Jiang Ning was so angry that she paced back and forth in the room. When she turned around, she caught sight of Lu Huai’an looking at her with a smug, gloating expression.
At first, she had considered divorcing him in the future.
But now, since he was so intent on making her suffer, there was no way she would just hand him over to someone else.
After all, she was putting her life on the line for him!
In a fit of anger, she marched over, grabbed his collar, and said, “I haven’t settled accounts with you yet. How dare you mock me? As for how I’ll settle it—well, it’s exactly as it sounds, I’ll take it from you…”
With that, she lowered her head and kissed him forcefully on the lips.
Seeing Lu Huai’an’s eyes widen in shock, his face turning dark with anger and humiliation, Jiang Ning instantly stopped feeling angry.
Instead, she felt rather pleased!
“Consider it sealed. From now on, you’re mine,” she said with a grin.
Lu Huai’an’s forehead twitched in frustration as he ground his teeth. “You… you shameless woman!”
No one had ever dared to treat him like this. Lu Huai’an thought that if it weren’t for his serious injury making him weak, he’d have killed her right then and there.
“Hmph, you’re the one who came to me first. Besides, isn’t it only natural for me to kiss my husband? How is that shameless?” Jiang Ning said in a happy tone.
She tucked him back into bed, then went to the kitchen to fetch a basin of water. After returning, she helped him clean up the dirt on his body.
Lu Huai’an could feel Jiang Ning’s rather rough cleaning methods. But as he watched her busy herself around him, his anger slowly dissipated, replaced by a complicated, indescribable emotion.
Jiang Ning, however, didn’t have time to think about his feelings. After cleaning him up, she sat outside to wait for the doctor’s arrival.
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Jiang family.
Grandmother Jiang was still fuming, her sharp eyes narrowed as she glared at Jiang Lao and said, “Old man, don’t you have anything to say? You’re just letting her do whatever she wants?”
Jiang Dahe was the family’s lifeblood. He was the only one they had supported through hard times to become a scholar. Now this unruly girl had brought a disaster into his room, and she had the audacity to let him stay there. How could she possibly be happy about it?
Jiang Lao, sitting by the side, furrowed his brows and replied, “What’s the big deal? It’s just a room. Can’t he stay there forever?”
Jiang Lao also had his own thoughts. They had been looking for an opportunity to approach Lu Huai’an, and now this unruly girl had brought him home. Moreover, Lu Huai’an was a scholar. If he succeeded in the exams and became a high-ranking official, he would surely remember the kindness of their family.
Grandmother Jiang was even angrier when she heard this. “What do you mean by that? That room belongs to Dahe! This girl has brought a random man into his room. Don’t you feel bad about it?”
Jiang Lao, with a displeased expression, interrupted her, “Dahe is at the academy. He comes home very rarely. Lu Huai’an is not a random man, he’s our son-in-law. He’s injured and needs rest. What’s wrong with him staying for a few days?”
“And if you don’t let her, she’ll cause a scene, demanding a dowry and threatening to split the family. You know how that girl is when she’s decided on something; we can’t stop her. Or do you want her to go to the academy and make trouble for Dahe?”
“That’s right, mother, it’s not a big deal. I’ll go make two crutches for Lu Huai’an now,” Jiang Dashan chimed in, feeling confident that his clever father wouldn’t let the family lose out.
Seeing that no one was on her side, Grandmother Jiang felt frustrated but didn’t know what else to do.
Dr. Li soon arrived. After carefully examining Lu Huai’an and feeling his pulse, he frowned, his expression turning serious as he delivered his diagnosis.
“Your internal injuries are severe. Did you use your internal energy today?”
“Yes,” Lu Huai’an replied, looking at the familiar face before him, feeling his eyes well up with emotion.
Master, I thought I would never see you again.
In his previous life, when his leg was beyond saving and he was left to die alone in the village, it was his master who had taken pity on him. His master had seen his talent and took him in as a disciple. However, after he became obsessed with revenge and learned medicine, he began to study poisons in secret. His master found out, got angry, and expelled him from the sect. Then, his master left the village, and Lu Huai’an had searched for him for years, filled with guilt. His master was a kind-hearted man, but he had turned to poisons to harm others.
“Fortunately, the treatment was timely. It’s not life-threatening,” Dr. Li’s voice pulled Lu Huai’an out of his thoughts.
Dr. Li looked at him kindly, with a touch of concern in his voice, “I’ll give you a few acupuncture needles now. Please take off your clothes…”
Lu Huai’an obediently removed his clothing and closed his eyes, feeling the slight pain as the needles were inserted into his skin. But a sense of peace washed over him.
He knew that as long as his master was there, he wouldn’t be in danger.
After Dr. Li finished the acupuncture and checked his leg, confirming there was no major issue, he set the leg back in place.
He stood up and looked at Lu Huai’an. “Take good care of yourself. I’ll prescribe some medicine for you. Remember to take it on time, and you’ll recover.”
“Thank you, Dr. Li…” Lu Huai’an said with a solemn attitude.
Dr. Li nodded with satisfaction and then turned to leave the room.
Jiang Ning came forward and asked with concern, “Dr. Li, how is Lu Xiu’s condition?”
“I’ve given him acupuncture. His internal injuries are severe, and he’ll need to take some more medicine. His leg shouldn’t be moved around, just let it rest.”
“Dr. Li, I see that you’re short on herbs. Should I come with you to get more?” Jiang Ning offered.
“Yes, that would be helpful. I don’t have enough of the medicinal materials with me.” Dr. Li said, heading out.
“Alright, thank you, Dr. Li.” Jiang Ning nodded in agreement.
Dr. Li, whose full name was Li Yuan, was from the village of Baisha. He had gone out to explore when he was younger, learning medicine and traveling far and wide. As he grew older, he returned to his hometown to settle down. His nature was kind, and despite being a bit eccentric, he was always willing to help the villagers when they were in need.
Soon, the two of them arrived at Dr. Li’s house. When the door opened, Jiang Ning immediately noticed that the yard was filled with various medicinal herbs.
Her heart stirred, and she asked Dr. Li about the seeds.
“Dr. Li, do you have any herb seeds? Especially precious medicinal plant seeds?”
Dr. Li replied, “I do have some, but those with high medicinal value aren’t easy to grow. Each herb has its own growing conditions…”
“Do you have ginseng seeds?” Jiang Ning, after hearing his explanation, decided to ask for just one kind. It wouldn’t make sense to ask for more since she didn’t have a large space, and her spiritual water was limited.
“Yes, I do, but the seeds are limited. How many do you need?”
“Just ten would be fine,” Jiang Ning said, thinking that with her limited space, she couldn’t grow many.
Dr. Li quickly packaged the seeds for her and joked, “If you can’t grow them, don’t come crying to me!”
“Got it!”
“Alright, wait here while I prepare your medicine.”
After receiving the medicine and paying the consultation fee, Jiang Ning headed back home.
Meanwhile, in the Jiang family’s kitchen, Niu Shi and Jiang Xiu were preparing dinner. Seeing her daughter looking distracted, Niu Shi quietly asked, “Xiu, what’s wrong? Do you have something on your mind?”
“Mother, I… I’m fine,” Jiang Xiu replied hesitantly.
“You, this girl, if you’re fine, would I not notice?” Niu Shi replied, narrowing her eyes.
Jiang Xiu looked up at her mother for a moment, then quickly lowered her head. Her voice was barely audible: “Mother, do you think Lu Xiu is really a disaster?”