Chapter 2 The Gentle Thug Who Subdues All Dissent
"..."
Hai Hongzhu was stunned.
My palms were warm and soft, spread out upwards. My fingertips were covered with a thin layer of translucent calluses, like mica sheets. There were still traces of water from washing my hands between my fingers, making them damp.
Are you alright?
The little girl was filthy, her clothes were wrinkled beyond recognition, like dried pickled vegetables, with folds and wrinkles. Her face was covered in mud, and only her frightened eyes were visible, like a little quail scared out of its wits in a tree nest.
The young itinerant doctor bent down and gently comforted her, "Little sister, the ground is quite cold. You can't sit here forever. Let me help you up slowly, okay?"
A hint of embarrassment appeared on Hai Hongzhu's face. She was so frightened that her legs went weak and she couldn't stand up.
Of course, she wasn't afraid of You Mingjiang, but the scene of destroying the body was just too shocking, breaking through her psychological defenses. Hai Hongzhu was a little overwhelmed for a while.
You Mingjiang smiled, stretched out one hand, and said calmly, "...Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."
Upon hearing this, Hai Hongzhu's emotions suddenly calmed down for some reason. She quietly wiped her hands on her clothes, mustered her courage, and tremblingly placed her hand on his.
You Mingjiang took her hand. Hai Hongzhu was timid, her palms sweaty. She slowly stood up, her legs trembling uncontrollably. Suddenly, her knees buckled, and she almost fell forward.
Fortunately, You Mingjiang reacted quickly, reaching out to steadily support her arm and gently straightening her up: "Be careful, don't fall."
After Hai Hongzhu regained her balance, she glanced up at You Mingjiang, then immediately lowered her head and stammered, "Thank you. I... my legs are a little weak."
Upon closer inspection, the girl appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen years old. Her face was dirty, and her hair was matted with mud and water. You Mingjiang reached out and gently brushed the hair that was stuck to her face.
Hai Hongzhu blinked, her heart pounding wildly.
The name Mingjiang is Dr. You's given name.
It embodies both the openness and honesty of "bright and upright" and the straightforwardness and stubbornness of "the nature of ginger and cinnamon".
It's like the strong tea you drink in an old teahouse; it's intense on the palate, and leaves a lingering fragrance on your lips and teeth after a few sips.
As the saying goes, "the name and the reality match."
Dr. You is a person who always has a smiling eye and speaks in a gentle and warm tone. Even if people tease her a few times, she will not get angry and will never let the teasing go unanswered. She is very easygoing.
Most of the herbs she prescribed for her patients could be found on the edges of fields, such as plantain, purslane, and patchouli.
If someone couldn't afford the consultation fee, she would only accept a handful or two of coarse rice.
That's probably why many people thought she was easy to fool, weak and without temper, and shamelessly came to her to ask for her to buy her ointment on credit. She, on the other hand, was kind-hearted and always helped these poor people whenever she could, which is not much different from the "generous and magnanimous, elegant and graceful" in the Book of Songs.
Hai Hongzhu wanted to get close to her from the bottom of her heart.
Whenever she had a spare moment, without having to practice that ridiculous hoop-rolling acrobatics, she would dash off to the old Fengqiu Gate, find a small corner to squat in, and like a little chick, peek out with her round eyes, eagerly watching Doctor You chop up herbs.
·
Doctor You set up a small stall, with a sign that read "Miraculous Healing Hands" displayed. Her own ointments, powders, and pills were laid out on the side, and her hands were busy working on the stall.
She straightened a bundle of selfheal and placed it under the cleaver. With one hand holding the selfheal firmly and the other hand gripping the handle of the cleaver, she applied a little force and the cleaver went down, cutting the selfheal into even lengths one after another.
After slicing it, he laid it out on an oilcloth to dry, then picked up a mortar and pestle and began to grind the dried thistles carefully.
The sleeves hung around his neck, the edges of the cuffs slightly rough, revealing a section of lean arms. Doctor You's wrists were firm, with slightly protruding wrist bones. With each rise and fall of the guillotine, it rolled beneath his pale honey-colored skin. His ten slender fingers, like jade bamboo shoots, gripped the pestle tightly. With a little effort, the veins on the back of his hands would bulge.
Hai Hongzhu rested her chin on her hand, watching with great interest each time.
Of course, there are always a few who don't know their place.
Take that strong, muscular man in his thirties from a while ago, for example. As soon as he saw Dr. You, his eyes lit up. He went up to the stall, grabbed a packet of astragalus tablets, and fiddled with them in his hand. In reality, he was distracted. His eyes were like oiled beads, darting around, looking Dr. You up and down. He even swallowed a few times.
"Oh ho, although you're not very feminine and you dress like a rough old man, your looks are still pleasing to my eye, Tian Boguang."
As he spoke, he reached out to touch her cheek.
Dr. You's face immediately darkened. She tilted her head, not only avoiding Tian Boguang's touch, but also snatched back the packet of astragalus tablets, coldly saying, "Don't stick your dirty hands out!"
His hand reached out but missed. The man named Tian Boguang chuckled mischievously, rubbing his fingertips together a few times. He felt a ticklish sensation inside, like he had a kitten in his hand, and couldn't resist teasing him a few more times:
"Look at you, all day long, working as a traveling doctor in the wind and sun, it's such a waste. I'm in a good mood today, I'll play with this young lady for a while, I guarantee I'll make you feel good, hehe!"
·
Hearing the foul language from his mouth, Hai Hongzhu's face turned red, and the surrounding people were very angry—who hadn't received care from Doctor You?
Everyone was eager to slap him a few times.
Unfortunately, the opponent was a skilled and physically imposing fighter. Without martial arts skills, no one dared to approach rashly.
However, although You Mingjiang is usually easygoing and kind, she is by no means someone who will be bullied.
At this moment, she gave a forced smile, her voice cold and devoid of any warmth: "...□□? Fine, then I'll grant your wish!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he suddenly threw the packet of astragalus tablets in his hand at Tian Boguang's face!
A whole bag of astragalus slices hit him hard on the face, making his cheeks sting. He instinctively waved his hands outwards, trying to push the slices away.
With a flick of his wrist, You Mingjiang inserted several silver needles into his Xiaohai acupoint, Neiguan acupoint, Huantiao acupoint, and Biguan acupoint.
In just two breaths, Tian Boguang felt a tingling numbness in his hands and feet, as if he were being electrocuted. His heart skipped a beat. Before he could recover, You Mingjiang suddenly swung his fist and punched Tian Boguang hard in the chest.
Then, she mercilessly kicked him again. With a loud "bang," Tian Boguang was sent flying, rolling several times on the ground before finally coming to a stop on the edge of the stinking ditch.
·
With steady steps, You Mingjiang walked up to Tian Boguang, squatted down, and suddenly grabbed his hair, forcing him to look up.
Tian Boguang clutched his chest tightly and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Hey, how was my game? Did I play well enough for you?"
She smiled knowingly, raised her hand and slapped his cheek twice—not hard, but extremely insulting—"Speak!"
Tian Boguang spat out another mouthful of blood, his eyes fixed on her. He was filled with hatred and spat a mouthful of blood at her.
Before he could finish speaking, You Mingjiang swung his arm and punched him in the face with both hands, making him see stars and bleed from his nose!
Then a heavy punch landed squarely on his forehead, and Tian Boguang closed his eyes and fell heavily to the ground.
You Mingjiang then stopped, stood up, lowered her eyes coldly, and dusted off her hands.
He kicked the unconscious Tian Boguang into the stinking ditch, saying, "A bedbug should stay in a stinking ditch."
Hai Hongzhu was stunned.
She found it hard to reconcile the image of You Mingjiang, who had easily defeated the burly man, with the gentle face she remembered.
But just now, right here in this dimly lit, dilapidated temple.
Hai Hongzhu huddled in the corner, her heart pounding and her breathing rapid, watching helplessly as You Mingjiang destroyed the body and disposed of the evidence.
·
[Ding! Respected young hero, you have performed a chivalrous act in the dilapidated temple outside Kaifeng City, successfully rescuing a vulnerable woman in distress. The reward has been sent to your bamboo medicine basket.]
The reward is as follows:
[Intravenous infusion bottle (Ringer's solution) 500ml*1 bottle]
[Adrenaline auto-injector 0.3mg*10 vials/box]
Acetaminophen tablets 0.3g*10 sachets
Special Rewards:
Medical sterile degreased gauze, 6m x 12 rolls
[This is the reward for this generous donation. This gift is offered as encouragement; we hope the young hero will remain humble and continue his efforts.]
After transmigrating, You Mingjiang was bound to a "Holy Mother System".
This system is like opening a blind box. Each time you make a successful judgment, you randomly receive some medicine as a reward. You can get a maximum of 3 medicines each time.
Ignoring the system announcement, You Mingjiang raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the little girl from head to toe, finally landing on Hai Hongzhu's hand.
Hai Hongzhu blushed, her eyes darting left and right, and she hurriedly put her hands behind her back.
"Let me see." You Mingjiang reached out and grabbed her wrist without saying a word. The force was gentle, but the attitude was forceful. The hands behind her back were icy cold, and unconsciously, following the force, she slowly reached out from behind.
Her hand was badly injured; several nails were broken in half, exposing the nail beds, which were covered with dark purple scabs and faintly oozing blood. It was probably caused by breaking the door frame.
Hai Hongzhu lowered her eyes and subconsciously withdrew her hand.
"Little sister, what kind of wound haven't I seen?" You Mingjiang held her shoulder. "Trust me, okay?"
In an instant, tears that had been held back for so long burst forth.
Hai Hongzhu raised her hand to cover her face, tears streaming through her fingers, and said in a trembling voice, "Dr. You... Dr. You... I was so scared... I thought I would never see you again..."
"Don't cry, you'll hurt yourself." Seeing her crying with tears streaming down her face, You Mingjiang took out a handkerchief from her bosom, her eyes full of tenderness, and gently wiped away her tears, afraid of hurting her.
You Mingjiang dislikes empty talk. Those beautiful but empty words of comfort are like light, floating reeds, carrying no weight whatsoever.
The thin handkerchief couldn't block the warmth in her palm, which made Hai Hongzhu's face turn red.
She gradually stopped crying and was no longer as apprehensive as before.
After calming the little girl down, You Mingjiang took out a bamboo tube from the bamboo medicine basket. The tube contained clear, lightly salted water, which was made from cooled boiled water and fine salt.
She poured in a little salt water and gently rinsed away the bloodstains clinging to the little girl's nail bed.
The moment the salt water touched the wound, Hai Hongzhu gasped, "Ouch...it hurts so much!"
The little girl's eyes were red-rimmed, she gritted her teeth and endured the pain, her lips were slightly downturned, her voice was tinged with grievance, and a few crystal tears hung on her eyelashes, tears that came from the pain.
You Mingjiang leaned down slightly, lifted her fingertips, and gently blew on the wound: "Then I'll be gentler, it'll be fine soon."
After thinking for a moment, he opened another small bag of acetaminophen tablets and handed her a white pill: "For pain relief."
Hai Hongzhu blinked, her eyes full of curiosity, staring at the round, white pill in her palm. The pill was completely unfamiliar to her.
She gently pinched it between her fingertips; it felt smooth and hard. She brought it close to her nose and sniffed it, but couldn't detect any smell. In the end, she put the pill in her mouth.
A faint bitterness spread across her taste buds. She quickly took a sip of water, swallowed the pill, and only a faint bitterness lingered on her tongue.
After a while, seeing that she had stopped crying out in pain, You Mingjiang finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She took out a jar of calendula cold-infused oil from her medicine basket. The oil had a fresh, yellowish-green hue and a warm, translucent appearance. She said, "Applying this oil to the wound will help it heal faster, form scabs more quickly, and make the wound heal much more easily."
As You Mingjiang spoke, she tore off a piece of medical sterile degreased gauze, dipped it in a little calendula cold-infused oil, and carefully pressed it onto the wound, applying it just right each time to ensure the oil film evenly covered the wound.
The broken fingernail was still partially attached, so she didn't pull it out rashly. Instead, she covered it with sterile medical gauze and gently bandaged it. She carefully bandaged each of the ten injured fingers.
You Mingjiang skillfully treated Hai Hongzhu's wounds and carefully cleaned her face. Then, she went from the temple to the dry well, meticulously cleaning up any traces, especially the glaring bloodstain.
After finishing these tasks, You Mingjiang turned and went into the back room of the dilapidated temple. After searching for a while, she pulled out two sets of clothes left behind by pilgrims. "Little sister, there's no other way right now, so just make do with these for now. Once you've changed, I'll take you into the city."
After saying that, she took out a tinderbox and burned all the clothes the two of them had changed out of.
·
Even after Hai Hongzhu boarded the mule cart, she was still in a daze. Wearing ill-fitting clothes, with dry grass spread out beneath her, and her bandaged hands clutching the straw stalks, she looked somewhat uneasy.
She stared blankly at You Mingjiang, who was sitting sideways in front of her driving the carriage, her mind completely blank.
When the plaque above Kaifeng City came into view, she still felt that it was all unreal.
Has he really been saved?
Could this have just been a dream before my death?
She was lost in thought when You Mingjiang gave a "whoosh" and pulled on the reins.
Hai Hongzhu then came to her senses.
You Mingjiang smiled and said, "It's not even 3:45 PM yet. If we want to save the day, there's still time."
"Oh." Hai Hongzhu slowly got off the mule cart, took two steps forward, hesitated, then turned around and asked, "Dr. You, that old drunkard..."
You Mingjiang raised an eyebrow: "Old drunkard? What old drunkard? I don't know him, and I've never seen him before."
Hai Hongzhu smacked her lips lightly and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, I've never seen it before, I don't know it."
“Go ahead.” You Mingjiang nodded to her.
Hai Hongzhu blushed and ran quickly into the city. Before the city gate, she couldn't help but look back.
In the distance, the young itinerant doctor, tall and slender, sat steadily on the mule cart, his hand loosely holding the reins, occasionally swaying them gently.
The lanterns on the city tower cast a warm yellow light, and You Mingjiang looked up, gazing at the fireworks blooming in the night sky. The lanterns were somewhat dazzling, obscuring her face, yet she possessed a captivating charm.
“Dr. You…” Hai Hongzhu was stunned, her heart pounding like a drum. Realizing her loss of composure, she shook her head, her figure gradually disappearing at the city gate.
·
A note from the author:
----------------------
[Good Luck Lotus] Tian Boguang: The womanizing thief in "The Holy Maiden of the Demonic Sect is also trying to seduce the righteous young hero today". He is lecherous and tries to take liberties with Yilin, the junior sister of Hengshan Sect, but is stopped by Linghu Chong.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com