Chapter 13 This is a sickness, it can be inherited

The man's smile was like a warm spring breeze, infused with kindness, much like a mesmerizing vortex.

Tang Huai dared not look at the other's smiling face any longer, fearing she would fall into it.

From the lessons of her past life, she saw even more clearly the distance between her and the Jing Family.

Moreover, Jing Xuan was acting out of kindness, he was a man with a cold exterior but a warm heart.

Tang Huai believed that if it were any other young girl, he would have carried her on his back home and applied medicinal oil for her just the same.

Yes, to Jing Xuan, someone of Tang Huai's age was still a young girl.

Tang Huai, however, merely had the maturity and keenness of someone who had lived through an entire lifetime already.

Tang Huai shifted her gaze away from Jing Xuan, who was applying medicinal oil for her, and instead looked up and smiled at Liu Xiaoyu, "Mom, I've caught many toads, and I'm going to sell them in town tomorrow."

Thinking she could sell them for money put Tang Huai in a good mood, and her face lit up with joy.

When Jing Xuan heard her, he reflexively lifted his gaze to glance at her.

He just happened to catch her happy smile as she looked up at Liu Xiaoyu.

Her smile was lovely, her eyes sparkled and gleamed, and Jing Xuan found himself momentarily stunned for some reason.

She was clearly a young girl, but she didn't give off that impression.

He was rubbing her ankle so hard that it was clearly painful, yet she pretended it didn't hurt in front of Liu Xiaoyu.

Jing Xuan felt that this young girl... had a great capacity to endure inwardly...

Liu Xiaoyu was not very convinced by Tang Huai's words, "Can toads really be sold for money?"

"Of course."

"Can toads really be eaten like frogs?"

Tang Huai chuckled, "Mom, toads can't be eaten like frogs, but their skin secretions and skins can be used as medicinal ingredients."

Liu Xiaoyu still didn't understand, and as she was not well educated and had little exposure, she asked, "Aren't medicinal ingredients grown from plants?"

"Herbs are grown, but actually, many medicinal ingredients are extracted from animals. Toads are also a medicinal material that the country lacks. They have many effects, such as expelling evil qi, breaking down blood clots and stones, treating abscesses, genital sores, and they can also treat childhood nutritional deficiencies, bloated stomachs, jaundice, and head sores, among other things."

Jing Xuan had finished applying the medicinal oil for Tang Huai, and as he listened to her explanation, he looked at Tang Huai meaningfully and smiled, "You seem to know quite a lot."

Tang Huai lied, "I only found out when I heard people who were selling toads discussing it at the pharmacy when I went to sell snakes."

Hearing this, Liu Xiaoyu took her words at face value without doubt.

Jing Xuan simply smiled, stood up, and handed the medicinal oil back to Liu Xiaoyu. With a hand untouched by the oil, he gently patted Tang Huai's head, "Your ankle is sprained, and it might swell and become more painful tomorrow. Which pharmacy are you planning to sell the toads at? Let me help you sell them."

Upon hearing this, Tang Huai quickly shook her head, "No need, no need, Brother Jing Xuan, I can go by myself!"

He had already helped her a lot.

Jing Xuan looked at her, "How will you ride a bike if your ankle is swollen? How about I drive you there?"

"..." Tang Huai was at a loss.

Her foot hurt, and she couldn't ride a bike. If Jing Xuan drove her, being seen by the villagers would cause unnecessary gossip.

But then, the toads couldn't wait until her foot healed before she sold them; by then, they would have died and started to smell, and who would want them?

If Liu Xiaoyu weren't confined for post-natal recuperation, she could have taken them, but she was in confinement now...

After some thought, Tang Huai still felt that entrusting the toads to Jing Xuan was more reliable.

Tang Huai looked up at Jing Xuan earnestly, "You must not tell the villagers that toads can be sold for money."

Jing Xuan heard this and laughed, "Okay, I won't talk about it."

Jing Xuan didn't think that Tang Huai's behavior was selfish; on the contrary, he liked people who always considered themselves first.

"The owner of Senhai Pharmacy takes it," Tang Huai said.

"Hmm," Jing Xuan picked up the bag, "It's getting late, I'm heading back."

Suddenly, Tang Huai gave Jing Xuan a radiant smile, "Thank you, Brother Jing Xuan."

"Get some good rest," Jing Xuan left Liu Xiaoyu's house.

Many people in the village kept dogs, and when Jing Xuan stepped out of Liu Xiaoyu's house, Yang Hongxing's dog started barking at the flashlight light.

One dog barked, and the nearby dogs followed suit.

Suddenly, the silent night was filled with barking, which sounded quite eerie.

Jing Xuan's tall figure moved through the dark night, and even without a flashlight, nothing could hinder his steps.

His deep and sharp eyes, like those of an eagle, were unaffected by the darkness.

The dogs seemed to sense his powerful aura and dared only to bark at him without getting closer.

"How did you end up running into the young master Jing?" asked Liu Xiaoyu curiously after Jing Xuan had left.

"His family was having a wild pig feast tonight. He doesn't like that kind of noise, so he was wandering around, saw me catching toads, and came over to help," Tang Huai replied casually.

Liu Xiaoyu smiled, "Brother Jing Xuan really is cold on the outside but warm on the inside."

——

The next day, Tang Huai's ankle really swelled up.

She applied some medicinal oil herself, and then bore the pain, limping to the kitchen to cook breakfast.

Just as she was putting rice in the pot, and before she had even started the fire, Tang Ying stormed in angrily, "Tang Huai, did you deliberately talk about my family eating pig trotters soaked in urine in front of the villagers yesterday?"

Tang Huai feigned surprise and looked at Tang Ying, "Yesterday, you and your mother both said you'd ask the village chief for half a pig's trotter for me. Why didn't you give it to me?"

"Tell me, did you say those things on purpose?"

"If you hadn't brought it up, I would have forgotten all about you stealing my family's pig trotter," Tang Huai said with pursed lips.

Tang Ying took a deep breath, "Was it Brother Jing Xuan who brought you home last night? Why did he bring you home?"

That was the real reason Tang Ying had come looking for Tang Huai. Last night, when the dogs barked, she got up and went to the window just in time to see Jing Xuan carrying Tang Huai back.

Tang Huai lowered her head to start the fire, "You ask that as if I'm stealing your husband."

"Do you even have the ability to steal my husband?"

Tang Ying lifted her chin, "I'm better than you in every way. When I get married in the future, you won't have the ability to steal my husband, and he won't spare you a second glance!"

"If you think I don't have the ability, why are you fussing about it so early in the morning? Don't you like Brother Jing Peng?" Tang Huai's gaze turned icy.

Tang Ying was surprised, "How do you know I like Brother Jing Peng?"

"We're not close, and I have the right to refuse to answer all of your questions."

Tang Ying stared at Tang Huai, her heart skipping a beat: This Tang Huai, how did she change so much overnight?

Tang Ying arrogantly thought to herself: No matter how much she changes, it's useless; a man from a good family will not like her.

Tang Ying's chin was raised so high, her eyes were nearly on top of her head.

She looked down on Tang Huai with scorn and said mockingly, "What's the use of acting all high and mighty? Do you think by deliberately getting Brother Jing Xuan's attention, you can marry him? Don't you know what the people in the village say about you? Like mother, like daughter. Your mother giving birth to one daughter after another is a sickness, it's hereditary. In the future, you too will only give birth to daughters, unable to bear a son to carry on a man's family line. Even if Brother Jing Xuan likes you, his parents, and Old Lady Jing won't agree to you entering their family."