Chapter Fifty-Three: Beyond Expectation

“Could it be a snake?” Cheng Zhilin blinked his small eyes and asked. The speed at which romantic stories are updated is faster than a rocket—can you believe it?

An Yi glanced askance at Cheng Zhilin. Was this person really her elder brother’s classmate? Impossible! He must have bought his way through the child student examination!

If Cheng Zhilin knew what she was thinking, he’d surely say, “Little Sister An, you’ve guessed the truth.”

“In winter, snakes hibernate; they don’t come out,” An Jian kindly informed him.

“I forgot it’s winter,” Cheng Zhilin chuckled sheepishly. “Then what could it be? If only it were a wild boar.”

An Yi shot him another sidelong glance. What was there to be happy about? If it really were a wild boar, with only two hatchets and a bow, there’s no way they’d be able to kill it—it would be their lives at stake.

The grass pile made no further noise. If it were a wild animal, it wouldn’t quiet down so quickly. An Kang was the first to go over and investigate.

Parting the waist-high weeds, he found a man lying there, covered in blood. Judging by the way he’d fallen, An Yi deduced that the man must have regained consciousness after fainting, tried to get up and leave, but tore open his wound again and passed out from the pain.

The area around Jingtang Village was always peaceful; even wild animals rarely harmed people. How could this man have gotten injured and collapsed here?

The man was unconscious and could not answer this question.

More important than an answer was saving him.

Although An Yi was full of suspicion toward this man who had suddenly appeared, and did not want to save him, An Kang was in charge here, and he insisted on helping. She had no choice but to offer advice, “Brother, go cut two long poles, and use vines to make a simple stretcher. We’ll carry him down.”

“What’s a stretcher?” Cheng Zhilin was all curiosity.

An Yi explained briefly. An Kang immediately understood and set about making a simple stretcher. The hunting trip was thus aborted. An Jian carried the bamboo basket and led An Yi; An Kang, Cheng Zhilin, and his servant took turns carrying the stretcher.

The man was gravely wounded and needed immediate attention, but Physician Lu was out on a call, and Madam Zhang was not at home—the doors were locked. An Kang made a quick decision: “Take him to our house. Little sister, you treat him.”

An Yi raised her brows slightly. She’d only been “studying medicine” for a few months, and now they wanted her to treat someone—were they really counting on a desperate gamble?

An Jian pushed open the half-closed door. Madam Luo was sitting in the courtyard embroidering. “Oh? Why are you all back so soon?” When she saw the stretcher, she asked, “Who is that?”

“Mother, this man was injured and collapsed in the mountains. We brought him back,” An Jian explained.

“Quickly, bring him inside. How did he get hurt?” Madam Luo moved her chair aside to make way.

Treating wounds was not difficult; they had plenty of hemostatic and healing herbs at home. An Yi selected a few and asked An Jian to grind them into powder. Before applying the medicine, however, the wounds needed to be disinfected—but there was no disinfectant, no alcohol, not even strong spirits.

An Yi recalled something the stubborn old man had once said: being infected is better than no treatment at all. Since they had none of those things, they’d have to make do. “Mother, please boil a pot of water.”

An Yi examined the man’s wounds, her gaze darkening. They were knife wounds. When the major gangs had clashed that year, she’d interned in the ER and seen wounds exactly like this on the thugs who came in—just like this man’s. Who was he? Law and order in Lingling was good; there were no bandits. How did he get such wounds? Was he friend or foe? Should they save him or not?

“Little sister, the boiling water’s ready.”

“Little sister, here’s the medicine.”

The brothers An Kang and An Jian entered together, one carrying hot water, the other medicine. There was no time for An Yi to hesitate further. With their help, she washed the blood from the man’s body and applied the medicine.

There were a total of eleven wounds, all on his upper body. If any had been lower, even if An Yi were willing to apply medicine, An Kang and An Jian would not have allowed it. The most dangerous injury was three inches from the heart on the left chest. The person who did this had clearly intended to kill, but somehow, he’d escaped.

Madam Luo found some of An Qinghe’s old clothes from a chest. “Zhuzi, help him change his clothes…” Her gaze froze on the man’s cleaned face. “Brother!”

The An siblings were stunned. Brother?

Mother’s brother would be their uncle, but they’d never seen this man before. How could he be their uncle?

Madam Luo gently lifted the man’s head and found a round birthmark at the nape of his neck, near his hairline. “Brother, it’s my brother, my brother’s come home!”

The siblings exchanged glances. Could it really be? Was this man truly their uncle?

Madam Luo’s tears flowed uncontrollably as she cried out, “Father, Mother, brother is back! Brother is back!”

The birthmark convinced Madam Luo that this unconscious man was her long-lost brother, Luo Qiuxue.

Once the medicine was applied and he was changed into clean clothes, the man looked merely pale, as if asleep. He did not awaken all day, and by dusk, Luo Fugui and his two brothers came by. After seeing the man, they all agreed that his features matched those of Luo Xianrong.

Hearing her uncles’ words, Madam Luo was even more certain he was her brother. She kept vigil at his bedside, recounting stories from Luo Qiuxue’s childhood and the changes in the family after he was abducted.

“Xier, why hasn’t your uncle woken up yet?” Madam Luo asked anxiously, not noticing the slight flutter of the man’s eyelids.

An Yi sighed. What was going on? She’d gained an uncle for no reason. She went over, checked his pulse, and said, “His pulse is steady, nothing’s wrong. He’ll wake up soon.”

Madam Luo looked at her, hesitated, then said, “Xier, perhaps we should have Physician Lu take a look.”

“I’ll go fetch Master,” An Yi said, just reaching the door.

A muffled groan came from the man.

“Brother, you’re awake!” Madam Luo exclaimed happily.

The man opened his eyes, gazing coldly at the woman before him. “Who are you?”

“Brother, I’m your elder sister, Luo Qiumei. Do you remember?” Madam Luo looked at him, full of hope. Luo Qiuxue had only been six when he was abducted.

“Elder sister Luo Qiumei?” The man frowned slightly. “Is this Jingtang Village?”

“Yes, this is Jingtang Village. Brother, you remember, don’t you?”

The man tilted his head, thinking. “I remember there was a big pagoda tree at the entrance to the village.”

“That’s right!” Madam Luo’s eyes shone.

“I wanted to eat pagoda flower rice. Elder sister, you’d use a bamboo pole to knock down the blossoms for me.” The man repeated the story Madam Luo had just told him, his tone uncertain.

“Yes, yes.” Madam Luo nodded, eyes brimming with tears.

The man propped himself up, trying to sit. He moved too quickly and his wounds pulled, making him gasp in pain.

“What are you doing? Do you want water, or need the latrine? Are you hungry? Do you want to eat? Don’t move—you’re covered in wounds!” Madam Luo anxiously supported him.

“You say I’m your brother. Then what is my name?” the man asked.

“You’re Luo Qiuxue—‘Qiu’ as in autumn, ‘Xue’ as in school,” Madam Luo replied.

“Luo Qiuxue?” The man’s gaze flickered. “I don’t remember that name, but I vaguely recall being called Toad Boy.”

Madam Luo started crying again. “Toad Boy is your childhood name—Mother gave it to you, hoping one day you’d win honors at the imperial exams.”

The man lowered his head, silent, as if searching his memory. After a long time, he looked up at Madam Luo. “Elder sister.”

“Brother! Brother!” Madam Luo wept and laughed for joy.

The man, now using the name Luo Qiuxue, shifted his gaze. He saw An Yi standing by the door, her expression calm and watchful, and realized this little girl did not believe he was Madam Luo’s brother.

Madam Luo wiped her tears and called, “Zhuzi, Shuanzi!”

An Kang and An Jian, who were making dinner in the kitchen, rushed in at her call. “Mother, what is it?”

“Your uncle is awake—greet your uncle,” she said.

The brothers hesitated, then called, “Uncle.”

Seeing her brothers do so, An Yi had no choice but to softly add, “Uncle.”

The man smiled, his gaze lingering on An Yi.

His injuries were serious, and after a bowl of rice porridge, he fell asleep again. Madam Luo hastily ate a few mouthfuls herself, then kept vigil at his bedside, never suspecting how suspicious his wounds seemed.

The An siblings gathered around the kitchen fire. An Jian asked, “Big brother, do you think he’s really our uncle?”

“Mother says so,” An Kang replied quietly, head lowered.

An Yi heard the tone and knew he too was suspicious. “Big brother, his wounds are knife wounds.”

An Kang looked up. “Are you sure?”

“The wounds are exactly like the knife wounds described in medical books,” An Yi replied with certainty.

“Knife wounds?” An Jian scratched his head. “It’s always peaceful around here. How did he get wounded like that?”

An Kang narrowed his eyes, a glint of insight flashing by. “We’ll have to ask him ourselves.”

“Big brother, don’t rush. Look at him—he seems to be a martial artist. Let me prepare a medicine to subdue him first, then you can question him,” An Yi whispered.

“You know how to make poison?” An Jian asked in shock.

“Nonsense,” An Yi glared at him. “There’s no poison in Master’s medical books. I’m making something to sap his strength.”

An Jian patted his chest. “You’re a girl—you mustn’t dabble in poisonous things.”

“Do you need to say that?” An Yi curled her lip in disdain. She could make poisons, but that was a secret.

“Don’t be angry, little sister. I was wrong,” An Jian said, tugging his ear and grinning.

An Yi couldn’t help laughing at his antics.

The man, under the name Luo Qiuxue, settled in with the An family. With an extra person, there was no room for Cheng Zhilin and his servant, so they left the next day—hunting would have to wait for another time.

Though An Yi had treated the man, Madam Luo still sent for Physician Lu. He examined the external powder and the internal prescription An Yi had written, then nodded with a smile. “The medicine is correct. The bleeding’s stopped, and the wounds are scabbing. Xier, continue with this treatment.”

With Physician Lu’s approval, Madam Luo was reassured and let An Yi continue caring for him.

It took An Yi two days to prepare a certain muscle-weakening powder—a recipe she’d stumbled upon while experimenting with poisons in the modern world. It had left lab mice limp and helpless. She’d never used it back then, but now it found its use.

An Yi cooked up the medicine and fed it to the man, but Madam Luo was always by his side, so An Kang had no chance to question him.

Seeing this, An Yi tugged at Madam Luo’s sleeve. “Mother, I want sour bamboo shoots stir-fried with pork tripe for lunch.”

“Why the sudden craving?” Madam Luo laughed.

“I just want to eat it,” An Yi replied, eyes darting. “Half the tripe for stir-fry, the other half for soup to nourish Uncle.”

“Good child, so thoughtful of your uncle,” Madam Luo praised.

An Yi rolled her eyes inwardly. Who was being thoughtful?

Madam Luo went next door for money and left to buy pork tripe.

Once she was gone, An Yi hurried back to the room and signaled to An Kang.

“Who are you?” An Kang asked directly.

The man sat up, glancing around at the three siblings, a faint smirk on his lips. “I’m your uncle.”

“That’s enough. My mother isn’t here, so you can drop the act. You’re not our uncle. You’d better explain yourself, or I’ll kill you right now,” An Jian threatened, revealing the kitchen knife he’d hidden behind his back.

The man leaned against the bed frame, unfazed by the knife, his eyes settling on An Yi. This little girl was impressive—she’d managed to convince her brothers to doubt him.

An Kang noticed his gaze and stepped in front of An Yi. “Those are knife wounds. Ordinary people don’t get those. I could turn you over to the authorities and accuse you of being a criminal. As a licentiate, my testimony would see you locked away.”

A flicker of surprise crossed the man’s eyes—he hadn’t expected this boy of fourteen or fifteen to be a licentiate.

“There’s something else,” An Yi said, peeking out from behind An Kang. “Don’t you feel weak all over?”

The man tried to raise his hand, finding his strength lacking and his inner energy blocked. He smirked. He’d underestimated these three, especially the little girl—she’d managed to make muscle-weakening powder. After a light cough, he explained, “I’m a bodyguard. I was escorting a caravan to Yongzhou. When passing through Yuecheng Ridge, some guards turned traitor for money. In the chaos, I couldn’t hold my own and escaped wounded. My horse died near here. If you don’t believe me, you can check.”

“If you speak the truth, we won’t make things difficult for you. But why pretend to be our uncle?” An Kang asked gravely.

“My childhood name really is Toad Boy. I’m an orphan, raised by my master. Whether I’m your uncle or not, I can’t say. Your sister’s kindness moved me, and I just played along,” the man sighed.

“What is your real name?” An Kang asked.

“Wei Yang—‘Wei’ as in ‘guard,’ ‘Yang’ as in ‘sunrise valley.’” He answered readily.

The siblings could not immediately tell if he spoke the truth. They couldn’t turn out an injured man—especially since Madam Luo was convinced he was her brother—and even An Kang could not bear to do so. After a moment, An Kang said, “Wei Yang, you may stay here under our uncle’s name until you’ve recovered.”

“Thank you,” Wei Yang nodded.

An Yi murmured, “Let’s hope we’re not the foolish Mr. Dongguo.”

The next day, An Kang went to town and arranged for someone to investigate Wei Yang’s story.

Madam Luo cared for Wei Yang devotedly. After half a month, he was able to walk around. Word came back confirming the incident at Yuecheng Ridge—Wei Yang had not lied. Only then did An Kang and his brother truly relax. With the identity of Luo Qiuxue and the protection of his scholarly nephew, even the village head visited several times.

The weather was clear one day, and Madam Luo decided to take Wei Yang to the ancestral tombs to pay respects. Only then did she think to ask about his situation.

Wei Yang repeated to her what he’d told the siblings.

Learning he was a bodyguard, so old yet unmarried, Madam Luo’s eyes grew wet. “Brother, you’ve had such a hard life. From now on, I’ll take good care of you, never let you suffer again. Don’t go out guarding caravans anymore—it’s too dangerous. I worry for you.”

“Elder sister, once my wounds heal, I’ll report to the escort agency and then come home. I won’t travel again,” Wei Yang said, thinking of her care over the past weeks, warmth rising in his heart.

“Good, good,” Madam Luo nodded through her tears.

Wei Yang smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes—a trace of sorrow flashed by. This household was warm and inviting, but, unfortunately, he could not stay long.

No one knew Wei Yang’s true thoughts. Seeing him recover, Madam Luo made a trip to town—not to take on work at Red Sleeve House, but to buy three bolts of cloth and a new quilt, to make new clothes for the siblings and Wei Yang for the New Year.

It snowed at dusk, the north wind biting cold. An Yi, afraid of the cold, huddled by the brazier, helping Madam Luo with chores. No matter how much Qiao’er and the others urged her to play outside, she wouldn’t budge.

Early one morning, An Jian got up to use the latrine. Pulling up his pants, he ran to the backyard and found Wei Yang practicing martial arts.

An Jian gaped, watching until he finished, then ran over, full of admiration. “Uncle, can you teach me kung fu?”

“Why do you want to learn?” Wei Yang asked.

“To build strength and defend the country,” An Jian replied solemnly.

Wei Yang looked him over. The boy had good bones—he could make a fine student. Since they’d saved him, teaching him martial arts was fitting repayment. “Training is hard. Can you endure it?”

“I’m not afraid. I can handle it,” An Jian declared.

“Very well, I’ll teach you,” Wei Yang agreed.

“Thank you, Uncle! I have to go to the latrine first—let’s talk later!” An Jian exclaimed, running off.

Watching him go, Wei Yang smiled faintly, then glanced at the corner of the wall, where a trace of pink was visible. If there was anything strange about this family, it was that little girl. An eight-year-old shouldn’t be so suspicious, but she’d never trusted him, even after his story was confirmed.

Wei Yang gazed up at the sky, laughing at himself. She wasn’t wrong to be wary—he’d told few truths. This place was good, but not a place he could stay. Once his wounds healed, he’d leave, so as not to disturb their peace.

Madam Luo was delighted that An Jian grew close to Wei Yang and did not stop him from learning martial arts. An Kang had no objections, only remarking that cultivating both body and mind was a good thing.

—Extra notes—

I’ll be going home on Thursday and won’t be back until Sunday. Xianxue calculated that there aren’t enough chapters in reserve. I can’t help but complain—why does life always get busy just as soon as I start updating VIP chapters?

This book is first published here. Please do not repost!