Examination of Injuries
"The host must peruse books, which can only be acquired with points."
"Purchase!" Mǎn Bǎo found such books quite useful. Her family often fell ill. Once she had studied these books, there would be no need to anxiously await a doctor during emergencies; she could attend to matters herself.
"Shall we start with a basic one?" Otherwise, spending points would be wasteful. After all, the prices of the encyclopedic books in the pavilion wouldn't increase.
Mǎn Bǎo nodded.
Kē Kē proceeded to make the purchase for her.
Upon seeing her nod earnestly, Zhou Dalang endured the pain to inquire, "What have you noticed?"
Mǎn Bǎo solemnly replied, "Big Brother, you may have internal bleeding from being kicked, though it doesn't seem severe." Just lie still and don't move.
Zhōu Dàláng: "...Yǎo mèi has become so capable; she can diagnose illnesses now?"
Mǎn Bǎo was honest: "Not yet, but soon."
Zhōu Dàláng: ...
Xiǎo Qián, the head chef, worried about Zhōu Dàláng but only managed to bring him a bowl of hot water before returning to the kitchen upon confirming he was fine.
Meanwhile, after ensuring that none of the injured villagers had life-threatening wounds, the village head signaled to Lǎo Zhōu to convene outside his house to discuss matters in private.
Lǎo Zhōu's house was too chaotic at the moment. People were cooking, washing vegetables, tending to the injured, and idle villagers who had not been assigned tasks were clearing away the fallen tiles from the roof damage.
As for the roof, they couldn't tend to it now because it was already dark. It would be too risky for someone to fall off in the darkness.
However, many assured Zhōu Èr Láng that they would come to help early the next morning. At the same time, they reminded him to quickly buy replacement tiles; otherwise, leaving the roof exposed would be problematic if it rained.
Lǎo Zhōu left the voices behind and walked to the riverside with the village head. Seeing no one around, the village head asked, "What's your plan?"
Lǎo Zhōu sat on the ground, holding his head. "I don't know."
"Jīn shū, you have to think about this, whether you want to or not." Are they here for Xiao Yin's book?
Though Zhou Yin was younger than his eldest son, hierarchy mattered, so the village head still addressed him as "shu."
After a moment of silence, Lǎo Zhōu said, "With so many people, we won't get a chance to ask." Even if we did, they might not answer. "What should we do?"
"Just now, some elders mentioned that if they're here for Xiǎo Yín shū, we'll have to pretend not to know." Otherwise, our entire village…"
Lǎo Zhōu immediately responded, "Rest assured, if we can't keep it hidden, we won't drag the village down with us." "But I feel they're not good people."
Lǎo Zhōu continued, "Mister Zhuāng is discerning; he said they're fake." Moreover, they seem shifty, not like trustworthy individuals.
The village head naturally understood. He had tacitly allowed everyone to take action earlier precisely because he had sensed this.
He knew, but doubts lingered in his mind. What if something went wrong?
Lǎo Zhōu knew the village head was worried, and he was concerned as well, but he had to reassure both the village head and himself.
He lowered his voice. "Six years ago, they couldn't find anything." Six years have passed. "Do you think they'll find anything now?"
Exactly. They had carried and buried the bodies back then. They couldn't find anything then, so it would be even harder now.
The village head breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, later I'll gather the heads of households for a meeting and keep this secret."
"What about the Bái family?"
After a pause, the village head said, "Don't worry, I'll speak with Mister Bái." He helped us cover it up before; now should be no different.
Only then did Lǎo Zhōu finally relax.
Lǎo Zhōu's house was bustling, and soon, Doctor Lù was brought in by Zhōu Liù Láng and others using a cart. Upon entering, he immediately recognized the aftermath of a brawl and frowned. "Who did you fight with?"
In rural areas, brawls typically occur between villages. Doctor Lù pondered for a moment but couldn't grasp it. "There's plenty of water nearby." "Are you fighting over water?"
Typically, fights were over water or land, but he hadn't heard of any land disputes between villages recently.
The village head coughed lightly. "It wasn't the locals; three outsiders tried to deceive us villagers." They almost abducted our children, which led to a fight. Are they alright?
Doctor Lù exclaimed, "Oh my! Did you kill the deceivers?" Did you kill the deceivers?!"
The village head was startled and quickly shook his head. "No, no, please don't scare us." Are we those kinds of people? We caught them and handed them over to the Bái family.
Doctor Lù breathed a sigh of relief. As he skillfully administered medicine and bandaged wounds, he remarked, "As long as no one died, let them fight." Those deceivers deserve a thousand cuts. But don't take their lives upon yourselves. Hmm, your bone isn't broken; it's dislocated. "I'll reset it for you."
Doctor Lù glanced at the medicine they had been using, feeling a bit sorry. "This is good medicine." Why are you only using it for such minor injuries? "Look, the wound is small, yet the bleeding has stopped without medicine."
Injured villager: ...
After examining Zhōu Dàláng and feeling his pulse and abdomen, Doctor Lù concluded, "You're fine. There is some bleeding, but since you have taken medicine, I will prescribe three more days' worth." Boil and drink the mixture later; it will help stop the bleeding and reduce the swelling.
He then instructed Qián Shì, who was sitting nearby, to "Be vigilant tonight." If his stomach swells, call me immediately.
Qián Shì nodded.
The most seriously injured person was Zhou Dalang; others mostly had external wounds requiring treatment for bleeding, swelling, or bruises, all of which the doctor adeptly managed. Soon, everyone was seen.
Xiao Qian also brought out food, and tables and chairs were set up in both courtyards. Doctor Lù and Mister Zhuāng were seated at the head, and finally, everyone enjoyed the delayed dinner.
On the other side of the river, the Bái family had already finished their dinner.
After setting down her chopsticks and dabbing her mouth with a napkin, Mrs. Liú took a sip of water, wiped her mouth, and said to her daughter-in-law, "Shàn Bǎo was probably scared by the commotion today." Let the kitchen prepare a comforting soup for him, and you should accompany him to bed tonight.
Mrs. Zheng agreed.
Mrs. Liú then helped her nanny stand up, saying, "Alright, I'm going to rest now. Take care of Shàn Bǎo."
Mrs. Zhèng naturally followed her mother-in-law's instructions.
Mrs. Liú held the nanny's hand as they left the dining hall. Instead of returning to her room, she turned and headed to the back of the backyard.