Chapter 1: Picked up a Man

Early in the morning, the first rays of sunlight filtered through the mist, shining on the mountains. Village girl He Miao, carrying a basket on her back, went into the mountains to gather herbs. She walked alone, cautious about venturing deep into the forest, so she decided to stay near the edge of the village, searching shallowly.

Amidst the gifts of nature, He Miao paused for a moment, her delicate figure weaving through the mountains. As she worked, she hummed a song. Her clear, sweet voice sounded like the chirping of a lark, echoing through the mountains.

With the sun growing warmer, He Miao was almost done gathering mushrooms, enough to dry or salt for the next while. She was pleased with her harvest and smiled, two dimples appearing on her cheeks. Dusting off the dirt from her hands, she prepared to return home, but as she turned, she noticed a man lying a few steps away from her.

“Ah!” He Miao gasped in surprise, stepping back a few paces. After a careful look, she saw that it was a man. 

The man’s eyes were closed, and his forehead seemed to have a gash. His face was covered in blood, his body dirtied with soil and twigs, and his shirt soaked in blood around his abdomen. The ground was stained with blood as well.

Although He Miao was frightened, she thought that saving him was the priority, so she hurried over to check. She leaned in close to see if he was breathing and found a faint pulse. She shook his arm and called out, “Hey, wake up!” But the man didn’t respond.

She set her basket down and tried to lift his upper body, but the man was too large, and He Miao, being slender, found herself struggling to carry him. She couldn’t even manage to lift him onto her back, let alone carry him home.

Realizing the man’s condition was serious and needed immediate attention, He Miao ran back to the village to get help. 

“Big Brother Da Hu! Big Brother Da Hu, come quickly, someone’s hurt!” She shouted from afar as she approached Da Hu’s house. 

Da Hu was chopping firewood when he heard He Miao’s cry. He immediately put down his axe and came out. “Little sister, what happened? Is something wrong?”

He Miao was out of breath, leaning against a tree to catch her breath. “Big Brother Da Hu, in the forest behind my house, there’s a man hurt and bleeding a lot. If we don’t help him, he might die!”

“Alright, let’s go!”

Da Hu was a warm-hearted man. After asking for details, he hurried over, with He Miao following closely behind. After some effort, Da Hu finally carried the stranger back to He Miao’s house.

He Miao was an orphan, losing her mother at the age of seven, and her father had passed away two years ago. She now lived alone in a small courtyard. Besides her bedroom, there was a room filled with some food, firewood, and a creaky old wooden bed.

After putting the man down, He Miao immediately went to call her uncle, He Shun, who was the village doctor. 

He Shun looked at the pale man on the bed, furrowing his brows as he checked the man’s injuries. 

The man had some bruises and scratches, with a bump on his forehead, indicating he likely fell down the mountain. Though the slope was steep, it wasn’t a cliff, and the vegetation softened his fall. These wounds were not life-threatening, but the most serious injury was the deep wound on his abdomen. Blood was still flowing from the wound, so stopping the bleeding was a priority.

He Miao, though hesitant and uneasy, asked, “Uncle, how bad is he? Can he survive?”

“First, we need to stop the bleeding.” He Shun replied without directly answering. He instructed He Miao to fetch a basin of clean water while he went to get the necessary supplies.

After preparing the medicines, He Shun dressed the man’s wounds. Fortunately, they had managed to stop the bleeding in time, and the man didn’t lose too much blood. After the emergency treatment, it was time to assess his internal injuries. 

He Shun examined the man’s eyelids and pulse, then said, “He won’t die, but he’s lost a lot of blood. Fortunately, he’s in good health. With careful care, he should recover.”

He Miao let out a sigh of relief and went to the backyard to dig up the last jar of peach blossom wine her father had brewed. She also gathered four eggs from her chickens and gave them to Da Hu. “Big Brother Da Hu, thank you for helping me save him. Please take these eggs! Also, your clothes are stained with blood. Change and bring them to me. I’ll wash them for you!”

Da Hu refused. “Little sister, you’re being too polite. My wife will wash the clothes. No need for you to bother! As for the eggs, this is a life-saving matter, so how can I accept your eggs? You’re alone and life isn’t easy for you. Keep the eggs for yourself!”

Da Hu wouldn’t accept them, saying he would go back to bring a few old clothes for the man to change into. The man was tall, and Da Hu’s clothes were likely the best fit.

After Da Hu left, He Miao offered the wine and eggs to her uncle. “Uncle, please take this wine as payment for the medicine. If it’s not enough, I’ll make up for it when I earn some money.”

He Shun smiled and took the wine. “Miao’er, you’re too polite. I can’t take your money. I’ll accept the wine, but keep the eggs for yourself. When the man wakes up, he’ll need to recover too. Wait here. I’ll go prepare more medicine.”

After a while, He Shun returned with the medicine, and He Miao carefully made it into a broth for the man.

Da Hu returned with clean clothes and helped wash the man’s body and change his clothes. 

After everything was done, Da Hu’s wife, Ju Fang, called him back for dinner. He Shun, eager to taste the peach blossom wine, also hurried home.

He Miao waited for the medicine to cool before taking it into the room to the man. As she did, she took a closer look at him. The man was tall with broad shoulders, sharp and clean facial features. His eyes were sword-like, and his nose was straight. Though his lips were pale from blood loss, the contours of his lips were sharp and clear, showing a proud, cold aura even in sleep.