Chapter 28

Since that night when they dealt with Li Xiangyun, Jiang Ning and Liu Ming'an had enjoyed a few peaceful days. One evening, Jiang Ning suddenly remembered Liu Ming'an mentioning that Lingshan Town held a market every fifth day. Counting the days, she realized it was tomorrow.

"Is tomorrow the fifteenth, market day?" Jiang Ning asked Liu Ming'an for confirmation while feeding the rabbits.

"Yes," Liu Ming'an replied, squatting beside the rabbit cage and poking a rabbit's ear with a straw. He continued, "I'm going to town tomorrow. First, I'll sell the rabbits, then the calligraphy and paintings. After that, I'll buy some rice, flour, and oil, and get you some interesting books. I won't be back for lunch, so don't wait for me to eat."

Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow slightly, turned to look at him, and asked, "You're not planning to take me along?"

Liu Ming'an was taken aback; he had assumed Jiang Ning wouldn't want to go.

"I want to go with you," Jiang Ning stated firmly, leaving no room for negotiation.

Liu Ming'an recalled what Jiang Ning had told him on the first day her injuries had healed and asked, "Didn't you say you didn't want others to know about your quick-healing ability?"

Jiang Ning was momentarily speechless, having forgotten about that. In the villagers' eyes, she should still be a disabled person with severed limbs and a disfigured face. Recovering so quickly was indeed unusual.

But she couldn't avoid seeing people forever; this situation needed to be resolved somehow.

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Ning asked Liu Ming'an, "That person you invited to examine me and prescribe medicine, was he a renowned doctor?"

Liu Ming'an chuckled, "How could that be possible? I can't afford a famous doctor."

Seeing Jiang Ning deep in thought, Liu Ming'an patiently explained, "Uncle Sun is a barefoot doctor in this area. His medical skills have been passed down for generations. Most of the time, he just treats minor ailments like headaches, colds, and minor injuries. For more serious conditions, he's not much help. You'd need to go to town or even the county for those."

Jiang Ning nodded and succinctly summarized, "So, he's a quack."

"Well, actually..." Liu Ming'an wanted to defend the elder, but Jiang Ning continued, "Actually, my injuries were just flesh wounds. The bones weren't damaged at all. He's not skilled enough and misdiagnosed me. As for flesh wounds, isn't it normal to be able to walk around after ten days or so?"

Jiang Ning finished speaking and quietly looked at Liu Ming'an, her deep gray eyes reflecting his slightly surprised face.

Jiang Ning had always been a good cook. The bowl of egg fried rice was aromatic, with snow-white rice, golden yellow eggs, and bright green onions complementing each other beautifully. The presentation was excellent, with each grain of rice distinct yet coated with egg and infused with the savory aroma of lard. One bite left a lingering fragrance in the mouth, greatly stimulating the appetite.

Liu Ming'an finished eating in just a few minutes, leaving his bowl completely clean without a single grain of rice left. Seeing that Jiang Ning still had about half a bowl left, he put down his chopsticks first and went outside to tie some straw ropes to the rabbit cages for easy carrying.

By the time Jiang Ning finished eating, Liu Ming'an had washed the dishes in the kitchen. When he came out, he saw that Jiang Ning had already shouldered the two bundles.

"Jiang Ning, let me carry those. I can manage," Liu Ming'an said as he approached her, reaching out to take the bundles from her shoulders.

"You take the rabbits, and stop fussing," Jiang Ning said, stepping aside to avoid his hand and walking towards the door.

Liu Ming'an watched Jiang Ning's retreating figure, smiling helplessly. He then picked up the cages, closed the door behind him, and led Jiang Ning towards the village path.

The sky was still a grayish-blue, with a thin layer of mist hanging in the air. After stepping outside, Jiang Ning put on the face covering she had prepared earlier, concealing the lower half of her face completely.

As they walked side by side, they hadn't gone far when they heard the sound of a cow mooing behind them.

Before turning around, Liu Ming'an already knew who it was. He turned with a smile and said, "Good morning, Third Great-Uncle and Third Great-Aunt!"

Third Great-Uncle was driving an ox cart loaded with firewood, with a small space left on the front board where Third Great-Aunt sat. Hearing the greeting, the elderly couple peered through the dim light and recognized the tall figure in front as Liu Ming'an.

"Oh my, it's Ming'an! This old woman didn't notice you at first glance!" Third Great-Aunt replied with a smile.

"Whoa! Ho!" Third Great-Uncle called out loudly, pulling on the reins to stop the ox cart beside Liu Ming'an.

At this moment, Third Great-Aunt noticed Jiang Ning standing half a step behind Liu Ming'an. She seemed to be with him and was carrying the calligraphy and paintings. Her face was covered with cloth, making it impossible to see what she looked like, but judging by her figure, she didn't seem to be someone the old woman recognized.

"Ming'an, who is this girl?" Third Great-Aunt asked.

"She's quite tall, doesn't look like she's from our village," Third Great-Uncle added, glancing at Jiang Ning a couple of times.

The smile in Liu Ming'an's eyes deepened; he had been waiting for someone to ask this question.