Chapter 40 Redemption
The wanderer walked slowly and steadily into a village on the Blood Iron Wasteland.
Like other villages, this village was dilapidated, desolate, and lifeless.
Most of the houses were low mud-brick houses with moldy thatched roofs and cracked walls that looked like they could collapse at any moment.
The streets were deserted, except for a few emaciated stray dogs rummaging through the garbage for food.
The entire village was shrouded in gloom and deathly silence, devoid of any sign of life.
The arrival of the homeless did not attract much attention.
Suddenly, the homeless man stopped.
Next to them, the door of an adobe house creaked open, and a middle-aged woman with a haggard face came out.
She wore a patched-up coarse cloth dress, a dirty headscarf wrapped around her head, her face covered with wrinkles and the marks of time, and her hands as rough as the bark of an old tree.
But her eyes were kind, full of concern and pity.
"Poor man, you're injured." Ruth Kyle looked at the homeless man's tattered body and said softly, "Come in quickly, it's cold outside."
The vagrant didn't speak, but simply nodded silently and followed Ruth into the mud-brick house.
The room was very simple, with only a table with a missing leg, a few old stools, and a bed made of wooden planks.
Some odds and ends were piled up in the corner, covered in dust.
The only source of light was a dim oil lamp, emitting a faint glow.
Ruth helped the homeless man to sit down on the bed, then poured a bowl of hot water from a broken earthenware pot and handed it to him.
"Have some hot water to warm yourself up," Ruth said. "There's nothing good to eat here, just some black bread. Make do with that."
As she spoke, she took out a hard, black bread from her bosom and handed it to the homeless man.
The homeless man took the bowl of water and the black bread, and softly said, "Thank you."
His voice was hoarse and low, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.
Ruth smiled and said, "Don't be shy. Eat something first, and I'll go get you some medicine."
With that, she turned and walked out of the room.
The homeless man held a bowl of water and sipped the hot water slowly.
The hot water flowed down his throat and into his stomach, bringing a warm feeling.
Having walked for so long across the cold wasteland, he hadn't felt this warmth in a long time.
He looked at the black bread in his hand, hesitated for a moment, then broke off a small piece and put it in his mouth.
The black bread was hard, rough, and had a musty smell, making it difficult to swallow.
But the homeless man forced himself to swallow it.
He knew this was food for the poor, food that the poor ate every day to survive.
Ruth returned shortly after.
She was holding some herbs and a few clean strips of cloth.
"Here, let me bandage your wound," Ruth said. "You need to get this treated quickly, or it will get infected."
The wanderer nodded and silently took off his robe.
Beneath the long robe lay even more shocking wounds.
His body was covered with almost no intact skin; it was covered in scars, bloodstains, and pus. Some wounds were so deep that the bone was visible, and they emitted a foul odor.
Ruth looked at the wounds on the homeless man's body, and tears streamed down her face.
"Poor thing, what have you been through?" she said, choking back tears. "How did you get hurt like this?"
The wanderer did not answer, but silently endured Ruth's bandaging.
As Ruth wept, she carefully treated the homeless man's wounds with herbs and strips of cloth.
She first washed the wound with hot water, then applied herbal medicine, and finally bandaged it with a cloth.
Throughout the entire process, the homeless man remained silent, as if he felt no pain.
"Alright, let's leave it at that for now," Ruth said. "These herbs can stop bleeding and reduce inflammation. You rest for a bit, and I'll go make you some porridge."
"Thank you, madam. My name is Dongfang Jingyun," the wanderer said. "These wounds were left by people struggling in pain. They transferred their suffering onto me in order to find relief."
"You and your son are also seriously injured. I can treat you."
"What?!" Ruth was stunned. "You said...you said you could heal my and my son's injuries? Is that true?"
"Of course it's true, Madam." Dongfang Jingyun nodded. "And it's not just about pain. If they're willing, I can even… make them forget all their painful memories of the past."
Ruth's son is a miner who has worked in the mines for a long time. His body has long been ravaged by the heavy labor and harsh environment. He suffers from severe pneumoconiosis and severe arthritis. His arthritis flares up on rainy days, causing him unbearable pain.
Ruth herself suffers from severe rheumatism and is tormented by pain every night, making it difficult for her to fall asleep.
When Ruth heard Dongfang Jingyun say that he could heal her and her son's injuries, she could hardly believe her ears.
"Are you... are you telling the truth?" Ruth asked excitedly. "You can really... can you cure us?"
"Of course, Madam," Dongfang Jingyun said. "If you are willing, I can treat you right now."
"I do! Of course I do!" Ruth nodded repeatedly. "Then… what about my son? He…"
"As long as he's willing to accept treatment and regain a healthy body without pain," Dongfang Jingyun said. "Where is he now?"
"He should be back by now." She went to the door, opened it, and looked outside. Sure enough, she saw her son walking step by step along the village path toward her.
"Son! You're back!" Ruth exclaimed happily. "Come in quickly, we have a guest!"
Ruth's son heard his mother's call, looked up, saw Ruth standing in the doorway, and a tired smile appeared on his face.
He quickened his pace and entered his home.
"Mom, I'm home," Ruth's son said. "And this is…?"
He looked at Dongfang Jingyun sitting on the bed and asked in confusion.
"His name is Dongfang Jingyun, and he is… a miracle doctor," Ruth quickly introduced. "He said he can cure our illnesses!"
"Really?!" Ruth's son's eyes widened in disbelief. "This... how is this possible?"
"Nothing is impossible, young man," Dongfang Jingyun said.
"I…I do!" Ruth's son said without hesitation.
For him, being able to get rid of the torment of the disease is more important than anything else.
"Very good." Dongfang Jingyun nodded. "Then, please lie down on the bed."
Ruth's son lay down on the bed as instructed, and Dongfang Jingyun placed his hand on his chest.
A warm power emanated from Dongfang Jingyun's hand and flowed into Ruth's son's body.
Ruth's son felt a sense of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted and all the pain had disappeared.
Immediately afterwards, he felt his consciousness begin to blur, and fragments of memories began to flash through his mind.
He saw himself working with his father in the mine, saw his father being whipped by the overseer, saw his father struggling in pain after falling ill, and saw himself heartbroken when his father passed away...
These memories are his deepest pain and the past he least wants to recall.
But now, these memories are flooding back like a tide, and he can't resist them.
Just when he was feeling desperate, a voice rang in his ear:
"Give me all this pain, and I will bear it all for you. You will be reborn, and you will have a future without pain."
It was Dongfang Jingyun's voice.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ruth's son entrusted all his painful memories to Dongfang Jingyun.
As his memories faded, he felt a sense of relief, as if his entire soul had been elevated.
Then, he fell into a deep sleep.
Dongfang Jingyun withdrew his hand. His face was even paler and his body even weaker, but he showed a relieved smile.
"He's alright now," Dongfang Jingyun said to Ruth. "He needs to rest now, and he'll be a healthy person when he wakes up."
"Thank you, Mr. Dongfang, thank you!" Ruth said excitedly. "You are truly our savior!"
"You're welcome, Madam," Dongfang Jingyun said. "It's what I should do."
"By the way, Madam, you are also suffering from illness, and I can treat you."
"Ah, no, no, no need," Ruth quickly waved her hand. "My old bones are used to it. You should save your strength for those who need it more."
"But..."
"It's alright, Mr. Dongfang." Ruth interrupted Dongfang Jingyun. "I know you are a good person. You must have gone through a lot of hardships to have such power."
"I can't bear to let you suffer any more pain for me."
"Moreover, those painful memories, although they make me suffer, are also a part of my life, memories shared by my husband, my son and me."
"I don't want to forget them, nor do I want to forget the past."
"I would rather live with this pain, at least I can still remember them."
After listening to Ruth's words, Dongfang Jingyun nodded. Such people are not uncommon.
"I respect your choice."
"Thank you, Mr. Dongfang," Ruth said. "It's getting late, you should rest. I'll go make you something to eat."
But he ignored Ruth's request to stay for dinner, and her pleading that he stay until the next day. He chose to leave.
"Remember, never go out at night!"
Ruth's words of advice rang out behind him, but Dongfang Jingyun did not turn around.
He walked into the vast darkness of the night.