Chapter Sixteen: Healing Injuries

  A small hut with a single oil lamp lit inside. Huo Yao Ge lay on the wooden bed, watching in horror as the so-called doctor pulled out saws and axes from his medical box. Cold sweat dripped down his face, large beads of perspiration rolling off his cheeks. His mind racing with terror, he thought to himself "No way... they can't be planning to cut off my arm! Oh no... I'm still young, I haven't even gotten married yet, and there are so many dreams I haven't fulfilled. How could I become a cripple..."

  The swallow gently wiped the sweat from Huoyao's face. His face was full of worried expression. Words of comfort were not spoken several times, just because Liu Tao and Zuocaiyun were also accompanying Huoyao by his bedside.

  The doctor was an old man in his fifties. He filled the table with terrifying things like saws and axes, before finally finding a packet of powder wrapped in oil paper from the bottom of the medicine box. The old doctor's face lit up with a happy smile as he said: "I thought we didn't have any left, but you were hiding here after all."

  "Turns out those weren't for me after all, scared me to death." Huoyao Ge let out a sigh of relief and gently patted his chest to calm down. He then curiously asked the old doctor: "What's wrapped in that oil paper?"

  The old doctor said with a smile: "This is gunpowder, I made it myself. This is a good guy, just your skin injury, as long as you sprinkle it on the wound and ignite it, and then bandage some herbal medicine, it will be fine in a few days."

  "Ah!" Firework Brother exclaimed. So the old doctor was going to treat himself like this, ah. Although he had seen it on TV before, but their gunpowder was poured out from bullets, which could withstand quality verification, ah. The effect of the homemade gunpowder by the old doctor was uncertain in Firework Brother's heart. If he accidentally got infected and inflamed, it would be troublesome. Therefore, Firework Brother protested and said: "Isn't there any other way? I've helped you guys a lot, how can you use this inferior gunpowder on me?"

  Liu Tao shook his head and said: "The Japanese are very strict about blocking medicines, we can't get them at all. This is the only way."

  The old doctor heard Huoyao Ge say that the fire medicine he made was not good, and he didn't get angry. He still smiled and said: "You can rest assured, you're not the first person to use this thing."

  Liu Tao nodded in agreement as evidence for the old doctor.

  Zuo Caiyun wanted to ease Huo Yao's tense nerves, so she joked with him: "Huo Yao is still afraid of explosives? Aren't you guys from the same family?"

  Swallow looked sincerely at Huoyao, casting a supportive vote.

  Huoyao Ge let out a bitter laugh and said helplessly: "We'll have to get some painkillers or anesthetics or something."

  Liu Tao walked silently to the head of the bed, and Yan Zi quickly made way for him.

  "Hey, you're not trying to knock me out, are you?" Firework Brother hastily covered his head with one hand and exclaimed.

  Everyone in the hut was amused but couldn't laugh out loud. Thinking to themselves, this guy seems to understand everything after all.

  Liu Tao nodded and said: "If you're afraid of not being able to hold back, this is also a good method."

  Fireworks brother quickly stopped Liu Tao. The brain is not something that can be messed with casually, and if it's not careful, it may leave behind sequelae, which would be too unfair to oneself.

  The old doctor sprinkled gunpowder on the wound and ignited it with fire. With a "whoosh" sound, after a burst of thick smoke, the whole room was filled with the smell of gunpowder and roasted meat.

  Firework Brother bit the wooden stick that Swallow stuffed into his mouth. A low growl of "hmm" came from his throat, and his teeth made a "crack" sound as he bit through the stick. Firework Brother fainted with sweat all over his head.

  Huoyao Ge woke up in the dead of night. His arm had lost all sensation, as if it no longer belonged to him. The oil lamp on the table was still flickering with a faint warmth. Yanzhi and Zuo Caiyun were still by his side, which moved Huoyao Ge deeply.

  Swallow and Zuo Caiyun soon discovered that Huoyao Ge had woken up. The two of them barely cracked a smile, asking in unison: "Are you feeling better?"

  "Good thirst, good hunger."

  "Brother, wait a minute." Swallow said as she ran out of the house.

  Huoyao Ge struggled to get up. Zuo Caiyun quickly went to help Huoyao Ge lean against the wall and put a pillow behind his back. Huoyao Ge closed his eyes, secretly sniffing the fragrance emanating from Zuo Caiyun's body.

  Zuo Caiyun sat on the edge of the bed and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Huo Yao. You've saved me twice, and now you're hurt like this because of me. I really don't know how to repay your kindness."

  Perhaps it was a matter of life and death. Perhaps it was the middle of the night, with only one man and one woman in the room. Huoyao Ge, who had changed from his usual timid state when seeing beautiful women, mischievously said to Zuo Caiyun: "In stories about heroes saving beauties, don't the beauties always have to offer themselves as a reward?"

  Zuo Caiyun's face turned red like an apple, and she lowered her head in embarrassment. She never thought that this seemingly honest guy would say such rude words.

  Seeing Caiyun's shy appearance, Huoyao Ge let out a dry laugh and thought to himself: "Girls these days are not as open-minded as they were in my day. If I were to treat Caiyun like a playboy, she would probably be scared off." So Huoyao Ge quickly changed the subject and asked: "Miss Caiyun, what are your plans? Where do you plan on going?"

  Zuo Caiyun replied in a low voice: "My father wants me to go to Yan'an."

  Huoyao Ge suddenly felt a pang of sadness in his heart, realizing that Zuo Caiyun was just a passerby in his life. He didn't even have a chance, and maybe she would leave tomorrow. Huoyao Ge said with some difficulty: "Yan'an is really far from here."

  Zuo Caiyun sighed and said: "Yes, many comrades have sacrificed for me along the way."

  Huoyao Ge didn't say a word, he knew now that Zuo Caiyun only needed an audience.

  "You know, watching them die one by one in front of me, I'm so heartbroken. But there's nothing I can do... I feel like they're sacrificing their lives for no reason. Is it just because I'm the daughter of a patriotic businessman? Just because my father donated all our family property to... ...to fight against Japanese invaders! What did I even do?! Fireworks brother, tell me, is it worth them paying with their lives to protect me?"

  Huoyao Ge nodded and said affirmatively, "It's worth it. Because your safety may affect the decisions of many people. The Japanese have always wanted to capture you alive, don't they also want to make a big deal out of you?"

  "But I don't want anyone else to die for me, I don't want anyone else to get hurt for me," Zuo Caiyun said weakly, her eyes filled with tears.

  The two people in the room fell silent for a moment. All that could be heard was Xiao Caiyun's faint sobbing sound.

  "After a long time, Huo Yao's calm voice said: 'Have you ever heard that the best defense is offense. If you don't want anyone else to die for you, the best way is to pick up your weapon and fight.'"

  It's like sending a lamp to someone in the dark. Zuo Caiyun wiped away her tears. Wasn't what Huo Yao said exactly her own hesitant thoughts?

  Swallow came in with a bowl of thin porridge. Panting, she said to Firework Brother: "Great, you're still bullying people when you only have half your life left. Look, you've even made Caiyun Sister cry."

  Huoyao Ge explained: "No."

  "Really?......"

  "Ah, Swallow, what are you doing tugging at my ears?" Firecracker Brother cried out in distress.

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