Chapter 56 Drafts
Hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier solutions, often referred to as "artificial blood," have the advantage of not having blood type restrictions and not causing severe immune responses.
Suppressing her excitement, You Mingjiang immediately used the [Medicine Gourd] to make a copy. Just to be on the safe side, she put the Medicine Gourd into the space of the bamboo medicine basket.
Leng Xue felt a blur before his eyes, as if a dark gourd had suddenly appeared and then disappeared.
He rubbed his eyes, wondering: What was that just now?
Could I have misread it?
"Xiao Ming..." Leng Xue opened his mouth, but curiosity eventually prevailed, and he couldn't help but ask, "Was it just now...?"
Yu Mingjiang was too lazy to explain and replied casually, "No, you're seeing things."
Leng Xue frowned, staring intently at You Mingjiang as if trying to extract something from her: "Really? But I feel... never mind, I must be seeing things."
He pursed his lips, and seeing that she didn't want to say more, he didn't press her further. But he secretly kept a watchful eye on her; she seemed to be hiding quite a few secrets.
Seeing that he was still pondering, You Mingjiang simply sent him away and said, "I'm telling you, if you're so bored, why don't you go and gather some firewood? We don't have enough firewood. By the way, don't keep focusing on cutting down that elm tree; it hasn't done anything to you."
"Okay, I'll go right away." Although Leng Xue still had doubts in his heart, he obediently nodded in agreement.
Glancing at the setting sun, Leng Xue was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. He turned back, pursed his lips, and said, "Then... what kind of trees should I cut down?"
"Hmm?" You Mingjiang was slightly taken aback.
Leng Xue repeated, "You said not to cut down elm trees, so should I cut down some other trees?"
You Mingjiang muttered softly, "...What a blockhead."
Leng Xue pursed his lips, lowered his eyes, and his eyelashes trembled slightly: "I just wanted to make sure I understood, so that I wouldn't make you unhappy again by oversight."
“What’s wrong with me? You’re making it sound like I have a bad temper,” You Mingjiang retorted.
“…I didn’t explain it clearly,” Leng Xue paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Then tell me which tree to cut down.”
You Mingjiang raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in his eyes: "...You chop whatever I tell you to chop? Oh my, little constable Leng, you listen to me so well?"
“As long as your orders are reasonable, I will do my best to fulfill them. Otherwise…” He glanced at You Mingjiang, his eyes darting around, “I’m going to be tricked by you again.”
Looking at his expression, You Mingjiang couldn't help but chuckle: "Alright, just cut some that you can handle, whatever you think is suitable."
Hearing her say that, Leng Xue breathed a sigh of relief and strode out to gather firewood. Before long, he returned with a large bundle of firewood of moderate thickness, carrying it back in a hurry.
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You Mingjiang was hanging a bag of "artificial blood" on Ayu and feeding her polysaccharide iron complex capsules.
Hearing a commotion in the courtyard, she lifted the curtain and looked out: she saw Leng Xue neatly stacking the firewood, dusting off his hands, walking to the well, and splashing a handful of water on his face.
The cool well water splashed onto his face with a "splash," and Leng Xue felt a shiver run through his body. He subconsciously turned his head and his eyes immediately caught sight of You Mingjiang.
You Mingjiang gave him a thumbs up: "Not bad."
Leng Xue coughed lightly, turned his face away, and waved his hand dismissively, pretending not to care: "Cough... It's nothing, just a quick thing."
After hesitating for a moment, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you... need any help with dinner?"
You Mingjiang was taken aback at first, her expression as if she had heard something unexpected and novel. Then, she smiled and said, "Oh, you are the reincarnation of the Snail Boy?"
Leng Xue looked completely bewildered, having no idea what the "snail boy" meant. But seeing her radiant smile, Leng Xue was instantly stunned, his mind going blank, leaving only the bright smile before him.
After a long while, he finally came to his senses. Like a child who had done something wrong, he slowly lowered his head and stammered, "Xiao Ming... do you think I'm meddling in other people's business...?"
Hearing the commotion, A-Ping hurriedly came out of the house. He knew perfectly well that he couldn't let Leng Xue prepare dinner. Although Leng Xue was not very old, he was dressed in a very official manner, even though he wasn't wearing a turban. He wore a gray-blue round-necked, narrow-sleeved shirt with a flared waist, a leather belt around his waist, black boots, and a sheathless thin sword at his waist. His arms were tied with dark brown armbands.
Ah Ping wasn't stupid; how could he not see it? He rushed forward, his face full of anxiety, and exclaimed repeatedly, "Oh dear, no, no! If it weren't for the miracle doctor, my poor sister would probably already be... alas!"
At this point, A-Ping sighed heavily, and then quickly added, "In any case, I beg the divine doctor... oh, and this... young master, please do me the honor of having a meal with you both as a token of my gratitude."
Out of consideration for You Mingjiang, no matter how much Aping resented the officials, he could only suppress his emotions and awkwardly invited Leng Xue as well.
Hearing A Ping address him as Leng Xue, Leng Xue seemed a little uncomfortable. He secretly glanced at You Mingjiang and said, "Just call me Leng Xue, or Constable Leng is fine too."
Aping ignored him, only staring longingly at You Mingjiang, fidgeting with her hands, and said again with a hint of pleading, "Dr. Divine Doctor, I just want to do my best. There's really nothing good to eat at home, but I'm hoping you can give me a chance to show my appreciation."
You Mingjiang softly agreed, "Alright, then I'll take my leave. But..."
Aping's voice carried a hint of nervousness: "But?"
You Mingjiang smiled slightly, turned around and took out a stone bow. Her eyes caught a wild duck flying by. She nocked the arrow and drew the string in one smooth motion. She steadily raised her arm and locked the arrowhead onto the wild duck. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. "Perfect for adding a dish."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a sharp arrow shot out with a "whoosh," heading straight for the wild duck. With a "thud," the wild duck landed on the ground, fluttered a few times in the grass, and then lay still.
Aping exclaimed in surprise. He moved with lightning speed, taking a few steps to where the wild duck had landed, and quickly bent down to pick it up. This wild duck was small in size, flew extremely fast, and was very agile, making it extremely difficult to hit with a bow and arrow.
No wonder Aping was so amazed.
Leng Xue's eyes suddenly lit up, and he couldn't help but blurt out, "Xiao Ming, that's an amazing shot!"
You Mingjiang raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of confidence in his expression, and said with a smile, "I've added a flying bird to this dish, now it's up to you."
Leng Xue raised his hand and scratched his head, his gaze first falling on the plump wild duck in A Ping's hand, then turning to You Mingjiang, his eyes full of inquiry: "How about I go catch a couple of fish?"
Upon hearing this, A-Ping waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "It was agreed that I would be treating you two, how could this be..."
Leng Xue turned his head and looked at You Mingjiang questioningly. He didn't say anything more, but just raised an eyebrow at her.
You Mingjiang looked up at the sky, her expression calm, and said softly, "Yes, the sun is about to set."
"Okay, I'll try to be as fast as I can." Hearing her words, Leng Xue nodded heavily and disappeared from sight in a few strides.
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Ah Ping carried the bleeding wild duck, his gaze following Leng Xue's departing figure for a long while before finally looking away.
He looked at You Mingjiang, hesitated for a long time, and then finally spoke: "Divine Doctor, I noticed that the official listened to you a lot. Have you known each other for a long time?"
As he spoke, he kept an eye on You Mingjiang's expression, afraid that he might be being presumptuous.
You Mingjiang's lips curled slightly, revealing a half-smile, without uttering a single word.
Do you listen to her a lot?
Hopefully, once Xiao Leng learns her true identity, she won't regret listening to him now.
Aping glanced at You Mingjiang furtively; the oppressive silence made him feel suffocated.
After much hesitation, he finally mustered his courage and asked, "Divine Doctor, it's getting late. Will he... be able to return in time?"
You Mingjiang raised her eyes, her gaze lingering briefly on the last rays of sunlight on the horizon: "Since he agreed, he can do it."
Despite saying that, A-Ping felt like he had fifteen buckets of water being drawn up and down in his heart.
Catching fish isn't that easy.
Is it really possible to return before sunset?
If there's not enough time, you can borrow some ingredients from your neighbors on credit; maybe that will help you make ends meet.
If we delay any longer, I'm afraid we won't be able to get credit from anywhere.
Aping could only stand by anxiously, rubbing his hands incessantly, craning his neck every now and then to look in the direction Leng Xue had left, hoping he would appear soon.
Ideally, the next second, Leng Xue would appear before him with the fish, so that his anxious heart could finally settle down.
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After an unknown amount of time, the sky was already dyed orange-red by the setting sun.
Just as A-Ping was about to lose his composure, Leng Xue's figure finally appeared in a hurry.
He held a fish in each hand, the fish still struggling to flap their tails, water droplets splashing as they writhed. Leng Xue had his sleeves and trouser legs rolled up, a few strands of wet hair clinging to his forehead, and glistening water droplets on his face.
Leng Xue strode over to You Mingjiang, slightly out of breath, and waved the fish in his hand. A hint of childlike innocence appeared on his usually stern face as he asked, as if seeking praise, "Xiao Ming, do you think these two fish are enough?"
“I told you to go catch fish, so you went…” You Mingjiang clicked his tongue slightly, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes. He leaned closer to him with interest, his tone teasing, “You listen to me that much?”
Seeing her suddenly approach, Leng Xue felt as if he had been electrocuted. His ears instantly turned a faint blush, and he took an awkward step back, stammering, "I... I was just doing what I could."
He paused, as if calming his inner turmoil, looked down at the lively fish in his hand, and his voice grew softer and softer, "...I'm not listening to you, I'm listening to what's right."
Aping had been watching anxiously, and when he saw Lengxue return, he visibly breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to start a fire.
Leng Xue carried the fish to the edge of the pool, squatted down, and began to carefully wash the fish.
You Mingjiang followed slowly, popped a piece of candy into his mouth, and smiled, teasingly saying, "Oh, you look quite professional."
He was focused on processing the fish, completely unaware of her approach. Startled by her voice, his hands trembled. He steadied himself and said calmly, "This...what's so difficult about this?"
He glanced at her sideways, then continued cleaning the fish, saying in a low voice, "I grew up in the mountains, so these things are easy for me to do."
You Mingjiang raised an eyebrow and pressed on, "Did you grow up in the mountains?"
"Hmm." Leng Xue's thin lips pursed slightly, his voice low, "I was an orphan, raised by a pack of wolves..."
At this point, his eyes dimmed for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and continued, "Back in the mountains, I lived with wolves... I did anything to fill my stomach."
You Mingjiang lowered her voice to a whisper: "You...have you never thought about finding your biological parents?"
Leng Xue paused in his movements, as if frozen in place.
After a while, he lowered his head, his gaze falling on the fish splashing and leaping in the basin. The fish seemed to be mocking his exhaustion. "I grew up in the mountains and forests, used to a carefree life... Now that I have my master and senior brothers with me, I feel pretty good..."
What the young constable didn't tell her was that although he knew he carried a deep-seated blood feud, he had no way of finding out who his enemy was.
Leng Xue's eyes welled up with tears, and he hurriedly lowered his head, hiding his face and pretending to be focused on washing the fish.
I don't want others to see my emotions.
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You Mingjiang sighed softly and patted Leng Xue's shoulder, "With your abilities, you will definitely become a renowned detective in the martial arts world in the future. At that time, the mystery of your background will be revealed."
“Xiao Ming…” Leng Xue’s heart jolted, as if he had been gently struck by something.
He looked up at You Mingjiang, his lips moved involuntarily, but he didn't know where to begin, so he silently closed them. His heart, which had been empty because of his background, was suddenly filled to the brim.
You Mingjiang suddenly sneezed, her nose turning red from rubbing. She looked up and saw Leng Xue still standing there, looking completely bewildered. A smile played on her lips as she teased, "Well, I knew I was going to sneeze! Turns out you were secretly making fun of me!"
With a panicked look in his eyes and stiff movements, he waved his hand and said, "No. You've been very good to me, I wouldn't do that."
You Mingjiang tilted his head, his face full of confusion, and looked Leng Xue up and down: "...Fine? I've ordered you around quite a bit, making you stew tofu soup one minute, and chopping wood and catching fish the next, and I even called you a blockhead, aren't you annoyed at all?"
Cold-blooded, his eyelids drooped slightly, and his fine eyelashes cast a shadow, making it impossible to see his expression.
His lips twitched slightly, a fleeting smile perfectly concealed, and he said calmly, "No, I know you didn't mean it."
He paused, as if gathering his courage for what to say next, then looked up at You Mingjiang with an open and honest gaze, before looking away somewhat shyly, his voice unconsciously lowering: "If I can help you, I... am happy to."
You Mingjiang couldn't help but repeat, "You're willing?"
Leng Xue's ears turned slightly red. He turned his head away and said in a low, husky voice, "Um... if I can help you, I... would be happy to."
He pursed his lips, his brows furrowing slightly, as if annoyed by his bluntness. He then forced himself to add, "Xiao Ming is very special, unlike anyone I've met before." Only after saying that did he realize his wording was inappropriate. A hint of panic flashed across his face, and he stammered, "I mean, your medical skills are superb, you have miraculous healing abilities, I... admire you."
Seeing his helpless and embarrassed state, You Mingjiang couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Leng Xue watched her smile, her eyes crinkling, a fleeting, almost imperceptible warmth flashing in his eyes.
He coughed lightly, trying to hide his infected emotions, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, though the movement was so small, it still revealed his inner joy.
Seeing him still pretending to wash the fish, You Mingjiang laughed so hard that tears almost came out. While wiping her eyes, she joked, "If you keep washing like this, you'll turn the fish into fish paste!"
"Ah." Leng Xue's movements faltered, and the water on his hand slipped down his sleeve.
He coughed lightly to cover his embarrassment, then looked up at You Mingjiang, "This fish... what do you want to do with it?"
You Mingjiang asked curiously, "You can cook fish?"
Leng Xue lowered his eyes slightly. "I know a little about it. It can be grilled or boiled into fish soup. Which would you like to eat?"
Remembering the popular "golden minced fish and jade slices" of Kaifeng, You Mingjiang smiled and said, "How about raw fish slices?"
Leng Xue looked troubled and shook his head slightly. "Sashimi... I don't have much experience with it, I'm afraid I won't be able to do it well."
As he spoke, he put the fish back into the basin, looking at You Mingjiang with a slightly apologetic gaze and a hint of unease in his eyes: "Let's try a different way of cooking it. I can give other methods a try."
You Mingjiang beckoned to him with her finger and called softly, "Come here."
Leng Xue raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but he still obediently walked over.
Before he could even ask a question, he received a solid thud on the head. He frowned slightly but remained silent.
You Mingjiang crossed her arms, raised her chin slightly, and looked at him with a hint of reproach: "Xiao Leng, let A Ping cook this fish. Think about it, this meal is A Ping's special way of thanking us for our kindness. For simple families like theirs, repaying favors is the most important thing. We've already brought our own ingredients today, and if we cook the meal ourselves, A Ping will definitely feel bad and think he owes us even more."
Leng Xue was slightly taken aback, and subconsciously wanted to refute, but he swallowed the words back and looked hesitant.
You Mingjiang gently patted Leng Xue's arm and said softly, "I know you don't have any bad intentions, you just want to lend a hand. If you take all the work away from him, he'll definitely feel empty inside, and all his enthusiasm will have been wasted. After all, this is a dinner he organized, and he definitely wants to express his gratitude personally. Why not grant his wish and let him repay this favor in peace? Don't you think that makes sense?"
A flicker of realization crossed Leng Xue's eyes. Without saying anything more, he handed the cleaned fish to A Ping, then walked over to her and casually wiped the water off his hands on his clothes.
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You Mingjiang reached into his satchel, rummaged around for a while, and pulled out a piece of maltose.
Leng Xue turned his head casually, his gaze drawn to the candy, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, before he pretended to look away as if nothing had happened.
You Mingjiang smiled, a hint of mischief in his eyes, and said with a light laugh, "Well, you're a promising young man."
As he spoke, he reached out and stuffed a piece of candy into Leng Xue's mouth.
Faced with her sudden and unexpected attack, Leng Xue was completely thrown into disarray. Before he could even react, the sweetness of the candy spread across his tongue. His eyes widened slightly as he stared at her, his mind seemingly frozen. He completely forgot that he still had the candy in his mouth, mechanically opening and closing his mouth without chewing.
A surge of warmth welled up in my heart without warning, quietly taking root in the softest part of my soul.
Her cold heart pounded wildly, and her ears gradually flushed red.
You Mingjiang continued enthusiastically, "Speaking of which, your background is quite extraordinary, it sounds just like the legendary story of Liu Yi... You will surely make a great name for yourself in the martial arts world in the future!"
When he came to his senses from that inexplicable emotion, he paused slightly in his eating of candy, and lowered his eyelashes. "I'm just lucky and have a tough life. My ambition is not to be famous in the martial arts world, but only to be a good constable and bring bad people to justice."
You Mingjiang smiled and said, "The world is so vast. Just focus on doing your job as a constable. Who knows, one day your reputation will naturally spread throughout the world. Don't forget what I said today when that happens."
She secretly added to herself: It's best if it's not because they're trying to capture me, the female demon of the Sun Moon Cult.
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Leng Xue raised his head, but his gaze dared not meet You Mingjiang's, instead shifting. His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but swallowed it back. After a long while, he took a deep breath, his thin lips parted slightly, and as if using all his strength, he managed to squeeze out a few words: "Xiao Ming, you... have you always been alone?"
As soon as he said it, he regretted it and quickly turned his head away.
You Mingjiang tilted his head and smiled, teasing, "Why are you suddenly asking this? Do you mean you want to take me in?"
After saying that, he reached out and poked Leng Xue's tense shoulder, his eyes full of mockery.
Leng Xue shrank back, his shoulder hunched, and muttered, "Don't talk nonsense."
That being said, his slightly reddened ears betrayed him.
You Mingjiang smiled slightly, a hint of melancholy in his eyes: "I'm not entirely alone, I'm just waiting for someone."
Thinking of Lu Xiaojia, she couldn't help but sigh softly again.
A strange emotion welled up inside Leng Xue, and he asked, almost as if possessed, "Waiting for whom?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Leng Xue regretted them immensely, secretly cursing himself for being so nosy.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, he pursed his lips and unconsciously fixed his gaze on You Mingjiang's face.
I both longed for her response and dreaded hearing an answer I didn't want to face.
You Mingjiang waved his hand gently and said, "Let's not talk about it."
Seeing that she clearly didn't want to talk about it anymore, and realizing that it wouldn't be appropriate to press her further, he lowered his head and said, "I was being nosy."
Seeing his expression, You Mingjiang reached out and stuffed another piece of candy into his mouth, teasing him with a smile: "Alright, stop looking so long, or you'll look like you're hanging an oil bottle on your face!"
A new piece of maltose, which hadn't completely melted in my mouth, was added. The two sweet flavors mingled on my tongue, spreading all the way to my heart. The slight disappointment I had just felt was mostly dispelled by this sweetness.
With a candy in his mouth, Leng Xue uttered in a daze, "This candy is very sweet."
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Her gaze fell on the sheathless sword at Leng Xue's waist, and she murmured, "He also uses a sheathless sword."
Upon hearing this, Leng Xue subconsciously touched the hilt of his sword, his grip tightening involuntarily.
There are many swordsmen in the martial arts world, but very few use unsheathed swords.
The unsheathed sword is sharp and exposed, without any concealment. If one is not careful, it will injure the user or even turn against its master.
For this reason, it is regarded as a dangerous object by people in the martial arts world, and few dare to control it.
For Leng Xue, this unsheathed sword is like his life: facing the sharp edge head-on, with no way back, and forging ahead without hesitation.
He asked in a cold, dry tone, "Who is he?"
His tone suggested he was discussing a trivial matter that was nonetheless something he had to ask.
Yu Mingjiang rested his chin on his hand, his elbows lightly propped on his knees, and idly swung his legs. He sighed softly and said, "A silly girl who loves to eat peanuts is kind of cute."
Hearing this, Leng Xue unconsciously tightened his grip on the sword hilt, his knuckles turning white. He frowned slightly, a look of disdain flashing across his face, and muttered in a low voice, "A peanut-loving idiot... and cute?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he had overreacted, so he casually added, "What's your relationship with him?"
"It's hard to explain," You Mingjiang sighed softly.
"Can't quite explain it?" Leng Xue's voice unconsciously rose a few decibels, his brows furrowing even deeper, as if he had heard something unbelievable. "You've known each other for so long, how could you not know your relationship?"
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes fixed on You Mingjiang as if trying to see through her, and his heart inexplicably raced.
Instead of answering, You Mingjiang asked, "Xiao Leng, how old are you?"
The question came suddenly, and Leng Xue was slightly taken aback, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. He subconsciously answered, "Sixteen or seventeen."
“No wonder you don’t understand.” You Mingjiang smiled and shook his head.
"Don't understand what?" Leng Xue subconsciously leaned forward, only to receive another hard thud on the forehead.
You Mingjiang seemed to have been hit where it hurt, and burst out laughing, laughing so hard she almost fell over.
Seeing this, Leng Xue immediately realized that he had been deliberately teased.
He sighed, his chest rising and falling slightly, looking somewhat helpless.
Only when she laughed at him until he was embarrassed did he straighten up, feigning anger as if to remind her that there should be limits to jokes: "Xiaoming, aren't you afraid I'll really get angry?"
"Annoyed, aren't you?" You Mingjiang blinked.
She showed no sign of restraint, her lips still curled up in a smile as she looked at Leng Xue with a knowing smile, as if to say, "I'm just waiting to see how angry he gets."
Leng Xue blushed for a moment, then muttered softly, "...I can't do anything with you."
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Author's Note: [Good Luck Lotus] Hemoglobin-based oxygen carrier solution: It is not yet widely used in clinical treatment.
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