Chapter 95: Reencounter with an Old Friend
A bloodied hand lay limply by the roadside. The straw was so thick that it was impossible to see a person lying in the rice paddy without close inspection, but a strong smell of blood could be smelled.
Zhu Mingyue subconsciously looked around, gently brushed aside the straw, and a man covered in blood came into view. His face was covered in large patches of blood and mud, making it impossible to discern his features. All that could be known was that he was an adult male.
Zhu Mingyue called out several times, but there was no response from the other party.
So he's already dead?
This place is not far from the Jihe Wharf. Considering that the officials just came to search for criminals wanted by the imperial court, it is highly likely that this is the person in front of us.
Zhu Mingyue had a headache. It seemed like he was having a run of bad luck today, with one unfortunate thing after another happening to him that he had absolutely nothing to do with. He couldn't afford to offend them, but he could at least avoid them. He gritted his teeth and decided to pretend he hadn't seen anything.
He started walking home, but Yu Guangzhong caught a glimpse of the hand lying on the roadside that seemed to clench for a moment.
Still alive?
He dared not interfere further, for if the officials discovered this and charged him with harboring a fugitive, he would be imprisoned.
But even though he thought this, his feet seemed to be firmly fixed in place, unable to move.
What if it was just a coincidence, and this person wasn't a fugitive? He despised his own soft heart and knelt down to check the other person's pulse.
His pulse was so weak he could barely speak; he was clearly on the verge of death. Even if he was saved, there was no guarantee he would survive. If he wasn't saved, he might soon be going to meet the King of Hell.
He was now only concerned with the identity of the person in front of him. He wasn't some saint who would put himself in danger for a stranger, but if the other person was just an ordinary person and he missed the last chance to save him because he didn't help, he wouldn't feel good about it either.
Just as his thoughts were wavering, the hand that he had been taking his pulse suddenly tightened its grip and seized his wrist.
Suddenly, Zhu Mingyue found herself being pulled into a rice paddy.
A sharp dagger was held against his neck, and a chill instantly shot to the top of his head. He stiffened, not daring to struggle, for fear that the slightest mistake would result in his throat being slit and blood splattering on the spot.
The man struggled to open his eyes, but the arm that had been restraining Zhu Mingyue suddenly loosened, falling limply back into the mud. This time, Zhu Mingyue dared not make a move, fearing that he might suddenly attack again.
After a long while, the man finally struggled to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he choked on a large amount of blood foam. Crimson blood gushed out of his mouth as if it were free, which was a shocking sight.
Zhu Mingyue thought he had finally realized the situation and was forced to ask for help.
"Hurry up,...go further away."
The man was in so much pain that he was convulsing, and his speech was broken and unclear, but Zhu Mingyue could still tell that he was telling her to stay away and not get involved with her.
Recalling how the man had dragged him into the field and threatened him with a knife, only to put it down after seeing his face clearly, Zhu Mingyue's heart stirred slightly: "Do we know each other?"
It seemed that saying these words had exhausted the man's last strength. He had lost too much blood and fell into a coma again after speaking.
Zhu Mingyue mustered her courage and gently patted the other person's face. There was no response; only the faint breath from his nose proved that he was still alive.
He grabbed a handful of tender grass leaves, moistened them with water, and carefully wiped the dirt off the man's face. But his movements suddenly froze as his fingertips brushed against his brow bone.
It looked so familiar; there was a small brown mole on the tip of his eyebrow, a feature he had only ever seen on one other person's face.
Brother Cui?
Once he realized what was happening, he quickened his wiping speed, and in a short while, the entire familiar face was revealed to him in its entirety.
Zhu Mingyue was completely speechless. Her feelings were extremely complicated. It was like a friend telling you that he was going to the capital to make his fortune, and you thought he would be doing very well, but instead he ended up as a wanted criminal.
Zhu Mingyue didn't have time to complain or delve into the reasons behind it. The person was on the verge of death, and the most urgent thing was to save him and keep him alive.
He climbed up the path along the edge of the field alone, looked around, and breathed a slight sigh of relief when he found that there was still no one around. However, how to bring such a big man home was still a problem for him.
He certainly couldn't ask anyone for help; if someone discovered anything amiss, it would surely bring Brother Cui another deadly disaster.
The only people he can trust now are He An, Xiao Cui, and the village chief's family.
But telling the village chief and his aunt would only cause trouble for others and would be of no use. Besides, Li Zhengming was also an official, and if his harboring of criminals was exposed, it would only implicate their whole family.
Seeing that he was on the verge of death, his forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat. In the midst of extreme tension, a brilliant idea flashed into his mind.
He hid Cui Jian's body well, and then, not feeling safe, covered it with some grass clippings. Only after he could not see anything amiss upon closer inspection did he feel at ease.
"Brother Cui, just hold on a little longer, I'll be right back to save you."
Cui Jian made no sound; he was completely unconscious.
This situation is very dangerous. Last time, Guan Jing also lost too much blood and fell into a coma. Fortunately, he was rescued in time and his life was saved.
There was a loud knocking on He An's door, and Zhu Mingyue's slightly anxious face appeared at the window.
"Sorry to bother you, Auntie. Is He An home?"
He An's mother recognized him as the manager of her child's business. He was a very kind and righteous person, and had even visited her at home with He An once.
"Yes, I am here, but it is inconvenient for me to get up. Please come in quickly, young master."
Hearing the commotion, He An, shaking his hands wet, rushed over to open the door for him.
Zhu Mingyue didn't go in: "Auntie needs to rest, so I won't disturb her. Come out, I have something to ask you."
"Beg me?" He An's voice rose involuntarily. Zhu Mingyue's sudden visit to his house was already surprising enough, but her request shocked him even more.
Zhu Mingyue quickly looked around, like a frightened bird: "Keep your voice down."
He An became serious upon seeing this: "Shopkeeper, you said that I will do my best to help you in any way I can."
Zhu Mingyue bit her lip. "Help me rent a mule cart and find a way to buy some hay to haul it along."
He An asked, puzzled, "Is that all? Is it really necessary to beg him for this?"
Zhu Mingyue said with difficulty, "Fine, I won't hide it from you now. I recently ran into the fugitive the officials were looking for. He's in critical condition, and I have to find a way to save him."
"Shopkeeper, have you gone mad?" He An said urgently, "That's a criminal wanted by the imperial court. You're fine with not asking the authorities to arrest him, but why are you trying to save him!"
“I can’t explain it clearly,” Zhu Mingyue said, almost crying. “In short, he is a good person and he saved my life. You just need to help me load him onto the mule cart. I can do the rest myself. Don’t worry, I will definitely not implicate you.”
He An was speechless for a moment. He didn't have time to process the news that a criminal wanted by the court would be the shopkeeper's savior. He left with the words "Wait for me a moment" and ran away in a flash.
Zhu Mingyue could only wait anxiously for He An to return.
However, a quarter of an hour later, a mule cart loaded with hay appeared on the country road.
He An led the mule and whispered, "When we get into the village, remember not to give yourself away."
Zhu Mingyue tucked the haystack behind her back and nodded, saying, "Don't worry."
The cart bumped along to the village entrance, immediately attracting attention. When they arrived at the Xie family's house, Zhu Mingyue was carefully helped down by He An.
Li Zhengyang's mother jogged over and exclaimed in surprise, "What happened? Why did you come back in a mule cart all of a sudden?"
Zhu Mingyue's little face scrunched up: "I twisted my ankle and fell into the field while walking. Luckily, He An was there too. He couldn't carry me, so he had to borrow a mule cart to bring me back."
As he spoke, he swayed slightly, and Li Zhengyang's mother quickly steadied him, saying, "Auntie is strong, let me take you back to your room to lie down."
"Then I'll have to trouble you, Auntie." He secretly gave He An a wink.
After the two went inside, a muffled groan faintly came from the haystack. The sound was subtle, but it made He An feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy. Fortunately, Zhu Mingyue had already gone inside, and the villagers had all turned their attention away from the house and were busy with their own things, so they did not pay attention to him.
"Phew~" He An struggled to carry the haystack into the kitchen.
Just after they finished moving things, Li Zhengyang's mother came out of the house: "You lie down and rest. I'll go back and cook, and bring you food later."
He An wiped his sweat and went to greet him: "You don't need to trouble yourself, I'll make something for the shopkeeper later. The injury shouldn't be serious, I reckon it'll be fine in a couple of days."
Li Zhengyang's mother didn't try to take it from him, but looked very distressed: "How come the injury isn't serious?" She gestured with her hands, "I don't know how you twisted your ankle like that. It's such a big bump, it definitely won't heal in a day or two."
After watching Li Zhengyang's mother leave, He An quickly closed the Xie family's gate.
Zhu Mingyue limped out of the house and ran straight to the kitchen.
He An was speechless: "Shopkeeper, are you really lame?"
As Zhu Mingyue rummaged through the dry grass, she said, "Otherwise, no matter how convincingly you pretend, it's not as effective as being truly lame."
His foot wasn't sprained at all; halfway through, to make it look more convincing, he deliberately hit his ankle bone twice with a stone.
So although it looked very swollen, there was no internal damage to the bones and muscles, and it healed quickly.
Looking at the man lying in the hay covered in blood, He An asked with some worry, "Can he really be saved?"
It looks a bit dead.
But even a dead horse can be tried, and besides, this isn't a horse, it's his brother Cui.
Zhu Mingyue quickly stripped the man of his filthy outer clothes: "Help me carry him into the house."
There were some medicines at home. Xie Pei often got injured when he went up the mountain, so his family always kept Panax notoginseng and Bletilla striata on hand, which are good for stopping bleeding and promoting tissue regeneration.
Before heading to Jizhou a few days ago, he spent a lot of money to buy some high-quality wound medicine. However, he somehow forgot to pack a bottle when he was packing his luggage. He regretted it for a long time at the time, but now it seems that he had finally found the person who really needed it.
"The hot water is here!" He An carried the basin into the house, panting, the rising steam making his hair wet.
Zhu Mingyue took the basin and then instructed, "The herbs are ready. Go and brew the medicinal soup quickly."
He An was so busy that he was dizzy. Upon hearing this, he immediately threw himself back into the kitchen. He brewed medicine for his mother every day, so this was something he was best at.
Zhu Mingyue gently removed Cui Jian's clothes, but several wounds were stuck to his undergarments, making them impossible to tear apart without considerable force.
However, tearing it off forcefully would cause secondary trauma to the wound. He could only wring out a damp cloth with warm water, carefully moisten the scabbed clothing, and slowly separate it from the wound.
It took quite a bit of effort; just helping him remove his undergarments made him so nervous that he was covered in sweat.
Cui Jian's injuries were truly horrific. The knife wound on his abdomen was as long as two hands, with the flesh severely turned outwards, and the wound on his forearm was so deep that the bone was visible. In addition, there were several other wounds of varying sizes, but fortunately, none of them were very deep.
Zhu Mingyue cleaned his body and applied wound medicine to his wounds. When the medicine was applied, Cui Jian must have been in unbearable pain, because he unconsciously groaned.
Zhu Mingyue was at a loss. After all, he wasn't a doctor and didn't know how to relieve his pain. He could only bend down and blow cold air on each of his wounds.
"Blow on it and it won't hurt anymore," Zhu Mingyue comforted him. Whether Cui Jian really listened or not, he immediately stopped groaning, but his brows were still furrowed, clearly still in pain.
Zhu Mingyue sighed and bandaged the wound with gauze.
An hour later, the medicine was ready. Cui Jian cooperated and didn't clench his teeth. Zhu Mingyue fed him a bowl of medicine spoonful by spoonful before she was done.
"Shopkeeper, what should we do now?" He An had been boiling water and decocting medicine for a long time, and his clothes were soaked with sweat, making him look quite disheveled.
Zhu Mingyue lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "Brother Cui is in such a condition that he can't be left alone. I'd appreciate it if you could go to the county early tomorrow morning to buy some medicine for me." He thought for a moment and then added, "It would be best not to go to just one pharmacy. Buy from different places to avoid arousing suspicion."
He An nodded: "I know this well. I know all the pharmacies in the county and towns. I also know an old man who is good at processing herbs. He lives a secluded life and few people know about him. He usually sells some herbs that he collects and processes himself. I think he has quite a variety. I'll go and take a look tomorrow."
Zhu Mingyue: "Really? Does he know medicine?"
“No,” He An shook his head. “It is said that his ancestors made a living by collecting and making medicines, so although he is good at making medicines, his medical skills are not superb, he only knows a little bit about medicine.”
"Oh, I see!" Zhu Mingyue said with some regret, but still perked up and said, "Then go to the county pharmacy and buy some wound medicine, the most expensive kind." He got up and took out a bag of silver: "Also buy some herbs. Pain relievers, hemostatics, and herbs that can promote skin healing. This is all the money I have on me. If it's not enough, I'll go to the money exchange to get more."
He An weighed the money bag in his hand. "That should be enough."
"Oh, and buy some more fever-reducing medication."
Cui Jian is currently wanted in Ganzhou, so he certainly cannot be taken to a clinic for treatment. Such a deep wound requires careful care to heal on its own, and if it is not treated properly, it will become infected and inflamed, which will definitely cause a fever.
Zhu Mingyue's thoughts were also in a jumble, and this was all he could think of for the time being. After seeing He An off, he lay down by Cui Jian's bedside for a while, and only felt slightly relieved after observing that his breathing was relatively even.
He went to the kitchen to boil some eggs, and painstakingly ground some rice paste. He then scrambled the eggs and mixed them with the rice paste before feeding some to Cui Jian.
That night, Cui Jian developed a high fever. Zhu Mingyue stayed up all night and repeatedly tried to lower his temperature with physical methods until dawn, when his temperature finally came down a bit.
Zhu Mingyue was so sleepy that her eyelids were drooping, but she eventually fell asleep by the bedside.
I don't know how long I slept, but I was suddenly awakened when I vaguely heard someone knocking on the door.
He limped to open the door, and He An walked in carrying a basket half his height.
He handed the porridge and flatbread he was carrying to Zhu Mingyue: "I ran into Aunt Li and she brought you food. Have some, and I'll take the bowl back to you when you're done."
Zhu Mingyue had been busy all night and hadn't even had a drop of water. He was starving, but seeing Cui Jian still lying in bed, his life hanging in the balance, he lost all appetite.
He An advised him, "Eat something, or I'll have to take care of you two if you starve yourself."
"How is he?" He An asked, removing the rice and flour from the basket to reveal large and small bags of herbs.
Zhu Mingyue took a couple of sips of porridge, and her stomach immediately felt much warmer, but the worry on her face did not diminish at all: "I had a fever last night, and there was no medicine at home, so I could only tough it out. Fortunately, I pulled through, but I still have a bit of a fever now."
He An gently comforted him, "I'll go and brew some more fever-reducing medicine and drink it together with Panax notoginseng and Bletilla striata. Maybe you'll get better soon."
After finishing her porridge, Zhu Mingyue put down the pancake and said, "I'll go change his dressing."
As usual, Zhu Mingyue carefully wiped his entire body with hot water, and after applying the wound medicine, she blew cool air on his wound.
"Whoosh~" As the wind blew onto his arm, he clearly saw Cui Jian's fingers twitch slightly a few times.
He suddenly felt a gaze fall on the top of his head, and subconsciously looked up, only to meet Cui Jian's newly opened eyes.
Zhu Mingyue was instantly overjoyed: "Brother Cui, you're awake!"
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