Chapter 124: Applying Medicine
Zhou Wangshu saw that she hadn’t moved for a long time and started being awkward again.
He sank a few inches deeper into the water.
Su Yaoguang burst out laughing. “You might as well just lie down in there.”
Zhou Wangshu’s earlobes were red enough to drip blood.
“What kind of young lady stares at a man’s body without blinking?”
“Man? Hahaha…” Su Yaoguang wiped the water stains from his neck with a towel and handed the towel to him. “Do you have some strength now? Wipe yourself off.”
The shop assistants had already left, so she couldn’t ask about Xiao Ci’s situation. Su Yaoguang turned her back to Zhou Wangshu and waited a moment. Hearing him get up and wipe his body, she spoke again.
“Why are the scars on your body still there? Didn’t I give you ointment before? Why didn’t you apply it?”
“That medicine is precious. It’s too wasteful to use it on me. I’m not a woman—what’s wrong with having some scars on my body?”
“No. No matter how precious that medicine is, we can make it ourselves. Besides, our family doesn’t lack this bit of money now. Lie down on the bed for me. I’ll apply the medicine for you.”
“I don’t want to.” Zhou Wangshu wrapped his clothes tightly around himself.
“Lie down.”
“No!” Zhou Wangshu looked at her warily.
Su Yaoguang turned around, gazing at him darkly, twisting her fingers with a smile as she said, “Older sister doesn’t want to say it a third time. Will you lie down yourself, or shall I teach you to lie down?”
Zhou Wangshu heard the sound of her cracking her knuckles, his mouth twitching as he lay down on the bed with a strange expression.
“That’s a good boy!” Su Yaoguang said, rummaging through her luggage for the ointment. “Luckily Jing’er is thoughtful and brought a bit of all kinds of medicines, even scar removal cream.”
Zhou Wangshu felt Su Yaoguang’s cool fingers roaming over his back. She scooped out ointment with her fingers and rubbed it over the wounds again and again, making sure the medicine was absorbed.
That sensation was like feathers brushing over his body—itchy and a bit hot.
Su Yaoguang looked at the scars on his back with heartache, applying the medicine as she said, “What kind of person is so ruthless to lay such cruel hands on you? Those people could still bring themselves to do it even seeing this face.”
Zhou Wangshu’s mind flashed to those days without sunlight, his eyes turning bloodshot.
“The back is done. Turn over.”
“I’ll do it myself.” Zhou Wangshu covered himself with the quilt nearby.
“Fine, you can reach the front too.” Su Yaoguang handed him the ointment. “Apply it before coming to eat. If you don’t apply it well, don’t eat—starve to death then.”
Zhou Wangshu saw the watery light in her eyes, and his heart trembled.
Was she feeling sorry for him?
In his days of struggling to survive, he had hesitated too, thinking he might as well just die like this—after all, there was no one in this world who cared about him, and death would bring release. But thinking of those deep-seated grudges and hatreds, he couldn’t let go. If he just died like that, those resentful souls of the dead would probably linger in this world forever. Even if he had to die, he had to take revenge first.
Now, Su Yaoguang was already so heartbroken just seeing the scars on his body, giving him a sense of ‘roots’ again.
Su Yaoguang yawned, wiping the teardrops from the corner of her eye.
These past two days had been too exhausting, and she hadn’t slept well. Now she was extremely sleepy. After Zhou Wangshu ate and she watched him take the medicine, she needed to get a good sleep and recharge comfortably.
Zhou Wangshu obediently applied the medicine.
After he finished applying it and put on his clothes, he walked over.
Su Yaoguang ladled out porridge and placed it in front of him. “You can only eat porridge. Once your illness is better, I’ll make you something delicious.”
Zhou Wangshu glanced at the roasted meat in her hand.
“You can eat roasted meat too—eat as much as you want. I’ll roast it for you myself,” Su Yaoguang promised.
Zhou Wangshu looked at her with a strange gaze. “I’m not a child. Would I throw a tantrum with you over a few bites of food?”
“Of course, our Wangshu is the most sensible.” Su Yaoguang brushed it off casually.
Zhou Wangshu’s earlobes heated up. He glanced at her and muttered, “You really think I can’t tell, or are you still treating me like a kid to coax?”
Su Yaoguang touched his forehead and found it still as hot as before.
Still, his spirits were pretty good.
“After eating, go lie down.”
Zhou Wangshu went to bed after eating. Lying in bed again, he no longer had that feeling from the past few days like he was waiting to die. His heart felt especially at ease, just like knowing she wouldn’t abandon him.
Su Yaoguang tidied up the room and carefully wrote down Zhou Wangshu’s reactions after taking the medicine today, recording the entire process for Jiang Jing to know the recovery details.
She sat by Zhou Wangshu’s bed, feeling his body temperature.
Today, Zhou Wangshu hadn’t vomited or had diarrhea—the symptoms had at least lessened. This showed that Jiang Jing’s medicine was effective and helpful for the condition.
Two shop assistants passed by outside, talking about how several more scholars had fallen ill. Su Yaoguang thought for a moment, opened the door, and called to the two shop assistants.
“Brother Li, Brother Wang…”
“Miss Su, what can we do for you?”
Su Yaoguang said, “Our Wangshu is better today—no vomiting or diarrhea. I wanted to thank you for your help. These past two days, we’ve relied on you to take care of him.”
Shop assistant Wang said, “Miss Su, don’t say that. You’ve been the most exhausted these past two days.”
But shop assistant Li caught the key point and asked, “Miss Su, scholar Zhou’s condition has improved? It’s the same doctor for everyone else, but they’re still vomiting and having diarrhea. How did he get better so quickly?”
Su Yaoguang pretended to be embarrassed and said, “Don’t mind me saying so—I gave him the medicine I brought. We have a doctor at home who has a different understanding of this illness. She doesn’t think it’s an ordinary cold illness, so she prescribed different medicine for me to bring. I just wanted to try it, but it actually worked.”
“Miss Su, we want to report this to the headmaster and teachers. Do you mind?” Shop assistant Li asked.
“Not at all. I didn’t do anything.”
“Sorry to bother you, miss.” The two hurried away.
Su Yaoguang had achieved her goal and returned to the room.
Not long after, the headmaster and teachers arrived at Zhou Wangshu’s door, led by the two shop assistants.
“Miss Su, the headmaster and teachers are here. Could you come out to see them?” Shop assistant Li called.
Su Yaoguang went out.
The headmaster and teachers had met Su Yaoguang before, but seeing her again, they almost didn’t recognize her—after all, this young lady had changed tremendously in such a short time.
“We heard from these two shop assistants that Wangshu’s symptoms have lessened, so we came specially to see him. May we visit?” The headmaster got straight to the point, not wasting any time.
By today, twenty scholars in the academy were already ill, and the first batch to fall sick were getting worse and worse. If this continued, he was truly worried something would happen to them.
The scholars who weren’t ill were clamoring to go home. They hadn’t dared let them before, but seeing the situation spiral out of control today, they had no choice but to let them go.
“That’s fine, but cover your mouths and noses so the patient doesn’t affect you.” Most importantly, she was worried they would affect the patient, but she couldn’t say that.
