Logically speaking, the process of applying medicine on an open wound would not be that kind of easy for a man to endure, and the great pain stimulated by that would totally the injured one rather sober in mind. Not sure if the mixed-race man was too exhausted or what, he fainted right away which was totally beyond their expectations. It was Hualian who made the ginseng soup and pinched the man’s throat feeding him one spoon after another.
Probably Song Qinghan was still worried over the man’s fate if he was brought back right now, he did not let Dagou and Ergou to take the mixed-race man away, but just said, “If you’re going to move him right now, what I have done probably will be spoiled as his wound cracks open again. So if you don’t mind, please stay here temporarily, and wait until he’s getting better. If you are eager to go back right now, please act at your convenience, and you can come get him days later.”
They got nothing else to do in that village if they went back now. Furthermore, Song Qinghan’s house was huge and spacious. They wouldn’t get such a chance to live in such a big house in their whole lives if they did not cherish this opportunity. So these two nodded without hesitation, and said, “Take it easy, take it easy. Cure him first!”
Song Qinghan nodded and asked Hualian to bring them to an unused and empty room, and at the next moment he glanced at Lu Sen, and then he raised his eyebrows and said, “How about you? Are you going to settle down here for few days too?”
Lu Sen hurriedly waved his hand and said embarrassedly, “Well, no need for that, actually I…”
He hesitated for a moment and noticed that Song Qinghan wasn’t showing any impatience on face at all, and then he loosened his shoulders as if he had removed preparedness, while saying pitifully, “Actually I did encounter similar case before, but that kid just died…”
“Well.” Song Qinghan sounded thoughtfully, and then led Lu Sen to the wayside pavilion outside in the yard. They sat on the wooden bench within the pavilion, and Song Qinghan reached out to pour two cups of tea, while motioning Lu Sen to continue.
Lu Sen fixed his gaze in front but stared at nowhere, he tried to memorize and then slowly said, “I grew up with that kid together, well, he possessed a bigger shape than his peers since he was a child even though he didn’t get enough food to eat. All I know about his background is that he was an orphan himself and was adopted by my old neighbor.”
It was obvious that this was the first time he mentioned this topic to someone, so what he said got not much coherence. Seemingly he was just speaking out what just occurred to him in his mind.
“His nature was too kind, he got a good temper and he rarely got annoyed even he was teased by the other kids. He loved to be a leader and lead a group of children to climb mountains searching for wild fruits or climb trees to seek bird eggs.”
“Later on, he gradually grew up as a big guy while his appearance changed a lot. He looked so different from us while his look was able to scare the others.”
“And I was not sure if the news about how he looked was leaked and spread. Those who possessed a similar look with him would come for him. Some of them seemingly wanted to kill me once they saw me, but all of them were blocked by him.”
Song Qinghan nodded. Though he knew it wasn’t a good habit to interrupt, he still couldn’t help but ask, “Why did they look for him? To bring him away?”
Lu Sen let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. “Up until now, I couldn’t figure out what they were talking about. I only know that not long after that, the kid was arrested by the official runners and was accused of treason being a spy.”
“I heard that when he was caught, the runners got a letter which was fully written with border region secrets from his cloth. But I know that he couldn’t even read a word…”
“And later on, the kid was burned to death in front of us, and I witnessed it.”
“It is hard for me to forget his eye expressions that time, full of despair and helplessness. Yet at the same time I could see that there was still a hope mingled in his eyes, like, he was showing all his eagerness hoping someone would stand out and guard him.”
At the time Lu Sen described the scene while recalling the picture his playmate died that time, his voice started to be trembling and choked.
Song Qinghan took a sip of tea and asked peacefully, “But until he died, no one stood out and spoke for him and guard him, right?”
“Yes,” Lu Sen answered, “Because we never knew whether he was innocent or guilty…”
Suddenly, Song Qinghan got his eyes sharpened and then he roared in a low voice, seemingly intending to criticize, “At the time you got such a thought, you indeed had regarded him as a criminal in your mind!”
His words were like a heavy blow to Lu Sen. Lu Sen opened his mouth slightly and said subconsciously, “No, no, I didn’t, but …… Why, why didn’t he tell me everything…”
Nothing but guilt overwhelmed Lu Sen in his current brain. Catching that nervous look on Lu Sen’s face, Song QInghan put down the tea cup on the table, and said in peacefulness, “Nothing is going to work for you to be guilty since he had passed away forever. He can’t reborn or something even he is deemed with no guilt now. So this time you want to make sure that this kid will survive or not, right?”
Lu Sen nodded hesitantly, his fingers rubbed against the teacup and whispered, “He’s quite similar to that kid back then. I thought the kid was reincarnated back when I first saw this man today at the execution scene…”
Song Qinghan laughed and was about to end the conversation when something suddenly flashed in his mind. He asked, “Those who possessed a similar look to your friend never came back anymore after that?”
Lu Sen was stunned, as if he hadn’t expected Song Qinghan would suddenly mention the other kids. He tried to recall every piece of moment in his mind, then he shook his head, “No, that was the first time and the only time I met them. Though he saved me at that time, he refused to tell me everything, otherwise I would have fully trusted him.”
Noticing that Lu Sen’s tone was going down again, Song Qinghan pondered for a moment, and then nodded, stood up suddenly and said, “Probably this time you can figure out everything long confused you.”
After that, he walked outward directly leaving Lu Sen alone in the pavilion. He negotiated with Hualian for something and then visited Hening alone by himself.
It seemed that Hening was indeed an idle man who got a real relaxing life no matter where he stayed. Yet this time he wasn’t fishing with straight hook before the pond, but was frying the lotus petal in a leisurely manner.
When he saw Song Qinghan, he raised his eyebrows and took the initiative to hand over a pair of chopsticks. Although he didn’t say anything, he believed that Song Qinghan understood.
Song Qinghan took over the chopsticks, picked up a piece of crystal clear fried lotus petal and put them into his mouth.
The crispy peel cracked in the mouth, and then the softened lotus petal was exposed. With a slight chewing, a flavor of freshness and sweetness permeated into his every single taste bud, while neutralizing oily taste. Song Qinghan couldn’t help but showing an admiration in his eyes.
Seeing that Song Qinghan was satisfied, Hening picked up another petal by bare hand and then placed it into his own mouth, enjoying to chew, “One never goes to the temple for no reason, so tell me what’s wrong?”
Although Song Qinghan smiled happily, he felt a bit sorry at the same time.
Speaking of which, his relationship with Hening had always been a little strange, neither too close nor too far away. Probably he was more a snobbish type, as long as something happened, the first person he thought of was Hening. If nothing happened, he probably wouldn’t have taken the initiative to come over.
Hening laughed softly as if he had seen through Song Qinghan’s thoughts. He leaned lazily against the pillar and said slowly, “I haven’t said anything yet. Why showing such an embarrassing face yourself? Well, don’t feel any awkwardness when you’re facing me, just go ahead.”
Ever since the two of them met, the current state was the best between them. After all, Song Qinghan had been in a state of suspicion before, so naturally, he could not treat Hening with his usual heart. And at the same time it was the first time for Hening to acquire a real friend with affection in his whole life, so it was hard for him to make everything under control.