Blood Runs Thicker Than Affection

Was she really that scary?

With no other choice, she took out a handkerchief, dipped it into the medicinal water in the bowl, then pointed at Lu Chuan's swollen face and smiled to indicate that she wanted to wipe it.

Lu Chuan's awakening had been something she'd witnessed with her own eyes that very day.

But Mr. Jiang had also said that after awakening, it would take some time to adjust and learn.

So Lu Chuan couldn't understand what they were saying yet. This was the only way they could communicate.

"So it's medicine for treating injuries..."

Lu Chuan understood what she meant. Only then did he secretly relax and lower his guard.

It was fine as long as he didn't have to swallow it. Besides, his face really hurt badly right now, so wiping it would help. He had no idea whether the pain would keep him awake tonight.

Seeing that he'd lowered his guard, the maid carried the medicine over and sat gently on the edge of the bed. Using the handkerchief soaked in the medicine, she carefully wiped Lu Chuan's face.

She was very attentive and gentle as she wiped.

The medicine really worked, too. The spots she wiped felt cool and soothing, and after just one pass, the burning pain eased a little.

After wiping once, the maid stopped and waited a while before wiping again.

She did this three times in all, finally using up the half bowl of water.

"I'm... better???"

After she finished the third pass, Lu Chuan touched his face, his expression full of disbelief.

All that terrible swelling had completely gone down, and the pain tormenting him was gone, too.

Even with treatment at a hospital in his own era, an injury that bad would have taken several days for the swelling to subside.

To recover completely would have taken at least a week, perhaps half a month.

But here, all it took was one tiny pill, half a bowl of water, and about an hour for him to heal completely?

"Unbelievable. This is truly unbelievable."

Lu Chuan murmured, "So this is an ancient miracle cure?"

Lu Chuan had thought this era was far too backward, and had even looked down on it a little. Now, a tiny pill had truly astonished him.

For the rest of the time, Lu Chuan followed the maid who was looking after him, Xiao Xiang, and began learning how to speak and identify things from scratch, like a baby.

As for learning to read...

The maid Xiao Xiang couldn't read. Or rather, education in this world was still extremely backward.

They had writing, carved onto bamboo slips, but only a small number of people had the chance to learn it.

As it happened, his father, Lu Liang, could read. After all, he was the steward of a wealthy household; he wouldn't have been able to hold the position without some ability.

But because of that slap, Lu Chuan still felt some resentment toward him.

Besides, Lu Chuan had also realized that although their language wasn't like the foreign languages of later generations, its pronunciation was very different from Mandarin.

Still, Lu Chuan felt there was some subtle connection between it and Mandarin pronunciation.

As for learning to speak...

Everyone in this household spoke that language. It would have been hard for Lu Chuan not to learn it. And with the mind of someone in his twenties, he naturally learned faster than a baby.

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

That day, Lu Chuan left his room.

Lu Liang's room was right next door. Xiao Xiang had told him that his father, Lu Liang, was the steward of this household.

The family name was Song. It was indeed a wealthy family, just as he'd previously suspected. The head of the household was rich beyond measure and owned thirty or fifty taverns and restaurants.

As soon as Lu Chuan stepped outside, he ran straight into the person he still didn't know how to face... Lu Liang.

When he saw Lu Liang, Lu Chuan stopped short, feeling awkward and at a loss.

Over the past half month, he'd gained a basic understanding of this world.

He'd learned that society was divided into ranks, with slaves at the very bottom and servants just above them.

At this time, the law stipulated that a master could beat a slave to death without having to pay with his own life.

Servants had it a little better, but not by much.

If Lu Liang hadn't lost his temper and slapped him that day to stop him, then once the matter escalated, the master of the household might have beaten him half to death before he ever awakened.

He'd also learned that the pill used to treat him that day was something Lu Liang had begged for on his knees from the talisman-drawing old Daoist after leaving him.

Thinking of this, Lu Chuan let out a complicated sigh. It was laughable that he'd resented his own father for half a month, without knowing the truth.

They were father and son, after all. Even if affection failed, blood still bound them!

"Chuan'er, you... you're out?"

When he saw his son, Lu Liang's eyes lit up, and he hurried over.

Though his son had barely spoken to him or shown him a kind face since awakening, Lu Liang was happy as long as he was well.

"Yeah, Dad!"

Lu Chuan called out. But as soon as the words left his mouth, Lu Liang froze, and even Lu Chuan himself was stunned.

He hadn't expected to say it aloud, either.

Apparently, his mother had died young in this life, and Lu Liang had raised him all alone until he was sixteen.

It was hard to imagine how difficult and exhausting it must have been for one man to act as both father and mother, work as a servant, and raise a son who was a simpleton.

Lu Liang stared at him blankly. "You... what did you just call me? Say it again..."

"Dad."

Lu Chuan called out once more.

Lu Liang's face filled with joy and excitement. He rushed forward and wrapped both arms around Lu Chuan, laughing wildly with delight. "Hahaha, you're better, Xiao Chuan! You're really better! Hahaha, my son's better! My son's really better..."

Lu Chuan watched him quietly, his expression softening a little.

The old him had reached sixteen without even knowing how to call his father "Dad." But what parent wouldn't want to hear their child call them Mom or Dad?

Lu Liang had waited sixteen whole years to hear that one word—more than a decade longer than other fathers.

Still, at least he'd finally heard it.

A slow smile appeared on Lu Chuan's face, though Lu Liang, holding his son tight, couldn't see it.

A moment later.

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

"Who was crying? Don't talk nonsense."

Lu Liang glared at him, then turned away, a little flustered, and rubbed his sleeve around his reddened eyes again and again.

Suddenly, Lu Liang grabbed Lu Chuan's hand and pulled him toward the front courtyard.

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

"To see someone."

"Who?"

Lu Liang looked back. "The benefactor of our father and son. He was the one who opened your spiritual aperture and helped you get better."

"You mean..." A tall, thin figure came to mind. Lu Chuan asked in surprise, "That old Daoist?"

Lu Liang rebuked him. "Don't call him an old Daoist. Show him some respect. Mr. Jiang is a learned man who studied the Dao on Kunlun Mountain. Don't be rude to him when you see him."

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

Lu Chuan's heart stirred. A learned man who had studied the Dao on Kunlun Mountain, too. But somehow... that sounded strangely familiar!