Stepping out from one tent, Feng Jiu’er quickly moved to the next.

One by one, brothers in critical condition were treated and stabilized under her care.

By the time the midday meal came around, Feng Jiu’er was still caught up in it all, and the brothers who saw her could not bear to watch.

“Miss Jiu’er, I’m truly fine. Please go rest for a while.” A brother sitting inside a tent looked up at the person who had just entered and said quietly.

“Hold it out. Let me take a look.” Feng Jiu’er glanced at his leg, swathed in layer upon layer of cloth strips, and gave the command.

The brother had no choice but to extend his injured leg and bend forward to unwrap the strips himself.

Before he could even begin, Feng Jiu’er had already dropped to one knee beside him and gently drawn close, personally pulling away the blood-and-dust-caked bandaging.

Looking at Feng Jiu’er’s pale little face, the brother could not help but let out a quiet sigh.

“Miss Jiu’er, I’m sorry for the trouble. Forgive me.”

“If you don’t want to trouble me, remember to take better care of yourself from now on.” Feng Jiu’er dropped those words and carefully began peeling back the cloth wrapped around the man’s leg, layer by layer.

The brother pressed his lips together and nodded.

“Miss Jiu’er, I’ll be careful in the future. I’ll try not to cause you more trouble.”

As strip after strip was unwound, the wound on the brother’s leg slowly came into view.

The innermost layer of cloth was soaked through with blood. Feng Jiu’er shook her head, set the strips gently aside, and turned to retrieve a small bottle of medicinal liquid from the chest.

“The cloth has adhered to the wound. I’m going to use this solution to separate them. It will be rather painful — bear with it.” Feng Jiu’er looked at the brother and said quietly.

“It’s all right. I’m not afraid of pain.” The brother shook his head.

To receive Miss Jiu’er’s care and attention — even a little injury was truly worth it.

After her brief warning, Feng Jiu’er said nothing more.

Better a sharp pain now than a prolonged one. She picked up the medicinal liquid and poured it directly over the wound on the brother’s leg.

The stinging burn of the solution — even without looking at his face, Feng Jiu’er felt it in the shift of his breathing.

“It stings now, yes, but it will heal much faster. Bear with it.”

“Understood.” The brother pressed his lips together and nodded.

Feng Jiu’er seized her moment and pulled the blood-soaked cloth free from the wound, then switched to a different preparation — an oil — and applied it to the injured area.

Fortunately, the bleeding stopped again quickly.

Cradling the brother’s leg in her hands and working it carefully for a while, Feng Jiu’er lifted her gaze to look at the man whose complexion had gone a little pale.

“How is it? Which spot hurts the most?”

“The… the outer side.” The brother replied quietly.

Feng Jiu’er pressed her thumb gently against the outer edge of the wound the brother had indicated.

“Is it here?”

“Yes.” The brother bit down, looking as though he was in considerable pain.

All people are flesh and blood — pain is the most natural of physical responses.

Saying you are not afraid of pain depends entirely on the degree.

“There appears to be a hairline fracture here, but you do not need to be overly alarmed.”

“Follow the technique I show you — apply the ointment every day and massage gently for two quarters of an hour. The fractured bone will fuse back together before long.”

“If at all possible, try not to move for three days. It would be best to avoid any risk of abnormal bone growth.”

The injured brother did not know what abnormal bone growth meant, but he understood roughly what Feng Jiu’er was telling him.

“Understood.” He nodded and said softly, “I know. Thank you, Miss Jiu’er.”

“Good. I’ll treat the wound now. Bear with it a little longer — once today is through, a great deal of the pain should ease.” Feng Jiu’er said.

The brother nodded, the corners of his lips curving upward faintly.

“A minor injury like this is nothing at all.”

“Having Heaven grant me the chance to meet Miss Jiu’er — to have the opportunity to walk alongside you — is the greatest fortune of my life.”

“Are you all taking turns complaining to me?” Feng Jiu’er spoke without pausing in the work of her hands.

The brother looked at her, his brow furrowing.

“Complaining? Miss Jiu’er, I’m not.” He shook his head quickly.

“One after another, all of you get injured — some of you quite seriously — yet each of you says something like ‘it’s not so bad, following you.’ To my ears, that sounds like complaining.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced at the brother, curved her lips the slightest bit, and returned her gaze to his wound.

“When we made our agreement, we said: if there is only porridge, we share porridge. If there is a meal, we share a meal. Now that you are all injured, I cannot offer any greater reward.”

“But the land we have taken belongs to everyone. Whether we can keep it depends on all of us. My own strength alone has its limits.”

“I understand that completely.” The brother gave a firm nod. “Miss Jiu’er, I mean it sincerely — all the brothers are deeply grateful to be following you.”

“You bear no grudges, you look at no one’s origins, and you are willing to give everyone a chance. We are overjoyed — how could we possibly complain?”

“Good, then.” Feng Jiu’er offered a faint smile and shook her head. “I have no other choice either. Who doesn’t have to strive to live the life they want?”

“Train well. You’ll be less likely to get injured this easily. If we want to put down roots here, we still have a long road ahead.”

“Hold on until the end, and a good life will not be out of reach.”

Swiftly tending to the wound and wrapping it up, Feng Jiu’er reached for a nearby blanket and draped it over the brother’s legs.

“Rest well. If anything urgent comes up, have a brother come notify me.”

She gave the brother’s shoulder a light pat, picked up the medicine chest, and stood.

“Miss Jiu’er.” As Feng Jiu’er turned to go, the brother called out softly.

“Is there something else?” Feng Jiu’er looked back.

“Miss Jiu’er, please do rest for a while. You cannot keep going like this without stopping — your own health matters.” The brother said quietly.

“Yes, I know.” Feng Jiu’er gave a nod, and turned to leave.

The moment she stepped out from the tent, the brother who had been following her all this time, along with Jian Yi, were both standing guard outside.

“Are there any other brothers with serious injuries?” Feng Jiu’er looked at the brother beside her and asked. “Take me to see them.”

“There are none.” The brother shook his head. “Miss Jiu’er, General Qiao and General Xing are asking you to come join them for the midday meal.”

“The hour is also getting late, and most of the brothers have already eaten. General Qiao and General Xing said they will not eat until you arrive.”

Dropping words that carried the clear weight of a warning, the brother shifted his gaze away.

“Are there truly no brothers who still need treatment?” Feng Jiu’er looked at him, her voice dropping a few degrees.

“There are truly none for now.” The brother waved his hand. “If any are found, I will come notify you immediately, Miss Jiu’er.”

“Besides, there are still several brothers in the camp who know medicine, as well as the physicians sent over by Young Master Nanmen. Miss Jiu’er, please rest easy. The rest of them can handle things.”

“Miss Jiu’er, please — General Xing only woke not long ago. It would be best not to leave him hungry, wouldn’t it?”

Feng Jiu’er looked back at Jian Yi, and finally gave a single nod.

There were too many brothers — she could not go and see every single one. But without knowing how each of them was faring, she could not bring herself to stop.

They had been injured because of a single word from her. If anyone should be filled with gratitude, it was her, was it not?