Chapter 4

"I'm here, you don't need to be afraid anymore."

----- Main Text -----

Guo Laosan screamed in terror, his legs going weak as he collapsed to the ground, trembling and clutching the wall for support.

"Lin Lang! Let him go!" Feng Bao Nan's face turned pale, his voice almost a different pitch.

The young man named Lin Lang turned his head slightly, giving everyone a cold, disdainful look. With a sudden release of his fingers, Feng You lost his support and fell backward. Feng Bao Nan made a swift move, catching him just in time.

If he had hit the ground hard, his head might have cracked open, and it would take at least half an hour to clean up the mess.

Feng Bao Nan's expression darkened instantly. Feng You's body spasmed a few times as if convulsing, and he finally managed to gasp for air, taking a short and desperate breath. He began coughing violently, clutching his throat.

Chaos erupted in the room. As Feng Bao Nan focused on helping Feng You, Fang Ji scanned the surroundings. Through a half-opened door, he noticed a person lying on a kang bed in the inner room. The patched quilt revealed a tangled mass of hair, dirty and yellowed, resembling a clump of hay.

Fang Ji's breathing hitched, and he felt as if the entire room had been struck by lightning. The walls seemed to tilt suddenly, and he realized he was about to collapse. He quickly reached out, grabbing onto the windowsill and leaning against the wall to steady himself.

Feng You was coughing so hard that tears welled up in his eyes. Feng Bao Nan helped him sit in a chair and opened his collar to look at the injuries. There were several reddish-blue fingerprints on his neck, and some of them had begun to ooze blood.

Feng You finally caught his breath, tears in his eyes, and he glared at Lin Lang with red eyes. Lin Lang, on the other hand, remained indifferent, showing no sign of remorse. Feng You's lips quivered as if he wanted to curse, but he didn't dare to confront Lin Lang directly. Instead, he turned to Feng Bao Nan and said, "Dad! He almost choked me to death!"

Feng Bao Nan kept a stern face and didn't say a word. Guo Laosan was the first to speak, lowering his voice to murmur in Feng Bao Nan's ear, "Oh my, my goodness! That crazy dog, last time he beat up someone from the Li family, even broke his leg!"

Feng Bao Nan raised his head and asked Lin Lang, "What do you have to say for yourself, Lin Lang?"

Lin Lang raised his gaze and fixed it on Guo Laosan. "You said it."

Guo Laosan shivered and stammered, "What... what are you talking about?"

"You said, 'Anyone who dares to harm A Shui, let me deal with them.'"

Feng You's face turned red, and he nervously glanced at Fang Ji. "Fang... Fang Ji! Do you believe me?"

Upon hearing this, Fang Ji slowly turned his head, his gaze fixed on Feng You. His lips tightened, and his expression was unreadable.

Feng You was taken aback, feeling an inexplicable tremor in his heart. He stood up and walked a few steps closer to Fang Ji. "Fang... Fang Ji?"

Fang Ji seemed to snap out of it, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He looked at Feng You and finally spoke, "Of course."

As Fang Ji's words fell, Lin Lang glanced at him briefly, and their eyes met in mid-air. Then, Lin Lang turned away.

Guo Laosan, looking nervous, cast a quick glance at Feng Bao Nan, and then he turned to Lin Lang, saying, "Don't make baseless accusations! I was talking about the people outside! Can you compare the Feng family to them? You've never shown restraint in your actions. How can you blame me?!"

"Enough! Let's stop here!" Feng Bao Nan waved his hand and said firmly, "We came here for a reason today, so let's focus on that and stop arguing."

Feng Bao Nan appeared displeased, and Guo Laosan couldn't quite figure out what was on his mind, so he reluctantly fell silent.

Fang Ji took a deep breath and asked, "Where is the pregnant woman you mentioned?"

Guo Laosan raised his chin slightly, pointing at Lin Lang. "Lin Lang, take him there."

"Make sure she doesn't harm Dr. Fang," Feng Bao Nan instructed sternly.

Lin Lang remained silent, and with that, he walked into the inner room, followed closely by Fang Ji.

The woman's disheveled hair covered her face tightly. The cotton inside the quilt created visible unevenness, forming bulky lumps in some places while leaving only two thin layers in others. The patches on the quilt displayed crooked and twisted stitching. A few darkened cotton fluffs were scattered along the edge of the kang bed and on the floor.

"A Shui, it's time to get up," Lin Lang walked to the bedside and said in a low voice.

The woman made a barely noticeable movement. The air fell silent for several seconds. She seemed like a small animal just awakening from hibernation. Slowly, she turned over. Her thin arm, as thin as a bamboo stick, emerged from beneath the quilt. Trembling, she propped it on the mattress. Her five fingers curled, creating a depression in the bedding. With great effort, she managed to prop up half of her body. She raised her head, and her dry, straw-like hair fell to both sides, revealing a pale, grayish face.

Fang Ji lowered his head, his gaze fixed on her face, showing no particular expression.

A Shui vaguely caught sight of a person before her. She slowly raised her eyes, which fell upon the face of the man. Her eyes widened abruptly, her lips quivered for a moment. Before she could say anything, her throat was gripped by the man.

Fang Ji stared at her face and spoke coldly, "Young lady, you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his wrist was suddenly grasped. His expression changed, and he instinctively released his hold on A Shui. He turned his head and locked eyes with Lin Lang.

Fang Ji looked at him, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "You must be Lin Lang, right? Can you please let go of me?"

"Fang Ji?!" Feng You was already prepared for the situation and had been listening closely while standing by the wall. When he heard the commotion, he quickly rushed in and stepped between the two, pushing Lin Lang away. "What are you doing?!"

Lin Lang released his grip, staring coldly at both of them without saying a word.

"It's okay, brother Feng," Fang Ji held onto Feng You's arm and said, "It's my fault for not explaining it earlier. I just wanted to test whether this girl was still rational. I didn't have any malicious intent."

As he spoke, he looked up at Lin Lang's face, smiling as he asked, "Can I continue now?"

Lin Lang hadn't reacted yet, and Feng You was about to go out to call Feng Bao Nan. However, Fang Ji stopped him and lowered his voice, saying, "This minor injury will heal in a little while. You should leave for now. We still don't know how the gu worm spreads. If you get infected too, I won't be able to explain to Village head Feng."

(Tn: Anyone who is new to chinese novels this is for you: Gu is kind of a worm used as a poison to control/ kill the person whose body Gu enters. Its basically a poison but very dangerous one.)

Feng You clenched his teeth and said, "But what if he hurts you?!"

Fang Ji smiled and said, "Then I'll call you, and you can come and save me, okay?"

Feng You hesitated for a moment, and his face turned slightly red. "Alright, I'll stand by the door. If you need anything, just call me." Fang Ji agreed, and Feng You left the room.

Turning back to A Shui, Fang Ji locked his eyes onto hers and spoke gently, "I'm sorry if I frightened you, young lady. I'm here to treat you."

A Shui tightly bit her lower lip, and two silent tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that in front of you earlier. Don't be afraid. I know you're worried about the baby," Fang Ji seemed to have just realized and took a tissue from his pocket, gently wiping away her tears. "I'm here now, so there's no need to be scared."

A Shui's eyes flickered slightly. She lowered her gaze and let out a suppressed sob. Fang Ji placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and helped her lie down again. He lifted her wrist, feeling her pulse. After a moment, he tucked her arm back under the blanket and walked out of the room.

Seeing him come out, Guo Laosan quickly stood up from his chair, concern etched on his face. "Doctor Fang, what's the news?!"

Fang Ji looked at him and said, "The baby is still healthy, so you can rest assured."

Guo Laosan's expression eased a bit. However, before he could catch his breath, Fang Ji continued, "But besides the baby, there's also a gu worm inside her."

"What?!" Guo Laosan's vision darkened, and he slumped back into his chair, clutching his chest as he gasped for breath. It took him a moment to regain his composure, and he stammered, "S-so, what can we do then?"

Fang Ji pondered for a moment and said, "The gu worm is sharing the mother's womb with the baby, competing for nutrients, and it may even feed on the baby. The best course of action now is to surgically remove the gu worm from the uterus to save the baby. However..."

Guo Laosan stared intently at Fang Ji's mouth, his heart ready to leap out of his chest. "However, what?!"

"However, the medical facilities here are not up to the task. Performing surgery now could lead to severe bleeding and wound infections, posing a higher risk to both the mother and the baby than the gu worm itself," Fang Ji explained. "So, I suggest temporarily moving her to a hospital in the city. After the surgery is done, you can bring her back..."

"No!" Feng Bao Nan interrupted firmly.

Fang Ji hesitated and then said, "But continuing like this puts both the mother and the baby at risk. The baby is currently healthy... it's a boy." He locked eyes with Guo Laosan and continued, "We need to consider the baby's life as well."

"A boy?!" Guo Laosan's heart skipped a beat. He widened his eyes, and in the midst of his cloudy gaze, a glimmer of hope burst forth. His lips quivered for a moment, and he grabbed Fang Ji's hand tightly. "Doctor Fang, are you... are you sure it's a boy?"

Fang Ji kept his eyes on the trembling flesh of Guo Laosan's face, which was shaking due to excitement. A faint smile played on his lips as he replied, "If you're willing to believe me..."

"I do! I believe you! Doctor Fang, how could I, a villager of Shangyang, not believe you?" Guo Laosan 's cheeks turned red, and he stared straight ahead into the empty space as if searching for the remnants of his ancestors in the air to honor himself. His eyes welled up, and his lips almost reached his ears with a smile, but before the smile could fully form, his face froze. It paled from red to white, and he grabbed Feng Bao Nan's hand, his voice full of sorrow, "Village head Feng What if I go with Doctor Fang? Our Guo family... as you know, we have only this child left now!"

"I've said it, that's not an option," Feng Bao Nan's tone was cold, as if coated in frost. He stared into Guo Laosan's eyes, his voice low but determined, "A Shui absolutely cannot leave the village! Old Guo, you must understand..."

Guo Laosan's face darkened, and he slumped back into his chair. The joy from earlier disappeared completely, replaced by a look of deep concern. "Then, Doctor Fang, is there any other way? My grandson must be saved!"

Fang Ji pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright, let's do this. I'll stay here to supervise her daily intake of medicinal soup, ensuring that her nutritional needs are met before childbirth. This will slow down the growth of the parasite and delay the time when it begins to affect the fetus. I've tried this method before, and it succeeded once," he paused, looking somewhat hesitant, "but I cannot guarantee the mother's safety completely. Are you okay with this?"

Guo Laosan's eyes lit up suddenly, and he hurriedly said, "Okay, okay! I understand that this disease is difficult to treat. You've already done so much for us!"

Fang Ji didn't say anything, he just stared at Guo Laosan's face and suddenly smiled.

Guo Laosan looked at him somewhat puzzled and asked, "Doctor Fang?"

"Sorry, I just suddenly felt grateful that I have such a cooperative family to work with. It's a doctor's fortune," he paused, as if remembering something, and asked, "So, I'll stay here for a few days. Is it convenient for Lin Lang? I don't want to impose."

"It's fine, don't worry about him," Feng Bao Nan said, "I'll have someone bring you a bed shortly. If you need anything, you can ask Lin Lang to relay the message."

"Fang Ji, you're staying here?" Feng You furrowed his brows, "What about the guesthouse? Did you cancel your reservation?"

Fang Ji replied, "No problem, I can sleep anywhere."

"Not at all!" Feng You leaned in closer to Fang Ji, cast a meaningful glance in the direction of the inner room, and whispered, "Didn't you see? Neither of them is normal! You can't..."

"Feng You!" Feng Bao Nan glared at him, "What are you doing? Let's go!"

Feng You pursed his lips, managed to say, "...Got it."

After Feng Bao Nan and Guo Laosan had both left, Feng You finally grabbed Fang Ji's hand, tilted his head back, and said, "Fang Ji, my neck is killing me! Can you come back with me to apply some medicine?"

"...It's fine, just apply some alcohol when you get back."

"It's not fine! It really hurts..." Feng You was about to say more, but Feng Bao Nan's voice came from outside, "Feng You! Where are you?!"

Feng You choked back his words, and reluctantly said, "I'm coming!" Then, he quickly glanced at Fang Ji again, and added, "If you need anything, just find me!" After that, he turned and rushed out of the door.

___________________________________________

Tn: This chapter killed me. I had to redo the entire translation but it was unbearable to read to say the least.

And I still don't like Old man Guo(Guo Laosan)