Rebooting 60, let's go on a rampage with the orange cat!

The snow outside was piled up very thick; as far as the eye could see, everything was a vast expanse of white. Snowflakes were still falling from the sky, drifting down like light feathers. The snow seemed even colder in the night, exuding a biting chill. The moonlight shone on the snow, casting a faint, cold glow, bringing a mysterious and cruel atmosphere to the whole world.

He Shuyi patted the snow off her hair and body and walked into the house, still feeling the chill.

Seeing the listless and haggard appearance of Wang Xiuzhi and her companion, he seemed to have sensed something and sighed softly, saying, "I've heard about it. It's good that you're back. You've done your best."

Xiuzhi covered her mouth and cried, afraid of waking Huai'an. Her heart was breaking and she cried out in a low voice, "The doctor said there's no cure. I wish it was me who died. I would do anything as long as she lives. Why did God have to do this?"

He Shuyi remained silent for a long time, her head bowed, tears lingering. She steadied her trembling voice and calmly and slowly advised, "An'an is already like this. I know you've spent a lot of money and done your best. Since the doctor said so, don't blame yourself."

Xiuzhi shook her head, tears streaming down her face like broken beads, and said, "No, I'm going to take her to a big hospital in the province. I don't believe she can't be cured."

He Shuyi was a little shaken. She went into the room with a bit of shame and stood silently by the bedside for a long time.

Seeing Huai'an's pale and weak face, she stepped forward and tucked the blanket around him. Her expression was unreadable as she walked out, and after a long while, she looked at Xiuzhi and said:

“I know you’ve had a tough time too, and you’ve spent a lot of money on Huai’an. You’ve done your best. Forget it, stop saving him. Keep some money and live a good life!” After saying that, He Shuyi walked quickly to the door and was about to open it.

Wang Xiuzhi suddenly lost control of her emotions and shouted in a low voice with sobs, "What nonsense are you talking about? You have many children, so of course you don't care about Huai'an's life or death, but I only have this one child. How can I bear to watch her die? I will absolutely not abandon her!"

He Shuyi was moved and stunned for a moment, then opened the door without saying a word and walked out indifferently.

Shi Renmei helped Xiuzhi up and advised, "She didn't want to cause us any suffering. She's the child's mother. Do you think she's not upset? Don't dwell on it. Look at you, your health is failing. It hurts me to see you like this. Let's do our best and leave the rest to fate!"

“No, I raised An’an myself. She can be heartless, but I can’t abandon her. An’an only has us, and you won’t abandon her either, right?” Xiuzhi looked at Shi Renmei with sorrow and helplessness.

Shi Renmei comforted him wearily but firmly, "This is our An'an. Anyone else in this world can abandon her, but how can we?"

A solitary figure stumbled and trudged through the snow in the alley outside the house.

He Shuyi seemed to have aged a lot. Outside, the cold wind howled, and the snowflakes hit her face with a chilling cold.

She felt no cold, no sadness, no pain; she was almost numb!

Like a mindless, soulless machine, she mechanically walked the road home. The icy road was too slippery, and the streetlights cast a dim yellow light that silently illuminated the spot where she fell.

She got up again without a word and disappeared into the dark, snowy landscape.

Shi Huai'an was the child she carried for ten months and gave birth to; he was a piece of her own flesh!

How could she not feel heartache? How could she not be sad? But even if she felt heartache and sadness, what could she do?

After all, the doctor had already pronounced Shi Huai'an's death sentence, and everyone was helpless and powerless. What else could she do for Huai'an, the child who had already been given away?

Besides Huai'an, she had other responsibilities to bear. Therefore, she couldn't allow herself to collapse under any circumstances. If even she collapsed, then her family would truly be finished.

Life waits for no one, and the sky won't stop raining or snowing just because you don't have an umbrella or a house. Heaven is never merciful; all things compete for survival, and even ants cannot escape the ravages of fate. Whether you can withstand it or not is up to fate.

The next day, before dawn, Wang Xiuzhi got up in a hurry. Shi Renmei sighed and stopped her, saying, "You should take care of your health. Can't you wait until the weather is better?"

Xiuzhi stubbornly packed a yellow cloth bag, insisting, "But An'an can't wait..."

Who would have thought that she would go out in the dead of winter, when everything was covered in ice and snow?

According to local legend, there is a several-hundred-year-old tree called the "Child Tree" on Lotus Pond Mountain. It is said that if a child in a family falls ill and is difficult to cure, as long as the family members sincerely pray and worship, the child will be protected and will safely overcome the crisis.

The Child Tree, also known as the Tree God of Zitong, is associated with Yu the Great's flood control efforts. According to the *Guangbowuzhi*, when Yu the Great was controlling the floods, he needed to build dugout canoes and ordered the felling of catalpa trees. The catalpa trees, frightened, transformed into a child, enraging Yu the Great, who then continued the felling. The ancient people of Zitong believed that the catalpa tree transforming into a child was a deity, and therefore built temples to worship the Tree God of Zitong.

Before dawn, the snow reflected a cold light in the morning glow, and her breath turned into a cloud of white mist. Carrying a bulging bag, Wang Xiuzhi set off alone for her sacred place—the Tongzi Tree.

When they reached the foot of the mountain, the sun shone its cool light faintly on Xiuzhi.

She first went to pay her respects at the small local earth god temple she passed by, something she always did whenever she passed by. She took out a few coarse grain buns from her bag as offerings and placed them on the stone table in front of the temple. Then, she gently broke off a piece of firewood, lit three incense sticks, and respectfully placed them into the incense burner.

After doing all this, she began to climb the mountain, bowing every three steps.

It had just rained and snowed on the mountain, and the ground was wet and covered with ice, but she did not hesitate at all and stepped onto the mountain path without hesitation.

She would stop every three steps, kowtow, make a wish, and then rise to continue. Her movements were very slow and solemn, as if each step carried her deep faith and hope. In this way, she knelt and prayed all the way, her knees were already soaked with mud, and her forehead was covered with dirt, but she did not care at all, and only focused on moving towards Lotus Pond Mountain.

After a two-hour arduous trek, she finally arrived at an ancient and weathered tree. The tree had a long history, with a thick trunk, mottled bark, and branches intertwined to form a dense canopy, giving it a solemn and dignified feel.

It stands here quietly, so unique. Its thick trunk is covered with dark green moss, and many red strips of cloth and wooden plaques with the wishes of devout men and women hang from the dark green leaves on its withered branches. The deep cracks on its weathered trunk tell of the ruthlessness of time, and every line on its bark tells a story of the years. It stands quietly, witnessing the passage of time.

Near the fork in the trunk and branches of the young tree, there is a deep hollow in the tree, with extremely strange tree patterns that, from a distance, resemble the sorrowful and distorted face of an old man. It is as if the centuries of lightning strikes have not broken its compassion for the world.

The dark tree hollow is filled with mysterious legends, including one that says a child tree spirit lives inside. Long ago, a few strong men wanted to cut down the tree to sell it for money, but after a few blows with their axes, a liquid that looked like blood flowed from the trunk. The men were terrified and fled in panic. Later, these men inexplicably got into trouble; some went to jail, some became disabled, and some lost their families... The legends became more and more fantastical, and the people revered the tree even more, filling the soil at its roots with burnt incense sticks.

Wang Xiuzhi stopped and gazed silently at everything before her. She took a deep breath, slowly walked to the big tree, and knelt down.

At this moment, Wang Xiuzhi was covered in mud and her hair was disheveled, but she didn't care about that.

She took out the offering steamed buns and placed them under the tree, lit incense, and kept kowtowing and praying:

"I beg the tree spirit to bless Shi Huai'an and help her recover from her illness. I would gladly give her my own lifespan. I beg the tree spirit to have mercy!" she murmured, placing all her hopes on the deity.

She closed her eyes and prayed silently, pouring out her heart to the Tree God.

She told the Tree God that her daughter, Huai'an, was sick and needed the Tree God's protection to keep her safe; her daughter was not yet married and hoped that the Tree God could grant her a happy marriage.

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

Some things are mysterious and mysterious. According to the elders, you cannot tell Heaven about the wish to extend your lifespan. If Heaven helps you, it will fulfill its promise and take away the life you are destined to have.

However, Wang Xiuzhi couldn't care less about anything else. She was impoverished and destitute, possessing nothing but her life, like a tattered little boat tossed and turned in the storms of life. She poured all her love into Huai'an, hoping that heaven would grant her a sliver of mercy, no matter what it took...

With her eyes closed in prayer, Wang Xiuzhi felt an immense sense of peace and tranquility. She believed that as long as she prayed sincerely, the Tree Spirit would hear her and offer her help and guidance. She was willing to exchange her piety and effort for the happiness and health of her family.

It was evening when she finished praying. The setting sun cast its last rays upon her, illuminating her weary yet resolute face.

She stood up, bowed deeply, then turned and went down the mountain, her heart filled with hope and anticipation for the future.

It was already dark when she got home. Exhausted, she stumbled and nearly fainted as she crossed the threshold. Shi Renmei quickly helped her inside. After drinking ginger soup and taking a hot bath, she still caught a bad cold and coughed for two months before recovering.

Strangely enough, Huai'an's condition stabilized considerably after that day, and he was able to drink some thin porridge, which brought immense relief to the couple.

Wang Xiuzhi wanted to wait until she felt better before taking Huai'an to the provincial capital, Nanshi, where there would surely be someone capable of treating Huai'an's illness.

A few days later, Xiuzhi was sunbathing with Huai'an at the door when an old Taoist priest with a thin face and bright eyes, wearing a long black cotton robe, passed by.

The weary old Taoist priest looked back at Huai'an several times, but finally couldn't help turning around and coming to stand in front of Huai'an.

Xiao Huai'an sat listlessly in the chair, her whole body wrapped up like a ball. She lowered her head and coughed from time to time, extremely weak.

The old Taoist priest shook his head, his gaze fixed intently on the child in Wang Xiuzhi's arms. Without a word, he reached out to take the child's pulse. His brow furrowed slightly, as if he sensed something amiss.

Wang Xiuzhi watched all this nervously, her heart filled with anxiety and unease. After a long while, the old Taoist priest slowly lowered his hand and remained silent.

Seeing this, Wang Xiuzhi quickly stood up and respectfully invited the old Taoist priest to sit down, and promptly brewed him a cup of hot tea, hoping to get some answers. However, the old Taoist priest maintained a solemn expression, only nodding slightly in acknowledgment, without saying a word.

Next, the old Taoist priest carefully observed the child's condition again, gently lifting the child's chin to make him open his mouth and stick out his tongue. Then, he switched hands to take the child's pulse, his movements gentle and focused.

As the old Taoist priest sensed the changes in her pulse, he slowly said, "This woman is congenitally deficient, with a weak spleen and poor digestion, and internal accumulation of cold and dampness. Her pulse is floating and slippery, with a tightness; her finger veins are pale and bluish; her tongue coating is white and slippery, and the tongue body is bluish. She has clear nasal discharge, coughs with increased phlegm, fever, chills, dizziness, headache, and a preference for hot drinks. This is due to external wind-cold pathogens that have stirred up the internal accumulation of cold and dampness, impairing lung function, preventing the lungs from clearing and descending properly, and hindering the spleen's function of transporting and transforming dampness, thus obstructing the flow of Qi in the Taiyang meridian."

His voice was low and slow, as if every word contained endless meaning. Although these words might be difficult for ordinary people to understand, he did not stop explaining.

The old Taoist priest continued, "The most urgent task is to prescribe Xiao Qinglong Decoction with added aconite to help yang, relieve exterior symptoms, resolve phlegm, and eliminate fluid retention..." After saying this, he closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

A moment later, the old Taoist priest opened his eyes and asked Wang Xiuzhi for a piece of paper. As he pondered, he wrote down a prescription with a brush.

After writing it down, the old Taoist priest handed the prescription to Wang Xiuzhi and said in a serious tone, "May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings, my benefactor. If you believe, you may wish to give it a try." Then, he stood up and prepared to leave.

Wang Xiuzhi wondered if there really was divine help.

Without hesitation, she took out five yuan and quickly stepped forward, saying, "May I ask your surname? This amount of money is really insignificant, but I hope you can accept it."

The old Taoist priest smiled as he accepted the money, saying softly, "May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings! You are generous and kind, and you will surely be rewarded in the future. As for my name, you need not concern yourself with it." With that, he turned and drifted away.

The neighbors whispered amongst themselves, saying, "This child has childhood tuberculosis, which is very difficult to cure. Now we can only try anything as a last resort..."

Wang Xiuzhi ignored the gossip and hurriedly went to get the medicine. She was determined to try it, whether it worked or not.

Half a month later, Huai'an's condition indeed improved. Perhaps it was Xiuzhi's sincerity that moved the tree spirit, or perhaps it was the Taoist's prescription that worked.

By the following spring, the weather had warmed up, and Huai'an seemed to have finally pulled through, his health actually improving.

Huai'an hasn't coughed for a long time, and his spirits are getting better and better. He can jump and play again.

One day, she said to Xiuzhi, who was hanging out the laundry and sheets to dry, "Mom, now that I'm not coughing anymore, I won't infect the other children, right? I want to go play in Sister Xiaomin's yard, is that okay?"

Xiuzhi couldn't help but hug Huai'an and cry tears of joy. She stuffed a handful of red dates into Huai'an's pocket and said, "Of course you can go play."

He Shuyi never came back, but she silently observed everything that was happening here. No news of her death had arrived; perhaps the absence of bad news was good news after all…