Chapter 5

(Listen, listen, listen, listen (New book needs a good start, please vote for recommendations, all kinds of support needed!))

---

Wang Xian had already woken up, but he had lain for too long, and his muscles had atrophied severely and were out of control, so he couldn't move.

This feeling was terrible, but fortunately, he was only sixteen years old, and his body recovered quickly. A few days later, he could be helped to sit up and no longer needed to be fed water and food.

As soon as he could move, he began to follow the rehabilitation plan he had devised in his mind, starting with exercises for the small joints of his hands and feet. As long as his eyes were open, he would repeat the exercises until he couldn't move anymore.

At first, his family was very alarmed, thinking he had been possessed by a demon and wanted to invite a Taoist to exorcise it. Wang Xian explained for a long time before they understood that he was making an effort to speed up his recovery.

Although they didn't believe it would help, his mother was very busy and, as long as he wasn't possessed, she didn't care whether he was possessed by a ghost or performing rituals.

So Wang Xian continued his "nervous" behavior. In fact, the rehabilitation process was extremely painful. Each time he exerted himself, it felt like being pricked by a thousand needles, requiring immense willpower. Fortunately, he was extremely resilient. Since he was determined to quickly shed the label of being a waste, he was willing to endure any hardship.

Yinling, who accompanied him throughout, knew that every time her brother performed the ritual in bed, he was drenched in sweat, clearly enduring great pain. But she never heard him groan, even when he sometimes bit his lips until they bled without realizing it...

This wasn't just once or twice but several times a day, every day. Was this still her fussy second brother? Could a serious illness really transform a person? Yinling couldn't understand the reason, but her gaze toward her second brother gradually changed.

Eight days later, Wang Xian could get out of bed, and he was surprised by his rapid recovery. He thought that even if he had doubled his efforts with his rudimentary rehabilitation exercises, he wouldn't have seen such quick results. After much thought, he guessed that his mother's persistent massages while he was unconscious had kept his body from completely rusting.

In fact, there was another reason: the herbal medicine from Doctor Wu, which cost 100 coins per dose, was expensive but effective.

Regardless, being able to get out of bed was better than being bedridden all day.

When Yinling told the good news to her mother and elder brother, they didn't even eat and ran to the west wing.

Seeing Wang Xian, supported by Wang Gui, take a few slow steps on the ground, his mother turned her head, looked at the sky outside the door, took several deep breaths, and still couldn't hold back her tears, scolding, "Rotten house, dust in my eyes!"

Wang Gui also wiped away tears, and Yinling cried even more, leaving Wang Xian somewhat puzzled. He remembered that when he woke up, his family was happy, but not to the point of tears.

But upon reflection, it wasn't hard to understand. In this era, many injuries could cause permanent damage. Although he had woken up, no one knew if he could stand. If he couldn't stand, what was the difference from being unconscious?

So it wasn't until this moment that the family finally breathed a sigh of relief, knowing he could truly recover!

The next day, Wang Gui asked someone to make a pair of crutches for Wang Xian. After practicing for a few days, Wang Xian could finally leave the room and see the courtyard where he lived and the blue sky above!

The sky was truly blue, though only a small patch, it was like a transparent blue gem. Wang Xian greedily took a deep breath, feeling the long-lost freedom...

Just as he was savoring the moment, the sound of the door knocker rang outside.

Yinling opened the door and saw a middle-aged man in his forties holding a bamboo basket. She asked brightly, "Uncle, who are you looking for?"

"Are you the Wang family's daughter?" The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Is the old lady Wang at home?"

"My mother isn't here," Yinling said politely to outsiders, "What can I do for you, Uncle?"

"Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, and my daughter has come to give the old lady Wang some mooncakes." The middle-aged man stepped aside, and a girl of about seventeen or eighteen removed her veil.

Yinling looked closely and her face changed instantly, "You're Lin Rongxing's sister!"

"Do you recognize me, little sister of the Wang family?" The girl had delicate features and a slender figure, though her dress was conservative and loose, her wrists were impossibly thin. Her face was so small it seemed a gust of autumn wind could blow her away.

This was a girl who evoked pity at first sight, but Yinling frowned, "Nonsense, why are you here?"

"My uncle just said..." The girl's voice was soft and low, with a hint of fatigue.

"My mother won't take anything from your family!" Yinling's voice was sharp and urgent, true to her name. But as she spoke, she unconsciously softened her tone, "You'd better leave quickly. If you run into my mother, you'll be in big trouble."

The girl was sweating, thinking, 'Does anyone talk about their mother like that?' But she chose this time because the old lady Wang had gone to the market and wouldn't be back for a while. With her experience over the past two years, dealing with a ten-year-old girl was easy.

She smiled slightly and said, "A few days ago, I met the elder brother of the Wang family at Lu's pharmacy and heard that the second brother had woken up. I said I would come to visit." She bowed slightly, "But with so many things at home, I didn't come until today, which was wrong..."

"Don't pretend to be nice," Yinling said, pouting.

"I bought a few ginseng roots from Hangzhou, as a form of apology," the Lin family girl said, unperturbed.

"Oh..." Yinling's expression froze. The day before, her mother was worried that after two more doses of medicine, her second brother could start taking tonics. But high-quality tonics were extremely expensive, and the Wang family had reached their limit just by getting the medicine. Now they couldn't borrow or owe anything, leaving them at a loss.

Although her second brother said he could recover without tonics, Doctor Wu said that if the lost essence wasn't replenished quickly, he would remain sickly... Her mother had been so worried that she couldn't sleep at night.

Following her mother's principle that "face is worth nothing, practicality is most important," Yinling grinned and changed her tone, "Standing at the door will make people think the Wang family is impolite. Come in and talk."

---

The Jiangnan residences were already cramped, and the Wang family's courtyard was even more so. As soon as the Lin family girl entered, she saw Wang Xian leaning on crutches, looking at her with a resentful gaze.

The Lin family girl's heart tightened, and she quickly bowed, "Young brother Wang, are you well?"

"Fine, very fine," Wang Xian looked at the Lin family girl, a cold smile on his lips, "Sister Lin, it's been a long time!"

"It has been a long time," the Lin family girl, who was composed in front of Yinling, seemed uneasy in front of Wang Xian, explaining, "I was in Hangzhou and the capital for half a year. I only returned recently and learned that you were injured..."

"Is that so," Wang Xian said coldly, "Do you think that's enough of an explanation?"

"It's not enough," the Lin family girl took a deep breath and met his gaze, "So I came. You can hit or scold me, whatever you want."

Their conversation left Yinling and the uncle speechless. What was going on? The two clearly knew each other and had a story to tell...

'Oh no, could my brother have a secret affair with the enemy's sister?' Yinling's imagination ran wild, 'What a cliché plot!'

'Impossible, impossible...' The uncle also looked pained, 'My daughter wouldn't be blind enough to fall for such a useless person!'

They were so shocked that when Wang Xian and the Lin family girl asked to talk alone, they thought it was only natural. The uncle, while helping Wang Xian into the room, used a hidden force and whispered, "If you dare to be disrespectful to my daughter, I won't forgive you!"

Little did he know, Wang Xian was already numb to pain, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips, "In my current state, who could I be disrespectful to?"

"You have a point," the uncle, seeing Wang Xian's frail appearance, laughed at himself, placed him in a chair, and closed the door, then said to Yinling, who was still gaping in the courtyard, "Please don't tell anyone about this."

"Who would believe me? It would just invite ridicule," Yinling snapped back, then went to boil the medicine for Wang Xian. Thinking that after today's last dose, they could use the ginseng tomorrow, Yinling was overjoyed. Since it was from her second brother's little lover, she felt no guilt using it.

But how could the Lin family girl have fallen for her second brother, given his condition? Even though they were enemies, Yinling had to admit that the Lin girl was very beautiful and literate. It was said that when the Lin family was prosperous, the matchmakers lining up to propose to her could fill a street.

The little girl's gossip fire burned fiercely, almost enough to boil the medicine. She wished she could turn into a mosquito and fly into the west wing to hear what they were saying.

If she heard, she might have chased the Lin girl with a knife...

---

In the west wing, Wang Xian and the Lin girl sat facing each other, their gazes calm like autumn.

"I'm sorry," the Lin girl said apologetically, "I wronged you."

"You did wrong me," Wang Xian's tone softened slightly, but he still said coldly, "How could you let a fool do such a dangerous thing? What were your intentions?"

Hearing his harsh words, the Lin girl's face turned pale. She clenched her right hand tightly to her chest and bowed her head apologetically, "I was shortsighted. I only wanted to get rid of your harassment, so I made that bet with you," she looked up, her eyes misting, and said shakily, "I never thought you would really try to stop the imperial carriage..."

"You knew I was a fool before..." Wang Xian laughed bitterly to himself, thinking how foolish he had been, taking a stick for a needle. Feeling that this excuse was too weak, he lowered his voice, "To save my father, I would risk everything!"