Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

"Eat quickly, so I can change your medicine after you finish." Ji Nuan took out the things in the basket and said to Song Jinbai.

Hearing this, Song Jinbai suddenly realized an awkward problem - he was not wearing any clothes at the moment. This sudden discovery made his cheeks flush slightly and he felt uncomfortable.

He looked up at Ji Nuan, whose eyes remained open and unperturbed. She seemed oblivious to her topless state, concentrating on pouring the porridge from the small jar into her bowl.

Ji Nuan's frankness and composure gradually calmed Song Jinbai down, and he suddenly felt guilty for his misunderstanding of her yesterday.

When Song Jinbai lowered his head to drink porridge, Ji Nuan made an excuse to go out to get some water. When she came back, she was holding a kettle in one hand and a package in the other.

Ji Nuan placed the kettle and the package on the table, then turned around, bent down, and picked up the tiger cub that was playing nearby. The tiger cub rubbed against Ji Nuan's arms, making a satisfied "wooo" sound.

Ji Nuan stroked the little tiger cub's fur and said softly, "Ruyi, do you want to eat something too? I'll make you something delicious later."

After drinking the vitality water several times, the little tiger cub seemed to have gained some intelligence. It understood Ji Nuan's words and rubbed her arm even harder.

Seeing that Ji Nuan was still holding the little tiger cub, the little white mink got angry and squeezed into Ji Nuan's arms, crying "woo woo".

"Okay, Jixiang, I'll take you out to play later." Ji Nuan said to the little white mink with a helpless smile. She didn't expect that two animals would compete for favor.

Song Jinbai was amazed at this scene. He saw the little white mink's eyes flashing with anticipation, as if he could really understand Ji Nuan's words.

"Girl, Jixiang... can it really understand what you say?" Song Jinbai couldn't help but ask, with a hint of disbelief in his tone.

Ji Nuan explained, "Small animals are very sensitive. They can sense our emotions through our tone, expressions, and movements. Jixiang is very smart and can completely understand what I am trying to say."

Ji Nuan didn't want him to know that Jixiang had awakened his intelligence after drinking the life-giving water and was no longer an ordinary mink.

Ji Nuan changed the subject at the right time and said softly, "Since you have almost finished eating, let me change your medicine first."

She stood up, walked to the bedside, and gently put down the tray containing instruments and medicines.

"Thank you for your help, young lady!" Song Jinbai obediently lay back on the bed.

Seeing this, Ji Nuan thought maliciously that Song Jinbai was like a lamb to be slaughtered, and she couldn't help but smile. That smile was like the warm sunshine in spring, warm and bright. Song Jinbai was stunned for a moment.

Ji Nuan sat down beside the bed, seemingly taking out a wet towel soaked in vitality water from her sleeve - but actually from space - and carefully wiped her hands.

Ji Nuan gently unwrapped the cotton bandages covering Song Jinbai's chest and abdomen, then gently wiped the skin around the wound with a cloth soaked in vitality water. Then, using a cotton ball soaked in vitality water, she carefully wiped away any remnants of the old medicine from the previous day. Once everything was clean, she lightly sprinkled on some skin-growing powder and carefully covered it with a white cotton cloth.

Song Jinbai lay quietly on the bed, his eyes fixed on Ji Nuan.

She lowered her head and eyes, carefully tending to the wound, completely unaware that she was being stared at.

As time went by, all the wounds on Song Jinbai's upper body were re-dressed. Ji Nuan asked him to stand slightly so she could apply the bandages. Her hands crossed his back, forming a hug. This sudden closeness made Song Jinbai feel a little nervous. He could clearly smell the faint medicinal fragrance on Ji Nuan, fresh and soothing.

He maintained a calm expression, but his ears were quietly turning red. Ji Nuan understood what he meant, and worried that changing the dressing while he was fully awake would make him even more uncomfortable, so she asked, "Can you take care of the wound on your leg yourself?"

Song Jinbai nodded slightly embarrassedly and replied softly, "Yeah."

"Then I'll go back first." Ji Nuan said, "There are clothes in the package, I hope you don't mind."

"Thank you!" Song Jinbai's thanks were full of sincerity this time, and he was grateful for her attentiveness and respect.

Ji Nuan turned around with a smile and called the little white mink and tiger cub beside her: "Jixiang, Ruyi, let's go play!" Then she took the two little guys out of the room.

Song Jinbai watched her leaving, his mood quietly changing completely from before.

Ji Nuan, carrying Jixiang and Ruyi, traveled through the mountains and forests to collect medicinal herbs. At the beginning of the afternoon, she finally returned with a full load. She remembered that her eldest sister-in-law had brought wild boar meat back to her parents' home that morning and had already arranged a follow-up appointment with her younger brother and sister-in-law.

When she returned home, Ji Nuan discovered that Zhou's eldest brother and sister-in-law had arrived early and were chatting in the yard.

"Brother Zhou and sister-in-law, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting." She put down the backpack while greeting them, walked to the well, and washed her hands.

"We came here a little early on purpose because we wanted to see how your new house is going. We have finished all the housework, so we thought of asking you, Brother Zhou, to come over and help tomorrow." Mrs. Zhou responded enthusiastically.

Ji Nuan replied with a smile, "Thank you very much!" Then, she led Zhou's eldest brother to the side and said, "Brother Zhou, sit here. Let me take your pulse again to see if you are feeling better."

The eldest brother of the Zhou family sat down obediently and held out his hand for Ji Nuan to feel his pulse. Zhou's wife and Ji Nuan's eldest sister-in-law stood by expectantly, their eyes closely following Ji Nuan's movements until she slowly lowered her hand.

Mrs. Zhou couldn't wait to ask, "How is it? Is it okay?"

"It's okay now." Ji Nuan smiled warmly and sincerely, reassuring her.

Zhou's sister-in-law breathed a sigh of relief, clasped her hands together, and bowed gently towards the west. Tears glistened in her eyes, and she held Ji Nuan's hand tightly, her voice trembling slightly as she said, "Sister-in-law, I really don't know how to thank you! Nuannuan, if you have any problems in the future, just tell me."

Recalling the prescription Ji Nuan had given her last time, Zhou's wife was filled with emotion. Although she had complete trust in Ji Nuan, out of caution, she secretly showed the prescription to a doctor in the city. The doctor not only praised the ingenuity of the prescription but also wanted to meet the doctor who had written it through her. This made her trust in Ji Nuan's medical skills even greater.

"Don't be so polite, sister-in-law. We're all family. We're happy for you now that Brother Zhou is better." Ji Nuan shook her hand back. "I have some health pills here. I'll get you a bottle later. They're very beneficial for your health."

"Thank you so much, Nuannuan." Sister-in-law Zhou was full of trust in Ji Nuan at this moment. No matter what she said, Sister-in-law Zhou believed it without a doubt.

The eldest brother of the Zhou family watched his wife's emotions fluctuate, sometimes she cried with worry, and sometimes she burst into laughter. He couldn't understand why she was so worried when he wasn't seriously ill. It seemed that he was very important to his wife, and he would treat her better in the future.

After receiving the medicine, Mrs. Zhou thanked the master again and again before following the eldest brother of the Zhou family.

The sister-in-law took out a pair of brand new shoes from the house and put them in Ji Nuan's arms. "I made this in my free time. Don't dislike it."

"Thank you, sister-in-law. I like it very much!" This was the sister-in-law's way of expressing gratitude, and Ji Nuan did not refuse.

Ji Nuan was about to go to the new house to see how it was progressing when a young man in a sky-blue student uniform stopped her. He was handsome and had a distinguished demeanor, completely different from the other villagers in Taohua Village. Ji Nuan quickly recognized him from her memory: Meng Ran, the village chief's son, a student at Qingfeng Academy in the prefectural capital. He was a talented scholar and was rumored to have even achieved the title of scholar.

"Meng Ran, why are you back?" Ji Nuan asked with a smile.

Meng Ran looked at Ji Nuan, who had become even more beautiful, and felt an indescribable bitterness well up in his heart. He forced a smile and asked gently, "It's been a while since we last met, and you seem even prettier. I'm on vacation today, so I came back to see you. How have you been lately?" His eyes revealed a longing that Ji Nuan hadn't noticed.

"I'm fine. How about you?" Ji Nuan replied with a smile, her tone conveying the camaraderie of a grown-up friend, yet maintaining a proper distance. She knew the village chief's aunt didn't like Meng Ran getting close to her, so she didn't show excessive enthusiasm towards Meng Ran.

Not far away, Song Qiuniang, who had come specifically to see Meng Ran, witnessed him and Ji Nuan chatting and laughing. This scene was like a thorn, piercing her heart, leaving her filled with jealousy and anger. She kept shouting in her mind, "Why? Why does she get all the good things while I can only watch from afar!" This resentment and jealousy spread like wildfire within her.