Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Ye Chen rushed anxiously, his footsteps hurried as he sprinted to the Medical Camp. He abruptly lifted the heavy curtain, his eyes quickly scanning each person lying on the beds until he caught sight of a familiar figure in the corner, causing him to come to a sudden stop.
His steps faltered slightly, his eyes reddening as he hurried to the bedside of Shuanzi, who lay there.
“Can you at least sit up and talk? I went through so much trouble to bring you back from the brink of death. If you can’t even say a few words before you die, then all my efforts would have been in vain.”
Next to Shuanzi sat a man who looked somewhat familiar. As Ye Chen approached and got a clearer view of his face, he instantly recognized him as Zhou Laosan, the man who had teased him a while back.
Zhou Laosan noticed Ye Chen’s approach and was momentarily taken aback. He glanced at Shuanzi, who had turned away with his eyes closed, unwilling to look at anyone. Then he stood up and offered the space beside Shuanzi to Ye Chen.
Ye Chen took the seat, his voice trembling with barely concealed emotion as he tentatively asked, “Shuanzi, are you okay?”
Shuanzi suddenly opened his eyes, tears spilling over. He turned his head and grasped Ye Chen’s hands tightly, his voice choked with sobs. “Ye Chen… Li Yun… he’s dead.”
“I know.” Ye Chen’s words caught in his throat, a painful tightness in his nose making it hard to breathe. Unable to hold back any longer, he embraced Shuanzi tightly and wept. “Shuanzi… you have to hold on. We’ve only lost a leg; you’re still alive. If we can just get through today, we’ll be fine.”
Shuanzi shook his head in despair. “No, my mother said that when someone dies, they must have their body whole; otherwise, I’ll become a wandering spirit in my next life. But… if I don’t cut off this leg, I… won’t survive today.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Chen released his hold on Shuanzi and gently pulled back the blood-soaked cloth covering his lower body. “Let me see.”
As he pulled it away, a strong smell of blood assaulted his senses. The wound was a dark gash; the arrowhead had been broken off but part of it remained embedded in Shuanzi's calf. The surrounding skin was purplish-red and appeared close to necrosis. Blood had stopped flowing and the wound was festering badly.
“Why haven’t they removed the arrow? How long have you been like this?” Ye Chen felt both heartbroken and fearful for Shuanzi’s pain as he gently wiped away the blood around the wound with a piece of white cloth.
“It's been two days. Doctor Liu and Doctor Pei are both out, and with the arrow lodged in the acupuncture point on his calf, those apprentices are too scared to move, so we’re just waiting it out,” Zhou Laosan replied quickly.
Ye Chen furrowed his brows in confusion. “I saw Doctor Pei at the entrance of the Military Camp today. How could he have gone out?”
Zhou Laosan chimed in again, “He? He left to gather herbs the morning your troops set off with Lou Yu. He’s been gone for three or four days and just returned. He took a look at Shuanzi's leg and said it was beyond saving; the flesh has rotted, and the only option is to amputate to save his life. But that kid refuses to budge. He says he would rather leave with a complete corpse than live without a leg.”
What a coincidence that Pei Guanjing went out on the same day Lou Yu's army departed. And what about Zhou Laosan? When did he become so close to Shuanzi? Ye Chen remembered that night when Zhou Laosan had sent Shuanzi flying. Now they could sit together and speak calmly?
“Shuanzi, do you want to live?” Ye Chen turned to him, gazing deeply into his eyes. “Your parents and siblings surely want you to come back alive. What good is leaving them a complete corpse? In the end, they would just receive your ashes. A living Shuanzi full of warmth versus a cold urn—this choice isn’t hard to make, Shuanzi.”
Shuanzi pressed his lips together, remaining silent for a long time as tears streamed down his face. Finally, he turned away in despair and said, “But… I’ll be useless afterward. What’s the point of me living?”
Hearing there was still hope, Ye Chen leaned closer, urgency in his voice. “How can that be useless? Shuanzi, do you remember when the three of us—me, you, and Li Yun—first worked together in the Canteen? I didn’t know anything at all, and it was you two who took care of me; otherwise, I would have been scolded by Chef Wang every day. Your cooking skills are amazing! Even if Scout Camp doesn’t want you anymore, Chef Wang and all of us will welcome you back to work in the Canteen. How could you be useless?”
“But…” Shuanzi’s gaze dimmed as it fell on his swollen purple right leg. “Can I really do it?”
“Of course you can! Why wouldn’t you?” Ye Chen was getting anxious and slapped Shuanzi’s arm lightly. “Are you planning to just loaf around in the Military Camp? Everyone here works for their meals; you can’t slack off! Otherwise, Chef Wang and Brother Fu Gui will definitely come looking for you to settle accounts for eating without working.”
Listening to Ye Chen’s increasingly humorous remarks lifted Shuanzi’s spirits considerably, and he managed a faint smile. “Ye Chen, thank you.”
Ye Chen smiled back. “What’s there to thank? We’re brothers! Even if Li Yun isn’t around us anymore, life still goes on. Otherwise, I’d think you were planning to follow him in death!”
“Pfft.” Shuanzi couldn’t help but laugh out loud for a moment. “Ye Chen, you…”
"Quite amusing," Zhou Laosan scoffed, crossing his arms and turning away, yet he did not leave.
As if just noticing that someone was beside him, Ye Chen covered his mouth with one hand and leaned closer to Shuanzi's ear, whispering, "What's up with him? When did you two become so close?"
Shuanzi shook his head and replied softly, "I don't know; he probably just came to watch the fun."
Comment 0 Comment Count