"Did you go see the doctor about your leg?" Yang Chuxia hastily asked him, noticing his distressed appearance. "Did you take Ms. Li Junior’s words to heart? I don’t care whether you’re well or not, why did you listen to all the things she said? The doctor said it’s not suitable for you to receive treatment for now, so what’s the rush?"
"Damn Ms. Li Junior, I should’ve silenced her."
Hearing Yang Chuxia’s words, a warm rush of emotion instantly filled Ye Zi’an’s heart.
"Xiaxia, I didn’t care about what Ms. Li Junior said." Seeing Yang Chuxia’s clearly skeptical expression, Ye Zi’an quietly continued, "I just don’t want people to keep saying that you were pressured into choosing a cripple because nobody else wanted you. You deserve the best in my eyes."
"But Brother An, you’re the best to me just the way you are now." Yang Chuxia said with resolute sincerity, "You’re just fine as you are."
"Look at the boys in our village your age. Who among them could compare to you? Those mewling kids are still living off their parents while you are supporting a household. None of them are as tall as you, none as handsome as you, none as knowledgeable as you. You’re simply the best!"
Yang Chuxia’s voice was clear and crisp, but utterly convincing.
If he weren’t aware of his disability, Ye Zi’an would have been convinced by her that he indeed was the best.
Regardless, he was overwhelmed by Yang Chuxia’s earnest praise and he romantically drew her into his arms.
A subtle scent of herbs reached his nose, making Yang Chuxia softly murmur about how good Brother An smelled.
"What did the doctor say at the medical center?" After a while, Yang Chuxia gently pushed Ye Zi’an away to ask him.
At this, Ye Zi’an seemed to deflate a bit, "It’s the same diagnosis as before. However, I already thought it through. It’s just a little pain. For a grown man, it’s not that unbearable."
"So?" Yang Chuxia queried.
"So I told the doctor that he can start treatment after the New Year." Ye Zi’an answered.
"Why didn’t you discuss this with me?" Yang Chuxia helplessly said. She was still hoping to find narcotics. This young man had already set the timeline - where could she find them in such short notice? The real narcotics weren’t just one singular herb, but a mix of several. It even required the mandrake flower. But in conversation, she was used to referring to the entire mixture as narcotics.
The legendary narcotics recipe was something she had read before, but didn’t know how to prepare. Even if she managed to find all the ingredients, she still needed to find a doctor to experiment with them.
No, no. Yang Chuxia thought about it and shook her head. They needed to go elsewhere to look. She had already asked the medical centers in town and they only had one or two of the simplest ingredients. As for the flower, it was completely unavailable. The only option left was to go to the county or even the prefecture to see if they had it. They might have this herb and not know its use - that was her line of thinking.
"Xiaxia, I..." Seeing Xiaxia looking displeased, Ye Zi’an felt nervous.
"Ok, ok. Since you’ve made up your mind, let’s leave it at that for now. However, we must head to the county after a few days to find some herbs. They may be beneficial for treating your injury."
"What kind of herbs?" Ye Zi’an asked instinctively.
"Some that can numb the nerves, enabling the injured to not feel the pain during treatment."
Yang Chuxia didn’t hide anything from him, and told him everything she knew.
"There’s such a drug? I’ve never heard of it." Ye Zi’an couldn’t help but wonder, how could Xiaxia know so much?