Chapter 23
It was late at night and everything was quiet.
The weak candlelight flickered.
Qin Luoxia brought over a wooden basin of water and wiped her son's body over and over again - his arms, face, hands.
Jiang Changtian removed the cloth from his son's forehead and discovered that the wound there seemed to have rotted, and was actually giving off a faint stench.
A normal wound would not be like this.
Even if it was caused by a dirty, blunt object, it would not rot so quickly.
When Jiang Changtian saw this wound, his mind rapidly thought of various medicinal herbs.
Yet now, he was completely unable to recall what herb could treat this.
Qin Luoxia also did not wail, but wiped her son's head, neck and body with a cloth over and over again - the hot areas.
"Luoxia, I will go find medicine. Don't panic, he will be alright," Jiang Changtian instructed.
Yet his gaze did not dare linger on his son.
He was worried that if he looked a moment longer, he would not be able to endure it.
He could only look at the candlelight in the room, its light was weak, swaying unsteadily.
Swaying in a way that made one's eyes hurt.
Jiang Yu had already carried her little sister on her back. At this time, she also did not dare make a sound, helping her mother wring out cloths and change the water.
Tears streamed down her face continuously.
Her usually lively and jumping around older brother now seemed as if dead. She was afraid.
Jiang Mianmian was also scared.
Nothing will happen, she had dripped spiritual spring water into the medicine, it would definitely be effective.
Jiang Mianmian tried to psych herself up, but was also uncertain, it felt unreal.
She only knew that getting a fever here could kill someone.
From next door came the "bang" sound of something falling over.
Qin Luoxia was a little worried and told her eldest daughter to change the water and wipe him down while she went to take a look.
When Qin Luoxia arrived at the next room, she saw her husband had actually pushed over the cabinet and crawled inside, looking very disheveled.
In all the years she had married him, she had never seen him look so disheveled.
Jiang Changtian groped around for a long time before finally taking something out.
He crawled out from the cabinet and turned to see his wife.
"Saved, we're saved. Luoxia, look, this is ginseng, this ginseng can save lives. Feng'er will get better after eating this," Jiang Changtian said, clutching a rootless ginseng. He did not say that this was the very ginseng that had led to the execution of the steward Wu.
He had pilfered it from the things they had stolen from steward Wu, taking out a portion for himself.
Afterwards when he found out, he dared not make a sound, and had hidden it tightly.
He did not actually know if this would help Feng'er, but because someone had died due to it, it had to be useful.
"How to take it?" Qin Luoxia asked, pulling up her swaying husband.
"Cut it into slices, if he can't swallow slices, grind it into powder and mix with water to pour down," Jiang Changtian supported his wife and replied.
Qin Luoxia did not delay, first cutting a slice for her husband before taking the rest to grind down.
Jiang Changtian held that slice of ginseng, wanting to stuff it into Feng'er's mouth, but he was completely unconscious and it was useless, even prying open his mouth did not work.
Jiang Changtian's hands shook continuously.
Yet he still told his daughter, "Yu'er, come over here. Hold onto this medicine and don't let it fall out."
He went to change the water for wiping.
From the yard came the "bang bang bang" sound of grinding medicine, at a very quick pace.
Jiang Mianmian listened anxiously. Then, unable to hold it, she wet herself. She could not help it, because after drinking milk she would need to pee.
Jiang Yu also felt the wet warmth on her back, but she could not be bothered about it either, and continued carrying her sister while trying her best to stuff that slice of ginseng into her elder brother's mouth.
At the same time, she gently rocked her back: "Mianmian, it's alright. When elder brother wakes up, sister will change your diaper for you. Be good."
Qin Luoxia finished grinding the medicine and brought it in a bowl, adding a little water.
Seeing her son still had no reaction, she swallowed hard several times, forcibly holding herself back.
People in extreme grief cannot cry out, as if they were acting out a silent play.
"It's fine, it's alright. The medicine is here, dear, there is medicine. He'll be fine after eating it," Qin Luoxia patted her husband on the back.
"Yu'er you hold the medicine steady. Dear, come help me." Qin Luoxia calmly directed.
She sat at the head of the bed and with her husband's help propped their son up to lean against her embrace.
Her son had grown to a mid-sized youth, and they had not been so intimate for a long time. She had watched him running around wildly outside every day, doing some outrageous things, seeming like an adult. Yet she did not expect that now he was like a small furnace leaning against her, the criss-crossing injuries on his body purplish-black. His lips were also purplish-black.
Qin Luoxia held her son. Her throat constricted with suppressed sobs, yet she still firmly said:
"Dear, you feed the medicine. I'll support Feng'er."
Seeing his son like this, Jiang Changtian's hands shook such that he could barely aim the spoon at his mouth.
This was his first child.
He himself was originally just like a child.
It was only after having Feng'er that he slowly became more responsible, and stopped being so reckless.
His former self had been like a trapped beast, disgruntled with the world and resentful of everything. ๐ณre๐ฒ๐ e๐n๐ผv๐ฒl.c๐จ๐ฆ
Watching his wife forcefully pry open their son's jaw to open his mouth,
Jiang Changtian said with shaking hands, "It's no use like this. His throat is closed up and he can't swallow it down. I'll press on the acupoint under his chin, Yu'er you feed him."
Jiang Yu took over the bowl of medicine, nervously stirring the medicine repeatedly.
Jiang Mianmian watched this scene and was also very afraid. She had not expected her easygoing, giggling brother who carried her and played with her to actually have so many injuries big and small on his body.
All she could do was, while her sister took over stirring the medicine bowl, quickly lean over the rim while no one was looking, and with great effort, drip all her remaining spiritual spring water into it until it was depleted - likely just a thin layer covering the bottom of the bowl, maybe just one spoonful.
After she finished dripping it in, she slumped over exhaustedly, softly lying against her sister's back.
She did not care that her urine-soaked diaper was still on. She felt that if she soaked any longer, her urine would evaporate.
Jiang Yu fed her elder brother mouthful by mouthful like feeding gruel to a baby. Spit up medicine was scraped up with the spoon and fed back to him.
Jiang Changtian supported his son with one hand, and firmly pressed the acupoint on the right side of his son's neck to get the medicine down.
They did not know if it would work.
At least the medicine had all gone in.
Red marks also appeared on Jiang Feng's jaw and neck.
Jiang Changtian continued to wipe down his son's arms and body.
The family members took turns. The medicine was fed, all they could do was bring down his temperature. Everything else was left up to fate.
Jiang Changtian's eyes were red, his long hair draped over his thin shoulders. For some reason, seeing her father like this made Jiang Mianmian feel he looked so pitiful.
Their whole family's personalities seemed quite lively, except for father.
Father walked lightly, spoke lightly, even laughed lightly. Father also held her very lightly, carefully.
He seldom showed emotion. Except for that night he had collapsed into mother's arms crying.
Although he was father, he did not seem mature, nor brave.
Outside, the insects' chirping grew lower and lower.
Inside, the candlelight dimmed little by little.
Nearly burned out.
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