At this moment, the eldest brother heard Yixuan’s footsteps, "Awake?"
Turning back, the eldest brother looked at Yixuan, who moistened his throat, "Mm."
"Pretty good. I thought I would suffer a great deal, but thanks to Baobao’s superior medical skill, there’s only a slight discomfort in my leg."
Huiying smiled and said, "They say it takes a hundred days to heal broken tendons and bones. Although my medical skill is passable, your leg injury still needs to be well taken care of."
She stood up with a dustpan in hand, "I stewed a pot of bone soup this afternoon. Since you’re awake, it’s time to eat. Let’s have soup-soaked rice tonight."
"Baobao, let me help!"
Shujun jumped up and eagerly followed Huiying.
Huiying paused for a moment, then continued walking forward.
Yixuan watched the backs of Huiying and Shujun, his mood suddenly turning somewhat desolate...
In the following days, it seemed that Huiying was very busy.
She and Shujun prepared herbal medicines together, adjusted the formula for Shu Yu’s medicinal baths, and occasionally called over Liang Zhichen and Yixuan for follow-up examinations. The brothers were recovering well, and when Yixuan removed the splint from his leg one day, all the brothers turned out, even the usually sickly and indifferent Shu Yu had come over upon hearing the commotion.
Seeing Yixuan walking steadily, no longer limping, the brothers couldn’t help but smile sincerely.
That evening, under the lamplight, Huiying picked up a brush and began writing wild cursive on the pristine Xuan paper.
When she finished writing, she picked up a small bundle containing some silver and a few pieces of clothing for change.
Before leaving the house, she looked at the cabinet filled with all kinds of small bottles, which had medicine for both internal and external injuries, as well as for treating colds and fevers. The labels were clearly marked, making them easy to understand at a glance.
Next to the cabinet were piles of small medicine bags sewn from scraps of cloth. For Shu Yu’s future medicinal baths, all she had to do was throw one of the small bags into the water.
All of these were the fruits of her recent work. Reflecting on the life she had led these days, she gave a silent and lonely smile.
She blew out the oil lamp, and took a step outside.
She didn’t look back, fading into the night...
At the entrance of the village, a middle-aged woman carrying a longbow on her back walked steadily and swiftly, her pace quick and firm.
Suddenly, she spotted a figure dashing quickly to the side.
As the figure came closer, she held her breath involuntarily.
After leaving the village, Huiying felt somewhat lost.
She looked around, then promptly headed up the mountain.
After she left, the woman hidden in the shadows stepped out. She remembered Huiying carrying a small bundle—it seemed, perhaps, she had run away from home?
Blinking, the woman picked up her basket and quietly followed...
Yixuan got up early. Huiying had bought several chickens and ducks to raise at home, and for this purpose, a special coop had been made in the yard.
After feeding the local chickens with a bowl of wheat bran, Yixuan sat down on a small stool.
He occasionally looked towards the door of the eastern house, as if waiting for something.
But as time passed, the eldest brother got up, fourth brother got up, fifth brother got up, and even the usually lazy third brother was now up, but the person he was waiting for still showed no sign of stirring.
Once again, Yixuan felt uneasy.
"Why do you look like you’ve lost your soul?"
Zhi Chen washed his face, dried it with a rough hemp towel, and saw Yixuan looking disheartened and distracted.