The sky over the rivers and lakes is very clear - Chapter 77
Since she had nothing better to do, she decided to play along with this uncle! She pulled on the fishing line, picked up a bait from the small dish, carefully hooked it, and then the gentleman cast the line into the water...
When the lady returned, she saw from afar that the girl named Zhu Huihui was squatting beside her husband, her eyes fixed intently on the fishing float. As soon as the husband pulled the fish up, she would frantically try to remove it, then throw it back into the water before happily baiting the hook again. Despite being a lively and active child, she seemed anything but bored performing these repetitive actions!
There was no dialogue, yet the scene was harmonious, warm, and touching. The lady gazed at the crimson-gray figure, and for some reason, a very strange feeling arose in her heart.
Zhu Huihui suddenly turned around and saw the lady standing on the rocks on the shore. She immediately smiled brightly, stood up and waved to her: "Madam, you're back!"
The lady suppressed the flutter in her heart, gently lifted her skirt, and floated ashore.
Zhu Huihui stepped forward and asked impatiently, "Madam, may I eat something?" She was so hungry that her eyes had turned blue. She wanted to hug the fresh fish she had caught earlier and eat it raw, but her master said that she had to ask Madam first, so she had to endure it.
The lady checked her pulse, looked at her eyes, and then smiled and nodded: "Although your body has not fully recovered, you are fine now!"
Zhu Huihui cheered, pinching her cheeks and grinning, "I want to eat roast chicken, braised pork, and lots of steamed buns..."
As the lady watched her playful and carefree demeanor, the complex feelings she had felt earlier intensified. Suddenly, she remembered someone and was startled. Her heart, which had been as calm as autumn water, was suddenly churning!
Looking closely at Zhu Huihui's face, it was a very pretty face—no! It didn't look like that person at all! But why did seeing her remind him of that person? Was it because of her bright and radiant smile, or her mischievous eyes?
She felt a strong sense of unease.
"Grey, give this prescription to the daughter-in-law of the Li family at the east end of Qingfengya, and tell her to get the medicine according to the prescription; this packet is for treating typhoid fever, give it to Aunt Zhou, and tell her to decoct it for her grandson; this packet of wind-dispelling medicine is for Miss Zhao of Qingfengya; this packet is for treating severe illness, it needs to be soaked in yellow wine, and then the affected area is washed with the wine, it's for Uncle Wang..."
The lady carefully packed the medicines into different categories, wrote down the usage and dosage on each package, and then neatly arranged them in a small basket.
Zhu Huihui sincerely praised the delicate calligraphy, saying, "Madam, your handwriting is so beautiful!" However, she couldn't recognize many characters no matter how she looked at it. Fortunately, her memory was excellent; she remembered the order of the medicine packets and wasn't worried about delivering them to the wrong place.
The lady smiled and hung the basket on her arm: "Go quickly and come back quickly, don't stay long!"
"Okay!" Zhu Huihui, carrying a basket, jumped ashore and walked towards Qingfengya.
The lady watched her leisurely figure as she walked away, smiled, and then sighed softly.
"Ningmei!" The man gently placed his hand on her shoulder.
“This child—” the lady looked at him, hesitating to speak.
"Um?"
"Does she remind you of anyone?" The lady's eyes reddened slightly.
The man tightened his grip on his wife's shoulder, remained silent for a moment, and then shook his head vigorously: "Yes! But—she's not that person, that person is dead!"
"Yes, that person is dead!" The lady's frail body trembled slightly as she grasped her husband's hand, tears streaming down her face.
The man held his wife in his arms, gently wiping away her tears with his sleeve, his movements tender and caring. Then, he let out a long sigh.
That person is indeed dead!
Fifteen years ago, that woman, whose appearance was as ethereal and beautiful as the Udumbara flower after rain, but whose actions were vicious and ruthless, was severely injured after a fierce battle and fell into the waters of Giant Whale Island in the East China Sea. She was devoured by sharks and her body was never found!
I vaguely recall the three-month-old baby who was abducted by that man—her fair skin, delicate features, and adorable little face. All the most beautiful pearls and jewels in the world piled together couldn't compare to the lovely smile on her tiny cheek…
He vaguely recalled how his wife and he had risked everything, with the help of their fellow martial arts practitioners, to save that inhuman child. The child's tendons and bones had been shattered inch by inch by internal force, and he had been fed nearly a hundred kinds of strange and potent poisons. Although he was already on the verge of death, he was still clinging to life...
Yu Xiaoyao, no matter how much my husband and I have wronged you, why are you so cruel to do such a terrible thing to our poor child!
The man's eyes were filled with deep sorrow. He suppressed the bitterness in his heart, put his arm around his wife's shoulder, and said gently, "So many years have passed since Ningmei's incident, and our daughter's health has improved over the years. You... sigh, you don't need to worry anymore!"
The woman rested her head on her husband's shoulder, heartbroken and sobbing uncontrollably.
Little Fish Demon who came from the west, although you died, you still won in the end!
The sky over the rivers and lakes is very clear. 2009-07-15 11:00 It was the height of summer, nearing noon. The sun was blazing, spewing out invisible flames that scorched the earth.
Qingfengya was still about ten miles from where the boat was moored. Zhu Huihui, carrying a small basket and using two large leaves to shield her head from the sun, strolled along leisurely. Although she was usually lazy and gluttonous, she was willing to deliver medicine for the lady, so she never thought of slacking off.
Her injuries had almost completely healed, and she could have left long ago, but the lady said that there was something strange about her body and she needed to stay a little longer so that she could find a way to resolve it.
Since Zhu Huihui still had nowhere to go, she decided to stay. Actually, she was very reluctant to leave the couple. They treated her so well, better than her mother, better than… a great hero! Their love was genuine!
The lady fed her a lot of medicine every day—some were liquid medicine, some were pills, and some were raw stems to chew; some were terribly bitter, while others were sweet and sour. And the gentleman, to help her heal, would press his hand on her Lingtai acupoint on her back every day, slowly channeling a lot of internal energy into her. Each time he finished treating her, he was exhausted, his forehead covered in sweat…
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Zhu Huihui had no way to repay their kindness, so she worked very hard to help them with their tasks. The lady was a highly skilled and kind-hearted doctor who often went to nearby villages and towns to treat the poor. Zhu Huihui volunteered to accompany the lady and did her best to help with the chores and tasks.
Sigh! I never thought I'd be doing something good, like being a good person and having a proper job!
As Zhu Huihui walked, she sighed with emotion. In the distance, she could see a large willow tree at the entrance of Qingfengya Village, and five people sitting on the ground in front of a bamboo and wood tea shed under the willow tree.
Even when these five people were piled up on the ground, they were still a head taller than the average person.
Zhu Huihui's eyes widened: Oh! Familiar faces! Aren't these the five big idiots from the Qiyun Sect! The five Qiyun heroes, standing in the open space in front of the teahouse, were covered in blood, clearly having suffered many injuries. They were tightly bound by five iron chains as thick as an arm, looking extremely listless, their mouths gagged with cloth strips so they couldn't make a sound, but their ten bull-like eyes were wide open like copper bells.
There were a few people sitting in the teahouse, among whom was a woman who looked very familiar. She was the one who had chased him and Feng Xuese at the Sanjie Temple. The hero said her name was Song Xiaobei, something about "colluding with each other"!
Zhu Huihui's heart skipped a beat. Afraid that she would see him, he quickly hid behind a tree. After waiting for a long time, he used his two little hands to hold onto the tree trunk and peeked out with half his head.
Besides Song Xiaobei, the man of medium height sitting at the east end looked somewhat familiar. After taking a closer look, it dawned on me that he was the other person in the "collusion"—Chen Yilang!
No wonder I didn't recognize him at first. Back at the Sanjie Temple, he had stuffed a steamed bun into his arms and disguised himself as an old woman.
Zhu Huihui felt an urge to explode just looking at him! This man was utterly shameless; he had beaten her severely with crutches before!
Back at the Sanjie Temple, these five big, dumb guys ganged up on the "colluding" couple, got their tempers out, and even demolished the main hall. They seemed to have gotten the better end of the deal at the time, but now they're in such a sorry state that they've been caught instead.