Chapter 13: Injured

The other person was Qin Zheng.

Only after confirming the fallen boar was dead did Qin Zheng loosen his grip on the machete.

Tang Wan had just barely avoided the boar’s charge because Qin Zheng had pulled her aside in time.

Qin Zheng furrowed his brows tightly and pressed his lips together, looking at Tang Wan with some anxiety.

Seeing Tang Wan’s gaze turn toward him, he asked, “Where are you hurt?”

During her evasive movements, Tang Wan’s hair had become disheveled, strands falling around her ears. Her normally calm face still bore traces of lingering fear.

For a moment, Tang Wan didn’t even respond to Qin Zheng’s question. The near-death experience had left her a bit numb.

Seeing her silent, Qin Zheng grew even more anxious.

He stepped closer in front of Tang Wan. The sun had already set, and the sky was dim. Up close, Qin Zheng noticed her torn clothes and the faint blood streaks on her cheek — marks left by bushes or branches as she dodged the wild boar.

Tang Wan’s skin was pale, making the blood stand out even more vividly, which made her look even more pitiful.

Qin Zheng’s face was full of guilt as he reached out to check if she was hurt anywhere.

Looking at Qin Zheng’s expression, Tang Wan finally snapped back to reality, her pounding heart slowly calming.

As she settled down, the wounds on her body began to sting.

Tang Wan suddenly felt pain all over — her face hurt, the side of her body grazed by the boar ached, her palms burned fiercely, and even her ankle began to throb.

Her face turned pale from the pain, her delicate brows furrowed deeply. The pain in her ankle was especially sharp — it was likely sprained during the escape, but she hadn’t noticed at the time. Now, it felt like piercing agony.

Seeing Tang Wan like this, Qin Zheng immediately crouched down and rolled up her pant leg. Sure enough, her ankle was swollen. Taking in her disheveled and battered state, Qin Zheng ignored everything else and turned to the other person, saying, “Stick to the original plan. I’ll take her down the mountain first. You keep an eye here. I’ll go get some supplies. You find a tree to wait under.”

“Okay, hurry up and come back. Let Grandma Bai take a look at her.”

“Mm.”

“You can’t walk with that ankle, I’ll carry you down,” Qin Zheng said to Tang Wan.

Tang Wan nodded. At this moment, she couldn’t care about anything else — she definitely couldn’t get back on her own.

Even though she knew there shouldn’t be physical contact between men and women at such a time, the urgency left no other choice but to rely on Qin Zheng.

Seeing her agree, Qin Zheng hesitated briefly, subtly brushed his clothes, then reached out and lifted Tang Wan up.

Tang Wan hadn’t expected Qin Zheng to pick her up so easily. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck, afraid of falling.

Qin Zheng felt the coolness of Tang Wan’s wrist against his warm skin, which eased some of his nervousness.

Carrying Tang Wan along the mountain path, Qin Zheng showed no sign of fatigue. His pace was quick, as if he wasn’t carrying anyone.

At first, Tang Wan worried if Qin Zheng could carry her all the way back to the village — it was still quite a distance. But Qin Zheng didn’t give her time to worry; he showed no sign of strain.

That put Tang Wan at ease.

“Comrade Qin Zheng, thank you. You saved my life again this time,” Tang Wan said, still shaken.

“No need to thank me. If it weren’t for us, you wouldn’t have encountered the boar,” Qin Zheng replied upon hearing her words.

After some explanation from Qin Zheng, Tang Wan learned why they had run into a boar so low on the mountain.

Originally, Qin Zheng and another person had set traps deep in the mountains to catch wild boars. Normally, once caught, a boar wouldn’t have enough strength to escape.

But this time, due to some flaws in the trap, the injured boar managed to flee.

The wounded boar was chased by Qin Zheng and the other person, panicking and running downhill. By coincidence, Tang Wan was walking deeper into the mountain at the same time, and they happened to cross paths with the boar.

As Qin Zheng said, if they hadn’t been hunting the boar, it would have been normal for Tang Wan to encounter wild chickens or rabbits there, but definitely not a boar.

Tang Wan didn’t know what to say. Even though Qin Zheng was involved, it was simply bad luck that the boar ran into that particular spot.

Seeing Tang Wan remain silent, Qin Zheng continued, “You have many wounds, and your ankle injury is serious. Let Grandma Bai put some medicine on you. I’ll take responsibility for your injuries. You won’t work for the next few days; I’ll cover your work points.”

“No need,” Tang Wan immediately shook her head to refuse. “I was the one who went deeper into the mountain. Besides, I don’t earn many work points anyway, and now I have an excuse to rest.”

Tang Wan rarely spoke jokingly to Qin Zheng, and for a moment, the two seemed somewhat more familiar than before.

Hearing this, Qin Zheng said nothing. He had his own judgment — it was indeed his fault. When he saw the boar charging at Tang Wan, he already regretted not killing it immediately.

Seeing Tang Wan’s battered state now, his heart felt heavy. The compensation was something he owed her.

Without a word, Qin Zheng quickened his pace and soon reached his backyard.

Tang Wan was surprised to find that Qin Zheng’s backyard had a door, allowing direct access from the mountain — very convenient.

Qin Zheng kicked open the door and carried Tang Wan inside.

His backyard was quite large, something not visible from the front.

Grandma Bai must have heard the back door open because she came from the front yard to the back.

When she saw Qin Zheng, she was a bit confused and froze in place. “What’s going on here?”

Tang Wan turned her head toward Grandma Bai at the sound.

Only then did Grandma Bai notice Tang Wan in Qin Zheng’s arms. She stepped closer and, by the moonlight, saw the injuries on Tang Wan’s face, repeatedly saying, “What happened? Quickly bring her inside, I’ll get some medicine.”

“Her ankle is sprained, and her hands are injured too. Grandma, please bring plenty of medicine,” Qin Zheng explained, pointing out Tang Wan’s wounds as he instructed Grandma Bai.

“I know, I know. Hurry and bring her inside; the lights are on,” Grandma Bai said as she walked into the house.

Qin Zheng followed, carrying Tang Wan into the main room and carefully placed her on a stool.

Tang Wan hadn’t dared to move while in Qin Zheng’s arms but felt a bit more comfortable now that she was put down. “Thank you for your trouble.”

“You’re too light,” Qin Zheng said instinctively — something he wanted to say the moment he lifted Tang Wan. She was so delicate and light, it didn’t feel tiring at all.

Realizing he’d misspoken, Qin Zheng quickly changed the subject: “I’ll go help get the medicine. You sit here for now.”