章 33: New Clothes
"Mmm, this wrist is indeed sprained. This should help with the swelling and aid in your recovery. I will also help you set a brace." The doctor, a friendly old man in his sixties, examined Wang Jingyuan's wrist at the table in his small clinic. With his quick, expert hands, he applied a layer of cool salve around the wrist and wrapped it tightly with bandages. Then he brought out a homemade brace of cloth and steel and tied it securely around Wang Jingyuan's hand and wrist. "There, that should do it. In about a few weeks, this wrist should heal nicely."
"Thank you, Doctor." Wang Jingyuan gingerly lifted her forearm, getting used to the weight of the brace.
"Now, remember to apply this salve once a day until the swelling goes down." The doctor handed a vial of the salve to Wang Jingyuan. "And remember to not jostle your wrist or move your arm too suddenly, alright miss?"
"Can I still use my hand?" Wang Jingyuan asked worriedly.
"Yes, but no. Small things like dressing yourself should be fine, but using your sword is a big no-no." The doctor had noticed how both the childe and miss carried swords and deduced that they must be of the martial arts sector.
"What?" Wang Jingyuan had anticipated this answer, but was still devastated to hear it from the doctor. Her sword was a part of her now. If she couldn't use Feng Ming, how was she supposed to protect herself and Mo Xian? What if more assassins came? She didn't want to burden Mo Xian with protecting her.
"If you use your sword, you will exacerbate the sprain. Don't worry, it's only for a few weeks. In the meantime, the childe can protect you. He also knows martial arts, doesn't he?" The doctor looked meaningfully at Mo Xian.
"The doctor's right. Miss Wang, you focus on healing your wrist, and I will make sure that no harm comes to you," Mo Xian reassured her.
"Doctor, you said that it will take a few weeks for my wrist to heal completely?" Wang Jingyuan asked again. "Is that the quickest recovery time?"
"Well, if you do everything I say and not use your hand a lot, your wrist may heal in two weeks. Or if you insist on using your hand like normal, your wrist may take ten weeks to heal," The doctor told her. "Be sure to keep your brace on, miss. It will help with the healing."
"Alright. Thank you, Doctor." Wang Jingyuan stood up. Mo Xian pulled out a silver coin and handed it to the doctor.
"Thank you so much. Keep the change."
"May you have a speedy recovery!" The doctor waved as Wang Jingyuan and Mo Xian walked out of the clinic.
"Childe Mo, the Hero Assembly is only two weeks away. What if my wrist still doesn't heal by then?" Wang Jingyuan fretted as they walked down the street.
"Don't worry; if you follow the doctor's orders, I'm sure your wrist will heal by then," Mo Xian reassured her. "Besides, you're not competing in the Hero Assembly, so I don't think it would matter much if you still can't use your sword by then."
"That's true." Wang Jingyuan held up her arm and looked at the brace again. She would follow the doctor's orders to the T so her wrist would heal in time. Although Mo Xian was capable with a sword, she didn't feel completely safe unless she knew she had the means to defend herself.
The sun had come out after a night of rain. All the shops along the street were opening, and the citizens roamed the streets, doing their shopping and going about their daily activities. Mo Xian stopped in front of a clothing shop. "Let's go in."
Wang Jingyuan thought he wanted to buy new clothes for himself, so she followed him up the steps and into the shop. The shopkeeper was a lovely woman, with red lips, almond eyes, and pink cheeks the color of cherry blossoms. Her hair was done up nicely, and gold earrings swung as she walked. "Welcome, childe! Welcome, miss! What can I get for you two today?"
Mo Xian didn't even look at all the clothes around the room. "A new set of clothing for the miss, please."
"Childe Mo! I don't need any new clothes; these are fine." Wang Jingyuan was surprised. She hadn't expected Mo Xian to buy her clothes.
"No, they have a rip in them." Mo Xian pointed at her left shoulder, where the assassin's scimitar had cut last night. "Besides, I want to buy you something nice to wear."
"Childe Mo—"
"Can you show us your best clothing for women?" Mo Xian cut off Wang Jingyuan's protest and spoke to the shopkeeper instead.
"Of course. Follow me." The shopkeeper walked around the counter and led them to one section of the store. "Here are all the newest trends of the year. These hanfu dresses are exactly what the rich women are wearing in the Capital. See here, this one—"
Wang Jingyuan listened as the shopkeeper talked about the different types of dresses. They were all so colorful and pretty. She liked the skirts that billowed, and the soft wide sleeves. But alas, she knew that she would only ruin such a pretty hanfu dress if she tried to fight in it. At the same time, she wasn't confident enough in her own body image to wear such dresses. In the modern world, Wang Jingyuan's daily outfit was a hoodie, a T-shirt, and jeans, and even so she was still very self-conscious.
"Do you have any for martial artists? Or something that is more suited for movement?" Wang Jingyuan asked.
"I do, in fact." The shopkeeper lady led Mo Xian and Wang Jingyuan to another section. "Here they are. This one here is our most popular style and absolutely perfect for a pretty lady like you. It is made from the finest of materials. Not only does it have a pretty skirt like the dresses over there, but it is also sewn so that it is more practical for battle."
Wang Jingyuan looked at the ocean-blue hanfu. She liked it immediately. The material was soft and whispered in her hand. The pleated skirt was multilayered but thin, with the top layer being an almost-sheer layer of light blue. Each layer was a slightly different hue, so that it gave off the illusion of ever-changing waves in the sea. The crossing collar was deep-blue and matched the color of the belt and sash. Best of all, the ocean-blue overcoat was lightweight and had a dark blue wave pattern embroidered on the edge of the sleeves.
"Do you like it?" Mo Xian asked. Wang Jingyuan nodded.
"Miss, you're in luck. This is the last one in our shop. I'm sure it would look stunning on you and really accentuate your knightly aura," the shopkeeper chimed in. "It even comes with a pair of black boots."
"We'll buy it." Mo Xian said firmly. "Go get changed, Miss Wang."
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