Chapter 64

Sima Haoran ordered the guards to drive the cart directly to the captain’s mansion and then let Xiao Si accompany him to the city to invite the best doctor to go to the mansion for medical treatment.

The carriage drove straight into the captain’s mansion. Song Dashan jumped out of the carriage. Under the guidance of Sima Haoran, he carried Li Mo into the guest room.

The doctor came quickly. The injuries to Li Mo’s body did not cause any serious problems. They were all injuries caused by needle-prick. It was not appropriate for the doctor to look at it. He only gave Li Mo a little ointment to apply to the injury.

The main thing that needed to be treated was Song Dashan’s injury. His injury was very serious. There was almost no single piece of good skin left on his body.

The doctor checked Song Dashan’s whole body. Fortunately, no bones were injured. All of the wounds were skin trauma. The doctor spread the healing medicine^[1]healing medicine, in the raw, it was called 金疮 (jīn chuānɡ) medicine, which means medicine for metal inflicted or incised wounds on top of the wounds after cleaning them one by one. He continued to wrap the wound with gauze and used medicinal liquor to massage the swollen, red, and congested area to disperse the blood to not cause blood congestion. Lastly, at Li Mo’s request, he gave a closer look at Song Dashan’s legs.

Fortunately, except for the skin trauma and swelling, the left leg was not injured, and it would be fine after a good recuperation.

Li Mo breathed a sigh of relief. What she was afraid of the most was that Song Dashan’s hardly getting better leg may have suffered a second injury.

The doctor gave Song Dashan a prescription and left the healing medicine and medicinal liquor before making his departure.

Sima Haoran saw the miserable situation of Song Dashan and his wife. He called the maid, ordered her to prepare a change of clothes for Li Mo and Song Dashan, and then asked the other maid to get some food before saying to Song Dashan and Li Mo: “Dashan, Sister-in-law, you are also tired today. Let’s not talk about anything else. Later, we will eat something, change into clean clothes, and get a good night’s sleep. We’ll talk about it after you’ve rested. “

Song Dashan stood up, turned towards Sima Haoran, and bowed solemnly, “Brother, thank you so much for today!”

Sima Haoran hurriedly helped Song Dashan, “We don’t need to be so polite with each other. You are not treating me as a brother if you do this again. “

Song Dashan nodded and patted Sima Haoran on the shoulder, thanking him silently.

After Sima Haoran left, the maid brought two sets of clothes and food, as well as hot water to wipe off Song Daoshan’s body.

Song Dashan first changed his dirty clothes, then lightly took off Li Mo’s clothes and carefully checked her wounds.

After seeing the injury caused by the needle-prick on her tender skin, his eyes quickly turned red, and his breath also rose rapidly.

Li Mo hurriedly cupped his face and looked him in the eyes, “Dashan, don’t be like this.”

Song Dashan bit his lip, closed his eyes, and opened them again. Only then did his trembling hands touch the injury. His voice was trembling with pain, “Wife, does it hurt?”

Li Mo held his hand and shook her head, “It’s okay, it doesn’t matter, just rub the medicine for two days.”

“Wife, I’m useless. I let you suffer! “

The deep guilt and pain in Song Dashan’s words made Li Mo’s eyes sore. She hurriedly covered his mouth, “What are you talking about? There are many of them. How can you handle it alone? Don’t blame yourself too much. You saved me and took me back. Don’t think about it anymore. “

Song Dashan lowered his head and remained silent for a few moments before picking up the towel next to him and dropping it into the hot water. He wrung the towel and gently wiped Li Mo’s body as if he was dealing with fragile porcelain.

Li Mo also didn’t stop him and just let him wipe her. After Song Dashan wiped her body, He picked up the ointment left by the doctor and applied it carefully to the injury.

Li Mo said nothing and just endured the pain.

After putting the medicine on Li Mo’s injury, Song Dashan helped her put on clean clothes for her before carrying her to the table. The two of them ate their meals quietly.

After the meal, Song Dashan and Li Mo laid on the bed. Only now do they feel completely safe.

Li Mo shrank into Song Dashan’s arms, quietly feeling the aftermath of the disaster.

This time, she almost had to leave this place, Xiaobao, and this man. If she hadn’t been saved by the captain, she probably wouldn’t have been able to meet them anymore in this life.

Thinking of the captain, Li Mo opened her mouth to ask the question she had wanted to ask before, “Dashan, how did you and the captain meet?”

Song Dashan held Li Mo’s hand tightly, patted her back as he replied: “Sima and I met when we were in the army. At that time, I had just joined the barracks. He also had just joined the barracks and happened to be assigned under the same chief. We did everything together, so we got to know each other. “

Li Mo thought of Sima Haoran’s appearance. His disposition was just like a gong zi^[2]gōng zǐ : a son of a high ranking official or noble household with good family background. He was not an ordinary civilian at all, so how could he be a soldier? And even if he was a soldier, how could he be in the same division as Song Dashan, who was born as an ordinary person?

Seeing Li Mo’s doubts, Song Dashan’s mouth twitched and explained: “Sima’s family was indeed not ordinary. His family is very powerful. It is a family of generals. His father is a general who protects the Country at the time, and his brother is also a general. His aunt was a dignified gui fei^[3]guì fēi: highest-ranking imperial concubine, only one ranking below the Empress. Used in the early Tang Dynasty, and his other relatives were also very powerful. I’m not too clear about the details. “

Song Dashan continued: “Sima is the youngest child in the family. He has been neglected in the discipline since he was a child, and it’s hard to avoid being a dandy, causing a lot of trouble for his family. Later, he didn’t know what he had done to make his father angry, so he was thrown into the army, made to be the youngest soldier, and wasn’t allowed to mention his identity. In this way, he and I were assigned to the same small team.”

“At the beginning, Sima knew nothing. Because the steamed buns were too dry, even his eating was slower than the average person. He couldn’t wash his clothes, let alone mend his damaged clothes. He had a bad temper and was very unpleasant. He often caused dissatisfaction with other soldiers. He was punished many times by the officers and was beaten black and blue every time. I really can’t stand it anymore. Seeing that he was not old and couldn’t take care of himself, I just took care of him; helped him wash his clothes, and helped sew his torn clothes. If others don’t want to train with him, I will join him. Gradually, we became friends. “

As He was speaking, Song Dashan seemed to recall the past and smiled slightly, “At that time, I told him to listen to my advice. Gradually, he stopped fighting and causing trouble but instead obediently did his training. Every time we went to the battlefield, we both cooperated and helped each other. I have helped him, and he has helped me, and together we have made a few small achievements. “

Li Mo was fascinated and couldn’t help asking, “What happened later?”

“Later, in a few years, he became a young soldier and then became a centurion. When I left, he had a great achievement and was about to be promoted to be a cavalry captain.”
(TN: Centurion-in command of 100 soldiers; Cavalry Captain-in command of soldiers riding a horse.)

Sima Haoran was promoted quite fast, but it’s not surprising. Li Mo was also not interested. She just wanted to know why Song Dashan came back home with such a serious injury, but Song Dashan didn’t take the initiative to say it.

She had no choice but to ask: “What about you? Why did you hurt your leg? And have you returned to your hometown since then? “

Song Dashan pursed his lips and said nothing for a while.

After a long while, he sighed and said: “That time, the enemy played a trick and wanted to wipe out our army. We were sent to inquire about the news, but we were ambushed. We were so badly injured that we almost couldn’t go back to report the news. At that time, Sima and I were both injured. Sima was almost killed by the enemy and it was me who blocked the knife for him. That’s when I hurt my leg, but at that time, I was also considered lucky. Sima and I finally ran back and sent back information to our army. It’s just that, for a long time, my leg was too badly injured to stay in the army. I was finally given a sum of silver to let me go back home. Then, not long after I came back, I met you. “

“Before I went back, Sima came to me and took the initiative to talk to me about him, and that’s when I found out who he was. He asked me to send him a letter when I got home, but I…” Song Dashan said no more here.

Li Mo could guess his next words, “But you didn’t contact him anymore, right?”

Song Dashan nodded.

Li Mo actually understands why Song Dashan did this because the two of them are not in the same world at all. One can even say that one is the sky and the other is the earth, so what is the point of keeping in touch? Moreover, after being discharged from the military, there may be no possibility of seeing each other for the rest of their lives, and since the sky is high and the road is long, there is no need to keep in touch.

If they hadn’t seen each other again in the city that time, they might not have crossed paths again in this lifetime.

Li Mo touched Song Dashan’s face, “Did you recognize Sima when you saw him helping the family in the city last time?”

Song Dashan nodded, then shook his head, “In fact, it is not. The night we stayed in the city for the first time, I vaguely saw a person very similar to him, but I was not so sure. At the time, I thought I was wrong until the second time we saw him in the city. That was when I confirmed that it was really him. “

At this point, Song Dashan pursed his lips, “But I didn’t have the idea of recognizing him at that time. After all, I was just an ordinary countryman, and he was a captain. I don’t want to just come up and get close to him, making people think that I have something to ask for. It’s good to just look at the other person like this. If it weren’t for this time… I really had no choice I… I wouldn’t have thought of going to him for help. “
Li Mo patted him on the back, “I understand your thoughts. This time, we owe him a big favor. “

Song Dashan nodded. If it wasn’t for Sima this time, he would have really lost Li Mo, and his family would have been ruined.

Song Dashan talked to Li Mo a lot about when he was a soldier until Li Mo let out regular breathing sounds in his arms and completely fell asleep.

Looking at the person who was still pale in his arms, Song Dashan kissed Li Mo on the forehead, full of compassion. He accompanied her for a while, then gently moved Li Mo out of his arms and placed her on the bed. After covering her with a quilt and making sure that she was still asleep, he slowly walked out of the room.

When Song Dashan found the back garden with the help of the mansion’s servant, he saw Sima Haoran drinking tea in the pavilion.

Hearing the footsteps, Sima Haoran turned his head and saw Song Dashan. He smiled in relief, “Dashan, you can’t sleep?”

After a short time together, Song Dashan regained the familiarity that the two had when they trained together to fight the enemy. Without the initial restraint, he naturally sat opposite Sima Haoran, took the tea he handed over, and replied: “Well, I really can’t sleep. I want to come to you for a chat. “

Sima Haoran gave a “hum,” “I also want to talk to you. I asked you to send me a letter when you return to your hometown so that I would know where you are, but you are really good. Once you left, there is no news at all. I am really angry. “

Song Dashan looked at Sima Haoran, who looked slightly childish at the moment and smiled. The dignified and calm bearing that he had when he met him in the city was gone, and it seemed like they were in the army together again.

Song Dashan explained: “After I come back, I am an ordinary village man, and you are the son of the great general’s family. Maybe I will never see you again in my life, so what can I say to you? “

Sima Haoran patted the table. “Bullsh*t! Did you forget that we went through life and death together? If you hadn’t taken care of me, I would have been a deserter; and that last time, if you hadn’t saved me, I still don’t know how many times I would have been reincarnated. Would I despise you for being a villager?!”

Song Dashan watched him getting angry, unable to restrain himself from patting his shoulder, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry, I shouldn’t have broken off contact completely, I will never do that again. Let’s not talk about that. Tell me, what happened to you after I was discharged? Why are you here now? “

Sima Haoran took a sip of the tea, calmed down, and said, “After you left, I became a cavalry captain. After half a year, my army won a big victory, and I returned to the court with my father. Then, I was decreed to be the captain of this city, and I immediately came here from the capital to take up the post. I guess all of this was arranged by my father. However, I didn’t expect to see you again when I arrived here. “

Song Dashan smiled, “My home is in Daoyuan Village in the county where you followed me yesterday. I couldn’t come to the city easily, and it was impossible to meet you. When I went to this city to treat my legs, I saw you by accident. I really am hopeless regarding the incident with my wife this time, so I had to come to trouble you. “

Sima Haoran waved his hand, “Talk about the trouble. If you have any difficulties in the future, just come to me. I am here to cover you. I can also protect you even if I’m gone. By the way, how is your leg now? “

Song Dashan replied, “It’s already being treated. It’s much better now. A little more time and it will recover completely. “

Sima Haoran was relieved, but when he saw the wound on Song Dashan’s face, his eyes sank once again. There was a murderous aura as he spoke. “I have locked up those two people who escorted your wife. After punishing them, I will find the county magistrate to settle the account. For his own personal advantage, that county magistrate robbed women and wounded ordinary people. I don’t think he wants his official uniform anymore. “

This matter almost made Song Dashan lose Li Mo. He hated the magistrate at the moment. Of course, he hoped that the magistrate would get the lessons he deserved.

This time, he owed Sima for this favor.