Lin Fan observed carefully. Xu Zixin’s expression was tense, her gaze vacant, and she was clutching something tightly in her arms. She was indeed not normal.
He immediately thought that Xu Zixin was just an ordinary, weak woman. Having experienced a series of shocks today, she must have been scared senseless.
In Western medicine, this condition was called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the most fitting example was Fan Jin passing the imperial examination. Under immense external stimulation, the brain couldn’t cope, leading to a temporary bout of madness.
Xu Zixin, however, suffered from a condition of fright and palpitations.
Tian Mengyao frowned, "She's holding onto something in her arms, and refuses to let go. She won't say anything when I ask. What should we do?"
Jiang Hu xue didn't know Xu Zixin, but seeing her covered in dirt and looking utterly terrified, her compassion was stirred.
"Xiao Fan, quickly take a look at her," Jiang Hu xue urged.
"Xiao Fan, can you treat this illness?" Xia Xue asked worriedly.
Lin Fan nodded. He leaned close to his sister-in-law's ear and whispered, "This illness is easy to cure. Just give her two hard slaps to the face, and it’ll surely work."
"Don't joke around!" Xia Xue glared at Lin Fan angrily.
"Fine, if you don't want me to, then forget it," Lin Fan sighed, shaking his head. After all, he hadn't planned on acting like Hu Tufu and slapping Fan Jin.
"Sister-in-law, go and prepare two qian of flos carthami, half a liang of semen pruni persicae, three qian of pericarpium citri reticulatae viride, and four qian of radix et rhizoma etcaeterum..."
"Say it slower, I need to write it down."
Xia Xue hurried to the counter to find paper and a pen.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Tian Mengyao and Jiang Hu xue, unwilling to be left behind, asked almost simultaneously.
"You two... boil some more water. Later, help her to wash up and prepare some clean clothes for her," Lin Fan instructed.
"I'll go back and get some clothes," Tian Mengyao volunteered.
"I'll help boil water," Jiang Hu xue nodded.
The four of them busied themselves, each taking on their tasks.
Lin Fan used a long silver needle to perform acupuncture on Xu Zixin.
Perhaps it was because his aura was similar to that of the wooden stick, but Xu Zixin's emotions were less resistant, allowing him to treat her.
*Slap!*
While his sister-in-law and the others were out of earshot, Lin Fan suddenly slapped Xu Zixin on the forehead. "Wake up!"
Xu Zixin, who had been in a daze, immediately her pupils contracted.
She came to her senses, feeling as though she had had a very long dream.
"What is this..."
Xu Zixin's bewildered eyes gradually regained clarity.
"Don't move, I'm going to pull out the needles," Lin Fan said.
"It's you?" Xu Zixin instinctively looked around.
It was clear this was a medical clinic.
She recalled a clinic at the entrance of Luofeng Village that everyone entering the village would see.
"That's great, you're finally awake," Tian Mengyao returned with clothes, and upon seeing Xu Zixin return to normal, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Regardless of the reason, if something happened in her jurisdiction, she was ultimately responsible.
"Miss, once I've boiled the hot water, you can wash yourself and change into these clothes," Jiang Hu xue said enthusiastically.
Xu Zixin carefully recalled the events, her expression changing repeatedly. Soon, she remembered what had happened earlier.
Xia Xue handed her a bowl of steaming ginger soup, "Miss, what happened to you?"
"I..." Xu Zixin took the white porcelain bowl with one hand, and with the other, brushed the mud-soaked hair from her ear. "I'm fine, I got lost in the bad weather."
"Is that so?" Tian Mengyao's expression showed doubt.
"Mm," Xu Zixin lowered her head, drinking the ginger soup, not wanting to say more.
"Where is your husband? The boss Han who was with you," Tian Mengyao asked.
"I don't know," Xu Zixin replied curtly.
Immediately, fearing that her composure would be seen through, she said coldly, "He and I have completely broken off. Don't mention that person's name in front of me."
Tian Mengyao nodded sheepishly and stopped questioning.
Lin Fan stole a few glances at Xu Zixin's wrist. The shallow cut from the blade had already scabbed over and looked harmless.
He couldn't help but think that Han Jiayun was truly not cut out to be a killer. To inflict such a minor wound was fooling who?
"Secretary Tian, could you please take me back to the hotel in the county town?" Xu Zixin asked, her composure restored.
"This..." Tian Mengyao was reluctant to move. Moreover, she didn't have a good impression of Xu Zixin.
"I'll pay. How about a thousand yuan?" Xu Zixin smiled. "You can't expect me to stay here for a night, can you?"
"Hmph, who knows what you came here for," Tian Mengyao snorted. After much thought, she decided to send Xu Zixin away.
"Change your clothes first, don't get my car dirty," Tian Mengyao said unhappily.
Seeing that they were about to leave, Jiang Hu xue quickly said, "I need to go back to school too."
"Perfect, I'll give you a ride back as well," Tian Mengyao said casually.
"Thank you," Jiang Hu xue said happily.
Since Lin Fan was male, he was made to wait outside while Xu Zixin changed.
After a while, the three women emerged from the room.
"Xiao Fan, we're leaving," Tian Mengyao said, shaking her car keys in farewell.
"Mm, drive carefully on the road," Lin Fan said with a smile.
"I know, stop nagging," Tian Mengyao replied brusquely.
Xu Zixin, wearing a set of Tian Mengyao's old clothes and holding the emerald green wooden stick wrapped in her own clothes, gave Lin Fan a suspicious glance as she passed him.
Lin Fan felt a pang of anxiety. Had this woman figured something out?
That shouldn't be the case!
"Get in the car, what are you daydreaming about?"
Xu Zixin's delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she almost walked in front of the car. Tian Mengyao's shout brought her back to her senses.
"I, I'm not feeling very well," Xu Zixin offered a perfunctory excuse and got into the car.
She shook her head and blinked her eyes hard.
While changing in Lin Fan's room, she had heard a strange flapping sound, exactly like the sound made by the man-eating insects on the mountain.
However, when she looked under the bed, she found nothing.
She wasn't sure if she had hallucinated or if there had been insects in the room.
...
The next morning.
Lin Fan was lost in a beautiful dream, snoring loudly with his mouth agape.
A golden bug crawled on the blanket, curiously observing everything around it. It flapped its beautiful wings, seemingly celebrating its successful rebirth.
*Knock, knock, knock!*
"Xiao Fan, open the door quickly!"
Before seven o'clock, Xia Xue rushed to the medical clinic and knocked on the door.
"Sister-in-law, you're here so early."
It took nearly fifteen minutes for Lin Fan to come out and open the door. He was groggy, rubbing his messy hair as he greeted her.
"My uncle is coming over!" Xia Xue said, clearly agitated.
"What?" Lin Fan mumbled, not understanding at first.
"My uncle, the one who borrowed money from my dad, he's coming."
Xia Xue's face was extremely grim. "He must be coming to cause trouble because I didn't lend him the money."
"Oh?" Lin Fan's mind cleared.
Something was wrong!
He had secretly given his sister-in-law's parents fifty thousand US dollars and a large gold bar.
That amounted to over half a million, which should be generous enough!
"My dad called me this morning, he was stammering, and I knew it was nothing good," Xia Xue said, utterly furious!
She had been married for many years. It was a favor if her uncle borrowed money, and her right not to lend it. Why was he coming to her door to question her?
"Sister-in-law, don't worry. We've done nothing wrong, so there's nothing to fear. Just go about your business, I'll handle them alone," Lin Fan comforted her.
"Forget it, after all, he's my uncle. I have to receive him out of obligation," Xia Xue sighed.