Treatment of eyes
Xu Ruoyan lived up to Pei Jue's expectations and quickly adapted to her new identity. Before she knew it, she was living a life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset, no longer having to travel around the world day and night to perform those dazzling and exhausting surgeries.
Moreover, after spending some time together, she could clearly sense that Pei Jue's attitude towards her was no longer as cold as when they first met; he seemed to have truly accepted her as his "wife."
This kind of life is actually quite good.
Soon, Xu Ruoyan's injuries had almost healed. When she reached for something again, she no longer experienced the pain of her skin tearing apart.
It's time to move on to the next step.
Xu Ruoyan put down the last bowl in her hand, swept the floor again, then took off her apron and knocked on Pei Jue's door.
"Come in." A faint voice came from inside the door, as if it came from afar.
Xu Ruoyan pushed open the door and went straight to the point: "I need to go out for a while."
Pei Jue looked up, his dazed eyes precisely tracking her direction: "Where are you going?"
Xu Ruoyan said in a serious and composed manner: "There's not much food left at home. I've been doing some handicrafts lately, so I can take them to the village and exchange them for some food."
Pei Jue didn't ask any further questions and let her leave.
Xu Ruoyan wasn't exactly making excuses for her actions, after all, there really wasn't a single grain of rice left in the house. If she didn't think of a way soon, the three of them would go hungry indefinitely. Fortunately, her mother had taught her some needlework when she was little to improve her practical skills. A few days after arriving here, she went to the village and found a job. Although she didn't earn much, it was enough to keep the three of them fed and clothed.
However, this was certainly not her real purpose.
During this time, she also wandered around the nearby mountains and discovered a large number of valuable Chinese medicinal herbs, such as wild ginseng and lingzhi. The villagers nearby were mostly illiterate and naturally couldn't identify these herbs. Their place was surrounded by mountains and quite a distance from the nearest village, making it difficult for outsiders to enter, which is why these herbs had remained unharvested. Xu Ruoyan thought she should gather some herbs to earn more money, at least enough for her escape.
I don’t know if the land where the courtyard is located has been treated by Zhuying, but apart from that one bare patch of land that can be paved with bricks and stone slabs, the rest of the surrounding area is covered by trees and shrubs of varying heights, making it difficult to find a place to step.
Xu Ruoyan carried a basket on her back and struggled forward, bending over and digging through the grass.
"What a waste!" she muttered as she carefully picked up a herb and stuffed it into her basket.
About an hour later, her basket was full. She tossed the bamboo basket on her back and felt very satisfied.
But she knew that no one in the village would buy these medicinal herbs, so she wanted to save up more and take them to town to sell.
After returning home, Xu Ruoyan first found a well-ventilated spot in the yard to air out the freshly picked medicinal herbs.
She was busy when she suddenly heard the sound of wheels crushing pebbles. She turned around and, sure enough, it was Pei Jue.
"You went to gather herbs?"
Xu Ruoyan turned her head and continued what she was doing: "Yes, I picked some herbs, planning to sell them for money. How did you know that you couldn't see them?"
"I can smell it," Pei Jue said, then asked another question: "Do you understand medicine?"
"I know a little bit."
Xu Ruoyan had already planned everything out. She would take a small portion of the money from the medicine to improve Pei Jue's meals as a way of repaying him for providing her with accommodation. She would secretly save the rest for future needs.
Pei Jue nodded and said nothing more.
After drying the medicinal herbs, Xu Ruoyan went about her usual work: cooking, boiling water, and helping Pei Jue to bathe and change.
The bright moon hung high in the sky. Xu Ruoyan finally finished her work and returned to her room. She had just sat down to catch her breath when there was a knock on the door.
It is a bamboo shadow.
Xu Ruoyan stood with her arms crossed, leaning against the door frame, blocking the doorway.
"What brings you here so late, Guard Zhu?" She raised her eyebrows slightly, and as she finished speaking, she covered her mouth and yawned.
Zhu Ying stepped forward and whispered, "Can we go inside and talk?"
Xu Ruoyan originally wanted to refuse outright, but when she saw Zhu Ying's serious yet somewhat urgent gaze, she simply stepped aside.
After Xu Ruoyan sat down, Zhu Ying remained standing upright in front of her. She was about to say that she didn't need to be so formal when Zhu Ying gave her a deep bow, startling her so much that she momentarily forgot what she was going to say.
She reached out to steady it, but found that the bamboo was like a straight wooden stake nailed to the ground, and no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't budge.
"Guard Zhu, what is this...?"
Zhu Ying slowly raised her head to meet Xu Ruoyan's gaze: "This humble servant has heard that Madam has some medical knowledge, and I humbly request that Madam find a way to treat Master's eyes. As long as Madam can cure Master's eyes, Zhu Ying is willing to risk her life to report this."
Upon hearing this, Xu Ruoyan paused for a moment, and when she spoke again, she did not readily agree, but instead asked Zhu Ying to get up first.
When Zhu Ying straightened up, Xu Ruoyan noticed that there were already a few tears in his eyes.
Xu Ruoyan considered herself a person who could remain calm no matter what happened, big or small, but when she saw the glint in Zhu Ying's eyes, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat.
Even so, she would not agree to someone's unreasonable request simply because she pities them.
"Guard Zhu, please have a seat," Xu Ruoyan said, lighting a candle. Whether it was her imagination or not, the instant the candlelight ignited, Zhu Ying's eyes seemed to turn bloodshot, as if scorched by fire.
She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to reveal everything: "I have only learned the basics, and I'm afraid I can't help you with the matter of saving your master."
Zhu Ying quickly shook his head: "It's alright. As long as there's even a sliver of hope, I'm willing to try." He lowered his gaze, his complex emotions hidden in the shadows: "After my master and I fled here, we were penniless. It's a miracle we survived. We simply don't have any extra money to seek medical treatment for our master. Even if there's only a tiny bit of hope, I don't want to give up."
Xu Ruoan was still somewhat puzzled: "Why didn't Pei Jue come to me for help himself, but you came instead?"
Zhu Ying sighed and replied, "My master has always been reluctant to owe favors to others, but it doesn't matter to me. Back then, I was displaced by the war and was starving. When I was about to lose all hope of survival, it was my master who took me in. He gave me a second life. So for my master, I am willing to pay any price."
Another long silence followed, until the bamboo shadow lost its last bit of courage and decided to take its leave.
Xu Ruoyan looked up at the moonlight, which was as smooth as water, and then looked out the window towards Pei Jue's direction.
She certainly didn't tell Zhuying the truth. Although she worked at a Western medicine hospital, her mother was a renowned traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, so she had studied traditional Chinese medicine since childhood, only switching to Western medicine in university. However, she didn't abandon traditional Chinese medicine; instead, after starting work, she read extensively from ancient Chinese medical texts and constantly tried to apply integrated Chinese and Western medicine therapies.
Therefore, if she were to use traditional Chinese medicine to treat Pei Jue, she could give it a try.
A moment later, her gentle gaze turned to the bamboo shadow.
Seeing this usually aloof person bowing his head in front of her, she suddenly felt like helping him.
Xu Ruoyan comforted herself, thinking that she should just consider it an act of kindness and good deeds.
But in the end, she didn't say anything too definitive, only telling Zhuying that she would try her best. Even with such a conservative answer, Zhuying was overjoyed, bowed deeply to Xu Ruoyan, and quickly left.
Xu Ruoyan watched Zhu Ying's departing figure, sighed, and thought that her escape plan would probably have to be put on hold for the time being.
The next morning, Pei Jue heard a knock on the door as soon as he opened his eyes.
"My lord, I'm here to help you wash up and change your clothes."
Pei Jue's restless mood, which had been troubled by nightmares, vanished the moment he heard Xu Ruoyan's voice. He called out, "Come in."
According to the procedure, Xu Ruoyan should help Pei Jue wash up, then help him get dressed, comb his hair, and then help him eat breakfast.
But when Pei Jue finished washing up and sat back on the bed, he was greeted not by his clothes, but by Xu Ruoyan's warm fingers.
Pei Jue's nerves tensed instantly, and he grabbed Xu Ruoyan's wrist tightly, restraining her.
In the past, Xu Ruoyan could have easily broken free with a little effort, but things were different now. Her frail body was powerless to fight back, and she could only hiss in pain, "Pei Jue, let me go! You're going to break my wrist!"
Upon hearing this, Pei Jue immediately relaxed his grip, but still held her wrist tightly. He raised his face to Xu Ruoyan and said, "I apologize, Madam, it's just a habit. What would you like to do, Madam?"
Xu Ruoyan withdrew her hand without hesitation, her fingers reappearing on Pei Jue's wrist. She glared at him and said, "What else can I do but take your pulse?"
Pei Jue was stunned for a moment, then obediently sat down and waited for Xu Ruoyan.
After a while, Xu Ruoyan withdrew her hand and issued a new command: "Stick out your tongue so I can see."
Pei Jue didn't understand, but he obediently did as he was told.
"Alright." Xu Ruoyan took the paper and pen from Pei Jue's desk, dipped them in ink, and began to write something in a flowing, elegant style.
Just as she was pondering the prescription, Xu Ruoyan's sleeve was suddenly tugged.
"Madam, what brings you to take my pulse all of a sudden?"
Xu Ruoyan said expressionlessly, "Just bored."
Pei Jue wisely stopped asking.
Before long, Xu Ruoyan had finished writing down the general treatment plan. She held up her masterpiece, examined it closely in the sunlight, and nodded in satisfaction.
Pei Jue sensed her movement and asked again, "Madam, how do you feel about my health?"
Xu Ruoyan glanced at him: "It's alright. Apart from the poison in your eyes and malnutrition, there's nothing seriously wrong. I'll wait and see if there's any medicine suitable for you, and I'll prescribe a few doses for you to take first."
Pei Jue nodded.
Xu Ruoyan actually felt that this action had a hint of being obedient.
The next second, Pei Jue was pushed onto the bed without warning. He opened his mouth slightly in shock, but before he could utter a sound, Xu Ruoyan's hand was already untying his belt.
Although Pei Jue was already twenty-five, he had never taken a wife or concubine. Although he had some understanding of matters between men and women, he had never actually practiced them. At this moment, he was startled by Xu Ruoyan's sudden movement, his eyelashes trembling, his heart filled with panic. He placed his large hand on her waist, instinctively trying to push her away.
Xu Ruoyan slapped his hand away in displeasure: "Don't move."
Pei Jue withdrew his finger, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice trembling slightly: "What is Madam trying to do now?"
The next second, he heard Xu Ruoyan's voice right next to him.
"Do what I should do as your wife."
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