Chapter 38: Bear With It

Su Yunqing heated the embroidery needle over a candle until it glowed red, then bent it into the shape of the needle she remembered Dr. Ma using. She picked up a linen thread, preparing to thread it.

Song Jiao and Dr. Tian watched tensely from the side.

Su Yunqing twisted the end of the thread, aimed it at the eye of the needle, and squinted, trying for a long time. It simply would not go through.

Song Jiao scratched her nose. "Is the thread too thick?"

Su Yunqing realized, "This isn't linen thread at all; it's a piece of twine!"

Song Jiao frowned. "But this is the thinnest thread in my aunt's basket. Let me go check with the neighbors?"

"No need!" Su Yunqing replied, pulling a hair from her own head. "There is no thread finer than a strand of hair. We will use this."

With the needle threaded, three pairs of eyes stared fixedly at Ling Yuan's chest.

Su Yunqing asked Dr. Tian, "Dr. Tian, do you have any anesthetic powder?"

Dr. Tian shook his head awkwardly.

Su Yunqing gave a bitter smile. Of course. He wasn't a real doctor and knew nothing of surgery; where would he get anesthetic? But without it, it was like driving a needle directly into raw flesh. Given the length of the wound, she had no idea how many stitches it would take.

Su Yunqing looked at Ling Yuan with sympathy. "Brother Ling, this may be very painful. Please, try to endure it."

Ling Yuan replied expressionlessly, "It is no matter. Begin."

This was also Su Yunqing's first time. She struggled to suppress her nerves, doing her best to keep her hand from shaking. His wound could not wait any longer, and there was no time to go down the mountain to fetch a physician.

Su Yunqing gritted her teeth, placed her left hand beside his wound, and began to stitch with the needle in her right.

Ling Yuan, knowing she was a young woman, turned his head away, feeling slightly uncomfortable. The moment Su Yunqing’s hand touched him, Ling Yuan tensed, the firm, muscular lines of his chest and abdomen laid bare.

Su Yunqing grew even more nervous. "I told you it would be very painful."

Song Jiao spoke up from the side, "Brother Cheng, it's fine. Go ahead and stitch. My brother has a very strong will. Better a short pain than a long one. Brother, hang in there."

Su Yunqing steeled her heart and pushed the needle through.

Dr. Tian watched with intense focus, while Song Jiao held a handkerchief in each hand, dabbing sweat from Ling Yuan’s forehead and then from Su Yunqing’s.

Half an hour later, Su Yunqing let out a long breath. "Finally, it's done."

She glanced at her handiwork. She wasn't entirely satisfied with the first half, which was a bit crooked, but the latter half was quite neat and pretty, thanks to her growing proficiency and the fact that Ling Yuan’s absolute cooperation had put her at ease.

After applying some medicine, she and Dr. Tian helped him sit up, then wrapped the wound in gauze to secure it.

Song Jiao brought him a new set of clothes to put on and helped him lie back down. "Brother, how are you feeling?"

"I am fine. Do not worry." He turned his head to look at Su Yunqing. "Thank you."

Song Jiao also looked at Su Yunqing with an expression of pure adoration. "Brother Cheng, thank you. We owe this to you; you are amazing."

Thinking of the crooked stitches at the beginning, Su Yunqing felt a bit embarrassed. "It was just a lucky strike; it was all thanks to Brother Ling’s own strength."

Su Yunqing turned her gaze toward the eager-to-learn Dr. Tian and said seriously, "Dr. Tian, life is not a game. I hope you will confess clearly to the Chief. You understand pharmacology; as long as you read more and study diligently, you can truly help others. But you must not exaggerate your abilities. Doing so delays treatment and may cost someone their life."

Dr. Tian nodded vigorously. "I know I was wrong. Thank you for your guidance, sir. I grew up in poverty and always wanted to study medicine, but without money, I could only work as an apprentice in a pharmacy. I will go to Yian Hall immediately to ask for the Chief's forgiveness."

With that, he picked up his medical bag, opened the door, and left.

"The Chief?" Song Lang was standing right at the door.

Hearing the voice, Song Jiao followed him out. "Father, why didn't you come in?"

Song Lang turned to leave. "I was just passing by."

Song Jiao grabbed him. "Father, my brother is fine now. If you care about him, why don't you go in and check? Why hide by the door?"

"I told you, I was just passing by."

...

Back inside, only the two of them remained.

Ling Yuan asked coldly, "Who exactly are you? And why have you come to Longyin Mountain?"

A maidservant could not possibly possess such knowledge and courage.

"Me?" Su Yunqing pursed her lips. "To be honest with you, Brother Ling, I came here from Zejiang to find my relatives. It just so happens that someone in their family fell gravely ill. I came to Longyin Mountain to search for a specific herb. Last night, Brother Hu already helped me find it."

"I am asking about your identity."

"I..." Su Yunqing wanted to explain, but realized she didn't know how to tell him.

Instead, she countered, "What about you, Brother Ling? Song Jiao said you were gone for several days. Where did you go? And why did you come into conflict with the Imperial Guards?"

Ling Yuan looked at her in disbelief, more certain than ever that she was no maid. How did she know he was injured while fighting the Imperial Guards?

Su Yunqing explained, "Your wound is shallow at the ends and deep in the middle, and the edges are smooth and decisive. These are wounds caused by a Xiuchun blade, and the Xiuchun blade is the signature weapon of the Imperial Guards."

"That has nothing to do with you. Do not try to deflect; answer me first: who are you?"

Su Yunqing remained silent, looking at him with calm composure.

Song Jiao pushed the door open and entered, looking grumpy. She bit her lip and muttered, "My father gets weirder as he gets older. He clearly cares about my brother—I don't know how long he was eavesdropping outside—but when I asked him to come in, he just walked away."

Only when she reached them did she notice the strange atmosphere. "What happened to you two? Why is no one talking?"

Su Yunqing smiled. "Your brother is heavily injured; it is better if he speaks less."

She glanced out the door. The brilliant sunset painted the sky with vibrant colors, and the whole world was bathed in a golden hue. The sun was about to set; she would have to wait until tomorrow to head down the mountain.

Song Jiao nodded obediently, winding a lock of her hair around her finger as she tilted her head at Su Yunqing. "Brother Cheng, you must be tired too. Shall I take you to rest for a while? Let's leave my brother to himself."

Su Yunqing stood up, intending to return to Meng Hu’s house. She had already slept there once; she might as well stay there tonight. She told Song Jiao, "I think I will head back to Brother Hu's house."

Song Jiao grew anxious. "Brother Cheng, just stay here. What if my brother’s stitches come undone?"

Ling Yuan: "?"

Su Yunqing paused for a moment and laughed. "As long as he doesn't move around recklessly or exert too much force, they won't come undone."

A light set of footsteps approached the door, accompanied by a soft, delicate female voice.

"Come, come, time to eat."

Song Jiao turned with a smile. "It's my aunt. Brother Cheng, let's eat first and then talk."

A gentle, loving-looking woman entered the room with a maid, each carrying a red-lacquered wooden food basket.

Ling Yuan smiled and called out softly, "Aunt."

The woman went to the bedside and tucked a soft pillow behind him. "Ah Yuan, don't move. Just lie down."

The woman ladled out a bowl of soup and brought it to the bedside. "Ah Yuan, here, I've brewed some black fish soup for you. Drink it while it's hot. Let me feed you."

Meanwhile, Song Jiao had already served rice for Su Yunqing and set out the chopsticks. She pushed all the dishes she thought were most delicious toward her, looking at her with a sweet expression.

"Brother Cheng, eat. My aunt has the best cooking skills." As she spoke, she kept piling food onto Su Yunqing’s plate.

Su Yunqing felt that something was a little off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

She could only say repeatedly, "I'll do it myself, I'll do it myself..."