Chapter 39
Sensing that the door was about to collapse, Shu Wanxiu moved away a second before Liu Yuan kicked it down.
This does not mean that her situation is good.
The first few times she used the hoe to defend herself, her palms went numb from the impact. Later, when she used her body to block the door, a lot of force fell on her body.
'Don't let them in!'
Shu Wanxiu still only had this one thought in her mind.
She picked up the hoe and swung it hard at the figure trying to step over the threshold!
"Thump!"
"Bang!"
Liu Yinxue raised his machete to block a hoe blow for Liu Yuan, and felt his hand go numb from the impact.
"You idiot, get out of here!"
The only answer he received was the last word Liu Yuan uttered before collapsing from a throbbing headache and dizziness.
"father……"
"Thump!" Liu Yuan fell to the ground.
Only then did Liu Yinxue realize that someone was behind him.
He was horrified and, as he dodged, blurted out, "Didn't you fall into the trap, kid?"
About half an hour ago, Liu Yinxue and his son joined forces to lure Mo Daowan into a pre-set trap.
It was a trap more than three meters deep. After seeing Mo Daowan fall to the bottom of the pit, they threw several large stones into it. Seeing that he was unconscious, the two of them felt relieved and continued their escape. They chose Shu Wanxiu's thatched hut on the mountain as their place to spend the night.
The person behind him clung to him; as he retreated, the other person advanced.
Liu Yinxue mistook this person for Mo Daowan and was focused on guarding against the dagger being stabbed. However, unexpectedly, with a whooshing sound, the weapon that hit him was a long staff!
Moreover, this person's build was off; he was much taller and stronger than the other kid.
"Who are you?"
"No matter who I am, you deserve to die for bullying the weak!"
The snow was white, and people standing in the snow at night appeared black. Xun Yi chased after the dark figure in front of him, swinging the long stick he had picked up, which made a rustling sound as it randomly struck various parts of Liu Yinxue's body.
Liu Yinxue was just someone who wanted to be a bandit. For over a decade, he had the desire, but his body was still that of a farmer.
He might be able to do some farm work, but when it comes to wielding knives and guns, he relies entirely on brute force and has no real skills.
He was aware of his weaknesses. When robbing food on the way to escape famine, he mostly bullied the weak and alone. If he wanted to rob a wealthy family, he would need to gather more people.
Liu Yuan collapsed to the ground, and with his second son Liu Li and third son Liu Cheng not by his side, Liu Yinxue was left alone to face Xun Yi, who was taller and stronger than him. He finally experienced the pain of being powerless to fight back.
Whether it's a battle between two armies or a duel between two people, the side with weaker morale is destined to lose.
After losing heart, Liu Yinxue lost all will to fight again, and couldn't even recreate the feigned attack he had made two hours earlier when he was fleeing.
He raised his hand to protect his head, enduring the blows as he retreated with all his might.
Realizing that the person who had suddenly appeared hadn't pursued them, Liu Yinxue felt a huge weight lifted from his shoulders and, disregarding everything, decided to flee back into the mountains.
Xun Yi stood in the snow and did not continue the pursuit, but he took the bow and arrows off his back and aimed them at Liu Yinxue's feet.
"Whoosh—"
The arrowhead pierced the snow, and the trembling fletching left on the snow testified to the immense power of the arrow.
"If you want to be whole, throw away the woodcutter's knife and turn back."
A look of resentment flashed in Liu Yinxue's eyes.
He had made all the plans. If he could just seize some more grain and get through the winter, he would be able to find a hilltop to rule next year.
Why? !
Why does fate not grant our wishes?!
Liu Yinxue was filled with resentment.
But as long as his body remained still, Xun Yi's bow was aimed at him.
Ultimately, faced with the choice between being imprisoned and being shot to death by arrows, Liu Yinxue chose... to throw away his wood-chopping knife.
Seeing Liu Yinxue walk over empty-handed, Xun Yi said to Shu Wanxiu, "Bring some straw rope over."
"good."
There was no need to go back for it. After Shu Wanxiu missed hitting Liu Yuan with that hoe, she quickly noticed that other people had appeared and were there to help her.
Sensing that her ally was gaining the upper hand in the fight, she quickly gave up attacking and instead began to help Liu Yuan, who had fallen to the ground.
The man was already lying on the ground, and another blow with a hoe might kill him. Shu Wanxiu hated this man to the core, but she was afraid of being sued for murder, leaving Shu Shouyi without anyone to take care of him.
The only remaining solution is to tie his hands and feet.
There were straw ropes she had made in her spare time in the main room. She ran to get some and used them to tie up Liu Yinxue.
Shu Wanxiu was afraid that she hadn't tied it well enough, so after tying a tight knot, she asked Xun Yi to check it again.
Once she was absolutely certain, Shu Wanxiu's hands and feet began to tremble uncontrollably.
She leaned against the door frame, barely able to stand, wanting to ask Xun Yi how to deal with the two people, but when she opened her mouth, her lips and teeth trembled uncontrollably.
I escaped death.
Xun Yi once again became a great benefactor to himself and Shouyi.
She was stunned and felt extremely fortunate and terrified to have escaped death this time.
Xun Yi carried Liu Yuan and Liu Yinxue, two big men, and placed them on either side of the snow. He bent down to help Shu Wanxiu clean up the broken pieces of wooden planks in front of the door, and didn't forget to show concern for her.
"Are you injured? What about Shu Shouyi?"
"No." Although I was in some pain when I blocked the door, and my body might be sore tomorrow, I'm alive, so nothing else matters.
As for Shu Shouyi...
Upon hearing Xun Yi mention his nephew, Shu Wanxiu was able to stand steadily without needing to hold onto the door frame.
"He must have been terrified."
The room was pitch black, but fortunately, Shu Wanxiu was very familiar with the room, to the point that she could find any object in the room with her eyes closed, so she quickly walked to the bedside.
"Upholding righteousness?"
In the darkness, she heard Shu Shouyi's rapid breathing, just as she had expected.
"Don't be afraid, your aunt is here."
She tried to comfort him, and based on her memory of how high Shu Shouyi was sitting on the bed, she reached out and touched the air, only to find nothing.
"Upholding righteousness?"
Shu Wanxiu called out again, but still received no response. However, she realized that Shu Shouyi was not sitting down.
She reached down and found a small body lying stiffly on her back not far away, its body burning hot!
She patted his cheeks and shook him, but the little boy didn't react at all.
Having just calmed down from the shock, Shu Wanxiu's emotions shifted again. She leaned close to Shu Shouyi's ear and shouted his name, trying to bring him back to his senses.
Hearing that something was wrong, Xun Yi threw the wood chips he was holding into a corner and quickly ran over.
"What happened?"
Shu Wanxiu thought for a moment with her muddled mind, and said uncertainly, "She was fine before she went to sleep... She must have been frightened. Now she's burning up and I can't wake her up."
Xun Yi reached out and touched Shu Shouyi's forehead, finding it was indeed very hot. He immediately said, "We can't delay any longer. Illnesses caused by fear are the most serious! We must take him to see a doctor quickly."
Xun Yi knew which of the nearby villages had doctors, so he made arrangements in a busy but orderly manner: "You carry Shu Shouyi, and I'll escort the two outside. We'll all go down the mountain together."
"After handing those two over to the village chief, I will take you to Turtleback Village to seek medical help."
Although there was another doctor in a nearby village, that doctor was incompetent and had a history of botched treatments.
In contrast, Guibei Village is only a mile or two away, and the physician Li there has been practicing medicine for decades, with his medical skills being widely recognized.
Shu Wanxiu folded the quilt in half and wrapped it around Shu Shouyi like a baby, then took out all their belongings—four hundred and ninety-two coins—from a hidden spot in the room and took them all with her.
Logically speaking, now is not the time to think about other things, but before leaving the room, Shu Wanxiu couldn't help but glance at the grain under the bed.
They didn't have a lock to begin with, and now the bedroom door is broken. The grain is left under the bed like it's lying on the road, making it seem like anyone can just pick it up.
Xun Yi didn't miss her hesitation. He glanced at the dilapidated door and quickly understood her concerns. "Is there anything you can't take with you that needs to be locked?"
Shu Wanxiu answered urgently, "Grain."
Aside from life, the most important thing is food.
She was genuinely worried about leaving the food here.
"Then take it down the mountain and store it temporarily at someone else's house."
The relief grain for Shu Wanxiu and Shu Shouyi for three months, when combined, amounted to no more than half a sack. Xun Yi dragged it out from under the bed and easily slung it over his shoulder.
Shu Wanxiu had no more regrets and hurriedly followed Xun Yi down the mountain.
Handing people over to Village Chief Pang is not difficult; the difficulty lies in explaining the cause and effect clearly.
Knowing that Shu Shouyi had been frightened and had a persistent high fever, no one bothered to ask them any questions. All the prisoners were tied up, so was it really the fault of the villagers?
"Don't worry, we will definitely take them to the authorities."
"Actually, there's one more thing."
All the adults in the Pang family heard the commotion and got up. Xun Yi, carrying Liu Yinxue and his son on his back, said to the Pang family with a serious expression, "I heard them say that someone has fallen into a trap."
"I don't know who fell in, or where the trap is, but in this kind of weather, a person would freeze to death if they stayed in the wilderness overnight."
Pang Zhishan spat, "These two deserved to die. Even if I had to skin them alive, I would still find out where that place is."
After saying those angry words, he said seriously, "Don't worry, go and find a doctor. You can leave the grain here. I'll mobilize the villagers to go up the mountain to search for people tonight."
"Okay, then we're off."
They borrowed a torch from the Pang family, carried it out of everyone's sight, and Xun Yi told Shu Wanxiu to hold it while he carried her.
"Okay, I'll switch with you in a bit." Shu Wanxiu said before handing the person over.
Xun Yi had exceptionally long legs. If Shu Wanxiu walked ahead to clear the way, she would pay attention to the road conditions if she focused on the speed, and if she focused on the road conditions, she would slow down.
To balance both, Xun Yi walked ahead, and Shu Wanxiu followed in his footsteps.
Holding the torch in her hand, Shu Wanxiu stretched it forward as far as she could to illuminate Xun Yi's path.
"No need to exert yourself, I've been hunting since I was a child, and my eyesight is excellent."
As Xun Yi spoke, Shu Wanxiu couldn't help but recall Xun Yi's heroic figure in subduing Liu Yinxue and his son.
Such nimble archery skills must have indicated exceptional eyesight.
She reluctantly put the torch away.
After leaving the village, they walked briskly for about fifteen minutes. Shu Wanxiu reached out to take turns hugging Shu Shouyi, but was avoided as before.
"No need to switch arms, I can still carry it."
Shu Wanxiu withdrew her hand.
After a long silence, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, he sincerely thanked Xun Yi.
"Brother Xun, thank you again today."
With one act of kindness after another, Shu Wanxiu felt that she would probably never be able to repay them all in her lifetime.
Xun Yi would be willing to say a few more words to people he knew well.
Based on the length of time they've known each other, he and Shu Wanxiu weren't exactly close, but he didn't know when it started, he just felt like talking to her more.
“I have received kindness from the whole village. In years of good weather and peace, it is difficult to repay the kindness.”
"So, after learning the skills, when villagers come to my blacksmith shop to buy things, I'm willing to give them the lowest price."
"But in the end, as long as it's not given away for free, it's still considered doing business with everyone, and it can't be considered repaying a debt of gratitude."
He had a wider network of information, and he learned about the grain robbery before the officials came to the village to inform them.
Hearing that there were several robbers, he became concerned.
Although the group robbed refugees' food on the 24th, he thought that if they were ruthless, it wouldn't be surprising if they rushed into ordinary villagers' homes to steal food.
From the day he learned the news, he would patrol the village at irregular intervals, day and night.
Some things may not actually happen, but taking precautions and not taking precautions may lead to two different outcomes.
Shu Wanxiu's heart trembled. "So...it was the entire village that saved Shouyi and my lives?"
The good deeds the villagers performed many years ago have taken root in Xun Yi's heart, growing into a tree called 'repayment'.
She joined the village by chance and became a part of it, so today, under the protection of this tree, her life was saved.
What a blessing she must have accumulated over countless lifetimes to encounter such a wonderful village after such a terrible ordeal.
Shu Wanxiu glanced at Xun Yi's back and was inspired.
Brother Xun is a man with great love in his heart. She currently has no opportunity or ability to repay Brother Xun, but in the future, after he gets married and has children, she will eventually be able to repay him.
The heavy burdens weighing on my heart dissipated like dark clouds.
She said no more and followed closely behind Xun Yi, hurrying on her way in silence.
The village in front of Turtleback Village is called Bamboo Village. There is a famous doctor there, the one Xun Yi heard wasn't very good at medicine.
Although he had previously taken Shu Shouyi to Guibei Village for medical treatment, when they were almost at Maozhu Village, he still mentioned to Shu Wanxiu that there was a doctor in the village, giving Shu Wanxiu a choice.
Given the choice between the two, Shu Wanxiu chose the better one without hesitation.
When it comes to medical treatment, we can't settle for second best.
Hearing that Shu Wanxiu had made the same choice as him, Xun Yi's lips curled up slightly, and he continued to lead the way.
The moon is obscured by dark clouds; if the clouds were to disperse, we would surely see that the moon is already high in the sky.
Xun Yi went straight to Li Langzhong's house and knocked on the door.
When outsiders entered the village and banged on the door, the dog that Li Langzhong kept immediately started barking incessantly.
"Woof woof woof, woof woof woof!"
A long string of barks followed as the lights were turned on in the main room of the Li family's house.
A moment later, Physician Li came out, wearing his robe.
"Dr. Li! We are from Wupai Village. Our youngest relative has a persistent high fever. We would be grateful if you could take a look at him."
As Xun Yi spoke, he handed Shu Shouyi, whom he was carrying horizontally, to Li Langzhong. Shu Wanxiu immediately raised the torch to a suitable position to provide light for them.
Shu Shouyi's cheeks were flushed, his lips were slightly purple and dry.
“A common cold shouldn’t cause this kind of sick look. Come on, let’s go inside and take a look.”
It was not uncommon for Doctor Li to have someone come to his door seeking medical help in the middle of the night. He took Shu Shouyi to a special consultation room and had Xun Yi remove the blanket wrapped around his body.
"Fever, night sweats, cyanosis of the lips, and white tongue coating."
The little man's fists were clenched so tightly that they were hard to pry open. Doctor Li said, "This is not an ordinary cold; he seems to have symptoms of fright."
"That's right."
Shu Wanxiu quickly began to speak, explaining how he was fine before falling asleep, but was startled awake in his sleep, and after a moment of not paying attention, he found himself in this state.
“I observed that he is weak, and his pulse indicates this as well. Are you refugees who fled famine this year and have recently settled here?”
Doctor Li's gaze swept between Shu Wanxiu and Xun Yi.
Shu Wanxiu pointed to Shu Shouyi on the bed and said, "We are," then pointed to Xun Yi, "He is not."
Compared to Shu Wanxiu's honest and straightforward manner, answering every question, Xun Yi felt this was an unimportant matter and urged, "Doctor Li, please take a good look and prescribe the medicine."
"Aren't you watching it right now?"
He glanced at Xun Yi with displeasure, waved him aside, and then asked Shu Wanxiu, "How was your nephew's health before and after the famine? Did he suffer from any serious illness?"
“He used to be very healthy. He caught a cold a few times when he was three years old, but it was not frequent and was never very serious.”
"When the county doctor started providing free medical care to refugees after the famine, I took him to see him. There wasn't anything seriously wrong with his health, except..."
Shu Wanxiu never revealed her illness to anyone, not even her closest uncle.
She hesitated for a moment before spitting it out.
But now is a critical time for them to see a doctor, and Xun Yi has helped them several times. Under such circumstances, it would be unreasonable to ask them to leave.
Knowing that Xun Yi was always silent, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and blurted out the rest of her words in one breath. "The doctor said he has hysteria."
Upon uttering the word 'hysteria,' a strong sense of guilt immediately washed over me.
Guibei Village and Wupai Village are neither far nor near. Fearing that the doctor might mention this rare event to others and that it would spread and be detrimental to Shu Shouyi, she hastily tried to salvage the situation: "The doctor prescribed some medicine, which I decocted and gave him. He hasn't had a relapse in almost two months."
"When the old doctor in the county town prescribed the medicine, he said that if the symptoms didn't recur, the patient would be fully cured."
Doctor Li shook his head. "Not having an attack for a month or two doesn't mean the illness is cured. Your child is still young. How could you have suffered such a great fright just a few months after fleeing the famine?"
He shook his head and sighed, "I'll bring his fever down first, and treat his hysteria... I'll also prescribe two more doses of medicine for you to take home and give to him."
"Going forward, we must be very careful not to let him experience any more major shocks or extreme joys or sorrows within the next year or two."
Shu Wanxiu, her eyes red, agreed.
After Doctor Li went to the other side to get the prescription and medicine, the tears that had been welling up in her eyes finally fell uncontrollably.
One by one, the stones hit the back of Shu Shouyi's tightly clenched fist.
She wiped it away, and tears fell again.
Xun Yi didn't know how to comfort him, so he silently went outside to brew the medicine.
After quickly preparing and administering the first dose of medicine, he then slowly prepared the second dose.
As dawn broke, Shu Wanxiu, who had stayed by Shu Shouyi's bedside all night without closing her eyes, noticed that Shu Shouyi's feverish body was gradually cooling down.
Xun Yi had been on edge all night, and stubble had sprouted on his once-clean chin. Now that Shu Shouyi's condition had stabilized, his heart finally settled back into his stomach.
Seeing that Shu Wanxiu's eyes were red, swollen, and bloodshot from crying and not sleeping all night, Xun Yi said, "You stay and watch over him a little longer, and feed him the second dose of medicine. I'm going out for a bit, and I'll take over when I come back."
Shu Wanxiu picked up the medicine bowl from beside the bed and nodded, "Okay."
Xun Yi didn't say where he was going, and Shu Wanxiu didn't ask either.
Anyway, he went out and didn't come back for another 15 or 25 minutes.
It was already broad daylight, and the light inside the room was much better.
Xun Yi took the bowl of porridge out of the wooden box and placed it on the table in the room, then called to Shu Wanxiu, "Come and have breakfast."
"Um?"
Shu Wanxiu's eyelids were so swollen they were almost transparent. She slowly raised her eyelids and turned her head.
On the table was a celadon bowl with a spoon inside, filled with steaming millet porridge.
Next to the celadon bowl was a wooden carrying box. Xun Yi had just opened the first layer and served the porridge, and was now opening the second layer.
He took out a plate of finely chopped pickled vegetables and two round, unpeeled hard-boiled eggs.
"What are you standing there for? Come and eat."
Xun Yi was busy, so he turned to her.
How could Shu Wanxiu possibly feel at ease going over to enjoy it? She stood up awkwardly, "Where did all this come from?"
"Brother Xun, have you eaten yet?"
That celadon bowl was very exquisite; Shu Wanxiu had never seen such delicate porcelain even at the Pang village chief's house.
Xun Yi chuckled and said, "My sister married into Turtleback Village, and these things were brought from her home."
Shu Wanxiu was incredulous. "How could you... I... I... I have no right to do this."
Because she hadn't slept all night, her words couldn't keep up with her thoughts, and she couldn't express what she meant.
Xun Yi understood what she meant. "The entire Wupai Village is like her maternal home. Now that you are a resident of Wupai Village, you are also part of her maternal family. It is only right to treat her to a meal or two when you meet her maternal family."
This means we're going to benefit from the village's influence again.
Before she even drank the porridge, Shu Wanxiu blushed.
Xun Yi sighed, "Eat with peace of mind. Once it's served, there's no reason to send it back exactly as it was."
This enthusiasm was hard to refuse. Shu Wanxiu slowly approached the table, picked up the bowl, and glanced at Xun Yi again.
"It's not poisonous, you can drink it without worry."
Like a child who needs to ask an adult for permission several times before eating a snack, Shu Wanxiu picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful, and put it in her mouth after receiving several definite permissiones.
The golden millet was cooked until it was extremely tender, and it melted in your mouth as if it were in water.
Moreover, this porridge is not bland; it has a rich aroma and a hint of sweetness.
Xun Yi said, "Use a spoon to stir it along the bottom."
Shu Wanxiu obediently did as instructed, stirred it a few times, and tasted it again—it was even sweeter!
“I only served you a bowl of porridge, but she was afraid you wouldn’t have the strength to eat it, so she added a piece of malt sugar to your porridge.”
"You can eat the eggs after you finish your drink, or you can eat them while you drink. These two eggs are yours too. I eat the same breakfast as you, but in much larger quantities. Eat with peace of mind."
After Xun Yi finished speaking, he walked straight to the bedside where Shu Shouyi was lying and sat in the spot where Shu Wanxiu had been sitting.
Although Shu Shouyi's fever had subsided, he did not wake up for a while. After finishing her porridge, Shu Wanxiu put two eggs in her hand. Xun Yi seemed to have eyes in the back of his head and said, "Doctor Li said that he should not eat eggs for the next few days, and should only drink some thin porridge at most."
Shu Wanxiu reluctantly put down one of the eggs, cracked it open, carefully peeled it, and then slowly chewed and ate it.
Drinking egg porridge is different from eating boiled eggs.
It is a very happy thing to have an egg all to yourself.
The egg yolk is dense and delicate. Although it can be dry if you eat too much, it is delicious if you eat it in moderation.
Egg whites have a unique aroma, and when cooked in eggs, the egg whites have a very good texture, leaving a pleasant aftertaste.
Shu Wanxiu was satisfied after eating one. Afraid that Xun Yi would say something else, she had no choice but to say, "I'm full. I'll save one for later."
"good."
This time, Xun Yi did not force her, but left the decision to her.
"Wash your face and then go rest in the next room."
"I've asked Doctor Li. It's been cold and snowy lately, so there aren't too many people coming to see him. His room is mostly empty during the day, so you can get some rest. If anyone needs his help, I'll call you from outside."
Xun Yi made the arrangements very well. After a night of fear and worry, Shu Wanxiu was indeed exhausted, which was even more evident after breakfast.
She stopped refusing, propped herself up on her legs, and slowly moved into the inner room.
Because of the differences between men and women, it is sometimes inappropriate for male and female patients to share a room, so Dr. Li's ward was divided into two rooms, one inside and one outside.
If the male patients are admitted to the outer room first, then the female patients who arrive later will stay in the inner room.
There are two beds in each of the two rooms. Xun Yi said that if he gets sleepy, he will rest on the other empty bed in the outer room.
Worried that another patient might come in from outside and Xun Yi wouldn't have time to rest, Shu Wanxiu said the same thing again before lying down: take turns.
"Okay, whatever you say."
Xun Yi spoke in a low voice, as if he were coaxing her.
"Go to sleep now."
"Um……"
Shu Wanxiu was extremely tired and fell asleep soon after lying down on the bed. She had a very long dream. In the dream, when she faced two villains last night, Xun Yi did not appear. She fought the two alone for a long time. She was exhausted and could not stop them even with all her strength. Her house was occupied and her food was eaten. Before leaving the next day, they said they would take Shu Shouyi with them as food...
She gasped for breath, almost unable to breathe, and just as she was about to suffocate, a voice in her heart told her that this was a dream, and in the real world, she had been saved by Xun Yi...
'Really? '
It's true!
With that resolute reply, a large breath of air filled her lungs, and Shu Wanxiu opened her eyes, relieved to have survived the ordeal.
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Author's Note: Taking a break, there will be no updates today and tomorrow~ [shrug]
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