“The wound and clothes are stuck together?”
Jin Feng frowned slightly.
From Tang Xiaobei’s injury until now, one or two hours had passed. The wound would definitely have scabbed over.
“Head of the household, go and see.”
Guan Xiaorou pulled Jin Feng into the inner room.
This was Tang Dongdong’s room. At this time, Tang Xiaobei was sitting on the bed with both legs propped on a chair. Tang Dongdong and Runniang were squatting on either side, all wearing worried expressions.
Seeing Jin Feng enter, Tang Xiaobei’s face involuntarily reddened. She shyly lowered her head.
“Brother Feng, Xiaobei’s wounds have scabbed over. The skirt won’t come off. What to do?”
Tang Dongdong stood up and asked anxiously.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” Jin Feng comforted Tang Dongdong, then looked at Runniang. “Go boil some gauze cloths, then boil two bowls of salt water and bring them over.”
“Alright.” Runniang agreed and ran out.
Now in Xihe Bay, external wounds were cleaned with alcohol and salt water before being bandaged with boiled gauze. Runniang was already very familiar with it.
Jin Feng looked at Tang Xiaobei’s skirt again. “This skirt is too long. It’s in the way when treating the wound. Dongdong, go find some scissors and cut off the obstructive parts.”
As soon as she heard about cutting the skirt, Tang Xiaobei’s face flushed bright red all at once. Even her neck turned pink.
Da Kang had no such thing as leggings or even underwear. Cutting the skirt would mean being exposed, wouldn’t it?
Jin Feng also understood it wasn’t convenient for him to stay. After instructing, he turned and went outside.
By the time Runniang had boiled the salt water, Tang Dongdong came out with the scissors.
“Cut it?” Jin Feng asked.
“Yes, cut it.” Tang Dongdong said. “Everything except the part stuck to the scab has been cut off.”
“Then use the gauze dipped in salt water to soak the scabs thoroughly. Once the scabs soften, they should come off.” Jin Feng said.
“Brother Feng, Xiaobei’s wounds are scary. I… I can’t bear to look…”
Tang Dongdong hesitated, then said. “Can you come in and help?”
“Isn’t Xiaorou there?” Jin Feng asked.
“Sister Xiaorou doesn’t dare either…”
“Xiaobei is a girl. It’s not convenient for me. Go find Ah Mei.”
Jin Feng shook his head.
It wasn’t that he was being proper, but there was really no need to take advantage.
If he truly wanted to possess Tang Xiaobei, after redeeming her, he wouldn’t have helped her with the removal from the registry.
“Brother Feng, there’s nothing inconvenient. When you taught Xiao Jin medicine, didn’t you often say the greatest duty of a doctor is to save lives, without distinction of gender?”
Tang Dongdong said. “Xiao Jin has started treating male soldiers’ wounds. As her master, how come you’re being coy?”
“How did it rise to academic heights?” Jin Feng smiled bitterly and stood up. “Enough, I’ll go, alright?”
Tang Dongdong followed behind, a smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
Given Da Kang’s social background, from the moment Jin Feng redeemed Tang Xiaobei, she was destined to be Jin Feng’s person. She could never marry anyone else in this lifetime.
Having known him for so long, Tang Dongdong understood Jin Feng very well. Although he sometimes made harmless jokes, he was easygoing and talented, the perfect match in her heart.
Women are very sensitive in matters of emotion. Tang Dongdong could sense that although Jin Feng valued her greatly, he had little romantic feelings for her. The possibility of them being together was already very small.
Since she had missed her chance, she hoped Tang Xiaobei could be with Jin Feng.
Tang Xiaobei’s skirt had been neatly cut off above the knees, revealing two slender legs as white as snow surpassing frost. Unfortunately, at this time, both legs bore more than a dozen whip marks of varying severity, and some places were torn open with skirt fabric still stuck.
Although from a brothel, the madam had protected Tang Xiaobei well. To date, no man had touched even a finger of hers. Suddenly exposing her legs in front of Jin Feng, Tang Xiaobei shyly covered her face.
Guan Xiaorou was also holding back laughter, wanting to see Jin Feng’s reaction.
Unfortunately, disappointing her, in his previous life, come summer, campuses and streets were full of girls in short skirts. Jin Feng was long accustomed to it.
Tang Xiaobei’s skirt was only cut above the knees, nothing compared to those short skirts from his previous life.
Jin Feng calmly washed his hands, then dipped gauze in salt water and carefully wiped the wounds.
From start to finish, his expression didn’t change. He kept his eyes straight on the wounds, gaze clear and pure.
Tang Xiaobei secretly watched Jin Feng’s serious and careful manner through her fingers. Her heartbeat quickened involuntarily, her eyes gradually becoming somewhat dazed. Her mind began fantasising various scenes of being with Jin Feng.
Just thinking what their children should be named, Jin Feng’s voice came by her ear. “Bear with it. The next part might hurt a bit.”
The wounds had all been wiped once. The initially wiped parts were soaked through. Jin Feng took out his homemade small forceps, clamped the skirt fabric, and carefully peeled it off bit by bit.
Fortunately, the scabs weren’t long formed. Jin Feng soon removed all the fabric, then cleaned with salt water again, and finally carefully bandaged with gauze.
“Don’t expose to wind recently, and don’t sweat.”
Jin Feng instructed and left to wash his hands.
Watching Jin Feng’s back, Tang Xiaobei’s heart felt like a little deer had burrowed in, thumping nonstop.
“Alright, stop looking. Once you enter the door later, you can look as much as you want.” Tang Dongdong teased with a smile.
“Sister, what are you saying? Sister Xiaorou is still here.” Tang Xiaobei covered her face again.
“So what if I’m here? Dongdong didn’t say anything wrong.” Guan Xiaorou also smiled and teased Tang Xiaobei. “Don’t tell me you don’t fancy the head of the household?”
“Sister Xiaorou, you’re teasing me too…”
Tang Xiaobei shyly pulled up the quilt and buried her head in it.
Tiechui returned that evening. Besides multiple bruises on his body, his nose bridge was fractured, and the fibula of his left leg seemed cracked too.
With three injured out of nowhere, they definitely couldn’t leave for now. Jin Feng had Da Liu go to the inn to extend the stay for a few more days.
The next day at noon, the tigress’s wealthy merchant husband brought gifts to apologise to Jin Feng, wanting to take her down and bring her back.
Jin Feng’s purpose of killing the chicken to warn the monkeys had been achieved. The tigress had been hung for a full day and night as Tang Xiaobei required. Jin Feng couldn’t be bothered to trouble the merchant further and agreed.
When Runniang sorted the gifts from the merchant, she discovered a box containing banknotes for one thousand taels of silver.
Jin Feng wasn’t so strapped as to accept such money. He sent Da Liu to return it. But when Da Liu found the merchant’s home, he learned the merchant had taken the tigress down and left Guangyuan that afternoon.
With the people gone, Jin Feng wouldn’t send someone to chase. He gave two hundred taels to Tiechui, and one hundred each to Tang Dongdong and Tang Xiaobei as the merchant’s compensation.
Then he distributed most of the rest to the veteran and female soldiers.
Tang Dongdong and Tang Xiaobei’s injuries were only skin deep. After two days’ rest, they were mostly fine.
“Sir, let’s go back. If we don’t, my wife will worry.”
Tiechui knew everyone was waiting for him, so he took the initiative to find Jin Feng and request to return.
