Chapter 307: The Safety of Family is More Important
Jiang Yichun looked at Bai Ruozhu in surprise, his dark eyes shimmering as if he was seeing her for the first time.
He had always thought of her as a hedgehog full of spikes, especially good at protecting herself and her family. But he had never imagined that she could also be so magnanimous, putting him, a man, to shame.
"Not only can I give up the method of suturing, I can also teach it to the doctors appointed by the Imperial Court in person. I guarantee they will master it," Bai Ruozhu said casually, as though she was talking about a trivial matter.
Honestly, in her previous life, the suturing technique was quite common. So she didn’t feel the need to keep it secret.
The shimmering light in Jiang Yichun’s eyes gradually turned into admiration. "I’ll report this to my master as soon as possible. He may also want to meet you and you should give him all the tools used for suturing when you meet."
Bai Ruozhu didn’t pay attention to the latter part of his statement, her focus was on meeting his master. She remembered him saying that his father died early and his mother was missing; his only remaining relative now was his master. Would meeting his master be considered meeting the parents?
Jiang Yichun realized she was distracted; holding Dengdeng, he approached and gently blew at her. Since he was much taller than her, his exhaled breath directly reached the top of her head.
Bai Ruozhu came back to her senses and looked at him reproachfully - how could he be so childish? Blowing people’s hair even at his age?
But Dengdeng chuckled and tried to mimic him. Regrettably, he was still too young and could not control his facial muscles well enough to blow. Seeing this, Jiang Yichun grinned victoriously at Dengdeng as if to say: see, we’re playing the same game as your mom. You need to practice.
"Is there anything I should pay attention to when meeting your master?" After hesitating for a while, Bai Ruozhu gritted her teeth and asked. She didn’t have ulterior motives — she was afraid of offending his master, what if his master refuses to help protect her brother then?
Jiang Yichun immediately understood Bai Ruozhu’s concerns. His smile deepened and he replied, "There’s nothing special you need to pay attention to, just be polite."
Bai Ruozhu gave him a sidelong glance, couldn’t he be more helpful? Did he think she would not know how to show respect to an elderly person or a senior? His answer was as good as no answer at all, providing no substantial help.
"Alright, I got it. You should leave now." As Bai Ruozhu spoke, she stepped forward and carried Dengdeng back in her arms.
Jiang Yichun was taken aback. How could this woman change her mood so quickly, like flipping a book? She bombarded him with questions and then hastened him to leave. Aren’t you being a bit too unreasonable? He was about to retort when he noticed the weariness in her eyes. His heart softened, and he swallowed his complaints.
"Also, once you offer suturing to the Imperial Court, don’t teach it to anyone else and try your best not to reveal it in public. It would be better if no one else knew about it," Jiang Yichun reminded after some thought.
Bai Ruozhu nodded, "I understand. Even my family doesn’t know that I can do this. I only used it on you because the situation was too critical."
Jiang Yichun looked at her, his eyes growing darker. "I’ve always been curious how you could know all this and why you had medical tools and medicines with you that day..." He hesitated, unable to continue, "Why are you such a mystery?"
Bai Ruozhu’s heart raced. She knew she would arouse his suspicion. Even she herself had pondered over many things afterwards. But her instincts had taken over in the heat of the moment and she didn’t have time to think thoroughly. How could he not notice any loopholes, being the astute person he was?
Seeing a change in Bai Ruozhu’s expression and her sinking into a daze, Jiang Yichun said with a hint of reluctance, "If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s alright. However, you should come up with a reasonable explanation in case my master asks when you meet him."
Bai Ruozhu chuckled bitterly, "If I told you that I dreamed of an immortal who touched my forehead and then I gradually acquired some new knowledge, would you believe me?"
Jiang Yichun was taken aback for two seconds but quickly nodded, saying, "I believe you. The Emperor himself has dreamt of a golden dragon entering his body, and he did indeed succeed to the reign."
This time, it was Bai Ruozhu’s turn to be dumbfounded. She certainly didn’t want to be singled out as a threat just for sharing a similar experience with the Emperor.
"I just learned some medical skills. Maybe the Immortal wanted to help me, or maybe he wanted me to help others," Bai Ruozhu tried to explain. She had recounted this story so many times that she was starting to believe it herself. It almost felt as if her memories from her previous life were bestowed upon her by the Immortal and that she was no different from others in this world.
"As for the day I saved you, I usually carry some medicines with me when I go to the mountain to collect herbs. Both the needle and the catgut sutures are light, so I always carry them around with me. It’s probably the same reason why doctors carry silver acupuncture needles with them," Bai Ruozhu added.
Jiang Yichun nodded slightly, though it wasn’t clear how much he believed. However, he didn’t ask any further.
"You can tell my master exactly what you told me. I should leave now. If anything comes up tomorrow, you can have Li Shunsheng look for me at any time," Jiang Yichun said. He paused before adding, "Don’t try to avoid anything. They all think I am helping your brother because I appreciate his talents."
Bai Ruozhu nodded. "I understand."
Jiang Yichun took one last look at her and Dengdeng before moving to leave through the window. But just as he was about to step out, he turned and said, "Bai Yibo has gone mad in prison; sometimes lucid, sometimes delirious. You know about this, right?"
Bai Ruozhu feigned indifference, "How would I know? Last time I visited my brother in prison, Bai Yibo was in high spirits. He was planning to frame my brother."
Jiang Yichun’s eyes darkened significantly and a shadow of disappointment passed over them. "I thought you trust me."
A stifling sensation crept up Bai Ruozhu’s heart; she suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed. Right, he had been helping her so much, what was there to hide from him?
"Alright, I did it," she shrugged nonchalantly. Ultimately, she couldn’t bear to watch his disappointed face anymore.
"If he goes crazy, he might get a lighter sentence," Jiang Yichun said, frowning.
Bai Ruozhu sighed helplessly, "I had no choice. As soon as he got arrested, he started blaming my brother, either shouting that my brother instructed him to buy and sell examination papers or having people plant stolen goods in our house. What could I do if he was determined to frame my brother in court?"
Her expression grew serious, "For me, my family’s safety is always more important than revenge on my enemies at any time."
Jiang Yichun just kept staring at her as if he were etching her image deep into his mind. The room was dark without any candlelight, only the soft yet gloomy moonlight filtering in through the window. Yet, Jiang Yichun’s eyes were glowing as if he had discovered a treasure.
Yes, he did treat her as a treasure, and he glimpsed something even more brilliant within her. Silently, he imagined if he became part of her family, he would also be valued by her, wouldn’t he?
Of course, by "family", he did not mean being her relative, but her husband.
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Thanks to Book Friends, Dream, !6", Dreamer, Baby, 『if...』, and Da Wei＊ for their rewards. There are surprises with a reward every day, thank you~