bigabreads Chapter 3 Saving Lives is Paramount! She cried and threw herself into the rough man's arms, her
Chapter 3 Saving Lives is Paramount! She cried and threw herself into the rough man's arms, her
The atmosphere in the room instantly became extremely tense.
The seven grown men, who were originally drawing lots to decide who would keep watch at night, were now in complete chaos.
"Seventh Brother! Seventh Brother, what's wrong?!"
The once sickly, handsome young man, Qin An, who had been huddled in the corner of the kang (heated brick bed), was now curled up in a ball, his pale face flushed with an eerie red, and a broken, bellows-like coughing sound came from his throat: "Cough cough... Brother... I can't take it anymore..."
A mouthful of bright red blood spilled from the corner of his bloodless lips, dripping onto the dusty kang mat, a shocking sight.
"Second brother! Take a look!" The eldest brother, Qin Lie, roared like a thunderclap.
The second brother, Qin Mo, was the only one in the family who knew a little about medicine. He pushed up his broken glasses, which were held together with wire, and rushed over, placing his fingers on the seventh brother's withered wrist.
A few breaths later, Qin Mo's face turned even whiter than the snow outside.
He let go of his hand dejectedly, his voice trembling: "It's an old ailment... plus the cold and wind that seeped into my bones along the way, causing high fever and convulsions."
If the fever doesn't break within fifteen minutes, even a miracle won't save you.
"Where's the medicine? Didn't you have medicine in that box?!" The third brother, Qin Meng, was so anxious that his eyes turned red. Like a mad beast, he grabbed his second brother by the collar.
"It's all gone!" Qin Mo closed his eyes in anguish. "We've used everything we could during this exile. This desolate wilderness, even if we went to town to get medicine now, it would take two hours round trip. Seventh Brother... won't live to see that day."
The air fell silent.
Despair overwhelmed the dilapidated mud-brick house like a tidal wave.
Qin Meng slammed his fist hard against the wall, and with a loud "bang," the earthen wall crumbled and fell apart.
"Damn it! I was saved by Seventh Brother, I don't believe in fate! I'll carry him to town right now!"
Qin Meng reached out to pick him up, but Qin Lie pressed his large hand firmly against his shoulder: "Third brother! Calm down! The mountains are blocked by heavy snow outside. If you carry him out, he'll freeze to death before you even get down the mountain!"
Seven seven-foot-tall men, who kill without blinking an eye on the battlefield, could only watch helplessly as their youngest brother died.
Su Wan huddled in the corner of the kang (a heated brick bed), watching this scene, her heart clenched.
Although she had just transmigrated, these seven men, while fierce, hadn't actually harmed her. If this young man were to die before her eyes…
Just then, that emotionless, mechanical voice exploded in her mind again:
[Ding! A critically injured target has been detected. New player quests for Heartbeat Farm have been issued!]
[Mission Objective: Treat Qin An.]
[Required Item: Potent antipyretic herbal medicine (Isatis root/Bupleurum). Current Stock: 0.]
[Unlock Condition: The host must touch a person of the opposite sex for 10 seconds. The faster the other person's heartbeat, the faster the crops will ripen!]
Su Wan's eyes lit up. There's hope!
But the next second, looking at the men in the room, all looking fierce and on the verge of exploding, she felt a little uneasy.
This necessitates... physical contact?
She gritted her teeth, her gaze quickly sweeping over the group. The eldest was too fierce, the second too cunning, and the others were too far away…
Her gaze fell on Qin Meng, the third son who was closest to her and was trembling with anger.
The man was as strong as a black bear, his arms thicker than her thighs. At this moment, his muscles were taut with rage, like a red-hot iron radiating terrifying heat.
Never mind, saving lives is the priority!
Su Wan took a deep breath and, taking advantage of her "soft" body, pretended to be frightened by the noise of the third brother smashing the wall.
"ah--!"
She let out a short gasp, her legs went weak, and she stumbled and fell towards Qin Meng like a frightened rabbit.
Soft. Fragrant.
Qin Meng, who was in a fit of rage, suddenly felt something soft and squishy bump into his arms.
Before he could react, a pair of slender little hands had already tightly hugged his waist, which was as thick as a tree trunk.
"Third...Third Brother...I'm scared..."
The girl's voice, tinged with tears, was so soft and sweet that it instantly hooked his soul.
Qin Meng froze instantly, turning into a stone!
He looked down and saw only a fluffy little head buried in his chest.
Because of fear, Su Wan's body was still trembling slightly. That milky fragrance, which only young ladies from wealthy families possessed, mixed with the unique body temperature of a young girl, was like an electric current, shooting straight from his chest to the top of his head!
This...this is a woman? She's so soft!
Like dough for making steamed buns, it can be crushed with the slightest force!
In his twenty-odd years, Qin Meng hadn't even touched a sow more than a few times, let alone held a woman. Now, being held tightly by this newly bought "little wife," his heart, which had been pounding wildly with anger, suddenly changed its rhythm—
Boom!Boom!Boom!
If you didn't say anything, people would think he was beating a drum!
Su Wan pressed her face against his chest, listening to the intense vibrations emanating from within, silently counting the seconds. One second, two seconds…
The man's body temperature was frighteningly high; it burned her cheeks even through his coarse cloth clothes.
[Beep! Strong source of attraction detected!]
[Heart rate spikes: 120...150...180!]
[Warning! Warning! Heart-pounding alert! The crop "Isatis root" is being ripened at lightning speed!]
Qin Meng's mind went blank. His two large hands hung awkwardly in mid-air; he wanted to push her away, but couldn't bear to; he wanted to hug her tightly, but was afraid of crushing this porcelain doll.
"You...you let go..." Qin Meng stammered for a long time, his dark face turning a deep liver color, before he managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse as if he had swallowed charcoal, "I'm filthy..."
Su Wan didn't intend to hug him any longer. When she heard the system notification that "the crop is ripe," she immediately let go as if she had been electrocuted and took two steps back.
With that step back, the full, warm feeling in my arms vanished instantly.
A strange, inexplicable sense of loss welled up in Qin Meng's heart, and he subconsciously rubbed his fingers together. It smelled so good.
Su Wan didn't care about the big, clumsy man's inner thoughts. Under the cover of her wide sleeves, she conjured several fresh herbs, still fragrant with the scent of earth, out of thin air in her hand.
"Second...Second Brother!"
Su Wan held up the herbs in her hand, looking timidly at Qin Mo. "This is a life-saving medicine my mother left me. She said it can cure high fever... Could you see if it's safe to use?"
Qin Mo, who was still in despair, turned around abruptly upon hearing this. He snatched the herbs from Su Wan's hand, smelled them, and his cloudy eyes instantly lit up!
"It's fresh Isatis root! And it's top-grade!" Qin Mo's hands trembled with excitement. "There's hope! Seventh Brother is saved!"
The atmosphere in the room instantly shifted from hell to earth.
Qin Lie strode over, looking at the few herbs still covered in fresh soil, and then suspiciously glanced at Su Wan: "You had these on you? How come they weren't found during the search?"
Su Wan's heart tightened.
This man is so perceptive!
She lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling, her voice barely audible: "It...it was sewn into the lining of my cotton-padded jacket...that officer didn't search me carefully enough..."
Qin Lie looked at her frightened deer-like appearance, then glanced at the third brother next to him who was still blushing and staring at his palm like an idiot. He snorted coldly and didn't ask any more questions.
"What are you all standing there for? Start preparing the medicine!"
With the medicine, everything will be much easier.
Qin Mo personally took charge and brewed the medicine in the broken pottery jar.
He was forced to drink a bowl of dark, murky medicine.
Half an hour later, Qin An, the seventh brother, finally calmed down and the flush on his face subsided.
"I'm alive." Qin Mo breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground, only to find that his back was covered in cold sweat.
The men in the room seemed to have been relieved of a great burden.
Just then, everyone's stomachs started rumbling at the most inopportune moment.
"Gurgle—"
After a long day of running around, everyone was starving. But... the rice jar was emptier than their faces.
Qin Lie looked at the bare walls of the house, then at Su Wan, who was huddled in the corner with her face pale from the cold, and his brows furrowed tightly.
My wife has been bought, and my younger brother has been saved. But... how will we support him?