4. Some water, please.

Jiang Zhu quickly crouched down to help Shen Qingyue remove the bamboo splints.

His calf, which had just begun to improve, was now swollen again, and the previously slightly swollen ankle was now completely swollen.

Jiang Zhu helped him take off his shoes. The pain made Shen Qingyue grit his teeth and hiss, but he still managed to joke, “Hey, little brother, do you know how to check bones? See if my foot and leg are broken?”

His foot was swollen too, and with the thickness of the bandages, it was difficult to get his shoes off. Jiang Zhu was sweating profusely as he struggled to remove them. Upon hearing the question, he instinctively felt around the foot, causing Shen Qingyue to hiss again. Jiang Zhu quickly let go, shook his head, and said sincerely, “I don’t know. I’ve only ever checked cow bones.”

“Cows?” Shen Qingyue clutched the armrest of the bamboo chair tightly and started laughing through tears, almost sliding off the chair. “They’re similar enough. Come on, check mine too.”

Jiang Zhu was speechless.

If he knew how to check human bones, he would have done it back in the bamboo forest.

Besides, his foot and leg were swollen like giant radishes now; even if he tried, there was no way to feel anything.

Finally, Jiang Zhu managed to get the shoe off and let out a long breath, thinking next time not to wear such tight shoes. Setting the shoe aside, he began unwrapping the bandages and removing the socks. When he saw the ankle and the top of the foot, they were so red and swollen it was unbearable to look at.

He placed the shoes and socks to the side, draped the bandages over the bamboo chair, and hurried outside.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“I’m going to find some herbs for you.”

“Wait, first help me get a basin of cold water.”

“Cold water?”

Jiang Zhu stopped abruptly.

“Yes, cold water! The colder, the better!”

Jiang Zhu fetched a wooden basin and ran to the spring, bringing back a basin full of cold water.

Shen Qingyue pulled a trash bag from his backpack and filled it with water to make an ice pack.

He tested it—indeed, the mountain water was very cold.

After filling the bags, he noticed Jiang Zhu staring blankly and came to his senses, running over to get a ladle. With curiosity, he tied the two bags and placed one above and one below his swollen leg to apply cold compresses.

Jiang Zhu was amazed by this unconventional use of trash bags and couldn’t help but ask, “Is this fish maw?”

“Huh?” Shen Qingyue laughed, “Yes! Fish maw from a big fish the size of your house!”

Jiang Zhu was speechless.

He couldn’t tell whether Shen Qingyue was joking or telling the truth.

He stopped asking and said, “I’ll go find the herbs.”

Jiang Zhu was quick on his rounds. When he returned, Shen Qingyue was bent over observing his leg bone.

Like reading a face, he looked carefully and mischievously poked at it. When it hurt, he drew back his finger to rest, then poked again.

Jiang Zhu was dumbfounded.

This man was truly strange.

He couldn’t tell if Shen Qingyue was afraid of pain or not.

“Back already? That much medicine?” Shen Qingyue noticed the shadow falling over him and sat up, curiously looking at the handful of wild herbs Jiang Zhu held. “What is this for?”

“For reducing swelling and bruising. We use it for sprains,” Jiang Zhu replied, carrying the herbs to pound them with a mortar and pestle. He took a clean piece of fine hemp cloth to wipe off the dirt and debris from Shen Qingyue’s leg first, because the area had to be clean before applying the medicine.

Shen Qingyue hissed sharply.

Jiang Zhu grew nervous from the sound and looked up at him with a pleading gaze.

His wiping was gentler than Shen Qingyue’s own playful poking, which hadn’t even made him hiss!

Shen Qingyue instantly understood and bit his lip to hold back.

Once the dried blood scabs and dirt were cleaned off, Jiang Zhu applied the medicine all over his leg.

Although it looked like a lot, the herbs were barely enough.

The cool herbal juice eased the pain slightly. Shen Qingyue fell silent and obediently let Jiang Zhu tend to him.

He didn’t complain about the medicine’s smell.

Nor did he mind the cloth strips not being sterilized.

His bandages were all used up when securing his foot; only a few plasters remained, which were useless for this situation.

Jiang Zhu quietly finished binding the leg and looked up to find Shen Qingyue already looking somewhat listless.

Jiang Zhu: “…”

“Let me help you rest,” he said.

“Okay.”

Shen Qingyue steadied himself with the chair and stood up, allowing Jiang Zhu to support him into his bedroom.

As soon as Shen Qingyue looked around the room, Jiang Zhu awkwardly said, “This is my room. You—you can stay here for now.”

“Thanks.” Shen Qingyue glanced around. The room was spacious and clean, surprisingly with a bamboo floor made from local materials.

The living conditions were far better than he had expected.

“Does anyone else live here? Should I let someone know?”

Jiang Zhu shook his head, “No, it’s just me.”

“Just you?” Shen Qingyue was surprised. “You live alone in the mountains?”

“Yeah.”

Shen Qingyue was at a loss for words.

It wouldn’t be right to ask why he was alone.

Nor to ask about his family’s whereabouts—it was too unfamiliar, and even apologizing felt like reopening old wounds.

After a moment of silence, he asked, “There aren’t any wolves on the mountain, right?”

Jiang Zhu paused briefly, then smiled and shook his head. “No, wolves stay deep in the mountains. The house is sturdy… Do immortals fear wolves?”

Shen Qingyue was caught off guard but replied calmly, “I’m not an immortal anymore. Immortals who undergo tribulations are just like mortals.”

He tugged at his clothes, sniffing his own sweat to emphasize that “immortals who undergo tribulations” get dirty just like anyone else. “Could you please help me all the way? Also, get me a basin of hot water and some clean clothes.”

“Ah? Oh.”

“Hot water, hot water! You’ll be rewarded for it!” The mountain water was too cold, and he was afraid of catching a chill.

Jiang Zhu kept glancing back at him, his expression hard to read, but he still went to boil water. He also fetched the best set of fine cloth clothes from the wardrobe and brought them to Shen Qingyue.

Shen Qingyue leaned against the bed, nodding off, his head bobbing.

When woken, he yawned, took off his T-shirt without opening his eyes, and began ordering, “Could you help me wipe my back? I can’t reach.”

“...Okay.”

“Also, help me pull down my pants. Hiss, maybe cut them off... No, better to take them off carefully. Don’t touch the wound.”

“Mm…”

“Hey, little brother, do you know how to wash hair?”

“...???”

Jiang Zhu sat on a small stool, rubbing fragrant shampoo between his hands to create foam, and baffled, helped Shen Qingyue wash his hair. After finishing, he was still stunned—how did he end up washing hair by the bedside?

After pouring out the water and putting away the basin, he came back to find Shen Qingyue fully relaxed, dressed in his clothes as sleepwear, wrists and ankles exposed, resting his head on a towel and fast asleep.

So pale.

Jiang Zhu stood there, dazed for a moment, then scratched his head, picked up Shen Qingyue’s discarded T-shirt and pants from the foot of the bed, closed the door, and went to the backyard.

When Shen Qingyue was shaken awake, night had fallen. Upon opening his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the smell of porridge.

He looked up and saw Jiang Zhu had brought a small bamboo stool to the bed to serve as a table, placing the porridge neatly before him.

Shen Qingyue smiled before fully waking, stirred the porridge, and praised, “If my aunt saw the porridge you made, she’d say you’re a good kid.”

Just a glance showed several kinds of grains and beans mixed in—a health-conscious nutritionist would surely approve.

“Mm, it tastes good.” It was just a bit tough on the teeth. “Next time, maybe cook it a little longer.”

Jiang Zhu stood by waiting to collect the bowl, completely unable to tell if this was praise or criticism.

“Ahem... cough, cough cough...”

“What’s wrong?”

“This pickled vegetable is too salty.”

“?”

Shen Qingyue quickly drank two sips of porridge to wash it down and said, “I can’t eat food that salty. Could you get me a bowl of water to soak it a bit?”

“???”

Jiang Zhu hesitated but brought a bowl of water. He was stunned to see Shen Qingyue actually soaking the salty pickled vegetable in the water and then eating it in small bites.

He only ate two pieces of pickled vegetable with the entire bowl of porridge.

Jiang Zhu didn’t understand but was greatly surprised and certain this tribulation-enduring immortal young master really did not like salty pickled vegetables.