Chapter 2980

The red plum blossoms were abundant here, but harvesting them yielded little. Many leaves were soaked with snow water, diminishing their medicinal potency. Thus, Yan Xiwan could only dig for the roots. Fortunately, the entire red plum plant was medicinal, so there was no shortage of material.

As she dug, Yan Xiwan suddenly spotted a stone slab. She tapped it casually and found it hollow underneath. Scanning with her spiritual sense, she discovered a snow snake, as thick as an arm, hibernating below.

Yan Xiwan carefully moved the slab aside and struck, seizing the snake by its vital point. "Take it back. It will be a nice treat for the wounded."

"Wow, such a huge snow snake! The wounded are in for a treat," Xiao Li said, approaching as Yan Xiwan had already subdued the snake.

Impressed by her swift movements, Xiao Li asked curiously, "Dr. Yan, do you know some martial arts?"

"Yes, I learned it for self-protection. Originally, it was just for fitness. You know, as a doctor, surgeries can last for hours, so physical stamina is strictly required," Yan Xiwan explained honestly.

Xiao Li looked at her with admiration. "Dr. Yan, you are truly amazing."

Yan Xiwan smiled. "Not amazing, just for my own sake."

She continued searching for herbs, though red plums were the most common nearby. Seeing the time, she decided to lead the group back, planning to change direction tomorrow.

When Yan Xiwan returned with the herbs, even though they were only a few types, it proved that medicinal plants existed beneath the snow. This was good news for the stationed soldiers.

Yan Xiwan instructed Xiao Li to send the snow snake to the kitchen. The cooks boiled it into snake soup for everyone. Although there was only one snake, diluting the broth allowed everyone to taste it.

"It’s delicious," a wounded soldier said after a sip. "It feels so warm."

"We must thank Dr. Yan. If she hadn’t led us out to find herbs, we wouldn’t have found this hibernating snake," another said.

"Indeed, taste this. It’s so fresh."

"Old Squad Leader’s cooking has improved."

"It’s not the Old Squad Leader’s skill; the snow snake is naturally fresh."

"I say, Little Bean, if you keep disparaging the Old Squad Leader’s cooking, he might serve you plain water tomorrow."

…

In the ward, everyone was happy as the cold had been driven away.

Yan Xiwan received a bowl of snake soup and raised an eyebrow. "This should be for the wounded."

"The wounded have theirs, but you shouldn’t miss out," the Old Squad Leader who delivered it said. "You caught the snake. Without you, they wouldn’t have this treat."

Yan Xiwan smiled slightly. "It seems food here is running low?"

"Yes, but don’t worry. I will find a way to solve it," the Old Squad Leader said seriously.

Yan Xiwan recalled a story she had read once. It was about an old squad leader during the Long March who cared for the wounded, refusing to eat himself to ensure they were fed.

Moved, she said, "Old Squad Leader, I don’t eat snake. You have this bowl."

The Old Squad Leader was stunned. "I tasted it while cooking. I ate first."

"Then consider it me helping you finish it. Eat it quickly," Yan Xiwan said with a serious expression. "Old Squad Leader, I practice both Chinese and Western medicine. I can see from your face that you have severe stomach issues. You cannot lie to a doctor."

The Old Squad Leader hesitated.

Yan Xiwan placed the bowl in his hands. "Old Squad Leader, it’s just a bowl of snake soup, not something precious. Rest assured, as a doctor, I will find medicinal herbs that can serve as food for you tomorrow."

"Herbs that can be eaten as food?" The Old Squad Leader doubted it.

"Of course. For example, yams and kudzu root," Yan Xiwan smiled. "Old Squad Leader, rest assured. I will solve the food problem for you tomorrow."

The Old Squad Leader felt she shouldn’t let Yan Xiwan take on this burden, but seeing her gentle smile, she drank the snake soup in one go.

"Dr. Yan, thank you."

The Old Squad Leader spoke sincerely.

At this time, every grain of food was precious. she knew Yan Xiwan was deliberately making her drink the soup. But she could not refuse, as she was speaking from a doctor’s perspective.

Seeing the Old Squad Leader had finished the soup, Yan Xiwan said no more.

After inspecting the patients, Yan Xiwan returned to her resting place.

The adjacent room remained silent; Ouyang Tianyun had not returned.

Yan Xiwan thought about how to make food from her space appear in the cold environment. Looking at the situation, food was indeed scarce.

Thinking for a moment, she slipped out when others were not watching.

Her main goal was to hide some items.

Yan Xiwan found a spot, placed some underground root vegetables from her space there, camouflaged them, and then left.

The next day, Yan Xiwan led Xiao Li, Xiao Zheng, and Xiao Kuang out again.

This time, they changed direction. Yan Xiwan chose a place where the wind was not too strong but still present.

"Places with wind are relatively suitable for root growth. I promised the Old Squad Leader yesterday to find herbs suitable as food. This direction is perfect," Yan Xiwan said with a smile.

"Dr. Yan, can we really find food?" Xiao Li had already ignored the word "herbs."

Yan Xiwan looked around. "Let’s try. How will we know if we don’t?"

Xiao Zheng and Xiao Kuang agreed. The environment was harsh. Although the country continuously sent food, the conditions made delivery difficult. Sometimes, they had to solve the food problem themselves.

After walking for about two hours, Yan Xiwan began searching slowly. Soon, she seemed to discover something casually. "Xiao Li, give me the shovel."

Xiao Li hurried over and handed her the medicinal shovel.

Yan Xiwan carefully cleared the snow and then dug into the soil. After about five or six minutes, large chunks of roots appeared.

"It’s sweet potatoes! There are sweet potatoes here," Xiao Li said.

"These are sweet potatoes, but accurately speaking, they are wild sweet potatoes. Fortunately, they are quite large," Yan Xiwan smiled. "Since we found this, there must be a patch here. Send someone back to get more people to help dig."

Yan Xiwan ordered.

"I’ll go call people," Xiao Kuang said.

"Alright, you go call them. We will start digging," Yan Xiwan said, beginning to dig.