"This fox fur feels soft and thick, with a good sheen. It’s of excellent quality, but unfortunately, it got a few holes when it fell into the trap. It looks like it won’t fetch a good price," Liu Hong said regretfully on the road, looking at the fox fur in his hand. He suddenly remembered something. "Brother Xia, if you don’t mind, I’ll give you this fox fur. It can’t be made into clothes, but it would make a decent scarf."
Xia Yunting looked at the several wounds on the dead fox, a flicker of suspicion in his eyes. "Then I won't stand on ceremony." He took the fox and asked casually, "Brother Liu, how many years have you been hunting?"
"Five years." Liu Hong seemed to recall past events, a hint of an unreadable emotion flashing in his eyes. "I came to this village five years ago, alone, with no land. I just had a bit more strength than others, so I thought I'd go into the mountains to hunt. I've been doing it for five years."
Five years... Five years, and his hunting skills were still so clumsy. He knew fox meat wasn't good to eat and that only the fur could be sold, yet he managed to damage the fur so badly. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Brother Xia, you're home. I'll see you tomorrow." Liu Hong didn't notice Xia Yunting's oddness. Seeing the haunted house, he bid Xia Yunting farewell. "See you tomorrow."
Xia Yunting entered the courtyard, tossed the fox on the ground, and walked to the kitchen door. He vaguely heard Rong Zhi's voice from inside. "Eat slowly, don't choke." "Be careful, it's hot." "Do you want another bowl?"
His brow furrowed. He pushed the door open and found two people sitting at their usual dining table. One was Rong Zhi, and the other was a strange girl, wearing Rong Zhi's clothes, voraciously devouring a large table of dishes. She ate so quickly, her chopsticks were barely visible, only the dishes on the table disappearing at an astonishing rate. He then recognized her – it was the wild girl he'd seen before. Dressed in different clothes, she looked no different from any ordinary young girl.
Rong Zhi sat opposite the girl, also a little stunned by her eating habits. "Have you not eaten for how many meals?"
"That's enough. Rest for a bit. Eating too much too soon after being hungry for too long is bad for your stomach." Rong Zhi reached out to take the bowl from in front of the girl, but another hand snatched it first.
Xia Yunting looked at the perfectly clean bottom of the bowl and gave Rong Zhi, who happened to be looking at him, an inquiring look. "I followed Liu Hong today and found her in a cave. It seems this Liu Hong is indeed not simple. He might be involved in the disappearances." She stated her guess.
Xia Yunting, however, frowned and looked at the girl beside him. The girl, seeing her bowl snatched away, instinctively tried to grab it back. Turning her head, she met a cold gaze. She flinched back, looking timidly at Rong Zhi. "Don't be afraid, he won't hurt you."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the girl suddenly leaped over the table and quickly hid herself behind the water vat, curling into a ball with her knees tucked up. Her movements were swift, but her injured leg moved unnaturally. "Your injury isn't healed yet, don't run around."
Rong Zhi, worried, stepped forward to check on the girl. As expected, the wound had started bleeding again. The girl didn't dare to come out, her injured leg beginning to tremble. "I told you there's no danger. Go back to your room and rest!" She turned and gave Xia Yunting a look to "get out of the way," and he moved further from the doorway.
The next moment, the girl shot out like an arrow from a bow, not forgetting to snatch two steamed buns from the stove as she left. The sound of the door being slammed shut came from the side room. The way the girl entered suggested she intended to never come out again. Rong Zhi was speechless, torn between laughter and tears. "You scared her."
Xia Yunting, unfazed, asked Rong Zhi, "Are you planning to let her stay here permanently?"
"Of course not. I plan to let her stay with us for now. Once her injury heals, we'll find her family." Rong Zhi explained her concerns and considerations to Xia Yunting. Hearing that Rong Zhi had thought it through and didn't intend to reveal her saving someone, Xia Yunting breathed a sigh of relief. However, he then remembered a troublesome matter. "The wound on her foot will take at least ten days to two weeks to fully recover." The implication was clear: keeping her here would be a burden.
"If she were to see another doctor, it would indeed take half a month. But with me here, I won't let her injury linger that long." Rong Zhi said confidently, "With the medicine I personally concocted, she'll be fine in three days."
Three days? That seemed too fast. Yet, Xia Yunting inexplicably trusted Rong Zhi's capabilities. With Rong Zhi's guarantee, Xia Yunting tacitly agreed to let the girl sleep in the side room. Fortunately, although the girl showed fear when she saw Xia Yunting, she was quiet once she was in the side room. They could barely hear any noise from her.
Xia Yunting had initially assumed that since Rong Zhi had to treat the girl, she wouldn't be able to go to town to deliver medicine anymore. To his surprise, Rong Zhi had no such intention. "You want me to take care of someone?" Xia Yunting pointed at his nose, incredulously asking.
"Is there a problem?"
"..." He only knew how to kill.
"It's just Liu Hong. You can't handle that?" Faced with Rong Zhi's questioning gaze, Xia Yunting was speechless. Moreover, Rong Zhi quickly found a valid reason. "Is Miss Lin at home?" A tentative voice called out. Rong Zhi went to the door, and Xia Yunting saw a young man holding a cloth bundle full of things. He said something to Rong Zhi, who then nodded and took the bundle.
"It's Chen Lin. He asked me to take care of his mother," Rong Zhi said, placing the bundle on the dining table in front of Xia Yunting. "What is this?"
Xia Yunting smelled a beany scent and, lifting the cloth, found a pile of dried bean curd. "Payment." Rong Zhi looked at the generous portion and thought the young man was quite honest, sending so much. Actually, she had mentioned dried bean curd just in passing, fearing he'd think she had ulterior motives for treating his mother for free.
Since someone had come to ask for her help, Xia Yunting didn't argue with her about who would care for the girl. After all, the clues related to Chu Qingze were more important than the girl. After Rong Zhi left, Xia Yunting uncomfortably took the food into the side room and placed the medicine Rong Zhi had made overnight.
The moment she saw Xia Yunting, the girl who had been lying in bed suddenly darted under the bed, leaving only a pair of gleaming eyes visible, as if she had seen something terrifying. Xia Yunting paid it no mind and quickly left the room. As he exited, he heard sounds of eating from inside. He wouldn't fuss over her every need like Rong Zhi. She had only injured her foot, not become paralyzed, so why should he take care of her?
However, to prevent any unforeseen changes, Xia Yunting made an excuse and did not go up the mountain to gather herbs. Liu Hong had to go alone.
Meanwhile, Rong Zhi arrived in town and was respectfully invited into Chen Lin's home. Chen Lin seemed a bit embarrassed. "Miss Lin, my stall is diagonally opposite the small tavern. You can see it as soon as you step out. If anything happens, you can find me there."
"Mm." Rong Zhi replied and examined the elder's physical condition, finding it slightly improved from yesterday. Seeing the half-open window, Rong Zhi knew that Chen Lin was somewhat receptive to advice. "Why aren't you leaving yet?"
Noticing Chen Lin still standing beside her, looking as if he had something to say, Rong Zhi found it odd. Chen Lin's gaze shifted unnaturally. After taking a deep breath, as if making a great decision, he spoke. "That... Miss Lin, thank you for taking care of my mother. I know you see that my family is poor, so you don't want my money. I will work hard to earn it back for you later. I just have one small request."
"You may speak."
"Miss Lin, when you come in the future, could you please try to avoid crowded places? Although my mother is here, you are a young woman alone, and it’s easy to attract gossip."
"Oh... no problem." These were minor matters, and Rong Zhi understood. She agreed readily, making Chen Lin feel his words were redundant. He wanted to say a few more things to clarify his intentions, but couldn't think of anything appropriate, so he left with many backward glances.
Rong Zhi efficiently brewed the medicine for the elder and checked for bedsores. It appeared the elder had been bedridden for a long time, and without frequent movement, bedsores were likely. Fortunately, though Chen Lin’s care might have been lacking in other areas, he had been diligent in this regard, and Rong Zhi was relieved.
Her actions stirred the elder, who opened her clouded eyes. Seeing a stranger before her, she was surprised. "Who are you?"
"Auntie, don't be afraid. I am the doctor Brother Chen hired to take care of you. My name is Lin Mo." Rong Zhi tried to make her voice as gentle as possible.
When the elder heard that her son had hired a doctor to treat her, her first reaction was not happiness. She sighed. "This child is spending money carelessly again. How much can he earn with his hard work all day?"
"Don't worry, Auntie. I'm not taking any money from Brother Chen. He just needs to give me two catties of dried bean curd each day. Brother Chen's filial piety towards you should make you happy!" The elder was stunned, surprised to find a doctor who didn't charge. She didn't seem disbelieving, perhaps thinking that with only a widowed mother and son, and a destitute home, no one would bother to trick her.
"Then we are greatly indebted to you, young lady."
"It's nothing, Auntie. You don't need to worry about it." Rong Zhi, having cared for many elderly patients as a doctor in her previous life, handled the task with ease, her movements swift and gentle. She noticed that the elder not only suffered from physical ailments but also likely felt like a burden to her son. Some mental anguish, unaddressed, had led to worry and illness, worsening her physical condition. This was common, especially among the elderly in impoverished families. Some elders, to avoid burdening their children, even considered suicide. Rong Zhi attended to the elder's physical needs while also engaging her in conversation to alleviate her worries. The elder was initially reluctant to speak but gradually opened up. This was a good sign.
"Alas, it's a pity my son still hasn't found a wife. It would be good if he had a wife to help him out."
"He certainly will. Brother Chen is hardworking and filial; many young ladies would be willing to marry him." The elder nodded, a flicker of hope seemingly igniting in her clouded eyes. Rong Zhi, seeing that the conversation had reached a good point, shifted the topic to Chu Qingze. "Auntie, I heard it was Physician Chu who treated you before, but Brother Chen later stopped him. Why was that?"