Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Do You Want to Get Better?

To an outsider, it might seem like he had fully accepted his condition, but in truth, he was powerless to protest.

His wife was relentless in everything she did, and once she set her mind on something, no one could stop her. So, as the one being cared for, staying silent was his best option.

After finishing her tasks, Lin Nannan was soaked with sweat from the heat. She took a quick rinse and changed into fresh clothes, immediately feeling much more comfortable.

As she combed her hair in the room, she noticed Lu Hang staring blankly at the ceiling, his mind elsewhere. A complicated feeling surged within her—especially after witnessing how he could still strategize and maintain authority even while confined to a wheelchair. It made her wish, more than ever, that he could stand again…

With that thought in mind, she glanced at him and couldn’t help but ask, “Do you want to get better?”

Lu Hang, who had been pondering how to secure the best possible outcome for their situation, immediately turned to look at her, his gaze sharp and probing. “You know I can’t get better.”

Ignoring the intensity in his eyes, Lin Nannan pressed on, “I’m just asking—do you *want* to get better?”

The question made Lu Hang smile bitterly. “Nan Nan, your words hit me right in the heart. Of course I want to get better. I desperately wish I could seize any chance to stand again—even if I can’t be like a normal person, just being able to take a few steps on my own would be enough… But the doctors said there’s no hope, whether through modern or traditional medicine.”

The despair in his voice made Lin Nannan press her lips together. She still had reservations and didn’t outright say she could heal him. Instead, she calculated how to treat him with the smallest possible dose.

“What if there *is* a way?” she hesitated before tentatively suggesting, “Would you let me try?”

Lu Hang’s thoughts flashed back to the morning after their wedding, when she had touched his spine and spoken those mysterious words. His heart skipped a beat, and he asked urgently, “You have a way?”

In most matters, Lu Hang could remain calm—but not this one.

He *wanted* to get better. Even if he couldn’t be like a normal person, just being able to take care of himself and not burden his family would be enough.

Meeting his desperate gaze, Lin Nannan couldn’t harden her heart. She muttered, “I don’t know if it’ll work, but if you’re willing, I can try.”

She couldn’t just pour the healing solution directly into his mouth—that would be too suspicious. Instead, she planned to mix it into herbal medicine as part of the treatment. After all, the knowledge of traditional remedies was in her head, and even if it was done openly, no one would suspect anything.

Lu Hang instinctively doubted her, but a part of him still held onto hope. Even if the chance was slim, he wanted to try… What if it worked?

If it failed, he’d remain as he was. But if it succeeded, his life would start anew.

With that thought, he replied without hesitation, “I trust you. If you need anything, just tell me—I’ll find a way to get it.”

Lin Nannan shook her head. “No need. The herbs are all in the mountains out back. I can gather them myself.” Then, remembering something, she added, “I don’t know how effective these herbs will be. If they don’t work, it’ll just lead to disappointment. So let’s not tell the family the truth. We’ll just say it’s to regulate your constitution, improve blood circulation, and ease the stiffness from lying down for so long…”

Lu Hang wanted to ask where she had learned all this. She had grown up in the village, never even leaving it, yet the medical terms she used were things even he—before his injury—hadn’t known. The only reason he understood them now was because, after his paralysis, the doctors had repeated them over and over while instructing his comrades.

It was also thanks to the doctors’ instructions that his family regularly turned his body to prevent stiffness.

Someone who should have known nothing instead knew everything—this left Lu Hang with complicated feelings.

He wanted to know just who the old man buried in the mountains out back had been. What kind of person could have taught Lin Nannan so much, yet also made her pretend to be slow?

If not for that twist of fate, Lin Nannan might have remained labeled as dim-witted by everyone.

Wouldn’t that have been a waste of all that teaching?

What she had learned was remarkable—not just agriculture, but even medicine. He wondered what else she might know.

“What? Do you want to tell the family?” she asked, puzzled by his silence.

Lu Hang suppressed his thoughts and shook his head. “No. I don’t want to give them expectations only to disappoint them later. Let’s keep this between us.”

If it doesn't work out, the disappointment would crush them.

"Alright, you rest now. I'll go scout the back mountain!" Lin Nannan suddenly stood up as if remembering something.

Lu Hang was stunned. "You don't have to go right now, do you?"

"I want to check. Maybe I can find something good!" she said bluntly.

The family had gone days without meat, and she was craving some.

Though she had money, whenever she tried to buy meat, Grandma and the others refused, so she had to endure it too.

If they wouldn’t let her buy any, she'd catch it herself.

She remembered the original host had once caught a wild rabbit in the mountains, which was later roasted and eaten.

If she could catch one now, she wouldn’t roast it—a hearty stew would hit the spot.

Lu Hang knew from Grandma’s grumbling that money was tight, set aside for his medical care, so meat couldn’t be served every meal. It was hard on Nan Nan, but she never complained. The hunger in her eyes made Lu Hang realize that herbs were an afterthought—meat was the real goal.

Knowing she was used to spending time in the mountains, Lu Hang didn’t stop her but reminded her, "Come back early, or Grandma will worry."

"Okay!" she sang out.

Her cheerful tone made Lu Hang smile, thinking how little it took to make her happy.

...

Lin Nannan entered the mountains with a basket. She was there for herbs but wouldn’t say no to meat.

She had read countless books on tracking prey but lacked practical experience, so she had to figure it out on the fly.

The villagers only knew basic herbs for fever relief and cleansing, leaving the rest untouched through the seasons—which worked in Lin Nannan's favor, as herbs were plentiful.

As she ventured deeper, a sudden rustling caught her attention. Her ears perked up, and her gaze fixed on the source. The usually quiet mountains were disturbed, making her frown deepen as she bolted toward the noise.

When she arrived, there was no one in sight—just a pool of blood and a raging boar. Then, she became its target.

The boar's appearance didn't frighten Lin Nannan; instead, her heart raced with excitement.

Dodging carefully, she looked for the right moment to strike, muttering, "Meat, so much meat, all meat..."

If the boar could talk, it would’ve cursed her by now.

It wasn’t even dead yet, and she’d already claimed it.