Chapter 12 Bai Zilin's Legs Are Broken
Uncle Bai was jolted awake by those words. Indeed! He had almost forgotten that he was a scholar: "Hmph! I hope so. Otherwise, if he's crippled, I won't keep idle people around. I'll expel him from the Bai family and sever all ties with him!"
After listening to the couple's conversation, Liu Ye was shocked and couldn't believe it. Good heavens, judging from what the couple said, Brother Bai was injured, and bitten by a wolf. That must be very serious!
She looked at Bai Zilin's room, the same room Bai's older brother had entered yesterday. It was the most dilapidated room in the Bai family's house, a run-down room on the east side.
She lay on the grass with a worried expression. Brother Bai was injured, how could his father say such things! Wasn't Brother Bai the only son of the Bai family? Shouldn't he dote on him and cherish him? Why did she hear that? He was about the same as her in the Liu family, also an unpopular person.
I really can't figure it out. But maybe she misunderstood. Maybe Brother Bai's father was just saying it in anger. Brother Bai is handsome, strong, and can even hunt. How could his parents not like him? He's not like her, a fool. Yes, it's very likely that she misunderstood.
Lost in thought, Liu Ye fell asleep. In the Bai family next door, in Bai Zilin's room, Bai Zilin lay on the kang (a heated brick bed) like a rag doll, his face pale. His clothes were covered in blood, and his pants were tattered. Blood was streaming down his thighs, and the wounds on his legs were open, exposing the bone. There was a layer of black medicine powder on them, which had been washed away by the blood.
Bai Zilin moved his chapped lips, he was so thirsty he could hardly stand it. He longed for a drink of water and a hot meal. He hadn't eaten anything since morning, but he knew it was all wishful thinking. He smiled bitterly as he looked out the window at the moonlight.
It's over. His life is completely over. The wolves shattered his leg bones, and he'll never be able to stand up again. He's ruined. He knows his father wasn't just saying that out of anger. If he doesn't recover, humph! His father will definitely kick him out of the Bai family. How tragic!
Knowing this, he would have been better off being eaten by wolves on the mountain. Why did he have to endure the excruciating pain to crawl back? It's truly ironic.
Suddenly, with a creak, the door was pushed open from the outside. Without a doubt, it was Liu Ye who came in carrying a bowl.
She had just fallen asleep when she suddenly woke up. Still worried about Bai Zilin, she climbed over the wall and took out the bowl of chicken at the door; it was still warm.
Bai Zilin was also surprised to see Liu Ye: "You... what brings you here?"
Liu Ye snapped out of her shock, picked up her bowl, and sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed). She hadn't expected Bai Zilin to be so badly injured, with bones showing: "Brother Bai, how could you be so careless! Look, the bones are showing, the wolves must have eaten the flesh!"
Bai Zilin almost couldn't help but laugh. This silly girl… ╮(￣▽￣)╭ “I’m fine, it’s just that my legs are ruined. Both of my shinbones were shattered by wolves. My life is over. Silly girl, your brother Bai won’t be able to pick apples for you anymore. You have to be careful when you go up the mountain in the future. I ended up like this today because I encountered a pack of wolves. Although I escaped from their jaws, but…” (_)
Liu Ye held the bowl to his mouth: "Brother Bai, are you hungry? This is the chicken I stewed. Although I didn't add salt, it still tastes good. This is for you. Let me feed you."
Bai Zilin swallowed hard and struggled to sit up. Liu Ye quickly put the bowl aside and helped him sit up against the wall, as it was indeed inconvenient to eat while lying down.
Liu Ye picked up the bowl again, wanting to feed Bai Zilin, but Bai Zilin took the bowl from her hand: "I'll eat by myself. Thank you, silly girl. I'm really starving and thirsty. There's water in the well in our backyard, and the bucket is right there. Go get me some water to drink, but be careful not to make any noise."
Liu Ye nodded. She was good at this task. She came out of the room and quietly crept to the backyard of the Bai family. Sure enough, she saw a well. She picked up the empty bucket next to her and was about to throw it into the well to draw water, but suddenly she put it down.
Brother Bai's injuries are so severe, why not give him some spiritual spring water? It might help. Brother Bai is such a good person, and so young. It would be such a waste to ruin his legs. Okay, that's decided.
She saw an empty bucket next to her with a gourd ladle inside, so she waved her hand and the bucket immediately filled with spiritual spring water. Okay, this big bucket of spiritual spring water is enough for Bai Zilin to drink for a few days. She carried the bucket back to Bai Zilin's room.
"Brother Bai, you've brought back the water. Let me serve you some."
Bai Zilin nodded shyly: "Thank you for your hard work. I've already finished the chicken, it was delicious..."
Liu Ye scooped up a ladle of water and handed it to Bai Zilin: "It would taste even better with salt, hehe. I took some pots and pans from Old Liu's house, but I forgot to take the salt."
Bai Zilin drank a ladle of water in one gulp and found that the water tasted especially good today. It seemed that he was so thirsty that he found the well water sweet and delicious. He handed the ladle to Liu Ye, who then threw it into the bucket.
Liu Ye looked at Bai Zilin's injured leg: "Brother Bai, is your leg okay like this? There's only a little bit of medicine on it, and the blood hasn't been cleaned off. It's so hot, it's easy for it to get infected and ulcerated. Let me clean and bandage it for you again. It would be best to fix it with wood so that the bone can heal properly."
Bai Zilin's face was no longer as pale as before, and slowly began to regain its color. He shook his head dejectedly: "No need, my leg bone was chewed up by wolves, and even using a wooden clamp won't help. I'll just wait until it rots away...!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Ye immediately turned and went out of the house. She quickly returned with a basin and a handful of branches in her hand. "Brother Bai, being bitten by a wolf isn't a big deal. It's just a broken bone. You're still young, and your bones are still growing. As long as it's properly fixed, the bones will gradually heal together. Just listen to me."
“I’ve lived with Lao Liu’s family since I was a child. My arms and legs have been broken countless times, but I’ve always taken care of them myself. Look at me, I haven’t developed any problems. So just listen to me.”
As Liu Ye spoke, she had already started working. Before Bai Zilin could react, his two injured calves had been secured with wooden sticks. Liu Ye then began cleaning the bloodstains: "Look, the blood already stinks. If it's not cleaned soon, maggots will infest it..."
Bai Zilin looked at Liu Ye, who didn't mind his dirtiness and cleaned away his blood, and felt a mix of emotions. He was also deeply moved: "Silly girl, you... you treat me better than my parents. I... no matter if my leg gets better in the future, don't worry, I will live well. Otherwise, I will be letting you down."
Liu Ye smiled and nodded, her hands moving even more nimbly: "Hehehe, Brother Bai, you're right to think that way. Since we've come into this world, no matter how bitter or difficult life is, we should finish it. Even if we have to kneel, we should finish this life on our knees and not leave any regrets for ourselves."
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