Chapter 3 Heal Her First

"Jiang Yuan, get your ass out here!" A middle-aged man with a weathered face stormed into the courtyard, cursing as he scanned his surroundings. Upon spotting Jiang Yuan standing under the eaves of the main house with a furrowed brow, he immediately charged over with his wife and son in tow.

Jiang Yuan blocked the doorway. "Get lost!"

The middle-aged man recoiled in shock, pointing his right index finger at Jiang Yuan. "You little beast, have you lost your mind? Is that any way to speak to your elder? You..."

"Father!" the toad-eyed youth tugged hard on the man’s clothes. "Stick to the point."

The middle-aged man was annoyed at being interrupted, but remembering what his son had said about the potential benefits this young woman could bring, he yielded to the suggestion.

He glared at the expressionless Jiang Yuan. "Where is the person you snatched? Hand her over to me this instant!"

Jiang Yuan did not answer the question, merely repeating his previous command: "Get lost!"

The middle-aged man’s veins pulsed with rage. He gestured to his companions. "Erhu, help me pin him down! Sanhu, you and your mother go inside and find her!"

As his wife and son prepared to move, a sharp roar suddenly erupted from the gate: "Stop right there, all of you!"

Wang Eryou recognized the voice of the village head, Magistrate Chen, and his heart sank. He forced a smile, determined to strike first with a false accusation.

"Magistrate, you must see justice done for my son Sanhu! This little brat Jiang Yuan is trying to steal the credit for saving that girl from my son. He lives alone with no woman in the house—bringing a young girl into his home like this, can he possibly have any good intentions?"

Magistrate Chen frowned and shot him a sidelong glance. "She was in the water, not in your house. How does this become Jiang Yuan stealing from your son?"

Wang Eryou stiffened his neck, trying to argue. "But my Sanhu already went into the water..."

"Plenty of people went into the water. Why aren't you complaining that your son was competing with them?" There were many village boys at the river catching fish, most of whom were wading in to net or spear them.

"That’s different! I..."

Magistrate Chen was in no mood to hear his sophistry. He waved him off with visible impatience. "I have already heard from others what happened. It was your son, Sanhu, who had ulterior motives. Jiang Yuan wasn't calculating whether the girl came from a wealthy family, whether she was unmarried, or if he could keep her as a concubine."

Seeing the dark look on the Magistrate's face, Wang Eryou didn't dare continue his bluster. With a hateful glare at Jiang Yuan, who had ruined his family's scheme, he retreated sullenly with his wife and son.

Dr. Chen, who had finally found an opening, greeted the Magistrate and beckoned to Jiang Yuan.

"I’ll write a prescription for her shortly. Brew it and have her drink it every morning and evening. Also, keep an eye out for any signs of fever tonight; if it happens, come to my house and fetch me."

Jiang Yuan nodded firmly. "I understand."

Dr. Chen signaled for his grandson to bring his medical kit. Since very few households in the village kept their own writing supplies, the doctor always carried them in his kit.

He quickly wrote out the prescription in the main room and handed it to his grandson, instructing him to go home and fill it.

The women who had been shooed out by the doctor earlier returned just then, carrying a wooden bucket of warm water and a basin with clean cloths. Jiang Yuan promptly ushered the Magistrate and Dr. Chen into another room.

Once they were seated, the Magistrate asked, "What are your plans?"

"I’ll heal her first, and deal with the rest later."

The Magistrate paused. He had specifically wanted to know what that "rest" entailed. This brat—how was that answer any different from saying nothing at all?

Sensing the Magistrate's dissatisfied glare, Jiang Yuan added, "I have no intention of using this for personal gain, and I would never sink so low as to ruin a woman's reputation."

The Magistrate glared even harder. He had never been worried that Jiang Yuan would imitate the greedy and foolish Wang family. "I’m talking about the medical fees, the medicine, the food, and the clothes. Where do you plan to get the money?"

"Uncle Hao left me some savings for emergencies," Jiang Yuan replied.

At these words, the expressions of both the Magistrate and the doctor grew complicated. They couldn't deny that the boy had truly been blessed by fortune.

After a brief, awkward silence, the Magistrate maintained his composure and nodded. "Very well. If you run short, come to me and borrow what you need."

Jiang Yuan nodded his acknowledgment.

"Once the girl is in better condition, ask her for her name, her family, and where she lives, so I can try to help you get word to them," the Magistrate added.

Jiang Yuan nodded again.

"If the Wang family comes to cause you trouble again, have my second son call for me." The Magistrate's second son lived right next door, having moved out after he and his wife were married.

Jiang Yuan nodded a third time.

Used to his taciturn nature, the Magistrate turned to chat with Dr. Chen. Once the women had finished their work and left with the used water and the wet clothes the girl had been wearing, the Magistrate and the doctor rose to take their leave.

Fifth Aunt, who had been watching the commotion, prepared to return to her chores. She carried a bucket containing her own bedsheets and the wet clothes the girl, Xie Wanniang, had been wearing.

"I asked her," she told Jiang Yuan. "Her surname is Xie, and her name is Wanniang—the 'Wan' as in a gentle smile, not the 'Wan' for a stepmother."

Jiang Yuan remained silent.

"She’s asleep now," Fifth Aunt continued. "I’ll take these clothes to the river to wash them and bring them back with your bucket later."

Jiang Yuan nodded and thanked the women, including Fifth Aunt. For those who had brought new clothes, brown sugar, and other necessities, he offered fabric, dried meat, and vegetables in return. The women were satisfied and excited, having done a good deed and witnessed the drama, all while getting their supplies replaced.

As they walked away, discussing the day's events, Wang Xiaozhi arrived, looking worried. She hurried into the courtyard with a basket. "A-Yuan."

Jiang Yuan, who had been cleaning an earthen pot to brew the medicine, stood up and turned around. "Sister."

Wang Xiaozhi looked him over. "I heard you got into a fight with Uncle Er's family?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head. "No."

Wang Xiaozhi breathed a sigh of relief. "That’s good."

Rumors always twisted as they traveled, and she was used to hearing distorted versions of every story, so she didn't dwell on why Jiang Yuan's account differed from what she had heard.

"Can I see the girl you saved?" she asked.

Jiang Yuan nodded. "She’s asleep in that room."

He pointed to the room he had been living in since he moved here.

Wang Xiaozhi, who had already taken a step toward the east wing as he nodded, froze. She retracted her foot, looking at him with a mix of shock and uncertainty. "You... you..."