Chapter 10 Steamed Cured Meat: This Killer Isn't So Cold

As soon as the lid was lifted, the aroma of steamed cured pork filled the mountain god temple. The cured pork slices were cut quite thin, a total of twenty slices, and the fat between the pork fibers glistened with a crystal-clear luster.

The elderly, weak, sick, and disabled in the temple had eyes as bright as stars, staring intently at the cured meat, swallowing hard.

You Mingjiang first picked up four or five of the softest and most tender pieces of cured meat and offered them in front of the mountain god statue with a human face and a tiger's body, as a way of thanking the mountain god for providing him with a place to stay.

After Ye Xiang and Tie Pinggu woke up, the remaining slices of cured meat were distributed among the two children.

Next, we divided the remaining fourteen or fifteen pieces of cured meat.

Two pieces per child isn't enough, and three pieces aren't enough either. It's really worrying.

Not to mention, of the three adults present, Hai Si Die and Lu Xiao Jia, both grown men, were patients.

Of all the lively and energetic people, only You Mingjiang was alive and kicking.

You Mingjiang began to regret not dragging back the old wolf he had killed. Wolf meat was edible, wolf bones could be used in medicine, and wolf skin could be used to make tanned fur…

While she was filled with regret, she distributed the cured meat, and each person received two slices of juicy cured meat in their bowl.

You Mingjiang also gave himself two slices of cured meat.

The elderly, weak, sick, and disabled in this temple are all insecure at heart. If she has nothing to eat, they dare not touch their mouths. She doesn't want to be a spoilsport.

The cured pork was steamed to perfection. The children opened their mouths wide, took a bite, and the glistening meat juices splattered all over their faces.

Not enough to eat.

Gao Jiping looked very nervous.

She was afraid that if the orphans she brought ate too much, You Mingjiang would dislike them.

You Mingjiang gently placed two slices of cured meat from her bowl into the hands of the youngest child, Xiao He.

Although Xiao He is still very young, he is already very sensible.

He chewed on some meat, looked up slightly at You Mingjiang, and with meat juice still on the corner of his mouth, he held a piece of cured meat to her lips with his small hand. "I can't finish it by myself. Big sister, let's eat together."

You Mingjiang was taken aback. Looking at his sallow little face, she raised her hand and patted his little head. "Good boy, you eat."

"No!" Xiao He pouted, trying to put it into her mouth.

Unable to resist Xiao He's pleas, You Mingjiang lowered her head, bit off a piece of meat the size of a fingernail, and said, "Good boy, eat it now."

Xiao He glanced at Meng Xinghun, who was drooling, and then at Shi Qun, who was sucking his fingers. He was tempted but still refused to eat.

He picked out the two glistening slices of cured meat from the bowl and handed them to Gao Jiping: "Sister, have some."

Gao Jiping handed the meat over to Hai Hongzhu, who then passed it on to Hai Sidie, who in turn gave the cured meat to an even younger child.

And so, the cured meat in the bowl seemed to grow legs, circled around in everyone's hands, and after several twists and turns, it somehow ended up in Lu Xiaojia's hands.

.

You Mingjiang glanced at Lu Xiaojia.

Lu Xiaojia was pale, her lips were bloodless, and she sat quietly on the futon with her legs crossed.

He looked like a wilted eggplant, completely listless. From the moment he started distributing the cured meat until now, he has remained unusually quiet.

In front of him were two bowls filled with slices of cured meat, one of which he had taken when they first met, and the other which he had acquired after many twists and turns.

He didn't even touch a single bite.

You Mingjiang asked him, "No appetite?"

Lu Xiaojia raised his eyes, gave her a deep look, and then lowered them again. His eyelashes trembled slightly as he pushed the bowl of cured meat slices toward her and said softly, "I can't eat this."

"Is your stomach upset?" You Mingjiang asked softly.

Lu Xiaojia lowered her eyes and remained silent.

Suddenly, he raised his hand to cover his mouth and gagged twice.

You Mingjiang was taken aback at first.

Then she thought to herself: I knew he wouldn't like this ordinary cured meat. However, although these few slices of steamed cured meat are not delicacies, they won't make him happy at first sight, but they also won't make him feel so nauseous.

With the floods going on right now, people are lucky to have anything to eat...

From this, she deduced that Lu Xiaojia was probably used to a life of luxury.

She already had the blank travel permit, so You Mingjiang didn't force him to eat. He could eat it or not; seeing his picky attitude saved her the trouble of providing him with food.

You Mingjiang happily distributed the four slices of cured meat to Meng Xinghun, Shi Qun, Xiao He, and Gao Jiping.

These orphans, who were always very good at reading people, thanked him and obediently lowered their heads to eat the meat.

Lu Xiaojia opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but when the words reached his lips, he couldn't utter a single one.

He stood up, silently picked up the prayer mat, and walked to a corner.

.

.

You Mingjiang is naturally very beautiful.

Lu Xiaojia's heart skipped a beat when he first saw her.

It wasn't the kind of dazzling beauty that made people unable to look away, but rather a compassionate appearance that resembled Guanyin Bodhisattva holding up a flower.

Her face was exceptionally delicate and refined, her nose was perfectly straight, and the corners of her mouth were naturally slightly upturned. She had a gentle and mild demeanor, and her figure was that of a girl from the north, yet she possessed the bone structure of a girl from the south.

What's most wonderful are her eyes—clear, almond-shaped eyes, sparkling with a watery luster. Even if she did something outrageous, people would suspect that others had misunderstood her.

She should be a clear-headed and upright person.

He wasn't keen on praising her beauty; he was just curious about another side of her.

From Kaifeng to Jingyanggang, he secretly watched her struggles along the way and found her life to be incredibly boring.

In Lu Xiaojia's eyes, You Mingjiang was a very strange person.

Every smile and every frown of hers seemed to carry a sense of mission to "save the world," always wanting to pull those in distress out of the abyss.

Very earnest, yet very clumsy.

Lu Xiaojia often wondered if there really were such upright, kind, and conscientious saints in this world.

Or is she simply a puppet whose fate is not in her own hands?

Of course, Lu Xiaojia had no right to laugh at anyone when it came to the fact that he couldn't control his own destiny.

He couldn't quite explain his feelings for her—whether it was curiosity, scrutiny, jealousy, or longing...

He longed for her to see his suffering, and for her to take him under her protective wings.

Lu Xiaojia is a hedgehog, using his quills to disguise himself. But no matter how fiercely he pricks himself, he can't hide his instinct to crave warmth.

Isn't You Mingjiang a saint who saves people from suffering?

Could she save him too?

So he followed.

However, the reality is that he doesn't seem to be popular.

He always seemed unable to properly handle his emotions, and always appeared somewhat superfluous.

His throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and he choked up a little. Lu Xiaojia gave a self-deprecating laugh, closed his eyes, and curled up into a ball.

.

·

At 11:45 PM, large raindrops began to fall again, pounding heavily on the roof of the mountain god temple.

The sound of rain lulled them into sleep. After filling their bellies, the children climbed onto the haystacks and fell fast asleep.

Hai Si's father was going to drive a mule cart all day the next day, and thinking about the long journey, he picked out some fresh alfalfa to reward the mule. The mule usually loved this fodder, but tonight it was unusually restless. Hai Si's father didn't think much of it and took a nap as soon as he finished feeding the mule.

You Mingjiang kept watch alone at night.

First, I fed Tie Pinggu and Ye Xiang one amoxicillin capsule each, and then tucked the blankets around them.

In the heavy rain, it sounded like someone was calling for help.

You Mingjiang frowned, gripped his broadsword warily, and listened intently, but the sound was drowned out by the rain.

Was it just her imagination? She felt inexplicably uneasy and subconsciously glanced at the temple gate.

Turning around, I saw Hai Hongzhu weaving straw sandals by a small oil lamp.

"Be careful, it will hurt your eyes." You Mingjiang lit another oil lamp, picked up the oil bowl, and went over.

Hai Hongzhu explained, "Children grow quickly, and Ye Xiang's previous shoes were probably too tight, so I knitted him a larger pair."

You Mingjiang glanced at her bandaged hand and said softly, "Your own injury hasn't healed yet."

Hai Hongzhu exclaimed "Ah!" and scratched her head sheepishly.

Her nail was injured, so she couldn't help with anything, but she was afraid that You Mingjiang would dislike her, so she didn't let go of anything she could do.

Hai Hongzhu could tell that You Mingjiang felt most sorry for Tie Pinggu. She and her father were essentially burdened by this situation, and she was always worried about causing You Mingjiang trouble.

You Mingjiang took the still-developing straw sandal from Hai Hongzhu and continued weaving. "Hongzhu, do you think I don't like you very much?"

Hai Hongzhu's heart skipped a beat. She thought she had hidden her thoughts well, but You Mingjiang had seen right through them.

Her face flushed red, and she nervously twisted her fingers, stammering, "Sister You..."

You Mingjiang stopped weaving straw sandals and sighed softly, "Hongzhu, you shouldn't always wrong yourself and pretend to be sensible."

Hai Hongzhu's eyes stung, and tears welled up. She could forgive the three children, but Gao Jiping was about her age, and when Sister You was dividing up that extra piece of cured meat, she hadn't thought of her first…

She had really wanted to eat that extra piece of cured meat just now.

She longed for Sister You to love her the most.

But she couldn't.

Her experience wasn't so bad; she was much happier than Tie Pinggu and Gao Jiping. She couldn't make a fuss because such feelings would be selfish, so she could only be sensible.

She wiped her face haphazardly with her hands, her pent-up grievances turning into large, rolling tears. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt, her face flushed red from crying. "Sister You just doesn't care about me! You don't even think about giving me cured meat first..."

"I was the one who met Sister You first! Waaah, she only treats me a little better than she treats Lu Xiaojia, she's biased!"

You Mingjiang was both amused and exasperated. She quickly took out a handkerchief from her bosom and carefully wiped Hai Hongzhu's face, gently coaxing her, "Alright, don't cry. Why did you suddenly start arguing with Lu Xiaojia?"

The words had barely left her mouth when she realized her mistake and quickly tried to salvage the situation: "How could Lu Xiaojia compare to you..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she realized it wasn't appropriate, and immediately added, "When have I ever been nice to him?"

The more they talked, the more confused they became, so You Mingjiang simply hugged Hai Hongzhu gently.

When Hai Hongzhu was hugged, the faint scent of purple gromwell filled her nostrils, instantly turning her ears red. You Mingjiang whispered, "Hongzhu, you are a very important member of my family, my dearest little sister."

Hai Hongzhu sniffled and asked, "Is it really our best friend?"

"Hmm." You Mingjiang sighed softly, cupping her face in his hands and wiping away her tears with his thumbs. "Okay, don't cry, I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Hai Hongzhu's eyes lit up immediately.

You Mingjiang smiled and gently opened her hand, revealing a delicate rouge box lying in her palm.

This is lip rouge she made herself.

Calendula cold-infused oil, safflower oil powder, castor oil, beeswax, and vitamin E capsules... After repeated color adjustments and proportions, she finally created this lip balm.

Hai Hongzhu took the rouge box with trembling hands.

Seeing the lustrous, apple-red cream inside, tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She threw herself into You Mingjiang's arms and burst into tears, crying, "My sister and I are the best of sisters in the world!"

.

With You Mingjiang's coaxing, Hai Hongzhu finally went to sleep obediently.

"This girl..." she said, shaking her head with a smile as she wove straw sandals.

Recalling the line, "My sister is only slightly better to me than she is to Lu Xiaojia," You Mingjiang subconsciously touched her nose.

She couldn't help but ask herself, was she really that bad to Lu Xiaojia? The thought flashed through her mind, and in an instant, she lost all interest in weaving straw sandals.

You Mingjiang stood up, raised an oil lamp, and watched the warm yellow flame flicker gently. With a casual glance, she caught sight of Lu Xiaojia.

He huddled on a futon in the corner, his body thin, as if everything around him was irrelevant to him.

Lonely and desolate.

It was an endless sorrow, like the line "People say the setting sun is the end of the world, but gazing to the ends of the earth, I cannot see my home," which struck a chord with the hidden pain in her soul. This resonance was like a latent thread, quietly connecting them.

You Mingjiang's heart softened for a moment.

.

Just as he was about to step forward, he suddenly stopped, his mind a jumble of unresolved thoughts. After a moment's hesitation, You Mingjiang let out a long sigh, slowed his pace, and walked towards Lu Xiaojia.

"...Lu Xiaojia? Lu Xiaojia?"

She stood a few steps away, not daring to approach rashly.

What if Lu Xiaojia, a top-notch assassin in the martial arts world, also has the habit of "killing in his dreams"?

Lu Xiaojia lay quietly on the futon, motionless.

You Mingjiang frowned slightly, then cautiously took two steps forward, slowly approaching him. Then, she tentatively called out again, softly, "Lu Xiaojia?"

Lu Xiaojia remained motionless.

Yu Mingjiang's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition welled up in her mind.

She squatted down and gently turned Lu Xiaojia over.

Lu Xiaojia's face was deathly pale, as white as freshly fallen snow in the dead of winter, devoid of any color, and her palms were also damp.

Clearly, he had fainted from the pain.

You Mingjiang was startled.

"...Lu Xiaojia! Lu Xiaojia!" Afraid of waking everyone from their sleep, she leaned down and whispered urgently in his ear.

Lu Xiaojia's eyes were tightly closed, and she showed no signs of waking up.

"Could it be that this has triggered a heart attack?" She ripped open Lu Xiaojia's shirt and quickly pressed her ear to his chest, listening carefully to his heartbeat.

The moment she leaned in, Lu Xiaojia's heart suddenly started pounding faster.

You Mingjiang was startled, thinking: Could it be that he has a heart rhythm disorder?

"Thrombin lyophilized powder, glucose injection solution, and adrenaline auto-injector..."

She searched the bamboo medicine basket thoroughly before suddenly remembering that she had already given the adrenaline auto-injector to Tie Pinggu.

Okay, let's start with CPR.

You Mingjiang straightened him up, letting his head rest on the futon, and then pulled his clothes to the sides, revealing his pale chest.

She clasped her hands together and pressed down repeatedly with the heels of her palms. Suddenly, a hoarse voice drifted into her ears: "What are you doing?"

You Mingjiang was taken aback, then her eyes lit up, and she suddenly looked up.

Sure enough, Lu Xiaojia opened her eyes, her gaze still somewhat unfocused, but she stared intently at her.

You Mingjiang quickly reached out and gently pressed her hand against his chest: "I thought you..."

"Female hooligan." Lu Xiaojia forced herself to sit up and uttered these three words weakly.

As she spoke, she pushed You Mingjiang's hand away.

He adjusted his clothes with his long, slender fingers, and a faint blush rose on his pale face.

.

You Mingjiang smiled and said, "I was just saving you."

Lu Xiaojia, sweating profusely, clutched her chest and said, "If you had used a packet of anesthetic when you were stitching up, would we have needed to do this?"

You Mingjiang sighed softly, "I had no choice. You must know, your swordsmanship is renowned throughout the land. This temple is full of the elderly, the weak, and the disabled; their safety rests entirely on my shoulders. How could I easily trust you, in case..."

"The reward for killing one person is at least tens of thousands of taels of silver." Lu Xiaojia raised his pale face, his expression full of arrogance. "None of the old, weak, sick, or disabled people in this temple are worth my time. I, Lu Xiaojia, never draw my sword on the weak."

Upon hearing this, You Mingjiang was taken aback, then clapped his hands and laughed, "I never imagined we'd think so alike. True friends are hard to find. If Young Hero Lu doesn't mind, we can be friends from now on. However..."

Lu Xiaojia pressed further, "But what?"

You Mingjiang hesitated for a moment before speaking, "As everyone knows, assassins often have no choice in the matter. If you befriend me, won't your leader or master hold it against you?"

Lu Xiaojia raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you trying to trick me? Trying to find out about my background?"

You Mingjiang smiled and waved his hand: "I was being presumptuous. You're still weak, don't think about these things, get some rest."

·

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a piercing cry broke through the rain and pierced straight into the temple.

You Mingjiang and Lu Xiaojia were startled and looked warily toward the temple gate.

"Murder! Bandits are here—"

The sound echoed through Jingyanggang in the rainy night, followed by a series of loud banging on the door.

"Open the door! Open the door!"

"Open the door! Please save us! Have mercy and let us in to hide!"

"We don't want to die! Open the door! Give us a way out!"

A note from the author:

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[Good Luck Lianlian] ① "People say the setting sun marks the end of the world, but gazing to the ends of the earth, I cannot see my home": This comes from Li Gou's "Homesickness" in the Tang Dynasty.