Fortunately, Su Qingyue knew how to swim, and her swimming skills were excellent. She struggled to swim upwards in the pond water, but the herbs soaked in her back basket were heavy, making her ascent to the surface particularly burdensome.
The water was incredibly cold, as if it could freeze a person to ice in the cold weather.
She had no choice but to throw away her back basket to lighten the load.
Though it was a pity to lose most of the herbs, survival was of utmost importance.
As she made her way to shore, she realized that in such cold weather, with her whole body wet, she would need not only to stay warm but also to eat something to regain her strength.
Lost in thought, she took off her back basket and turned it upside down in the water, and the heavy items like the hoe, hatchet, and other metal tools, along with the herbs, all scattered in the water.
She hastily stuffed the ginseng she had dug up into her sleeve pocket and swam to the surface unburdened.
