“Huh?” Ling Qingyu made a sound and sat back on the chair. She looked at the little kid and waited. Finally he lowered his head and said softly, “My family was killed by traitors. Brother Lu escorted me to escape. We were chased to this place. Sister, please save my older brother. We won’t bring you any trouble. If trouble comes, just hand us over to them.”
“Ye-er!” cried the young man.
“Brother Lu, if you die, then what will I do by myself?” The little kid held the young man down. He lifted his head, showing a pair of clear eyes, and said, “My surname is Ye. I am the eleventh child. This is the son of my brother’s good friend, Lu Yao.”
Ling Qingyu didn’t know whether she should pity someone in the same situation or be planning to run away from the trouble. Just as she was considering these options, Zheng Xi said, “Miss, the ship lacks sailors to be laborers in the kitchen.”
Ling Qingyu thought about this and changed her mind. Right, so what if these two have enemies. They’ll be sailing within the month. Once on the vast ocean, they would be free to live their lives. As for herself, she could use two loyal underlings as well.
Ling Qingyu looked at the young man’s weakened body with distaste. Then she glanced at Ye Shiyi’s little figure. Maybe she could use Ye Shiyi for serving tea. And if nothing else suited the young man, maybe he could be groomed to be a helmsman?
“Miss, if we don’t treat this little brother soon, I predict that you will end up with one sailor down.” Zheng Xi’s voice sounded again. Ling Qingyu stared at him with annoyance as he continued, “If we cannot use a common doctor, then we can invite a ship doctor from Master Ding. He won’t spread any rumors.”
Ling Qingyu rose and walked toward the door. She retrieved the small pouch in front of her chest and withdrew a bill worth a hundred silvers, turned around and gave it to Zheng Xi. “Go invite the ship doctor and buy some medicines such as ginseng. We will need it for the voyage anyway.”
Zheng Xi was touched to his heart as he received the bill. During this journey, Miss had been very frugal. She saved to the extent of not even employing a maid and took care of all the cleaning by herself. Yet, right now, she was willing to spend as much on these strangers as she spent on the entire courtyard. Miss was still the kind and lovable little girl he knew.
Watching Zheng Xi hurry out the door, Ling Qingyu brought Ye Zhiyi to the kitchen. “I don’t care what identity you had in the past. Now that you have sold yourself to me, make sure you do good work. First, heat some water. There is an adjoining room. Grab a wooden bucket from there and bring some water back.”
After leaving Ye Zhiyi in the kitchen, Ling Qingyu returned to the West room. She tore off the young man’s clothes. They were actually made with good material. They made a crisp sound as they tore apart. The texture was also very smooth. But before Ling Qingyu could further study the material, or see Lu Yao’s face changing color, her attention turned to the many scars on his body. She couldn’t help but gasp.
There were more than ten blade wounds. Some were deep enough to reach his bones. His flesh had started to rot and oozed blood. It was fortunate that none of his wounds had hit a vital spot. Also, his cuts had traces of medicine. If not for that, he would have already died from blood loss!
Ling Qingyu sighed, “To have rotted to this extent, how are you still alive!”
Lu Yao had struggled to stay conscious during this time. After getting his clothes torn off and hearing this exclamation, he missed a breath and fainted.
Ling Qingyu continued to examine other wounds on his body, but then smelled something burning. She immediately rushed out of the west room and saw smoke coming out of the kitchen.
By the time Zheng Xi returned to the courtyard with the ship doctor, the courtyard was a mess. The kitchen had been half burnt. The courtyard had water running everywhere. And he saw Ling Qingyu standing in the center of the courtyard, scolding Ye Shiyi.
“I told you to start a cooking fire, you burn my kitchen. I told you to get some water, you overflow my courtyard. I told you to take a shower, you knock the bucket over. Ye Shiyi, are you here to get your revenge on me!?”
Zheng Xi brought the ship doctor directly to the West room. He saw Lu Yao naked on the bed. His clothes had been cleared off and there was a bowl of water on the chair nearby with a towel beside it.
The ship doctor didn’t say anything and went directly to evaluating the patient.
“Now, try to go shower without causing any more trouble. Wash yourself. Do you understand?” Ling Qingyu saw Zheng Xi leading the ship doctor inside and finally let loose a breath.
“In the past, Xiao Yao always washed me,” said Ye Shiyi softly with a lowered head.
“That is the past. Now, you have to learn to live using your own abilities. Do you understand?” asked Ling Qingyu ferociously.
“Mm. I will learn.” Ye Shiyi raised his head and revealed a delicate face with a pitiful expression. “Sister, you won’t abandon me right?”
A handsome young man used such a begging tone with her. Ling Qingyu’s almost forty year old mind immediately softened. Since the doctor was already here, she wouldn’t have to worry about Lu Yao anymore. So, she softly said, “I can teach you how to wash yourself this time. But after this, you must wash yourself in the future.”
“Okay.”
“Shiyi, how old are you?” asked Ling Qingyu as she scrubbed the mud off Ye Shiyi’s back.
“Seven years old.” Ye Shiyi sat inside the wooden bucket and let Ling Qingyu wash him.
His body was filthy. Even though Lu Yao’s body was filled with injuries, he was still not this dirty. But, as she washed away the mud, a white and tinder body appeared. His skin was delicately pale and smooth to her touch. It felt even better than top quality silk. All this was complemented by shining hair and delicate features. Ling Qingyu was shocked.”Did you purposely get so much mud on yourself?”
“When we were being chased, someone said that they would catch me and make me into a ‘boy-toy.’ Brother Lu said that is not a good thing. So I thought, if I could cover myself in mud, then no one will recognize me and no one will want to catch me to become a ‘boy-toy.’” Ye Shiyi yawned. “After getting to this place, no one wanted to take us in. So, we lived in a broken temple near the edge of town. I had originally wanted to beg for some money to help treat Brother Lu, but no one minded me. Sister was the only one. So at night, I carried Brother Lu over.”
Ling Qingyu’s heart had been moved by this child’s soft voice. After washing him until he was clean and fragrant, she carried Ye Shiyi out of the wooden bucket and dried him. Seeing him struggle to keep his eyes open, she wrapped him in a towel and carried him to the main room. “Sleep now. Don’t go outside for this period of time. After we leave for the sea, you won’t have to be afraid of the people trying to kill you.”
There were three rooms in the main building. The one in the center was the hall. Ling Qingyu settled in the room to the right. Thinking of the severity of Lu Yao’s illness, she didn’t think it was too taboo to let Ye Shiyi stay close by and settled him in the left room.
Good thing the manager had left in a hurry. Ling Qingyu just added a bit more money and managed to buy all the furniture.
She found a washing woman on the streets to clean the bedding. After drying it under the sun, she settled the seven year old child on the bed and laid his head on a pillow. He fell asleep immediately.
Ling Qingyu closed his door and went to the West room to check on Lu Yao’s situation.
“Good thing nothing vital was injured. He also applied the very best ointment to himself. Otherwise, he would have died long before.” As the ship doctor wrote a prescription, he continued, “I will leave some medicine to be used externally. You should buy a few sets. He is still young. With careful treatment, he should recover quickly.”
“Thank you, Elder Shi,” thanked Zheng Xi as he received the prescription.
“I know how important this is. I won’t say anything about it.” The ship doctor suddenly went closer to Zheng Xi and said, “I heard last night that Master Ding is planning to sail again? Do you know if he needs a doctor for his ship?”
“A doctor is definitely needed. But the decision to hire you or not lies with Master Ding.” Zheng Xi took a step back. Shi Fan’s medical abilities were quite good, but he had an alcohol addiction. He was drunk eight out of ten days. There was a time when he drank all the commodities on the ship. After that, no one dared to hire him.
“I know, I know.” Shi Fan received the consultation fees and waved his hand. He also returned a bow to Ling Qingyu, who had bowed to him at the door. With his medicine box on his back, he quickly left.
“I will go buy some medicine now,” said Zheng Xi.
Ling Qingyu looked at Lu Yao bandaged like a sticky rice dumpling and laughed. Compared to Ye Shiyi, Lu Yao’s features were very proper. He also had large eyes and looked very handsome. But now he was wrapped everywhere except his head. His look was really quite comical.
Lu Yao had been awakened by the doctor’s movements. First, alcohol was applied to his wounds. Then, large cuts were sewed together. Afterward his injuries were covered by a painful ointment that hurt enough to kill. By the time Shi Fan was bandaging him, Lu Yao had lost all feelings of his body.
Seeing Ling Qingyu come inside, Lu Yao blinked but was too exhausted to speak.
Ling Qingyu didn’t need him to speak. She stood next to his bed and evaluated his situation. Finally, she said, “Ye Shiyi is already asleep. You should rest comfortably as well. Later, when Zheng Xi returns with medicine and breakfast, I will wake you. Don’t worry. Ye Shiyi already sold you two to me. So you are both mine from now on. I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I won’t let anyone turn you or Ye Shiyi into boy-toys.”
