"Big brother?" Ah Jiu's mind was in chaos.
A month ago, when she saw him at the Yi Zhuang, he had only a breath left and was bone-thin.
Now he was no different from an ordinary person, except for his pair of red eyes.
"Come in and talk," Meng Nanxing's voice was also wrong, feeling like he had a handful of sand stuck in his throat, low and hoarse.
This was similar to Ah Jiu's voice when her throat was parched before she discovered the spiritual spring during her escape.
Ah Jiu quickly led him inside but dared not disturb her sleeping family, so they stayed in the clinic.
"Big brother, where did you go? Do you know your wife thought you were dead?" Ah Jiu asked urgently.
Meng Nanxing's face was unnaturally pale, his expression unusually stiff.
No, it gave the impression that he couldn't express any emotion: "I also thought I was going to die, but I didn't, and miraculously recovered my appearance."
Ah Jiu gasped, hearing her brother's tone that he had recovered without any treatment.
"And then?" Ah Jiu pressed, because although he had indeed returned to his original appearance, a pair of red eyes and pale skin did not make him look like a normal person at all.
"After I left the Yi Zhuang, I planned to find a mountain to live and die on my own. But I don't know if I was lucky or fated, I didn't die. However, I heard that you cured this kind of illness, so I thought I'd come back to find you and Cai'er to try."
This statement was a bit disjointed. He said he was fine, but then he said he wanted to be cured?
Noticing Ah Jiu's confusion, Meng Nanxing said, "Most of the time I feel an unbearable pain inside my body, as if… as if thousands of ants are gnawing at me."
Ah Jiu's brow furrowed. She had treated many such patients on this journey, but her brother's case was an exception.
As for the feeling of ants gnawing, Ah Jiu could understand, but why was her brother fine?
"Big brother, wait a moment, I'll go call Sister-in-law." After all, Sister-in-law came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Even if she hadn't learned the art, she would have been exposed to it, and would have seen more cases than a young girl like her.
Ah Jiu's arm was grabbed by her brother.
"I only dared to come in and speak today because I saw you open the door. Don't tell your sister-in-law I came. I'm staying in an abandoned earth house in Hieba Village, south of the city."
He came almost every morning but didn't see Ah Jiu.
"That won't do. The war will reach there soon. Besides, running and hiding is meaningless. Haven't you thought about your wife's feelings? And don't you want to see your son, Meng Zhiyuan?"
As soon as this was said, Ah Jiu's arm was gradually released.
When Ah Jiu called Liu Cai'er, she almost stumbled into the clinic, and after a long time, she finally managed to speak:
"Nanxing?"
Ah Jiu quietly withdrew from the clinic, not wanting to disturb the two of them.
The kitchen.
Cai Lihua looked at the cold stove and hearth, at a loss.
Ah Jiu then remembered the bounty: "Mother, look what I have?"
When she took out fifty taels of assorted gold coins, Cai Lihua's eyes lit up: "Oh, daughter, where did you get so much money?"
"The Prince rewarded me." Ah Jiu's explanation led to a flurry of questions from Cai Lihua.
Ah Jiu decided not to hide it anymore and told her directly about the medical skills she learned in the spatial dimension, and how she coincidentally could cure this kind of illness.
Cai Lihua accepted it readily, and pulled Ah Jiu along, saying, "Let's go buy some rice and flour. We must replenish your strength this time."
Passing the front hall, Cai Lihua craned her neck to look into the clinic, as she could hear her sister-in-law's sobs from inside.
"Mother, let's go." Ah Jiu pulled her arm. "Resources are scarce now. If we go late, even with money, we won't be able to buy anything."
"Yes, daughter, you're right. I plan to buy two catties of salt today." Cai Lihua patted her bulging pocket and suddenly felt more confident as she walked.
"There's only one salt shop in Nanming City," Ah Jiu reminded her. "It belongs to Steward Li."
"I don't care who owns it. If I have gold, he'll sell it to... Daughter, what did you say?" Cai Lihua, too excited, only realized what she had said halfway through.