The General Under the Skirt - Chapter 22.1
Chapter 22.1
The fat woman stared at him, stunned. Then she scrambled to her feet. Hearing Huo Zhao’s words, the other three men also struggled to stand and thanked him profusely. They stumbled away, carrying their unconscious or possibly deceased companion.
Huo Zhao turned and walked over to Shen Roujia. He scooped her into his arms and carried her back to her room. He laid her gently on the bed.
She looked at him and said, “Brother Yu, you’re so amazing.”
Huo Zhao didn’t know what to say.
She didn’t ask why he hadn’t killed them. She didn’t complain about the pain. She didn’t say she was scared. Seeing the admiration and trust in her eyes, he felt a pang of shame.
He had failed to protect her.
“They were just too weak,” he said.
“I’ll get something to treat your wounds.”
Huo Zhao stood up and left the room. When he reached the courtyard gate, a man in black suddenly appeared in front of him.
“General.”
“Take care of them.”
“Yes.”
He hadn’t dealt with them in the courtyard because he didn’t want to clean up the mess, and he didn’t want to kill in front of the girl.
He had always shown great tolerance toward the people of his own country because they were the ones he had risked his life to protect. But there were always some rotten maggots among them. If he didn’t get rid of them, they would only end up harming more people.
The figure disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
He faked his death and retreated to this remote village at the foot of the mountains to avoid contact and minimize the risk of exposure.
The Emperor had given him three hundred shadow guards for protection, but he had never used them. Today, he had only brought one with him, intending to send him to town for supplies.
He hadn’t expected to return to such a scene.
He brought warm water, fresh bandages, and alcohol, and entered Shen Roujia’s room.
He removed her blood-soaked shoes and carefully unwrapped the bandages from her ankle, revealing the raw, mangled wound.
The wound had almost healed, but now it was worse than before.
Shen Roujia winced and pulled her foot back instinctively. Huo Zhao tightened his grip on her heel and looked at her.
She looked at him fearfully. Her pink lips moved, and she said aggrievedly, “It hurts…”
Huo Zhao averted his gaze, sighed inaudibly, and said, “Bear with it.”
After saying that, he wrung out the white cloth in the wooden basin and carefully wiped away the bloodstains around the wound. Shen Roujia was still afraid. Not only was she in pain, but looking at the wound made her legs feel weak.
As he tended to the injury on his leg, Huo Zhao said, “Don’t look.”
Shen Roujia bit down on her lower lip and turned her gaze to Huo Zhao’s face instead.
Her delicate hands clutched the blanket, her brow furrowed in pain, and her gaze was fixed on him.
He frowned in concentration, his movements swift and practiced, as if he had treated countless wounds. Shen Roujia endured the pain, grateful for his quick and efficient work. Soon, he had bandaged her ankle again.
He gently placed her foot on the bed and sat facing her with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol. He looked at the bruise on her cheek and the cut on her lip.
“Come closer,” he said.
Shen Roujia moved closer obediently, tilting her face toward him.
Huo Zhao gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him while her injuries were fully exposed.
“Damn it,” he muttered as he gently dabbed the alcohol on her wounds.
“Ouch…”
Shen Roujia winced and pulled back instinctively, but he held her chin firmly in place.
Tears welled up in her eyes. Huo Zhao’s expression softened, and he paused.
His voice was gentle but firm.
“Stay still.”
He added, “Bear with it. You have such a beautiful face; we can’t let you get a scar on your lip.”
Huo Zhao wasn’t usually concerned with a woman’s appearance. Still, he had imagined what his future wife might be like.
In the military camp, the men often discussed such matters. Some preferred women with large breasts, curvy hips, long legs, or beautiful faces. Some even had preferences for feet.
But Huo Zhao didn’t care.
As long as she was reasonably attractive and they got along, that was enough for him.
However, he figured that most girls were concerned about their appearance, so he used that knowledge to comfort her.
Hearing this, Shen Roujia remained still, enduring the pain. “Will it really scar?” she asked anxiously.
Huo Zhao lied and replied, “If we don’t clean it properly, it will.”
Shen Roujia was scared and didn’t move, no matter how much it hurt. After he finished, she tugged on his sleeve and asked if he could check again.
She felt useless because she had no practical skills, and her only asset was her appearance, which she couldn’t let be ruined.
Huo Zhao looked at her swollen face and said, “Fortunately, the swelling isn’t too bad.”
He went outside, drew a basin of cold well water, soaked a towel in it, and gave it to her.
The cool water felt soothing against her bruised skin.
He took off her shoes, asked her to rinse her mouth, covered her up, and said, “Lie down for a while. I’ll make medicine for you.”
Whether or not Huo Zhao’s return was timely was hard to say this time. The little girl’s injuries weren’t as serious as he had imagined, but if the injury to her ankle wasn’t properly treated, it would likely leave a scar.
Tonight’s moon was bright.
When he stepped outside, he saw a faint trail of bloody footprints from the courtyard gate to the main hall door.
They belonged to the little girl.
***
After those people showed up, all the hard work from the past few days, trying to get the little girl to lower her guard and stop being so cautious around others, seemed to have been for nothing.
The little girl began to cling to him. Even when he went to the courtyard to cook a meal, she called out to him several times.
Shen Roujia didn’t want to be like this, either. But the moment Huo Zhao left, she couldn’t help but start feeling afraid. She was always thinking that someone might break in through the door.
Huo Zhao said, “You don’t have to be afraid. They can’t come back here.”
Shen Roujia paused and put down her medicine bowl. After hesitating, she asked softly, “Brother Yu, am I bothering you?”
Huo Zhao looked at her.
“When did I say you were bothering me? Don’t overthink it.”
Shen Roujia remained silent, convinced that he was just being polite. Her thoughts were easy to read. Huo Zhao could tell exactly what she was thinking from her expression. He wasn’t usually one for explanations.
Think whatever you want. It’s none of my business. That was his usual attitude.
But now, looking at the vulnerable girl, he felt a pang of sympathy.
“Do you think I’d lie to you? I’m serious. Those people have moved away. You won’t see them again.”
Shen Roujia looked up at him, her eyes slightly red-rimmed and her long eyelashes fluttering. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Then why did they move?”
Huo Zhao chuckled. “Probably because they’re afraid of me. Either way, they’re not coming back.”
His words comforted her slightly, but she still felt that the outside world was dangerous and that everyone but the few people she knew was evil.
Huo Zhao paused, then continued, “The people you encountered were just heartless beasts. But the world is vast; there are still many good, kind people. Most people are like you and me.”
“Be kind to others and believe in justice. You don’t have to be afraid.”
Shen Roujia shook her head. Huo Zhao frowned, but before he could speak, she said, “No, it’s different.
“Maybe they’re kind and believe in justice, but you’re unique.”
“Brother Yu, you’re the best.”
“… “
He leaned back in his chair and looked at her in silence.
How was he supposed to respond to that?
After a moment, he said, “Well, that’s true, but there are other people who, although not as good as me, are still alright.”
Shen Roujia laughed, but the movement pulled at the cut on her lip, and she winced.
Because of her, Huo Zhao hadn’t left the house for almost half a month. He didn’t say it, but he felt responsible for her. Now that he knew about her suffering, he couldn’t just ignore it.
He should have left someone to protect her. Better yet, he shouldn’t have let that woman go.
That evening, Shen Roujia sat in the courtyard, gazing at the stars.
The stars were exceptionally bright and clear, scattered across the deep blue sky and transforming the vast expanse into a romantic spectacle.
It had been a long time since she had seen such a beautiful night sky.
She had stargazed with Su Qin in the capital. But the stars here were more brilliant. They were framed by the dark mountains. There was a gentle murmur of the distant river.
Huo Zhao didn’t understand the appeal of stargazing, but since he saw how much she enjoyed it, he brought the table outside.
They would eat dinner under the stars.
The cool summer breeze caressed their skin. Thinking of Shen Roujia, Huo Zhao had cooked plain white porridge many times. Today, seeing that the little girl was doing better, he finally made a flavorful meat dish and her favorite smashed cucumber salad.
“How’s your foot feeling?” he asked.
Shen Roujia swallowed half a cucumber. “Much better. I can walk properly now.”