Lin Xiyue didn’t take Lu Yanqiu’s earlier awkwardness to heart. After all, he was still young—teenage emotions are naturally complicated. Eventually, when he met someone he truly liked, he would distinguish between liking and loving. Right now, at most he had a small crush on her, so there was no reason to overthink it.
By the time they returned home, it was already afternoon. Fortunately, Lu Jiaojiao hadn’t caused any trouble, though Lin Xiyue suspected they might be plotting something, which reinforced her determination to improve her strength.
For several days, Lin Xiyue woke up before dawn. She wouldn’t return until Liu Ruyun had prepared breakfast, often sweating from her training.
When she went up the mountain with Lu Yanqiu, she even tied sandbags to her legs. Lu Yanqiu didn’t know what she was up to. At night, she would head to the back mountain again. Later, Lu Yanqiu realized that Lin Xiyue had been training her body. She wanted him to train with her, but he was busy caring for Lu Jinghuai, and Liu Ruyun’s health was declining. Since Lin Xiyue couldn’t cook, the responsibility of preparing meals fell on Lu Yanqiu.
Though his cooking couldn’t match Liu Ruyun’s, it was edible, and with plenty of meat in the house, everyone’s health visibly improved over the past few days.
Especially Lin Xiyue. Thanks to drinking the Spirit Spring water, her body changed remarkably in just a few days. Her skin became whiter and smoother, and her overall aura seemed to have transformed.
Lin Xiyue could feel Liu Ruyun’s care, so she added Spirit Spring water to the household’s drinking water, hoping it would help her recovery.
Lu Jinghuai’s condition improved even more—his legs regained some sensation, making him believe Lin Xiyue’s words: he might still stand one day.
The wheelchair Lin Xiyue had arranged was ready. Niu’s father didn’t charge for it, and Liu Ruyun gave Lu Yanqiu five pounds of cured meat as a token of thanks.
The eight taels of silver from the Lu family also arrived. Liu Ruyun had never seen so much silver before. With this money, they could buy medicine for her son.
“Lu Jinghuai, look at this,” Lin Xiyue said as she pushed the wheelchair inside. He stared at the strange contraption, puzzled.
“What is this?”
“Big brother, this is a wheelchair. Xiaoyue said with this, you could move around. Should I help you try it?” Lu Yanqiu eagerly stepped forward, wanting his brother to test it immediately.
Lu Jinghuai’s eyes glimmered.
“To sit in this wheelchair freely, you need treatment first. If there are fractures or misalignments, they must be corrected. Only after treatment can recovery begin,” Lin Xiyue explained. She was only making a preliminary assessment; a proper diagnosis required seeing his condition firsthand.
“Yanqiu, you should step out,” Lu Jinghuai said, sending him away. Though Lu Yanqiu didn’t understand, he obediently left.
Lin Xiyue knew this meant he had agreed to her treating him.
“I trust you. Whether you can heal me or not, I owe you my gratitude. I see that Yanqiu has become more cheerful recently, and my mother owes you a lot. If I’m lucky enough to stand again, I will not fail you. If I am destined to remain bedridden, I will not trouble you,” Lu Jinghuai said firmly, though quietly. Lin Xiyue didn’t expect a declaration of love; forcing feelings was pointless.
“Don’t worry. You don’t owe me anything. Lu Wenxuan promised to let me go eventually. I’m only here temporarily to help you. Let’s focus on your injury first,” Lin Xiyue replied, moving to uncover the blanket.
This time, Lu Jinghuai didn’t resist. Lin Xiyue carefully had him turn to his side. She lifted his shirt and traced his spine downward, then checked his hip joints. Once she confirmed there were no comminuted fractures, she relaxed slightly.
Without proper tools, a comminuted fracture couldn’t be treated surgically. All she needed now was to reset the spine and use the Spirit Spring water to gradually nourish it. Without the water, recovery would take at least half a year with herbal remedies.
The power of the Spirit Spring was remarkable; she estimated near-complete recovery in one to two months. And it saved money, as she couldn’t afford medicine.
“The procedure might hurt. Should I knock you out first?” Without anesthesia, Lin Xiyue considered this crude method—but if it worked, it worked.
Lu Jinghuai shook his head. “No, I can endure it. Just do the bone setting.”
He knew that being paralyzed and bedridden was far worse than temporary pain.
Lin Xiyue glanced at his muscular body, thinking, A real man, able to endure bone pain—impressive. She didn’t insist, and instructed him to lie down. She lowered his pants slightly to expose the tailbone, enough to perform the procedure.
Though embarrassed, Lu Jinghuai understood it was necessary for treatment.
Lin Xiyue’s bone-setting techniques were ancestral family skills. Lacking silver needles, she couldn’t numb pain points, but her hands were skilled enough.
Lu Jinghuai’s injury had lasted a year. Misaligned bones often grew new bone tissue. Resetting them required breaking apart the fused parts, which was excruciating.
Despite Lin Xiyue’s speed and skill, he groaned in pain. His neck veins bulged, and his muscles tensed tightly.
“All done. You’re fine now,” Lin Xiyue said, patting him. Lu Jinghuai was covered in a cold sweat, chest heaving.
She fixed him with a board to prevent further displacement and poured a bowl of Spirit Spring water for him.
Though exhausted from pain, after drinking the water he immediately felt renewed energy, and much of the pain eased.
“Thank you,” Lu Jinghuai said once he recovered his strength. In the past few days, he hadn’t seen Lin Xiyue much, yet she seemed changed. His small, delicate face now seemed fuller.
Lin Xiyue smiled at him. “No need to be so formal. You just had the bone-setting done, so you can’t sit in the wheelchair yet. Tell me if anything feels off in the meantime.”