Both of them were stunned for a moment, and Yan Shu was the first to react, nodding to Murong Luo: "Understood."
"Wait, is he a patient from the village?" Nie Qingyue called out to Murong Luo, who was about to leave, with some doubt.
"I'm not entirely sure about that."
"That's alright then, thank you for your trouble."
During the rat extermination campaign, the villagers were informed that any new cases of illness must be reported truthfully, with violators subject to caning. Those attempting to escape from the ward would face double the punishment. Even if the villagers were resentful, the recent public beating of escaped patients by soldiers at the village entrance served as a deterrent.
The patient was, of course, a soldier hired by Nie Qingyue to impersonate someone, intended only to serve as a warning and deterrent while the doctors were focused on finalizing the prescription. A mere ten or so strokes would be fatal, but considering the circumstances, even dozens of strokes leaving him bloodied and mangled would leave him healthy and lively again after half a month of bed rest. The act was fake, but the performance was convincing; the sight of the mangled flesh chilled Nie Qingyue to the bone, let alone the usually peaceful and simple villagers.
"He was a merchant who came to the village to buy winter grain; he came from Wuhuang City." During dinner, a doctor who had just returned from his shift at the ward pondered and recalled.
Nie Qingyue chewed on his wooden chopsticks, unsure what to say. With most of the government troops stationed in the village, the guard at the village entrance was naturally weakened. If those shrewd businessmen from the city wanted to sneak out, it would be much more difficult than if the villagers wanted to leave the village.
"I've already informed the magistrate of the situation, so there's no need to worry about the guards at the village entrance." As if knowing what Nie Qingyue was thinking, Yan Shu reached out and gently pulled away the chopsticks she was biting, saying calmly, "Madam, please focus on your meal."
Nie Qingyue glanced at Yan Shu, then at the poor-quality chopsticks that still bore some of her teeth marks, and sheepishly buried her head in her food.
A moment of silence fell over the clinic, and the two doctors on duty looked somewhat guilty. Nie Qingyue, with food in her mouth, tried to liven things up, but after chewing a couple of times, she realized she didn't know what to say. Feeling uneasy after finishing her meal, she moved two small stools to the open space outside where herbs were drying.
The weather wasn't extremely cold as winter approached, but a chill was creeping in, and the cool breeze on her face was refreshing. Nie Qingyue wrapped her coat tighter, not wanting to go back to that heavy-hearted room.
Not long after, Murong Luo, who was staying in the neighboring village, arrived and automatically sat on the empty stool next to her, imitating Nie Qingyue by resting her chin on her hand.
Both of them were professional errand runners who knew nothing about pharmacology or knitting. They would sit together and chat whenever they had free time in the evenings, and quickly became familiar with each other. Murong Luo was a woman who had been out in the business world and had her own set of social skills, but she was also very straightforward and genuine with Nie Qingyue.
Nie Qingyue thought it was more or less because of Yan Shu, since it was said that Murong Luo was half a teacher who taught Yan Shu how to disguise herself, and Murong Luo must have treated her as one of his own.
However… “Murong, how old were you when you became Yan Shu’s master?” Murong Luo was only in his early thirties, but from their conversation, it was clear that the two had been separated for more than a year or two.
Murong Luo counted on her fingers as she recalled, "Seventeen years old, I guess."
"Oh." Nie Qingyue nodded, then suddenly felt something was off, and blurted out in a flash: "Then Yan Shu is only a few years old, isn't he?"
“Yeah, just a kid.” Murong Luo glanced at him with an eye that said, “You’re so naive.” “I took him on halfway through, taught him for a few years, and then sent him back to his master. If it weren’t for the medicinal smell on him when I first came here, I probably wouldn’t have recognized him.”
"So young." Although she herself had missed out on the joys of childhood, meeting someone who had started to endure hardship even earlier than herself evoked a complex mix of sympathy and relief in Nie Qingyue.
"Tsk tsk, heartbroken?" Murong Luo glanced at Nie Qingyue's complicated expression.
"Yes, it hurts like my heart is being torn apart." Nie Qingyue said with a solemn expression. The best answer to this kind of question, which would only make things worse by explaining, was to exaggerate and admit it directly.
"No sincerity." Murong Luo tossed her two melon seeds. "But I didn't expect that kid to come to the village."
"ah?"
"You don't know the reason?"
"I don't know. = ="
"It was the plague in Mojing ten years ago. Xiao Yue, you're that guy's wife, you really don't know?"
"Stop keeping me in suspense!" Nie Qingyue snapped.
...
Nie Qingyue couldn't quite gauge the time, but she knew she and Murong Luo had been chatting outside for a long time. When she returned, her limbs were stiff and cold. If Yan Shu hadn't brought her a bowl of ginger soup during their conversation, she probably would have been too cold to go inside long ago.
There weren't many doctors in the room; most were either out keeping watch in the wards or taking a nap. Yan Shu was still sitting at the small wooden table, on which were various herbs that Nie Qingyue didn't recognize and two medical books.
Why aren't you asleep yet?
"It'll be soon, Madam, you should rest early too." Yan Shu looked up at her, but showed no intention of leaving to rest.
Nie Qingyue shook her head, went to the kitchen, made a bowl of noodles, and placed it on Yan Shu's table. White steam slowly rose from the bowl; since they couldn't find any other ingredients, the soup only had a few pitiful strands of salty pickled vegetables floating on top. "Well, just make do with this."
Yan Shu was about to say something, but stopped halfway and finally smiled back, accepting the bowl and chopsticks in a generous manner.
I tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep soundly.
Nie Qingyue got up early and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. The sky was not yet fully bright and was still a little dim.
There wasn't much firewood left in the kitchen; cooking breakfast for so many people seemed a bit of a stretch. Was it too early to borrow from the neighbor? Nie Qingyue hesitated for a long time before finally heading out. Soldiers patrolled the village in shifts; catching one and borrowing some firewood for a meal shouldn't be a problem, right?
Not far along, Nie Qingyue saw a person emerge from behind a fruit tree at the edge of a field. It was still dark, and the person's face was partially obscured by a cloth mask. Nie Qingyue was able to identify the person entirely by their distinctive uniform and the soldier's sword.
Nie Qingyue called out, but the soldier seemed not to hear her at all and walked away, making a faint sound as they passed each other through their masks. Strange, she remembered that soldiers patrolled in pairs to prevent accidents.
With a puzzled look, Nie Qingyue unconsciously walked towards the place where the soldiers had come out. In the dim, dark mud, a small patch of white stood out against the thick tree trunk.
It turns out that you shouldn't meddle in other people's business, or at least not by yourself.
Nie Qingyue took a few steps closer and saw a man lying unconscious in the low grass behind the tree, dressed in a white undergarment. A sense of unease crept in, and without lingering, she turned and walked away. She hadn't gone far when she froze. The man had somehow returned and was now standing not far away, watching her. Nie Qingyue couldn't see his expression, but a chilling aura instantly filled her.
What should I do? Behind me are fields and wilderness; if I run and get caught, will my body be dumped in the wilderness? Perhaps I'll run into patrolling soldiers, but that person is standing right in front of me—how can I escape?
Nie Qingyue's thoughts raced in an instant. She composed herself and hurried toward the man, saying, "Brother Bing, quickly call a doctor! Someone has fainted here. It's probably a patient who escaped last night."
The man, perhaps waiting for Nie Qingyue to escape, was momentarily distracted when he saw her approaching him urgently yet fearlessly. In the brief moment of doubt, Nie Qingyue was already in front of him. How could a cunning merchant be so easily fooled? It was all just a delaying tactic. Seeing that he seemed to be making a move, Nie Qingyue looked to her left and cried out in surprise, "Husband, save me!"
The man only paused for a second, not even fully turning his head before reacting. Nie Qingyue wouldn't wait; before she could even finish saying "I," she had already run off.
Nie Qingyue ran and shouted, trying to attract the attention of the actual patrolling soldiers. He hadn't exercised for almost half a year and was afraid, so his steps became flustered and hesitant. The footsteps behind him grew closer and closer, and suddenly a heavy pain came from his neck.
The nerves in her brain seemed to be throbbing wildly, and Nie Qingyue felt dizzy. Before fainting, her only thought was that she hoped the pain she had just felt was from the sheathed sword.
so………….
And thank you so much for leaving a comment~ (A person who is so sleepy that all the birds have flown away from the mountains)
This is not giving up
The fainting spell that day could only be described as brief. Everything went black, but I still had a vague sense of awareness. I was roughly dragged back the way I came, and my skin gradually became hot and painful as it rubbed against the rough ground.
When she opened her eyes a while later, it was already getting light. Seeing the man's sickly, swollen face and his manic eyes, Nie Qingyue truly felt the urgent threat and fear to her life.
His hands were tightly clasped, a thick mask stuffed into his mouth to stifle his voice, and his muffled breaths were close to his nostrils. His low cough was extremely suppressed yet sounded hysterical. The patrolling soldiers in the distance did not notice this. As Nie Qingyue watched them gradually walk away, a feeling of discomfort, anxiety, and despair suddenly rose in her chest.
When the soldiers who had been searching for and rescued the missing men finally discovered that some time had passed, Nie Qingyue felt only bewilderment and exhaustion, but no joy whatsoever.
She imagined that her expression must have been frightening when she stepped into the ward, otherwise the senior doctor on duty wouldn't have frowned and taken her pulse the moment he saw her.
There is still an incubation period, and even if you are infected, it may not be diagnosed immediately. The old doctor specially prepared a separate little mud house for her, comforting her while sighing with worry.
Nie Qingyue was too weak to comfort him and spent the whole day in a daze, her eyes filled with the oppressive scene of the dimly lit sky and the brown tree trunks behind it. Whether it was mostly psychological or just the way things were, Nie Qingyue's illness came on quickly and fiercely. By evening, she was burning up with fever, dizziness, and headaches, accompanied by constant coughing and chest pain.
People often only realize how precious health is when they are sick. Nie Qingyue vomited up all the bitter Chinese medicine prescribed by the doctor after only a few sips while coughing. She had never felt so broken and haggard before. The more she forced herself to drink it, the more her stomach churned.
As dusk fell and night descended, Yan Shu finally pushed open the door and entered. He casually pulled off the bamboo basket containing herbs from his back and threw it aside, scattering the green herbs all over the floor. He took a few steps to the bedside and immediately took her wrist to check her pulse, his usually sparse brows filled with anxiety.
His fingers were cool, and his blue robe seemed to still carry the chill of the mountain night breeze. A few strands of hair on his forehead were scattered in a mess, as if he had rushed over as soon as he heard the news after descending the mountain.
The cool back of his hand pressed against Nie Qingyue's forehead, relieving her burning sensation. Yan Shu freed his other hand, and the small wooden window creaked open as he pushed it open. A gust of cold north wind rushed into the silent room, dispelling the lingering medicinal fragrance emanating from him.
A chilly night breeze brushed against her burning cheeks. Nie Qingyue wearily opened her eyes and carefully examined his face and expression. Her agitated and panicked state of mind gradually calmed down. It seemed that all the previous panic and helplessness were simply because she was waiting for this person to bring her peace.
As expected, she had unknowingly become dependent on him. Nie Qingyue sighed with some emotion as her scattered rationality gradually returned.
She stepped back and huddled in the corner of the bed, covering her mouth with her sleeve and coughing muffledly, a sharp pain shooting through her chest and lungs. "Put your mouth and mask on." Only when she spoke did she realize her voice was already a little hoarse.
Yan Shu pretended not to hear her words, got up, closed the small wooden window, brought over a quilt and wrapped her up tightly, leaving only her head exposed. He gently rubbed her dry lips with his slightly rough thumb. Nie Qingyue was looking up and pondering his expression when a pill was quickly pressed into her mouth and she swallowed it while her chin was supported.
Before she could react, Yan Shu had already brought the teacup to her lips.
Nie Qingyue swallowed the water with some difficulty, and some tea leaked from the rim of the cup, trickling down her lips. Yan Shu lowered his head without any hesitation to gently wipe it away for her, his expression already calm, though Er Ya's brows were still slightly furrowed.
It seemed worrying. Nie Qingyue felt a pang of regret, a feeling she had never experienced since meeting the patient until just moments before suddenly welled up inside her.
Yan Shu's clear voice drifted into my ears from close range: "The medicine will last one night, go to sleep." After saying that, he turned to leave.
Almost as soon as the thought arose, Nie Qingyue's body reacted. Yan Shu looked down at Nie Qingyue's fair hand, which was tightly clutching his sleeve, and waited quietly for her to continue.
Nie Qingyue blinked, her gaze fixed on her hand that she was unwilling to let go of, and bit her lip slightly: "...It's...it's nothing."
Actually, I just wanted someone to be with me.
Words can never be as honest as the heart. Are sick people always more dependent and in need of care? My reason tells me I can't be so selfish as to keep him here, and I'm never used to showing cowardice or weakness in front of others, but looking at that person's back as he turned away, the words in my heart almost slipped out without my noticing, just a hair's breadth away.
Being sick is truly awful. Nie Qingyue awkwardly let go of Yan Shu's hand, glancing at the wrinkles on Yan Shu's sleeve that she had gripped so tightly. The immediate effects of the medicine had smoothed her breathing and gradually made her feel drowsy and relaxed. Not daring to look at Yan Shu's reaction, Nie Qingyue wrapped herself in the blanket, withdrew her hand, and turned to lie down.
The bed behind me suddenly sank slightly due to the added weight, and I could feel the solid strength of the arm around my waist even through the thick blanket. Just a few centimeters behind my ear was the person's even, calm breathing, with a few faint, bittersweet notes lingering in the air.
“Madam, you are overthinking it,” Yan Shu’s gentle voice seemed to reach your ears and could make your ears burn slightly, like a whisper mixed with a tender sigh: “I just wanted to go out and cook a bowl of porridge.”
A faint, tender emotion suddenly surged up in his throat as if it had materialized, making him feel choked up. Nie Qingyue was unable to respond. He simply pulled out the hand that had just been released and gently squeezed the other person's sleeve again. The back of his fingers touched the skin of the other person's wrist and felt a slight warmth.
Before falling into a deep sleep, Nie Qingyue had some vague thoughts.
If possible, let her use all the selfishness and irrationality she has accumulated in her entire life on this one occasion.
This is the second time today that Nie Qingyue has poured the medicine into the weeds by the window.
The doctors' medicine had no effect, so since it was useless, they decided to stop the bitter and smelly treatment.
Each cough intensified the tearing pain in her chest and lungs, yet she felt no worry as she watched the blood in her phlegm thicken. Perhaps it was that she didn't want to worry; the experiences and insights she had gained in the past two days seemed to surpass those of the entire six months she had been in this world. A torrent of emotions swirled within her, waiting to be sorted out and settled.
So when Yan Shu pushed open the door, he only saw an empty medicine bowl on the table.
Nie Qingyue sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees, her head tilted in a daze. When she saw him, a weak smile appeared on her lips: "Husband, the medicine is so bitter." Her usually cool voice was low and soft due to her poor health, sounding like a coquettish complaint or a lover's murmur. Yan Shu slightly lifted her wide sleeve and placed two fingers on her wrist, frowning as he noticed her condition was worsening day by day.
"Madam didn't take her medicine, did she?" Yan Shu's expression suddenly turned cold as he glanced at the empty medicine bowl on the table.
Nie Qingyue lowered her eyes and rested her throbbing head against his neck, inhaling the familiar medicinal scent on him, her voice barely audible: "It's so bitter. I don't want to drink it."
“Madam has never been a willful woman.” Yan Shu’s discerning gaze fell upon her.
“So,” Nie Qingyue said with a still enigmatic smile, “I wanted to see what it felt like before I died.” But as soon as he finished speaking, he couldn’t stop coughing, each cough seeming to drain a bit of his life force.
"Nie Qingyue." Yan Shu called her name in a deep voice, his tone suddenly becoming serious. He lifted her chin with his long fingers, forcing her to look him in the eye. He stared into her dim eyes, wondering why the woman before him seemed to have suddenly become weak and lustful these past two days, her mind loose and listless, devoid of any will to live. What exactly was the problem?
Nie Qingyue pouted, "Tsk, so fierce." But after a moment, she smiled and said, "Qingyue wants to drink her husband's medicine, okay?" She tugged at Yan Shu's sleeve and shook it gently, like a child asking for a piece of candy.
There was no reply. Nie Qingyue watched Yan Shu turn and leave, sighing inwardly, "People really shouldn't be too greedy."
That evening, the old doctor brought in the medicine; it was a clear, pure tea color, and the bowl had a rich aroma.