment

Li Panpan looked at Li Yaqin, head bowed, silent, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She assumed Li Yaqin was guilty; after all, the girl usually seemed quite honest.

Could such a thing really have happened?

Could she have misjudged her?

Her suspicions grew stronger.

She sighed, her tone becoming more stern.

"Yaqin, you're still young, there are things you don't understand. This world is treacherous; you're a young woman, you mustn't go down the wrong path!"

"I know you're ambitious and want a good life, but a good life has to be earned with your own hands, not through crooked means!"

"Listen to my advice, don't keep leaving so early and coming home so late. Stay home and wait a while, and I'll introduce you to a good family."

Li Panpan's words were like knives stabbing into Li Yaqin's heart.

She felt like she was suffocating.

She wanted to shout back, to tell Li Panpan that she wasn't that kind of person.

But she couldn't say anything.

She could only let the misunderstanding deepen.

Li Yaqin's silence disappointed Li Panpan even more.

She felt Li Yaqin was beyond saving.

She shook her head, turned, and went back into the house.

Leaving Li Yaqin alone, standing forlornly in the courtyard.

Night fell, and a cold wind howled.

Li Yaqin felt as if the whole world had abandoned her, standing there alone, as if she could feel the entire world's misunderstanding.

She looked up at the sky, her heart filled with grievance and confusion.

She didn't know what to do.

She didn't know how long this would last.

She only knew that she had to persevere.

For her future, for that high-ranking officer who hadn't yet arrived.

She had to endure, she had to wait.

Even if she was misunderstood, even if she was isolated.

She absolutely could not give up.

The thought of heading into the mountains again sent a wave of pressure through Li Yaqin.

If it weren't for Li Qiang's mission, she wouldn't be so cautious.

Her sister-in-law was always suspicious of her, constantly watching her.

Why was she putting herself through this?

If Li Qiang were here, she probably wouldn't even be able to leave her room, let alone go into the mountains.

Li Yaqin knew perfectly well that today's trip to the back mountains was crucial to the successful launch of her grand plan.

After all, according to her memory, those high-ranking military officers had encountered danger in the past few days.

This was a golden opportunity; she had to seize it.

Only then could she secure a bright future for herself in this treacherous world.

She absolutely couldn't afford any mishaps; this was a matter of her future.

A critical moment for whether she could have an easy job and a good life.

Li Yaqin silently prayed, "God help me."

She quickened her pace involuntarily, wishing she could rush down the mountain immediately.

Her heart pounded like a rabbit's, and her mind was already racing.

She had to get this done today, no matter what.

Saving those two officers was crucial to her future wealth and prosperity; she couldn't afford any mistakes!

If she saved them and established connections, she'd have no trouble living a good life.

Ideally, she should gain their favor; then, many things would become easier.

Then, becoming friends with anyone would propel her to new heights.

A job? Wouldn't that be a piece of cake?

Once she had a job and a stable foothold, she could slowly implement her later plans…

As she neared the foot of the mountain, Li Yaqin's eyes suddenly sharpened, as if she had spotted prey.

Not far ahead, under a large, leafy tree, two figures lay indistinctly.

Could it be? Was her luck really that good? She'd encountered them so quickly?

Li Yaqin felt a surge of joy, like she'd won the lottery.

She suppressed her excitement, afraid of disturbing anything.

She moved quietly, step by step, towards the tree, like a hunting cat.

The surroundings were quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind and the distant calls of birds.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground and on Li Yaqin's face.

Excitement shone on her face, but a hint of tension lurked deep in her eyes.

Finally, she approached and recognized the two men.

They were indeed two soldiers in camouflage!

Their eyes were closed, their faces pale, their bodies motionless, like lifeless statues—clearly unconscious.

Li Yaqin's heart pounded wildly, as if it would leap out of her throat.

She felt her palms sweating—a sign of extreme excitement and tension.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh.

"Finally, it's happened!"

"This is the opportunity I've been waiting for!"

She screamed inwardly.

So long incubation, so much patience—finally, this moment had arrived!

She took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, trying to calm her agitated emotions.

But her trembling fingertips betrayed her true feelings.

She quickly pulled a rough porcelain kettle from her bosom, her movements careful, as if afraid of making a sound.

This kettle didn't contain ordinary water.

It was her biggest secret, her trump card for survival and changing her fate in this world.

She gently unscrewed the kettle's lid, and a faint, almost imperceptible medicinal fragrance wafted from the spout.

The scent was faint, but Li Yaqin recognized it. It gave her a sense of security, a confidence that she was in control.

She had made thorough preparations long ago, and now, they finally came in handy.

She had already used her spatial abilities to dissolve half a pill of infertility in the kettle.

She placed the kettle in her spatial storage in a safe place for later use.

To ensure the medicine's effectiveness without being detected, the knowledge of medicinal pills inherent in her spatial storage proved invaluable.

Half a Delay Pill would significantly reduce its sterilization effect, but it was enough to make the two soldiers dependent on her "fertility pill."

This was a brilliant start.

A complete Delay Pill… colorless and odorless, simply mixed into food or water and ingested, would sterilize someone without their knowledge.

However, Li Yaqin crushed the Delay Pill and dissolved half of it in water.

The two of them drank at most a quarter of the prescribed dose.

This dosage was negligible for sterilization.

But it had an unexpectedly miraculous effect on healing.

It could save lives and pave the way for her own future—a win-win situation.

Excellent, everything was proceeding according to her plan, without the slightest deviation.

A barely perceptible smile appeared on Li Yaqin's lips—a smile of confidence and triumph.

A hint of unwavering determination.

This smile contained a trace of smugness, a hint of calculation, and a glimmer of anticipation for the future.

She was no innocent, selfless saint who would selflessly save lives.

Saving lives? It was merely a means to an end.

Li Yaqin's goal had always been singular—to firmly control her own destiny and thrive in this harsh and treacherous world!

And this water, infused with the sterilization pill, was the first step in her meticulously planned scheme.

“Once they drink this water, they'll only be able to rely on me…on my ‘fertility pill’ to have offspring!”

Li Yaqin calculated in her mind.

As for the future…whether she could marry one of them, or even share wealth and glory, that was a matter for later.

Right now, it wasn't the time to consider those things.

The most important thing right now was to make these two soldiers owe her a favor.

With this favor, she could make demands later.

What she needed most right now was a job.

A job that would allow her to establish herself in this era, a job that would allow her to earn a living.

With a job, she could completely escape the control of Li Panpan and Li Qiang; this was Li Yaqin's most urgent need.

At first, she naively thought that Li Qiang was genuinely worried about his wife, which was why he had sent her, his sister, to help take care of her.

After all, in this era, being a military dependent offered some protection.

However, after spending time with her, Li Yaqin gradually sensed something unusual.

Li Qiang's attitude towards her was no longer just brotherly concern.

His gaze, his tone, made Li Yaqin uncomfortable.

She vaguely sensed that Li Qiang might have other plans.

For example, using her marriage to gain personal benefits, a kind of political alliance.

Although Li Yaqin hoped to marry a soldier to change her situation, this didn't mean she wanted to be a pawn in someone else's game.

What she wanted was the right to choose freely, not an arranged marriage.

Whom she married, and with whom she would spend her life, had to be her own decision.

She absolutely couldn't let anyone interfere, including her brother, Li Qiang.

She had to find a job, a job that would allow her to be financially independent.

Only financial independence could allow her to truly stand on her own two feet in this era.

Only by standing on her own two feet could she have true freedom, and break free from the control of Li Qiang and Li Panpan.

Then, she could slowly plan for the future, step by step, achieving her goals…