Su Mo bent down and entered, the inside was very small, with children’s clothes piled up on one side, and a young man lying on the bed folding sheets with a pale face and continuously sweating.
"Son!" The woman quickly took a towel from a basin at the side, which was already somewhat yellow from being used so many times, wrung it out, and wiped the man’s face on the bed.
The man’s leg was propped up by a tattered pillow, and the bandage tied around the wound had turned somewhat blackened.
Su Mo went straight over and undid the bandage, which had stuck to the flesh due to not being changed for a long time, and the man on the bed woke up in pain as she tore it off.
"Son, don’t be scared, I’ve brought the benefactor," the woman quickly grasped the man’s hand.
Jian Qing opened his eyes and saw Su Mo’s face, felt somewhat bewildered, then sighed, "Mom, she’s just a little girl, you..."
The woman paused, she glanced at Su Mo, who indeed seemed very young...
When Su Mo caught their glances, she immediately felt underestimated and said wordlessly, "So are we going to heal him or not? If not, I’ll just take a Crystal Core and leave."
As soon as her words fell, Lu Chen handed over a Crystal Core.
Only then did Jian Qing notice two other people standing beside the bed, but the pain in his leg made him turn his gaze away to look at the wound, where the flesh had already necrotized, exposing the stark white bones beneath; he suddenly said in pained despair:
"Mom, forget it, this leg can’t be healed, I don’t want it anymore."
The woman shook her head desperately, turned around, and pushed the Crystal Stone back, then knelt down at Su Mo’s feet, crying, "I really have no other options, whether or not you can save him, I am indebted."
Touched with pity, Su Mo helped the woman up from the ground, glanced at the man who had fainted again from the pain, and said softly, "I will help you, but I hope to add one condition."
"As repayment for healing your son’s leg, I want to know everything that happens in the Outer Ring."
The woman was startled, looked up at her, "Everything?"
Su Mo nodded, smiling, "You think it’s important, come tell me, how about it?"
"Good," the woman wiped away her tears and nodded firmly, "I, Jian Chunhua, and my son Jian Qing will certainly do as we promise."
"Deal," Su Mo extended her hand towards the woman.
Jian Chunhua looked at that delicate and clean palm, wiped her own hand on her clothes before grasping it.
Su Mo let go and asked, "Do you have scissors?"
"Yes, yes," Jian Chunhua took some scissors out from a small box beside the bed, which also contained some needles and thread.
Su Mo nodded, she poured out all the dirty water from that basin, and asked Lu Chen for a large basin of ice before sending everyone out. Before leaving, the man kissed her on the forehead and whispered in her ear with a lowered voice:
"Except for the leg, you are not permitted to touch anything else."
"I know, now get out," Su Mo kissed his face, and only then did the man satisfactorily pick up Ling Ye by the collar and carry him out.
Now Su Mo was alone in the tent, she patted Jian Qing’s face to make sure he had only fainted, took out a white child’s shirt, and cut it into strips.
She covered his eyes with one, took the scissors which she had simply wiped clean with some Biluochun Tea, and started cutting directly into the rotten flesh on Jian Qing’s leg.
Fortunately, the man on the bed was unconscious, and aside from a slight tremor, it didn’t take much effort for Su Mo to cut away the necrotic tissue.
The pillow underfoot was all freshly blood-stained, Su Mo poured Biluochun Tea on his leg unhurriedly, and the bleeding stopped immediately; the flesh around the bone started to look fresh and red.
In a haze, Jian Qing seemed to hear the girl’s low murmur:
"You must not heal too fast."
She dipped the cloth in the tea water and roughly wrapped up the leg.
After finishing everything, she stood up, looked around, and found a kettle for storing hot water used by Jian Chunhua in the corner.
She opened it to check, it was clean, so she added some Biluochun Tea to it.
When she lifted the tent flap to leave, only a few minutes had passed.
"Done... It’s done?" Jian Chunhua was somewhat surprised.
"Mhm," Su Mo nodded, "The leg can be saved. I’ll come again in three days."
She noticed some malicious looks around the tent and deliberately raised her voice when she said she would be back,
Jian Chunhua, grateful, tried to kneel again but was held up by Su Mo: "That’s enough, go and check on your son. I need to leave."
"Thank you, benefactor, thank you."
Su Mo waved her hand and walked away with the other two.
Not far off, a listless man coming back from work wiped his eyes, staring at that cute profile in a moment of bewilderment.
"What are you looking at?" The thin middle-aged woman yanked the man who was standing there, dazed.
"Do you see... Doesn’t she look like our daughter?" Su Huaguang pointed shakily at the three people, dressed clean and gradually moving away.
"That good-for-nothing?" Mrs. Su followed his gaze in astonishment: "It really does look a bit like her. Is that our daughter? How did she..."
Su Huaguang noticed the tall and imposing man beside Su Mo and excitedly grabbed Mrs. Su’s hand, shouting, "It’s definitely her! Who would’ve thought that the good-for-nothing found herself a backer."
Mrs. Su would recognize the child she’d raised from hand to mouth even as ashes, equally excited, "Our good days have come! Ha ha ha! Good days are here!"
"Chase after her, quick!" Su Huaguang immediately started running forward with Mrs. Su.
Su Mo did not notice the commotion behind her as she entered the Second Ring with Lu Chen.
The soldiers guarding the gate all showed the utmost respect upon seeing Lu Chen.
Because of their status as ordinary people, Su Huaguang and his wife could not enter, except for the trading street of the Second Ring.
"My daughter!" Su Huaguang, stopped outside, could only shout loudly inward.
"Su Mo! My child!" Mrs. Su cried desperately.
Su Mo heard the familiar shouting and her expression darkened. She didn’t turn back but gripped Lu Chen’s hand a little tighter and quickened her pace.
The man sensed the drop in pressure from the person beside him, turned his head with a cold look, and saw two faces that didn’t much resemble Su Mo; he frowned, puzzled.
The parents received Lu Chen’s look and immediately felt a chill, their shouting weakened.
The gate soldiers sneered:
"Stop shouting. Admiral Lu’s woman, your daughter? Move along."
"She is our daughter!" Mrs. Su insisted with a red face and neck outstretched: "After carrying her for ten months, how could I not recognize her?"
The soldiers laughed even louder: "Admiral Lu just arrived from A City yesterday, and you’re saying his woman is your daughter? Go away."
The rumors of the feared wife of the legendary killer had spread among them overnight, and having seen her today, the soldiers found they were true.
More and more onlookers gathered around, and, unable to lose face, Su Huaguang had no choice but to drag Mrs. Su away first.
"Those are my parents," Su Mo sighed, speaking to Lu Chen.