Shen Yuan lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the hand holding the letter in Xiao Ling's hand. His palm was broad and thick, his fingertips were long and slender, and the thin letter in his palm was quite pleasing to the eye.
"Is this for me?" Shen Yuan said as she took the letter from Xiao Ling's hand.
Why is he so serious? What is written in the letter?
Shen Yuan unfolded the letter with doubt and saw four large characters written on the paper.
I'm leaving!
Xiao Ling is leaving? Shen Yuan looked up in surprise, somewhat taken aback by this sudden news, but she quickly calmed down.
Xiao Ling wasn't originally from here. He came to Jian'an City only to find his sister. He had been here for several months but hadn't found any news about her, so naturally he had to go elsewhere to look for her.
Shen Yuan asked, "What direction do you plan to take next?"
Xiao Ling pointed to the southwest.
"There are lots of snakes, rats, and mosquitoes over there. I'll get you some herbs to take with you!"
Before Xiao Ling could speak, Shen Yuan hurriedly ran to the medicine cabinet, opened it, and got the medicine for Xiao Ling.
A girl in a pale yellow dress climbed up and down a stool next to the medicine cabinet to grab medicinal herbs. Her skirt swayed up and down with her movements, like a beautiful cloud that drifted into the depths of Xiao Ling's heart.
Xiao Ling lowered his head. If it weren't for the fact that he had to find his sister, he would really like to work as a helper in a small pharmacy here, where he could eat braised shredded pork every day and get paid.
But... he was like a wanderer, constantly drifting from place to place.
The clouds before his eyes could only exist in his memory, becoming the most beautiful clouds in his memory. From then on, whenever he looked at the sky at dawn and the clouds at dusk, he would think of the bright and beautiful girl in front of him.
"Sigh!" Shen Yuan stretched out her arm to reach the top layer of medicine boxes but couldn't reach them. She couldn't help but sigh and planned to climb down from the stool and move the stool again.
But as soon as she stepped down a step, a hand unexpectedly reached up to her head and pulled out the small drawer above her head that had the words "Chonglou" on it.
Xiao Ling handed the medicine box he had taken out to Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan grabbed some dried herbs from the pile and then climbed down the ladder.
Xiao Ling put the medicine box back in.
"This medicine can clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling and relieve pain. Keep it handy. If you get bitten by a snake or rat, you can grind this medicine into a paste and apply it to the wound," Shen Yuan instructed.
Xiao Ling nodded and wrote down Shen Yuan's words.
Shen Yuan then handed Xiao Ling a purse embroidered with the words "Affordable Pharmacy," saying, "Wear this purse. It contains a medicine pouch that I prepared; it's especially effective at preventing mosquito bites!"
The sachet that Shen Yuan gave me was a sample sachet that she had just ordered from the embroidery workshop in the last two days. It was to be used to store herbs to repel mosquitoes in spring and summer, and would be sold to the public later.
The purse was simple in design, with no fancy patterns, only the words "affordable pharmacy" embroidered on it.
Xiao Ling took the purse, not minding its ugliness, and hung it on her waist.
After packing all his luggage, Xiao Ling left the pharmacy with his long sword in his arms.
Watching Xiao Ling's figure disappear from sight, Granny Liu turned around and sighed softly, saying to Chen Yuan, "Although you've been back for two months this time, you've spent more than a month of that with you in Chu Family Village. All things considered, you've barely spent any time at home. Why are you leaving again so soon!"
Shen Yuan, holding onto Liu Mama's arm, asked with a hint of jealousy, "Grandma, are you reluctant to part with her?"
"Grandma is reluctant to let him go, and so is Tian Tian. I already miss Brother Xiao Ling a little as soon as he left!" Tian Tian hugged Shen Yuan's leg and pouted.
Although she was young, she didn't like parting.
Because in her world, once people separate, they will never see each other again!
When she was little, she found a calico cat, and the cat followed her as a stray for three months. But one day it suddenly ran away, and when she saw it again, it had frozen to death on the snow-covered eaves.
Another time, she befriended a little beggar. They made a pact to beg together and split the spoils. But not long after, the little beggar broke up with her. The next time she saw him, he had been accidentally beaten to death by the owner of a braised meat shop for stealing a chicken leg, and blood was flowing all over the back of his head.
That's why Sweetie especially dislikes parting, because she's afraid she'll never see Xiao Ling, this super strong older brother, again!
After hearing Shen Yuan's words, Granny Liu poked her head and said, "If Tian Tian can't bear to part with Xiao Ling, why can't I?"
"This child has aphasia, and he's so gentle and honest. I'm afraid he wouldn't dare tell anyone if he's hungry or thirsty on the road. How can he possibly face the wolves, tigers, leopards, bandits, and thieves on the road all by himself?"
Granny Liu sighed deeply, her voice filled with the worry of an elder for a younger generation.
Shen Yuan touched the tip of her nose, unconcerned, and said, "When you're out and about, sometimes a knife in your hand is much more useful than your mouth!"
Outside the city gate.
A cold wind rose, a waning moon hung on the treetops, and a small fire burned not far from the tree roots. The flames flickered in the wind, silently elongating the two figures facing each other.
The cold gleam of the metal was particularly intimidating in the night. The man with a face full of scars glanced at the long knife held against his neck, and his face trembled uncontrollably.
"Great...Great hero, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have stolen your purse. I'll return it to you right now...There's no money in it. How about we just..."
Before he could even utter the word "forget it," thick blood began dripping down the blade.
The man, pale with pain, hurriedly admitted his mistake: "Hero, it's! It's my fault! Whether there was money or not in this purse, I shouldn't have stolen it! Stealing is a heinous crime! I'm worse than a pig or a dog!"
Xiao Ling remained silent, staring intently at the man before her. His dark eyes, like unyielding ink, were filled with a chilling aura.
She showed no intention of letting the man off the hook.
The man was so nervous that his breathing became increasingly rapid, and his throat trembled as he gasped for air, leaving two more bloody marks on the blade.
His back ached and he was drenched in cold sweat. He said, "How about I... I'll give you my money pouch in return, and you can let me go!"
As the man spoke, he took off the money pouch hanging from his waist and presented it to Xiao Ling with both hands.
Xiao Ling didn't even glance at the money pouch. He turned his head slightly and his gaze fell on the horse tied to the tree.
Although he didn't say a word, the man immediately understood Xiao Ling's meaning.
"If you spare my life tonight, I will offer you my horse!"
The words had barely left his lips when the long sword that had been held against the man's neck was swiftly withdrawn and used to slash at the rope tethering the horse to the tree. The rope was cut, and Xiao Ling mounted his horse and galloped away.
The movements were fluid and seamless, completed in one go.
The man, who had fallen to the ground in fright, had a vague feeling that Xiao Ling was taking a short rest here today because he wanted his horse!
He actually thought a man who didn't even own a horse had money? He must have been whipped in the head by a horse's tail! He actually tried to steal the man's tattered purse, but didn't steal a single coin and even lost a fine horse!
The man was so angry he was about to vomit blood. It was all because the other person had such a handsome face, a face that looked like that of a rich young master!
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