Strangers, Not Blood

Was she really that terrifying?

Helpless, she had no choice but to take out a handkerchief, soak it in the medicinal water in the bowl, and then point to Lu Chuan's swollen face, smiling to indicate that she wanted to wipe it.

Lu Chuan's awakening was something she had witnessed with her own eyes today.

However, Mr. Jiang had also said that after an awakening, a period of time was needed for adaptation and learning.

Therefore, the current Lu Chuan could not understand their speech, and this was the only way to communicate.

"So it's medicine for the injury..."

Lu Chuan understood her intention, and only then did he secretly heave a sigh of relief and lower his guard.

As long as it wasn't being forced down his throat, it was fine. Besides, his face was truly aching terribly, so a wipe might help; he didn't even know if he would be able to sleep tonight with this pain.

Seeing him lower his guard, the girl carried the medicine and sat gently by the bedside, using the soaked handkerchief to wipe Lu Chuan's face with light, careful strokes.

She was very meticulous and cautious as she wiped.

The medicinal water was truly effective; the areas she wiped felt cool and soothing, and after the first pass, the burning, fiery pain was immediately alleviated.

After wiping once, the maid paused, waited a moment, and then wiped it again.

She wiped it three times in succession like this, finally using up the half-bowl of water.

"I... am healed???"

After the third pass, Lu Chuan touched his face, his expression one of utter disbelief.

The severe bruising and swelling had completely dissipated, and the pain that had been tormenting him was gone.

Such a heavy injury would have taken several days just to reduce the swelling in the hospitals of his own era.

To fully recover would have taken at least a week to half a month.

Yet here, it had taken only a small pill, half a bowl of water, and about an hour to be completely healed?

"Miraculous, truly miraculous."

Lu Chuan muttered, "Is this the legendary elixir of the ancient times?"

Lu Chuan, who had originally considered this era too backward and had looked down upon it with some disdain, was truly stunned by a tiny pill this time.

In the time that followed, Lu Chuan began to learn how to speak and identify objects from scratch, much like an infant, under the guidance of Xiao Xiang, the maid who cared for him.

As for literacy...

The maid Xiao Xiang was illiterate, or rather, education in this world was still very backward.

Characters already existed, carved onto bamboo slips, but only a small number of people had the opportunity to learn them.

Coincidentally, his father, Lu Liang, was literate; after all, as the steward of a wealthy household, he wouldn't have reached that position without some ability.

However, because of that slap, Lu Chuan still held a grudge against him in his heart.

Furthermore, Lu Chuan discovered that the language they spoke, while not like the foreign languages of later times, had pronunciations that differed significantly from standard Mandarin.

Yet, Lu Chuan always felt there was some subtle connection between it and the pronunciation of Mandarin.

As for learning the language...

Everyone in this manor spoke that tongue, so it would have been difficult for Lu Chuan not to learn it. Besides, with the mental capacity of a man in his twenties, he naturally learned things faster than an infant.

After half a month, he was already able to communicate with the people in the manor.

On this day, Lu Chuan stepped out of his room.

Next door was Lu Liang's room; he had heard from Xiao Xiang that his father, Lu Liang, was the steward of this house.

This family's surname was Song, and as he had previously surmised, they were a wealthy household. The masters possessed vast fortunes and owned thirty or fifty taverns and restaurants; they were extremely affluent.

However, as soon as Lu Chuan stepped out, he bumped into the very person he didn't know how to face... Lu Liang.

Upon seeing Lu Liang, Lu Chuan's footsteps faltered, and he felt somewhat at a loss.

Over the past half month, he had gained a preliminary understanding of this world.

He knew that this world was divided into classes of high and low status, with slaves at the very bottom, followed by servants.

In this era, the law stipulated that if a master beat a slave to death, no compensation was required.

Although servants were slightly better off, it wasn't by much.

If Lu Liang hadn't acted ruthlessly and slapped him that day to stop him, then once the matter had escalated, he might have been beaten within an inch of his life by the masters before he ever had the chance to awaken.

Furthermore, he had learned that the medicine used to treat him that day was something Lu Liang had knelt and begged for from that old Taoist who drew talismans, after leaving his side.

Thinking of this, Lu Chuan sighed with complex emotions. It was laughable that he had spent half a month resenting his own father for it without knowing the truth.

In the end, they were father and son; blood is thicker than water!

"Chuan'er, you... you've come out?"

Seeing his son, Lu Liang's eyes lit up, and he hurried over to speak.

Although his son had been enlightened these past few days, he had basically not said a word to him, nor had he shown him a pleasant expression; yet, as long as his son was well, he was happy.

"Mm, Dad!"

Lu Chuan called out, but after this sound escaped his lips, not only was Lu Liang stunned, but even he himself was taken aback.

Because he had not expected himself to call out loud.

In this life, it seemed his mother had passed away early, and he had been raised entirely by Lu Liang alone until he reached sixteen.

For a man to act as both father and mother, working as a servant while raising a simple-minded son—one could only imagine how difficult and arduous that must have been.

Lu Liang said blankly, "You... what did you just call me? Call me that again..."

"Dad."

Lu Chuan called out once more.

Upon hearing this, a look of wild joy and excitement appeared on Lu Liang's face. He lunged forward in a single stride, wrapped his arms around Lu Chuan, and laughed wildly, "Haha, you're better, Xiao Chuan, you're really better, haha, my son is better, my son is truly better..."

Lu Chuan watched him quietly, his expression moved ever so slightly.

The original version of himself had grown to sixteen without ever being able to call out "Dad," yet what parent did not yearn to hear their child call them mother or father?

Lu Liang had waited a full sixteen years for this single "Dad," more than a decade longer than other fathers.

But fortunately, he had finally waited long enough.

A smile slowly emerged on Lu Chuan's face, though Lu Liang, who was tightly embracing his son, could not see it.

A moment later.

Lu Chuan said, "Dad, you were crying just now, weren't you?"

"Who cried? Don't talk nonsense."

Lu Liang glared at him, but immediately turned away with a guilty conscience, raising his hand to wipe his reddened eye sockets over and over again with his sleeve.

Suddenly, Lu Liang grabbed Lu Chuan and headed toward the front courtyard.

Lu Chuan asked in surprise, "Where are we going?"

"To see someone."

"Who?"

Lu Liang looked back and said, "Our benefactor. It was he who opened your spiritual aperture and made you the way you are now."

"You mean..." A tall, thin figure appeared in Lu Chuan's mind, and he asked in surprise, "That old Daoist?"

Lu Liang rebuked him, "What 'old Daoist'? You show him some respect. Old Master Jiang is an expert who studied the Dao at Kunlun Mountain; you are not allowed to be rude to him when you see him."

"So that old man's surname is Jiang..."

Lu Chuan's heart stirred. An expert who had studied the Dao at Kunlun Mountain—but this somehow felt... a little familiar!