Kang Kang put down the simple bag on his shoulder, his gaze immediately falling on A Yuan's left arm, which she was instinctively protecting. A faint dark red tinge peeked through the old strips of cloth wrapped around it.
“Sit down,” he said, his voice gentle yet authoritative, with the efficiency typical of a doctor. “The wound has probably reopened; we need to examine it again.”
Upon hearing this, A-Yuan sat down on the only old wooden stool and slightly rolled up the cuff of her left arm. When the cloth strip was untied, sure enough, the edges of the wound, which had just been treated with medicine and had stopped bleeding yesterday, were oozing blood again because of the roll, and the surrounding skin was slightly red and swollen.
Kang Kang frowned slightly, but his movements were extremely gentle. He took out a clean cotton cloth, wound powder, and a ceramic bowl filled with water from his portable medicine box. The cool scent of the medicine powder filled the small space. He first dipped the cotton cloth in the water and carefully wiped away the mud and oozing blood around the wound. His fingertips occasionally brushed against A Yuan's cool skin, displaying the steady and focused demeanor of a healer.
"Hiss..." When the powder touched the torn flesh, A-Yuan couldn't help but gasp softly, her body tensing instantly.
"Bear with it. If the rotten mud gets inside and isn't cleaned properly, it can easily cause internal heat." Kang Kang's voice was deep, and his hands moved evenly, sprinkling the powder evenly, then carefully wrapping it with a clean new cloth strip and tying a neat knot. "All done. Remember not to get it wet for the next two days, and don't exert any force."
As he packed his medicine kit, he glanced up and saw the fine beads of sweat on A-Yuan's forehead from the pain. He casually poured half a bowl of water from the rough earthenware jar on the table and handed it to her: "Have some water."
"Thank you, Brother Kang." A-Yuan took the bowl, her fingertips inadvertently touching his slightly warm knuckles. Her heart skipped a beat for no reason, and she quickly lowered her head to take small sips of water to cover it up.
Not long after they settled in, footsteps and Aunt Wang's distinctive loud voice rang out outside the courtyard gate: "Young Master Kang! Miss A Yuan! Are you home?"
Aunt Wang strode in, carrying a large bamboo basket covered with a blue cloth, followed by a craning young boy. Her face was flushed with the typical rosy glow of a farmer after a day's work. As soon as she entered, she placed the basket on the only old wooden table in the center of the room, lifted the blue cloth, and revealed that it was full of things: a small bunch of tender bamboo shoots still covered with fresh soil, five or six red-shelled eggs, a large handful of lush, thick-leaved wild vegetables, and a small piece of cured meat wrapped in a clean lotus leaf and soaked in oil.
“Look, we don’t have much at home,” Aunt Wang said, quickly taking out the items one by one. “These are freshly dug bamboo shoots, so fresh! A few eggs, for A-Yuan to help her recover. This purslane and shepherd’s purse were picked this morning from the edge of the field, so tender! And this little bit of cured meat, I’ll slice some to make a nice soup, it’ll be delicious!” As she spoke, her eyes quickly swept over A-Yuan’s bandaged arm, then looked at Kang Kang with concern. “Is it a serious injury? We were so worried about you! The villagers were all so happy to hear you were staying for a couple of days!”
Kang Kang quickly thanked her, "Aunt Wang, you've gone to so much trouble for all this..."
"What trouble!" Aunt Wang waved her hand to interrupt him, her voice booming, "You and your master are the saviors of our Willow Creek Village! Back then, during that great plague, if it weren't for you two, this village would have been wiped out long ago! What's a little bit of this? If you refuse again, I'll get angry!" She feigned anger and put on a stern face, then smiled, her gaze turning to A Yuan, who had been standing quietly to the side, with a hint of curiosity and undisguised scrutiny, "A Yuan seems very skillful, her cooking must be excellent, right? You can prepare these vegetables and meat as you see fit. If you need anything, just come find me at the village entrance!"
Aunt Wang came in a flurry of activity and left just as quickly, leaving behind a table full of gifts that smelled of fresh earth.
A-Yuan looked at the wild vegetables, bamboo shoots, and cured meat on the table, especially those bunches of similar-looking green leaves, a hint of confusion in her eyes. She subconsciously picked up a small bunch of wild vegetables with finely serrated edges, then picked up another bunch with wider, thicker leaves, and twirled them helplessly between her fingertips.
Kang Kang was bending down to add firewood to the slightly worn clay stove in the corner, preparing to start a fire, when he looked up and caught her slight hesitation. He straightened up, walked naturally to the table, and took the mixed-up basket of wild vegetables from A Yuan's hand.
“Don’t rush,” his voice was calm, carrying a comforting power, as his fingertips deftly separated the various wild vegetables in the basket. “These with narrow, long leaves and finely serrated edges are Bupleurum sprouts. They are slightly cold in nature and have the best clearing and dispersing power. Adding a few leaves to soup can enhance the flavor and also relieve liver stagnation in spring.” He picked up another bunch with broad, thick leaves and clear veins. “These are Saposhnikovia leaves. They are pungent, sweet, and warm, dispelling wind and dampness. Eating them in spring can prevent external wind-cold and dampness. They look similar to Bupleurum sprouts, but their effects are different, so don’t confuse them.” With a stroke of his finger, he clearly separated the two distinct herbs.
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