Chapter 135: Asking for the Formula

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“Little sister, the way you put it, anyone who didn’t know better would think your brother spends every day coveting Miss Wei’s things,” Xie Jue said helplessly.

“Don’t you? You’ve taken quite a few of Ruoruo’s things from me—the mosquito-repelling balm, the mushroom sauce, and…”

Xie Jue hurriedly interrupted her. “Little sister, Grandfather gave me a treasured sword a while ago. I’ll give it to you later.”

“Really?” Xie Ying’s eyes lit up.

“You little rascal. When have I ever lied to you?”

“You’re the best brother in the world. You’re the bravest person in my heart!” Xie Ying immediately changed her tune.

At that moment, Wei Ruo and Wei Jinyi were also helping repair a roof. Most of the able-bodied men in the village had gone to dig out the houses buried beneath the mud when the landslide struck.

They had only managed to clear one passageway so far, enough for people to travel in and out of the village, while many other areas remained buried.

The authorities had continued sending people to help over the past few days. But in order to restore the village as quickly as possible, all the men, whether or not their own homes had been buried, had gone to help with the digging.

As a result, some damaged houses had been left unattended, forcing the elderly, women, and children of those families to make do as best they could.

Wei Ruo stood beneath the house, passing supplies up to Wei Jinyi, who was working on the roof.

Looking up at him as he moved about above her, Wei Ruo could not help praising him. “Second Brother, you’re remarkably sure-footed. You walk across the roof as steadily as if you were on level ground.”

Wei Jinyi did not respond to her praise. Instead, he cautioned her, “Be careful down there. Some broken tiles could fall at any moment.”

Seeing Wei Ruo standing below, Wei Jinyi could not shake an uneasy feeling.

“Mm, I’ll be careful. Don’t worry, Second Brother. I value my life very much,” Wei Ruo replied.

“Mm.”

Whenever she looked at him, she always wore that kind of smile—sweet and utterly sincere.

“Second Brother, how long will you be staying in Prosperity County this time?” There was nothing else to do for the moment, so Wei Ruo asked.

“We’ll see how things go. There’s no need to rush,” Wei Jinyi replied.

“Will that old… the Hermit of the Hidden Forest, have anything to say about it?”

“It was his idea.”

“Then that’s good.” That old man was truly considerate!

After Wei Jinyi finished repairing the roof and climbed down, the old farmer brought the two of them some water.

“Young Master Wei, Miss Wei, I have neither fine tea nor good wine here. I’m afraid I can only trouble the two of you with a bowl of water.”

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“It’s quite all right, Uncle. A bowl of water is more than enough.”

Wei Ruo accepted the bowl and handed it to Wei Jinyi before taking her own.

When Wei Jinyi saw a strand of hair fall into Wei Ruo’s bowl as she drank, he reached out and tucked it behind her ear.

His slender fingers brushed across her ear. Wei Ruo froze, then raised her head and met his gaze.

Wei Jinyi’s hand had not yet withdrawn from behind her ear.

His expression was utterly focused, and his eyes were exceptionally gentle.

That gentleness left Wei Ruo somewhat dazed. Perhaps it was because no one had ever treated her this way before. Or perhaps his gaze was simply too deep, like a whirlpool.

The two of them continued gazing at each other until Xie Ying suddenly came over and patted Wei Ruo on the shoulder.

Wei Ruo jumped in fright and quickly turned around.

Wei Jinyi withdrew his hand and looked thoughtfully at his palm.

For that brief moment, he himself had not understood what had come over him. He had merely reached out instinctively to brush a strand of hair aside. Why, then, had he suddenly found himself staring blankly at her cheek so close before him?

“Ruoruo, what’s wrong?” Seeing that Wei Ruo had been startled, Xie Ying hurriedly asked with concern.

“Nothing. I was just lost in thought.” Wei Ruo quickly answered, then asked Xie Ying, “Did you come looking for me about something?”

“Nothing particularly important. There’s just something I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it?”

Xie Ying leaned close to Wei Ruo’s ear. “Ruoruo, what have you been feeding your family? Your Second Brother and Meimei are both in such excellent health.”

“Oh, that… Second Brother’s condition has nothing to do with me. It’s the result of his own diligent study and rigorous training. As for Meimei, the main thing is physical exercise. She also takes medicinal baths, and we supplement and regulate her health in her daily routine.”

“Ruoruo, look at my brother. Grandfather wants him to become a scholar skilled in both civil and military arts, but look at him. He says he has been studying martial arts for ages, yet he is still only half-trained. If possible, could you help him?”

Though she felt embarrassed asking someone directly for something, Xie Ying was willing to go all out for her brother.

“Of course.”

“Really?” Xie Ying looked at Wei Ruo in delighted surprise.

“Why would I lie about something like that? Aren’t we good friends? This is a small matter, hardly worth mentioning. I’ll write down a medicinal-bath prescription for you in a moment. As for the tonic, that depends on the individual. I’ll examine Young Master Wei later and see what he needs.”

“Ruoruo, you’re wonderful!” Xie Ying said, her face full of joy and gratitude. “Ruoruo, my brother got a treasured sword from Grandfather. Once he brings it here, I’ll give it to you!”

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“No need. I don’t know martial arts, so it would be of no use to me. Don’t you like treasured swords and sabers? Keep it for yourself.”

“That won’t do. You’re giving me something good, so naturally I have to give you something in return. Otherwise, I would feel terrible. I, Xie Ying, have never taken advantage of anyone.”

“Then give me a painting of a warhorse next time,” Wei Ruo said.

“My warhorse paintings aren’t even a tenth as good as Mr. Wang’s. What would you want one for?”

“Your painting in exchange for something written in my own hand—that counts as an equal exchange. What matters isn’t the monetary value, but the sentiment behind it. You would have painted it stroke by stroke yourself, so it must be precious.”

“All right, we’ll do as you say!” Xie Ying agreed happily.

Afterward, Wei Ruo found a room and wrote out a medicinal-bath prescription for Xie Jue.

Holding the completed prescription, Xie Ying happily called to Xie Jue, who was working outside as a porter. “Brother, come quickly! Ruoruo has written you a medicinal bath prescription to strengthen your body!”

Xie Jue came at once. Since the prescription Wei Ruo had previously given their mother for restoring her health had been remarkably effective, he had no doubts whatsoever about the efficacy of this new one.

He did not bother with polite formalities and sincerely thanked Wei Ruo. “Thank you, Little Sister Wei!”

“There’s no need to thank me. Yingying traded her artistic masterpiece for it, so I’m not losing out,” Wei Ruo said.

“Artistic masterpiece? You have one of those?” Xie Jue asked, staring at Xie Ying in astonishment.

“Of course I do! My paintings are excellent. Don’t underestimate me!” Xie Ying protested indignantly.

While the siblings bickered, Wei Ruo turned to Wei Jinyi. “Second Brother, would you like one as well? If you do, I’ll prepare it for you later.”

Wei Ruo thought that although her Second Brother was in excellent physical condition, taking such medicinal baths more often could do no harm. In particular, as someone who practiced martial arts, he inevitably placed some strain on his bones and muscles after exercising every day.

“Mm.” Wei Jinyi nodded.

Seeing that Wei Ruo was thinking of him and concerned about his well-being, Wei Jinyi felt warmth spread through his chest.