Qin Jizhi’s muscles instantly tensed. What did Yu Qiaoqiao mean by that? She couldn’t possibly be asking him to help blow on her face—that would be far too improper.
“Qiao’er, how about going to the clinic later? You can also have them check if you’ve got any scrapes or injuries.”
“Qin Jizhi, you want other people to look at your wife’s body?”
“I—I didn’t mean it like that!” Qin Jizhi flushed red with embarrassment.
That wasn’t what he meant at all. He was just worried she might be in pain somewhere. But when he imagined a male doctor at the clinic lifting her clothes to examine her, he found himself unable to accept it.
“Alright, I’ll just apply some herbs later,” Yu Qiaoqiao said, no longer teasing him. “But Qin Jizhi, it was really dangerous up there just now.”
She told him everything that had happened in the mountains. Qin Jizhi felt a chill of fear as he listened. “Qiao’er, don’t go again in the future. I…”
“You what?”
“I… I’d worry about you.”
“It’s fine. I gathered quite a lot this time, though I’m still missing a few things. I’ll use what I have for you tonight, and tomorrow I’ll go to the county town to buy some acupuncture supplies.”
“You know acupuncture too?”
Yu Qiaoqiao, who in the 21st century had been a master of traditional Chinese medicine, found acupuncture to be basic knowledge.
“I know a bit. Combining acupuncture with herbal medicine will help your recovery more.”
Qin Jizhi nodded toward the cabinet, signaling her to open it. Though confused, Yu Qiaoqiao did as he indicated. When she took out a small bundle from inside, she was stunned.
“Jizhi… is this your savings?”
There was a scattered pile of money inside—six hundred yuan in total!
“Didn’t you already give all your money to your mother? How do you still have so much saved?”
Seeing her look like a little money-lover, Qin Jizhi felt his mood lift. “Take it all. Don’t be stingy when you need to spend money tomorrow.”
“No, this money was earned with your life. Besides, herbs aren’t expensive—I have money on me.”
“Qiao’er, this money is meant for you. Since marrying me, I haven’t bought you anything. Take it to the county town—buy yourself some new clothes, things girls use, maybe some snacks. I can’t go with you, so be careful.”
He went on to explain what she should expect in the county town, and also asked her to make a phone call there—to say that support was needed.
Yu Qiaoqiao didn’t understand what kind of coded message that was, but knowing he had been in the military, she didn’t ask further, afraid of touching on confidential matters. She simply nodded and agreed.
After dinner that night, Qin’s family stayed relatively quiet, likely because of the recent household split, and didn’t come to cause trouble. Yu Qiaoqiao had enough time to prepare medicine for Qin Jizhi.
The herbs she gathered were for both external application and internal use. She had already decocted them earlier—two doses a day, one bowl each time, plus an additional application and dose before sleep.
Looking at his lower body, she realized it wasn’t as severe as she had imagined. But with the weather growing hotter and his family failing to care for him properly, the wound had festered and become inflamed. If they had maintained proper hygiene, he might not have ended up bedridden.
But now, things were different. Yu Qiaoqiao would help him stand again.
She lifted his pant leg and carefully applied the herbal paste along his lower body. Her fingers were cool and delicate, their smooth touch moving inch by inch across his exposed skin. The sensation made his whole body heat up, his blood rushing uncontrollably in one direction.
Before she even reached the top of his thigh, Qin Jizhi let out a low groan. “Qiao’er… are you done yet?”
“Not yet, there’s still a bit higher up. Almost done—don’t move.”
She was focused entirely on applying the medicine and didn’t notice how close she had gotten. When she finally looked up, she froze—faced with the unmistakable sign of his arousal.
Startled, Yu Qiaoqiao instinctively glanced at him. Qin Jizhi, afraid she might think him indecent, closed his eyes awkwardly. “Um… how much longer will this take?”
Only then did Yu Qiaoqiao realize—this man had probably never even held a woman’s hand before. Being touched like this, it would be stranger if he didn’t react.
“That depends on your recovery. If it’s quick, about half a month. If slower, one or two months… maybe even three.”
“Mm.” That long—it felt harder than going to war.
He endured it with difficulty. As someone from the modern era, Yu Qiaoqiao had seen enough to understand what men might do in such a situation. Hesitating, she glanced at him and stammered, “Jizhi… um… do you want me to help you?”
She laughed awkwardly after saying it. From a doctor’s perspective, she was just concerned that prolonged tension without release might cause problems. But Qin Jizhi didn’t understand what she meant.
“Help with what?”
Yu Qiaoqiao covered her face, embarrassed. “That…”
“Qiao’er? I’m a bit slow—I really don’t understand what you mean.”
She straightened her back, trying to gather courage, then pointed hesitantly. “Do you want me to… help you relieve it?”
Qin Jizhi felt as if struck by lightning. When he realized what she meant, he blurted out almost instantly, “No!”
After that, an awkward silence fell between them.
No matter how outgoing Yu Qiaoqiao was, saying something like that to a man she’d only known for two days still made her shy. As a doctor, she had seen all kinds of patients—but facing her own husband was different.
Finally, Qin Jizhi broke the silence. “Qiao’er, this is just a normal physical reaction. Believe me—I didn’t mean anything by it.”
He hadn’t expected her to touch him like that. Any normal man would react this way. He might be paralyzed, but he wasn’t dead—his body still functioned as it should.
“Mm.” Yu Qiaoqiao hurriedly finished applying the medicine and rushed outside, not coming back in for quite a while.
Qin Jizhi wasn’t sure if she was angry, or whether she believed his explanation.
Because of this small incident, the two of them still felt awkward when they went to sleep that night.
But after falling asleep, Qin Jizhi rarely found himself dreaming.
In the dream, Yu Qiaoqiao’s fingers were pale and jade-like, her face flushed as she looked up at him. And he—shockingly—was holding her soft little hand…