Daohua arrived at the rear cabin and saw Dong Yuanyao talking with the few people they had rescued. As she approached, she overheard them discussing the damage caused by the flood.
Dong Yuanyao spotted Daohua and smiled, âYouâre here!â
Daohua nodded, glancing around the room before asking, âWhereâs the person who helped me before?â
Dong Yuanyao pursed her lips slightly, âWhile you were changing, he dived back into the river and swam to the shore.â
A look of regret crossed Daohuaâs face, âWhat a pity, I donât even know his name. If he hadnât lent a hand, it wouldnât have been so easy for me to rescue Granny Gu and that odd monk onto the boat.â
She laughed as she said this.
âThat man is quite the swimmer; to move so fast in such a rapid river! He also seemed warm-hearted, diving into the river to save others in that situation, he must be brave and kind in spirit.â
Dong Yuanyaoâs expression turned a tad uneasy. Back at the city gates of Xingyun Prefecture, she had spoken quite highly of him. Reflecting on it now, her reaction seemed overly intense.
Daohua didnât dwell on the subject and headed straight towards Granny Gu and the odd monk in the corner.
At this moment, even though Granny Gu was no longer in life-threatening peril, she remained at risk, with the odd monk holding her hand, sitting motionless.
Only when Daohua approached, did Gu Jian raise his eyes to look at her.
Daohua examined Granny Gu and, seeing her flushed face, knew without touching that she had a fever, âOdd monk, do you remember me?â
Gu Jian glanced at Daohua, lowered his eyes, and remained silent.
Seeing his reaction, Daohua pouted, muttering, âBack to being aloof and ignoring others!â When she and the villagers had gone to the temple to ask for medicine, he had not given her as much as a glance, even though she had been just a five-year-old child at the time.
However, his medical skills were undeniably excellent; it was with the five prescriptions he provided, along with ingredients from her space, that she managed to nurse her grandmother back to health.
Daohua turned to Granny Gu and said, âGranny Gu is sick and needs timely treatment. I know youâre a Divine Doctor, but you donât have any herbs now. Will you come back to Xingyun Prefecture with me later?â
After a silence, Gu Jian looked at Daohua and, with a hoarse voice, finally asked, âI heard them calling that young man you were with, Little Prince?â
The oddness of the odd monk lay not just in his temperament, but also in how, despite being a monk, he never referred to himself as a humble monk or elder; he always used âIâ or âme.â It seemed as if he never truly saw himself as a monk.
Daohua looked puzzled, âWhy do you ask?â
Gu Jian threw her a glance, then lowered his head again, âNever mind!â
Daohua was at a loss for words.
Who exactly was seeking whom at this point?
Just then, Xiao Yeyang walked in.
The servants all bowed, âLittle Prince!â
Xiao Yeyang nodded and made his way straight to Daohua.
At this moment, Gu Jian also raised his head again, his gaze fixed intently on Xiao Yeyang.
Standing beside Daohua, Xiao Yeyang looked at Gu Jian and the unconscious Granny Gu, âDo you know them?â
Daohua nodded, âWeâve met a few times.â After her grandmother had recovered, she would take her to the temple to fulfill their vows each year, where she would chat with Granny Gu.
Xiao Yeyang looked surprised, âYou have quite a memory.â
Daohua shrugged, âThey are too unique to be forgotten.â
The odd monk was known for his high medical skills and strange temperament, gaining some notoriety in the neighboring villages; Granny Gu, on the other hand, had most of her face burned, making her quite unforgettable once seen.
Xiao Yeyang paused for a moment, âSince you know them, then bring them back to Xingyun Prefecture.â
Daohua looked at the odd monk, and at this moment Gu Jian had already averted his gaze, bowing his head, holding Granny Guâs hand, âWe still donât know if they are willing to go.â
Who would have expected, the moment his words ended, Gu Jian looked up and said, âGo.â After saying that, he glanced at Xiao Yeyang, then lowered his head again.
Daohua was momentarily stunned.
Wasnât he very aloof just now?
An hour later, the boat docked at Xingyun Prefectureâs pier.
Xiao Yeyang had the rescued people taken care of by Defu, while he, along with Daohua and Dong Yuanyao, returned to Xing Courtyard.
At this moment, everyone had also finished their chores and came back for a rest.
âLittle Prince, did the grain delivery go smoothly?â
Dong Yuanxuan asked as a matter of routine.
Who knew, upon hearing this, Daohuaâs heart tightened, and she hurriedly looked towards Xiao Yeyang.
Xiao Yeyang, seeing the look in Daohuaâs eyes, shifted his gaze away wordlessly.
Since he had promised, he would certainly keep his word. How could this guy dare not trust him!
âEverything went well, just thatâ¦â
Daohua quickly walked over and whispered, âXiao Yeyang, donât talk nonsense, okay?â
Yan Wenxiu looked over and said, âLittle Prince, what is it? Did my eldest sister cause some trouble?â
Xiao Yeyang, looking at Daohuaâs anxious face, laughed, âNo trouble was caused, itâs just that I think the outside is still somewhat unsafe, so in the future, when everyone goes out, itâs better not to bring Daohua and Dong Sister along.â
Upon hearing Xiao Yeyang say this, Daohua instantly breathed a sigh of relief and said with an embarrassed smile, âI actually didnât want to go out. If you hadnât asked me today, I would have been busy distributing porridge.â
Seeing that Xiao Yeyang was getting angry, Daohua quickly grabbed Dong Yuanyao and slipped away.
Seeing this, Yan Wenxiu helplessly shook his head, âMy eldest sister is too unrestrained. When we go back, I should talk to our mother and ask her to exert more control over my eldest sister.â
At these words, Xiao Yeyangâs expression stiffened, and he hurriedly said, âActually⦠Daohua canât be considered unrestrained. She is just more cheerful. I think that kind of temperament is quite good, and thereâs no need for additional restraint.â
Yan Wenxiu was taken aback and looked at Xiao Yeyang with a mix of surprise and doubt.
Xiao Yeyang realized that as an outsider, he shouldnât be meddling in the upbringing of someone elseâs daughter, especially in front of so many people, and was wondering how to smooth things over when Yan Wenkai burst out laughing and intervened.
âI feel the same way. Big brother, our eldest sister is fine the way she is. Do you want her to be like the other delicate young ladies, weak and weepy at the slightest provocation?â
âJust look at Brother Dong, his sister is much more unrestrained than our eldest sister, and Brother Dong hasnât said anything, right?â
Dong Yuanxuan looked at Yan Wenkai wordlessly, âWhere is my sister unrestrained? Sheâs just a bit lively.â
Yan Wenkai couldnât be bothered to argue, âFine, whether sheâs lively or cheerful, as brothers, as long as our sister is happy, whatâs wrong with indulging her a bit?â
Yan Wentao also chimed in, âI also think Daohua is fine just the way she is, straightforward!â
Yan Wenxiu gave a disdainful glance at his two younger brothers, âIâm thinking of our eldest sisterâs best interests. Itâs fine now at home, but if she still behaves like this after sheâs marriedâ¦â
Yan Wenkai immediately interjected, âWhatâs wrong with being married? With us brothers here, who would dare to bully my sister? Hmph, if my future brother-in-law really doesnât know any better, with you and me, letâs turn him into a pigâs head, to the point that even his parents wonât recognize him.â
Yan Wentao nodded earnestly.
Seeing this, Yan Wenxiu no longer wished to speak.
Everyone must lead their own life. In times of trouble, once or twice, family can stand up for you, but if it happens frequently, one has to rely on oneself to solve the problems.
He didnât think his eldest sister was bad, only that she needed to be more reserved.
The world is critical, and living too impulsively isnât good.