Mu Xiaoxiao couldn't figure it out. She thought that if she had suffered such a severe injury, she would have collapsed on the bed crying and wailing. Let alone working, she definitely wouldn't have moved a muscle, expecting to be spoon-fed and having everything done for her, like a complete cripple.
Nan Shiying, however, understood, or rather, comprehended.
What was an injury? If it wasn't fatal, they'd just grit their teeth and bear it. What was sickness? If it didn't kill them, they wouldn't bother treating it. For the common folk, living, being able to eat and not starve, was the most important thing.
Even this small and simple hope might not be realized.
Yet, most of them remained simple and kind, optimistic and content.
Nan Shiying said nothing. After carefully clearing the fragments of stone and wood chips stuck in the wound, she asked him, "Are you still going to help at the embankment?"
The man nodded heavily, "Of course. I eat a lot here, and it's not enough. And..." He scratched his head again, a blush rising on his dark face, "The girl from the neighboring house cooks at the embankment. I, I can go there and talk to her."
Mu Xiaoxiao let out a snicker. An elderly woman behind the man couldn't help but chime in, "Young man, don't be shy. Show some manliness, be a bit more spirited. Women, you know, like men with a strong presence. Puff out your chest... Hey, if you really like that girl, this old woman will go and arrange a marriage for you. When I was young..."
The man's head was almost buried in his chest.
Nan Shiying also smiled. She interrupted the elderly woman's reminiscence of her glorious past and said to the man, "If you still want to go to the embankment, then your wound needs to be sutured. Of course, even with suturing, you'll need to rest for two days. If you let the wound get wet and infected, you'll lose this arm."
Upon hearing that his arm could be lost, the man forgot all about his shyness and said with great urgency, "Young sir, my arm can't be useless!"
"Call me Doctor Feng."
Young sir, young sir, it sounded awkward.
The man readily changed his address, "Doctor Feng, please, you must save my arm!"
"Don't rush, I'm talking about the worst-case scenario."
"If you don't want your arm to be useless, you are forbidden to go to the embankment for the next two days. Otherwise, even if an immortal descended, they couldn't save your arm."
"I won't go, I won't go," the man quickly promised.
Nan Shiying nodded with satisfaction, "If you agree, I will suture your wound using the suturing technique, then apply herbal medicine. You can come to change the dressing in two days. If you recover well, you can continue to go to the embankment."
"Okay, then suture it."
Nan Shiying didn't say any more. She took out the mulberry bark thread for suturing from the medicine chest and a specially made embroidery needle. These were prepared for her by Ji Jinmo; he truly had foresight.
There wasn't much anesthetic in the disaster area. Nan Shiying remembered there was a method of using acupuncture to block pain. She couldn't quite recall which acupoints. She turned to ask the Poison Elder.
"Watch!"
The Poison Elder picked up a silver needle and quickly inserted it into the acupoints, one after another. His movements were so fast they looked like afterimages. Mu Xiaoxiao thought she saw several hands.
Was he deliberately making it impossible for anyone to learn?
"Do you get it?" The Poison Elder nonchalantly blocked the man's pain and then put his hands behind his back, asking Nan Shiying.
Nan Shiying nodded, "I get it!"
Mu Xiaoxiao: "……?"
She got it?
It was outrageous!
Beneath the Poison Elder's calm demeanor as an unparalleled master, a furious little man raged within him. That little man held a needle, wishing he could stab Nan Shiying: You get it? How could you get it?! Based on what?!
He was almost driven mad.
Xuan Yi didn't want to say anything. After all, he had learned a truth from the Princess: that there was no logic to be found with her!
Just shout "Awesome!" and that was it!
After temporarily blocking the pain, Nan Shiying began to suture. Under such intense mental concentration, she suddenly discovered that whenever she felt tired, a warm current would surge through her mind, sweeping away all fatigue.
What was this?
Nan Shiying was puzzled but didn't dwell on it. Instead, she focused all her attention on suturing the wound.
It took Nan Shiying a full half an hour to finish suturing the man's wound. She applied ointment that accelerated wound healing, bandaged the wound, and then removed the silver needles. Nan Shiying let out a sigh of relief and reminded him again, "It's done. Remember, you cannot get it wet for the next two days. This arm cannot carry heavy objects. Come back for a follow-up examination in two days."
"I understand, thank you, Doctor Feng." The man said gratefully with a smile.
After the man left, the elderly woman behind him looked at Nan Shiying with a faint green glow in her eyes. As Nan Shiying took her pulse, she couldn't help but praise, "Doctor Feng is truly young and promising. The way you sutured that wound just now was even better than my daughter's embroidery."
Nan Shiying twitched the corner of her mouth, not engaging.
After a round of praise, the elderly woman finally revealed her true intentions and inquired, "Doctor Feng, how old are you this year? Are you married? Do you have a girl you like? This old woman has no other intentions, just making conversation."
Mu Xiaoxiao couldn't help but perk up her ears, listening to Nan Shiying's reply.
Married...
For some reason, Nan Shiying suddenly thought of Ji Jinmo, and said, "I already have a beloved wife at home, so Auntie doesn't need to bother arranging anything for me."
"Pfft~"
Xuan Yi almost burst out laughing. A beloved wife? Who? The Prince?!
A flicker of disappointment flashed in the elderly woman's eyes. Hearing Nan Shiying's words, she still waved her hand and said, "How could that be? There's no girl around this old woman who is worthy of Doctor Feng like you. This old woman was just bored and speaking casually, just casually."
It seemed Hongyi was managing this place very well. At least the refugees here were not as numb and desperate as those who had fled to Lin'an County. This elderly woman, likely, besides her house being destroyed, her family was still alive.
Unbelievably optimistic.
Nan Shiying didn't expose the elderly woman, but smiled and nodded.
Upon hearing that Nan Shiying was already married, Mu Xiaoxiao's eyes instantly turned red. She hurriedly lowered her head and ran outside.
Xuan Yi seemed to hear the sound of a heart breaking. He looked up at Nan Shiying.
Nan Shiying was currently concentrating on treating a patient and hadn't noticed Mu Xiaoxiao running away.
Xuan Yi couldn't help but click his tongue. Even though he knew the Princess was a woman, he couldn't help but scorn her: Hmph, you scumbag!