Chapter 4 Tears Because You Love Me
It took Tie Pinggu a lot of effort to barely open her eyes a crack.
"You're awake." A clear, melodious voice rang in her ear.
Tie Pinggu's mind was still hazy, but her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.
You Mingjiang put his ear close to her mouth and heard a muffled, soft, and weak "Don't hit me."
Don't hit me?
You Mingjiang was stunned.
This little girl was probably always beaten when she was sick before, so she's confused and unconsciously scared now.
You Mingjiang felt a pang of sadness and gently touched Tie Pinggu's forehead: "Don't be afraid, I won't hit you. Here, take your medicine, and you won't feel uncomfortable anymore."
·
The tea lady handed over a bowl of warm water, which You Mingjiang took. She then took out a loratadine tablet from the medicine box, placed it in her palm, and gently put her arm around Tie Pinggu's neck, feeding the tablet into her mouth.
Tie Pinggu tilted her head back and swallowed the pill with the warm water that You Mingjiang brought her, and the pill slid smoothly down her throat.
Before long, she felt the stuffiness gradually dissipate and the discomfort slowly lessen, and she involuntarily fell asleep.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, You Mingjiang stood up and, with kind words, persuaded the crowd of onlookers to leave.
He then sat back down on the reed mat.
She stared intently at the 500ml bottle of intravenous solution (Ringer's solution), hoping that Tie Pinggu would recover quickly after the IV drip was finished.
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After a while, Tie Pinggu finally came to her senses and immediately saw this scene.
She knew in her heart that this young itinerant doctor was her savior.
She struggled to support her frail body, trying to climb up from the reed mat and kowtow to her benefactor.
Who knew that this movement would accidentally pull on the IV drip in my hand, causing blood to back up and spread a little bit in the IV line.
Tie Pinggu couldn't help but hiss.
Yu Mingjiang reacted quickly and pressed her down, saying, "Don't move, just lie still. I'll stay here and watch over you."
After saying that, she lifted her sleeve and wiped away the cold sweat from Tie Pinggu's body.
My sleeves were tinged with the scent of purple cloud ointment, warm and cozy, and when it brushed against my cheeks, the fragrance was so gentle.
Tie Pinggu didn't say anything, she just stared straight at You Mingjiang's face.
She is both gentle and beautiful.
"Like a fairy," Tie Pinggu thought to herself.
·
You Mingjiang has long, slender fingers, and faint blue veins are visible on the back of his hands. He took a box of Ziyun ointment from the medicine basket.
The purple cloud ointment can moisturize her hands, and after applying it, her hand movements will be more flexible and precise.
She scooped out a purplish-red ointment the size of a soybean from her fingertips, and slowly rubbed it together with her interlaced fingers.
The IV drip was finished shortly afterward.
You Mingjiang gathered up the medical waste and threw it all into the bamboo medicine basket. Just as she finished, Tie Pinggu suddenly stood up and walked straight up to her.
Then, she knelt down with a thud.
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This sudden kneeling startled You Mingjiang so much that she jumped up as if she had a spring attached to her back.
She hurriedly reached out to help her up: "Oh dear, little sister, what are you doing? Why did you kneel down all of a sudden?"
Tie Pinggu refused to get up, stubbornly holding the basin of beeswax high above her head.
He said in a hoarse voice:
"My benefactor, although I have nothing of value, this pot of beeswax can still do the trick. Please, have mercy and give me a few more days to scrape together the rest of the consultation fee..."
Upon hearing this, You Mingjiang was taken aback for a moment, then quickly took the bowl of beeswax and placed it aside.
"Little sister, please don't say that. It's a matter of life and death. I was just doing what I was doing."
She held onto Tie Pinggu's arms with both hands and helped her back to lie down on the reed mat.
Tie Pinggu lay on the reed mat, then sat up after a while: "Don't worry, I will never renege on the consultation fee."
"Alright, alright. Little sister, my surname is You, and my name is Mingjiang. You can just call me Doctor You." You Mingjiang smiled helplessly.
"Well... thank you very much, Dr. You," Tie Pinggu said softly.
"By the way, I still don't know your name?" You Mingjiang asked casually.
Tie Pinggu remained silent for a long time.
Just when You Mingjiang thought she wouldn't answer, she softly uttered three words: "Tie Pinggu".
After saying that, she awkwardly raised her hand and brushed her hair aside.
Suddenly, his sleeve slipped down, revealing a thin arm covered in bruises from gripping.
·
The bruises were layered together, as if they had been repeatedly made. You Mingjiang had a sharp eye and noticed them immediately.
Her expression turned serious, and she immediately wanted to take a closer look, but Tie Pinggu rolled up her sleeves and covered her eyes tightly, refusing to let her see.
You Mingjiang frowned: "..."
Tie Pinggu lowered her head: "..."
You Mingjiang stared at her, his eyes full of inquiry.
The little girl was so thin it was heartbreaking; her face was completely pale. When You Mingjiang held her earlier, he noticed that she was much lighter than other children her age, suggesting that she must often go hungry at home.
Seeing her trying to hide it, You Mingjiang thought for a while, then glanced at the small basin of beeswax and a flash of inspiration struck her.
He tentatively said, "Little sister, I can't just take your beeswax for nothing. This hairpin should be worth some money."
Then she pulled an old-fashioned silver hairpin from her hair bun.
This silver hairpin is quite old; it has lost the bright shine of a new hairpin, and the tip is dull.
Tie Pinggu kept shaking her head, refusing to take the hairpin no matter what.
You Mingjiang advised her, "If you come out to sell beeswax and don't bring some money home, won't your family be angry?"
After saying this, Tie Pinggu's breathing suddenly became rapid.
Her whole body was trembling violently, and she instinctively covered her arm, which was covered with bruises and purple welts.
If You Mingjiang still can't figure it out after all this, then he's lived in vain.
She took a deep breath and forcefully shoved the hairpin into Tie Pinggu's hand, giving her no chance to refuse:
"If you don't accept it, I don't want your beeswax!"
Tie Pinggu's pupils contracted, and she held the hairpin in her hand, not daring to refuse any longer.
.
Seeing that she had accepted the silver hairpin, You Mingjiang finally put the beeswax into the basket.
Then he took out the remaining epinephrine auto-injector and loratadine tablets and handed them to her.
Even though Tie Pinggu was ignorant, she knew from the efficacy of the medicines that these were extremely rare and miraculous drugs.
She hesitated and refused to take it.
Yu Mingjiang cut to the chase, whispering, "This is all I can do to help. Take this."
Tie Pinggu bowed her head and took it, saying, "Dr. You, thank you..."
"Take care, I'll be going now."
You Mingjiang patted her head, slung the bamboo medicine basket over his shoulder, and turned to walk away. It seemed he didn't care at all about Tie Pinggu being abused.
·
As I passed the tea lady, I smiled and handed her a box of Ziyun ointment: "Tea lady, I'm sorry, I didn't bring any money for tea today."
The tea lady quickly waved her hand: "No, no! Doctor You, why are you being so formal with an old woman like me? Using this Ziyun ointment as payment for tea is too much of a burden!"
You Mingjiang gave a wink, then looked at Tie Pinggu on the reed mat and advised, "Tea Granny, this isn't for the tea, it's for the cart. I don't have any cash on hand, and I'm embarrassed to ask for credit..."
The tea lady feigned surprise and said, "What? You're the only good person in the world, Doctor You? You need to pay for this? I've already planned it. I'll flag down an oxcart for this little girl and let her go with the aunties and grandmas going to the market. I guarantee she'll get home safely."
"Thank you so much," You Mingjiang said with a smile. "You're busy now, I'll be going now."
After arranging everything, You Mingjiang left the teahouse and drove away in his mule cart.
·
"Dr. You..."
Watching You Mingjiang's departing figure, Tie Pinggu clenched the old silver hairpin tightly. She opened her mouth, wanting to call out to that figure, but no sound came out.
She was reminded of her childhood.
In a fit of rage, the father killed and cooked the mother before fleeing to the Valley of Villains, where he left her in the care of his friend.
She vaguely remembered her father's appearance, and her childish self tugged at his clothes, crying out, "Father, take me away! Father!"
The father just smiled broadly and said to his friend, "Brother, don't be angry, my daughter is just being silly..."
He then pushed her in front of his friend, despite her struggles, and handed her a money bag.
The man snorted: "Foster care is fine, but let's be clear from the start. A simple meal is good enough. If you can't afford to take care of them, don't blame me for not keeping them for long."
Father smiled and agreed, "Of course, of course."
The man added, "You said it yourself, don't come looking for trouble with me again."
From that moment on, she understood that, just as Meng Jiangnu couldn't bring down the Great Wall by crying, no matter how much she cried, she could never find her way back home.
Tie Pinggu raised her hand to wipe her face, which was wet, and then she realized that she had started crying again.
She chuckled bitterly and murmured, "I thought I had already cried all my tears."
·
The sun is setting.
The mule cart swayed slowly, finally arriving at the village where Tie Pinggu lived.
You Mingjiang sprinkled some clove powder on Tie Pinggu, and the mule followed the scent to the spot.
She usually trains the mule with clove powder to get it used to the strong smell. If it behaves well, she rewards it with wheat bran and sweet potatoes. Over time, the mule will follow the scent of clove powder.
If you're going to save someone, you have to see it through to the end. You Mingjiang isn't the kind of person who gives up halfway.
She could tell that Tie Pinggu was stubborn, so she simply took action. In the time it took to persuade her, the person had already been rescued.
This village is located on a hill outside Kaifeng city.
You Mingjiang unloaded the mule cart, wrapped the mule's mouth and hooves with cloth, and led the mule along a small path to sneak in.
The place where Tie Pinggu was fostered was quite remote, surrounded by dense trees, and usually no one came here.
It's actually a good place to hide "people".
·
"This family seems quite well-off; their large, bright brick house doesn't look like they're lacking food or clothing..."
You Mingjiang climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard.
There were several old beehives in the yard, and a honey-cutting knife was hanging on the frame of the hives.
Inside the room, the sound of slapping was particularly jarring.
It was only because Tie Pinggu told the man that she not only failed to exchange the money, but also lost the beeswax.
These words enraged the man, who held a fire hook in his hand and pointed it at Tie Pinggu's nose while cursing.
"Useless! Beeswax is so precious, and you actually lost it! Are you trying to make me angry to death?!"
"You damn idiot! You've been eating and drinking for free for so many years, and you can't even sell beeswax!"
What use is a piece of trash like you to me?!
·
You Mingjiang frowned as she listened outside the window, feeling a bit puzzled.
Why would Tie Pinggu lie when the beeswax was clearly with her?
Why didn't Tie Pinggu hand over the silver hairpin she clearly gave her?
·
The roars from inside the house grew louder and louder.
"How could your parents have given birth to such an unlucky, money-losing brat like you!"
You Mingjiang poked a small hole in the window paper and peered inside to see what was happening.
The man's fire hook whistled through the air as it lashed hard across Tie Pinggu's back.
Blow after blow, Tie Pinggu collapsed to the ground, convulsing and curling into a ball, bloodstains seeping through her clothes.
Seeing this, You Mingjiang's heart ached terribly.
·
The man was ruthless and showed no sign of stopping, even shouting that he would sell Tie Pinggu to a slave trader.
Grabbing Tie Pinggu's hair, the man's eyes leered as he looked her up and down, his tone tinged with regret: "I sold you to a slave trader. He'll come to take you away the day after tomorrow, and I'll get two taels of silver. All you're worth is this skin. If it weren't for the fact that virgins fetch higher prices, hmph, I would have already..."
What a beast!
You Mingjiang originally intended to cover her face and secretly rescue the person, but she changed her mind now.
Such a wicked person deserves to die.
Tie Pinggu's face turned pale as she struggled to run away, which angered the man, who then raised his hand and beat her again.
The man hit and cursed, "Your mother is a shameless adulterer, your father is a bloodthirsty cannibal, and you're no better. You should be a prostitute in a brothel, which would be considered inheriting your family's 'good' traditions!"
·
You Mingjiang actually laughed.
When she was furious to the extreme, she could only smile.
My eyes darted left and right, and I caught sight of the honey-cutting knife hanging on the old beehive frame.
The knife was as wide as a willow leaf and as thin as paper.
Her face was gloomy. She walked straight to the old beehives, silently gripped the honey-cutting knife, turned around, and banged on the door.
·
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
The men inside were arguing and fighting fiercely when they suddenly heard a series of loud banging sounds, like the death knell was calling for their lives.
"Who is it!" he said sharply.
The person outside didn't say a word, just kept banging on the door, the banging getting more and more urgent.
Mistakenly believing that the human traffickers had arrived early, he had no choice but to drop the fire hook and irritably go to open the door.
He cursed, "What's the rush? Go ahead and hit my breasts..."
Before he could finish speaking, a honey-cutting knife suddenly plunged into his spleen!
The man was caught off guard by the sudden knife wound, his eyes wide with disbelief.
You Mingjiang loosened his grip on the knife, then kicked it hard at the hilt.
The sharp blade, propelled by this fierce force, pierced through the man's flesh with a "plop" and sank deep into his spleen.
The man staggered back a few steps.
"You...you..."
His face was filled with terror, and his hands trembled as he covered his wound.
However, blood still gushed out from between his fingers, quickly spreading over his palms and flowing down his arms, accumulating into a large pool of crimson blood on the ground.
·
You Mingjiang smiled, her eyes crinkling.
But a fierce glint appeared in his eyes as he softly said, "You wretched bastard, go to the underworld and repent!"
After saying that, she moved with lightning speed and flashed behind the man.
With her left hand gripping the man's neck tightly, she used her right hand to forcefully twist his head to the side.
The man's eyes widened, and he was about to scream for help when he heard a "crack"!
The man's cervical vertebrae felt as if they had been forcibly broken, and his head slumped onto his shoulders.
His body went limp like a noodle, and he collapsed into You Mingjiang's arms with a "plop".
That's disgusting.
You Mingjiang frowned, and like throwing away a tattered sack, kicked the man's corpse against the wall.
The man's eyes were wide open; he couldn't close them even in death.
"Karma!" You Mingjiang spat lightly.
·
"Cough cough cough... Dr. You, is that you? Dr. You..." Tie Pinggu huddled in the corner, coughing violently as she weakly asked. Her face was bruised and swollen, her body was covered in cuts and bruises from being hit with fire hooks, and there were bloodstains at the corners of her mouth.
You Mingjiang strode forward and immediately took out a roll of sterile medical gauze, four bottles containing a total of 2,000 units of thrombin lyophilized powder, and a bamboo tube containing homemade saline solution from the bamboo medicine basket.
The most urgent task is to stop her bleeding.
"Hug me..." Tie Pinggu's voice was choked with sobs.
Yu Mingjiang, fighting back tears, carefully pulled her into his arms: "Okay, let me hug you."
"Little sister, why don't you give him the silver hairpin? He's hitting you like that, he could really kill you..."
Tie Pinggu nestled in her arms, closing her eyes contentedly.
“He was my father’s friend. My father gave him a lot of money to put me in foster care here, but he didn’t take care of me and instead abused me.”
“Dr. You, I don’t want to give him the silver hairpin. Because it was given to me by you, and it’s only for me.”
“Over the years, I’ve been the one taking care of the bees and making the beeswax myself. I feel I have the right to decide who to give the beeswax to. I was originally thinking of giving the beeswax to you, then poisoning him with a bowl of ground beetle, and then poisoning myself.”
·
You Mingjiang dissolved the thrombin lyophilized powder in a light salt solution and applied it to Tie Pinggu's bleeding wound.
As she bandaged the wound with sterile medical gauze, she listened quietly to Aunt Tieping's rambling.
"But after meeting you, I suddenly wanted to hold on a little longer."
"Because you love me."
"They treat me like a human being. I haven't felt this kind of kindness in a long time."
At this point, Tie Pinggu broke down in tears, large drops of tears falling from her eyes.
·
A note from the author:
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[Good Luck Lotus] Purple Cloud Ointment: The main ingredient is purple gromwell root.
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