Chapter 29: The Village Healer
"What did you just feed her?" a furious voice demanded, startling Lara.
The jug slipped from her hands, and water spilled on the floor.
An old man with a head full of wild white hair stepped forward, his face twisted with fury. Deep furrows etched his skin, and his sharp eyes burned with indignation.
Lina bowed her head respectfully, her voice calm and measured. "Healer U-Mao, this is the soldier who saved Abel and his brothers. He mentioned having some knowledge of medicine and gave Sister Delia fever-reducing medicine."
Lara narrowed her eyes, studying the so-called "healer." She had imagined someone wise and noble, a venerable physician full of quiet authority. Instead, the man before her looked like a caricature of a quack—haughty and grumpy.
The old man’s gaze settled on her with open disdain, his lips curling. "How could someone so young know medicine? How do you even know what he gave your sister wasn’t poison?" His words dripped with accusation.
Lara’s patience thinned. Her voice turned cold, cutting through his indignation like a blade. "Old man, instead of wasting time accusing me, why don’t you see Darius’ injuries? He’s in the next room." She pursed her lips, suppressing the urge to punch and kick him. She let the insult slide for the sake of Lina and the siblings.
At that moment, a plump woman with white hair peeked through the doorway. Her voice was sharp but casual, like she’d wandered into a kitchen argument.
"Husband, there’s a dead tiger in the backyard. Aren’t tiger bones good for remedies? Go check on the boy first, and then we can claim the tiger as payment. They already owe us so much."