Chapter 222: Are you afraid of having scars on your body?

Hmm, it's fine, just my hand almost got ruined; from now on I can't do any delicate work—can't draw, can't write, can't play the instrument, can't do needlework. Jiang Yun Chu's flat voice immediately interrupted her pretense.

Kang Zi Wei's face flushed slightly, while Kang Nai Xin's eyes filled with tears.

"Sister."

She couldn't say anything, just called "sister" again.

The eldest and second sisters married early, with a big age gap; since her birth, the third sister has protected her, always ahead of her in everything and everywhere.

But only now did she realize that the sister also needs protection.

"All right." Those tiny thorns took half an hour to pull out, cleaning them completely, while the swollen hand became even more swollen.

"First soak in the medicinal water." Jiang Yun Chu opened the door, and Bai Zhi handed over the basin.

She placed the basin on the table, had Kang Zi Wei soak first: "Soak for half an hour, don't move, don't take it out, remember?"

Kang Zi Wei nodded immediately, "Remembered."

Jiang Yun Chu applied another layer of medicine to Kang Nai Xin, then called out, "Let Zhiqiu come in."

After she just glanced over, she now had the order: from most severe to less severe.

Zi Wei's hand looked the mildest, but was actually the worst; those vines carry mild toxin, a little contact causes only temporary pain, but she had too much exposure, mixed toxins, and without prompt treatment her hand would really need amputation to save her life.

"Dean." Kang Zhiqiu entered the room, saw the awakened Nai Xin, and also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come here, let me check your wound."

Ningguang and everyone kept watching, occasionally lending a hand, occasionally observing Jiang Yun Chu's interaction with the kids; at this moment Jiang Yun Chu didn't seem like the academy's dean but more like a relative, like an older sister.

Caring for them, doting on them, feeling heartache for them.

"My wound is on the thigh, the outer arm, and I bumped my lower back against a stone." Kang Zhiqiu's nature is rational.

She didn't wait for Jiang Yun Chu to examine herself; she immediately explained her condition clearly, saving a lot of time.

"Take off your clothes." Since the wound is on the thigh and lower back, the clothes definitely need to come off.

Kang Zhiqiu hesitated not, removed her outer garment, wore only the inner clothing, pulled up the loose pant leg to expose the injured spot.

That wound likely came from a tree branch or something; it's still bleeding, and the white inner clothing has turned red.

"It might hurt a bit, bear with it." Jiang Yun Chu took out the prepared alcohol from the corner, though she had put the alcohol into a container for baijiu.

She poured a bowl, then used a clean cloth strip to gently wipe the wound, disinfecting it.

If not disinfected well, problems may arise later.

"Hiss..."

Kang Zhiqiu tightly furrowed her brows, teeth clenched, pain—always painful, but she hadn't expected it to hurt this much.

Because she endured the pain, her eyes unconsciously reddened, her whole body slightly trembling.

"Endure." There's no other way; we can only let Zhiqiu endure.

She has anesthetic in her space, knows the formula for Mafeisan, but...

Zhiqiu is too young; if we can avoid anesthetic we should, since anesthetic numbs nerves and, during a child's development, will affect her to some extent.

And...

She also hopes that through this pain, the children will remember it, so they can reduce future injuries and protect themselves fully.

"It'll be fine soon." Jiang Yun Chu gave a gentle reassurance.

Kang Zhiqiu's face was covered in sweat, all from pain; the water she had drunk outside earlier turned into sweat again, and her vision seemed shrouded in a white mist.

"I..."

"Can!"

When speaking, her voice trembled; these words were squeezed out from between her teeth.

"I need to suture the wound." After disinfecting, Jiang Yun Chu looked at the opening; it couldn't be left unsutured...

"Kang Zhiqiu, are you afraid of having scars on your body?" she asked gently.

She has a way to remove her scars, but it takes time, not something that can be done overnight.

And before that, can this girl accept herself bearing scars?

"Scars?" Kang Zhiqiu, still dazed from the pain, instinctively echoed the question.

After a long while, she reacted: "Not afraid."

"Really not afraid?" Jiang Yun Chu looked at her and gave a light smile.

Kang Zhiqiu shook her head: "My mother has many scars on her body; she said they were from the battlefield, protecting Da Ning and the people."

"That is the Jiang family's honor, that is Da Ning's honor."

As she spoke, her eyes flickered with light; she had envied such scars since childhood, wishing she could go to the battlefield.

And now, she is striving for all of this.

"Good."

Jiang Yun Chu praised, saying, the second aunt educated the girls very well.

Whether it's Zhi Chun or Zhiqiu, they each have their own world.

Not confined to the inner quarters, not confined to the capital.

They have the right to choose what they like, and in their hearts there is a hero: the second aunt.

Words and deeds as teaching.

Leading by example, then words; having done it herself, her words carry weight and can truly be conveyed.

If she herself can't do it, even the strongest words become feeble.

"I need to suture the wound; as for scars..."

"You might be disappointed; later I'll give you scar-removal cream that will gradually fade your scars."

"Scars are honor, but a girl's love of beauty is natural; if we can avoid scars, better not to have them, what do you think?"

Jiang Yun Chu smiled; when chatting with Zhiqiu, her speech unconsciously quickened, and she also unconsciously relaxed.

Although Zhiqiu is young, she has always known what she wants and what she can do; she can rationally analyze and observe the situation.

This is her strength, but it often becomes her weakness; however, it has not yet shown itself—future matters, we'll discuss them later.

"Hmm… I feel the same." The pain from just now has slowly faded, giving her a sense of having survived a calamity.

But whenever she recalls that pain now, her whole body trembles.

She never realized that being injured would entail such suffering.

"Call Zhi Chun in as well." Jiang Yun Chu shouted toward the outside.

Kang Zhi Chun quickly entered, saw the three girls safe and sound, and finally let out a full breath of relief.