Chapter 40: Jiang Xiaoman’s Vigilance

Before the words had even faded, Jiang Xiaoman walked in. Her shoulder-length hair swayed with her movements, making her flushed, doll-like face appear even more vivid. Behind her, a group of seven or eight young men and women poured in, instantly making the small courtyard feel crowded.

Zhou Yichen took a closer look and realized there were quite a few familiar faces among them. Zhao Weiguo, Lin Xiaoyue, and several other educated youths from the production team. Counting them up, nearly all of the dozen or so educated youths who had come to the countryside together were present, save for the few who had been whispering sour remarks about him that morning.

Upon seeing Liu Cuilian in the courtyard, Jiang Xiaoman paused for a moment. Then, a flicker of imperceptible wariness—and perhaps... disdain?—flashed through her bright, intelligent eyes. Yes, disdain. She did not know why, but she instinctively felt that the way Liu Cuilian looked at Zhou Yichen was strange, which stirred up an inexplicable sense of irritation within her.

However, in front of Zhou Yichen, Jiang Xiaoman did not show any of this. She simply explained in a forthright manner, "Yichen, these are all educated youths who came to the countryside with us." She gestured toward the group behind her and continued, "We've been up on the mountain cutting firewood. It wasn't so bad the first two days, but today, everyone’s hands and feet have developed blisters, and some even have cuts. It’s incredibly painful."

"You bandaged me up at noon, and I felt much better while working this afternoon, so they all wanted to come and see if you could take a look at them too." She added, "I didn't know if you could treat them, so I brought them over to ask first."

Zhou Yichen’s eyes lit up upon hearing this. It was exactly what he needed! He had been fretting over a lack of medical cases to practice on and improve his medical proficiency, and now they were delivering themselves right to his doorstep! These were living, breathing experience points! He couldn't wait for more of these "tools" to come and let him practice.

"I can treat them, of course I can!" Zhou Yichen’s face immediately broke into a warm, enthusiastic smile, a far cry from the polite detachment he had shown Liu Cuilian earlier. He hurried to greet them, saying, "Come, come, come inside! Don't just stand in the courtyard." He then turned to Jiang Xiaoman and said, "Xiaoman, could you please pour some water for everyone? I’m going to get my equipment."

Jiang Xiaoman responded with a crisp "Alright!" and began bustling about, ushering everyone inside while she busied herself fetching boiled water and bowls with practiced ease.

Zhou Yichen took out clean gauze, cotton swabs, and other supplies. Seeing his enthusiasm, the educated youths felt much more at ease and entered the house with words of gratitude. Zhou Yichen asked them to reveal their injured hands and feet. Good heavens—their palms and knuckles were covered in blisters of all sizes. Some had already burst, revealing raw, red flesh, and there were several deep gashes from branches that made one wince just looking at them. The female youths had even more delicate skin, and their injuries looked slightly more severe than the men’s. Several of them had red-rimmed eyes, clearly in quite a bit of pain.

"It’s nothing major, just some superficial wounds. After a bit of cleaning and some medicine, they’ll be fine in a few days," Zhou Yichen said nonchalantly.

He then had Jiang Xiaoman fetch some warm water, added a pinch of salt, and instructed them to clean the areas around their wounds. Next, he brought out dandelion and plantain herbs, crushed them, and mixed in some powdered herbal medicine for hemostasis and inflammation. He proceeded to apply the medicine and bandage each of them in turn. His movements were swift yet gentle, doing his best to minimize their pain.

"Ouch, Comrade Zhou Yichen, this medicine feels so cool and refreshing. It’s wonderful!" a male youth couldn't help but praise.

"Yes, yes! It feels like the stinging pain has faded away instantly!" another female youth echoed, her face showing a look of relief.

"Thank you, Zhou Yichen, this is truly a lifesaver!"

As he worked, Zhou Yichen replied with a smile, "Don't mention it. We’re all here together; it’s only right that we help one another." His friendly attitude and skilled technique warmed the hearts of the educated youths, and their favorability toward him soared. Those who had previously claimed he was using medicine as an excuse to slack off were likely regretting their words deeply by now.

Standing to the side, Liu Cuilian watched Zhou Yichen surrounded by the young men and women, busy and happy, while Jiang Xiaoman helped him like a hostess, handing him water and supplies. Her little schemes had no room to manifest. Standing there, she felt like a redundant outsider, completely uncomfortable. In particular, the scrutinizing glances the educated youths cast her way from time to time made her feel as though she were sitting on pins and needles.

Seeing that Zhou Yichen would be busy for a while, Liu Cuilian knew that staying would yield nothing but resentment. She forced a smile, walked over to Zhou Yichen, and said softly, "Yichen, I see you’re busy, so I won't bother you anymore. I’ll be heading back now."

Hearing this, Zhou Yichen breathed a silent sigh of relief, though his manner remained polite and thoughtful. "Alright, take care on your way back, Sister-in-law. Let's chat another day." He barely even looked up, his focus entirely on the wounds he was treating.

Liu Cuilian gave Zhou Yichen a long look, then glanced at the wary Jiang Xiaoman nearby. She twisted her lips, turned, and left looking rather dejected. *Hmph, you little brat, we’ll see about that!*

Once Zhou Yichen saw Liu Cuilian off and the faint, lingering scent of her perfume dissipated from the courtyard, he finally felt truly relaxed. Seeing Liu Cuilian’s frustrated expression as she tried to force a smile while leaving, Jiang Xiaoman secretly made a face at her back, but her own lips curled upward involuntarily, her mood inexplicably much better. *That woman is definitely up to no good,* she thought. *I must remind my friend to be careful.*

Zhou Yichen worked with great speed and dexterity. Cleaning, medicating, and bandaging—it was all done in one smooth motion. Before long, the injuries of the remaining youths were all treated.

"There we go. Just be careful not to get them wet for the next few days, and you'll be fine in two or three days," Zhou Yichen said, dusting off his hands.

The youths flexed their hands and feet, feeling much better. The stinging pain had subsided significantly, replaced by a cooling, soothing sensation.

"Comrade Zhou Yichen, thank you so much!"

"Yes, indeed! If it weren't for you, who knows how much longer our hands would have hurt!"

"If there’s any work you need help with in the future, just give us a shout. We’ll be there in a flash!"

They all chimed in with their thanks, their eyes full of gratitude and admiration for Zhou Yichen. Zhou Yichen waved his hand with a smile, "It's a small matter, you are all too kind."

After a few more pleasantries, the educated youths bid their farewells. Soon, only Zhou Yichen and Jiang Xiaoman remained in the courtyard.

Jiang Xiaoman leaned in, her large, dark eyes blinking with curiosity and gossip. "Brother Yichen, what was that Liu Cuilian doing here just now?"

Zhou Yichen was busy tidying up and answered casually, "Oh, she said she came to bring me some vegetables."

"Vegetables?" Jiang Xiaoman immediately furrowed her brows, her tone filled with wariness. "Would she really be that kind?"

"Let me tell you, Yichen, the way that woman looks at you isn't right. You have to be careful not to fall for her tricks!" Jiang Xiaoman said with a serious expression.