Тонкая нить привязанности

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"So I'm worried that this matter is not simple. The old man went to the desert alone and went to find an old enemy. I'm afraid there might really be danger."

"Master," Han Xiao cupped his face, "If you're worried, why don't you send more people to protect him, okay?"

“Given his personality, sending more people probably won’t please him. I want to go by myself.” He hugged her tighter: “You have to come with me.”

"Okay." She agreed without hesitation.

"The journey will probably be tough." He was actually quite hesitant.

"Then I definitely have to go. If it's hard work, how can you manage without someone to take care of you?"

He chuckled and pecked her lips. "That's secondary. I just wanted to take you with me to see him, to make you renew that damn vow you made. Didn't you say you'd marry me if he agreed?" He thought to himself, if the old man didn't return, how long would it take for Xiaoxiao to truly become his wife? Since he was going to the desert to find the old man anyway, he might as well take Xiaoxiao with him and resolve everything at once. Besides, the journey would be quite long, and how could he endure it without seeing Xiaoxiao?

Han Xiao blushed and said in a low voice, "You're going to settle a score, how could you possibly be thinking about marriage?"

"It's on the way, so you don't always have this reason or that excuse."

"What do you mean? It's just that the time wasn't right."

"It's probably too difficult for you to seize the opportunity. I've fulfilled all your conditions, so you can't be unwilling when the time comes." He pinched her rosy cheek and said, "After a while, I'll make arrangements and resolve Lu Zhi's matter, and then we'll set off."

Author's Note: Oh, desert! Everyone's almost there. Have you prepared the scenery, the beauties, the handsome men, and the food? If you don't provide adequate hospitality, we'll complain to the tourism association!

Amazing medical skills

Lu Zhi sat in the room, staring at the medical bill in his hand, his eyes wide with disbelief: "You rascal, how could it be so expensive?"

"What do you mean there isn't? Isn't this right in front of you?" Han Le sat across the table from him, eating some snacks as he spoke. "I didn't cheat you. Ask around, I, Han Le, am a good person. This price is very fair."

"Nonsense, I clearly saw Dr. Li's medicine prices, which are much cheaper than this."

"You only used the medicine? You also used their land and ate their food. The rooms you stayed in, the rooms the patients stayed in, the food you ate, the food the patients ate, the firewood, water, and labor used to cook, prepare medicine, and boil water for you—aren't all of these worth money? And what's more, I, the steward, personally served you and did the accounting. Don't I have to pay you for that?" Han Le waved his little fist: "You want me to work for free?"

Lu Zhi's face flushed red with regret. He had only wanted to try his hand at the competition, but how had he gotten himself into such trouble? He was truly penniless. He rarely charged for his medical consultations and even gathered his own herbs. He was solely focused on learning medicine and had heard that many doctors had proven their skills through competitions. He wanted to give it a try too, but instead, he had dug a pit for himself.

He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "I don't have that much money. I'll go up the mountain to collect the medicinal herbs and pay for them in kind. I'll just cover the cost of food, water, and labor."

Han Le couldn't help but laugh when he looked at him. This idiot! If he hadn't actually treated those two people, he would have really thought he was a fake doctor. But the other doctors and his sister all said that his technique and medication were excellent, so he really did seem to have some skill. If it were any other doctor with this ability, they would have been holding their heads high in the sky by now. This idiot was actually calculating his bills one by one.

Han Le nodded in a mocking manner: "Gathering herbs, that's fine. But you can only gather them in the deep mountains outside the city; you can't touch the herbs in the fields. By the way, have you ever gathered herbs before? Do you know any of them?"

"Of course, before I studied medicine, I made a living by collecting herbs to earn some money. Later, I saved my master in the mountains, and that's when I started learning medicine. As for the skill of collecting herbs, no one in my sect can compare to me."

"That's amazing? Could it be that your master only took you as his disciple?"

Lu Zhi didn't realize he was being tested and honestly replied, "My master has six disciples in total, and I am the sixth."

"You're the youngest in your family, why would you want to come to Hundred Bridges City? Why don't your senior brothers come?"

“They’re all famous, but I’m not. Isn’t it said that you can become famous overnight? I was thinking of doing something big. I inquired and found out that the number one person in the martial arts world is the Old Man of Clouds and Mist, and there’s also the famous Hundred Bridges City, so I came here.”

"Did your master agree to let you come?"

"My master didn't ask me why I came out."

Han Le scratched his head, wondering if Lu Zhi's words revealed whether he was acting foolishly or being manipulated. He hadn't observed any other unusual behavior from Lu Zhi during the past few days of surveillance. Since being reprimanded upon arrival, Lu Zhi had genuinely focused on treating the two patients, though he had tried to find someone to challenge him, but no one paid him any attention, leaving him helpless. Han Le rested his head on his hand, thinking that he had taken on this investigation task with his brother-in-law, the city lord; he couldn't return empty-handed.

"That's settled then." Lu Zhi slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "I can't afford the medicine. I'll go to the mountain to gather herbs..." Before he could finish speaking, several people outside shouted, "A rockfall has occurred! Herb farmers on the mountain have been killed! Everyone, hurry and rescue them!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi jumped up and rushed outside, shouting, "Where is the wounded...?"

Han Le also ran out, grabbed one of the people who was shouting, asked him what was going on, and instructed him: "Don't shout randomly. There are still many patients in the city who need care. Don't let everyone panic. If there are too many people, it will be even more dangerous to go to the mountains. Go and inform the city lord first, no, go and find Steward Chen first, and ask him to make arrangements. I will help take care of the people here."

It rained heavily all day yesterday, and Nie Chengyan's feet ached in the rain, making him even more irritable. Han Xiao stayed home all day, canceling all his other commitments to keep him company. Steward Chen informed Han Le and the others early in the morning that when the master was angry, everyone kept their distance. Now that this had happened again, they decided to report to Steward Chen first, so he could arrange for the communication and organize reinforcements.

Hearing Han Le's words, the man hurried off. Han Le turned around and saw that Lu Zhi had already carried his prison bag, grabbed an axe from the backyard, and was about to set off with a large bundle of thick rope on his back. Han Le shouted, "Don't rush, don't go alone."

He led Ye Zhu to the outside of the street. People on the street were running around in a panic, all shouting about going to the back mountain to rescue people. Many people were so anxious that they dropped what they were holding and were about to run away. You know, life in this city has always been harmonious. Neighbors know each other. Many of those herbalists also come from different households. Once they heard that something had happened to them, the whole city would be alarmed.

Seeing the situation was turning against him, Han Le panicked and quickly gave Ye Zhu a few instructions. Ye Zhu nodded, leaped up from the rooftop, and shouted loudly to the crowd, "Don't panic! Doctors, bring your medicine kits. Everyone else, bring axes, long sticks, hoes, thick ropes, and planks. Prepare cloths and splints. Every household must have someone stay behind to prevent outsiders from taking advantage of the chaos to rob. Boil water and prepare medicine. Treat the person immediately after you rescue them. No one is allowed to act alone. Gather at the city gate."

Han Le had already pulled someone aside and instructed, "Find a few literate women and children to go door-to-door and find out which family had someone go up the mountain today, and then count them." The person agreed, and Han Le hurriedly ran to the city gate. He discussed the situation with Doctor Sun and the others who had arrived first, gathered all the rescuers together, counted their heads, and divided them into groups. The young and strong were responsible for carrying and rescuing people, and they set off in groups of five. The doctors were responsible for treating the injuries on-site, and they also set off in groups of two. All available carriages and horses were also used.

When Steward Chen arrived, Han Le reported the situation and the arrangements to him, but refused to listen to his instructions and go home to wait. He said, "Uncle Chen, the city is in chaos right now. You need to take charge. All these people need to be arranged in advance. The wounded will be sent over soon. Someone also needs to go to the back mountain to check the situation and make arrangements. You've taught me so many skills, and the city lord has entrusted me with important responsibilities. This isn't so that I can just stay at home and guard the place when something happens. Don't worry, I will not act rashly and cause trouble. Besides, Ye Zhu is keeping an eye on me."

Steward Chen wanted to say something, but seeing how well Han Le had handled the matter, remaining calm and organized even amidst the chaos, he realized he did need a helper to keep an eye on things outside the city. So he nodded and said, "Be careful, don't wander off. Come back as soon as things are settled over there."

Han Le agreed and led Ye Zhu out of the city.

There are several mountains outside the city. Besides the medicinal fields cultivated at the foot of the mountains, there are also many wild medicinal herbs growing in the mountains. On weekdays, many herb farmers would go out in groups to dig for herbs. Yesterday it rained, but today the sun came out, which was a good time to pick some herbs, so many people went. However, they did not expect to encounter a landslide.

The messenger led everyone into the mountains. After a brief discussion, the leaders selected a group to go first, scout out the terrain, and only follow if there was no danger. Lu Zhi was an outsider, and no one was assigned to his group. He shouted, "Back in my hometown, I also came from a background of gathering herbs. I'm very familiar with climbing mountains, and I also have medical skills. I can diagnose injuries immediately, so I'll be in the first group."

No one stopped him, so everyone tied one person to another and set off in a line. After carefully staking out the terrain and confirming that there was no more danger of loose rocks or landslides, they waved cloths to signal the people below. Then, one rescue team after another followed the markings they had made along the way and climbed the mountain.

Han Le followed Ye Zhu up the mountain. The scene of the landslide was horrific; many people were buried, and others had been swept down the mountain. Stones, broken branches, and blood-stained rocks were scattered everywhere, and the injured lay in critical condition.

Han Le shouted loudly, telling the rescuers not to panic. He instructed them to gather the injured who could be moved in an open area, prioritizing them according to the severity of their injuries, so that the doctors could treat them immediately. Those buried or rolled away were to be dug up and carried in groups, while the remaining groups searched the surrounding area to see if they could find any other victims.

A guard arrived on horseback, bringing a list of herb gatherers who had been questioned in the city. Han Le checked the list against the wounded, and after questioning them all, he discovered that more than ten herb gatherers were still missing. He asked Ye Zhu to take him to a high place, where he sat on a tree branch and looked down. If he found any clues or if any area needed manpower, he would shout out a signal. Fortunately, he had been accompanying Steward Chen and Nie Chengyan on errands these past few days, and sometimes he could manage things independently and achieve some results. Therefore, everyone in the city knew him as a junior steward and did not ignore his voice because of his young age. As a result, the situation remained relatively orderly.

Lu Zhi worked tirelessly with the doctors to save the wounded, but as an outsider, no one was assigned to his group. Doctor Sun placed him in the section treating minor injuries. Lu Zhi felt resentful. He saw that the other doctors were treating the unconscious, maimed, and severely injured, while he was dealing with wounded patients who had only cuts and bled a little, and were still energetic and crying. This made him feel that his medical skills were being discriminated against.

He was staring at Dr. Sun and another doctor who were stopping the bleeding from a large hole in a wounded man's abdomen. He really wanted to rush over and show off his skills when he suddenly heard a woman's voice behind him: "Besides this, does it hurt anywhere else? Don't cry, Aping. Aping is very brave. Sister Xiaoxiao will stitch up this wound for you and put on some medicine. The bleeding will stop, and you can go home to see your mother soon. Don't cry."

Lu Zhi turned around and saw that it was Han Xiao, the maidservant who served Lord Nie. There were three or four other people with minor injuries who were waiting for him to treat them, but when they saw Han Xiao arrive, they all cried out, "Miss Han, save us!" Lu Zhi was furious. He had traveled a long way to Hundred Bridges City, failed in his challenge, and was now being forced to treat minor injuries alongside a maidservant. This was an insult!

He stomped over, grabbing the arm of a herbalist: "I'll treat your wound." The herbalist's wound, though long, was very shallow; it didn't even need stitches, just medicine and a bandage. Lu Zhi's voice was loud, but his movements were gentle and quick. Han Xiao stitched up the boy's wound while glancing up at him occasionally.

Lu Zhi muttered to himself, "What are you looking at? My medical skills are excellent, unlike yours."

Han Xiao seemed to have heard his words, but didn't seem to care. She just smiled, finished treating the boy in her hands, and then moved on to treating another herbalist's foot injury. Lu Zhi watched, his heart tightening. He couldn't be outdone by a servant girl when it came to treating minor injuries. He quickly and efficiently stopped the bleeding from the next person's arm as well.

With comparison, people become more motivated to work. Lu Zhi, determined not to lose to a mere servant, quickly treated the remaining three wounded. Seeing that there were no more patients to treat, he was considering whether to snatch a patient from Doctor Sun when he glanced up and saw two people hurriedly carrying an injured person over. The person was covered in blood, his legs were twisted at an unnatural angle, and his face was ashen.

Everyone was busy with Dr. Sun's side, and Lu Zhi was overjoyed. This critically ill patient should finally be his responsibility. But the two men walked past him and handed the patient over to Han Xiao beside him, saying, "Miss Han, Uncle Liu is dying."

Lu Zhi froze. Han Xiao had finished treating her patients, but it was utterly unreasonable for her to bypass him, a proper doctor, and send a critically ill patient to a servant for treatment.

Han Xiao quickly checked Uncle Liu's injuries and looked up at Lu Zhi, shouting, "Come help quickly!"

Lu Zhi thought to himself, "See, it seems we still have to rely on me."

He strode over and saw a large gash in the patient's chest, running from his collarbone down to his abdomen. A thick tree branch pierced his shoulder; no wonder he was covered in blood. Lu Zhi took his pulse and almost couldn't feel a beat. He was indeed on the verge of death, and Lu Zhi's heart tightened.

"We must stop the bleeding first," Han Xiao said. Lu Zhi thought to himself, "That's obvious, everyone knows that." He then instructed, "Treate the large gash in the chest and abdomen first, don't pull out the branches yet."

"Okay." Han Xiao responded loudly, turning around to rummage through her needle drawer. Lu Zhi had already quickly pressed several acupoints on the patient, slowing the blood flow. Han Xiao took the needles and inserted them into several acupoints on the patient's feet, legs, and abdomen. Lu Zhi saw this and was initially puzzled, but then he realized what she meant and was greatly surprised. This servant girl actually knew such techniques.

But the injury before him didn't allow him time to think further. He opened his bundle and placed it aside. He took a knife and a long needle, warming them over the nearby fire. Han Xiao took some strong liquor, fed Uncle Liu a pill, and then used a cloth soaked in the liquor to disinfect his wound. Lu Zhi, with his knife and long needle, carefully removed the pebbles from the wound, patiently examining the internal organs from the wound inwards. He started treating the abdomen, and when he looked up, he saw Han Xiao calmly treating the injured man's chest. Lu Zhi lowered his head and continued his work. Both of them worked quickly, and soon the wound was treated. Lu Zhi watched as Han Xiao set the broken ribs. He used his fingers to push and protect the surrounding wounds from reopening. Han Xiao nodded in thanks, then took a needle and thread and deftly began to sew up the wound. As she stitched, Lu Zhi applied wound ointment along the stitches.

He cut the branch that had pierced the patient's shoulder, steadied the patient, and pulled it out. Han Xiao used a hot compress to stop the bleeding, quickly applied medicine and bandaged the wound. While he was cutting the branch, she administered acupuncture, preserving the patient's heart and stopping the bleeding. Her calm and composed demeanor, coupled with her exceptional skill, made her seem far from ordinary. She was no servant; she was like a doctor, and a highly skilled one at that. Lu Zhi was both astonished and suspicious, and even after the rescue was essentially over, he still couldn't unravel this mystery.

The seriously injured were quickly transported down the mountain and taken back to the city by horse-drawn carriage for further treatment. Those with minor injuries were also gradually moved down the mountain. Chief Steward Chen made arrangements in the city and sent many carriages to provide assistance. The vast majority of people were rescued, and the bodies of some of the victims were also found. It was already dark, and everyone gradually evacuated back to the city.

Han Xiao and Han Le descended the mountain with the other doctors. Some guards held torches to light the way for everyone, and each person found their own carriage. Lu Zhi was about to call Han Xiao when he saw Nie Chengyan sitting in a wheelchair, his face dark with anger. Before Lu Zhi could lower his raised hand, Han Xiao had already run towards Nie Chengyan.

"Master, what brings you here?"

"What do you think?" Nie Chengyan was furious.

"You're busy, so I came to check on you first."

"If I'm not busy, how can I climb up with you?" He hated his lame leg.

"If Master isn't busy, I'll stay here with you and watch over the mountain," Han Xiao replied smoothly. Lu Zhi listened intently, thinking to himself how sharp-tongued this maid was.

"That sounds nice." Nie Chengyan was clearly not buying it.

"Thank you for the compliment, Master." She smiled.

"snort."

"I'll soak your feet again when we get back. Does it hurt less today? Don't be angry anymore; anger hurts your liver. I promise I won't visit the injured person tomorrow; I'll stay home with you." She smiled ingratiatingly and pushed him toward the carriage.

"Whether you go to see the patient or not is none of my business, I have no say in your affairs."

"No, it's none of your business, Master. I'll listen to you. If you say I'm not going, I won't go. I'll stay home tomorrow."

"Hmph, all you're thinking about at home is fixing your antidote manual."

"That was learned while staying by the master's side. The antidotes for those poisons could be faster and simpler, so it's better to modify them."

...

The two walked further and further away, eventually boarding the carriage. Suddenly, Lu Zhi remembered seeing a book on detoxification at Doctor Li's place; the author's name was simply "Han." Could it be…?

How is that possible?

Lu Zhi grabbed a man next to him, pointed at the carriage Han Xiao had gotten into, and asked, "Who exactly is that Miss Han?"

A note from the author: In this unpredictable winter weather, I finally fell ill. I have a runny nose, headache, and feel dizzy. Everyone, please take care of yourselves and don't catch a cold.

I'm sorry for the lack of updates these past few days. I'll definitely update more frequently once I'm better. I won't hug you all this time, to avoid infecting you. Goodbye, going to sleep now.

Han Xiao is missing

Who is Miss Han?

"That's just how Miss Han is," the person being pulled along thought, feeling utterly bewildered.

Lu Zhi glared, displeased. He knew she was Miss Han, but wasn't she a servant? How could a servant possess such excellent medical skills? How could a servant write books? Could there really be women who could be doctors?

Lu Zhi wasn't so curious about the disciple of the Cloud Mist Elder, whom he had never met before. Instead, he found the Miss Han, whom he saw often, to be very mysterious.

After returning home, he took the opportunity while caring for the injured alongside the doctors to inquire about Han Xiao's legendary story. This understanding filled him with profound respect for Han Xiao. Putting everything else aside, the fact that he carried his younger brother across mountains and rivers seeking medical treatment and ultimately succeeded was enough to earn his admiration.

Lu Zhi felt that his experience was somewhat similar to Han Xiao's. Both of them had climbed up from the bottom of society, enduring hardship and suffering, seeing the faces of others, and only through a stroke of good luck and diligent work did they achieve what they had today. He had heard that Han Xiao had initially learned medicine from the doctors in Baiqiao City, and later, she had learned some medical skills from someone on Yunwu Mountain. In any case, with her own good fortune and intelligence, her medical skills were no less than those of the doctors in the city.

After listening to these things, Lu Zhi pondered for a long time. He felt that since he couldn't find any disciples of the Cloud Mist Elder to compete with, he might as well compete with this Han Xiao. This female doctor was taught by the entire Hundred Bridges City and Cloud Mist Mountain, which sounded no less prestigious than the Cloud Mist Elder's disciple.

He treated the two men he had brought with him until they were almost fully recovered, and lent them travel expenses so they could return home to recuperate. He also settled the injured people in the mountains. He heard that the city lord had given each injured family some money for medical treatment and recovery, so they didn't have to worry about making a living. Lu Zhi felt the time was ripe, so he went to the city lord's mansion to issue a challenge to Han Xiao. Unfortunately, despite his shouting for a long time, no one answered the door, not even Han Le, who usually liked to tease him.