Chapter 32 Draft - Do Not Subscribe, Please Await Revision
Amidst the crackling of the fire, Lu Xiaojia's breathing gradually became long and even, her hands unconsciously clenching into empty fists.
You Mingjiang covered him with a blanket and noticed that his fingernail was flipped up, with a scab forming on the white lunula.
She frowned, cleaned the wound with a cotton ball soaked in iodine, quietly applied medicine and bandaged it, then tucked the edges of the blanket into the crook of his elbow and said gently, "Go to sleep."
In the latter half of the night, the rain began to fall in a light drizzle.
Rainwater flowed down the stone wall, making a dripping sound.
You Mingjiang got up and stoked the fire, the firelight driving away some of the chill of the night rain.
She waited until 3:45 AM, and only when she saw Lu Xiaojia's tightly furrowed brows relax did she manage to doze off for a short while.
Unable to sleep properly, and bored out of her mind during the long night, she used her medicine gourd to make some medicine, then cut some oil paper, wrapped them up, and pressed them under a large rock.
Those who stayed here before her left her pots and pans; she should also leave something for those who come after her.
Thinking of this, she pulled out a pine branch that was not yet completely burned, brought it to a relatively smooth stone wall, pressed the charred end against the stone wall, and wrote a line: "① After swallowing a golden pill, I realized that my fate was not determined by heaven."
Then she drew an arrow pointing to the large rock where she hid her medicine. This poem was originally a reflection on the inner alchemy practiced by Master Ziyang, but she used it to refer to the medicinal herbs she had left behind, which had a somewhat witty and elegant meaning.
After writing this line, You Mingjiang stepped back a few paces and looked at the neat and tidy handwriting, feeling a mix of emotions.
This cave has witnessed the lives of countless people; Lu Xiaojia and I were merely fleeting passersby among them.
But she insisted on leaving some traces!
Not for any other reason than to offer a glimmer of hope to those who may be in dire straits during this chaotic world.
She recalled how many people she had seen along the way suffering from injuries and illnesses without any cure, and a trace of pity flashed in her eyes.
A few packets of medicine may not cure all diseases or turn the tide, but they may save lives in critical moments.
You Mingjiang looked up at the sleeping Lu Xiaojia, then at the rainy night outside the cave, and pondered to himself:
The journey through this world is long and arduous; who knows how many more hardships and dangers we will face in the future.
But as long as we can leave some "sparks" wherever we go, then all the hard work along the way will not have been in vain.
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As dawn broke, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.
Water droplets leaking from the cracks in the cave ceiling quietly landed on Lu Xiaojia's brow bone.
Lu Xiaojia's eyelids trembled slightly. When she opened her eyes, she saw You Mingjiang squatting by a small puddle at the entrance of the cave, washing his face.
The morning breeze ruffled her half-damp hair. She leaned down slightly, dipped her hands into the water, and scooped up a handful of clear water.
Water trickled through my fingers, shattering into tiny golden flakes in the morning light, creating ripples.
A single drop of water hovered on the tip of her chin, shimmering and sparkling like a pearl on her face.
Lu Xiaojia was stunned for a moment.
His fingers, which were resting on the blanket, suddenly tightened, and he stared intently at the scene in the morning light.
As I was gazing at her profile, she seemed to sense something and suddenly turned her head, just as glistening water droplets rolled down her cheeks.
Lu Xiaojia's Adam's apple bobbed twice.
Back then, Xue Guo's woman had undressed and exposed her body in front of him in an attempt to seduce him. She was clearly very attractive, but he only felt nauseous and wished he could stab her to death with a sword.
But at this moment, an ordinary scene on an ordinary morning stirred his heart.
Seeing that he was awake, You Mingjiang raised her hand to wipe the water from her chin and smiled, "You're awake just in time, it's time to change your dressing."
After saying that, she quickly walked back to the cave, rummaged through the bamboo medicine basket and found new gauze and medicine from the first aid kit.
"Here, let me bandage your wound again. Changing the dressing will help it heal faster."
She helped Lu Xiaojia up, let him sit on a rock, and untied the dirty bandage from his forehead.
The sunlight shifted another half inch.
Lu Xiaojia stared at her reflection in the puddle.
Neatly wrapped in white bandages, her messy hair was carefully straightened, and a bow was tied behind her ear. Her right arm was in a sling, and her injured left hand was wrapped up like a dumpling, with blood showing through her fingertips.
The most striking feature was the abrasion on her cheek, like cracks in shattered white porcelain, which only made her phoenix eyes shine even brighter.
You Mingjiang suddenly leaned over and placed her palm on his forehead, the warmth seeping in through the newly wrapped gauze.
Lu Xiaojia's body suddenly stiffened, and she unconsciously held her breath, her ears quickly turning red.
"The fever has subsided." She breathed a sigh of relief and tied his hair up with her own red hairpin.
Lu Xiaojia turned her head away as if burned, her voice involuntarily tightening, but she forced herself to remain calm and said:
"Let's go... find my sword."
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The two walked side by side, and when they reached the mountainside, You Mingjiang suddenly stopped, pointed ahead excitedly, and exclaimed, "Look!"
On the rocky slope, a pomegranate tree with green and reddish bark is bearing fruit in abundance.
It is a wild hard-seeded sour pomegranate.
As she spoke, You Mingjiang had already nimbly climbed up the branch and stretched out her arms to reach the pomegranate at the top.
Lu Xiaojia looked at the pomegranate blossom petals clinging to her eyelashes: "Why aren't you using your lightness skill?"
"Isn't this so fun and rustic? That's how you should play in the wild. Have you ever seen a village girl scaling walls and rooftops to pick fruit?"
She came over carrying two large pomegranates and handed him the reddest one, saying, "Here you go."
Lu Xiaojia took it, frowned, broke open the pomegranate, picked out a seed and put it in her mouth. She thought it would be very sour, but it turned out to be sweet.
He glanced at the pomegranate with some surprise.
You Mingjiang asked, "Is it delicious?"
Lu Xiaojia asked, "Hmm, how did you pick out the sweet pomegranates?"
You Mingjiang said proudly, "②Pomegranates face south while pears face south, peaches face south while apricots face north while pears are on the right branches. This is the wisdom of farmers!"
Lu Xiaojia said, "I didn't expect you to know these things."
You Mingjiang glanced at him sideways, her tone slightly reproachful: "Do I look like the kind of person who doesn't do anything productive and just eats and lazes all day?"
Lu Xiaojia's lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile.
With one arm in a sling, his movements as he peeled the pomegranate appeared particularly clumsy. The peel was scattered in pieces, covered with mottled and messy dark red marks, and he even struggled to bite into it, accidentally swallowing quite a few pomegranate seeds.
You Mingjiang said gently, "Let me do it."
Lu Xiaojia's fever had subsided, her pale face had regained some color, and she had recovered some of her strength.
It was just peeling a pomegranate. As a grown man, he shouldn't be unable to do such a small thing, especially in front of You Mingjiang.
Lu Xiaojia turned slightly to the side, a forced smile appearing on her lips, and politely declined, saying, "Pomegranate seeds are quite bitter. Maybe eating them can help cool down my internal heat. I don't need you to do it."
As he spoke, he reached for the pomegranate.
You Mingjiang blocked his hand, saying, "Pomegranate seeds are considered 'hot' in traditional Chinese medicine; eating too many can cause constipation."
After saying that, she turned the fruit over, revealing the faint golden patterns on the sunlit side. "Look at this sugar line, it must be a honey core."
She gently broke the pomegranate in half along the crack, then peeled back the stem, and using her fingers as a knife, cut along the white membrane inside. Then, she turned the pomegranate upside down, tapped it gently, and the plump pomegranate seeds fell one by one into her palm.
"You're so skillful." Lu Xiaojia stared at her in a daze.
When he looked up again, You Mingjiang pulled his hand and poured the peeled pomegranate seeds into his palm.
"Try it, I won't be wrong." She picked up a pomegranate seed and pretended to put it in his mouth.
Lu Xiaojia turned her head away, blushing, and refused to eat.
Seeing his flushed face, You Mingjiang paused for a moment, then realized what was happening and smiled slightly.
When did you become so thin-skinned?
"I've always been shy."
"Skinny? Then how come I remember when I first met you, you..."
Before she could finish speaking, he covered her mouth, glaring at her: "Don't mention it again."
You Mingjiang's mouth was covered by him, her eyes wide open, full of mischievous smiles.
Only then did he realize that his actions were too intimate, and he released his hand as if he had been electrocuted, quickly lowering his eyes.
Her ears turned even redder, and Lu Xiaojia coughed lightly, "That's all in the past, let's not talk about it anymore."
Seeing his face turn bright red, You Mingjiang smiled and said, "You should thank me."
Lu Xiaojia said helplessly, "What are you thanking me for?"
"Your complexion improved just from looking at the pomegranate I peeled. Doesn't that mean the pomegranate I peeled was good?"
Lu Xiaojia sighed softly, "I really can't do anything with you."
You Mingjiang's eyes lit up. "Since you can't do anything to me, why don't you just do as I say from now on?"
After saying that, she picked up another pomegranate and held it to Lu Xiaojia's lips, "Eat one more, and this time you can't dodge."
Looking into her bright eyes, Lu Xiaojia finally relented, slightly opened her mouth, and accepted the pomegranate.
A smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
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After eating two pomegranates, the two of them arrived at the reed marshes.
The autumn wind swirled along the reeds, their tips tipped with white frost. You Mingjiang raised her hand and brushed it off, and the frost fell down in a flurry.
The two followed roughly the route they had taken the night before, slowly making their way through the reeds, one after the other. Their eyes scanned every corner, their hands carefully parting the layers of reeds.
Suddenly, You Mingjiang's gaze was drawn to the base of a reed, where it looked as if it had been weighed down by a heavy object...
Her heart tightened, and she crouched down, quickly parting the reeds with both hands: "Lu Xiaojia, come quick, I found it!"
Lu Xiaojia strode over to her side, squatted down, and worked with her to clear away the thick reeds and silt.
The sword emerged from the water, reflecting Lu Xiaojia's trembling pupils.
It was his sheathless sword!
You Mingjiang was happy for him. She said gently, "That's good. Your sword has been found, and your confidence has returned..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly pulled into a cool embrace.
Lu Xiaojia wrapped her left arm around her, rested her chin lightly on her shoulder, arched her back slightly, and even breathed softly.
You Mingjiang was slightly taken aback, his hand hanging at his side dangled for a moment, his fingertips touching the loose belt at his waist.
After a long while, her hands finally gently landed on his back.
The morning breeze suddenly shifted, blowing a stray strand of hair from Lu Xiaojia's temple to her lips.
After an unknown amount of time, she coughed lightly, her voice exceptionally clear amidst her heartbeat:
"Now that we've found the sword, shouldn't we leave the bottom of the cliff?"
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Just then, the sound of oxcart wheels and mooing echoed through the valley.
The cart was piled high with chrysanthemum greens, resembling a jade tower, and a not-so-bright red ribbon was tied to the ox's horn. The driver, brandishing a small red ribbon whip, steered the oxcart past.
Yu Mingjiang tugged at Lu Xiaojia's sleeve and greeted him with a smile, "Uncle, would you mind giving us a ride?"
The driver squinted at them for a moment, then patted the cart floor knowingly: "A young couple going to town to visit relatives?"
You Mingjiang was slightly taken aback. Just as he was about to correct the term "young couple," Lu Xiaojia gently nudged his arm.
She looked up and saw Lu Xiaojia wink at her. Although she didn't understand what it meant, she swallowed her words.
Lu Xiaojia had already jumped onto the cart shaft and reached out to pull her onto the cart piled high with chrysanthemum greens.
Amidst the fresh fragrance of chrysanthemum greens, the driver tapped his pipe three times on the cart floor: "Hold on tight, you two."
As the oxcart churned over the gravel road, You Mingjiang quietly pressed his aching left shoulder.
The driver brandished his whip, the tip twirling in the air, and with a crack, the oxcart slowly began to move.
The oxcart moved slowly forward, the mountain breeze carrying the scent of grass and trees. The driver hummed an unknown tune, which drifted through the valley, blending with the creaking of the oxcart, creating a unique and charming sound.
Lu Xiaojia noticed her unusual behavior and moved closer to her. "If you're feeling unwell, lean on me and rest for a while."
Yu Mingjiang forced a smile, and was about to refuse when a sharp pain struck, causing her to groan involuntarily.
Lu Xiaojia gently put her arm around her shoulder and let her head rest against her chest.
You Mingjiang was still a little embarrassed, but the pain left her with no strength to resist, so she could only let Lu Xiaojia make arrangements.
After a while, Lu Xiaojia felt that You Mingjiang's breathing gradually became steady, as if he had fallen asleep.
Afraid that his movements would wake her, he remained in a stiff position, not daring to move an inch.
Looking at You Mingjiang's peaceful sleeping face, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, and his eyes were full of tenderness.
Suddenly, the oxcart jolted violently, startling You Mingjiang awake. He instinctively grabbed Lu Xiaojia's arm.
Lu Xiaojia gently comforted her, "It's okay, it's just a stone on the road. You can sleep a little longer."
As he spoke, he gently patted You Mingjiang's back and pulled her closer to him, saying, "Sleep peacefully."
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After an unknown amount of time, the driver, following Lu Xiaojia's instructions, took the two to Yi Dajing's residence.
Yi Dajing is Lu Xiaojia's brother-in-law.
Upon seeing his brother-in-law return covered in injuries, Yi Dajing quickly helped him off the cart and gave the driver a string of cash as a reward.
Lu Xiaojia reached out to help You Mingjiang.
She remained motionless, sitting amidst the chrysanthemum greens, and shook her head: "I'm not going in."
A flicker of panic crossed her eyes. Lu Xiaojia stepped forward and grabbed her sleeve: "I'll go with you."
You Mingjiang gently pulled her hand away from his, "Your injury hasn't healed yet, you need to rest and recover."
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something more, but found that his throat was blocked and he couldn't say anything.
He could only stare intently at You Mingjiang, subconsciously taking a few steps before stopping again. Even though he knew You Mingjiang's mind was made up, he was still filled with reluctance.
Lu Xiaojia suddenly felt her throat tighten, "Ming Jiang."
As if gently touched by something, You Mingjiang slowly raised her eyes and looked at him.
His gaze was tender and gentle, and for a moment, the surrounding noise quietly faded away.
"My sister has already made mutton soup. Shall I bring you a bowl of soup too?" Lu Xiaojia asked her to stay.
You Mingjiang smiled and said softly, "Let's do it another day."
"See you later."
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The sound of the wheels gradually faded into the distance, leaving two winding tracks on the dirt road and raising billowing dust.
He pursed his lips, his mouth stretched into a thin line, because with his right arm in a sling, he didn't even have time to wave goodbye.
Yi Dajing turned his head and saw Lu Xiaojia sitting on the threshold with her legs propped up, the bandages on her body fluttering white in the wind.
Noticing pomegranate seeds stuck to his clothes, Yi Dajing reached out and gently touched his brother-in-law's elbow.
"Shall I get you a pomegranate?"
Before the words were even out of their mouth, Lu Xiaojia gently shook her head.
Yi Dajing could see it clearly: Lu Xiaojia's eyes were misty with a thin layer of water, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his eyelashes drooped, casting a small shadow on the bridge of his nose.
Yi Dajing sighed softly, turned around to check on the mutton soup on the stove, and suddenly heard a rustling sound behind him.
Looking back, Lu Xiaojia was still sitting upright, the wind ruffling the stray hairs at his temples, revealing a hint of moisture in the corner of his eye.
It was as bright as frost in a reed marsh.
His lips moved, silently murmuring two words: "See you later."
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Author's Note: [Good Luck Lotus] ① "After swallowing a golden pill, I realized that my fate was not determined by heaven": This comes from Zhang Boduan's "Wuzhen Pian" in the Song Dynasty.
[Good Luck Lianlian] made a joke: "Your complexion improved after just one glance at the pomegranate I peeled. Doesn't that mean the pomegranate I peeled was good?": The inspiration comes from the 1990 Spring Festival Gala skit "The Protagonist and the Supporting Role," which says, "Doesn't this show off your marksmanship?"
[Good Luck Lianlian] Quoting ② "Pomegranates in the shade and pears facing south, peaches in the south and apricots in the north, pears on the right branches" is a proverb in agricultural production.
[Let me see] Thank you to the little angels for the nutrient solution:
[Heart] "Haobai" irrigation nutrient solution +2, "Huajianxiao" irrigation nutrient solution +10, "Hejiuqingyaoshangan" irrigation nutrient solution +5, "sf" irrigation nutrient solution +10 [Heart]
[Let me see] I also received a system message: [Purple Heart] "Ding, you have received 3 New Year's greetings from the lovely reader 'Green Bamboo and Red Peony'" [Purple Heart]
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