The sky was growing dark, but Ji Zhaoxi was still in the water catching fish. She had caught a big one today, perfect for pan-frying when she got back.
Looking back, she saw Qin Du already packing up his things. She quickly climbed out of the river, ready to shoulder her basket and leave.
As usual, Qin Du walked in front, with Ji Zhaoxi following at a leisurely pace behind him.
She glanced at the birds flying wildly in the sky, and her mouth started to water again.
Birds should be edible too, right...
As she walked along the path, she busied herself by poking the fish in her basket with a leaf one moment, and picking wildflowers by the roadside the next.
Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath her. Before she could even react, a muffled clack of metal snapping shut echoed from the grass.
Ji Zhaoxi's mind went blank as she looked down.
At first, she didn't feel any pain, only a continuous tightening around her foot. But then, that crushing force bit viciously into her flesh, forcefully squeezing against her bone.
Ji Zhaoxi was in so much agony that she couldn't speak. Her vision began to darken, and the grass and leaves before her eyes swayed dizzily.
She could clearly feel that with every beat of the pulse in her foot, a piercing pain shot through her wound.
She gasped for air, the breaths she drew in tasting of rust and dirt, while a sharp ringing filled her ears.
Qin Du!
Ji Zhaoxi practically screamed it out in tears. She lay on the ground, covered in cold sweat from the pain. The bear trap was still tightening, and she felt like she was going to die right there.
She didn't know how much time had passed when she vaguely sensed someone standing in front of her. She sobbed softly, her entire body trembling from the pain.
She could hear the person saying something to her, but she couldn't take any of it in. With every breath, the wound stung as if salt had been poured into it, and her temples throbbed violently.
She felt the person prying the trap off her foot. Her face was covered in tears. Soon, the restrictive pressure on her leg vanished, but she felt a warm liquid continuously flowing from her foot.
It hurts... it hurts so much...
She finally got a clear look at the person in front of her. Qin Du's brows were tightly furrowed, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
He was carefully applying crushed thistle to her wound. The bloody trap, now clamped around a thick wooden stick, had been tossed to a conspicuous spot nearby.
Qin Du, it hurts so much...
Ji Zhaoxi couldn't help but cry out loud.
She had never been in this much pain before. Whichever bastard had placed a trap in this spot, she was never going to let them get away with it.
Qin Du gave her a calm look, helped her up, and let her lean against his chest. If it hurts, bite me.
Ji Zhaoxi's face was deathly pale. She didn't even have the strength to bite anyone; she just kept shedding tears until eventually, she lost even the strength to cry. She felt her eyelids growing heavier and heavier.
Qin Du immediately noticed something was wrong with Ji Zhaoxi. He shook her awake and said in a deep voice, Don't fall asleep.
Ji Zhaoxi struggled to open her eyes, but a moment later, she felt sleepy again. Qin Du impatiently pinched her chin, making her frown in pain.
You can't sleep.
Feeling even more wronged, Ji Zhaoxi said tremblingly, I'm not going to die. I'm just a little sleepy. I didn't sleep well last night.
Qin Du completely ignored her nonsense. He simply pressed her against his shoulder and ordered, Bite. If you don't bite, I'll beat you.
Fearing Ji Zhaoxi wouldn't understand, he added, Like I did to Chen Yiping.
Ji Zhaoxi's face turned even whiter, and she bit down hard on his shoulder. Qin Du focused on treating the wound on her foot. Whenever the pressure on his shoulder lightened, Qin Du would click his tongue impatiently, scaring Ji Zhaoxi into immediately biting down harder.
After treating the wound, Qin Du carried Ji Zhaoxi on his back, picking up her bamboo basket and sickle.
Ji Zhaoxi kept biting Qin Du until her jaw ached, but the moment she lessened her force, Qin Du acted like he was going to hit her. She was both exhausted and in agony.
With Ji Zhaoxi gone for so long, Ji Zhuxin was worried to death.
She had already searched the mountain once but couldn't find her. She stood at the door, waiting anxiously, her eyes red.
In the dim evening light, a figure gradually appeared. When Ji Zhuxin saw the person on Qin Du's back, she was so frightened she almost fainted.
Crying, she ran toward Ji Zhaoxi. What happened? How did it suddenly turn out like this? She was perfectly fine when she left.
Seeing Ji Zhaoxi's weak state, she cried even louder. A cart! Get a cart! Hurry and take her to the commune clinic.
The nearby villagers hurried to prepare a flatbed cart.
Go to the county hospital. The commune clinic doesn't have tetanus shots, Qin Du suddenly spoke up. He quietly looked at Ji Zhaoxi, who was on the verge of passing out. Don't let her fall asleep. She got caught in an animal trap.
Ji Zhuxin froze for a second, then quickly patted Ji Zhaoxi's face. You're not allowed to sleep!
Lin Yitang had just been fetching water by the pond. Having witnessed all of this and seeing the dying Ji Zhaoxi, she set her water aside.
A cart is too slow. Take the jeep; it hasn't left yet.
The jeep had come to deliver daily necessities for her. Because Xinniu Village's terrain was rather complicated, the driver had stayed for the night.
Ji Zhuxin thanked her repeatedly, tears streaming down her face. Thank you, Educated Youth Lin.
Lin Yitang nodded uncomfortably. It's nothing. Saving her is what matters.
She glanced across the way; Qin Du, who had been standing there just a moment ago, was already gone.
The jeep quickly drove over, and Lin Yitang got in with them.
Educated Youth Xie, having heard the news from who knows where, hurriedly threw on his clothes and followed them into the car. Lin Yitang glanced at him but didn't say anything.
They soon arrived at the county hospital.
The doctor carefully examined the wound on Ji Zhaoxi's foot. It's a good thing thistle was applied. The bleeding has stopped, and it didn't hit a major artery. There's no need to worry too much.
Ji Zhaoxi had sobered up quite a bit. Leaning against Ji Zhuxin's embrace, her face was still somewhat pale. Sis, Qin Du was the one who put the thistle on me.
Ji Zhuxin sighed and stroked her head. Alright, I know.
She hadn't expected Qin Du to actually save Zhaoxi. She was usually so sarcastic and cold toward his family, but now Qin Du had done them a massive favor.
The mere thought that Ji Zhaoxi could have left her made Ji Zhuxin's heart ache piercingly. She only had this one relative left in the world; if Ji Zhaoxi was gone, she wouldn't want to live anymore either.
Lin Yitang sat nearby, looking at the wound on Ji Zhaoxi's foot, and thought of the man who had remained so calm just now. A trace of an inexplicable feeling suddenly welled up in her heart.
During her days in Xinniu Village, Lin Yitang had gained a rough understanding of the relationship between the Ji family and Qin Du. Even so, was he still willing to save her?
But what about herself? After finding out his identity, she had distanced herself from him out of fear of what others might say. How was she any different from those villagers?
Educated Youth Xie stood to the side the whole time, wanting to help, but Ji Zhuxin kept a cold face and wouldn't let him near.
Educated Youth Xie's hands paused, and his expression turned somewhat dejected.
