Long San received the news and rushed back, taking over the affairs of the Long family when Long Er had completely lost control. He reorganized the staff, supervised the business, dealt with the government officials, and also gave a grand funeral to the guards who sacrificed their lives in the incident, and settled their families.
Even in his worst condition, Long Er personally erected tombs for the guards and generously thanked their families. Apart from handling this matter, he never left Ju Mu'er's house again.
The head steward apologized to Long San, explaining that the incident occurred while he was in charge. He saw a female corpse in the house and assumed it was the Second Madam, so he didn't arrange for anyone to search for her in the woods. If they had found her sooner, there might have been a glimmer of hope, and things wouldn't have dragged on like this.
After hearing the whole story, Long San sighed, "Even if you send people to search the woods, you won't find it. Only Second Brother can understand Second Sister-in-law's message. It's called telepathy; outsiders can't interfere at all."
Long Er felt that he and Ju Mu'er truly shared a telepathic connection. Despite the dire situation, he remained convinced that Ju Mu'er would not die.
“She won’t leave me,” he always said. “She knows I’ll be sad if she leaves, and she can’t bear to.”
These words brought tears to Feng Wu's eyes. She had intended to advise her second uncle to take things easy and to face anything unexpected with strength. But before she could say anything, she was overwhelmed by Long Er's words.
“Do you know which blind person in this world is as capable as my Mu’er? She doesn’t know martial arts, she can’t see, but she still managed to kill the person who wanted to kill her and escape into the woods to wait for me to come back. She was injured, frightened, and she was cold, and there were pursuers behind her, but she still managed to leave a message for me and climb such a tall tree with all her might. She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
Long Er kept talking about Ju Mu'er's bravery, but no one dared to agree with him. If they agreed with him and gave him hope, how disappointed and sad he would be if they were really separated by death in the end?
But Long Er didn't need anyone's approval. He told himself, "Mu'er has already done something so difficult. It's just a minor illness now. She's just being naughty. She loves to annoy me. She's making me worry for a few days, but she'll be fine in a few days."
Everyone looked at each other, unable to bring themselves to offer any words of comfort, and could only press the doctors to come up with a better solution.
On the fifth day after Ju Mu'er was saved, several doctors came to see Long Er and announced that they had tried all available methods, but the patient's condition had not improved. To make matters worse, she was unable to drink water or eat, so after discussing it, they could only tell Long Er that the patient probably wouldn't survive another day or two.
Long Er didn't say a word. He stared coldly at them, as if he hadn't understood a word they were saying. After staring for a while, he turned to look at Ju Mu'er. He held her hand tightly, as if keeping her hand in his palm would prevent her from leaving.
Long Er ignored everyone else. The doctors left, and the servants stood by, not daring to speak. Long Er sat there, holding Ju Mu'er's hand, until night fell.
Granny Yu brought in the food, trying to persuade him to eat a few bites. But Long Er suddenly spoke up: "She won't die. She told me she won't leave me."
Granny Yu opened her mouth, then closed it again. She thought to herself, when has the Madam ever spoken?
Long Er bent down and hugged Ju Mu'er, saying, "You stink. But you can't wash your hair now, you have to wait until you're better. What? I stink too? I didn't complain about you, so don't complain about me."
Seeing him talking to himself like a fool, Granny Yu almost burst into tears. She remembered how the Second Master insisted on marrying Ju Mu'er. He said he wanted to marry someone special, someone so special that you wouldn't care about her appearance or her personality. She had never understood before, but now she suddenly did.
The atmosphere in the room was somber. Long Er held Ju Mu'er in his arms, but he couldn't hear her breathing. He dared not let go; he simply couldn't believe she would leave him.
He felt cold inside.
It's not even winter yet, so why is it so cold?
Just then, hurried footsteps burst in. Feng Wu called out loudly, "Second Uncle, Second Uncle, Xiaoxiao is here! Xiaoxiao is here! She's at the gate!"
Long Er was momentarily stunned. Who was Xiao Xiao?
Then he suddenly woke up. He jumped up, in disbelief.
Han Xiao! Han Xiao of Baiqiao City!
At the door, Feng Wu nodded vigorously: "It really is her. The carriage has already entered. Do you remember when you asked us to invite her to check on Second Sister-in-law's health? She hadn't replied for a long time, and I had almost forgotten about it. I didn't expect her to arrive at this crucial moment!"
Long Er gasped for breath, his head spinning with excitement.
So he really did hear Mu'er tell him that she wouldn't leave, that she wouldn't abandon him. It wasn't a hallucination.
so……
Long Er stood stiffly at the door. He saw a young woman carrying a large medicine box, being led by a servant, hurrying towards him. Behind her, a man in a wheelchair, looking unhappy, was being pushed by a servant.
Seeing these two, Long Er's eyes welled up with tears. He thought that he would never again be so happy to see Nie Chengyan's sour face.
83. The reason for the miraculous cure.
The city of Baiqiao has a hundred bridges, but the most famous person in the city is its doctor.
It was a nationally renowned medical city.
Although Nie Chengyan is the lord of Baiqiao City, the most famous doctor in the city is not him, but his wife Han Xiao.
Although Han Xiao is young, he has had many extraordinary experiences. His extraordinary medical skills are due to his talent, diligence, and unwavering will. In this respect, Long Er feels that he is quite similar to his own Mu'er.
The situation was critical, and Long Er had no time for pleasantries with his old friend. Han Xiao, knowing someone was dying, didn't bother with small talk either. So the two of them silently rushed into the room. Han Xiao immediately saw Ju Mu'er on the bed; her deathly appearance was even more severe than she had imagined. She rushed over and grabbed her wrist.
Long Er recounted all of Ju Mu'er's medical history, including how she went blind more than two years ago, how she was sensitive to cold and prone to oversleeping, how she had recently had a fever, and the symptoms she had experienced for several days this time, as well as the medications and treatments she had received. He even showed Han Xiao the prescriptions and diagnoses given by the doctors.
Feng Wu and Granny Yu looked at each other in dismay. They had previously thought that Long Er had gone mad and needed to see a doctor and take medicine, but now, in the blink of an eye, he seemed to be clear-headed and logical.
Han Xiao examined both of Ju Mu'er's wrists, then checked her tongue and eyes, and removed the bandage from her palms to examine the extent of her burns. He then took the prescriptions written by the doctors earlier and carefully reviewed the diagnostic methods Long Er had described.
"Judging from the symptoms, the doctors' methods and medicines are correct." She frowned, somewhat puzzled: "Has she really not shown any signs of improvement at all?"
Upon hearing her words, Long Er's heart sank. He patiently recounted the doctor's diagnosis and treatment of Ju Mu'er after bringing her back on the first day, as well as Ju Mu'er's physical condition.
"So she got a little better on the first day, but then she developed a fever and never got better again?" Han Xiao tilted his head and thought seriously, then went to take Ju Mu'er's pulse again.
Does she often have a fever?
Long Er tried hard to recall: "She was afraid of the cold. Even in warm weather, her hands and feet were always cold. Sometimes she would have some symptoms of a cold, but she would be fine after a good night's sleep or a day later."
Han Xiao nodded and released Ju Mu'er's hand. She turned and opened her medicine box, taking out a small white porcelain bottle. She then pricked Ju Mu'er's finger and squeezed out a few drops of blood into the bottle. After a while, she showed the bottle to Long Er.
Long Er frowned as he stared at the chubby little bug in the bottle, wondering what it meant.
"This is a white dragon cottonworm, and it has only one use—testing for poison."
Ryuji's mouth dropped open in surprise.
"It was originally snow-white and translucent, but now it has taken on a pale gray hue."
Long Er stared at the insect. To be honest, the insect was still quite white in his eyes, but it didn't matter that he couldn't see anything wrong with it. He trusted Han Xiao.
"Is Mu'er poisoned?"
“It’s not a recent poisoning, it’s an old one.” Ju Mu’er began rummaging through her medicine box, taking out bottles and jars and placing them on the table. “An old poison that can’t be detected by pulse diagnosis must have been there for several years. Her pulse is extremely weak now, making it even harder to detect. If it weren’t for the doctors’ excellent skills, using all the available medicines and methods, I wouldn’t have been able to rule out other possibilities so quickly.”
"Then you can save Mu'er, right?"
Han Xiao didn't respond to him. Instead, he picked out a small bottle, pried open Ju Mu'er's mouth, and dripped two drops of medicine into her throat.
She watched as the medicine was dripped in, but Ju Mu'er showed no reaction. She then replied, "She vomits everything you give her. Given her current condition, we can't force-feed her any more medicine. Hopefully, these two drops will keep her alive, and I'll think of something else."
Long Er didn't know what she had fed her, so he asked again, "You can save her, right?"
Han Xiao glanced at Ju Mu'er's ashen face before turning to Long Er: "At present, I can only speculate that the old poison has been triggered by internal injuries and serious illness, and the poison has also hindered medical treatment. But I don't know what the specific poison is, and we still need to figure out the antidote. Besides, she only has a breath left and can't withstand any more trouble. I'm late and can't make any guarantees."
A chill choked Long Er, preventing him from uttering a single word.
Han Xiao ignored him and quickly wrote down a list. "Please prepare these. Her life hangs by a thread, so please do it as soon as possible."
The ironworks manager snatched it and rushed outside.
Han Xiao turned to Long Er: "If Master Long Er has nothing else to do, would you please step aside for the time being?"
“No good.” Long Er stood straight and answered stiffly.
“If it doesn’t work, we’ll leave.” Nie Chengyan spoke first. “Xiaoxiao, we’re going back. Second Master Long is too arrogant; he doesn’t need a doctor.” His tone was even harsher than Long Er’s.
Long Er turned his head and glared at him, gritting his teeth and enduring it.
"Second Master, your wife is suffering a lot while being treated for her injuries and poison. There's no use in you being there, and she certainly doesn't want to look so pathetic in front of you." Han Xiao's words made it sound as if Ju Mu'er was still conscious, which inexplicably brought tears to Long Er's eyes.
He knew Han Xiao was right, he knew he couldn't be of any help here, and he didn't want Ju Mu'er to see him in such a disheveled state. He stared at Ju Mu'er, and as he looked, he bowed deeply to Han Xiao: "I entrust everything to you!"
Han Xiao nodded solemnly.
Long Er glanced at Ju Mu'er one last time, then turned and walked out.
The room was quickly emptied, and Han Xiaolie's belongings were delivered. She left behind a few clever maids, along with Feng Wu and Granny Yu, closed the door, and began to treat Ju Mu'er's illness.
The house was brightly lit, and lanterns were everywhere outside.
Long Er didn't go far; he sat in the courtyard, staring at the door.
Nie Chengyan sat opposite him, looking at his deadpan face with displeasure. "He's not dead yet, who are you trying to fool with that face?"
Long Er didn't want to pay any attention to him.
"No one has died under Xiaoxiao's command yet. Your wife isn't strong enough to break Xiaoxiao's good fortune."
Long Er turned to look at him. It was really unsettling that this guy was suddenly comforting people so late at night. Was there some kind of celestial phenomenon? But since the "Lucky Star Healer" had been mentioned, Long Er felt inexplicably reassured. He knew that Han Xiao had never caused any deaths. Therefore, his Mu'er would definitely be alright.
"Actually, you should also reflect on yourself. Being mean and greedy for money might have harmed her."
Long Er was already filled with guilt over the incident. It was his negligence that had led him to misjudge his opponent's actions. He had assumed the other party would remain calm and refrain from making any rash moves, as they had done for the past two years, but instead, they had launched a sudden attack. It was his carelessness that had put Mu'er in such a perilous situation, her life hanging by a thread. He was filled with regret and pain, and now Nie Chengyan was using this to mock him. Long Er, suppressing his anger and with nowhere to vent it, roared and overturned the small stone table in the courtyard.
Nie Chengyan, however, was not afraid. With a flick of his wrist, a long black whip lashed across the table and coiled towards Long Er. Long Er leaped up, dodging the whip, and then struck Nie Chengyan with his palm.
Inside the house, people were being rescued; outside, a fight was taking place. Both sides were extremely busy.
The servants in the courtyard were dumbfounded, completely bewildered by what had happened. Weren't these the distinguished guests invited by the Second Master? How did a fight break out?
Long Er and Nie Chengyan fought fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand. Long Er hadn't been eating or sleeping well for days, his physical and mental strength greatly diminished. Although he was giving it his all, Nie Chengyan didn't take him seriously at all. The two had almost destroyed the courtyard when Long San returned, his mouth agape in shock at the sight. Before he could speak, a piercing scream erupted from inside the house from Ju Mu'er.
Terrified, Long Er tried to rush into the house without thinking, but Nie Chengyan grabbed him by the waist with his whip. Long Er's eyes turned red, and he shook Nie Chengyan away. Nie Chengyan's wheelchair slid backward, and he shouted at Long San, "Stop him!"
Long San reacted and stepped forward to pull Long Er away from the doorway.
The room fell silent again. No one came out to announce the death, nor to say that Ju Mu'er had woken up. Everything was as before, as if that scream had never happened.
Long Er stared intently at the door, barely managing to stay upright by holding onto Long San's arm. Nie Chengyan remarked coolly from the side, "She was half-dead just now, but now that she has the strength to call out, it's an improvement, isn't it?"
Long Er slowly turned his head to glare at him. What kind of twisted logic is this? Is this guy also studying medicine?
Long San helped his second brother sit down on a stone chair, then said to Nie Chengyan, "Speak properly, is that how you comfort someone?"
"I had no intention of comforting him," Nie Chengyan said, taking the opportunity to glare at Long Er again. He and Long San were sworn brothers, but he and Long Er were sworn enemies. This man not only competed with him for the medicinal herb business, but also dared to tell Xiaoxiao that she should marry him. No matter how you looked at it, this was a case of being robbed of his wealth and wife, and although it failed, it was still hateful! If Xiaoxiao weren't in that room right now, and he wanted to wait for her outside, he wouldn't want to stay with this Long Er.
Three grown men stared at each other outside the house for most of the night. Just as dawn was breaking, the door suddenly opened, and Feng Wu darted out like a cat, quickly slamming the door shut behind her. She shouted, "Xiao Xiao said she can be saved!"
Except for Nie Chengyan, the other two jumped up. Feng Wu smiled and said, "Xiaoxiao said that Second Sister-in-law will wake up within half a day. She told us to make medicine and porridge according to her prescription. As long as she drinks it and stops vomiting, she will gradually get better."
Long Er was overjoyed and was about to go inside when Feng Wu stopped him: "Xiao Xiao is applying medicated wine to her and said she can't go in yet. Don't rush, let's have breakfast first, and she should be back soon."
Breakfast?
The three men glared at her.
Nie Chengyan thought to himself that his Xiaoxiao was still busy working hard, and she had sneaked out to eat breakfast by herself? Long Er, on the other hand, was thinking that no one had the appetite to eat! Only Long San sighed, thinking about his wife!
Regardless of everyone's thoughts, breakfast was quickly prepared. Long Er asked Feng Wu a lot of questions, then suddenly seemed to have figured something out. He ate his food in big mouthfuls, then ran back to his room and took a proper bath. When he came out, he had transformed back into the dashing and radiant Master Long.
Feng Wu stared blankly, then whispered to Long San, "Second Uncle is going to see Second Sister-in-law, not to meet another woman, right?"
Long San patted her on the head, but he was also puzzled as he watched Long Er standing dignifiedly in front of Ju Mu'er's house, waiting for the divine physician Han Xiao'en to grant him permission to enter.
After waiting for quite a while, they were finally allowed to enter. Long Er skipped in excitedly and arrived at Ju Mu'er's bedside.
Ju Mu'er's face was pale, but the ashen color was gone. She almost couldn't help but shed tears just for Long Er. He held Ju Mu'er's hand tightly and didn't want to let go.