Chapter 59: Enchanted Book: Mending, and the Clever Uses of Healing Potions

After learning about these circumstances from the world chat channel, Chen Fan also felt fortunate that Ram had warned him in time, otherwise he would have met the same fate as those people.

Over the past few days, Chen Fan and his companions maintained a very regular daily routine. After getting up in the morning and washing their faces, they would exercise together with Chen Fan, and then head down into the cave to mine.

Following breakfast, Chen Fan would craft a campfire and list it on the trading platform, dedicating the rest of the time to mining.

In the afternoon, they would return to their room to take a short nap to restore their stamina, followed by either mining or heading over to the dungeon's monster spawner.

Whenever Zhao Gang and his sister lacked food, Chen Fan would give them twenty loaves of bread in exchange for a single log.

As for other survivors living near his home, Chen Fan provided bread at low prices, figuring they might turn out to be capable assets in the future.

When evening finally brought some free time, Chen Fan would check the world chat channel and browse the trading platform to see if anyone was selling anything worthwhile.

Sure enough, a trade listing caught Chen Fan's attention.

[Flesh Essence *10] in exchange for healing medicine. DM me, urgent!

Medicine?

Yet Chen Fan had never obtained any medicine from supply crates, though healing potions did exist.

His eyes lit up, and he wondered if the person was actually looking for a healing potion without knowing it.

Moreover, anyone searching for medicine was most likely injured themselves.

This person, named Du Xiaoshan, had probably fought some creature and urgently needed medical treatment.

Under such circumstances, the price could not be set too low, and the trade items needed to be carefully negotiated.

Yet in the dead of winter, who on earth was this guy out fighting three hundred rounds with?

Harboring his own little schemes, Chen Fan opened the private chat and sent a message, "Hello, how much for the Flesh Essence?"

Du Xiaoshan's reply was very slow, making it look like he was busy with something.

After nearly ten minutes, a message finally came through from the other side.

Du Xiaoshan: "I only trade for healing medicine, something that can bring down a fever and provide antibacterial and anti-inflammatory treatment."

Chen Fan grinned, "Your ten pieces of flesh essence are nowhere near worth a single bottle of potion."

Du Xiaoshan: "Do you really have medicine? How do you want to trade?"

"Guessed right, he's injured," Chen Fan muttered to himself before sending a message,

"Tell me about your situation. If it's just a fever, the snow outside will do. If you're actually injured, I have healing potions."

"No, my child is too small, otherwise I wouldn't have gone to the trading platform," Du Xiaoshan replied.

Chen Fan was stunned upon seeing the message. Was it the child who had a fever?

Before he could send another message, Du Xiaoshan wrote: "Wait, what is this healing potion you mentioned?"

Chen Fan: "It means exactly what it sounds like; it can heal injuries."

Meanwhile, inside a cave dwelling, there was a small cabin constructed from birch wood planks, measuring eight by eight by six blocks in size.

A sturdy, muscular man was staring intently at the interface. A moment later, he let out a near-breakdown roar,

"Ah—why did it have to be like this!"

Looking at the wailing infant in his arms, Du Xiaoshan felt utterly helpless, having no idea what to do.

Before arriving in this world, he had been a retired special forces soldier, capable of calmly handling both murderous scenes and harsh environments.

Yet now, facing the baby in his arms, he was completely at a loss.

Perhaps this was simply the infant's destiny, having just arrived in the world a short while ago only to be thrust into a global transmigration, separated from its mother and left in the care of its father.

Before the bitter winter set in, Du Xiaoshan had relied on his formidable survival skills to hunt numerous animals outside, gathering plenty of logs and even fortuitously stumbling upon a cow.

Earlier, he had purchased several copper pots from Chen Fan, and it was thanks to these supplies that his child had managed to hold on until now.

Yet for some unknown reason, the baby had suddenly developed a high fever last night.

Had Du Xiaoshan inspected the child carefully, he would have noticed a small wound on the baby's neck.

That wound had been grazed by a skeleton's arrow while mining previously, and the arrow had been tainted with bacteria.

Seeing that Du Xiaoshan had not replied for a while, Chen Fan sent another message, "Why don't you try the healing potion? It might just work."

Upon seeing Chen Fan's message, Du Xiaoshan pondered for a moment and decided to give it a try.

"Alright. If it works, I'll come find you after the winter passes and become your subordinate."

Reading Du Xiaoshan's reply, Chen Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

This fellow was a bit impulsive with his words, but it was clear that he truly cared deeply about his child.

He wasn't someone blinded by profit, and certainly wasn't in the mood to haggle over whether the trade was fair.

Chen Fan: "No need, and don't get worked up; we don't even know if it will work. Let's just trade one flesh essence for one bottle of healing potion."

Du Xiaoshan: "Okay, deal. If it works, I'll make up the difference in supplies and add something extra. In the future, whatever you need, I'll give it to you for free."

Soon, the transaction was completed.

Du Xiaoshan had no other choice left. Holding the bottle of red potion, he still felt some hesitation—could this thing really be used?

Gritting his teeth, he slowly poured the potion into the infant's mouth.

In no time at all, the entire bottle of healing potion was fed to the baby.

A few minutes later, something miraculous happened.

The child, who had previously been burning with fever and delirious, quieted down.

Even reaching out with its tiny hands, the baby began to babble and coo at Du Xiaoshan.

Although its forehead was still slightly warm, the baby's condition had drastically improved.

Du Xiaoshan hurriedly fed the child some milk to help restore its stamina, "Kiddo, you scared your dad to death."

Yet the next second, it hit him: how on earth did Chen Fan come to possess such a miraculous potion?

Did he obtain it from a supply crate, or did he get it as a drop from defeating a boss?

Regardless of which it was, Du Xiaoshan resolved to seek out Chen Fan; in this perilous world, staying close to the strong was the best way to protect his child.

...

On the other side, after receiving the items, Chen Fan hadn't thought much of it.

Right now, he could already craft a brewing stand, but unfortunately, lacking nether warts, he couldn't make potions.

Suddenly, he received a message from Du Xiaoshan: "Brother Chen, that healing potion of yours worked. I'm coming to make up the previous price difference."

"By the way, Brother Chen, I don't even know how to use this item, but it looks extremely badass [Enchanted Book: Infinity]."

At that moment, Yang Keli was snuggled in his arms. Feeling Chen Fan's body tremble slightly, she asked, "Chen Fan, what's wrong with you? Are you cold?"

"Oh, no!" Chen Fan replied while hurriedly messaging Du Xiaoshan back: "Name your price for that book, I want it."

Du Xiaoshan: "Brother Chen, we agreed before that if it worked, I would gift you an item."

"That won't do, this enchanted book is far too precious, I can't take it for free." Though excited, Chen Fan refused to take advantage of someone else's generosity.

Du Xiaoshan sent two consecutive messages, his tone sounding resolute,

"Brother Chen, you saved my child's life, this is just a small token of my appreciation, please don't decline."

Chen Fan pondered for a moment before replying, "Alright then. Such a great kindness needs no grand words; if you ever need my help in the future, just say the word."

The two chatted briefly, added each other as friends, and agreed to stay in touch and help one another out going forward.