“A bowl of soup before a meal keeps the body healthy and strong.”
This saying had practically become a rule at their dining table.
Today’s fish soup was thick and milky white, rich as cream. The moment the fragrant aroma drifted through the room, the two children could hardly stop themselves from swallowing eagerly.
Mu Yuqing skillfully ladled the freshly simmered soup into everyone’s bowls. Steam curled into the air, carrying an irresistible scent that instantly whetted everyone’s appetite.
“Alright, let’s eat,” Mu Yuqing said with a smile.
The moment she spoke, everyone immediately picked up their bowls and chopsticks.
The first to praise the meal was the lively little Yang Xingyue.
“Wow! Mother, this is the tastiest soup Yue’er has ever had! Mother is amazing!”
Her little mouth barely paused between compliments while she continuously scooped spoonful after spoonful into her mouth, completely unable to stop herself.
Beside her, Yang Xingchen and the nanny did not say much, but the satisfaction on their faces and the speed at which they ate spoke louder than words.
The soup truly tasted extraordinary.
The fish had been raised naturally in clean, unpolluted waters, swimming freely and feeding on nature itself. Their flesh was tender and fresh without the slightest muddy taste. Combined with Mu Yuqing’s cooking skills, the final dish was naturally delicious beyond comparison.
Although they had once lived in wealthy households, they had always been the overlooked and neglected members of the family. Their meals were plain and simple, just enough to survive, never anything truly luxurious.
After dinner, the family took a short walk in the courtyard to aid digestion.
About an hour later, the nanny prepared hot water for everyone to wash up before bed.
During the days Mu Yuqing had remained unconscious, Yang Xingchen and Yang Xingyue had been sleeping in the nanny’s room. But tonight, the siblings insisted on sleeping beside their mother again.
After bathing, the two children hugged their pillows and climbed happily into Mu Yuqing’s bed.
“Mother smells so nice!” Yang Xingyue said cheerfully as she snuggled into Mu Yuqing’s arms. “Mother is soft too, unlike Daddy. Daddy was hard and smelled bad.”
At that exact moment, deep within the Misty Forest of the Southern Border, the very father Yang Xingyue was talking about, Yang Kaiwen, was hovering on the brink of death.
The news of Yang Kaiwen’s death had actually been a carefully planned deception used to mislead the enemy.
Unfortunately, although the scheme had succeeded, Yang Kaiwen himself had truly ended up severely injured and close to death.
After hearing reports from his personal guards, he learned how much suffering his supposed death had brought upon his wife and children.
Deep guilt filled his heart.
Once he fully understood the situation, Yang Kaiwen acted decisively.
Without delay, he ordered his guards to send a message by carrier pigeon to Qingyun, the only female scout under his command. He instructed her to go to his family immediately and protect them in secret.
Qingyun was highly skilled, quick witted, and exceptionally capable. With her guarding them, Yang Kaiwen could finally feel at ease.
At the same time, he informed his trusted guards that if he truly died, his elite guard unit would henceforth obey the commands of his new wife.
The following morning, Mu Yuqing had barely opened her door when she saw the nanny anxiously pacing around the courtyard.
The moment she spotted Mu Yuqing, the nanny hurried over.
“Miss, there’s an injured young woman lying outside our gate. Should we save her?”
Mu Yuqing believed deeply that saving a life was the greatest act of kindness.
She could not possibly stand by and watch someone die.
“Nanny, help her inside,” Mu Yuqing said immediately. “One extra person won’t cost us much food.”
Once the nanny carried the unconscious girl inside, Mu Yuqing realized the situation was far more serious than she had expected.
The girl’s body was covered in blood, making the sight rather horrifying.
Fortunately, the two children were still asleep and had not seen any of it.
Mu Yuqing quickly instructed the nanny to carry the girl into a side room while she followed shortly afterward with a basin of hot water.
“Nanny, boil more water and prepare a clean set of clothes.”
With that, Mu Yuqing immediately began examining the injuries with practiced precision.
Thankfully, most of the wounds were only superficial cuts.
The only truly serious injury was the deep wound across the girl’s back.
As Mu Yuqing carefully removed the blood soaked clothing, a small porcelain bottle suddenly fell out from within the girl’s robes.
Mu Yuqing picked it up and opened it for a sniff.
Golden sore ointment.
And judging by the scent, it was high quality medicine.
Good. That saved her the trouble of searching for treatment supplies.
However, once the layers of clothing were fully removed, Mu Yuqing finally saw the horrifying injury beneath.
It was far worse than she had imagined.
She dipped a cloth into warm water and carefully cleaned the blood and dirt around the wound.
The cut was so deep that the flesh beneath could clearly be seen. It looked as though some jagged blade had violently torn through the skin.
If left untreated, such a long wound would not only heal poorly but would also leave behind an ugly scar.
Mu Yuqing immediately made her decision.
Without wasting another second, she rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of strong liquor. Then she retrieved an embroidery needle and silk thread from the nanny’s sewing basket.
The conditions were crude, but they would have to suffice.
She carefully laid everything out and used the liquor to disinfect the needle and thread.
After taking a slow breath to steady herself, Mu Yuqing focused on the wound.
Just before beginning, she glanced at the unconscious girl and instinctively whispered,
“Young lady, I’m about to stitch your wound. It will hurt quite a bit, so please try not to move.”
Then she firmly held the needle and began the first stitch.
At that moment, the nanny pushed open the door and stepped inside.
The instant she saw what Mu Yuqing was doing, her eyes widened in shock.
Her mistress was actually sewing the girl’s wound together with a needle.
The sight completely stunned her.
When did Miss learn medical skills? How could I possibly not know about this?
Still, despite her confusion, the nanny knew this was not the right time to ask questions.
She quietly placed the fresh basin of hot water and the clean clothes nearby before stepping aside.
As she watched more closely, she noticed the gruesome wound slowly being pulled neatly together under Mu Yuqing’s steady hands.
The fine stitches were even and precise, almost as delicate as embroidery, making the terrifying injury appear far less frightening.
Finally, after completing the last stitch, Mu Yuqing let out a long sigh of relief.
She then picked up the porcelain bottle from earlier and carefully sprinkled the golden medicinal powder over the wound.
To her surprise, the bleeding stopped almost instantly the moment the medicine touched the skin.
Even Mu Yuqing could not help feeling impressed by its effectiveness.