Chapter Forty-Eight: An Unexpected Coma

The midday meal took place on a deserted little island, with nothing around but the director’s team and their cameras, leaving everyone without any usable tools.

[Let’s all eat together, then.]

[The goddess will surely share, won’t she?]

[Since it’s for everyone, what was the point of Yinsansan working so hard to take first place just now?]

[Don’t be so petty, please. Yinsansan isn’t that kind of person.]

The atmosphere was tense, and Yinsansan was naturally displeased. She had struggled for the top spot precisely to enjoy its privilege alone. But now, facing the cameras, she could only grit her teeth and feign magnanimity.

“All right, let’s all eat together. We’ll use my set of pots and spatulas.”

“Hooray! Can Aunt Su cook? Her food is the best!”

The little foodie’s craving nature was on full display, and Su Wanling was not one to refuse.

“You can’t handle it all alone. Let me help you,” Yu Xin said, seizing the opportunity to shine, rolling up her sleeves with enthusiasm.

Su Wanling turned and handed her a basin of shrimp.

“Thank you. Please clean these shrimp.”

Yu Xin froze, glancing down at the basin, which contained the shrimp won by the four families—over a hundred in all. Each shrimp was lively and hard to handle. She suspected Su Wanling had assigned her this task on purpose, but she couldn’t find any proof.

While Yu Xin was still stunned, Su Wanling placed a pair of scissors in the basin.

Biting her lip, Yu Xin turned to Feng Rui. “Let’s do this together, it’ll go faster.”

Feng Rui wanted nothing to do with the smelly seafood. “But there’s only one pair of scissors. I’ll go wash the vegetables.”

[Su Wanling is so bossy. What gives her the right to order Xin Xin around?]

[Please take a closer look, okay? Yu Xin volunteered to help.]

[Yu Xin could be cooking, so why must she listen to Su Wanling?]

[Su Wanling has such skill in the kitchen; it’s natural for her to take charge in this situation.]

[Does anyone remember that Yu Xin is also a great cook? Now she’s reduced to a mere assistant. Su Wanling really is formidable.]

Soon, Su Wanling had prepared a sumptuous lunch from the ingredients everyone had won. After eating their fill, everyone sat inside the tent.

The temperature was unbearable, especially in the afternoon. The island was fully exposed to the sun, with no shade at all. As the heat climbed, tempers grew irritable.

It was then that Yangyang suddenly collapsed, no one noticing when it happened.

The first to discover him was Mingming, who had gone to play with him.

“Auntie, Yangyang’s asleep! Isn’t he hot?”

Yinsansan finally noticed her son’s unusual state and reached out to wake him, but no matter how she tried, Yangyang wouldn’t respond.

Everyone grew anxious, even the director and camera crew crowded around.

[What’s going on? Did Yangyang faint?]

[He must have suffered heatstroke. It’s too hot there—can’t the director be more careful?]

Su Wanling hurried over. Yangyang was lying on the ground, his brows relaxed, with no outward signs of distress, yet nothing could rouse him.

Under the pressure of the cameras, Yinsansan could only say, “Maybe it’s too hot here—the child must have heatstroke.”

The program team’s medic hadn’t accompanied them to the island. The director rushed to contact someone for help, but the soonest they could arrive would be in half an hour.

[What’s the director doing? Are they really going to let the child bake in the sun for half an hour? He could be dehydrated by then!]

[But Yangyang isn’t the youngest or the weakest. Why is he the only one affected?]

[Yangyang’s spirits have seemed low these past few days. Maybe he’s been sick for a while.]

In the midst of the chaos, Su Wanling drew near and checked Yangyang’s pulse.

This wasn’t a case of heatstroke—it was a faint caused by exhaustion!

Su Wanling suddenly looked up at Yinsansan, whose gaze faltered when their eyes met.

“This doesn’t look like heatstroke. It seems more like exhaustion. Has Yangyang been resting properly these last few days?”

Yinsansan frowned slightly. “How could he not? We’re all filming together, and he sleeps well at night. You’re not a doctor, so stop guessing. It’s probably just heatstroke.”

[What’s Su Wanling doing—does she know medicine?]

[No need to pretend to know everything at a time like this. If something happens to the child, will she take responsibility?]

[She always finds a way to steal the spotlight. Go away!]

Su Wanling said nothing more, scanning her surroundings.

Behind the island was a small hill. After assessing the landscape, Su Wanling called to Suisui nearby.

“Stay here and look after your sister. I’ll be right back.”

Suisui didn’t understand what Su Wanling intended, but her silhouette soon vanished from sight.

Su Wanling searched through the grass, her gaze soon settling on a cluster of small white and yellow flowers.

[What is she planning to do?]

[Everyone’s worried about Yangyang, but she wanders off alone. How heartless.]

[As a student of traditional medicine, I have to say Su Wanling’s pulse-taking was textbook. She might really know pharmacology.]

Su Wanling crouched before the patch of grass and gently touched the plant.

[Is she picking flowers?]

[What kind of flower is that? It’s ugly.]

She leaned in and sniffed, then began digging at the plant’s roots with her bare hands, having brought no tools in her haste. Fortunately, the soil wasn’t too hard.

Soon, she had unearthed the plant’s long roots—yellowish-brown, about the thickness of a pinkie, still covered in dirt, with no obvious medicinal value.

[Is she gathering herbs now?]

[Is she going to taste every plant like the legendary herbalist?]

[Is it necessary to put on a show? Wait until the doctor arrives and proves her wrong!]

With her find in hand, Su Wanling returned to the tent, where Yangyang remained unconscious.

“What’s that?”

“Astragalus, known as ‘little ginseng.’ It replenishes energy, strengthens the body, and boosts immunity.”

As she spoke, Su Wanling washed the dirt off the astragalus root and sliced off a small piece.

“Let him eat this,” she said, her expression tense.

“No!” Yinsansan cried, slapping the herb from Su Wanling’s hand.

If Yangyang ate it and recovered, it would prove he hadn’t suffered heatstroke.

So Yinsansan insisted, “What is this nonsense? I can’t give my child something random—let’s wait for the doctor.”

Just then, the doctor called by the director arrived.

Su Wanling said nothing, scoffing quietly as she stepped aside.

“This child hasn’t suffered heatstroke. He fainted from exhaustion,” the doctor declared, echoing Su Wanling’s diagnosis exactly.

“There’s astragalus here,” Su Wanling said, handing over the herb she had gathered.