Xie Ci tugged the reins, and the sturdy black horse let out a long neigh before leaping straight onto the three‑foot‑high earthen official road, hooves pounding down with a spray of mud.
These were only farm horses, not trained war steeds—yet to pull off such a clean, powerful jump showed just how skilled Xie Ci was at handling a mount.
Once they landed on the road, they had broken free of the encirclement. But even so, there was no joy on Xie Ci’s face. His expression was taut with anxiety—more anxious than when his own life had hung by a thread.
Gu Wan quickly understood why.
Second Sister‑in‑law kept glancing back. When she saw that Xie Ci had managed to rescue Gu Wan, she exhaled in relief and even tried to smile. Yet the smile faltered almost instantly, replaced by the same grim worry etched across Xie Ci’s features.
Gu Wan looked closer and realized the reason: Second Sister‑in‑law had switched positions and was now riding with her eldest nephew, Xie Mingming. He was slumped forward against the horse’s back, and near his shoulder blade, a short dagger was still lodged deep, blood soaking half his back.
Two children had been hurt—Xie Mingming, and Niuniu, the only daughter of Third Sister‑in‑law, just three years old. Before Xie Ci had pulled Third Sister‑in‑law up onto a horse, she and her little girl had both been struck down by the same blade.
“Quick, find a place—stop the bleeding first!”
The black horse surged forward to rejoin the Xie family, and Gu Wan finally saw the children’s wounds clearly. Her heart lurched in fright.
The family galloped seven or eight li before finding a sheltered hillside. They dismounted at once, and Xie Ci, Second Sister‑in‑law, and Gu Wan hurried to lift the injured children down.
Niuniu was far too young. The same blade that an adult might have endured had cut deep into her small arm—so deep the bone was visible. Following Second Sister‑in‑law’s instructions, Third Sister‑in‑law pressed her own collar tightly against the wound, but blood still dripped steadily. Fortunately, it was the arm. Gu Wan tore a strip of cloth and bound it firmly, slowing the bleeding at once.
Third Sister‑in‑law was overwhelmed with relief, sobbing uncontrollably.
Gu Wan hacked a branch from a nearby sapling and fashioned a splint to keep the child’s arm from moving. She stroked the little girl’s tear‑streaked face and whispered gently that she would be fine. After quickly explaining a few follow‑up precautions to Third Sister‑in‑law, she turned anxiously to Xie Mingming.
The Xie family were soldiers by heritage—Gu Wan, Xie Ci, and Second Sister‑in‑law all knew how to staunch bleeding and perform basic first aid. But Mingming’s injury was beyond them.
The short dagger had sunk halfway into his back, lodged against the bone near his shoulder. Luckily, it was on the left side—away from the heart. But this injury couldn’t possibly be treated with simple means—no one dared to pull out the dagger hilt like that.
Xie Ci scooped Xie Mingming into his arms. “We need a doctor!!”
His face had gone pale with panic. The Xie family, together with Gu Wan, immediately swung back onto horseback. With two children wounded, there was no time to lose—everyone spurred their mounts toward the nearest towns. Yet the sky hung heavy, a dim yellow-gray, clouds and mist pressing down until heaven and earth seemed fused together, more like dusk than midday.
Truly, misfortune never comes alone. In Gu Wan’s memory, the torrential rains that swelled rivers and burst dams were about to arrive. Just as she thought this, a sudden gust of wind blew, and a fat raindrop splashed straight into her eye.
“Damn it! These two kids can’t get drenched!”
Heaven itself seemed bent on taking lives.
Fortunately, when Second Sister-in-law Xie tossed a long rope to Xie Ci, she also snatched up a bundle of oilcloth lying on the ground and slung it over the saddle. It was something the guards used to shield against rain or sun, since tents couldn’t always be raised in time to protect vital supplies. She quickly tore the oilcloth into several smaller pieces. “Hurry, cover yourselves!”
Xie Ci took the oilcloth and draped it entirely over Xie Mingming’s head and body, wrapping Niuniu so that only her little face peeked out.
Gu Wan had already turned around to lead the way, heading straight back toward the township they had come from.
The exile convoy was traveling on foot; though they had walked all morning, they hadn’t gone far. Compared to gambling on an unknown direction, returning to a familiar place was far more reliable. Gu Wan remembered that just beyond the cross street near the inn, there was a medical clinic.
They galloped more than twenty li back to the town. As they dismounted, the rain had grown dense, pouring down in sheets as though the sky itself had split open.
The streets were deserted. The eaves of the houses were narrow, doors and windows tightly shut, shops closed early. Only one or two inns had left half a door ajar, and through the curtain of rain a faint yellow glow could be seen.
Gu Wan took Niuniu into her arms with one hand, while with the other she helped the Third Sister-in-law down from her horse. At the touch, she realized with alarm that both the Third Sister-in-law and Madam Xun were burning with fever—yet these two, gentle and frail by nature, had not uttered a single complaint the entire way.
The Second Sister-in-law immediately stepped forward, bracing one on each side. “You and Fourth Brother just carry Da Ming and Niuniu!” she shouted over the downpour.
In that moment, the two injured children were indeed the priority. Gu Wan nodded, released her hold on the two women, and entrusted them to the Second Sister-in-law.
Braving the heavy rain, Xie Ci and Gu Wan each carried a child in their arms, racing forward at full speed. Second Sister-in-law supported the two feverish women behind them, and further back came Xie Rou with five-year-old Xie Mingyu. The three younger children clutched the oilcloth themselves, stumbling along at the rear—falling, scrambling up again, not daring to cry, only hurrying to catch up.
Soon they reached the medical clinic. A middle-aged physician with a goatee was just fitting the last door board into place, while his wife sat behind the counter picking her teeth. The couple was startled when the drenched group suddenly pushed the door open and pleaded for help.
“Doctor, doctor! Please save them—they were injured half an hour ago!”
Xie Ci quickly laid Xie Mingming face down on the bamboo bed at the back of the clinic, yanked off the oilcloth, and tossed it aside. Gu Wan had already rushed forward, dragging the physician over.
Because the situation was so urgent, they hadn’t even bothered with disguises. Most of them still wore the coarse gray cloth of convicts. Xie Ci and Gu Wan, crawling and scrambling, looked more like beggars—soaked to the bone, yet armed with blades and swords.
Xie Ci said hoarsely, “Save them, and we’ll pay you whatever silver you ask. We’ll leave immediately—you won’t be implicated!”
The doctor and his wife trembled like chaff in the wind, but could only stumble about, preparing medicine and boiling water.
Second Sister-in-law rushed in with the children, hastily pressing the doorboard back into place.
Five oil lamps were lit, and everyone waited anxiously. But Gu Wan’s sharp eyes noticed—just as the physician was about to take up his knife—that he had not washed his hands in the basin of medicine water his wife had brought.
“Stop!” Gu Wan suddenly seized the goateed physician. “Why didn’t you wash your hands?”
She knew all too well the danger of wound infection. The basin of half‑warm medicinal water carried the scent of honeysuckle and phellodendron—clearly meant for cleansing the doctor’s hands and the patient’s wounds. Just moments ago, the couple had prepared separately without speaking, and the wife had brought out this basin.
This physician harbored ill intent. Xie Mingming’s injury was already perilous, but he hadn’t expected to run into Gu Wan’s sharp vigilance.
The doctor’s face drained of color. Xie Ci’s eyes blazed with fury. “You want to die?!”
But now, entrusting this man with Mingming’s treatment was impossible.
Xie Ci’s gaze flicked to the medicine cabinet behind the counter and the drawers along the far wall. Dust had gathered thickly in the cracks and corners. With hatred, he drew his long blade and pressed it to the doctor’s throat. “There’s another clinic in this town! Where is it?!”
“How long has it been since anyone came here?” Second Sister-in-law also noticed the dust, her voice joining his.
A foul yellow stain quickly spread across the doctor’s trousers. Terrified, the couple confessed. In an instant, the three bound them tightly.
Second Sister-in-law cried urgently: “You two go ahead—I’ll handle this! Leave Niuniu with me!”
Xie Ci and Gu Wan, one carrying a child and the other holding an umbrella, dashed out of the clinic into the storm. Tilting the umbrella against the torrent, they turned down the cross street, sprinting all the way to the far end of the town.
Gu Wan pounded on the door: “Constables! We suspect you’re harboring horse thieves—open up at once!”
Inside, the people were startled and hurried to open the door as quickly as possible. But once it swung open, they saw a pair of drenched youths in worn clothing, carrying a twelve‑ or thirteen‑year‑old boy. The child wore the coarse exile uniform, his back soaked with blood.
Xie Ci clenched his jaw, already prepared to draw his blade if necessary. His elder brother had died at only twenty‑eight, after years stationed at the frontier, leaving behind only this one son, Xie Mingming. Fortunately, this time they had encountered good people.
This physician—older than the goateed doctor—had nearly taken over all the business from the other clinic. His skill and benevolence were indispensable.
The older doctor sighed, but immediately stepped aside. “Quickly, lay him on the long bed!”
He ordered his wife and daughter to prepare at once, then carefully cut open the back of Xie Mingming’s shirt. After examining the wound for a moment, his expression grew grave. “Once the blade is removed, the bleeding may be uncontrollable. Even if we stop it, such a wound is most prone to infection. At best, I have only a slim chance of saving him.”
It was a perilous injury. Everyone present understood.
Gu Wan asked carefully, and the old physician explained that he intended to use his own invention—the “fire‑steel method.” The idea was that once the dagger was pulled out, he would immediately insert a red‑hot iron blade of matching size to cauterize the wound, stopping the bleeding and driving out evil influences.
In the rugged northern lands, close to the frontier gates, caravans passed constantly and bandits were common. The doctor had treated countless trauma cases and, through long practice, developed this method himself. Fearing they might not understand, he explained in detail: in his years of experience, this technique gave the highest chance of survival.
But Gu Wan understood perfectly—it was simply cauterization, both to stop bleeding and to sterilize. She had considered whether she could operate herself. Yet forensic medicine and clinical surgery were very different fields; the former did not specialize in cutting into the living. And without surgical instruments—no scalpels, needles, thread, or clamps—her attempt would give Xie Mingming no better chance than the old doctor’s.
She had already noticed the tray of finely forged iron blades beneath the medicine cabinet. For an ordinary townsman to possess such tools was no small feat; it proved the physician had truly studied and gained experience. After weighing it, she decided to let the old doctor proceed.
The boy could wait no longer.
Xie Mingming’s condition was dire. After long marches, rough meals, and exposure to the elements, the twelve‑year‑old was thin as a reed. His face was deathly pale, tinged with a bluish hue of impending collapse. Yet he still forced his eyes open.
His mother wept uncontrollably. He clasped her hand and tried to comfort her: “Don’t worry, Mother… I’ll be all right.” He struggled to look at Xie Ci.
Xie Ci was drenched, his face tight with worry, eyes rimmed red. The boy forced his hand upward, and Xie Ci immediately stepped forward to grasp it. Weakly, in a faint voice, the young boy said: “Fourth Uncle, it’s not your fault.”
“You’ve already done everything you could. Even if Father and Grandfather were here, they would never blame you. Even if I die, you mustn’t blame yourself.”
The boy felt a chill in his chest, so cold it made him tremble, yet he still forced himself to finish speaking. His only regret was that he was too young, not yet grown enough to help his mother much, nor to stand alongside his Fourth Uncle in saving the family. His eyes pleaded: “Fourth Uncle, please… will you take care of my mother?”
The only thing he feared was that if he died, his mother would not be able to go on living.
Xie Ci’s eyes brimmed with tears. He fought to hold them back, gripping the boy’s hand tightly. “Yes, yes! As long as I still draw breath, I will take care of your mother!”
Second Sister-in-law, together with feverish Madam Xun and Third Sister-in-law, broke down in sobs. Third Sister-in-law even set down the child she had been clutching to her chest. The whole family wept: “Don’t worry, child—we are one family! No one will abandon anyone, no one will leave anyone behind!”
“You must hold on. Take care of your mother yourself, all right?”
“Yes… yes…”
Gu Wan watched, her heart aching. Even the old doctor’s wife and daughter turned their heads to secretly wipe their eyes.
To make it short, the old physician had already chosen the most suitable short dagger. After repeatedly cleansing it, he placed it on the charcoal brazier until it glowed red‑hot.
It was time to pull the blade. The dagger was yanked out!
Xie Mingming let out a muffled groan as blood spurted in a spray. The old doctor immediately thrust the heated iron blade in!
Everyone held their breath. Gu Wan, seeing the amount of bleeding, exhaled in relief—it hadn’t struck a major vessel—a misfortune, but not the worst.
Even the old doctor’s face brightened. He freed one hand and raised two fingers, signaling that the boy’s chances of survival had just risen by two parts.
Cauterization to stop bleeding and sterilize—at that moment, Xie Mingming clenched his fists, his flesh taut with pain. When the physician finally withdrew the red‑hot iron and swiftly applied medicine and bandages, the boy was still conscious. Weakly, he whispered: “I… I’m all right.”
“Don’t worry.”
Then he fainted.
The old physician had done everything he could. From here on, it was up to fate. Fortunately, destiny finally favored the Xie family. After enduring two full days and nights, Xie Mingming’s fever broke—he had pulled through. He did not die.
They had already moved into the small house the doctor kept at the end of a long alley. When the physician announced the news with a smile, the taut string in everyone’s hearts finally loosened. Overcome with relief, Eldest Sister-in-law collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, until Mingming and Second Sister-in-law coaxed her up and helped her into the next room to rest.
Laughter, tears, and the weak voice of Xie Mingming filled the air. Gu Wan smiled too, brushing back her damp hair before stepping outside.
At last, the storm had passed.
Though rain still poured outside, as if the heavens had been torn open, the danger was over. They would not have to bury a brave, resilient child—and that alone filled her with joy.
At last, there was room to think of other things.
The house was small, but crowded with people. Gu Wan, being neither sick nor injured, chose not to take up a bed inside. After two days of rest, much of her exhaustion had lifted, and the blisters on the soles of her feet had healed. She blew gently across the stone steps before sitting down, pulled off her tattered boots and socks, and stretched her pale feet out beneath the eaves, letting the cool rain wash over them—it felt wonderfully soothing.
Leaning against the pillar, from this angle she could just glimpse through the window into Xie Mingming’s room, where Xie Ci was.
The young man’s face was lit with joy as he bent to tuck the quilt more snugly around his injured nephew. The two spoke softly, uncle and nephew, though she could not hear the words.
Resting her chin in her hand, Gu Wan sighed. She had never imagined that the world she had entered was actually a book!