Ch 62: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

“Jiang Ji?”

Feeling the sudden heaviness on his back, Jiang Yan called out in alarm. There was no response.

“Jiang Ji!” His heart sank sharply. Panic rose in his voice as he turned his head. “Captain Zhou!”

Zhou Lin, who was walking right behind them, stepped forward quickly and felt for Jiang Ji’s breath. “He’s still breathing—just fainted.”

Jiang Yan exhaled in relief, then immediately quickened his pace down the mountain.

He had to get back—fast.

“Captain Zhou, please light the way!”

Zhou Lin grabbed a torch and went ahead, leading the way as the two of them hurried down the dark path.

Jiang Ji was unconscious and couldn’t ride on his own. Jiang Yan asked the others to help him strap Jiang Ji securely onto his back before mounting his horse and speeding toward home.

“Quick—you four, follow him!”

“Yes, sir!”

Zhou Lin sent four uninjured men after Jiang Yan, while he stayed behind to lead the rest of the troops back.

All the way, Jiang Yan didn’t stop for even a moment, urging his horse to gallop faster and faster.

The night was pitch black, lit only by faint starlight.

The mountain wind howled past, but Jiang Yan’s cold, focused eyes stayed locked on the road ahead.

Faster. Just a little faster.

Jiang Ji, don’t you dare die on me.

I’ll get you home soon.

For the first time in his life, Jiang Yan felt his thoughts so sharply—each one wrapped in regret and pain that seemed to squeeze his heart.

Jiang Ji had been right there, and still, he had let him get hurt this badly.

Why hadn’t he protected him properly?

Jiang Ji… Jiang Ji…

Finally, the dirt path opened up onto the village road. Jiang Yan turned his head and called to the soldiers following him. “Please, one of you—go back to the city and bring the best physician to Jiang Ji’s home.”

“Why not take him to the city directly?” one of them asked.

“Go to Jiang Ji’s house!” Jiang Yan shouted. “Hurry!”

There were better medicines at home—left over from the last time Jiang Yan had been injured.

One of the soldiers broke off and galloped toward the city, while Jiang Yan rode on toward the village with Jiang Ji on his back.

It was already past midnight, but lights still burned inside Jiang Ji’s home. The village head and Uncle Tugen were waiting with the others. Zhao Ru and the children stood at the gate, watching toward the village entrance.

Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei hadn’t slept either; they were huddled beside their mother.

When the distant sound of hooves echoed down the road, Uncle Tugeng stood up at once. “Is that them?”

Zhao Ru’s eyes were swollen from crying as she ran to the gate. “Jiang Yan?”

“Auntie!”

She caught sight of the figure slumped over his back. “Xiao Ji!”

“He’s badly wounded and passed out,” Jiang Yan said.

At those words, tears welled up in Zhao Ru’s eyes again.

Jiang Yan dismounted, carrying Jiang Ji on his back toward the house. “Uncle Tugen, please get the doctor—knife wound, serious!”

“I’m here!”

The old village doctor, who had been waiting nearby with his grandson Qiangzi, stepped forward at once. He had stayed there all night just in case someone returned injured and needed treatment.

“Quick, move aside! Bring him into the room!” the doctor said urgently.

Qiangzi grabbed a lamp and led the way into Jiang Ji’s room.

Jiang Yan strode inside, carrying Jiang Ji. When the others saw the wound on his back, they gasped.

His clothes were soaked in blood; the skin on his back was split open in a long, gaping wound.

“How could it be this bad?”

“There are cuts on his arms and legs too.”

Jiang Yan laid him on the bed while Qiangzi and the others helped to unfasten him. “The back wound’s the worst—two cuts on the arm, one on the side, one on the leg. I already used wound medicine on them.”

The doctor took a quick look and said, “Have him lie face down. Everyone else out—don’t crowd around.”

“Out, out, all of you!” the village head said, ushering everyone out of the room.

The old doctor opened his medicine chest and began cutting away the blood-soaked clothes.

Jiang Yan said, “Auntie, wash your hands—you’ll need to help me stitch.”

Last time, it had been Zhao Ru who stitched up Jiang Yan’s own wound.

“Alright!” Zhao Ru wiped her tears and ran off to wash her hands.

Jiang Yan did the same, then borrowed extra wound medicine from the three soldiers who’d come with him.

When the two returned, the doctor had already cut open Jiang Ji’s clothes and trousers.

Because of the rough ride back, the wound on his back had split again, bleeding heavily.

The doctor examined it closely. “No damage to the bones, but it’s deep.”

Jiang Yan opened Jiang Ji’s medical kit and asked Zhao Ru, “Auntie, do you remember how you and Jiang Ji stitched me up last time?”

Her mind was spinning, panic clouding her thoughts. Staring at her son’s wounds, she barely heard the question. “What did you say?”

“Auntie, calm down. Jiang Ji needs you,” Jiang Yan said firmly. “Deep breaths. In—out—again.”

“Yes, yes. I need to calm down.” She followed his lead, breathing deeply until her thoughts cleared a little.

Jiang Yan repeated the question, and Zhao Ru recalled, “First rinse the wound with the liquid from the large bottle, then disinfect with the brown one. After stitching, disinfect again, apply medicine, and bandage.”

Jiang Yan thought for a moment. “When you stitched me up before, was it still bleeding?”

“A little, but after stitching and applying the medicine, it stopped soon.”

The doctor had been listening. “So, should we stop the bleeding first or start stitching?”

Jiang Yan checked the supplies in the medical kit—there wasn’t much left, especially the surgical thread; barely enough for one wound.

“Doctor, please stop the bleeding first,” Jiang Yan said, handing him three small bottles of wound medicine. “We’ll stitch afterward.”

The old physician took the bottles. “Alright.”

A few months ago, he had treated Jiang Yan’s wound himself. Later, after Jiang Ji and Zhao Ru stitched it up, the doctor had checked it again—and even then, he had been astonished by their skill.

Now, he carefully applied wound medicine to stop Jiang Ji’s bleeding.

Jiang Yan had already gone through every label and instruction inside the medicine box. The text was written horizontally—some words he recognized, others he remembered seeing Jiang Ji write before, though many he still couldn’t read. During previous treatments, Jiang Ji had explained some of the uses, so Jiang Yan roughly understood what each item was for.

Once the bleeding stopped, they waited a while longer before Zhao Ru and Jiang Yan began stitching the wound according to how Jiang Ji had done it for him in the past.

The old physician watched beside them, lending a hand when needed.

The wound on Jiang Ji’s back was long—four or five inches at least. Just looking at it made Zhao Ru’s tears fall, but she forced herself to stop, her hands trembling as she stitched her son’s torn flesh one stitch at a time.

Jiang Yan handled the medicine application. He had watched Jiang Ji treat his injuries many times before and had memorized every step.

They worked for a long time before finally finishing and bandaging the worst wound on Jiang Ji’s back.

The stitching thread had run short—barely enough to close the back wound.

“What should we do? There’s no more thread!” Zhao Ru panicked.

“Would cotton thread work?” the old doctor asked.

“No,” Zhao Ru shook her head. “Xiao Ji said before that cotton thread can’t be used.”

Jiang Yan looked at her and said quietly, “The other wounds aren’t as deep. We’ll bandage them for now and think of something when he wakes.”

Zhao Ru understood what he meant and nodded. “Alright, bandage first.”

The doctor finished dressing all the wounds.

Jiang Yan and Zhao Ru washed their hands again, then gave Jiang Ji his medicine to swallow.

Zhao Ru sat beside the bed, anxiously watching over her son.

The old doctor tugged on Jiang Yan’s sleeve. “Let me look at your injuries now.”

Zhao Ru turned, startled. “Jiang Yan, you’re hurt too?”

“It’s fine, just scratches,” Jiang Yan replied.

“Scratches still need treatment,” said the doctor.

“Yes, yes, let him take a look,” Zhao Ru added.

Jiang Yan had two cuts—one on his arm and one on his shoulder. The doctor cleaned and bandaged them.

By the latter half of the night, everyone else had gone home. Zhao Ru and the family stayed by Jiang Ji’s bedside.

Only then did Zhao Ru have a moment to ask Jiang Yan about what had happened during the rescue.

When she learned there had been fifteen bandits and that Jiang Yan had gone up the mountain alone to face them, her heart clenched at how dangerous it must have been. Only now did she truly understand that if the county soldiers hadn’t come, neither of them would have made it back alive.

She looked at Jiang Yan, eyes full of gratitude. “Jiang Yan, thank you for bringing Xiao Ji home.”

But Jiang Yan felt only guilt. Lowering his head, he said softly, “Auntie, I’m sorry. I failed to protect him. He shouldn’t have been hurt like this.”

“No,” Zhao Ru said firmly. “If it weren’t for you, Xiao Ji might not have come back at all.”

*

When Jiang Ji woke up, he found himself lying face-down. The first thing he saw was an old wooden chest—its edges gnawed by mice—just like the one in his room. On the other side was another bed, draped with a mosquito net full of tiny holes.

He blinked. It took a moment, but he realized—this was home.

Then the memories rushed in. He’d been kidnapped. Jiang Yan had gone after him. They’d fought the bandits, captured the leader and several others… and then he’d been injured and passed out.

So he hadn’t died after all.

A smile spread across his lips.

Alive—what a relief.

“Hiss—”

But the movement pulled at his wounds. He winced. Pain seared through his body, especially his back, which burned as if on fire. Every muscle felt weak.

Still—he was alive.

He could still feel pain. Still feel happiness.

He could still see his family.

And Jiang Yan.

At the thought of Jiang Yan, his mind flashed back to what he’d said before losing consciousness. Those words he’d thought would be his last.

—Jiang Yan, I haven’t married yet. I still need a wife.

—If I don’t die, and if you haven’t married by the time you get your memory back, you’ll be my wife, okay? I’ll take good care of you.

Jiang Ji: “…”

Ahhhh!

So embarrassing!

He buried his face into the pillow, cheeks burning red.

But… he remembered Jiang Yan’s answer—“Alright.”

He’d said yes.

He’d actually agreed?!

Jiang Ji lifted his head and turned his face toward the other side of the bed, eyes wide in disbelief as he replayed it in his mind.

He didn’t mishear, right?

Better confirm it.

“2977, open the livestream,” he said weakly.

【Understood.】

The livestream interface appeared before his eyes, the scrolling comments moving so fast he couldn’t even read them all. He switched to the side chat window instead.

【Ahhhh, Jiang Ji, you’re awake! You’re alive!】
【We thought you were dead!】
【Oh my god, thank heavens you’re okay!】
【You finally woke up! You scared us half to death!】

Seeing the flood of concern, Jiang Ji smiled faintly. “Hey everyone. I’m really happy to see you again. Honestly, I thought I was going to die again this time.”

【Don’t say that! Lucky stars always protect you!】
【How are you feeling?】
【We heard from Jiang Yan you were badly hurt. We couldn’t see anything—how bad is it?】

Feeling the warmth in their messages, Jiang Ji smiled. “It hurts all over. My back’s probably the worst—they’ve got me lying on my stomach so I don’t press on the wound.”

【Make sure you rest properly!】
【Eat more nourishing food!】
【Ask 2977 if there’s better medicine!】
【Watch out for infection and tetanus from the cut!】

“Thank you, everyone,” Jiang Ji said with a tired smile. He glanced at the time—past ten in the morning—then asked, “Guys, how long was I out?”

【A day, a night, and half a day】

【Thirty-five hours!】

【The stream stopped the moment you passed out】

So he’d been unconscious that long. Jiang Ji asked, “Let me ask you all something—did I mishear, or did Jiang Yan really agree to what I said before I fainted?”

【…】
【You just woke up and you’re already thinking about a man?】
【Guess he’s fine after all】

Jiang Ji said speechlessly, “…I just wanted to make sure I didn’t imagine it while I was delirious.”

【He agreed!】
【That’s right, he said yes!】
【Only you would ask something like that while dying—you were worried about not having a wife!】

Seeing the comments, Jiang Ji smiled, eyes curving. So, it seemed Jiang Yan did like him a little, huh?

“It was because I thought I was dying,” he said. “Didn’t want to have regrets, that’s why I asked. Who could say it out loud while still alive?”

【…】
【You sure you couldn’t?】
【I get it though—when death’s near, people do get bolder】
【But what if Jiang Yan just said it to comfort you?】
【A kind lie?】

Jiang Ji hesitated. “…No way. He doesn’t lie.”

【You’re sure he doesn’t?】
【Didn’t he say he was too hot at night just to avoid sleeping next to you?】
【Anyway, Jiang Yan’s brave as hell. Lucky he’s smart too—he even went to the authorities and brought soldiers.】
【That day was nerve-wracking! Everyone thought you were both dead!】
【It was insane—you know how many people were watching your stream while you were kidnapped?】

“How many?” Jiang Ji asked casually.

【At the peak, 270 million people were watching live!】
【More intense than any TV drama!】
【Dramas are fake—this was real!】
【You don’t know, every major streamer was restreaming your feed! The whole internet was flooded with your news—trending everywhere! Even the national news station has been covering it nonstop!】
【Your waking up is trending again right now!】

Jiang Ji checked the viewer count—he hadn’t been awake long, and there were already over twenty million people watching, still climbing fast. Many were sending gifts.

—Xiao Xuehai sent Rice Seeds ×100.

The screen instantly flooded with shimmering “Rice Seed” effects.

“Thank you, Mr. Xiao, and thank you everyone for your support and concern.”

【Don’t forget to get a tetanus shot!】
【There isn’t one left, right? You used it on Jiang Yan last time】
【Ask the system!】

Jiang Ji grew worried. “2977, can you check if I need a tetanus shot?”

【System scan complete. Host has five knife wounds. The back wound is deep. A tetanus injection is required to prevent infection.】

“Ah, so I do need one.” Jiang Ji sighed. “Can you give me some medicine then? A tetanus shot and something to prevent sepsis?”

【Host must complete a special mission to receive these items.】

Just like last time with Jiang Yan’s injury—the system had required a special mission. Jiang Ji wasn’t even surprised anymore.

“What mission?”

【Confess the system’s existence to Jiang Yan.】

Jiang Ji: “…”

He groaned. “2977, can’t you come up with anything new?”

【Wait, what?】
【What mission is that?】
【Didn’t last time it make you tell your family about it?】

Jiang Ji sighed. “Same thing—now it wants me to tell Jiang Yan about the system.”

【Oh, that’s easy. The system’s being kind to you.】
【Kind? Every person who knows means more danger!】
【System, stop fishing for attention already!】
【Honestly, Jiang Yan probably already suspects something—he just doesn’t know what exactly.】
【2977, cut him some slack, he’s already been through hell!】

Clang—

Jiang Ji jumped and turned his head. The door had burst open, and Jiang Yan rushed in.

He’d only stepped away to use the latrine. From the hallway, he’d caught the faint sound of Jiang Ji’s voice from inside—and dashed back immediately. Sure enough, Jiang Ji’s eyes were open.

“You’re awake?” Jiang Yan crossed the room in a few long strides, his voice a little unsteady. “How do you feel?”

Jiang Ji blinked, turned his head toward him, and said pitifully, “Everything hurts.”

Jiang Yan paused, then reassured him, “I know. It’ll hurt for several days, but once the wounds start closing after about a week, the pain will ease. You just have to bear it.”

Jiang Ji pouted. “How did you handle it before? I never heard you complain.”

“Complaining doesn’t lessen the pain,” Jiang Yan said evenly.

“You’re wrong,” Jiang Ji replied. “If you cry out, it actually helps a little. Doesn’t heal the wound any faster, but it makes you feel better inside.”

Jiang Yan: …

He sat by the bed and touched Jiang Ji’s forehead—it was warm. “You’ve got a slight fever. Five knife wounds—arms, legs, waist, back. The back one’s the worst. We stopped the bleeding and Auntie stitched it using the leftover thread from before, but there’s barely any medicine left. You’ve already taken the last of it.”

He hesitated. “Can you get more medicine?”

He knew firsthand how effective Jiang Ji’s supplies were—they worked fast and prevented infection.

“Xiao Ji! Is Xiao Ji awake?!”

Zhao Ru burst in, followed by Jiang Xia, Jiang Nan, and Jiang Bei.

When they saw his eyes open, Zhao Ru and the others broke into tears of relief.

“Xiao Ji, you’re finally awake! You scared me half to death!”

“Brother!”

“Big brother, are you okay now?”

“Brother, you’re awake!”

Jiang Yan stood up as Zhao Ru and the others crowded around Jiang Ji’s bed, eyes glistening with tears—crying and laughing all at once.

Wiping her eyes, Zhao Ru asked, “Xiao Ji, does it hurt a lot?”

Feeling the warmth of his family’s concern, Jiang Ji smiled and shook his head. “It’s fine. Doesn’t hurt much—just a little. I can handle it.”

“With wounds that serious, how can it only hurt a little? Don’t try to fool your mother,” Zhao Ru scolded gently, glaring at him.

Jiang Ji paused, then seeing the worry in their eyes, stopped pretending to be tough. “It hurts a lot,” he admitted softly. “Even moving a little hurts.”

Zhao Ru stroked his hair tenderly. “Then stay still, lie down, and don’t move too much. It’ll take days to heal. Be careful.”

“I will. I’ll rest well and recover soon, so don’t worry, Mother,” Jiang Ji reassured her.

“Good. Are you hungry? There’s porridge warming on the stove—can you eat?”

“I’m starving,” Jiang Ji said dramatically. “Haven’t eaten since noon that day—I’m about to faint.”

“I’ll go get you a bowl. Wait here, it’ll be ready soon.”

Zhao Ru hurried out to get the porridge. Jiang Xia, Jiang Nan, and Jiang Bei all gazed at him with wide, tearful eyes.

Jiang Nan’s eyelashes were still wet with tears. “Brother, want me to blow on it? I’ll blow and it won’t hurt anymore.”

Jiang Ji chuckled softly. “Alright. My arm hurts—you can blow there.”

His right arm was wrapped in bandages, and Jiang Nan bent down and gently blew on the gauze.

Jiang Bei joined in, both of them leaning over the bed, blowing with little puffs.

Watching them, Jiang Ji felt his heart fill with warmth. After a while, Zhao Ru returned with the porridge.

“Alright, no need to blow anymore. It doesn’t hurt now,” Jiang Ji said.

“Really?” Jiang Nan asked.

“Mm-hmm, really.”

Jiang Bei pouted. “You’re lying, Brother. Blowing doesn’t make pain go away. When I fell before, it still hurt even when someone blew on it.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

Zhao Ru walked over with the bowl. “Alright, enough talking. The porridge is here. Move aside a bit, let me feed your brother.”

The children stepped back. Zhao Ru sat by the bed and began to feed him spoon by spoon.

It was lean pork porridge with some greens—nourishing, warm, and easy to eat.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Jiang Ji finished a bowl. Zhao Ru wiped his mouth. “Want another?”

Jiang Ji shook his head. “Later.”

Seeing he’d had enough, Jiang Yan turned to Jiang Xia. “Xia’er, take Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei outside. I need to talk to your brother.”

Jiang Ji glanced at him but said nothing.

Jiang Xia led the younger two out. Zhao Ru picked up the empty bowl and was about to leave too, but Jiang Yan stopped her. “Auntie, please stay.”

So Zhao Ru sat back down as Jiang Yan pulled up a stool. He got straight to the point: “About the medicine—can you still get more?”

At that, Zhao Ru immediately looked at her son. “Right, right! Can you ask the immortal for more medicine? Last time, you said Jiang Yan needed that needle because of a knife wound. Yours is the same, isn’t it? Do you also need that kind of needle?”

Jiang Ji looked at them both and sighed. “I can—but there’s a condition.”

“What condition? I’ll do it,” Jiang Yan said at once.

Jiang Ji pressed his lips together, looking at him silently.

Jiang Yan frowned. “You can’t say?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then what is it?”

Jiang Ji scratched his cheek awkwardly. “Well… you know I have a secret.”

Jiang Yan raised a brow. “And it’s related to that?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “Yes. The condition is that I have to tell you my secret.”

Zhao Ru blinked in surprise. “Jiang Yan doesn’t know yet?”

She had assumed Xiao Ji had already told him. After all, Jiang Yan never seemed surprised by the seeds or other strange things before.

Jiang Ji glanced at Jiang Yan. “I haven’t told him.”

“Oh, I thought you had,” Zhao Ru said, turning to Jiang Yan. “But you must have guessed, right?”

Jiang Yan hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “I figured Jiang Ji might have… some kind of treasure—something that can create objects. You mentioned immortals before.”

Zhao Ru looked at her son. “See? He already guessed it.”

Jiang Ji: “…”

Jiang Yan raised his right hand, holding up three fingers. “I swear I’ll never tell anyone Jiang Ji’s secret—not even my parents or kin.”

He looked at Jiang Ji. “I hope you can trust me.”

Jiang Ji smiled faintly. “I do.”

“Good.”

Jiang Ji continued, “Actually, you guessed right. I really do have something granted by an immortal—a treasure called a ‘system.’ You’ve heard me talking to myself before, right? I was actually speaking to the immortal and people from another world. The immortal gives me missions, and if I complete them, I get rewards. The seeds from before were rewards from those missions.”

Jiang Yan understood. “The medicine you used to treat me before—that was from a mission too?”

“Right. That time, the mission was to tell Mother and the others about the system’s existence. Once I did, I got the medicine to heal you—and that’s why you survived.”

Jiang Yan nodded slowly. “Then now—does that mean the mission’s done? Can you get the medicine?”

Since everyone knew anyway, Jiang Ji asked directly, “System, where’s my medicine?”

【Congratulations, host, on completing the special mission. You have earned a medical supply reward. Would you like to claim it now?】

“Yes.”

In the next instant, a medical kit appeared out of thin air beside the bed.

It was Jiang Yan’s first time witnessing something materialize out of nowhere. His eyes widened slightly before he stood and leaned over to pick it up.

Opening it, he asked, “What should we do first? We ran out of stitching thread last time—your arm and leg wounds still aren’t closed. Should we start stitching again? And when do we give you that needle Auntie mentioned?”

Jiang Ji stared blankly at him as Jiang Yan moved quickly, every motion filled with real, unhidden worry.

“Mm, first we clean, disinfect, and suture. The injection comes afterward.”

“You just tell us what to do—we’ll handle it,” Jiang Yan said.

Zhao Ru nodded. “Yes, I still remember some of it. Xiao Ji, just tell us step by step—we’ll do it.”

Under Jiang Ji’s calm instruction, Jiang Yan and Zhao Ru carefully cleaned, disinfected, and stitched the wounds one by one.

Three wounds still needed suturing—the doctor had only managed to stop the bleeding earlier and cover them because they’d run out of thread.

There was no anesthesia. Jiang Ji bit down on a washcloth, gripping the edge of the bed so tightly that his knuckles turned white. The pain nearly made him faint, and sweat soaked his clothes.

Zhao Ru’s tears fell as she worked, sewing as quickly as she could.

Jiang Yan wanted to wipe the sweat off his face but stopped when Jiang Ji told them not to touch anything else while wearing gloves, otherwise bacteria might enter and cause infection.

Frowning, Jiang Yan watched him, eyes full of distress. “Hold on a bit longer—it’s almost done.”

“Mhm.”

Finally, they finished stitching. After applying medicine and bandages, Jiang Yan wiped Jiang Ji’s sweat away and secured the dressings.

Jiang Ji collapsed weakly onto the bed, gasping. “As expected, the best time for suturing is when the patient’s unconscious.”

Jiang Yan asked, “Should we give the injection now?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me how.”

“Help me sit up. I’ll do it myself.”

Jiang Yan frowned, but Jiang Ji said, “You’ve never seen this kind of injection before—it’s a bit tricky. It’ll be faster if I do it. Watch carefully; that way, if you ever need to, you’ll know how to give one.”

Jiang Yan removed his gloves, washed his hands, and helped him sit up.

Jiang Ji washed his hands in the basin, put on new gloves, then prepared the syringe with his uninjured hand. He inserted the needle into his opposite arm and slowly pushed the medicine into the muscle.

When he finished the injection and took his medication, he lay back down. “Mother, Jiang Yan, I’m going to sleep for a while.”

“Alright, rest,” Jiang Yan said softly. He covered him with a blanket, packed up the medical kit, took the basin, and went out.

…

Jiang Ji slept until evening. When he woke, Jiang Bei was leaning on the bed, watching him.

“Brother, you’re awake?” Jiang Bei’s eyes lit up. He ran out shouting, “He’s awake! Mother, Jiang Yan! My brother’s awake!”

Soon everyone rushed in.

Zhao Ru asked, “Feeling any better? Hungry?”

“Brother, does it still hurt?”

Surrounded by his family, Jiang Ji felt warmth surge in his chest. In his previous life, after his mother and sister died, his father had buried himself in work, rarely coming home. When Jiang Ji was sick, only the nanny cared for him.

Now, just waking up to see his family around him made his nose sting with emotion.

“Mm, not as painful anymore.”

“Hungry, right? I’ll get you some porridge,” Zhao Ru said.

“Mother, I want real food, not porridge,” Jiang Ji said. Porridge only made him need to pee more.

“You can eat solid food already?”

“Yes.”

“Good, dinner’s ready anyway.” Zhao Ru went out.

Jiang Ji looked at the others and hesitated before saying, “Jiang Yan, I need to use the toilet.”

“Wait here.” Jiang Yan understood immediately and went to fetch the chamber pot.

Jiang Xia ushered Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei out, stopping Zhao Ru at the door.

Jiang Ji turned onto his side, took the pot from Jiang Yan, and said, “You can go out.”

Jiang Yan didn’t argue and left quietly.

After finishing, Jiang Ji called him back and handed it over. “Thanks.”

Jiang Yan raised an eyebrow at him, then carried the pot out.

Jiang Ji sighed. “Guys, karma really comes fast. Who’d have thought I’d end up using a chamber pot—and have Jiang Yan empty it for me?”

【Hahaha, well Jiang Yan didn’t laugh at you like you did at him before!】
【Instant karma!】
【See, that’s why you shouldn’t tease others—heaven’s watching!】
【What goes around comes around!】

“Xiao Ji, are you done? I’m coming in,” Zhao Ru called from the doorway.

“Come in, Mother,” Jiang Ji replied.

Zhao Ru came in carrying a small table with dishes on it. She helped him sit up and began feeding him.

“It’s all mild food, nothing spicy. Eat more meat—it’ll help you heal faster.” Zhao Ru kept spooning meat to him.

Jiang Ji really was starving. The pain had drained all his strength, and apart from that bowl of porridge, he hadn’t eaten anything since the incident.

He ate eagerly.

Jiang Yan returned after washing his hands. “Auntie, let me feed him. You should go eat.”

Jiang Ji looked up at him.

“It’s fine, I’ll do it,” Zhao Ru said.

Jiang Yan paused. “I wanted to update Jiang Ji on a few things.”

“Oh, alright then.” Zhao Ru stood, handed him the bowl, and reminded, “Make sure he eats more meat.”

“Got it.”

Jiang Yan sat down and fed him a bite. Jiang Ji smiled and opened his mouth, clearly enjoying the special treatment.

After a few bites, he asked, “So? What’s the situation now? You said you had something to tell me.”

Jiang Yan glanced at him. “The village chief and the others came to see you this afternoon. When they saw you were asleep, they went home.”

“Oh.”

Jiang Yan continued, “When the incident happened, I went to the county office. The village chief and the neighbors helped look after the house.”

“Mm. Once I’m better, I’ll go thank them personally.”

“Magistrate Xu sent soldiers to guard the village. We caught their leader and a few others—three of them died. They’re worried the rest might come for revenge.”

Jiang Ji froze. “So the soldiers are stationed in the village right now?”

“Mm.”

Thinking of what Ma Gan had said about Hu Yuanwu, Jiang Ji asked, “Did Magistrate Xu report this to the Prefect?”

“With something this serious, he should have,” Jiang Yan said.

Jiang Ji continued, “Jiang Yan, when I was on the mountain, I heard them say it was Hu Yuanwu who gave them the information.”

“Hu Yuanwu?” Jiang Yan froze. “You mean Prefect Hu?”

“Mm.” Jiang Ji’s tone deepened. “Back in the spring, when we were returning from Huawen County, Hu Yuanwu had already passed information to them. They’d ambushed the main road, waiting for us. Luckily, we didn’t take that route, so we avoided them. This time, it must have been Hu Yuanwu again.”

Jiang Yan’s brows furrowed tightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. “Colluding with bandits—he deserves death.”

After a pause, he quickly asked, “Did they say this in front of you, or did you overhear it?”

“I overheard it. They thought I was unconscious.”

Jiang Yan exhaled in relief. “Good.”

If the bandits had known Jiang Ji overheard their link to Hu Yuanwu and informed him, Hu Yuanwu might have sent people to silence him by now.

Jiang Ji frowned, voicing another concern. “If Hu Yuanwu’s colluding with bandits, does the Provincial Inspector know? And who among the lower officials can even be trusted? Do you think Magistrate Xu is reliable? He did send people to rescue me, some of the bandits died, and several were captured. Can we trust him?”

Jiang Yan looked at him steadily and said, “It’s best we only trust ourselves.”

“Then we shouldn’t tell Magistrate Xu about Hu Yuanwu’s connection to the bandits, right?” Jiang Ji asked.

Jiang Yan nodded. “Not yet.”

“Alright, safety first,” Jiang Ji agreed, feeling the situation was growing dangerous. “We need to arm ourselves.”

“I’ll go buy a few blades and swords tomorrow,” Jiang Yan said, feeding him another bite of food.

“Mm.” Jiang Ji swallowed and added, “I don’t even know how to use a sword.”

“I’ll teach you once you’ve healed,” Jiang Yan replied.

“Great. Buy some bows and arrows too—I know how to use those,” Jiang Ji said. In his previous life, he had practiced at archery clubs many times and was familiar with them. “Tonight, I’ll draw a design. Take it to the blacksmith and have two made.”

“What kind of design?”

“A new type of bow—it can shoot much farther.”

“The immortal taught you?”

“Mm.”

“Can’t the immortal just give it to you directly?”

Jiang Ji shook his head. “This immortal oversees agriculture. Its goal is to improve food production and help people live better, so all its rewards are related to farming and productivity, not weaponry. This bow counts as a weapon—it’s far ahead of its time. It’s outside the system’s mission scope. I’m not even sure if my design can be made; I’ll have to adjust it for accuracy. And anything beyond its era requires completing special tasks first.”

Jiang Yan understood most of it. “Alright, let’s at least try.”

“Right,” Jiang Ji said, then glanced at the meat and added, “I want green beans.”

Jiang Yan put down the meat, picked up a few green beans, and fed them to him.

Jiang Ji ate them and sighed. “I really hope someone comes and wipes out those bandits for good.”

Jiang Yan silently agreed.

After a pause, Jiang Ji asked, “Do you think the bandits will come after us for revenge?”

“Not necessarily,” Jiang Yan said. “But we should be prepared.”

Who could predict what bandits might do?

Jiang Ji reminded him, “Be careful when you go out tomorrow.”

“I will,” Jiang Yan said. “I’ll take a horse. We have twenty-one now.”

Jiang Ji nearly choked. “How… how many?”

“Twenty-one,” Jiang Yan replied. “The county office didn’t have enough horses. I bought twenty-one so the soldiers could reach Turtle Ridge faster to save you.”

“Oh, that explains why you all got there so quickly,” Jiang Ji said with a blink and a grin. “When I was on the mountain, those bandits were mocking us—saying if we were so rich, why didn’t we buy a horse. Well, now we’ve got twenty-one of them.”

As he spoke, he couldn’t help but laugh—then winced as pain flared along his waist. He sucked in a sharp breath and stopped immediately.

“Be careful. Don’t tear your stitches,” Jiang Yan warned seriously.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop laughing,” Jiang Ji said, wincing. “So where are the horses?”

“Some are tied outside. The rest are at the county office,” Jiang Yan replied.

“Oh, right—our house couldn’t fit that many anyway.”

Jiang Yan looked at him, fed him another spoonful, and lowered his gaze. “That night during the fight, I suddenly remembered something.”

Jiang Ji froze mid-bite and quickly asked, “What did you remember?”

“I think I was being hunted down,” Jiang Yan said quietly. “It was also at night, pouring rain. There were more than a dozen of them—professional killers, all masked and dressed in black. They forced me to the edge of a cliff, and I fell. But I can’t remember anything after that.”

Jiang Ji swallowed, eyes widening. “So… you remembered part of your past? Do you know who you are?”

Jiang Yan shook his head. “No. All I saw were those flashes. The assassins didn’t speak.”

Jiang Ji thought fast, his mind racing. “More than a dozen assassins after you—that means they wanted you dead, no question. Unless it was some kind of deep personal vendetta, it must’ve been about a massive secret or benefit.”

He looked at him intently. “Jiang Yan, who exactly are you?”

Jiang Yan shook his head again, meeting his gaze. “I really was being hunted. Once things are safe for you here, I think it’s best if I leave.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Jiang Ji glared at him, shocked by his words. “I’m being hunted by bandits now too!”

Jiang Yan pressed his lips together. “I can’t drag you all into my mess.”

“If you leave and those bandits come back for revenge, what are we supposed to do? Without you, we wouldn’t stand a chance,” Jiang Ji said firmly.

Jiang Yan fell silent.

Jiang Ji tried to comfort him. “It’s been months already, and they still haven’t found you. You don’t need to worry that much. They saw you fall off that cliff—most likely, they think you’re dead. From now on, just don’t go out unless you have to. Stay here in the village. Hardly anyone passes through this area—it’s safer.”

“Jiang Ji…”

“Listen to me,” Jiang Ji said firmly. “You saved me from those bandits—we’ve been through life and death together. There’s no way I’ll let you walk away knowing you’re still in danger. We’ve got money now; we can hire more guards—well, courtyard guards. Tomorrow, go to the broker’s office and find Wang Song. He knows a lot of people; he’ll help you find good ones.”

Jiang Yan: “…”

Jiang Ji grabbed his arm, demanding a promise. “You have to agree—not to leave.”

Jiang Yan lifted his eyes. The young man’s dark pupils stared straight back at him, unwavering, full of stubborn determination that refused to yield.

Seeing his hesitation, Jiang Ji threatened, “If you dare leave without saying goodbye, I’ll pretend I never knew you!”

Jiang Yan: “…”

“Say it.”

Jiang Yan lowered his gaze. “…Alright.”

“Look at me when you say it,” Jiang Ji insisted, tightening his grip on his arm.

Jiang Yan raised his eyes again, meeting Jiang Ji’s anxious yet hopeful gaze. After a long moment, he finally nodded. “Alright.”

Only then did Jiang Ji relax. “Remember what you said—don’t go back on it. If you do, I’ll be really angry. I hold grudges.”

Jiang Yan gave a quiet sigh. “…Alright.”

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾