Picked Up a Sickly Little Husband - Chapter 3

All along the way, Xie Ling had been so worried about Shen Ziqiu’s injuries that he had completely forgotten about the osmanthus candy.

He gently pulled Shen Ziqiu’s hand from his robes and asked, “How are you feeling? Do you remember how you got hurt?”

Shen Ziqiu shook his head, his eyes filled with confusion. He pressed a hand to his head, his brow furrowed. “My head hurts so much. I only remember you rescuing me, Doctor Xie, and taking me home to care for me. I can’t remember anything else. Thank you for saving my life.”

Hearing this, Xie Ling asked Shen Ziqiu to lower his head. Shen Ziqiu complied, his long neck forming a graceful curve.

Xie Ling parted the long hair and discovered that Shen Ziqiu had another injury besides the fatal wound on his chest. There was blood on the back of his head, but it had dried and matted with his black hair, hidden beneath the strands.

I can’t remember anything, Shen Ziqiu’s inner voice grumbled. Does Doctor Xie not remember the osmanthus candy either?

Though he was sulking inwardly, Shen Ziqiu answered Xie Ling’s questions with calm politeness.

Xie Ling realized his hand was resting against the exposed skin of Shen Ziqiu’s neck. A faint smile touched his eyes. It seems he has a special fondness for osmanthus candy.

Next time we go to the village, I must not forget it again, or he’ll keep complaining about it in his head.

Xie Ling carefully examined Shen Ziqiu’s injury. The back of his head was swollen, likely from being struck by a falling rock. “You might have a blood clot pressing on your brain,” Xie Ling explained. “Once it dissipates, your lost memories may slowly return.”

Shen Ziqiu lowered his gaze. His long fingers twitched, feeling empty and lost, until they brushed against Xie Ling’s pinky. Only then did he relax, his finger resting side-by-side with Xie Ling’s. “I’m sorry to trouble you, Doctor Xie. I’ll leave tomorrow so I won’t be a burden any longer.”

Xie Ling was the only person Shen Ziqiu remembered. For some reason, he found himself completely dependent on the doctor. Yet, even with his memory gone, Shen Ziqiu’s true nature remained. He knew when to step back and didn’t want to impose.

I don’t want to leave, Shen Ziqiu thought. I want to stay with Doctor Xie for a while longer.

Xie Ling was surprised by the stark contrast between Shen Ziqiu’s words and his true feelings. He quickly thought of an excuse to make him stay. “As a physician, I must ensure your recovery. Your injury is still unstable, so you should wait until you’re fully healed. I usually gather herbs in the mountains all day and don’t return until evening. If you’re willing, could you stay and help me dry some medicinal herbs?”

Shen Ziqiu had nothing, and by all rights, he should have been the one clinging to Xie Ling. Instead, Xie Ling’s words flipped their roles, making it seem as if he were the one begging Shen Ziqiu to stay.

Xie Ling was Shen Ziqiu’s savior, and Shen Ziqiu couldn’t possibly refuse. Besides, he secretly wanted to stay by the doctor’s side.

Shen Ziqiu nodded and said softly, “I hope I can be of help to you, Doctor Xie.”

“I’ll go to the kitchen to brew your medicine. You can sleep a little longer.”

Xie Ling walked out of the room with a normal gait. Only after he had left the room did he pick up the wooden stick on the ground and lean on it to move forward.

In the kitchen, he took off his shoes and socks, then unwrapped the cloth strips. He saw that his ankle was swollen to a terrifying degree. Xie Ling was stubborn and disliked it when others worried about him. He especially didn’t want Shen Ziqiu to worry, which was why he had forced himself to act normal in front of him.

After returning yesterday, Xie Ling had only cared about Shen Ziqiu’s injuries and hadn’t treated his own sprained ankle. He had even pushed himself to travel faster to get home sooner.

Now, his ankle was swollen high, like a piece of rising dough. Xie Ling found the sappenwood among the remaining herbs, crushed it to extract the juice, and applied it to his ankle. Sappenwood could greatly relieve pain and swelling, which was exactly what he needed.

Xie Ling treated his injury quickly and then brought the freshly brewed medicine into the room. Before he could even hand the medicine to Shen Ziqiu, the other man sniffed the air and looked at him with concern. “Doctor Xie, did you sprain your ankle? I think I smell sappenwood.”

Xie Ling was surprised. The medicine he was carrying had a very strong bitter smell. He couldn’t believe that Shen Ziqiu could detect the unique scent of sappenwood through it.

The words had barely left his lips before Shen Ziqiu himself was stunned. He seemed intimately familiar with the scent of sappanwood, as if someone close to him used it all the time.

Xie Ling didn’t want Shen Ziqiu to worry and tried to brush it off. “Your medicine contains dalbergia wood, which smells very similar to sappanwood. You must have mistaken the scent.”

Though Shen Ziqiu was too weak to even sit up properly, his eyes held an unwavering stubbornness. “Doctor Xie, let me see your ankle.”

Xie Ling smiled bitterly, knowing he couldn’t hide it from Shen Ziqiu anymore. He stopped pretending and revealed his swollen, red ankle. “It’s just a minor injury,” he reassured. “I’ll be fine after a few days of rest.”

Shen Ziqiu lowered his long eyelashes to hide his reddening eyes.

He had actually been conscious while lying in bed yesterday. He noticed that the time Xie Ling spent coming and going was completely uneven. Combined with Xie Ling’s suspicious behavior, Shen Ziqiu knew the injury was his fault.

Liar.

Shen Ziqiu pressed Xie Ling back onto the bed, refusing to let him get up. A moment later, he returned with a basin of hot water. Xie Ling never expected the day would come when he would be the one being cared for by his patient. A gentle warmth filled his eyes.

Shen Ziqiu seemed exceptionally skilled at preparing this kind of medicine. Without needing any guidance from Xie Ling, he crushed the sappanwood, tossed it into the water, and had Xie Ling soak his foot.

After soaking for a while, Xie Ling tried to take his feet out, but Shen Ziqiu scolded him. “Doctor Xie, soak a little longer. This isn’t enough.”

Xie Ling was stunned, momentarily forgetting who the real doctor was. Despite being scolded, the smile on his lips only widened. He never knew he could be so hopelessly weak.

By the time Shen Ziqiu finished his medicine and Xie Ling had treated the swelling, it was already late at night.

Xie Ling lay on the straw pile on the floor. The autumn night was chilly, and the straw couldn’t block out the cold from the stone floor. Besides, he had given the only quilt to Shen Ziqiu.

The chill kept Xie Ling awake. He turned over to face Shen Ziqiu. His eyes had long since adjusted to the darkness, and he could see Shen Ziqiu’s bright eyes staring back at him without blinking.

The night was so deep that Xie Ling’s voice sounded raspy from insomnia. “Still awake?”

Shen Ziqiu blinked, surprised that Xie Ling could see him in the dark. Feeling caught, he stammered, “Doctor Xie, do you want to come up and sleep on the bed?”

Xie Ling knew it was improper to share a room with a ge’er he didn’t know. But his living conditions were so poor, and he had nowhere else to stay, so he had no choice but to make do for now.

Xie Ling hadn’t expected Shen Ziqiu to offer him a spot in the same bed. He declined flatly. “I’m not cold. You go ahead and sleep.”

Shen Ziqiu didn’t seem to have any concept of such boundaries. It appeared his past self had never cared much for them. He simply felt Doctor Xie was cold and wanted him to join him. But since Doctor Xie refused, he didn’t push the matter and went to sleep alone.

Doctor Xie, who am I really?

Xie Ling was awakened by Shen Ziqiu’s inner voice. In his dream, Shen Ziqiu was still talking to him, questioning his own identity. Xie Ling felt a warm body in his arms, surrounded by the faint scent of osmanthus.

Earlier, Shen Ziqiu had been in a catatonic state, which was why he hadn’t rolled off the bed. His original bed must have been much larger than this wooden one. Out of habit, he had rolled toward the edge and fallen off during the night. Fortunately, the bed wasn’t high, and the straw mat cushioned his fall. Shen Ziqiu had only woken for a moment before groggily seeking out the source of warmth, burrowing into Xie Ling’s arms like a small cat.

In his dream, Xie Ling had felt cold, and his long arm had instinctively wrapped around Shen Ziqiu. This had made the night bearable. But now that he was fully awake, Xie Ling carefully lifted Shen Ziqiu and placed him back on the wooden bed, not wanting him to discover the awkward situation.

Shen Ziqiu kept his eyes obediently closed, his breathing even. He showed no sign of waking up.

I need to act more convincing, or Doctor Xie will know I’m awake.

Xie Ling paused. He looked down at the frail young man. A playful thought struck him, and he deliberately set Shen Ziqiu down a bit heavily. Sure enough, Shen Ziqiu remained fast asleep, showing no sign of waking.

Only after Xie Ling hobbled away on his wooden stick to cook did Shen Ziqiu finally open his eyes. He showed no trace of sleepiness, looking nothing like someone who had just woken up.

Xie Ling had planted some vegetables in the courtyard after arriving in ancient times, and some were now ripe. He picked a few eggplants and dug up several sweet potatoes for their main meal.

Unfortunately, he lacked a proper variety of seasonings, so he could only make simple steamed eggplants and sweet potatoes. Xie Ling had always had very low material needs; as long as he could survive, he was content. He had never found this simple life strange before, but now that Shen Ziqiu was with him, he couldn’t help but hesitate. Would Shen Ziqiu despise my cooking? This thought only strengthened his resolve to settle down in the village permanently.

Xie Ling brought the two bowls of food to Shen Ziqiu’s bedside. To his surprise, Shen Ziqiu smiled, his eyes curving into crescents. “Finally, I can eat something other than medicine.”

Shen Ziqiu took a sweet potato for himself and handed another to Xie Ling. He ate it with genuine relish, showing no sign of faking. Xie Ling breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the young man he had picked up was easy to please after all.

After finishing the meal, Xie Ling returned to the field in the courtyard. Yesterday, Doctor Li had not only given him ginseng but also some medicinal seeds. Xie Ling had personally cultivated medicinal plants in the modern era and wanted to try it here. If he succeeded, he would not only secure Shen Ziqiu’s medicine but could also sell the surplus to the villagers. This way, they wouldn’t have to worry about their livelihood in the future.

With these thoughts in mind, Xie Ling planted the seeds using the methods he had learned before.

The next day, Shen Ziqiu insisted on cooking for Xie Ling. He said he felt much better and wanted Xie Ling to rest his injured leg. Unable to win the argument, Xie Ling could only urge him to make just one dish so he wouldn’t overexert himself.

Shen Ziqiu worked quickly and efficiently. When he entered the room, he was holding a purple flower with its roots and stem still attached. “Doctor Xie, I noticed these flowers in your field have matured. I didn’t know how to prepare them, so I pulled one up for you to see. Is the root cooked like a potato?”

Shen Ziqiu didn’t recognize the plant, but it was all too familiar to Xie Ling. This was the aconite he had planted just yesterday. It had somehow matured overnight.

Xie Ling grabbed his wooden cane and hurried to the field. Shen Ziqiu, confused by his reaction, quickly followed.

Xie Ling gazed at the field of fully grown aconite, its purple flowers swaying gently in the breeze.

He turned to Shen Ziqiu with a smile. “A’qiu, I think our fortunes have just changed.”

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