Chapter 43 – Mu Feng Gets Injured

“I sent him to take care of some business.” Shen Nian’s tone was calm.

“Oh! Will he be back for dinner later?”

“Don’t worry about him.”

Xia Tian thought Mu Feng would return after just a day or two, but to her surprise, he was gone for half a month.

In these two weeks, she had been fetching water, chopping firewood, and feeding the chickens, keeping herself busy, though it was a bit of an adjustment.

While fetching water, she ran into Aunt Chun and a few others, who asked, “Why haven’t we seen your little brother-in-law fetching water these past few days?”

“Well, the medicine my family’s been using ran out, and the town’s pharmacy didn’t have the right ingredients. He went to the provincial capital to see if he could find them there.” Xia Tian casually gave an excuse.

“What’s wrong with your family’s illness? They take medicine every day, but it doesn’t seem to be getting any better?”

“Sigh, it’s a disease from when I was in the womb. I can only take medicine to ease it, nothing can be done about it!”

“That kind of illness is the hardest to treat. I heard that the wife of that old Liu Fifth’s cousin’s nephew suffered from the same thing, and it cost a lot of money.”

“Really? Having a patient in the house who needs medicine all year round must be tough!”

“Exactly!”

Xia Tian noticed the conversation was drifting off-topic, so after chatting a bit more with the aunts, she continued fetching water and returned home.

After all, Shen Nian’s background couldn’t be known by just anyone.

He also had a relentless stepmother chasing after him!

However, with the treatment from the spiritual spring water, Shen Nian had recovered about seventy to eighty percent, so there was no need to worry too much for now.

On the night of the second day of August, Xia Tian had gone to bed early.

In the middle of the night, a figure sneaked into her yard, and shortly after, candles lit up in Shen Nian’s room.

Xia Tian heard the noise and was about to get up to check when she heard voices from the yard.

“Mu Feng?” It was Shen Nian’s voice.

“Master, it’s me.”

It was Mu Feng! Xia Tian relaxed and didn’t bother anymore, lying back down and quickly falling back asleep.

Inside the main room, Shen Nian looked at Mu Feng, whose clothes were stained with fresh blood, and who could barely stand. His brow furrowed deeply, and he rushed to support him. “What happened? You’re injured?”

“Master, we were ambushed.” Mu Feng spoke, and blood seeped from his mouth.

Shen Nian quickly helped Mu Feng sit down in a chair. “Where are you hurt? Let me see.”

“Here.” Mu Feng pointed to the place he was pressing. Shen Nian immediately tore open his clothes, and when Mu Feng loosened his hand, blood started pouring out. It was a sword wound to the stomach, deep enough that if not stopped soon, he would bleed to death.

Shen Nian pressed his hand against the wound, looking at Mu Feng’s face, which was growing paler. His lips were tight, his hands shaking slightly. He couldn’t let Mu Feng end up like Mu Yang.

But there was no hemostatic medicine at home. What should he do?

“Master, Mu Lin and the others…” Mu Feng was struggling, trying to tell what he knew, afraid he wouldn’t have the chance soon.

“Don’t speak. Wait here.” Shen Nian interrupted, his voice firm, and like he had made up his mind, he hurriedly ran out of the room.

“Bang, bang, bang!” Shen Nian knocked urgently on Xia Tian’s door, calling for her. “Xia Tian!”

“Xia Tian, open the door!”

Xia Tian was in a drowsy sleep and thought she was dreaming when she heard someone calling her. She opened her eyes and listened carefully. It really was someone calling her.

It sounded like Shen Nian.

“Shen Dage?” she asked uncertainly.

“It’s me, open the door!” Shen Nian’s voice was urgent.

“Coming, coming!” She quickly got up, put on her shoes, and opened the door. “What’s the matter, Shen Dage?”

“Xia Tian, Mu Feng is injured. Help him!”

The pleading tone made Xia Tian’s heart tighten. She had never seen Shen Nian so flustered before, not even when he had been sick.

“Mu Feng is injured?” Xia Tian was startled, her heart filling with concern. “Where is he? I’ll go take a look.”

She followed Shen Nian to the main room. As soon as she got closer, she saw that Mu Feng’s face was as white as paper, and his stomach wound was bleeding profusely. It nearly scared her to death. Her voice trembled as she spoke, “Shen, Shen Dage, you press on the wound. I’ll go get water.”

She quickly turned around and stumbled to the kitchen, grabbed a bowl of cool water, and added a little spiritual spring water before rushing back to the main room. “Shen Dage, you help Mu Feng drink this water.”

“Mu Feng, drink the water.” Shen Nian held the bowl to Mu Feng’s lips. Mu Feng, still somewhat conscious, managed to drink it.

Xia Tian quickly went to the kitchen again, filled a basin with water, and added more spiritual spring water. She wasn’t sure if it would help with stopping the bleeding, but she had no time to think of anything else. Keeping Mu Feng alive was the priority.

Together, they carefully laid Mu Feng on the bed, cutting away the clothing around the wound. Xia Tian took a clean cloth, dipped it in water, and gently pressed it to the wound, watching the blood slowly stop. After a moment, she removed the cloth and saw that the bleeding had indeed stopped. Both let out a long sigh of relief.

They exchanged a glance. The bleeding had stopped, so Mu Feng should be out of danger, right?

Xia Tian cleaned the wound carefully, unsure if such a large wound would heal without stitches.

She looked up at Shen Nian. “Shen Dage, do we have any wound medicine at home? The wound needs to be treated and bandaged.”

“We don’t have any hemostatic medicine.” Shen Nian shook his head.

There was no choice. Xia Tian went outside, switched the water to clean water with more spiritual spring water, and used a clean cloth to press the wound a little longer before wrapping it with a clean cloth.

Shen Nian gently removed Mu Feng’s upper garments and checked. He didn’t find any other wounds and seeing that Mu Feng’s face had slowly started to regain some color, he felt a little more at ease.

Xia Tian went to the kitchen again to fill Shen Nian’s water bottle, adding a bit more spiritual spring water. She brought it back and poured Mu Feng another cup, asking Shen Nian to feed him.

Seeing how tired Shen Nian was from all the commotion, she poured him a cup of water as well. “Shen Dage, have some water. You must be exhausted after all that.”

“Thank you!” Shen Nian accepted the cup and said softly.

If it hadn’t been for Xia Tian, Mu Feng might have met the same fate as Mu Yang. Now, he owed her two lives.

Who would have thought that, at such a critical moment, it was a simple village girl who had saved them repeatedly, giving them hope to live?

She didn’t refuse, didn’t make excuses. She just exposed her secret to him.

Shen Nian’s eyes grew a little moist. He pressed his lips tightly together and didn’t speak for a long while.

This kind of favor, he could never repay in this life.

Seeing that Mu Feng’s color had improved, Xia Tian didn’t return to her room, afraid that if Mu Feng’s condition relapsed, she could still help.

She poured herself a cup of water, drank it, and then remembered to ask Shen Nian.

“Shen Dage, what happened? How did Mu Feng get hurt so badly?”

Shen Nian struggled to suppress the turbulent thoughts inside him and whispered, “They must have been discovered by the people who were chasing me.”

Xia Tian was momentarily silent, unsure how to respond.

These people were too ruthless. Wasn’t it just for the title of heir? Was it worth going this far?

Meanwhile, Mu Feng had recovered slightly and opened his eyes. Seeing Shen Nian by his side, he anxiously spoke, “Master, save Mu Lin and the others.”