Chen Zhe had previously mentioned that he knew Mukro, and Meng Liping clearly cared a lot about that.
Mu Xiaoyu's eyes were also somewhat moved.
Mu Xiaoyu had never cared about her biological father, and all she knew about his existence was that he was there.
The man who visited her when she was a child only came a few times. He never bought her new clothes or asked her to call him "Dad." He just glanced at her like a stranger.
In Mu Xiaoyu's mind, this kind of father is indifferent, but he also has a stern side.
When I was in middle school, I had a conflict with a classmate and was falsely accused of stealing. My parents were called in, but my mother couldn't go because she had injured her leg while picking mushrooms.
That was the first time her father had visited her school.
When he came out, his face was completely black.
In front of all his classmates, he slapped himself hard across the face.
"You little slut! What do you mean, 'Why don't you learn to steal?' Is this how your mother taught you? You're a disgrace to the Mu family!"
Mu Xiaoyu hated him intensely at the time, but at the same time she was also terrified of him.
The man was very strict, so when Chen Zhe said he was going to call her father, she was reminded of that scene from the past, a shadow that had haunted her for a long time.
Would such a cold-blooded and ruthless man really let others help him?
My mother is seriously ill and we don't have the money for treatment, but he hasn't even come to see her. Is he really that kind?
Looking at the mother and daughter's puzzled yet expectant eyes.
Chen Zhe felt conflicted.
When Mukro spoke to him, he was very kind and approachable, like a friendly old man next door. But no one expected him to be so cruel to his woman and children in private.
Chen Zhe didn't want to lie to them, but he also didn't want to hurt them directly.
So he changed the subject.
"We do know each other. By the way, Auntie, are you really alright?"
Chen Zhe then shifted the topic to Meng Liping's health.
This trick worked, and Mu Xiaoyu also began to care about her mother's health.
"Thank you for your concern, boss. I really am feeling a bit better."
"Mom! You really don't lie to me. You could barely get out of bed before, how could you possibly get better so quickly?"
"It's possible that the medicine you bought is working..."
Mu Xiaoyu shook her head. Her mother had been taking the medicine for a long time, and she knew very well how effective it was. She felt that her mother was just putting on a brave face.
However, Chen Zhe noticed something different in Meng Liping's face.
Indeed, Meng Liping looked very weak, but she had some vitality in her face, albeit faintly. Chen Zhe could tell, after all, he was a massage therapist and had a lot of knowledge about traditional Chinese medicine massage and physiotherapy from medical books he had read as a child.
"Auntie, besides taking your medicine, what else have you done?"
Meng Liping shook her head.
"No, I just took some medicine. I was really worried when they came over that day, so I forced myself to get up. It was really painful, but I still wanted to help Xiaoyu pay back the money, so I went into the mountains to pick mushrooms. I was very weak at the time, and then I fell down... Wait, now that you're asking about this, I suddenly remembered. When I fell, I fell into a puddle. The water there was very hot. I don't know how long I soaked in it, but when I woke up, I found that I felt much better."
"Huh?"
Mu Xiaoyu was very worried when she heard that her mother had fallen.
However, Chen Zhe noticed something she said, and a guess formed in his mind.
"Auntie, could you take me to that puddle?"
Meng Liping was somewhat puzzled.
"Boss, do you think it was that puddle that restored me?"
"I do have that guess, Auntie, the puddle you fell into might actually be a hot spring."
When the word "hot spring" was mentioned, Meng Liping nodded thoughtfully.
"Now that you mention it, it does seem to be true. I felt the water was very hot when I soaked in it, and it made me feel much more relaxed. Okay! I'll take you to see it right now!"
Meng Liping went to the kitchen and got a cleaver.
The road into the mountains was not easy to travel, and in some places it was overgrown with weeds, so a knife had to be used to clear the way.
Chen Zhe lived with his grandparents in the village when he was young, so he was not unfamiliar with the mountains, and he walked very fast.
Mu Xiaoyu grew up in the village. When she was little, she often came with her mother to pick mushrooms, so she was quite adept at it. The bodyguard was very physically fit, and judging from his gait, he also had some experience in wilderness survival.
Only Tang Zihao, a rich young master, had not experienced these things.
He calls out every two steps he takes.
They were either cut by weeds, accidentally stepped into a hole, or were frightened by some insects.
"Young Master, shall we go back and wait?"
The bodyguard advised.
Tang Zihao saw that Mu Xiaoyu was walking so lightly ahead, even leaving Meng Liping, who was not in good health, far behind him.
He felt a vague sense of resentment.
"If they can walk, so can I!"
He gritted his teeth, frowned, and followed for a while longer. Just as he was about to catch up with the group, a snake darted out from under his foot and bit his calf unexpectedly.
"ah!!!!!"
Tang Zihao screamed and rolled on the ground, clutching his leg.
The bodyguard was terrified and quickly went forward to check on Tang Zihao's injuries.
The three people in front also heard the noise and turned back.
The bodyguard rolled up Tang Zihao's pants down to his calves.
Tang Zihao had two clear tooth holes on his calf, and they were bleeding.
The snake was still nearby, glaring menacingly. Enraged, the bodyguard stomped on it, killing it instantly.
If Tang Zihao encounters any problems, then he bears the greatest responsibility.
"Young master, don't worry, I'll carry you down the mountain right now!"
The bodyguard stepped forward and tried to carry Tang Zihao on his back.
But Chen Zhe and Mu Xiaoyu spoke at the same time.
"Don't touch him!"
Mu Xiaoyu picked a few herbs from the side, plucked the leaves, chewed them, spat out some saliva, chewed them several more times until they were thoroughly chewed, and then applied them to Tang Zihao's leg wound.
"Brother, don't touch him. We encounter this kind of snake often. This herb is very effective. If you had moved him, it might have caused his blood to flow faster and the venom to take effect quickly."
The bodyguard looked at Mu Xiaoyu with suspicion.
Just as he was deciding whether to believe or not, Chen Zhe spoke up.
“That’s right. We have this in our hometown too. It’s poisonous, but not particularly potent. The herbs she just prepared are effective.”
Only after hearing Chen Zhe's words did the bodyguard choose to believe him.
However, Tang Zihao's face had turned quite pale.
"Young Master, how are you feeling now?"
Tang Zihao's teeth chattered; "My calves feel a little numb, a little painful, and a little cold."
The bodyguard became worried again.
But it seems impossible to carry him down the mountain now.
What should we do?
"Auntie, is this hot spring far from here?" Chen Zhe asked.
"It's not far, just over those big rocks."
Chen Zhe nodded.
"Brother Gang (bodyguard's name), you and Zihao wait here for a moment. We'll go check out the front and be right back."
...
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