"Are there any symptoms that don't match? For example, if infected people usually get a fever, but I don't, could that prove I'm not infected?"
"There are. Wounds infected by animals might ooze pus, fester, and the flesh around the wound could lose vitality and become stiff."
Dora Lin put on her gloves, examined Alex White's hand, and after a moment's thought, said, "So far, it only shows mild inflammation. It's true... it's progressing slowly."
"That's a relief. There's still hope."
Alex White felt more at ease. As the Zombie King, not even zombies could kill him—how could a simple scratch be his undoing? It didn't add up.
He accepted the situation, saying, "That herb... do we still have any? Let me chew some and apply it again."
"How about trying some sugar?" Dora Lin understood the gesture he made. Her father had once taught her how to use that herb.
"Better stick with the herb. Last time when I got infected by a zombie, I used the herb. I'm not sure if it worked, but following the principle of success, it's best to stick with what's worked before."
"We'll need to go out and find some; I don't have any here right now."
As she spoke, she heard a gulp from Alex White.
Dora Lin looked up, staring at him silently.
"Keeping some distance for now is probably wise," Alex White said, feeling a bit awkward.
It's normal to involuntarily salivate when seeing someone else eat, whether on the street or in a car. It's just a normal physiological reaction.
Dora Lin was clean and fresh, something beyond his control.
Luckily, the aftereffects of the infection were gradually stabilizing. At least he wasn't drooling uncontrollably anymore.
"The sun is about to set. Let's go find that herb," Alex White said, turning back and putting his dental guard in place, urging her to hurry.
They had returned from town by noon, and after bathing and resting, the afternoon was already well underway.
Dora Lin stood up and asked, "You're coming too?"
"I need to learn how to survive in this world. What if this happens again in the future?"
"True."
Dora Lin turned back, picked up a bamboo basket, strapped on a knife and gun, and filled a jug with water before getting ready to head out.
She handed Alex White a hoe.
Since they were heading out, they might as well dig up anything edible they found along the way.
Alex White, with a hoe slung over his shoulder, trailed curiously behind Dora Lin. The village was dotted with empty houses, most of them choked with weeds, some of which had grown taller than the walls themselves.
The place had fallen into decay; some of the long-abandoned homes had already crumbled, their broken bricks and shattered tiles buried beneath the lush green grass. The contrast between these ruins and the small courtyard where Dora Lin lived was stark.
There was a distinct difference between homes that were lived in and those that were not. Dora Lin didn't live on the village's outskirts; otherwise, her house would have stood out from afar.
As they left the village, they encountered Er Dan, who had likely trailed them for a while after they returned from town. It had lost its way and wandered aimlessly, but when it saw them, it started to follow again.
Yet, after only a few steps, it lost its sense of direction once more, circling in confusion.
Dora Lin, with a bamboo basket strapped to her back, gazed into the distance. She still hadn't visited Aunt Jones as planned. She had intended to take a short break before going, but instead, she found herself searching for herbs.
As for the herbs, they were more of a desperate attempt. Alex White's survival from the zombie infection had nothing to do with those herbs. If it were that simple, there wouldn't have been so many deaths.
It was purely because Alex White was strong enough to endure.
But since he believed the herbs had helped, she applied them again.
They passed the elm tree in the village and continued towards the mountains, eventually arriving at a small hill where Dora Lin's pace slowed.
The herb was easy to find. While Alex White was scanning the area, Dora Lin had already crouched down and reached for what appeared to be an ordinary wildflower, plucking its leaves.
"This one?" Alex White hesitated, looking again at the little purple flower. He must have seen this type of wildflower before.
"Mm-hmm."
Dora Lin handed him the leaves and pulled out a small spade from her bamboo basket, digging up the plant by its roots. "The roots are useful too. You can boil them to drink."
Alex White hesitated, holding the leaves, before asking, "Could you chew them for me?"
Dora Lin looked up at him.
"I'm infected. If I do it myself, there's a chance of cross-contamination..." Alex White was concerned about causing more necrosis around the wounds on his hands and wanted to avoid any risk.
Dora Lin thought for a moment, realizing his concern made sense. She picked a few more leaves, chewed them briefly, and spat them out for him.
Alex White took the green lump, which had previously seemed confusing and somewhat ineffective due to the infection. Now, seeing it clearly, he began to doubt whether applying it was a wise decision.
Noting Dora Lin's disapproving gaze, he swiftly applied the medicine to his hand and tied a cloth strip around it.
"I was worried you might sneak a taste," Dora Lin said with a grimace.
"How could you even think of something so gross?" Alex White asked, baffled.
"You've drooled over me more times than I can count," Dora Lin replied flatly as she continued to dig up wild grass roots.
Alex White felt a pang of sadness; it seemed he was stuck with the image of being a drooling zombie in Dora Lin's eyes.
After gathering a significant amount of roots, along with leaves and flowers, Dora Lin reiterated, "This flower can be dried and used to make tea. The roots, once cleaned, can be boiled, and the leaves can be crushed and applied externally or boiled. All parts are useful."
Alex White paused, "Crushed? Why don't we crush it first before applying it?"
"It's you who couldn't wait for me to chew it," Dora Lin said, looking at him oddly.
"...You didn't crush it last time either."
"Last time I was too lazy to crush it myself, so I just chewed it and applied it," Dora Lin explained.
Alex White fell silent. He had assumed that the enzymes and factors in saliva might react with the herbs to enhance their effectiveness. After all, some traditional remedies involve licking wounds, and animals often use this method to aid in healing.
"Perhaps chewing is more effective." With that thought, Alex White decided that chewing might be the better option.
Dora Lin stood up with the small shovel, and Alex White pointed to the distance, "Is that wild wheat?"
"Yes."
"Are there seeds?" The husks of wild wheat are sometimes empty, unlike the plentiful seeds of cultivated varieties.
"Very few, but they are edible."
Dora Lin continued her search, walking far out before crouching down again. This time she was digging up wild roots that she had previously given Alex White to eat. She didn't know what plant they were, but they didn't resemble sweet potatoes. She tossed them into the bamboo basket and continued, pulling out a grass root to chew.
Alex White studied attentively. As a child, he had been able to identify many edible wild vegetables in the fields, but over time he had forgotten most of them. With limited experience in outdoor survival, he could only recognize common plants like fish mint.
It wasn't until the sun was nearly set that Dora Lin finally made her way back, carrying the bamboo basket on her back.
"Could you leave some for me?" Alex White asked.
"Leave some?"
"I'd like to learn about them and examine them more closely," Alex White explained. "So that I won't starve in the future."
"Here, carry it yourself." Dora Lin considered for a moment before handing the bamboo basket to Alex White.
She felt rather foolish for having forgotten to let the 'zombie king' carry the basket all this way.