After she said that, Ziling looked at him again and froze.
What was with this sudden change?
Was he performing face-changing magic? Just moments ago, his face had been dark and frightening, yet now he was looking at her with the eyes of a resentful, wronged wife.
Am I seeing things? she wondered.
Earlier, the prisoners had rushed to claim sleeping spots after hearing the guards’ warning. Everyone fought for the flat open space in the middle of the courtyard, and the noisy quarrels and shouting had filled the air.
Since Ziling intended to begin treating Gong Mohan’s injuries that night, she needed somewhere hidden from others’ sight. Together with Gong Hao, she chose an abandoned corner no one wanted. It looked like the previous owner had once grown vegetables there, but after harvesting them, the land had never been leveled. The ground was uneven, full of bumps and pits.
Her mother-in-law had approached her then and asked curiously, “Han’er said you know medicine. I’ve never heard of that before.”
Ziling answered calmly, “Only a little. My mother died young, and when I was little, I often got hurt. I had no one to help me, so I learned to treat myself. Over time, I became interested in medicine. Back then, my stepmother wouldn’t allow me into the front courtyard, so I stayed alone in the yard reading the medical books my grandfather left for my mother.”
In truth, she hated lying, but she had no better explanation. Fortunately, the original owner’s grandfather really had been an imperial physician, and there truly were medical texts in the family.
Though her mother-in-law appeared strong and decisive before outsiders as the mistress of the General’s Manor, she was actually soft-hearted. Hearing Ziling’s words and thinking of the schemes within noble households, she assumed the girl must have endured much hardship growing up.
The older woman gently patted her shoulder comfortingly.
“How are Han’er’s injuries? Can they be treated?”
“My husband’s arm injuries are external wounds. He can’t move it for now, but the bones and tendons aren’t damaged. If I clean and change the medicine daily, he should recover quickly.”
“That’s wonderful… wonderful!” her mother-in-law cried, tears choking her voice. “My Han’er can survive after all. Since childhood, he’s been talented, handsome, skilled in martial arts, and always proud. Ever since he was injured and our home was confiscated, he’s only been holding on because he doesn’t want me to grieve more. I was afraid… afraid one day he wouldn’t be able to endure anymore…”
“Mother-in-law, I haven’t finished yet.”
Ziling hesitated before continuing.
“His arm isn’t difficult to heal, but his leg injury is severe. Earlier, I pressed on it, and he felt nothing at all. If it isn’t treated, then in the future…”
She didn’t continue speaking.
The joy on her mother-in-law’s face instantly disappeared. She nearly collapsed.
“Then… there’s no hope?”
In this era, Gong Mohan’s condition truly would have been difficult to cure. But with Ziling’s modern medical knowledge, she actually had ways to treat him. She simply couldn’t explain it openly. After all, if she casually claimed she could cure such a serious injury, it would sound absurd.
“Mother-in-law, if I can find the right medicinal herbs, it’s not completely hopeless. For now, I should clean his wounds first. The weather is hot, and if his arm isn’t cleaned in time, infection will set in. Once that happens, it’ll become much harder to treat.”
“Let Gong Hao clean it.”
Gong Mohan had been listening the whole time. He already suspected his leg was ruined, but he didn’t want his mother to suffer further.
“I’ll help Big Brother clean it,” Gong Hao immediately volunteered, assuming his elder brother simply didn’t want his wife seeing his wounds.
And this time, the young man had guessed correctly.
Gong Mohan truly did not want Ziling to see his injuries. Even he himself couldn’t explain why. He simply didn’t want her to look at them.
Love had already quietly begun taking root in his heart.
Meanwhile, Ziling—who had never even dated in her previous modern life—didn’t think that deeply about it. She merely found the brothers amusing.
Smiling, she asked Ying’er, “Little Ying’er, did your second brother study medicine too?”
Ying’er blinked innocently. “No.”
Ying’er didn’t understand the hidden meaning behind the question, but Gong Hao, being older, immediately caught on.
“Big Brother, you should still let Sister-in-law clean your wounds.”
With that, he quickly slipped away.
Ziling stopped talking. Quietly, she crouched beside Gong Mohan and carefully peeled back the damaged skin around the wound. Little by little, she cleaned away the rotten flesh, her movements gentle as a spring breeze brushing water. Then she slowly washed the wound with clean water.
Afterward, she took out a tiny bottle of medicine from her sleeve and gently spread the ointment over the injury.
When she finished, she glanced at Gong Mohan in surprise. His injuries were so severe, yet he hadn’t made a single sound.
Gong Mohan, however, clearly felt the difference. During the cleaning, the pain had been almost unbearable. Yet the moment the ointment touched the wound, a cool sensation spread through it, easing more than half the pain.
He had followed his father onto battlefields before and suffered injuries many times, but he had never encountered such miraculous medicine.
“What kind of ointment is this?” he asked, staring intently at the tiny porcelain bottle in her hand. “It’s incredibly effective. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“This?” Mischief sparkled in Ziling’s eyes as she raised the bottle. “It’s poison. It’ll slowly seep into your organs. Since you can’t walk anymore, I need to find a way to get rid of you. I still want to remarry and have children.”
She had only wanted to entertain herself a little during this miserable exile journey. But the moment she looked up and saw Gong Mohan’s dark expression and dangerous glare, her heart skipped.
Oops… I pushed too far. He’s really angry.
From the fall of the General’s Manor until now, she had never seen his face look so terrifying.
Immediately intimidated, she quickly waved her hand and corrected herself:
“Ahem… I was joking!”