Chapter Twenty-Four: The Willful Young Lady

Little Ding could never have imagined that the red-clad girl, unconscious moments before, would suddenly awaken, nor that upon waking, she would mistake him for a scoundrel and slap him across the face.

Twice now he had been mistaken for a rogue, twice he had been slapped. Little Ding was thoroughly annoyed. In his heart he muttered, “I was only trying to help by checking your wounds, and yet, without so much as asking for an explanation, you raise your hand and hit me. How unreasonable can you be?”

“Fine then! Since you think I’m a scoundrel, I won’t bother with you any longer. You can stay here and wait for those bandits to come back and make you their chieftain’s wife!” Little Ding, fuming, stood up, went to grab the donkey cart, called for Zhao Laixi, and prepared to leave.

At that moment, the red-clad girl recognized Little Ding as the one she had met at the Fragrant Pavilion and at the cloth shop, and wondered, “How did this scoundrel end up here too?”

Hearing Little Ding’s words, the girl was startled. She tried to stand, but a sharp, searing pain shot through her calf, and she couldn’t help but cry out. Only then did she notice her lower leg was injured, and badly so.

“Could it be he was checking my injury?” she thought to herself, realizing she might have misunderstood the man in ragged clothes. Yet, the thought that he had touched her leg filled her with an unspeakable anger.

“Hmph! You deserved that slap—who told you to touch my leg? No man has ever laid a hand on me before!” she brooded.

But glancing up at the sky, she saw the sun had already set, leaving only a blush of lingering light upon the mountain peaks to the west. Soon, night would fall. Even if the bandits did not return, with her leg injured and immobile, she would hardly be able to fend off wild beasts or venomous snakes alone in these desolate hills. Not to mention, the bandits still lurked nearby; should they catch her… the consequences were too dreadful to imagine!

Watching as Little Ding led the donkey cart away, she grew anxious and quickly called out, “Hey! You, wretched scoundrel, stop right there!”

Little Ding glanced at her, speaking with a proud air, “I have a name, you know. I’m not just some wretched scoundrel.”

“You are a wretched scoundrel!” the girl huffed.

“Young lady, I tried to help by examining your injured leg—what makes you say I’m a scoundrel?” Little Ding rolled his eyes at her.

“You touched my leg—that makes you a scoundrel! And you… you even picked out women’s undergarments by staring at my figure… You’re a complete pervert!” The more she spoke, the angrier she became, her pretty face flushing, unsure whether from rage or embarrassment.

“Fine, fine, I’m a scoundrel, I’m a pervert. You can wait here for the bandits to come save you. I don’t have time to argue with you.” With that, Little Ding turned once more to lead the donkey away.

“Wait—just a moment!” she called after him, not wanting him to leave.

“What more do you want?” Little Ding asked, feigning a menacing look. “You’ve called me a scoundrel and a pervert—aren’t you afraid I might act the part?”

“You… you wouldn’t dare!” She shrank back, frightened, her fingers closing secretly around a hidden weapon. If he dared approach her with ill intent, she would not hesitate to strike him down.

“I wouldn’t dare—so I’m going home. I don’t have time for your nonsense.” He grabbed the reins.

“You can’t go!” the girl shouted.

“Why not?” he asked, turning his head.

“If you leave, what am I supposed to do?” she demanded, her tone imperious.

“That’s no concern of mine. I’m just a wretched scoundrel, not some merciful Bodhisattva here to save the suffering,” Little Ding replied.

“But… but my leg is injured…” The girl’s voice softened, her head dropping. “How about this: I’ll pay you. Just take me to the county clinic in your cart.”

“Impossible!” Little Ding refused at once. “First, it’s late, and my family is waiting for me. If I take you to the county, I won’t make it home tonight. Second, even if I get you to the clinic, the doctors there won’t be able to heal your leg. In fact, they might just miss the critical window for treatment, and you’ll be left lame for life.”

“You’re the one who’ll be lame!” she retorted savagely, then, her anger giving way to curiosity, asked, “You’re going home? And how do you know the county doctors can’t heal my leg?”

“Of course I know. I’m a doctor myself,” Little Ding lied without missing a beat.

“Really? That’s wonderful! Can you treat my injury?” Her face brightened.

“No,” Little Ding refused again.

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because I can’t touch your leg. If I do, I’ll be that wretched scoundrel you say I am!” he replied.

“You…” The girl was momentarily speechless.

Seeing her at a loss, Little Ding felt a flicker of satisfaction and made to leave again. The girl grew anxious, calling out, “Wait—could you take me to your home?”

“No,” he replied, not even looking back.

“You…” In her anger, she stamped her foot, forgetting her injured right leg. Pain shot through her, and, overcome by agony and frustration, her eyes rolled back and she fainted once more.

Little Ding had only taken a few steps with the donkey cart when he noticed the silence behind him. Curious, he glanced back to find the red-clad girl, who had just been sitting up, now collapsed and motionless on the ground. Had he truly made her angry enough to die? He quickly handed the reins to Zhao Laixi and hurried over, crouching to check her breathing and finding her unconscious again.

Looking at her delicate, beautiful face, he thought, “When she’s not speaking, she’s actually quite lovely. Pity her temper is so fierce—undoubtedly spoiled by her family since childhood.”

Here, in the wild mountains, it really wouldn’t do to leave her alone. If he left her here, she’d either fall prey to wild beasts by nightfall or be captured by the bandits by morning.

Forget it. He would take her back. If she behaved herself, he’d treat her leg; if not, he’d leave her be. Let her see how far she could get with a crippled leg—hmph!

Tearing a strip from his own clothing, Little Ding wrapped her injured leg as best he could. Then he unloaded some items from the donkey cart and placed them on the little red horse’s back, letting the horse carry them. With space cleared on the cart, he laid out a quilt, gently lifted the girl onto it, and settled her comfortably.

He then had Zhao Laixi drive the cart, while he led the horse, and together they made their way toward Luoxia Village.

By the time darkness had fully fallen, Little Ding and Zhao Laixi returned to Luoxia Village. As on the previous night, the whole family awaited their return in the courtyard. But tonight, unlike before, a bonfire was burning, illuminating the yard brightly.

At first, the Tian family did not recognize Little Ding and Zhao Laixi. They only noticed a donkey cart had stopped at the gate, which struck them as odd. When Zhao Laixi opened the gate and led the cart into the courtyard, with Little Ding following behind, leading a little red horse, their astonishment only grew…