Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The Shen family's new house was completed, and among the surrounding villages, except for the estates of the wealthy, theirs was the finest.

It stood out prominently among the rows of yellow earth brick houses with thatched roofs.

For the housewarming, guests were to be invited.

Zhou Gu invited her own family, while Xu Hongmei and Li Maizi did not invite their respective relatives.

Shen Ning from Wangjia Village also came with her three children, leaving her mother-in-law to look after the kids for a day.

Shen Bing and Zhao Lu, who lived on the mountain, also came down with their son Zhao Dong. By then, Shen Bing's belly was starting to show; she was about four months along.

Shopkeeper Xu and Lin Yue wanted to come, but the restaurant was too busy, so they sent gifts through others instead.

Shopkeeper Xu sent ten sets of bedding: quilts, cotton mattresses, bamboo mats, and soft pillows.

Lin Yue sent several bolts of fine cloth—the highest grade of hemp—each bolt worth over a tael of silver.

Both gifts were practical items that the Shen family could use right away.

Shushu's Grandpa came with Shushu, and Old Chen, the malt sugar seller, skipped his sales that day to come with Elder Chen.

Fate works in mysterious ways—who'd have thought a bond formed over vegetables would last and never fade?

The Zhou family sent the elder couple and Zhou Niandong's wife—Zhou Gu's sister-in-law.

Zhou Niandong himself didn't come; as the cook at Xu's restaurant, if Shopkeeper Xu couldn't leave, he certainly couldn't either.

The Zhou family also brought gifts today.

Brown sugar, a basket of eggs, a basket of duck eggs, a hen, and a goose.

The sugar and eggs were placed in the kitchen, while the hen and goose were tied with hemp rope near the cowshed.

Eight and a Half Taels was territorial, but if something actually invaded his space, he couldn't be bothered to get riled up. So tying the hen and goose there was no problem.

If they'd been tied near the puppies' den, there'd have been a fight.

With guests to feed, the kitchen was a hive of activity—aunties and married men chatting as they worked, a lively scene.

The Shens were no longer the family they once were—villagers no longer kept their distance but wanted to get as close as possible, hoping the Shens would take them under their wing.

Families coming for the midday meal showed up early to help. The Shens had invited the same households that had followed the village head to help that night the vegetable fields were damaged.

The banquet that day filled six tables.

The vegetables weren't from their own fields—they bought what the villagers had grown.

Three meat dishes and three veggie dishes, with fish, meat, and greens—guests ate until their mouths were greasy and their hearts were full.

Finally, hand-pulled noodles came out, each bowl topped with a poached egg, a drizzle of sesame oil and soy sauce, and a ladle of broth. For villagers who rarely got white noodles, that bowl smelled incredible.

The noon was lively; in the afternoon, everyone pitched in to clean up and finished quickly.

Those who'd borrowed bowls, tables, or benches took them home on their way out.

After this housewarming, the Shens' relationship with the village was fully mended.

No matter who from the Shen family stepped out, villagers would greet them if they saw them.

Shen Song noticed his parents smiling a lot more these days.

Neighbors also dropped by to visit. Zhou Gu, being outgoing, quickly hit it off with the village wives and married men.

Li Maizi, though introverted and quiet, was brought along by Zhou Gu, and since he was a Shen, no one truly ignored him.

The Shens could understand both the villagers' past coldness and their current warmth.

After all, they lived in the village, their fields were here, and they'd never leave Shen Family Gully. If anything happened in the village, they'd need help from their fellow villagers and clan. Just like when the vegetable fields were destroyed, the villagers came right away without a word of complaint.

It was also lucky they helped chase the culprits off, or the damage would've been even worse.

Who knew what challenges lay ahead? The old Shen couple knew that living in a village with some savings, the worst thing you could do was isolate yourself from every other household.

As long as those who'd never truly wronged the Shens came to show goodwill, the Shens accepted them with smiles.

In daily life, the Shens no longer faced cold stares and got along well with everyone in the village.

While the Shens were eating, someone might send over some homemade food. The Shens would send something similar back. Watching this exchange, Shen Song found it amusing.

Zhou Gu, eating the noticeably richer dishes on the table, knew the food sent to the Shens was genuinely good—people had made something special and shared a portion, not just offloading scraps to curry favor.

These were sincere efforts to keep good relations and get along.

He couldn't help but sigh—the family had truly turned things around after all the hardship.

By then, the other vegetables in the fields had ripened: tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers, eggplants. With more variety, the restaurant no longer ordered several baskets of one type—generally one basket or half a basket of each.

More and more people from neighboring counties and surrounding towns came to order from the Shens. Previously, some had come, but the Shens had turned them down because delivery was inconvenient and they didn't have enough produce.

This time, people were even going through Sun Luhe and the minor official Liu Xiaoping to get in touch, hoping to land vegetable contracts with the Shens.

They were really eager to do business.

The family's vegetable output was now enough, and the Shens were considering signing a few more contracts.

But the neighboring county and other towns were far and scattered. Delivering to each one individually would take from dawn to dusk.

After discussing it, they decided to go ahead with the business.

The neighboring county could wait, but the restaurants in the surrounding towns were worth going after. All the restaurants in Qingyun Town that could order from the Shens already did, so there were no new clients to add there.

With a wider reach, they needed more delivery people and ox carts.

The Shens could buy another ox cart, but for manpower, Shen Chong suggested hiring folks from the village.

Their family was visibly getting wealthier, and since they wanted to live well in the village, it made sense to offer some tangible benefits people could see.

After another round of discussion, the Shens decided to go ask the village head first.

The next morning after breakfast, the family split up—some went to the fields, some delivered vegetables, and Shen Jing was sent to talk to the village head.

It was a unanimous family decision, and Shen Jing was so nervous he hadn't slept well all night, afraid of messing it up.

Shen Jing's leg also needed proper exercise, so Shen Sanqiu went with him. Leaning on his crutch, he walked slowly to the village head's house.

Along the way, many people saw him and greeted him cheerfully. No one mentioned his leg—just things like "Eaten yet?", "Out for a stroll?", "Where you headed?", "San Qiu, taking your uncle out for errands?"...

Shen Jing, carrying his load on a shoulder pole, replied that he was going to the village head's house for a visit.

The village head was surprised to see Shen Jing show up. Seeing him sweating from the walk, he quickly had his eldest son help him sit down.

The village head's eldest daughter-in-law soon brought Shen Jing and Shen Sanqiu each a bowl of cool boiled water.

Shen Jing's legs were bad, and showing up on crutches early in the morning meant he definitely had something to discuss.

The eldest daughter-in-law set down the water and left right away, and the village head sat down.

Sanqiu didn't leave; he sat on the long bench drinking water, since Fifth Uncle had told him the night before to listen in.

Seeing that Shen Jing hadn't sent Shen Sanqiu away, the village head was even less likely to bring it up.

"Uncle Gaoshan, I've come today to discuss something with you."

Shen Gaoshan knew he was here for something, just not what it was. He nodded and said, "Speak up, nephew, I'm listening."

Shen Jing had been nervous before speaking, but once he got the first sentence out, it didn't seem like such a big deal. And since he was facing someone he knew, the rest came more smoothly. "Uncle Gaoshan knows our family supplies vegetables to restaurants and taverns. Quite a few restaurants in the surrounding towns have come to place orders. We have a lot of produce, so we have to take on these orders. That means we're short on manpower. We've got the paddy fields and vegetable plots to tend, and with my leg the way it is, we're already short a laborer. We can't spare anyone to deliver to other towns."

As he listened to Shen Jing's tone, Shen Gaoshan's breathing slowed. He guessed what was coming, his heart racing, afraid he might be wrong. He held his breath, waiting for Shen Jing to continue.

"I'd like to ask you, Uncle Gaoshan, to help recruit two people from the village to deliver vegetables for us."

When Shen Jing finished, Shen Gaoshan finally let out the breath he'd been holding, a smile spreading uncontrollably across his face, deepening his wrinkles.

He laughed heartily, "What's there to ask for? You're being too formal!"

Shen Jing had finally gotten out the words he'd silently repeated all night, and it had worn him out—more tiring than farming.

Once his leg healed, he'd better stick to farming steadily. Dealing with people and negotiating business just wasn't for him.

"Uncle wants to ask, what are your standards for hiring? And how's the pay?"

"Anyone twelve and up, under forty, works, as long as they've got the strength to haul crates and can handle the bumpy roads." Shen Jing paused, thinking about whether he'd missed anything. "Oh, and they need to be honest, of good character. Can't hire anyone lazy or prone to tantrums, and don't want anyone who, relying on their age, won't follow orders."

Having laid out the criteria, Shen Jing paused again, recalling the wage standard he'd mentioned yesterday.

"Pay is twenty-five coppers a day, including one meal. Since it's long-term work, wages are settled once a month, and we'll sign contracts."

Hearing the pay and benefits, Shen Gaoshan's heart jumped.

Delivering vegetables was, no matter what, much easier than real hard labor, and yet it paid twenty-five coppers a day with a meal thrown in.

Those doing hard labor only got twenty-five to thirty-five coppers a day.

Shen Gaoshan patted his chest to guarantee, "Don't worry, you trust me with this, and I'll make sure to pick the right people for you."

After saying that, Shen Gaoshan rubbed his hands together, looking like he wanted to say something but held back.

Shen Jing noticed—it was too obvious. He asked hesitantly, "Uncle Gaoshan, is there something you want to say?"

"Well, I was just thinking—if someone in my family fits the requirements, can they join?"

After hearing the pay and benefits, Shen Gaoshan's heart felt like a cat was scratching it.

Such a good job, long-term too, and they hadn't said it was only for men. Thinking about it, folks in the countryside—men, women, or lads—all grew up doing farm work, plenty strong.

Shen Jing said, "As long as they meet the requirements, it's fine."

Then he quickly added, "But not families who've had bad relations with us before."

His parents had said some things and people could be forgiven, but those who'd crossed the line wouldn't get a single benefit from their family.

Shen Gaoshan nodded immediately, fully agreeing.

The Shen family had fallen on hard times over the years, and the villagers didn't pay attention to them—Shen Gaoshan knew, he'd done the same.

But if something truly life-threatening was begged of him, he couldn't just stand by, nor would he ever deliberately bully them.

There were a few families in the village who'd done evil to the Shens in the early years, affecting their grain harvest. As village head, Shen Gaoshan had stepped in to resolve it several times, but couldn't completely stop it.

It wasn't until the Shens stopped associating with anyone entirely, adopting a stance of "hit anyone who provokes us" regardless of face or ties, that things quieted down.

As the old saying goes, fortunes change—thirty years on the east, thirty years on the west. Who'd have thought the poorest family in the village would be like this now?

Now, not just in Shen Family Gully, but among all the farming households in the surrounding villages, none could match the Shens' wealth.

Just thinking about the Shen family's house—it was really well built.

Brick and tile.

He wondered if he'd ever manage to build one like it for himself.

Shen Gaoshan quickly pushed those thoughts aside. While Shen Jing was still there, he said, "Nephew, what do you think of my eldest's boy, Xiaoyuan? He's fifteen this year, a sturdy young man. Could he handle the deliveries?"

Shen Jing knew Shen Yuan—he'd seen the kid working in the fields. An honest, hardworking lad.

"He seems fine to me, but harvest season is coming up, and Xiaoyuan counts as a laborer. Deliveries can't stop, and we'll still be sending out during the harvest."

Shen Gaoshan waved it off, "No problem, the family can redistribute his work."

The Shens had originally wanted someone from Shen Gaoshan's family to join, as a gesture of goodwill. Shen Jing had said everything he needed to, and with Shen Gaoshan having no objections, Shen Jing naturally had none either.

The Shens needed people quickly, so before leaving, Shen Jing told Shen Gaoshan to find the right people by evening, ready to start delivering the next day.

Being from the same village, finding someone who met the Shens' requirements was easy.

By afternoon, Shen Gaoshan arrived at the Shen household.

He didn't go in at first, instead pacing around the outside of their fenced yard several times with his hands behind his back.

The Shens working in the fields hadn't returned yet. Shen Yian, Shen Erkang, and Chi Jiu had gone to help in the fields after coming home.

It was Shen Song who, after feeding the energy-rich grass to Eight and a Half Taels and coming back from the cowshed behind the house, spotted someone outside the fence and called out, "Uncle Gaoshan, why are you just circling out here?"

Caught by Shen Song, Shen Gaoshan couldn't keep pacing. With an awkward smile, he entered the yard and asked Shen Song if his eldest brother was home.

Shen Jing's legs were bad and needed rest—after going out that morning, he wouldn't be leaving again all day, and Shen Gaoshan knew that.

But he was too embarrassed, so he'd asked a pointless question.

Shen Song said he was home and pointed to the westernmost room, "My eldest brother's room."

Shen Gaoshan, still wearing that awkward smile, went in to find Shen Jing.

"Nephew, about the people you needed—Uncle's found them," Shen Gaoshan said stiffly.

Shen Jing asked, "Besides Xiaoyuan, who's the other one?"

Shen Gaoshan scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed as he said, "My youngest, Shen He, is the one."

Shen Jing mulled over who Shen He was for a moment, and Shen Gaoshan grimaced, saying apologetically, "He's had a birthmark on his face since he was a kid, covering most of the left side of his face. Because of his looks, he's already eighteen and no one's come to court him.

It's only gonna get harder to find him a decent match down the road. He's still a kid of this family, and his ma and I don't want him to end up with the wrong sort, so we've just kept him at home. But you know, his ma and I are getting old, and He'er is only eighteen. Once we're gone, I'm afraid life's gonna be rough for him."

Shen Gaoshan's heart ached thinking about his boy.

Today's whole deal had gone sideways, and it was his fault for recommending the quiet, honest Shen Yuan at first instead of Shen He, because he was afraid Shen He wouldn't wanna go out and face folks.

After Shen Jing left, he told his family about the job opening. The eldest son's wife was over the moon to hear that Shen Yuan had this opportunity.

Even Shen Yuan, who hardly ever smiled, cracked a rare grin, looking forward to going with the Shen family on their deliveries tomorrow.

He told his family they needed to quickly find another person from the village, and his old lady pulled Shen He aside and suggested he go.

Shen He fit all the Shen family's requirements.

There were only two spots, and since he'd been asked to recruit, he couldn't let his own family hog both.

"This job means going out and meeting people; He'er couldn't handle that."

Shen Gaoshan really believed that, which was why he'd initially mentioned Shen Yuan.

But then Shen He whispered, "I can handle it, Pa."

Shen He wasn't afraid of people talking about his birthmark; he was scared of never seeing a brighter day.

He'd never dreamed such work could be open to him, and now that this chance had come, he was desperate to grab it.

Shen Gaoshan was moping around the house, and the mood was heavy. He couldn't even stomach his lunch.

That afternoon, Shen He brought him a bowl of rice mixed with rough beans and said tearfully, "Pa, don't worry about it. I won't go."

Shen Gaoshan sighed, "Don't overthink it. I'm gonna take a walk."

That walk brought him to the Shen family's fence.

Shen Gaoshan was in a bind. He'd thought about giving Shen Yuan's spot to Shen He, figuring Shen Yuan could surely find work somewhere else.

But for Shen He, this was his one and only shot.

Shen Yuan had thought the same thing and offered to hand his spot over to Shen He.

Shen Gaoshan chewed it over and figured it might work. But before he could say anything, he saw the eldest son's wife shoot Shen He a dirty look. He and his wife would pass on eventually, and Shen He would still have to live in this house.

He couldn't have the eldest son's wife holding a grudge against Shen He.

Shen Yuan's spot had to stay his, even if Shen Yuan himself was willing to give it away.

Because Shen Yuan's ma also thought of him, looked out for him, and remembered him.

Shen Gaoshan had to swallow his pride and come to Shen Jing, asking for both spots for his own family.

Shen Jing saw the troubled look on Shen Gaoshan's face and got where he was coming from.

Good thing those two spots were meant for his family anyway.

"Sure, He'er fits the bill after all."

Shen Jing's simple words took a huge weight off Shen Gaoshan's chest.

He felt like he could breathe again, and instinctively clasped his hands together in thanks, saying, "Nephew, I don't know how to thank you and your family enough."

Shen Jing wasn't good at this kinda thing, so he just scratched his head.

Shen Gaoshan headed home with the good news. Shen He cried happy tears, and Shen's ma's eyes got misty as she held Shen He's hand, telling him to work hard and keep an eye out for things to do.

Early the next morning, a tall guy and a short guy stood outside the Shen family's fence.

Today, Shen Yian and Shen Erkang weren't doing deliveries. Instead, Shen Song, Shen Chong, and Chi Jiu led Shen Yuan and Shen He to deliver produce to Qingyun Town and the county.

Shen Chong headed to the county first to find Xu Xiaoshan at the broker's, telling Shen Song and the others to meet him there after their deliveries. His main goal today was to buy an ox at the cattle market, and he'd asked Xu Xiaoshan for help again.

Xu Xiaoshan accepted the basket of vegetables Shen Chong brought him, and at the sight of the bright red tomatoes, he couldn't help but drool—he loved them.

He didn't even cook them; he just ate them like fruit.

But business came first, so he put off eating for now.

Learning that the Shen family wanted to buy another ox, Xu Xiaoshan asked, "What do you need the ox for?"

"Delivering produce to restaurants in the surrounding towns."

Xu Xiaoshan thought for a moment and said, "Since it's not for plowing and you need to travel long distances, I'd suggest a donkey instead. A strong, good donkey can be had for eight taels of silver, and it moves faster than an ox. It can't haul as much, but for your produce deliveries, a sturdy donkey should suffice."

Shen Chong was tempted. The family had some money now, but buying an ox would be tight.

If not for the forty-two taels left from the ginseng sale, they wouldn't have dared to consider buying two more oxen.

With donkeys, they'd save at least half the cost.

But he couldn't make this decision alone—it was over ten taels of silver.

When Shen Song and the others arrived at the broker's, Shen Chong headed straight home and gathered everyone to discuss whether to swap the oxen for donkeys.

In the end, considering speed, the family decided to make the switch.

They'd save up more silver later and buy two oxen specifically for plowing.

They weren't counting on Eight and a Half Taels to plow the fields.

In one afternoon, the Shen family gained two more donkeys.

Eight and a Half Taels' barn was built large, so they partitioned it with some materials, and the two donkeys moved into the other half.

This time, they had carts made by carpenters in the county. With several apprentices, they could finish one in three days if rushed.

The Shen family commissioned two shops simultaneously.

Three days later, the Shen family began supplying produce to the surrounding towns.

Shen Yian and Shen He used a donkey cart to deliver to three towns, Shen Erkang and Shen Yuan used another donkey cart for three towns, and Shen Song and Chi Jiu used the ox cart for Qingyun Town and the county's restaurants and inns.

Previously, having Yian and Erkang tag along with Shen Song and Chi Jiu was to protect the two young men from being bullied.

Now, with many acquaintances in Qingyun Town and the county, and knowing Shen Song's extraordinary abilities, the family no longer worried as much.

The news that the Shen family planned to hire two workers but both spots went to the village head's family eventually spread among the villagers of Shen Family Gully.

The village is so small that it's impossible not to know when Shen Yuan and Shen He went out and came back with the Shen family's delivery carts.

It wasn't until they rushed to the village head's house to ask that they found out the Shen family had been hiring workers.

They hadn't even known about it.

The villagers were so mad they cursed, but didn't dare go too far—after all, he was the village head and tight with the Shen family. If the Shen family ever hired again, they'd still have to go through him.

The Shen family needing workers made the villagers treat them even better.

They hoped the Shen family's business would do even better and hire more folks.

The village entered the busy autumn harvest season again.

The Shen family was busier than ever before.

The Shen family adults cut rice all day, came home to eat, and crashed immediately.

Shen Song and Chi Jiu now had to come back and tend the vegetable fields after deliveries, and they were just as exhausted, passing out the second they hit the bed.

When Xie Zhiyu's shadow guard knocked on the Shen family's door, Shen Song was still dreaming he was in an eating contest.

He was just about to get the first-place medal when he was woken up.

"Xiao Ba, someone sent by your friend in the county is looking for you, saying there's an urgent matter." Liu Chunxia came in to wake him, a deep worry welling up in her heart.

Coming to find him in the dead of night—it had to be a life-or-death emergency.

Seeing Shen Song slowly waking, Liu Chunxia couldn't help but suggest, "It's too dark out. Why not go during the day? You've never gone out at night before."

Chi Jiu also tugged Shen Song's wrist. "Eighth Brother, it's too dangerous in the dark. How about I go with you?"

Shen Song was already worried sick. Someone coming at this hour could only mean one thing—Xie Zhiyu's illness.

Not long after their last visit to the Bamboo Garden, Qi Yuanjing had called him over to draw blood again. Xie Zhiyu was there at the time and looked to be in good spirits.

Shen Song had figured he'd be going back to the Bamboo Garden soon, but two and a half months went by without another visit.

During that time, even though he delivered veggies to the Xie residence every day, he never saw Xie Zhiyu.

He did see Qi Yuanjing a few times—he'd go to visit Third Sister's husband, and Qi Yuanjing would come over to chat when he had nothing else going on.

Shen Song's voice was urgent. "Mother, I have to go. It's something really urgent—I can't not go. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'm really capable."

If he really ran into trouble, even though he didn't know martial arts, he had his superpower. Nothing would really happen to him.

Hearing Shen Song's reassurance, Liu Chunxia could only nod.

Chi Jiu was still holding Shen Song's wrist, his delicate face etched with worry. Shen Song comforted him, "Xiao Jiu, I have to go alone. Don't worry, I really won't be in danger. I'll come back safe and sound. Let go, okay?"

Chi Jiu's lips moved slightly as he stared at Shen Song, seeing in his eyes the worry and urgency for someone else.

"Okay."

Chi Jiu let go.

Shen Song vanished from the room in an instant. Peering out the window, Chi Jiu could see Shen Song sprinting under the moonlight and climbing into the carriage.

The roads were empty at night, but the carriage was still too slow.

The shadow guard had no choice but to tear down the carriage compartment and take Shen Song on horseback, galloping to the Xie residence.

After dropping him off, the guard rode back to fetch the carriage compartment.

This was Shen Song's first time in Xie Zhiyu's courtyard.

It seemed to be full of flowers and plants, but it was too dark and Shen Song was too anxious to even glance around.

Inside the room, Qi Yuanjing was at his wit's end, slumped dejectedly in a round-backed chair, staring at Xie Zhiyu lying on the bed, pale as a ghost, breathing weakly.

When he heard the shadow guard report that Shen Song had arrived, Qi Yuanjing mustered some strength and went to the door to greet him.

"What's wrong with Xie Zhiyu?" Shen Song blurted out as soon as he saw Qi Yuanjing.

Qi Yuanjing led him inside, telling the shadow guard to keep a strict watch.

After closing the door, Qi Yuanjing led Shen Song further in, his voice hoarse. "Not good."

Shen Song sniffed the air in the room—only the smell of medicine, no blood. How could it be not good?

But after seeing Xie Zhiyu lying on the bed, only three words remained in Shen Song's mind.

He's not good.

His spiritual power could barely sense the life force of the man before him.

"How did Xie Zhiyu end up like this? What happened to him? Wasn't he fine last time we met? What do I need to do? What can I do to make him better?"

Shen Song had never understood how he "treated" Xie Zhiyu. He thought back—aside from those two times drawing blood, he'd just sat there eating.

Shen Song instinctively reached for his waist. He hadn't brought his small satchel—no steamed buns to eat.

Looking around, there were no pastries either. He asked, "Qi Yuanjing, do I not need to sit and eat something to treat Xie Zhiyu today?"

Qi Yuanjing thought for a moment, then caught on to what Shen Song meant.

He moved a chair beside the bed, had Shen Song sit down first, and began to explain. "Your treatment of him isn't because of that."

"Xie Zhiyu has a gu worm in his body. To put it simply, there's a deadly insect wreaking havoc inside him. At first, it flared up once a month, and the pain was bearable. Over time, it got more and more painful, and eventually the flare-ups became irregular."

Qi Yuanjing looked at Shen Song as he spoke. "In the past, when Xie Zhiyu had an episode, he couldn't sleep at all—days and nights without rest, in unbearable pain. On the first day we arrived in Yunxi County, it was time for Xie Zhiyu's gu poison to flare up. While I was talking to you, he was in the carriage, in too much pain to even speak. But after arriving at the Xie residence, he actually fell asleep.

Later, at Tiger Head Mountain, his gu poison was triggered and he hadn't closed his eyes at all. But when I brought you to find him, he fell asleep again. After that, I started to wonder if his ability to sleep might be related to your presence. So when his gu poison flared up again, I brought you to test it."

Qi Yuanjing said softly, "Sure enough, after you arrived, the gu worm in his body quieted down."

Shen Song opened his mouth, finally understanding what Xie Zhiyu's strange illness was about, and why he could "treat" Xie Zhiyu.

It was because of his spiritual power—the natural fear and dread small animals had of him.

Shen Song didn't know what a gu worm was, but as long as it was a conscious insect, it would fear him. Maybe only mosquitoes weren't afraid of him.

"So I just need to sit here for now?" Shen Song pressed Qi Yuanjing for confirmation, but he could see Qi Yuanjing still seemed deeply troubled.

Qi Yuanjing tilted his head back, leaning against the chair, looking utterly dejected. "I later tried using your blood to completely suppress the gu worm. The first time, I added it to a medicine pill—it had some effect but failed. The second time, I had Xie Zhiyu drink it directly—it worked and was successful. His gu poison didn't flare up for two months."

"Then what's wrong with him now?" Shen Song asked. "Isn't it the gu poison?"

Qi Yuanjing cracked a bitter smile, one that looked worse than crying, and said, "I wish it were just the Gu Poison. I've exhausted every possibility, and the last one left is that the gu worm is truly afraid of your blood, so it's gone to ground."

Hiding where?

Shen Song asked, "Do you know where it's hiding? Can you get it out of him?"

Qi Yuanjing closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "Judging by Xie Zhiyu's condition, it's either hiding in his brain or his heart. Both are life-threatening spots—there's no way to get it out."

Shen Song knew there was no way to perform brain surgery or open-heart surgery here. He looked at Xie Zhiyu's face, pale to the point of being almost translucent, his mind racing, trying to think of a way to save him.

Then a thought hit him, and Shen Song's eyes widened. He turned to Qi Yuanjing and asked, "You said my blood can fight the gu worm, and the worm is afraid of me. What if Xie Zhiyu drinks my blood while I'm here—would that kill the worm?"

Shen Song figured his flesh and blood carried spiritual energy. Since the gu worm was so scared of his blood, the spiritual energy in his blood must be able to attack it.

The spiritual energy in his blood would attack from the inside, while he, as the source, would suppress it from the outside. It might just work.

Qi Yuanjing, who had been looking totally defeated, sat up straight when he heard that.

"We've got nothing to lose—might as well try anything at this point."

Shen Song muttered, "He's Xie Zhiyu, not a horse."

Qi Yuanjing, now that he had a glimmer of hope and was in a better mood, quickly corrected himself. "Same thing—treat a dead Xie Zhiyu like a live Xie Zhiyu."

Shen Song blinked. Was that even a thing?

Qi Yuanjing got everything ready, then called Shen Song over and told him to hold out his hand. He wiped Shen Song's palm clean with a cotton cloth soaked in a mix of alcohol and medicine.

"Since you already know the drill, I won't draw it into a bottle—that could contaminate the blood. Just press your hand over his mouth and let him drink directly."

Shen Song nodded. "Okay."

Qi Yuanjing made a small cut on Shen Song's palm. He was fast. After the liquid was wiped over the cut, Shen Song didn't feel any pain.

Blood beaded up. Shen Song followed Qi Yuanjing's instructions and gently pressed his right hand over Xie Zhiyu's pale lips.

Cool, Shen Song thought.

The blood flowed out, staining Xie Zhiyu's lips and trickling through the gap between them.

Shen Song sat still at first, then his shoulder suddenly twitched. Qi Yuanjing, who was watching closely, asked quickly, "What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"

Shen Song pressed his lips together, his hand trembling slightly against Xie Zhiyu's face. He said softly, "Xie Zhiyu is licking my palm. I'm not ticklish anywhere else, but my palm apparently is."

No one had ever licked Shen Song's palm before, so he had no idea he had this quirk.

Qi Yuanjing didn't have a solution either, so he just told Shen Song to tough it out a bit longer.

"Alright then."

Shen Song was struggling to endure it.

Whether it was survival instinct or some awareness that blood could save him, the unconscious Xie Zhiyu instinctively didn't let a single drop go to waste.

He kept licking at the wound.

Shen Song's fingers kept trembling, and he frowned in discomfort.

After a while, Qi Yuanjing checked Xie Zhiyu's pulse. He couldn't tell if the gu worm was dead, but the pulse did seem stronger.

Qi Yuanjing let out a relieved breath, smiled at Shen Song, and said, "Take your hand away first. Let me treat the wound. I'll check on Xie Zhiyu in a bit and decide whether to keep feeding him blood."

Shen Song pulled his hand back. Xie Zhiyu's lips, which had been pale, now had a hint of red, as if stained by his blood.

Qi Yuanjing bandaged Shen Song's wound, then wiped Xie Zhiyu's face. "If you're sleepy, you can sleep here," he told Shen Song. "There's a small couch in the inner room."

Earlier, Shen Song had worried he wouldn't be able to sleep, but now that he knew Xie Zhiyu was out of immediate danger, drowsiness hit him and he went to sleep.

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep when he felt a tickle on his palm. He went to scratch it, but his hand wouldn't move.

The itch woke Shen Song up. When he opened his eyes, Xie Zhiyu was sitting beside him. He didn't know when he'd come over, but he was holding Shen Song's wrist, stopping him from scratching his palm.

"Xie Zhiyu, you're awake!" Shen Song fought the urge to scratch, sat up quickly, and looked Xie Zhiyu over with concern. "Are you feeling okay anywhere?"

Xie Zhiyu's eyes landed on the scabbed wound on Shen Song's palm, and his throat bobbed slightly.

"I'm fine."

Qi Yuanjing came in after washing up, carrying a big food box—Shen Song's breakfast.

Seeing Shen Song awake, he let out a relieved breath and told him to eat first. Then he checked Xie Zhiyu's pulse and found his condition had improved a lot.

Still, it wasn't a normal pulse—it was similar to the one from when he had the Gu Poison, but subtly different.

Qi Yuanjing concluded the gu worm wasn't dead, but with Shen Song around, it really didn't dare to act.

And...

Qi Yuanjing smiled. "If I'm not wrong, after a few more episodes treated like last night, the gu worm will be dead for sure."

Xie Zhiyu's voice was still weak. "What did you do last night?"

Shen Song, who was sitting by the bed eating heartily from a small tea table set up with food, was about to answer when Qi Yuanjing cut him off. "We just had Song Geer give you some of his blood to drink. He didn't leave."

Xie Zhiyu was exhausted, so he closed his eyes and didn't say anything else.

As they left the inner room to eat, Shen Song asked Qi Yuanjing, "Why did you lie to him?"

Qi Yuanjing said he didn't want to lie either.

"You don't know this, but Xie Zhiyu actually hates being touched. Men, women, geer—he can't stand any of them. It makes him sick, makes him want to throw up. If he knew he'd been licking and sucking your blood directly, that kind of contact would be too much for him. He'd gag on instinct. It's not personal—he's had some stuff happen in the past that makes him unable to handle that kind of touch."

Shen Song hadn't expected that. He listened as Qi Yuanjing went on, "Next time, if he's awake, we'll draw the blood. If he's not, we'll do it like this time. It's easier—as long as he doesn't know, it's fine."

Shen Song went along with Qi Yuanjing.

He was the doctor. Whatever he said went.