Chapter Thirty-Seven: Celebrating a Birthday

Jiang Bai carefully examined Duan Qi's wounds and found that, despite the bumpy journey, he had not suffered any secondary injuries and was recovering reasonably well. She let out a soft sigh of relief, looked up at Guard Qiao, and said, "His injuries are stable for the moment, but he requires absolute rest. We should stay here for the night and wait for him to heal a bit more before continuing our journey."

Qiao Hang nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room as he said in a low, firm voice, "Everyone, rest here for the night and we will depart early tomorrow morning. However, we must take turns keeping watch; we cannot afford to be careless."

The group complied immediately, finding corners to sit in and organizing their gear. Jiang Bai used the medicine Qiao Hang had brought to dress Duan Qi’s wounds, then tended to the other injured men. Once finished, she returned to Duan Qi’s side to keep watch, ensuring his condition remained stable.

As night fell, the wind in the valley turned chilly, whistling through the dilapidated building with faint creaking sounds. A few torches were lit, casting dim, flickering light on everyone’s faces, deepening the somber atmosphere.

Fortunately, luck was on their side, and the night passed without incident. At the first light of dawn, they packed their belongings and prepared to depart. Jiang Bai assisted in getting Duan Qi onto the back of a carrier, and at Qiao Hang’s command, the group set off toward Ping City.

They traveled slowly along the rugged mountain path. Thin morning mist clung to the valley, and the air was filled with the damp scent of grass and earth. Jiang Bai walked in the middle of the procession, frequently checking on Duan Qi. Although his injuries were severe, a night of rest had left him looking much better than before. Qiao Hang led the way, his expression grave and his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly, wary of any further surprises.

The pace was slow, as many were wounded and everyone was exhausted. Yet, Qiao Hang felt a sense of relief; not only had they brought back Captain Duan, but everyone had returned alive.

About two hours later, the silhouette of Ping City came into view. Several soldiers stood on the gate tower; seeing the party approaching from afar, they rushed down to meet them.

"Guard Qiao! You finally made it back!" a young soldier exclaimed, running toward them with a mix of joy and anxiety. "You didn't return after heading out to provide support last night, and the General and the others were worried sick."

Qiao Hang nodded gravely. "We encountered some unexpected trouble, but everyone was rescued successfully. Captain Duan is wounded, however, and needs immediate medical attention."

As they spoke, a carriage sent by Duan Yue arrived. They carefully lifted Duan Qi into the cabin, finally feeling a sense of relief.

Qiao Hang turned to Jiang Bai. "Doctor Jiang, you should get in as well. Don't walk anymore; there’s still a long way to go once we enter the city. Just take the carriage back. Get some rest once you return; leave the rest to us."

Jiang Bai nodded without refusal and climbed into the carriage, where she could continue to monitor Duan Qi.

Back at the residence, Jiang Bai went to her quarters, washed up, and changed into clean clothes. Despite her fatigue, she did not rest immediately but headed toward the study. Duan Yue’s study was located in the inner part of the estate, guarded by two sentries. They recognized her and informed her that Duan Yue was currently in Duan Jing’s bedroom. Jiang Bai thanked them and went to find him there.

Inside, Duan Yue and Duan Jing were waiting while Chen Jie examined the patient. Hearing Jiang Bai’s request to enter, they hurried to invite her in.

Jiang Bai entered the room to find Duan Yue standing by the bed with a heavy expression, watching as the military physician, Chen Jie, checked the wounds.

"Doctor Jiang, you've come," Duan Yue said, a flash of relief in his eyes as he stepped forward. "How is Ziyang’s condition? Chen is examining him, but I would like your opinion."

Jiang Bai nodded and stepped to the bedside to inspect the wounds with Chen Jie. Although Duan Qi’s complexion had improved, his breathing remained shallow and fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead. Jiang Bai gently adjusted his collar, noting that while the healing was slow, there were no major complications.

"The recovery is acceptable," Jiang Bai said in a low voice. "I treated him last night, but the environment in the mountains was poor, so the healing hasn't reached the expected state. We can start using medication that promotes wound recovery now."

Chen Jie agreed with her assessment and began writing a prescription. Jiang Bai assisted him, the two working in practiced harmony, and soon the prescription was ready and sent off to be brewed.

"We must observe him closely from here on out," Jiang Bai told Duan Yue. "If his fever rises or the redness and swelling around the wound spread, we must treat it immediately."

Duan Yue nodded solemnly. "Doctor Jiang, we owe you our thanks. If not for your timely treatment, Ziyang’s condition would likely be much worse."

Jiang Bai shook her head. "It is nothing. However, while the Captain’s condition is temporarily stable, he needs a period of recuperation. During this time, he must avoid any strenuous movement, or the wounds may tear open again."

Duan Yue nodded in understanding, then turned to Chen Jie. "I’m sorry to trouble you, Physician Chen, but could you check how the medicine is brewing? I am a bit uneasy."

Chen Jie understood this was a signal that they needed to talk, and after offering a bow, he stepped out.

Once they were alone, Duan Yue invited Jiang Bai to sit. Duan Jing, who had been sitting in a chair, personally poured her a cup of tea, his expression serious. "Doctor Jiang, I would like to ask where you found Ziyang? What was the situation like?"

Jiang Bai pondered for a moment before replying slowly, "I found the Captain deep in the mountains west of Ping City. The situation was dire; when Zhang Tiezhu and I found him, he was already unconscious, and he did not wake up at all during the journey back."

Duan Jing looked anxious. "He still hasn't reacted—is there something wrong?"

"Not necessarily," Jiang Bai shook her head. "He likely hadn't rested for a long time. Now that he is safe and injured, his body requires a long sleep to recover its strength."

Duan Yue let out a breath. Jiang Bai continued, "The situation afterward was not good. We were pursued twice. The attackers were strange; they seemed to know we were part of the Red Brow Army and kept shouting for us to hand over the Captain. We refused, so we had to fight them off. We were lucky to run into Lin Qing and his hunting party, which is how we survived."

Duan Yue’s expression darkened. "You mean to say they recognized you?"

"Yes, though it is possible they simply operated on the principle of killing the innocent rather than letting a target escape," Jiang Bai added.

Duan Yue nodded. After they discussed a few more details, Jiang Bai rose to take her leave. By the time she stepped outside, it was nearly noon. Feeling famished, she planned to return to her younger brother for a meal before finally getting some rest.

After Chen Jie returned to feed Duan Qi his medicine, Duan Yue instructed him to stay close to care for both Duan Jing and Duan Qi. Hearing a report from outside, Duan Yue went to the study to confer with Qiao Hang, Pan Rui, Lin Qing, and Zhang Tiezhu.

As he listened to their report, Duan Yue’s face grew increasingly grim. According to them, the origins of the attackers were still unknown, and they would have to wait for Duan Qi to wake up to piece together the events.

However, upon hearing one specific detail, he nearly shrieked in disbelief. "Doctor Jiang carried him down on her back?"

The four men looked embarrassed, especially Pan Rui and Zhang Tiezhu. They realized now that they must have been out of their minds to let a young woman like Doctor Jiang carry Duan Qi back and forth over such a long distance.

"General, we..." all four were at a loss for words, unable to offer any excuse.

Duan Yue ignored them, his mind drifting elsewhere. *Doctor Jiang must truly be fond of Zhongxuan,* he thought. *She carried his brother for such a long time and over such a distance just because she heard who he was.*

After the meeting, Duan Yue returned to Duan Jing’s room and found his brother reading on the bed. Duan Jing looked up, saw his brother’s strange expression, and felt his hair stand on end. "General Duan! What are you looking at?"

"A peerless beauty," Duan Yue replied absentmindedly.

"Duan Yue!" Duan Jing roared at his nonsensical brother.

***

Earlier that morning, while Jiang Ye was still asleep, Jiang Bai had quietly placed his birthday gift by his pillow before going to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

She moved softly, intending to make his favorite: bean-base noodles. She took a portion of lentils from a basket, washed them, soaked them for an hour, and then left them to drain. Once dried, she heated the wok and stir-fried the beans over low heat until they were slightly cooked—the foundation of the bean sauce.

In her past life, she had made this many times. The city she lived in back then shared a similar climate and diet to Ping City, which made her adaptation much easier.

After the wok was dry, she poured in water just enough to cover the beans, added a pinch of potash, and simmered them over low heat until they were soft enough to crush with her fingers. The skins were firm while the insides were tender and soft, turning a deep orange or dark red. She then heated wild scallion, diced pork, and diced potatoes in oil—the local specialty, flaxseed oil—until fragrant. She added the cooked bean mash, followed by a savory lamb bone broth, which brought out the unique fragrance of the beans. With just a touch of soy sauce, salt, and mushroom powder, the base was ready.

She rolled the dough and stretched the noodles by hand, a skill she had mastered. Today was Jiang Ye’s tenth birthday; she wanted to make him traditional longevity noodles.

The kitchen filled with the aroma of the noodles. Jiang Bai stirred the pot, thinking of the look on Jiang Ye’s face when he saw the gift—a rare, out-of-print book she had spent a long time tracking down. She had even sewn a cover for it to protect its worn edges.

"Sister, what are you making?" Jiang Ye’s voice came from behind her, startling her.

"Why are you up so early?" Jiang Bai turned to see him standing at the kitchen door, rubbing his eyes, his clothes slightly disheveled.

"I remembered you said you were resting today, and when I didn't see you, I came to look. Then I smelled the beans," Jiang Ye yawned, stepping toward the stove. "Sister, what day is it? Why so many noodles?"

Jiang Bai smiled and straightened his clothes. "It’s your birthday, silly. Did you forget?"

Jiang Ye froze, then his eyes lit up. "Oh! I forgot!" He jumped with excitement and turned to run back to his room. "I’m going to see if there are any gifts!"

Jiang Bai laughed as she watched him run off. She ladled the noodles into a bowl, topped them with the bean sauce, and sprinkled them with scallions. By the time she set them on the table, Jiang Ye was already clutching the book, flipping through it with pure wonder.

"Sister, did you make this?" he asked, eyes shining.

"The cover, yes. Not the book itself. Do you like it, Xingzhi?" Jiang Bai asked with a smile.

"I love it! I love it so much!" He hugged the book to his chest as if afraid it would vanish. "Sister, you’re the best!"

Watching his joy, Jiang Bai felt a warmth spread through her heart. She pushed the bowl toward him. "Eat up. You must eat longevity noodles while they’re hot. It will ensure you a lifetime of peace and safety."