STRANGER IN THE RIVER
Mei-ling was panicking. Bandits?
This part hasn't happened in the book!!!
In the book Mei-ling has smoothly gone to live in the palace without an prior troubles.
Where was all this coming from?
"Bandits???" Mei-ling held unto Li-na. "From where? Who are they?"
"The bandits have been rampaging the city." Li-na said. "They steal from the people and sometimes even kill them."
Kill??!!!!
When Mei-ling heard that part she began to shake in fear.
No, she couldn't die.
Why were there just different ways for her to die.
In the original story she was stoned to death for trying to kill the FL, when she had tried to avoid becoming a concubine her mother told her that she would be killed if she didn't go.
And now that she had finally decided on what to do, she was being attacked and facing another death?
Why was death at every corner.
"Where are we supposed to go?" Mei-ling asked one of the men who had ridden the carriage.
Before he could talk, they saw a sword right into his stomach.
Mei-ling's eyes widened in shock.
It was pulled out and then blood spurted out from him and landed on Mei-ling's face.
He fell down dead.
She screamed as she felt the blood.
The bandits came after them and they both ran into the forest.
The other man riding the carriage was shot with an arrow.
They ran panting as they heard horses going after them.
She saw a ditch and then she dragged Li-na inside.
They fell inside and quickly hid.
Mei-ling closed Li-na's mouth to prevent her from speaking.
"Where are the women?" Someone asked.
"They must have gone this way." Someone else said.
Mei-ling's heart was beating and her mouth was in her heart.
They didn't move until they had heard the horses and men gone far away.
Then they climbed out and ran the opposite direction.
They kept on running for about twenty minutes until Mei-ling couldn't take it anymore.
"Wait. Wait." Mei-ling said trying to catch her breath.
Now was she going to die from exhaustion.
She sat on the floor to catch her breath.
"My mistress. We need to run." Li-na said.
"I'll faint if I run." Mei-ling told her.
She took in very deep breaths.
Her clothes was a mess, she was bare foot and extremely tired.
The moonlight showed against them and pointed the light.
What sort of life had she transmigrated as?
Oh if she saw that old woman who had sold her that book, she would strangle her!
She swore on the red dragon!
"My mistress." Li-na said pointing in a not so far distance.
Then she saw something that caught her eyes.
She rose up to her feet quickly.
There was a man in the river and his body was going towards the water fall!
Mei-ling rushed to the river without thinking.
"My mistress you might injure yourself!" Li-na warned. "Your servant is worried for you."
"Reduce your voice!" Mei-ling urged.
She saw the man and saw he was bloody and had on armour.
He had beautiful long dark hair and flawless skin. This was such a handsome man.
She grabbed onto him and struggled to pull him out of the water.
She fell right in.
He was so heavy!
Li-na rushed to her aid.
"Hold his legs and pull him out." Mei-ling instructed.
Li-na gasped!
"This is the armour of someone in the imperial army." She said staring at him in shock.
"Grab his legs or he will fall!" Mei-ling snapped as she struggled to pull him out of the water.
Li-na quickly did as she was told and together they pulled out his body.
Immediately they dropped him on the bank of the river, Mei-ling hovered over him.
He was so handsome and looked young.
His body was massive and if what Li-na said was true, then this could be a warrior in the army.
If only she could have another ML like him! She wouldn't hesitate in making him fall for her after all he was so handsome!
She was sure he was more handsome than the future emperor ML!
She leaned against his chest.
He was not breathing.
She saw an arrow in his chest and quickly pulled it out.
This was critical she had been a health worker before she converted to office work.
She knew about treating such wounds.
This was ancient China, there should be some Caesalpinia sappan around.
It was a plant that could help quickly treat infected wounds.
"Get me some Caesalpinia sappan." She instructed Li-na.
Li-na was now sure that her mistress was not okay in the head.
"My mistress. What is that?" Li-na asked.
Damn! That was the botanical name! What was the Chinese name?
"Get me some su fang mu." She said. "You know it don't you?"
"Yes. But it's used for dye." Li-na said confused.
Did her mistress wnat to dye her clothes?
But there was a man almost dead here. She knew that her mistress sometimes did wicked things, but wasn't she just about to help him?
"Just bring it!" She said.
Li-na disappeared into the forest.
Mei-ling turned to the man and saw that he had swallowed some water.
She put her hands against him and pressed his chest over and over over to take the forth whilst doing mouth to mouth resuscitation .
She did it about six more times before he responded.
He coughed the water out and she saw his eyes slowly open.
He had such beautiful blue eyes!
Then Li-na rushed back with the plant in her hand.
"My mistress!" Li-na shouted. "I found it. There are men coming. Men of the imperial army. I think they are looking for him."
Mei-ling looked back at the man in her lap.
His eyes were barely fluttering.
She quickly collected the herbs and massaged it through his wound.
It would help fight the poison from the arrow and stop the bleeding.
The voices got closer.
"My mistress we have to go." Li-na said.
Mei-ling rose up to her feet and gently set him down on the floor and together both women ran into the forest.
From where they hid, she saw large men in armour just like his march towards him.
When they saw his body they rushed towards him.
He was now awake and they lifted his body gently and placed him on a horse.
Now mei-ling knew he was safe.
How she wished that she could make him fall in love with her so he could save her from being killed by the ML!