Chapter 14
Rongxiang was carried off the car by Xiao Meng.
After getting off the car, he was carried all the way to the military headquarters office. The military doctor, carrying a medical kit, jogged in and carefully treated Rongxiang's gunshot wound to the leg. Above, Xiao Meng used a towel soaked in hot water to carefully wipe away the filth from Rongxiang's head, face, and neck. The dried brain matter reacted with the hot water, emitting a very pungent odor. Although he had just received a painkiller injection, Rongxiang still felt fainting spells.
Yi Zhongming then walked in.
He seemed unconcerned by the foul smell in the room. He simply approached and looked down at Rongxiang's wounded leg. Fortunately, the bullet had pierced through the calf but hadn't lodged inside, which spared Rongxiang much suffering. Medical conditions in the military camp were poor; the medic could only do his best to disinfect, apply medicine, and bandage it.
Does it hurt?
Rong Xiang was somewhat dazed; everything that had just happened was completely unexpected. Even now, his mind was still a mess. Hearing Yi Zhongming's question, he looked up at him, slightly dazed, and said, "I'm fine."
Yi Zhongming pulled up a chair and sat down: "Martial law is in effect outside now. We still have the upper hand."
Rongxiang shuddered: "Really?"
"Don't be afraid."
Rongxiang was not afraid. From the moment he killed Nakajima Hideo, he became a fully wound-up machine. He even ignored the gunshot wound on his leg and ran with Xiao Meng all the way to the back door of Fengyu Hotel. It wasn't until he jumped into the car that he realized that his right leg, from the knee down, was soaked in blood.
"I shouldn't have gone to this banquet," he murmured to himself, seemingly filled with self-reproach.
Yi Zhongming smiled sadly: "That doesn't matter. This day was bound to come eventually anyway. With me here, you can focus on recovering."
Xiao Meng carefully wiped Rong Xiang's face and head clean. As for the bloodstains on his clothes, there was nothing she could do. Rong Xiang coughed, then suddenly felt something was wrong. Looking at the back of his hand, he found a large, sticky, reddish-white substance on it. His hand was unharmed, so this must be…
He vomited without warning.
When Xiao Meng heard the first groan, she thought she was dreaming.
He groggily opened his eyes. His years of vigilance made him subconsciously listen again. It was quiet around him. This was the outer room of the military headquarters office. He was lying on the sofa. Everything seemed normal.
He gently lay down and closed his eyes.
Another soft, trembling groan escaped.
Xiao Meng rolled off the bed and quickly walked into the inner room: "Third Master, what's wrong?"
The inner room was also dark. By the moonlight streaming in through the window, one could vaguely see Rongxiang lying on his back on the large bed against the wall.
Xiao Meng went over and turned on the lamp: "Third Master, what's wrong?"
Startled by the sudden bright light, Rongxiang closed his eyes. He was covered in sweat, his lips and face were deathly pale. His hands gripped the sheets, trembling uncontrollably.
"My legs... hurt..." Rongxiang managed to utter these two words with a sob in his voice.
Xiao Meng then realized that the painkillers he had taken before bed must have worn off, waking Rong Xiang up in excruciating pain. He took a handkerchief from the table and wiped Rong Xiang's sweat: "Third Master, I'll go find a doctor right away."
Rong Xiang let out a trembling breath: "Hurry up!"
Xiao Meng thought he had acted quickly enough, but when he returned with the army doctor, Rong Xiang still glared at him resentfully. This made him shrink back a step.
The military doctor could tell that Rong Xiang was someone who couldn't endure pain, but after taking out a syringe from his medicine box, he still asked in a somewhat hesitant voice, "Um... General Rong, you've already used two vials of morphine since this afternoon. Um... I'm worried that using too much might harm your health."
Rongxiang knew this perfectly well, but his injured leg was burning with pain, as if his skin had been peeled off and salt had been rubbed into it. He couldn't care less about anything else. He anxiously pounded the bed with his fist and said in a hoarse voice, "It's nothing!"
The military doctor dared not say anything more. After the injection, Rong Xiang calmed down very quickly. He waved his hand wearily, and Xiao Meng immediately helped the military doctor pack up his medicine box and quietly withdrew.
The war has been going on for over a month.
The Rong family's side began to show signs of decline. First, there was a shortage of ammunition, and second, the quality of their soldiers could not match that of the Kwantung Army. Rong Xiang and Yi Zhongming gradually had a bad feeling, but because they had no other choice, they could only endure it and not retreat.
Rongxiang has already moved back home. In any case, the Rong residence is only two miles away from the military headquarters, making transportation very convenient.
That day, Yi Zhongming, unusually, took some time to visit him. Rong Xiang's leg injury had mostly healed. With the aid of a cane, he could walk unsteadily on his own. After entering the house, Yi Zhongming took off his military overcoat. Because the Rong family home was so incredibly hot, soon after entering, it felt as if he had crawled into an enormous, stuffy quilt, making it hard to breathe.
Rong Xiang, however, felt quite well. Since his injury, he had become extremely sensitive to cold and had also developed a habit of vomiting for no apparent reason. This wasn't too bad, as it wasn't a serious injury. However, he still suffered from leg pain every day, requiring morphine injections several times a day for pain relief. Yi Zhongming was unaware of this. Therefore, seeing that Rong Xiang was in good spirits and recovering smoothly, he felt much more at ease.
The two sat side by side on the sofa as usual. Rongxiang turned his head and glanced at him, saying casually, "You have gray hair."
Yi Zhongming lowered his head and smiled sadly: "I'm getting old."
"I've never heard you say something like that before."
Yi Zhongming rubbed his temples: "I've always been someone who refuses to accept getting old. But I've found that even if I refuse to accept getting old, I'll still get old eventually."
Rongxiang had never heard him say such a thing before, and thought that perhaps the situation was dire and the old fox was powerless to reverse it, hence his despondency. To be honest, wasn't he feeling the same way?
Yi Zhongming sat quietly beside Rong Xiang. The sweltering air seeped through his thin suit jacket, creating a kind of unsettling warmth.
"I've served the Rong family my whole life, that's enough!"
When the thought suddenly popped into his head, it startled him. But he quickly dismissed it. Now, for some reason, the phrase had suddenly resurfaced, echoing in his ears over and over again.
"Then what can I do?" he then asked himself.
He glanced back at Rong Xiang and saw that Rong Xiang was leaning against the sofa, his eyes half-closed, his brows furrowed, and his face showing pain and weariness.
"What’s wrong with you?"
Rongxiang raised his hand to cover his mouth and yawned slightly: "It's nothing... I'm just feeling a little unwell..."
Yi Zhongming couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Uncomfortable?"
Rong Xiang straightened up, turned around and called out "Xiao Meng", then smiled apologetically at Yi Zhongming: "Wait for me, I'll be right back."
Xiao Meng ran over quickly, and before Yi Zhongming could even ask what was going on, she half-carried, half-supported Rong Xiang to the small study next door. Rong Xiang was tall, but he seemed to be hanging on Xiao Meng the whole way. The distance of less than ten meters made him stumble and crawl. After entering the room and closing the door, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.
Xiao Meng quickly took out the syringe and inhaled the morphine. Then he squatted down next to Rong Xiang and saw that the cuff of his right shirt was unbuttoned. He rolled up the sleeve with one hand and pressed the needle tip against the pale blue vein with the other.
When the needle pierced his skin, Rongxiang's face twitched almost imperceptibly before returning to calm.
After tidying up the injection equipment, Xiao Meng reached under Rong Xiang's armpits, lifted him up, and dragged him to a chair. Then she stood next to the chair, acting as Rong Xiang's backrest.
Rongxiang leaned back in his chair, drowsy, between himself and Xiao Meng. After a while, he finally looked up again. He casually pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead, and then stood up, holding onto the back of the chair.
"Is Mr. Yi still in the living room?" he asked Xiao Meng softly.
"yes."
He immediately supported Xiao Meng with one hand and staggered out.
Yi Zhongming was indeed still sitting on the sofa. Looking up and seeing Rong Xiang approaching, he nodded expressionlessly: "All done?"
Rongxiang laboriously sat back down next to him: "Okay."
Suddenly, Yi Zhongming grabbed his right arm and, before he could react, pulled up his sleeve. Rong Xiang was startled by his action: "What?"
Yi Zhongming looked at the faint needle marks on that snow-white arm: "You were given morphine?"
Rongxiang paused for a moment, then replied, "Yes."
Yi Zhongming put his hand down: "Don't hit him again."
Rongxiang said with a wry smile, "I know it's not good, but my legs hurt. Without it, I'm going crazy from the pain."
Yi Zhongming shook his head: "Morphine is much harder to quit than opium."
Rongxiang still had a lingering smile on his face. What didn't he know? It turned out that his second brother was a heavy opium addict who had tried to quit countless times, each time with terrible screams and cries, but never succeeded. He knew morphine was even stronger than opium, but he didn't know how it happened. He had only wanted to relieve the pain, but without realizing it, he had become addicted.
Thinking of his second brother's disgusting appearance, his heart clenched.
“Yes,” he replied, “I understand.”
Yi Zhongming sat for a while longer before getting up to take his leave.
Rong Xiang, leaning on his cane, slowly saw him to the door. The two stood at the entrance and chatted for a few more minutes. Just then, Yi Zhongming's driver arrived in the car. The adjutant stepped forward and opened the car door.
Before getting into the car, Yi Zhongming put on his gloves and turned to look at Rong Xiang. That look was so painful that Rong Xiang would never forget it.
As if afraid others would hear, he whispered, "Don't use morphine anymore."
Standing in the cold wind, Rongxiang's eyes welled up with tears upon hearing these words. He quickly lowered his head and smiled, "I'll remember that."
Yi Zhongming glanced at him again before bending down and getting into the car.
The cars started, with a military vehicle leading the way, Yi Zhongming's car in the middle, and another military vehicle bringing up the rear. The three vehicles then entered the highway. Rong Xiang, seeing that the cars had driven far away, turned to go inside.
However, the moment he turned around, a deafening explosion suddenly rang out, and the shockwave slammed him headfirst into Xiao Meng. Ignoring the pain, he hurriedly looked back and saw that the highway was filled with smoke, all three cars were wrecked, and something had fallen from the sky in front of the Rong Mansion. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a mangled human leg!
Rongxiang grabbed his cane, forced himself to stand up, and started to walk forward. Xiao Meng quickly stopped him: "Third Master, you can't go!"
Rongxiang shoved him away: "Get out! Hurry up and take some people to check!"
"Yes, I'll go right away, but Third Master, please don't go. There might still be bombs there." Xiao Meng rushed up again to stop him.
Rongxiang stood there forlornly, then suddenly shuddered, and a tear slid down his cheek.
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