Zhang Xiaoniu finished preparing the porridge and brought it over.
"It's already difficult to feed him with a spoon. When we tried to pry his mouth open and pour it in, the young master was choked several times. We're at a loss," Gu Qing said with a distressed expression, standing to the side.
Qi Zhenzhen took the porridge bowl and tested its temperature. It was just right.
The spoon touched Gu Sinian's lips, but he showed no reaction. In such a situation, there was only one way to feed him: mouth-to-mouth.
"When the situation is urgent, we have to adapt. There's no other way," Qi Zhenzhen muttered. In ancient times, there were no methods for administering nutrient solutions. This was the only method she could think of. He was unconscious now, and as long as she didn't mention it later, no one would know.
Little by little, until a thin layer of sweat appeared on Qi Zhenzhen's forehead, the porridge was finished.
It was a bit slow, but at least nothing was wasted; it was all fed in.
Qi Zhenzhen wet a cloth again and wiped Gu Sinian's face, tidied his hair, and also trimmed the beard that had started to grow on his chin. She didn't have a razor, and it couldn't be trimmed cleanly with a knife, so she could only try to make it as smooth as possible. Even so, he looked much better overall.
Gu Qing looked at Qi Zhenzhen with admiration. Before this, he had never understood why this Qi family girl, who didn't seem to have any outstanding qualities, had caught their young master's eye. Was it the life-saving grace? There was no need to pledge herself in return. Was it just because she could make some particularly delicious food? Now, it seemed their young master had good judgment and knew how to assess people. Considering this incident, any other young lady from a prominent family would either be crying in the capital waiting or thinking about how to break off the engagement. The Qi family girl was better; she had rushed over from afar as soon as she received the news.
The distance from the capital to the border was not the same as the distance from the capital to the outskirts of the city. He knew very well how arduous the conditions were along the way.
The Qi family girl had come without a word, and more importantly, she had found them after arriving. Was this something an ordinary person could do? They, who considered themselves capable, had been trapped for over a month and were on the verge of collapse.
After settling Gu Sinian, Qi Zhenzhen beckoned to the brown bear. "Big guy, go to his side. He's very weak now and his body heat is insufficient. Your fur is thick. Stay close, and he'll be warmer."
The brown bear looked at Qi Zhenzhen, then at Gu Sinian, and growled, "Roar, the Holy Wolf has given instructions. Everything is to be prioritized for you. The mountain nights are very cold, and I'm afraid you won't be able to endure it."
Qi Zhenzhen realized that this brown bear was very stubborn and listened to Ye Bai particularly well. After talking for a long time without success, Qi Zhenzhen had to compromise, letting the brown bear lie in the middle, with her and Gu Sinian lying on either side of it. This way, both of them could borrow warmth from the brown bear.
The next morning, after a simple meal, Zhang Xiaoniu and Gu Qing and others carried Gu Sinian onto the prepared stretcher.
To be safe, Qi Zhenzhen tore a cotton cloth garment and used cloth strips to secure Gu Sinian to the stretcher, letting the brown bear carry the stretcher.
As they approached the edge of Death Valley, the brown bear wanted to put Gu Sinian down. It remembered the Holy Wolf's warning that the miasma was very potent and could kill people, and it needed to carry this human.
Qi Zhenzhen stopped it. "Take a rough look. The miasma only reaches up to my height. As long as I'm careful, I can avoid it. But it's different for him. He's unconscious. If they carry him, they'll only be slightly higher than the miasma. If they're not careful and inhale the miasma, he will die. He is very important to me, otherwise, I wouldn't have specifically entered Death Valley. So, do you understand? He cannot have an accident."
The brown bear tilted its head slightly, trying hard to understand what Qi Zhenzhen was saying. After a while, it growled, "Roar, I can send him out first, and then come back for you. You let him accompany you; you have a good relationship." The brown bear pointed at Zhang Xiaoniu.
Although it would cause some delay, if Qi Zhenzhen didn't agree, the brown bear clearly wouldn't care about Gu Sinian. Qi Zhenzhen, helpless, could only agree, letting the brown bear take Gu Sinian and Gu Qing and the others out first.