But when Brad thought of Matthew's status as a Juprus, he couldn't help but frown. Doing this kind of work was beneath Matthew.
After finishing the cleanup, Dominic went to approach the local authorities. Lucien and the others took Desmond to the hospital.
In Woolfields, Matthew stood quietly in Kingston's yard. "Where's the medical book and Miracle Healing Banner? Can I have them now?"
Kingston nodded. "I'll get it for you."
After saying that, he turned and went inside. When he came back out, there was an axe in his hand.
Matthew was startled. "What are you doing? Do you really need to fight me?"
Kingston suddenly became aware that bringing out an axe like that could easily give the wrong idea. He pointed at a tree in the yard.
"I'm going to use it on this tree in the yard. The medical book and Miracle Healing Banner are inside it."
Was the book and Miracle Healing Banner hidden inside the tree? That was just brilliant. Amazed, Matthew circled the tree twice and spotted areas with peeling barks and scars.
Meanwhile, Kingston started swinging his axe at a scarred spot on the tree. After chopping it open, a hole was revealed.
Reaching inside, Kingston retrieved a cloth bundle wrapped in wax. He smashed the wax layer on the ground and took out the bundle inside.
Kingston carefully took out a rolled-up medical book and handed it to Matthew. "I stashed this book in there ten years ago. I never thought it'd see the light of day after all this time."
Matthew took the book and skimmed through a few pages. He was taken aback by the detailed plague treatment he found.
In recent years, everyone had been talking about ways to prevent Plague X or Disease X. "X" referred to any unknown infectious disease or plague.
It was surprising to think that solutions for Plague X or an unknown epidemic had been proposed over 400 years ago. He carefully put the book away, then cautiously unfolded the Miracle Healing Banner.
The banner was woven from black and gold threads, with intricate black motifs along the border. The words "Miracle Healing" were embroidered in silver in the middle.
Standing at the side, Kingston added, "A woman woven Miracle Healing Banner to show her gratitude for the man who saved her husband and son, using her wedding gift to make it."
Matthew put away Miracle Healing Banner safely. "Come with me."
Kingston shrunk back. "I'm not going. I don't want to be a doctor anymore. I'm just too disheartened, so I'd rather just be a veterinarian."
Matthew proposed with a grin, "I've set up a lab. If you can join me, you'll be able to study what interests you. You've studied traditional medicine, modern medicine, and veterinary care. You're truly a well-rounded talent."
Kingston shook his head. "You've been there for me and invited me, so I should go. But I've chosen to be ungrateful and turn down your kind offer. I hope you won't be upset."
Matthew waved his hand. "Don't think of yourself as being ungrateful. The townsfolks of Woolfields owe you too much. The world has taken too much from the Wooler family. I can give you my word. No one will ever treat you like you were treated in the past."
Kingston's eyes flickered, as though he was interested. But the thought of Declan's death made him hesitate.
"Forget about it. I'm too tired. I'll just stay in this rundown place, alone and free. When I'm hungry, I'll have instant noodles. When I'm tired, I'll sleep."
Matthew furrowed his brows. "If you want a woman, are you going to settle for tissues?"
Kingston's face turned red in an instant. It was something personal, but Matthew took the matter to get on his nerves.
"What nonsense are you spouting? That's not true at all!"
Matthew crossed his arms. "We're both guys here. There's no shame in wanting a woman. Besides humans, even a male cat gets all worked up in the spring, yowling like crazy when it sees a female cat."
Kingston's face flushed, but he was unyielding. "I'm not hungry for a woman."
Matthew felt speechless as he teased, "Yeah. Right. You've got your right hand, so you're not looking for one."
Right hand? Kingston was dumbfounded for a moment, but he quickly understood what Matthew meant. Then, he felt utterly embarrassed.
"Stop bringing that up! I've had enough!"
Matthew continued, "Unlike me, you have no experience with a woman before, so you act though. But I know what it's like.
"After three years behind bars, I can't help but drool at the sight of a woman. Your problem is you've never had that kind of experience."
Kingston was intrigued by Matthew's words but refused to admit it. "I might not have experienced it myself, but I know what it's about. I've seen plenty in novels and videos."
Giving up on convincing Kingston, Matthew responded with a smile, "I'm acquainted with the owner of Rose Bar. She's got plenty of women working for her.
"All of them are prettier than her and have even better figures. And they're all sweet talkers too. Just give it a try, and they'll melt your heart. Are you sure you're passing on this?"