OFTLHFRO C95

Chapter 95 The Foodie’s Self-Cultivation

Seeing them, Luo Mingchen paused. “Come in first… what happened?”

Huo Yuhui’s hands and feet were icy. “Little Daddy, we ran into Liu Jinbao…”

Luo Mingchen frowned, looked at Ming Yuanjing, and immediately used a water sphere to carry the injured man into the room.

This left Liu Shangyu blinking in surprise.

Luo Mingchen had no choice — he didn’t know how severe Ming Yuanjing’s injuries were, and recklessly reaching out might cause secondary harm.

Huo Yuhui also looked as if he could no longer hold himself up; being dropped on the floor would have been even worse.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Luo Mingchen saw Ming Yuanjing had lost consciousness. He fed him a pill and asked, “Did Liu Jinbao order people to beat him like this?”

For some reason, seeing Luo Mingchen calmed Liu Shangyu considerably; he choked back his grief and said, “Gao Jiabao bought the tickets but let Liu Jinbao take our seats. He wouldn’t accept it and went over to argue. Liu Jinbao brought several thugs. Xiao Hui told them to stop. Gao Jiabao mentioned that Xiao Hui had passed the tongsheng exam. We were about to leave, but Liu Jinbao suddenly went mad and said he’d cripple Xiao Hui’s hands so he could never take the exams again…”

Several grown men — thugs, even — how could a group of boys stand a chance?

Still, those boys were fiercely loyal and tried to protect Huo Yuhui. One by one they were subdued, forced to watch helplessly as the remaining thug kept beating Ming Yuanjing.

Liu Jinbao, enraged and out for blood, didn’t care about Ming Yuanjing’s identity; he simply ordered him crippled first.

Protecting his younger brother, Huo Yuhui watched as Ming Yuanjing’s arm was stomped and snapped. In that instant, blood rushed to his head. Taking advantage of a moment of slack in the thugs’ grip, he lunged at Liu Jinbao and began striking him with the string of copper coins, battering him until he was a bloody mess. Even the thugs’ combined efforts couldn’t pry him away.

Partly it was because the thugs didn’t dare use too much force — Huo Yuhui was straddling Liu Jinbao and yanking his hair while beating him. If they pulled too hard, Liu Jinbao would howl in pain.

Only when Huo Xiang cried out that Ming Yuanjing had fainted did Huo Yuhui finally stop.

The theatre owner stepped in; Gao Jiabao stayed behind to handle the aftermath. Huo Yuhui carried Ming Yuanjing home on his back, with Huo Xiang and Liu Shangyu following; Chen Yunhao went to fetch a doctor.

The others lived farther away, so returning home was the best option.

After telling the story, Liu Shangyu sniffed and said, “If only we’d brought two guards…”

Because Huo Yuhui and Huo Xiang’s households lacked guards or servants — they didn’t even bring a boy to run errands — they suffered a heavy loss.

Huo Xiang looked at the pale, motionless Ming Yuanjing lying on the bed and, voice trembling with tears, asked, “Little Daddy, will Yuanjing… die?”

Luo Mingchen felt a tightness in his chest. He wasn’t a wood or light ability user…

Then he suddenly remembered that his current perception was very strong.

He placed his hand on Ming Yuanjing’s chest.

A current of his ability flowed from his palm into Ming Yuanjing. In short order, Luo Mingchen “saw” the state of the young man’s interior.

Afterward he frowned. “The internal organs are alright — probably thanks to the pill. But the arm is severely injured.”

The injuries to the five viscera and six organs were recovering; the pill had helped. But the arm’s wounds were healing very slowly, hardly at all. That implied the pill couldn’t fix it — it was likely ruined.

The news hit the group like a lead weight.

Especially Huo Yuhui.

Ming Yuanjing was injured while protecting him.

Huo Yan held Huo Xinyue while Chen Yunhao brought the doctor inside.

Luo Mingchen withdrew his hand, silently hoping the physician would have some way to mend Ming Yuanjing’s injuries.

After feeling his pulse, the doctor frowned. “Fortunately, the internal organs weren’t badly damaged — his life is safe. But the right hand will likely not recover well.”

Liu Shangyu anxiously asked, “Doctor, will he still be able to hold a brush in the future?”

The doctor was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

The group felt as if they’d fallen into an ice cellar.

The doctor wrote a prescription, bound Ming Yuanjing’s injured arm, and Huo Yan paid. He told Huo Xiang to look after Huo Xinyue and went off to fetch the herbs.

Luo Mingchen didn’t know what to do. He felt suffocated — Ming Yuanjing had lost a hand protecting their child. When Old Master Ming arrived, they would have a hard explanation.

After the internal injuries improved, Ming Yuanjing gradually opened his eyes. His gaze swept across Huo Yuhui and the others; in a weak voice he said, “You… are unharmed. That’s good.”

This made them feel even guiltier. Ming Yuanjing, who hated pain, had his arm broken and still worried about them, not minding his own suffering.

“They’re fine.”

Luo Mingchen lifted a hand and gently stroked Ming Yuanjing’s forehead. “Does any place still hurt?”

The warmth of his hand brought tears to Ming Yuanjing’s eyes; he swallowed them back and said, “It doesn’t hurt too much.”

Luo Mingchen saw that night had fallen and said, “Do you want to eat something? Old Master Ming will arrive in a bit.”

Even though his arm hurt, Ming Yuanjing nodded when he heard talk of food. “Okay.”

Luo Mingchen brought him some food he could eat and even steamed a bowl of egg custard for him, urging the others to go eat.

But Huo Yuhui said, “Little Daddy, let me feed him.”

Seeing Huo Yuhui like that and guessing he couldn’t eat much otherwise, Luo Mingchen agreed.

One has to admit: as a foodie, Ming Yuanjing was undeniably qualified.

Even with his arm stomped and broken, when food was brought to his lips he still tried his best to eat and praised the fish balls as delicious.

This made Luo Mingchen’s heart ache and also want to laugh — Ming Yuanjing’s carefree, lighthearted manner really resembled Huo Xiang.

Halfway through his egg custard, Old Master Ming arrived with his retinue. Seeing Ming Yuanjing’s right hand wrapped in bandages, his head spun.

“Yuanjing.”

Old Master Ming reached out, wanting to touch the injured hand, but fearful of causing pain, he gently withdrew his hand.

Huo Yuhui set down his bowl and knelt. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

Luo Mingchen wanted to say it wasn’t his fault, but with Old Master Ming present and his beloved grandson’s hand ruined, a kneel of apology was understandable even if offered out of duty.

Fortunately Old Master Ming remained composed and pulled Huo Yuhui up. “I heard from that Gao boy that Liu Jinbao’s men beat Yuanjing like this. It’s not your fault.”

“Yuanjing was protecting me…”

Huo Yuhui spoke, guilt-ridden, looking at Ming Yuanjing’s right hand.

Ming Yuanjing didn’t want him to wallow in blame and said, “I’m older than you. I should protect you.”

Old Master Ming was silent for a moment. “That was his choice. You need not blame yourselves. If there is nothing more, I’ll take Yuanjing home first; we can discuss this another day.”

At this Ming Yuanjing asked tentatively, “Grandfather, can I finish the egg custard and meatballs before we go?”

The group: “……”

Old Master Ming sighed, helpless. “Very well.”

Huo Yuhui resumed feeding Ming Yuanjing.

Huo Xinyue leaned over the bed and peered at Ming Yuanjing’s wrapped hand, not really understanding why it had to be bandaged but refraining from touching it.

Once Ming Yuanjing finished eating, Old Master Ming took him home.

Luo Mingchen recalled that Huo Yuhui had injured Liu Jinbao — he was bleeding heavily, so the other party must have been hurt as well.

Therefore, Luo Mingchen did not intend to go after Liu Jinbao.

Liu Jinbao had injured Ming Yuanjing; if testimony were needed, Luo Mingchen would certainly send the two boys to testify.

However, the Liu family likely couldn’t act against others directly and would probably come looking for trouble.

So they would simply wait and see.