Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
If I had no injuries, I think I would jump up and celebrate.
A San looked at me with a confused expression while Jack remained expressionless, seemingly indifferent to my awakening and recovery.
Although I was dissatisfied with Jack's demeanor, the immense joy I felt allowed me to overlook any negative emotions.
Just like Jack, my injuries were healing well and quickly. Moreover, according to the Vietnamese, although I had been unconscious for three days, my injuries were not as severe as Fatty's. Especially the external wounds, which were nowhere near as deep as Fatty's.
Upon reflection, I realized that I must have fainted due to pain in my lower body; the superficial injuries hadn’t tormented me too much.
My good mood made me overlook many details, such as Jack's emotional changes, the Vietnamese's bewilderment, and even Lao People starting to distance themselves from me—I hadn’t noticed any of it. Logically, the Laotians should be more concerned about me; at least their reliance and trust in me were greater than that of the Vietnamese. Yet Buasong hadn’t come over.
As my excitement reached its peak and I wanted to share this good news with Fatty, the moment I stood up in a daze, the severe pain coursing through my body brought me crashing back to reality.
In that moment, I realized that I was a seriously injured patient; Jack had given up this bed for me not because he had recovered but because my injuries were worse. However, the severe pain did not diminish my joy too much; even pain was part of that happiness.
In the following days, I could only lie in bed. Even turning over required assistance from others; let alone eating, drinking, or using the restroom. The Vietnamese took care of my daily needs diligently, allowing me to gradually accept him. Of course, I wouldn’t treat him as one of my own; rather, I began to accept him as part of my circle.
I hadn’t seen Fatty for about ten days. My superficial wounds healed quickly; despite our limited supply of anti-inflammatory medication, fortunately, my wounds showed no signs of infection and were visibly healing well.
Yet I still couldn’t get out of bed and needed A San to help me turn over like a pancake. I couldn’t even manage to turn over by myself. It felt like there was an issue with my ligaments or bones; any attempt at larger movements sent severe pain through my back that felt just like new wounds.
At that moment, I felt a bad mood spreading between us.
First of all, it had been a long time since I last saw Jack. It seemed that after I woke up and saw him once, I never saw him again. I took his bed, pushing him into another room, but that shouldn't have made him resentful; he wasn't the type to hold grudges. However, he hadn't come back to this room since then. Aside from me, I couldn't tell if he was avoiding anyone else.
Xiao Ting spent most of her time in another room. She only came to this one to help Buasong cook porridge and serve Fatty and Jack their meals. Her greetings felt like mere formalities, and I sensed she was just going through the motions with me.
The two Lao People maintained a respectful distance from me, but there was a clear sense of estrangement. They would bring the first bowl of porridge to me and then quietly retreat, their gazes slightly evasive, as if I were Ah Xiang.
As a result, A San became the only one willing to interact with me, attending to my needs with great care.
Both rooms were eerily quiet. Even during the day, when lunch or dinner should have been the liveliest times, there was no sound coming from either room. The entire Bamboo House felt lifeless, and there was even less noise coming from the Lao's room.
I didn't understand why things had turned out this way, but I could guess at some of the reasons. The person who should have been making the most noise and stirring up trouble remained silent. This was highly unusual. A San had suffered more than I had and needed care more urgently. But that wasn't an excuse; as far as I knew, this person would always create some commotion as long as they were alive.
That person was, of course, Fatty.
"Carry me next door. I want to see Fatty," I said through gritted teeth to A San. Although I knew it would be a torment for me, physical pain was more bearable than the agony within.
" Fatty won't let you go over."
"And what else? What else won't he allow you to do?"
A San's gaze began to flicker. I suspected something was wrong with Fatty, but I couldn't believe his injuries were worse than mine.
I had asked A San and learned that Fatty had carried me back. The journey from the mountain to here was no short distance; if he could carry me back, it meant his injuries weren't too severe. However, neither Fatty nor Jack had shown up, which filled me with a bad premonition. What if those two had done something while carrying me or had gotten into a fight?
A San was still hesitating. I forced myself to lift my head, a simple action that pulled at the nerves in my back, causing pain that twisted my face. I didn't hide the grimace; instead, I let it turn into a fierce expression.
"Here, I am the boss. It's not Fatty or Jack... They must be hiding something from me."
"It's Fatty. He's in bad shape."
My heart sank. Surely he couldn't be that fragile; he had endured so much. Had something happened after I lost consciousness? Had we been caught by the Mountain Demon? If that were the case, then Fatty's condition must be dire. How could he have carried me back under such circumstances? It must have been a horrific scene.
I could no longer lie still. Gripping the edge of the bed tightly, I pushed myself up with all my strength.
Impulsiveness is a devil. The sudden movement led to an instant blackout.
As I sat up, my brain briefly deprived of blood, pain tore through my back and lower body, engulfing me entirely and plunging my vision into darkness. Yet, I didn't completely lose consciousness; there was a force keeping me from losing my ability to act even in this semi-unconscious state.
My hands remained on the bed's edge as I sat upright, my eyes wide open but seeing nothing but blackness.
"Brother Qiang, your eyes..."
I began to hear voices in my ears. My vision was still dark; perhaps my pupils had dilated, which must have looked terrifying. Hearing Vietnamese sounded as if they had seen a ghost.
Once my awareness returned, I closed my eyes again; after all, everything before me was black, so there was no need to scare anyone with dilated pupils.
I could feel the darkness fading through my eyelids, revealing the flesh-colored hue of my eyelids. I opened my eyes, and A San's face appeared before me.
"You don't need to carry me anymore. Support me; I want to walk over."
A San did not stop me again and firmly helped me off the bed, acting as a human crutch, bearing most of my weight.
Seeing this, Buasong rushed over, but I waved him off. Although having two crutches would be better, I felt I could manage on my own. I didn't want to appear too helpless in front of them.
With A San's support, I shuffled my way through one door and into another.
Inside, there were two people standing in front of a bed. I could only see their backs; they seemed intent on blocking my view of whatever was happening on the bed. (To Be Continued...)
Comment 0 Comment Count